As the column rode, Brael dropped back level with Korhan. ‘How fare you Avil?’
‘Well... Though-’
‘Do not trouble yourself. Vashni is treating you with some disdain, yes. The others do not understand, but you are receiving a great gift, a gift which has always been withheld from mortals. Try to please her, and listen to her, she can teach you much. I may even be able to teach you myself... That is if I can rid myself of this blasted curse!’
‘Thank you. Brael? I haven’t had much time for anyone since... I should learn more about my companions. I never expected to meet a gravian, let alone end up with one trailing me trying to save my life.’
‘Do not trouble yourself too much Northman. Despite Vashni’s ill-treatment of you I doubt she will allow any harm to come to you. In truth, I do not mind following you, the gravity of our quest is a welcome distraction from both my curse and my banishment. I feel I have some purpose in life now.’
Korhan chuckled. ‘Purpose in life? Back in Trest, you were damn close to being relieved of your life. You being thankful for a purpose in life is funny. Were you worried about getting bored so quickly?’
‘Funny? Yes, I take your point. The truth is Avil, when my head was on the block I was not actually too concerned about losing my life but The Truth made me... Hmmm, fearful? Yes. Can you imagine how it feels to not want to live yet, not want to die at the same time?’
‘This Truth, you keep speaking of, what exactly do you mean?’
‘This is a difficult question to answer Avil. My curse prevents me from being able to explain explicitly. The Truth is... the nature of things. Of many things! So much about what people think they know about the world is wrong. I will try to explain better if ever I am able to remove my curse.’
Vashni, who had been allowing her horse to trot along casually, looked up with a startled expression on her face. She snapped her reins and cantered up to Saul, forcing Korhan to struggle to maintain the right distance between them. ‘Master wizard, we are being followed.’
‘Followed, by whom?’
‘By one... No, two elves. They are flying above us. We will not be capable of outrunning them, our best chance is for you to allow me to speak to them and go along with anything I say.’
Saul looked at her askance. She glared at him crossly. ‘Tell the others, and make sure they understand the importance of this. They must go along with whatever I say or I will not be joining you on our quest, and neither will my Ri§ine.’
This caused Saul to become even more baffled, but sensing the urgency in her voice he spread the message to the rest of them. Of course as the instructions spread to Silus, Votrex, Harald and Brael, murmurs of confusion spread. But even the members of the party who disliked the elf agreed to go along with Vashni, out of curiosity if nothing else.
As the party rode on through the thinning forest, they began looking around for whatever Vashni suggested was following them, tension running through them. Their curiosity was satisfied after having trotted only two hundred yards. Flapping could be heard overhead, followed by an unearthly screech. The warriors gasped and drew their weapons as two warriors riding Hippogriffs glided in to land.
They were clearly elves wearing light, flexible armour. Votrex, stared at their plate mail and studied the rough, greenish brown pieces carefully. To his inquisitive eye, they looked like very dense, living wood. His gaze then fell upon their strange looking swords, with translucent green curved blades, visible in their loose mesh, gold scabbards. Silus noticed his careful examination and leaned over, whispering in his ear without taking his eye off the elves. ‘What in Ishar’s name are their armour and swords made of? I’ve never seen the likes in all of Torea.’
‘I do not know, dragon slayer.’ Votrex murmured in wonder.
The riders controlled and calmed their flapping mounts, which had a muscular lion-like upper torso, the head and feathered neck of an eagle and the hind quarters, rear legs and tail of a horse. They then spread out a little. Vashni addressed them before they had a chance to speak.
‘Well, well, my old friends Tavion and Tubol. I would ask what brings you to this part of Torea but I can guess; I’ve been expecting you.’
The leader, Tavion, taller by an inch or two and older looking than his wingman, urged his mount to trot forwards. If Votrex, Silus, Harald, Korhan and Saul were fazed by the appearance of these legendary beasts, they didn’t show it, though their weapons remained drawn and at the ready. Tavion lowered his voice. ‘Lady Vashni Ulthi§ira, your presence is requested in Eldenizar at once.’
