We head back out into the city, led by Grady this time since he knows a faster way out of these catacombs. Once we get back into the city, I take a deep breath through the nose letting the cool dawn air wave over my face. “Still smells like shite.” The group laughs, because they know it’s true. Creeten is in a constant state of smelling like feces, whether you are in the sewers or out of them. Thanks to Raylin, my sword is sharp and clean and Grady’s quiver is once again full of arrows. I look up and in the sky, the sun is peaking over the great Mount Sovarn toward the east.
“So, how far is it for Fort Everico?” Ryneld asks, breaking the peaceful silence of the morning. I pull out the map from my side bag and unroll it. Grady moves over next to me, trying to find where we are on this map. According to this map, Fort Everico isn’t far away from Creeten. In fact, it is closer to Creeten than Terhelm. During the fighting, Creeten was allied with the Adder Fang and worked against the High King. This fort was their last hope in taking over the capitol city. Everyone knows how that story goes, though. Every bard and every tavern sings about it.
The High King would not stand, for a fort so close to home.
He sent his troops and all his men, to take that fort back.
The snakes did fall, and fail, the war ended in that attack.
All the troops did cease the fighting, and went back out to roam.
Not the best lyrics ever created, but every bard in every Divine forsake tavern always sings this song into the ground. I roll the map back up and look to Ryneld with a smile, “Not even a day’s walk. We should get there at nightfall.”
A grateful smile, spreads over the dog’s muzzle. “Finally, we are so close to finishing this quest and then I can get back to my personal mission of trying to trap an Aaxeic.” He starts the walk toward the city gates, and we follow right behind. Kahetia frowns, his words striking a cord with her. It isn’t just her, they strike something in all of us.
“You aren’t staying with us?” She asks, her voice soft and it has a hint of pain to it.
“I told you guys. Before I met up with you, my goal was to find a way to trap an Aaxeic and learn to speak with Whodal. I can’t give up on that,” he says pushing the city gates open and we walk back out into the wilderness surrounding the city.
Right outside the city walls, is the local stable. As soon as Grady leaves the gates, the neighing of Ghirsham begins. I look over to the stables and the horse is tapping it’s hooves to the ground, raising up on its hind legs every so often. The neighs and whinnies don’t stop until Grady walks over and starts to pet the horse’s neck
I look back to Ryneld who is twisting the small pink stone between his pointer finger and his thumb. He seems so focused on that tiny mineral. So focused that he doesn’t even see Kahetia who is trying to get his attention and talk to him. When he puts the rock back into his pocket, only then does he notice the Felidal.
“What if we help you with that mission?” I offer him, walking up beside of Kahetia, hoping that my presence gives her some sort of moral support. She takes a deep breath and stands a little taller and keeps her gaze on the Kanonian in front of us.
“How could you guys help me? Only I know where the location is and how to mine it,” He says, this is the first time I have heard doubt in his voice.
I shrug my shoulders, look to Tia before looking back to Ryneld. “Not sure, but just think on it. We still have a little while before this adventure is over.” Grady rides up to us on Ghirsham, actually paying the stable hand to keep the horse this time rather than jumping on and riding off. “Ready to go?”
He nods down to me, patting on the horses long neck with a toothy grin, “Sure am!”
Kahetia nods, not looking up at me to give her approval. Seeing her like this, honestly hurts. She seems like a really sweet girl, at least from what I have seen over this last week, she doesn’t deserve to be hurt like this. Even if she is a thief. She must have more feelings for Ryneld than she lets on. I would hate to be in her position, having feelings for someone and them not even knowing, or at the worst not caring that you do. It must be such a heart breaking position to be in.
Ryneld nods and pulls his cloak over his furry blonde ears. “Ready to get this over with.” Grady frowns and Kahetia flinches at that remark. Ryneld may be smart, but he can’t see when people are hurting from his words. Book smarts doesn’t amount to much when you can’t understand how people work.
Not waiting any longer, we head back out into the wild and toward the east to find Fort Everico. Hopefully, during this time, Ryneld will think about my offer and let us come along with him to find this Tourmaline. The walk there is generally uneventful. We pass by an Ogre city and the guards outside sneer at us.
Ogres are a weird race in Jerensi-a. Even more so than Felidals or Kanonians. While the Amalian race socializes with other races such as Elves, Lalinos, and humans, Ogres keep to themselves inside their safe haven cities. Even then, they are rude and rough toward each other. Some Ogre clans won’t accept members of other clans into their keep, even if critically wounded or ill. They will let them die outside than take them in to help. I guess humans are more like Ogres than I originally thought. Until this past week, I always felt that humans were the race that was attacked. We were the victims to specism and discrimination from other races. That isn’t the truth. We are just as cold and cruel as any Ogre, to people outside of our species and even inside. We are an untrustworthy lot. Not meant to be trusted or even find it safe to trust others. Not meaning to, I understand why the Ogres keep everyone out. I would too if I had been forced into weapon making during the war.
