It was the approaching caravan that reached them first, traveling easily down the broken trail. Kaysa’s ears were filled with unfamiliar sounds, the humming of some contraption and the protests of a large creature. But as the caravan neared, Kaysa could hear it come to a stop. She and the others held to their breaths as they listened to the intentions of the stopping caravan.
“Even if I did not see you or hear you, I surely smell you, so make yourselves known from those rocks.”
Kaysa startled at their discovery. Yet the voice was not demanding, nor was it near the intensity of those they had escaped from. Kaysa exchanged glances with her friends. Vienda looked uneasy as she gripped her sword and nodded. On her cue, Vienda stepped from behind the rocky cover to face the newcomers. Kaysa, Lokus and Khey quickly followed.
Kaysa was suprised at what was before here. She could see two travelers. One sat upon a carriage of metal, propelled by some magic, for it held no wheels. The vehicle looked battered and travel-worn, much like its driver. The other elf sat casually on his mount, a creature Kaysa had never seen before. The creature held a thick body with powerful limbs and a long tail and neck. It looked now at Kaysa curiously with its black eyes, sniffing the air as it shifted restlessly.
The rider who spoke was upon the mount, and Kaysa took notice of him quickly. The elf wore a long, dusty coat that was once a rich blue. The coat was adorned with armor upon his shoulders and chest as belts held it securely to him. His dark pants and boots were covered in dust and holstered on his belts were weapons Kaysa had not seen before. The elf looked at her with one sharp eye of sea blue, for the other was covered with a patch. A bandana helped hold the patch upon his eye as well as kept his brown hair in check. Scarring marred the side of his face with the patched eye, detracting from otherwise dashing features.
“State your business,” said Vienda, watching the two travelers warily.
The rider spoke again, amused at the request. “I may ask you the same, for you appear out of place on this road,” he said before pointing toward the direction of Quenthell. “And if I were apt to wager, I’d say you are being pursued.”
“Yeah, they are trouble alright. That’s what I smell,” said the elf on the caravan. Kaysa watched him as his gaze darted about. He wore a sleeveless grey tunic and trousers over spindly arms and body. His hair ran wild upon his head, nearly glistening white. The elf’s features were worn and weary, and his eyes were obscured by dark goggles. His long elf ears sagged like a tree bearing too much weight. He glanced at Kaysa a moment before the others and then back upon the road.
The first elf grunted a single laugh. “You see trouble in all things, Onzlyn, which makes you equally annoying and invaluable,” he said before returning his attention to Vienda. “If my comrade here is correct, then I suggest you speak quickly, for it will not be long before your position is overtaken.”
Vienda’s guard refused to lower. “Our business is our business alone. Be on your way so that we may be on ours,” she commanded.
The first elf smiled, and through the dust that covered him, the teeth that showed through were pearly white. “Keep your business and your present course if you must. I simply wish to know what storm we have come to find ourselves within,” he said.
As Vienda prepared to restate her stance, Kaysa stepped forward, catching the elf rider’s attention quickly. “We flee from soldiers who attacked our village without provocation. We are the fortunate few who escaped. Our Elder has been wounded and all that we seek is sanctuary from those that would surely kill us,” she said plainly.
The elf rider nodded, absorbing the information. “That sounds a far cry beyond bandits,” he mused. “Yet I see no town.”
Kaysa nodded. “It is hidden from the world you know. It has vibrance and forests and life…or at least it did,” she said lowering her head.
“What color were the soldier’s wearing?” asked the rider.
“Black,” uttered Kaysa. “Dark as the night with armor of crimson, bearing weapons I’ve never seen before.”
The rider exchanged a glance with the one known as Onzlyn before he looked at Kaysa once more. “And what is your name, young woman?” he asked.
Vienda stepped forward. “It is I who hold command here, and so you will address me,” she stated.
The elf rider held up his hand casually to stop Vienda as he spoke to Kaysa once more. “Your name, please,” he restated.
Kaysa sighed, feeling heavy and exhausted. “It is Kaysa.”
