“Kerys!” He thrust the greatsword down into the water as deep as it would go. Nothing happened for a moment, and then he felt a small tug.
He had to resist the urge to pull it up and out of the water as quickly as he could, instead slowly lifting and levering backward to allow her to maintain her grip. Kerys was choking, gasping, and shivering, but was still alive. Ari hugged her tightly and then stood up on the log with her over his shoulder.
The tree didn’t make for the most stable bridge, and Ari barely managed to hurry across to the river’s sandy bank before it came loose from the rocks it had been stuck on and continued rolling down the river. He helped Kerys sit up as she continued to cough up water.
The fisher arrived only seconds later, emerging from the water with more ease than any aquatically capable predator should be allowed to have. Its tentacles were splayed out on all sides, wiggling with grotesque motions. It had claws where the hands would have been on a human, and it slowly clenched and unclenched them as it took the last few steps toward Ari and Kerys.
Ari stood up and lifted the greatsword. He clasped one hand on the handle and the other on the scabbard, desperately trying to pull the blade loose. If he could just get it out, he’d have a real weapon to work with. He stomped his foot and shouted with exertion as he pulled with all the strength in him.
His life depended on an old, dirtied, rusted sword. More importantly, Kerys’ life depended on it.
The fisher towered over him, making him feel like a child facing off a monster straight out of his nightmares. It dropped into a crouch, its tentacles shifting to point toward Ari as the creature prepared to lunge.
“Please!” he screamed.
Kerys was clinging to the back of his tunic, and he was all that stood in between her and certain death.
He ran his thumb over the sword’s sapphire pommel stone, trying to make it understand what he needed through his desperate, pointless force of will.
He pulled again, and the blade finally came loose. White light flashed as he slashed outward with the sword. The fisher took a step back, as did Ari, and he took a closer look at the strange weapon he’d just unsheathed.
It was perfect. All of the rust, dirt, and grime had crumbled from the weapon and its scabbard, revealing a sword of far higher quality than anything he’d ever seen down in the Hollow.
It was also more than just a sword. The sapphire pommel stone pulsed bright in a chaotic, shifting rhythm. The weapon gave off a blue afterglow as it moved through the air, and there was a dangerous hum of energy within it that made Ari’s fingers tingle. None of that mattered much as the fisher rushed forward, mounting a second charge.
Ari clutched the hilt as tight as he could and swung for the monster’s neck. It ducked at the last second, and though he missed the head, he still managed to catch one of its tentacle-like appendages. A spurt of disgusting, green ooze flowed from the point of severance, splattering onto Ari’s arm for an instant before sliding down to the crook of his elbow and to the ground below.
If the loss of one of its tentacles had caused the fisher pain, it didn’t let it show. It slashed a claw at Ari, who hopped back, colliding with Kerys, who’d been standing closer to him than he’d realized. The fisher threw itself at him, knocking him off balance and tossing both him and Kerys to the ground at an odd angle.
The sword fell free of his hand, bouncing across the rain-soaked grass a few feet away. Ari reached for it, but the fisher was already pressing down on him. The monster wrapped its disgusting tentacles around his throat. It was all Ari could do to lever his left forearm against its neck, preventing it from slamming the jagged teeth of its terrifying, four-sided jaw down on his face.
“Kerys!” he cried. “The sword!”
There was no response from her. Ari reached his right hand out, hopelessly trying to pull it toward him. It was too far away. It was over. Without the sword, he had nothing.
He saw the sapphire pommel of the greatsword pulse with another strange burst of light, and then the weapon was gone. A woman stood in its place, silver haired and clad in strange white clothing. She looked momentarily confused until her eyes settled on his, which seemed to be enough to trigger her into action.
The woman surged forward, slamming into the fisher and knocking it off Ari.
She didn’t stop there. Reaching down to lift up a rock that must have weighed fifty pounds or more, she slammed it down on the monster’s neck. It let out a pained gurgle and went still, at least for the moment.
Ari rose to his feet and immediately went to Kerys’ side. She was stunned, but otherwise unharmed, and he slipped his arm under her shoulder to pull her upright.
He searched the ground for his lost sword and found the eyes of the strange woman staring back at him instead. She was holding the weapon’s scabbard, and she passed it to him with a small nod.
Through some mutual, unspoken agreement, the three of them took off into the forest together. Splashing noises came from the direction of the river behind them. Ari knew that it meant that there were more fishers on their trail.
He ran a little faster, urging Kerys along beside him and looking over his shoulder to make sure that the woman was still with them.
They slowed to a stop as they reached a clearing with an oddly uniform rock spire at its center. It was overgrown with moss and vines, and it was exactly what they needed. Ari gestured to Kerys and the woman, pointing them toward it.
“Climb!” he said. “If we can get to the top, we might be able to hold them off!”
He held the scabbard in his hands in the same stance he’d used with the greatsword, silently mouthing obscenity laden questions in regard to where it had disappeared to. And where had the woman come from? He wanted to ask her, but there was no time for that. He could already see the monsters in the distance, snapping through branches and foliage as they approached.