‘Yes, I am quite aware of Lord Su§ak’s desire for my presence in Eldenizar, however I shall politely decline his request for my company and return in my own time.’
‘You are a slippery one, Lady Vashni. We have been tracking you since the incident in Cormaroth. Lord Su§ak ordered me to apprehend you at the first opportunity, by force if required.’
‘I know your orders Tavion. Why do you think I have recruited some of the greatest warriors in Torea to accompany me?’ She began gesturing about the clearing at her companions. ‘Let me introduce Saul Karza, Master wizard, servant to the Empress herself, Votrex Vaughn, Gorthok of Durgheim Holt, Harald son of Korvak, Korhan son of Brian, Brael Truthseeker of House Krazic, and Silus Mendelson, dragon slayer. Two of the most powerful magicians in Torea, and four of the mightiest Torean warriors ever to ride into battle. I have ordered my bodyguards to slay anyone who attempts to kidnap me. So you can turn your mounts around, ride back to Eldenizar and tell my betrothed that if he is so desperate to bring about my return, he can come and ask me himself, though the answer will still be the same.’
Tubol’s winged mount trotted forwards now. ‘How dare you refuse Lord Su§ak? You are dishonouring your house by evading him, frolicking around Torea like a child! Where is your honour?’
‘I have my honour, but also my free will. I will not wed Lord Su§ak. He would do well to find another and leave me in peace. Now leave or I will order my guard to cut you down where you stand.’
Tubol and Tavion exchanged concerned glances, then eyed the band of warriors with suspicion. They urged their winged mounts backwards. As they retreated Tavion snarled at Vashni, ‘Lord Su§ak will hear of this! Next time we meet, we will be in greater numbers and you will return to Eldenizar hog-tied and lashed to the back of my mount!’
‘I shall look forward to it. But you are boring me now Tavion. Leave, and take your pathetic lackey with you.’
They backed off further, then leapt into the air with a flurry of furious flaps. Before long they were out of sight and couldn’t be heard. Saul snapped his reins and the others followed suit, closing in on Vashni. Saul eyed her, leaning back in his saddle. ‘What in Ishar’s name was all that about?’
‘Is it any of your business Wizard?’
‘Seeing as you effectively used us to threaten your pursuers, yes I believe it is.’
‘If you must know, part of the reason I am wandering around Torea is, I absconded. Su§ak was promised my hand a long time ago by my parents, for political reasons, to strengthen the relationship between our houses and help to maintain political stability in Eldenizar. But he is boring and I do not wish to spend my days either at his side holding court, nor wandering around his dwelling commanding his servants. Now, hadn’t we better get going? Don’t we have a dragon to slay?’
‘How did they find you? Will they catch up with us again?’
‘They probably used magical means to locate me; I suspect my sudden need to whisper at regular intervals gave them a trail to follow. I just hope we can find and defeat this “dragon” before they catch up with us, as your chances of success are likely to be more or less zero without my assistance.’
Votrex and Silus frowned at each other, the dwarf grunted. ‘Maybe we should have just let them take her.’
‘She’s caused nothing but trouble since she joined us,’ Silus spat.
Vashni glared at them. ‘You wish to die? If you do wish me to part-c
ompany, I would follow you in secret, for the simple pleasure of laughing at your inept attempts to defeat the dragon, before watching it devour you all – one by one!’
Korhan held his hands up. ‘Enough! We are nearly there now. Vashni has proven her worth, at the very least with the Berger of Trest, plus her ability to heal Harald’s arrow wound and save the Berger of Briem’s daughter. You are all fools if you cannot recognise the fact that her presence increases our chances of success!’
‘Korhan is right,’ Harald added, ‘Vashni has proven her usefulness time and again in the short time since she’s joined us. Had she not intervened, we would all be lying dead on the forest floor outside Trest, our corpses riddled with quarrels.’