Like Felidals and Kanonians, this group too was forced into slavery by the humans. They were forced to make weapons for the Adder Fang. The High King offered them gold and homes in exchange for their services, but after the war, they were exiled from the cities and forced to live in these small camps they consider safe havens. Unlike humans, Ogres don’t go out and pick fights. They do their best to stay to themselves and away from everyone and the outside world in general. In someone passes by their keeps, all they do is sneer and tell that traveler to keep walking and cause no trouble. They are peaceful, in their own sense. They don’t fight unless provoked, and they keep to themselves and their own problems. Can’t blame them for that at all.
This trip has opened my eyes in so many ways, and all of it for the better. Before this journey, I wouldn’t give a person the time of day. I was much like the Ogres, kept to myself, didn’t go out to start a fight, and never relied on anyone but me, myself, and I. Call me green and ugly, but I know how the Ogres feel. Haywood sort of treated me the same way the humans treat other species. Sure, he takes care of me, gives me jobs and is like a second father, but that doesn’t excuse him from how he trained me.
During my training with him, it was tough for me as a kid. The very first thing he did was send me out into the woods, alone and only armed with a knife. My goal was to kill a goblin and bring back its gold to him. Goblins are mischievous little bastards and to this day I still hate them. Tricksters and pranksters is what they are. When I finally found one, took almost a month to do, I went in for the attack. It laughed at me when it threw sand in my face and caused me to trip over my own two feet. Goblins don’t have any magic, and I was thankful for that, otherwise that fight would’ve lasted much longer and been even more annoying than it needed to be. The fight lasted for what felt like hours to me. Hearing its rage inducing laugh, having tripped over and over by its simple pranks and tricks, and trying to catch the fast creature was almost more than I could handle. I kept my rage down, slayed the creature and brought its gold back to Haywood.
The man didn’t seem impressed, said I could’ve done it faster if I knew how to track. I had been on my own for a month looking for that creature, just to give him the gold I should have received after killing it. That should have been my reward, but instead, my reward was years of vigorous training to learn how to kill people. Learning how to track targets and take them down without them even noticing I was there. I know mercenaries are meant to leave a calling and some would argue that I am an assassin, but I make sure they know it was me. My style is to attack quick, true and them don’t even let them know what hit them until it’s too late. I’ve seen my wanted posters before, but they don’t have a name to it. Only my red hair and bear skin pelt.
Crimes in Jerensi-a aren’t dealt with my guards unless the guards see it firsthand. If there is a bounty on someone’s head for multiple murders, bounty hunters will take care of that. One time, I was bathing at a creek and a bounty hunter came up and tried to take me in for the gold rounds that had been placed on my head. I think it was only one thousand at the time, who knows what it is now. He said I could have paid him and he would’ve let me go, but I hadn’t killed someone in a few weeks and I was low on funds. I took the easier way, killed him, and took his armor and weapon, as well as his gold and left. His armor was worth a pretty gold round and bought me dinner and a place to sleep that night.
Jerensi-a isn’t the safest country in Terasiia. Breetanya holds that title, but safe is boring. Danger is exciting and pumps blood into your veins, reminds you what it feels like to be alive and to fight. Risking your own life and limb to make a living in this country, and then having to keep a constant watch for any guard or bounty hunter looking to kill you, it can be riveting and quiet the thriller. I love it and wouldn’t trade this life for anything else. I am still alive, and as long as my heart is beating, I will keep moving forward and make my life as good as I can while still fighting to keep it going.
The sun is starting to set, and we haven’t talked much all day. We have kept to ourselves and entertained our own thoughts as we travelled. I look at each person, making sure they are still alive and well. “Want to stop and eat some food before we get there? I know this river we are walking beside, it leads right back to Terhelm and that isn’t a far walk. We should be at Fort Everico within the hour.”
I stop walking and turn to face my companions on this adventure. Grady hops off his horse and ties her up to a nearby tree. “I wouldn’t mind a quick bite to eat. All I have had is a carrot and I gave half of that to Ghirsham.”
He stands beside of me and starts to pull the apples he got from his father out of his bag. Kahetia pulls out a loaf of bread, I grab the meat we bought from the Kanonian seller, and Ryneld starts to slice a wheel of cheese. Rid and cheese sandwiches, with some apples and river water to drink. Pretty good meal for adventurers. We learn not to become picky quick when travelling across country.
Grady grabs some wood and I place it in a circle. Ryneld smirks as I go to try and hand start the fire, “Allow me.” He pulls out his wand, flicks it and a spark ignites under the wood, soon rising into the dancing orange flames. I thank him, before opening the meat from its package, tearing the four ribs apart, and place them into the middle of the fire. Normally, I would put a stick through it, but the bone won’t allow me to puncture all the way through.