The woman came to stand next to him, adopting a fighting pose that she held with enough confidence to make him think that she had at least some martial training. Ari glanced over his shoulder, hoping to see Kerys already making her way up the vines. Instead, he saw her waving to him, beckoning him over.
“What?” he shouted.
“A door!” cried Kerys. “There’s a door!”
“Get it open!” shouted Ari. He set a hand on the strange woman’s shoulder and pushed her toward Kerys. “Help her!”
She didn’t hesitate, rushing back to assist Kerys in pulling aside the vines and clearing the way. Ari took slow, heavy breaths, blinking away droplets of rain as they rolled down his forehead and across their face. The first of the fishers charged. He lifted the scabbard up readying it for a strike that he knew might cost him his life.
A hand grabbed his arm, and he felt himself being pulled backward. He turned, expecting to see the woman and finding Kerys instead. She was screaming, and it was hard to tell whether her eyes were wet from tears or the weather. Ari followed after her and through the now open entrance that led into the small tower that he’d mistaken for a natural rock formation.
The door was heavy wood, and Ari slammed it shut as soon as he’d slipped through. Almost immediately, he felt the impact of one of the monsters slamming into it on the other side. He searched the interior of the tower’s bottom floor for the woman, but couldn’t see her anywhere.
“Kerys!” he shouted. “Help me hold it!”
She immediately fell into place next to him, both of them leaning all of their weight into the task of preventing the press of monsters on the other side from bursting through. There was a metal loop built in for a drop bar, and Ari fumbled the scabbard in through it.
He still stayed where he was, leaning his weight against the door. Between him and the scabbard, they managed to hold out for several of the longest minutes of his life. He heard his own shaky, terrified breathing as the pressure on the other side of the door finally stopped.
“They… gave up?” he whispered.
“No,” said Kerys. �
��Listen.”
Ari shook his head, not understanding.
“It stopped raining,” she said.
CHAPTER 15
It took them a while to calm down enough to process their situation. They were on the bottom floor of the tower. Neither of them dared to venture outside or up the ancient spiral staircase leading to the other levels. They were too tired to do much else other than to sit next to each other and shiver in their soaking wet clothes.
The woman was gone, and the Saidican greatsword was back. It didn’t take a leap of logic on Ari’s behalf to deduce that magic was involved somehow. Either the sword could shift forms, or summon entities, or some combination of both. He briefly considered telling Kerys about his suspicions concerning the blade before tossing the idea out, not wanting to add to her mountain of worries.
Kerys was currently sitting on the dirty stone floor and hugging her knees to her chest, looking as frail and defenseless as he’d ever seen her. Ari walked up behind her and set his hands on her shoulders.
“We’re still alive,” he said. “That’s all that really matters.”
“For now,” whispered Kerys. “Dormiar’s tears, Ari. It’s only a matter of time. We can’t keep running like this. Not if they come out every time when it rains.”
Ari ground his teeth together, unable to muster enough false hope to disagree with her. They were in a dismal situation, and he felt powerless in the face of it. Still, at the very least, he could try to cheer her up.
“Turn around,” he said.
“What?” asked Kerys. “Why?”
She turned around. Ari sat down across from her, giving her a serious, somber expression. Then, he poked his index fingers against the points of her nipples, which were impossible to ignore against the sheer fabric of her dress. Kerys let out an offended gasp and climbed to her feet.
“Aristial Stoneblood!” she shouted. “You boorish pervert!”
“Sorry,” he said. “I couldn’t resist. Cold in here, isn’t it?”
“You’re worse than that creep back at the encampment!”
“Seriously?” asked Ari. “Kerys, that’s a low blow. At least I had the sense to take you somewhere private before I started molesting you.”
She blushed and glared at him, but Ari detected the faint hint of a smile in the corners of her mouth. He pulled back a little and took his pack off his shoulders, wincing in relief as he stretched his arms. He rifled through it, swearing under his breath upon realizing that all of their food provisions were still back at the encampment. They still had the waterskin, but it was nearly empty.
“We left our food behind,” said Kerys, noticing what was missing. “And we don’t have much water. You can keep trying to make light of the situation if you want, but—”
“But we’re still alive,” said Ari. “That’s the only ‘but’ that matters. Well, that one and yours, of course.”
Kerys’ glare took on a decidedly dangerous quality, and he decided that he needed more than just crude humor to put her mind at ease.
“Let’s see where these lead,” he said, gesturing to the stairs.
“Okay,” said Kerys. “You’re going first, though.”
Ari nodded and slowly began making his way up the stairs. It was dark inside the tower, but he and Kerys had grown up in Golias Hollow. Even in the dark they could make out the basic outline of the shape of the interior.
It was also incredibly dusty, and Kerys let out a high-pitched sneeze as they reached the second level. It was a round room, similar to the first floor, but with more doors. Each of the doors was wooden, and still in a relatively workable state. Ari opened one of them and stepped into the room on the other side.
“This looks like a bedroom,” he said.
“This one, too,” said Kerys, from one of the other chambers. “There’s even a stone base for a mattress or sleeping pad.”
“Interesting,” said Ari.