Saul and Brael were nodding agreement as Korhan and Harald spoke. Votrex broke the deadlock with a sigh. ‘My apologies Mistress Elf. They speak the truth. I am grateful you decided to join us, though I find the thought of warriors from Eldenizar pursuing us on winged mounts disconcerting.’
‘Understandable stout one. Your race spends so much of its time deep under the ground, the thought of soaring through the sky on a Hippogriff must be terrifying indeed. Your apology is accepted. Now. We ride!’
She snapped her reins and trotted to the front of the line, with Korhan taking his place behind her and Brael following Korhan, while Silus scowled silently at her. As the morning turned into afternoon the forest thinned and gave way to plains, with the towering Sky Cleavers in the distance.
As they rode Korhan urged his horse closer to Vashni. ‘Mir§a Vashni, may I ask you a question?’
‘Yes Ri§ine, what would you like to know?’
‘Tavion and Tubol... they seemed rather easily inclined to believe your somewhat fanciful tale of bodyguards, famous magicians and mighty warriors. Did you use some enchantment on them?’
‘Enchantment? Dear me Ri§ine, you have a lot to learn. Like most elves, Tavion and Tubol do not venture far from Eldenizar. They do not have the experience of travelling around Torea that I do.’ Vashni was choosing her words carefully. ‘They are extremely susceptible to being deceived. Elves are generally uncomfortable with deceit; deceit is something they struggle to wrap their heads around. I have no problems both detecting and using deceit, but this is an unusual trait for an elf, and it is a product of my time amongst humans. Should you ever face an elf in battle, then you should bear this in mind. Your hand and your mind may never be as swift as an elf’s, but you have something valuable, which you can use to your advantage.’
‘The elves, they seem so.... Mir§a Vashni, I cannot understand why elves are not more prominent in Torea, masters of the blade, whisperers, skilled in the magical arts. Why do humans rule Torea and not elves?’
‘That is a good question Ri§ine, and here is your answer: A long time ago battles were fought between elves and humans for sovereignty of Torea. The humans won, in part, because of their skill at deception, but also because of something else they are particularly good at. That other skill, if you could call it that, is also why they rule Torea instead of the dwarves. Humans are fast and prolific breeders. Dwarves and elves generally do not procreate until they are at least a hundred years old in the case of dwarves, or five hundred years old in the case of elves. I do not know too much about dwarfish culture, but in elvish culture a council meeting is held every time a couple wishes to bear a child. Agreement of the council must be won and for political reasons, the case for a couple to bear a child may be opposed; Perhaps by members of another house, perhaps by persons of your house whose power and prominence will be affected by your spawning a child. The result is that having a child is a long, drawn out, difficult process. Elven mothers carry their children in their womb for twenty months, during which time they are generally encouraged to do little or nothing at all. The cost of a child on elvish society is significant, and as such, most elves simply do not bother. Even when an elf is born, they are considered an infant for at least sixty years and a child for at least two hundred. Consider this Ri§ine, in the time it takes for a hundred elves to give birth to, raise and train a hundred warriors, humans could breed and breed and have several thousand. I hate to embarrass you with this fact, but the main reason for the prominence of humans in Torea is that you are so successful at procreation; by the time humans are twenty five years old, most of them have five or more children.’
Korhan screwed his face up, what she was telling him sort of made sense, but he couldn’t imagine a reality where the times and lifespans were stretched out so. He ran his eyes over her, from her feet to the tips of her ears, studying her refined features; her skin was smooth, almost milky. When she spotted him looking she frowned, snorted and pulled her hood up.
‘Mir§a Vashni, how old are you?’
‘How rude to ask a lady such a question! Especially your Mir§a. You do not need to know Ri§ine, so I will not tell you. I have not set you any exercises today thus far, I shall allow you to use your senses, but I want you to practise containing your thoughts again. No stray thoughts, keep your mind on what you are doing.’
‘Yes, Mir§a Vashni...’