Satisfied, the rider nodded. “Well, Kaysa, I am Marro. My eccentric companion is Onzlyn and this might be your lucky day. We happen to be soldiers of fortune if you will.”
“Mercenaries,” uttered Vienda without a semblance of respect.
Morro nodded. “We have been called this, amongst many other names,” he said as he nodded to his traveling companion. “But regardless of name, we are for hire. And for the right compensation there is a chance we could help you out of your current predicament.”
“So, you wish to extort us in our time of need,” said Vienda bitterly.
Marro motioned to the surrounding landscape. “Look about you again, for obviously this land is not what you are accustomed to. Everything is about survival. Everything holds a price. Do not think it extortion, but rather we are both helping each other endure,” he stated.
Vienda looked between the two elves and the approaching enemy. “We have no assurance you are any better than those that mean to kill us,” she said.
Morro laughed bitterly at this. “Surely you do, warrior, for you still draw breath.”
Vienda fought the urge to utilize her sword as Kaysa approached Marro. Lokus called out to her, but this fell on deaf ears. Kaysa fetched a small coin purse within her back before tossing it to Marro. “That purse holds what few valuables I hold in this world. Take what is required for your services, for my friends and I must reach safety. The importance of this goes well beyond our own lives,” she said.
Catching the purse, Marro looked at Kaysa curiously as he tested the weight of her bag. Kaysa watched as his hands, adorned in fingerless gloves, untied the purse and looked inside. Marro grunted at what he saw before fishing through the contents. Removing a few bits of Kaysa’s possessions, Marro placed them in a pouch on his belt before nodding to Onzlyn. “Well, it appears that we have gainful employment,” he said as he pointed toward the approaching soldiers. “Shall we earn our keep?”
“If we must, then we must,” said Onzlyn as he climbed to the roof of his carriage.
Marro dismounted before handing the reins to Kaysa. “If you would do me the service of holding these a spell, I will be back directly,” said Marro as he climbed up the carriage to join Onzlyn. “And try not to make any sudden movements. You are still a stranger in the eyes of Rufus.”
“Rufus?” asked Kaysa before she looked over her shoulder. Morro’s mount sniffed the air that separated them before narrowing its eyes and grunting at her.
“Yes, you may wish to keep your fingers to yourself until you are better acquainted. Now, all of you, seek cover behind the carriage,” said Marro.
As the others reluctantly did as instructed, Kaysa attempted to move with Rufus. The creature resisted her stubbornly, and Kaysa was only successful in turning him. Instead of struggling, Kaya opted to simply hide behind the mount’s large frame as she watched the mercenaries set to work. Thus afforded some protection, the young elf placed a nervous hand upon Rufus and watched.
From atop the carriage, Morro and Onzlyn prepared themselves for the approaching soldiers. Onzlyn procured a weapon like those of the soldier’s that were giving chase. Kaysa observed though that his weapon was larger and bore what appeared to be a spyglass attached to it. Onzlyn inserted small cylinders into a chamber on the weapon as Morro gathered two orbs bound in leather.
Before Kaysa could ask, Marro hurled both orbs a good distance ahead before fetching a similar weapon himself. The orbs landed upon the road and came to a rest as Marro
and Onzlyn readied their weapons. Onzlyn laid upon his stomach as Marro knelt. Both elves then waited patiently for the approaching soldiers.
It was not long before Kaysa could hear the hum of the incoming vehicle of their enemies. The transport tore at the road indifferently as it sped toward Kaysa and her friends. Upon the vehicle were at least 15 soldiers along with the driver. One of the soldiers pointed at the carriage ahead as the vehicle loomed closer. Behind Rufus, Kaysa soon held her breath in anticipation.
The enemy transport increased its speed as the soldiers upon it readied their own weapons. It was clear to Kaysa that alone, she and her friends wouldn’t have stood a chance. The transport was too swift, the number of soldiers too great. Their fate was now left to chance, in the hands of the hired mercenaries Marro and Onzlyn.