When the meat is done, I simply use my sword tip, pierce the end of the meat and pull it back to lay it on the brown wrapper it came in to let it cool. Grady’s cooks the longest, while Kahetia and Ryeld say they want theirs cooked less than mine. Once all of them are cooked and cooled, I hand each of them their piece. We sit down and make our own meals the way we want. I am simple, I pull the meat off the rib and lay it between my two slices of bread, with the cheese on top of the meat. Ryneld and Kahetia eat it differently. They take their rib and eat the meat right off the bone, biting into the bread every so often. Must be their animal instincts to eat the meat right off the bone. Grady makes his food like me, but between some bites of his meat and bread, he bites into his apple.
None of us are talking, and the woods around us are deathly silent. It gives off an uneasy feeling and it feels like we are strangers again. None of us really knowing what to say or do right now after what Ryneld said earlier this morning. Him leaving us and going off on his own. It hurts the rest of us to see him go, especially Kahetia. I can see it hurts her the most. Grady is looking around, I am watching the group, Ryneld is reading a book while he eats, but Kahetia never once looks up from her meal and to the rest of us. The silence is deafening and I can’t take it any longer. “So, Ryneld, given any thought to my proposal earlier?”
The Kanonian looks up from his rib, some blood is clotting in the fur of his chin. He reaches up and wipes it away, as he swallows the bite he had been chewing on. Everyone is looking at him now, waiting and hoping that his answer had changed from before. The stares must make him feel uneasy, because he shifts his weight before settling his eyes back on me. “You mean that I allow you three to come along with me?”
“Don’t think of it as allowing,” I start my next sentence with caution. If I mess up my words here, he will surely say no. “But rather it’s more of friends trying to help another friend.”
He lowers his piece of rib and stares at me with his mouth slightly gaping. “What did you call me?”
I blink and my head pulls back a little bit, confused by his soft and surprised tone. “I said we were your friends, and we feel you are our friend.” I motion my hand to Grady and Kahetia to each give their own nod of agreement to the Kanonian.
The mage doesn’t move, or speak, or even breathe. He holds completely still, only his eyes shifting between the three of us. Soon, a smile begins to grow, starting at a smirk, then a grin to a full blown ear to ear smile. After the smile forms, he begins to laugh. Not in a sarcastic way that makes us feel awkward, but a genuine laugh that I can tell means he is happy that we consider him that. “You still consider me a friend even after all that I have done?”
“All that you done? You make it sound like you sold us out to Weharla or something. You helped save us back then, you are the voice of reason in this group, Ryneld,” I chuckle, standing from my position and walking past our camp fire and to stand in front of him. “After all,” I reach my hand out to him, “Would I really ask you to join me if I didn’t consider you my friend?”
He looks at my hand, then my face, probably checking for any inconsistencies in my words or facial expressions. He must not find any, because he takes my hand with his paw and stands up to see me eye to eye. “Thank you, Michael. I accept your offer.”
Kahetia jumps from her seat, a bright toothy grin plastering her small muzzle. She all but pushes me out of the way to hug Ryneld around the neck. Grady stands up and moves over next to me, patting Ryneld on the shoulder when Kahetia finally let’s go of him. He sits her down and places a soft paw on her cheek with a tender smile. They two stare at each other for minute before I clear my thought and nod back to the food.
“You two can celebrate after we kill Zideka. Right now, let’s finish eating.”
Each of us take our seat back around the fire, though we have shifted a little bit closer together. Before we couldn’t touch each other if we stretched, now I could easily reach out my hand and pat Ryneld on the back. Before, I feared that my life would be pointless after I killed Zideka and achieved my goal, but I have found a new goal. To travel with these three, achieving our dreams, hopes and aspirations. They have helped me with mine, so now it only seems fair that I return the help they so selfishly gave me.
The Divines brought us together for a reason. I wasn’t sure of that reason, and I am still unsure, but I think it was more than just to kill the man I have been hunting. Maybe it is to help one another in life. Or, perhaps there is something much bigger ahead in time than we can see. Something behind our comprehension as mortals on this world. If that is the case, then we better not fail them. I doubt the peace and safety of the world would hang in the balance on whether or not we defeat Zideka, though. Again, who really knows what the Divines have in store for us.
We finish eating, I put out the fire, and we all pack up our things. This time when we walk, we walk as a unified group. I in the front, Grady to my right, Kahetia and Ryneld right behind me. The image of how we look appears in my head and it reminds me of the tapestry in the castle from my dream. Maybe the so called castle was really Fort Everico. But I don’t ever remember any of the stories saying that the Fort looked as dark as ebony. It would make sense that it was the fort. Where else would we go? Unless we are too late.