He allowed himself to fall back a few feet. As the party rode, the forest grew thinner and thinner, eventually giving way to barren plains with the Sky Cleavers rising out of the mist in the distance. The ability to focus came a little easier now, he felt himself building a mental wall around his thoughts and considering all aspects of the ride. For long spells, the rest of the party rode in silence, pulling their cloaks tightly about them to shelter from the biting cold. The road here was almost non-existent, signs of civilisation were sparse and the only sounds were the rushing wind, the tapping of the horses’ hooves and distant calls of wild animals.
The afternoon wore on; grey clouds gathered overhead and a light drizzle started to fall, made worse by the howling wind. As they rode, a large rocky outcrop jutted up from the plain, jagged and angled. It looked like it might offer some shelter, and though it was still only late afternoon, the miserable weather and the fact that the sky was becoming so dark caused Saul to point at it and lean close to Votrex. ‘We should take shelter beneath that rocky outcrop. We will not be able to see where we are going soon and Duramer is still many hours ride from here.’
Votrex snorted. ‘Speak for yourself wizard, I can see perfectly! As would you, had you lived most of your life in the grandeur of a magnificent Holt. But aye – you’re right, the weather is getting worse. I’ll spread the word.’
Gradually he manoeuvred his horse about the group and told everyone what the plan was. They all muttered agreement and soon the group was leaving the road, trotting along the scrubland towards some rocks that overhung a sheltered nook.
Tired, cold and wet, the riders dismounted. Korhan tied up Vashni’s horse and set its nosebag before attending to his own steed. The rocks offered some shelter from the wind and the rain and drearily they set about making camp. Some floor space was cleared for the sleep mats; a small fire pit was built from loose rocks. Dead wood was scarcer here than in the forest and throwing together a small fire took some time. Fearful of giving Tavion and Tubol an easier job of tracking them, Vashni declined to light the fire with a whisper and Saul wanted to preserve his magic for the encounter with the dragon, so Votrex set the wood blazing with some kindling, a tinderbox and a lot of skill and patience.
As the group took their seats around the fire and started opening their packs, Korhan rose and strode away from the fire. The thought of watching his companions tucking into dried meats turned his stomach. Whatever Vashni had done to him had worked, and worked well. As far as he was concerned he never wanted to eat a piece of meat again in his life.
His attention was drawn by soft footsteps approaching. He glanced over his shoulder to watch Vashni stepping up.
‘Are you alright Ri§ine?’
He sighed. ‘Whatever you did to me – the resonating whisper – it worked spectacularly. I am hungry, but meat... Urgh!’
‘Good. You need to lose weight an
yway, Ri§ine. Come, I wish to see how well Harbinger suits you now.’
He then noticed she’d been carrying the elvish great sword. She lifted the weapon and handed it to him.
‘Take it; show me your ready stance.’
‘Ready stance? Mir§a Vashni I do not-’
‘You do not have a “ready stance”? Then stand how you would stand if you were about to defend yourself.’
He spread his legs a little for stability, and raised the sword vertical to one side of his body. The blade was light and well balanced. The handle seemed almost moulded to his hands and the blade almost like an extension of his arms. Vashni smirked at his expression of wonder. ‘You like, Ri§ine? You now wield an excellent weapon, but your technique is pathetic. I’ve seen more finesse from a butcher’s apprentice, than you showed with your lump of iron. I shall correct this. But first, tell me, how did you learn to fight?’
‘Ever since I can remember I sparred with sticks, wooden swords and old swords with dull blades. I have fought in battles against the orcs, and the men of Habarata and-’
‘So during your short life, nobody ever actually taught you any technique? It’s a wonder you’re still alive. You must have some talent hidden away inside you somewhere. Stand with your feet a shoulder width apart; hold your sword out in front of you. Good. Now lower the blade so it is pointed ever so slightly upwards.’
Korhan carefully followed her instructions. He would not have been able to hold his own great sword for long in this position. Despite the lightness of Harbinger, after a few seconds his hands were shaking. Vashni looked at them disapprovingly, then stepped forwards and slapped him hard across the cheek, making his face red. ‘Show some determination, Ri§ine! Hands higher, blade lower! Bend your knees. More. I can tell we have at least as much work to do with your swordsmanship, as we do with your spongy mind. Now hold that position!’