Kaya observed as Marro and Onzlyn patiently waited for the approaching soldiers. Neither one of them revealed an ounce of tension toward the impending conflict. The soldiers before them continued their dauntless push forward as the two elves maintained their serenity. Kaysa could feel the gathering storm in the air, as the inevitable clash loomed upon the horizon.
The approaching transport neared the orbs that Marro had cast upon the road. As it did, Marro called for Onlzyn to fire. Their weapons cracked like a whip, offering sound reports through the air. Both elves’ aims were true as they struck the orbs upon the road. Kaysa was forced to shield her eyes, for the explosion that followed was fraught with intensity.
As the orbs burst with energy, their power unleashed fully upon the transport upon them. The rolling carriage surged upward with the blast, sending soldiers flying in all directions. Some dove for cover while others were tossed carelessly into the air, meeting the barren landscape with little mercy. Kaysa covered her mouth as she watched the death and destruction unfolding before her eyes.
The explosion’s power ultimately flipped the transport, sending it screeching upon its back as it returned violently to the ground. Those that were not cast from the carriage or escaped by their own volition were crushed by the weight and savagery of the collision. Blood and ash colored the road as battered soldiers littered the landscape both dead and alive. As the transport slid to a stop, its carriage door opened, revealing a dying driver trying to escape the unforgiving flames.
Placing his weapon down, Marro leaped from Onzlyn’s carriage. Landing, he produced two of the smaller weapons from his belts as he rushed to the dying transport and the remaining soldiers. The elf possessed swiftness in both his movements and his judgments upon the survivors. The weapons in his hands barked several reports, and with each one, a surviving soldier fell lifelessly to the ground. Behind Marro, Onzlyn covered the elf with his rifle, looking through the spyglass as he carefully prepared his attacks.
Soon, the last of the cries of the soldiers were snuffed out as Marro appeared satisfied. Holstering his weapons, Marro signaled Onzlyn. The goggle-wearing elf hopped from his carriage as the two comrades sifted through the bodies of their enemies for spoils of victory. At the offered silence, Vienda and the others emerged from cover as Khey returned to Talcoros. Soon Lokus and Vienda returned to Kaysa’s side as the three watched Marro and Onzlyn.
“You are worse than mercenaries,” observed Vienda as she watched with disgust. “You are vultures.”
Marro responded as he continued his search. “We are merely survivors, warrior. Your revulsion simply reveals that we are from different worlds. This is simply the reality of ours.”
"Their weapons are similar to yours," observed Kaysa.
Onzlyn snorted at her observation as Marro barked a laugh and replied. "Do not let appearances fool you, young one. Their weapons are cheap, inferior products and exactly why they stay as they lay. With work we can salvage the ammunition, for powder is nigh universal. But to judge them the same as ours is an insult to Onzlyn and his people."
Kaysa nodded, swallowing once before responding. "It is your pardon I must beg then, Onzlyn, for I bear no slight upon you. All that I hold for you and Marro is gratitude," she said. Onzlyn paused from his search to look at Kaysa curiously with his goggled eyes. Reluctantly he gave her a soft nod before returning to his search. Kaysa then looked again to Marro. "You both have our thanks for your actions today."
Marro replied casually without looking up from his looting. "You have paid for our services and we are bound to fulfil our obligations," he offered with indifference.
"It gives no inconvenience to accept her gratitude," spat Lokus at his reply.
Marro eyed the young elf but a moment before returning to his search. "Gratitude does not fill our bellies, nor does it keep us safe from those who would kill us all should they be given the opportunity.
"It is impossible to talk to this man," growled Lokus before he shifted, gazing morosely at the barren wasteland that engulfed them. "What is our course? Where do we go from here?" Lokus asked to no one and everyone."
Marro approached them then, placing his acquisitions into the satchels attached to his mount's saddle. "Our commission is not finished until you reach safety. And that is something you will not find without our assistance. So your group will come with us," he said.
"What are our alternatives?" said Vienda through the clenching of her teeth.
Marro motioned to the barren wastelands about them. "Death obviously, slow or swift depending on if you are discovered or succumb to the elements. The question is, will you let your pride allow this? If not, I suggest you place your wounded in our carriage so that we can be away from here. I can assure you that more soldiers will be along soon enough."