What if Zideka has already moved hide outs? We were stuck in the forest for a week. If someone had gotten to him before we could, he could easily switch hide outs and evade us even farther. Moogar please hear my pray again, let this man be in Everico. I do not wish to continue this hunt even more than I need to. It’s already been going on for so long, and if this man has moved, will my friends still be willing to keep up the hunt with me? Just about a hundred feet back I was so sure of myself, my friends and our quest. Now, all this doubt is spilling into my brain, like a snake whispering into my ear. Feeding its lies to me, as if it is poisoning my trust in them.
After all, I have never really trusted anyone. How can I be sure I can trust them with my life? I will protect them, with my own life if necessary, but will they do the same for me? Do I think Grady would actually take an arrow for me? I wouldn’t ask him to. No one deserves to die to save me. I am pretty worthless bag of shite as is. I’ve never done anything redeeming in this life time.
No! I can’t believe these thoughts, not when we have come so far as a team! Whatever Aaxeic is plaguing me with these doubts of my friends, leave me be. I have come too far and too long to let you stop me now. These people walking next to me, won’t let me down. They have each proven their worth to each other and to myself. We will overcome this battle and be victorious! I know it.
We reach the Fort within the hour, just like I had thought we would. The stone fort looks like a small castle. It has a barred gate and outside that gate are wooden barricades to keep attackers away. At each corner of the fort there is a bastion keep. Each keep has a large crossbow turret perched at the top. From out here, behind these bushes and trees, I can’t see much past the iron gate. Except an old, abandon, small chicken coop as well as a wooden door that leads to a small room protruding from the back wall. The gate is locked tight with what seems to be a cursed lock. No, I know it’s cursed. That black smoke coming off of it isn’t natural. It is a sure sign that Zideka is still here and doing his best to keep anyone out.
I turn to the other three, who are also having their first look at the small fortress. They each looked puzzled, wondering how we are going to get in. Kahetia could climb over, but I doubt she would be able to figure out the magic lock and open the gates. I could always try to cut the gates with my sword. But, the obvious bet is to hope that Ryneld has an unlocking spell up his sleeve.
“What do you think?” I ask the mage who is rubbing the edge of his chin, eyes still locked on that lock.
“Seems like Aaxeic magic. Are you sure you know what we are getting into?” He finally takes his eyes off the lock and looks to me. “I’m not doubting that you know what you are doing. I am just curious as if you know what exactly we are facing here.”
“I was told that the man who killed my parents and burned my entire village is hiding like a coward inside that Fort with a magical lock. Besides that, he is going to die before the sun rises. That is all I know.”
He nods, eyes shifting to look back at the gates. “I can get us in, might take a more advanced spell but I think I know a good trick.” He rummages through his bag and pulls out the pink stone. The stone radiates a soft glow around its form and over his fingers. “This should be enough to take in that dark magic.”
I nod to him and turn to the other two, “Let’s move.” I take out my sword, which prompts Grady to get an arrow ready in his bow, and Kahetia to pull out her daggers. Ryneld keeps the stone in one hand and the wand in another.
We leave the safety of our trees and make our way up the beaten path to the gates of Fort Everico. The night air hangs thick around us in anticipation. My heart pounds and the hand that is holding my sword grows sweaty. This is the night I have been waiting for. We reach the lock and it is covered in even more dark magic than I thought back in the trees. Then again, from that distance all it looked like was a smoking blob.
Ryneld kneels down to the lock and as the stone moves closer to the magic, the brighter it glows. The smoke swirls from the lock, around the stone and disappearing into it. As it goes in, the pink color fades away and is replaced with a dark purple, almost black color. “Well, this stone has had its use.” He puts it back into his bag and stands up, moving aside so now Kahetia can properly lock pick it.
“What do you mean?” I ask when he raises back up from the ground.
“When a tourmaline takes all the Aaxeic magic it can handle, it turns black and basically loses its healing properties and becomes a stone of dark energy,” he watches Kahetia work as he explains this to me. “My stone had all it could handle. Thankfully, it was enough to get off the lock and let us in.”
A click echoes around us, follow by a chink when the lock falls to the ground. Kahetia stands back up with a proud smirk of her work. Grady is in awe, he was probably never able to pick a lock to save his life. I push open the gates, careful of any traps or minions hiding in the dark. My head pokes in past the bars and checks the surroundings. Everything is eerily quiet, gives off a tone of death and loneliness. We make it across the center field of the fort and to the door that is on the back wall.
I reach my hand out and push it open with ease. There are stairs in the door, leading down to an area below the ground, who knows what could be down there. But one thing is for certain, Zideka us down there, and he is going to die by my blade. Tonight.