Korhan's forearms were soon burning, his shoulders ached. Vashni turned her back on him and began walking towards the fire. ‘Where are you going Mir§a Vashni?’
‘To eat silly. Keep holding that position. After I have eaten I will teach you the beginner’s sword form. Keep your mind on what you are doing, focus! Test the weight of the blade in your hand; try to get a feel for the length and the balance of the blade.’
With that she was sitting by the fire unpacking some bread, fruit and other provisions. He caught her in the corner of his eye talking with the others, eating, and drinking. He began to feel bitter, and somewhat cheated. He straightened his knees a little to ease the pain, but Vashni spotted him and called over. ‘Bend your knees, Ri§ine!’
At the fire Harald shook his head at Vashni. ‘Why do you treat him so?’
She shrugged. ‘I find treating him like this entertaining. Training Korhan amuses me greatly, plus I do not wish for the fun to end when we meet this dragon, so I am trying to ensure he can survive the encounter. To be honest, at first I was attempting to get him to give up and end our agreement, but he is stubborn. Seeing as he is so stubborn, I have decided to see how much I can teach him.’
Silus laughed. ‘And what about the rest of us? Do you not care if we live or die?’
Vashni smiled warmly at him. ‘No. Not particularly, you are boring. I shall try to keep you all from being killed when the time comes – provided Tavion and Tubol have not been successful in apprehending me that is – but I can only focus on one person at a time. I have decided to try to make Korhan the greatest warrior he can be; partly because watching him suffer and fail is quite fun, and partly because I like a challenge. If a person tells me it can’t be done, I question that. The more impossible the challenge, the more attempting the task intrigues me. Korhan is inept, clumsy and has an undisciplined mind, leaking thoughts like a cracked bucket. Training him will be an excellent, near impossible challenge. Though his stubbornness may allow him to -’
Harald chuckled, interrupting. ‘That is why you seek the dragon, too, then? Korhan is as skilled a swordsman as I have met. You mock his skill, but he is brave and-‘
‘Yes, yes, I’m sure he fares as well as the next man against Goblins, Orcs and destitute farmers turned bandits, but he would be no match for any of the magical races. There are creatures beneath the earth more dangerous than any you might have encountered, Harald. Ask the short one, his race knows this well.’
Votrex nodded. ‘Aye, there are evils beneath the world which cannot be killed, which can only be contained, at significant cost to life and magic. Wyrms, trolls, giant spiders, giant scorpions and worse, undead, the ratmen, daemons, extra-dimensional beings which have escaped from the Nether... Tis a constant battle to keep such things out of a Holt.’
Sweat was pouring off Korhan’s brow now and his legs and arms were trembling. Vashni finished her mouthful, rose and strode over to him. She stood at his side eyeing him up and down critically for a few moments, before letting out a long sigh. ‘You are weak Ri§ine. You should repeat this exercise every day, until you can stand like this comfortably. Now copy me.’
She removed her blade from within her cloak and matched Korhan’s stance. Then she began executing a series of moves and instructing Korhan as she performed them herself. ‘First slip your right foot back like this and transfer about two thirds of your weight onto your right foot. At the same time transfer the sword into your right hand and raise the handle so it is level with your eyes, extend your left arm straight and point your fingers, point the tip of your blade at your fingers... Good. Now step forwards with the right leg, and make a swing towards your own neck height with the blade at about forty five degrees, ending the move by clasping the handle in both hands. Now step your right foot behind your left in a double step so you end up with your left leg back, two thirds of your weight on the left. Good, now execute a low parry like this, parrying from right to left. Now step your right leg back and swing the sword one handed in a spinning neck chop, blade horizontal. Now step the right leg back, middle parry left to right. Make three steps forwards like this, slicing at the neck on the first step, slashing to the torso on the second. On the third step perform a rising block with the sword, a short swirl clockwise and a thrust to the heart like so... Now we return to the ready position, and repeat the pattern, mirror image; this time starting by slipping the left foot back.’