The stairs led to at least one or two more floors, but Kerys seemed like she was about to collapse on her feet. Ari picked one of the rooms they’d discovered and made a decent effort at brushing a spot in the corner clear of dust. He would have spread out the sleeping mat, but it was still soaking wet, along with the rest of their meager belongings.
“We can rest up here,” said Ari. “That way, we’ll be behind two doors.”
Kerys nodded and collapsed down next to him without another word. He stretched out, letting her use his shoulders as a pillow like the gentleman he was. It didn’t take either of them all that long to get to sleep.
***
The room was remarkably well lit come morning. Ari gently shifted Kerys to the side so he could stand up and let his eyes find the source of the illumination.
The small bedroom they were in had a window, an arch made of translucent crystal glass. It was overgrown with moss and vines on the other side, but it still allowed in a trickle of light. Ari peered out, noticing and silently giving thanks for the clear blue skies overhead.
He made his way down to the first floor with slow, cautious movements. He felt like his wariness had been necessary when he spotted a figure standing near the center of the first floor common room. At least until he saw her long, silver-blue hair and remembered more of the previous night’s events.
The room was well lit, with crystal glass windows similar to the ones upstairs set into the wall by the door and staircase. Ari watched the woman as he made it the rest of the way down the steps, making no further attempt at stealth. She wore strange clothing, a white bodice that looked like nothing so much as a woman’s brassiere that had been converted into a piece of armor, along with a matching skirt that had vertical blue stripes running down its length.
She’d been sitting, but she stood up to face him. Ari got a look at her face and figure for the first time. She was tall and undeniably beautiful, with a body that was lean and elegant. Her breasts were small, and her hips only had a slight curve to them, which her skirt did, admittedly, work to accentuate.
Her face was pale, and her eyes were a deep, sapphire blue that reminded Ari of the color of the pommel stone of the sword. The comparison gave him a sudden thought, and he glanced toward where he’d left the sword in the door jam. It wasn’t there, but the scabbard still was, which was what Ari had been expecting.
“Hello,” said the woman.
“Uh, hi,” said Ari. “How are you feeling?”
He felt awkward under the intensity of her gaze. She looked so serious, standing there with her back straight and hands folded in front of her lap.
“I feel good,” she said. “Truly, I do. If I seem uncomfortable at all, it is only because of the chaos of the past night. I was not expecting to have to fight so soon after awakening.”
“Sure,” said Ari, nodding along. “Right. Thanks for helping us, by the way. I think Kerys and I would have died if it hadn’t been for your timely intervention.”
“Of course,” said the woman. “May I ask a question? You mention Kerys, who I assume is the other woman you were with. What is your name?”
“Aristial Stoneblood,” he said.
“Lord Stoneblood.” The woman dropped to one knee. “My name is Evastria. I am at your disposal.”
Ari scratched his head. He opened his mouth and then closed it.
His face flushed with warmth as he stared at the silver haired stranger. She was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever laid eyes on, and it was hard for him to be sure that he’d just heard her right. He looked down at his muddy and ragged tunic and his dirty hands and didn’t find her declaration any easier to believe.
“Evastria,” said Ari, testing her name out on his lips. “You may have noticed this from the state of my current clothing, or my age, or basically any other detail about me, but I’m no lord. I’m not even close.”
She lifted her head, offering him a small smile.
“You are my new bond master,” said Eva. “Even though our bond isn’t fully established yet, it’s still fair t
o say that you could essentially be considered a lord of at least minor renown. Does it displease you to be referred to as such?”
“It’s a little weird,” said Ari. “But I guess I’m fine with it if it’s what you prefer. It’s also not exactly what I’d call a pressing concern at the moment. Hey… don’t take this the wrong way, but what are you, exactly?”
“I am a sword construct, milord,” said Evastria. “My previous master, as far as I can remember, was Lord Mythril of the Saidican Empire.”
“A sword construct,” repeated Ari. “That’s some kind of magic? Like, actual magic? I saw the sword turn into you, and when I was wielding it, there was a faint aura around it. A combination of blue light and energy.”
“A sword construct is a powerful, intelligent, enchanted weapon,” said Evastria. “I can manifest as I am now or as Azurelight, a magical greatsword with its own special properties. As with any construct, the imprint of a living entity has been imbued into the enchantment.”
“So you’re both Evastria—and Azurelight?” asked Ari.
“Azurelight is the sword,” she replied. “Evastria was the name of the woman who gave her soul for the enchantment.”
“That’s confusing,” he said.
“My apologies, Lord Stoneblood,” said Evastria. “I can try to explain it in simpler terms, if you’d prefer?”
Ari wasn’t sure if he was imagining the hint of condescension he heard in her voice or not. He scratched his chin, furrowing his brow at her.
“You mentioned establishing our bond, or something like that?” he asked.
Evastria nodded. “My previous master and creator, Lord Mythril, understood the inherent danger in creating intelligent weapon constructs. As a construct, I can only manifest my full strength through establishing a bond with my wielder, as a means of preserving my loyalty.”
“And when I found the greatsword, err, you… I somehow created a bond between us?”
Sword Sirens Page 9