Vienda looked between Marro and Onzlyn before she glanced at her group. As her eyes set upon the ailing Talcoros, she realized quickly enough that her choice was no choice at all. "Very well," she conceded dismally. "We shall accompany you."
"Splendid," said Marro as he pointed to Onzlyn's carriage. "Then be quick, for we should depart directly," he said, watching as Vienda and Khey gathered up their Elder before placing him within the carriage. Kaysa and Lokus set to join them when Marro stopped them. "No. Kaysa, you will ride with me."
"Out of the question," said Vienda.
"Over my felled corpse," offered Lokus.
Marro chuckled to himself despite the circumstances. "Which it could very well be if we are not swifter," he offered before pointing to his mount. "Onzlyn is burdened enough. I can carry one of you on Rufus. He is familiar with Kaysa more than the rest of you and will likely not try to maim her."
"How comforting," said Kaysa.
"Unacceptable," stated Vienda.
Kaysa shook her head as she neared Marro and his mount. "It's alright, Vienda. If this ensures everyone's safety, then I accept it gladly," she said.
Marro seated himself upon his mount, nodding to Kaysa before offering his hand. “It is with some relief that one of your people grasps reason,” he said. Kaysa accepted his hand and he swiftly pulled her upon the back of Rufus.
With Talcoros secured in the carriage, Vienda signaled to Onzlyn before shaking her head. “I still hold a dreadful feeling about this,” she stated.
Marro offered her an icy, indifferent glance. “Then rejoice, warrior, for with your dreadful feeling comes an honest revelation.”
“And what revelation is that?” asked Vienda.
“That you still live to hold such feelings,” said Marro before guiding his mount about. Kaysa held on as Marro goaded Rufus to a swift speed. Soon Onzlyn brought his carriage about to follow him.
7 Death and Purpose
Kaysa watched the fading day with heavy eyes. The journey with Marro and Onzlyn had dragged on in painful silence, and the rigors of the day taxed the young elf immensely. The desolation that engulfed Kaysa only compounded her sorrows, for the day had held little more than pain and death. She had said nothing since being guided by their new mercenary companions.
The young elf fought intently to stay awake. Kaysa had been pushed to her limits and now her mourning went beyond the fall of Quen
thell. Her home was gone, but it appeared that the entire world was gone as well. Everything Kaysa had known of the borders beyond her home was a lie. The deception had kept Quenthell safe, but only for a while. Tears longed to return to her eyes, yet Kaysa fought them as hard as the soldiers that had tried to claim her.
“You have been deathly quiet, young one,” mused Marro before her. The elf talked as he scoured the landscape for potential dangers.
Kaysa sighed. “I would assume such things are normal after what I have endured on this day, Marro. And my grief is my own,” she said.
“That is quite fair, but I feel it is even more than that,” observed Marro.
“I am simply realizing more and more how vital Quenthell was to this world,” she replied.
“How do you mean?” inquired Marro, glancing at her from over his shoulder.
Kaysa thought on her words before offering a response. “Quenthell held more life in a span of steps than I have seen since the entirety of our departure. It would appear that it was the last of what this world once was. And it was the only world I ever knew,” she said.
Marro nodded with nonchalance. “I am sure you and your friends long to have the wool pulled over your eyes once more,” he offered.
“I said no such thing,” said Kaysa with defiance. “But the truth has still proven to be a terrible burden. Kel’Thara is nothing as I would have hoped it could be.”
“You should get accustomed to it quickly, young Kaysa, for this is the world. This is the reality of it all. And unless you and your companions can embrace that then you will share Quenthell’s fate,” he said.
“That is a cruel way to offer one’s advice,” replied Kaysa.
At this, Marro offered a harsh laugh, shaking his head. “The world is cruel. Life no longer holds to any semblance of fairness. Those men we killed, they would have surely killed us along with you. There is no longer good and evil. There are only survivors. You do not see it now, for you still grieve. But very soon, you will.”
The Last of Kel'Thara Page 7