She moved fluidly, and Korhan struggled to keep up with her. Remembering the order of moves and where to step was difficult, but she repeated the form several times with Korhan performing alongside her. It was strange. As an exercise, initially he questioned its worth, but after going through the form several times he found himself aching in places he didn’t normally ache. He was using muscles and moves he might not normally use, strengthening his body and making him more familiar with his blade. Once he had the moves memorised, Vashni lowered her sword and slid the blade into its hidden scabbard in her cloak. She then stood and watched him continue performing the form with a critical eye, stopping him from time to time to make corrections.
‘Blade tip lower, deeper stance! More weight on the back foot! Bend your front knee. Good, continue.’
He moved backwards and forwards repeating the pattern of moves and growing more tired, but more fluid and confident with each repetition. With each performance of the form, Vashni would stop him at different points to correct his stance or the way he was holding the blade. On occasion she would grab his arms, his hands, his hips or his shoulders and manipulate them manually into where she thought they ought to be.
The others were watching from the fire pit, chewing their provisions and swigging mead. Votrex leaned towards Harald. ‘Would you say he’s getting any better?’
‘I know not. He seems to move with more confidence, but what can repeating this simple pattern of moves teach him? Surely one cannot learn to fight without a partner to compete against?’
Brael overheard. ‘There are many aspects to fighting; this kind of exercise is also common in Durth Orza. Sword forms hone your mind and body. Sparring is important a
lso of course, but in the heat of sparring one cannot give careful consideration to the quality of one’s technique.’
Saul nodded. ‘I still don’t know how much to trust her... Elves are known for being mischievous and troublemakers. I think Brael is right, though, whatever her motives, she is trying to make Korhan a better warrior. I believe she is succeeding too.’
Eventually, after practising the form many, many times and being scolded many, many times, Korhan lowered Harbinger. ‘Mir§a Vashni, I cannot continue, my arms and legs are burning!’
‘Excellent, our exercise must be having an effect. I want ten more repetitions; make them good ones, then you may eat and sleep. I will prepare some food for you while you practise.’
She wandered back to her horse and delved into her saddlebags. Korhan did as instructed, trying to move fluidly and form good positions and stances with each move. Continuing to repeat the form was hard, hard work, there was so much to concentrate on getting right. As he finished his final repetition, she approached with a white cloth containing some bread, cheese and fruit.
‘Here Ri§ine. You are clumsy, and you are slow to learn, but I can tell you’re doing your best. Eat, rest, then try harder tomorrow. When you lie down to sleep tonight, visualise yourself performing this form, go through the moves in your mind, keep checking your stances and your hand positions. Tomorrow we will do better, hmmm?’
With that she turned her back on him and walked back to the fire to lie on the sleep mat where Korhan had laid it out for her. He stood watching the rain fall beyond the shelter of the rocky outcrop, going over the moves in his mind. He knew he was getting stronger, his muscles ached, but he could feel himself changing. He finished the food and retired to his sleep mat. Votrex had long finished his meal and drank a good half flask of mead before he turned to the others. ‘I am well rested, I shall take first watch tonight.’
Harald lay on his mat. ‘Wake me when you tire, I shall take second.’
Votrex did not tire until daybreak, and as the sun rose on the horizon, he roused Harald and took to his mat for a couple of hours. When Korhan finally woke his stomach was rumbling, and his whole body ached. He was awoken by Vashni shoving him harshly with her foot. ‘Come Ri§ine, it is time to get up!’
He rose groggily, his muscles aching during the whole manoeuvre. When he was standing she reached up and placed her fingertips on his temples. ‘Prepare yourself Ri§ine, I shall invade your mind. Try to repel me.’
Without warning her presence was in his head, like an intruder stamping around. He tried to focus and shut her out. This time as he provided more resistance she gently applied more pressure, roaming where she wanted to in his memories and conscious mind. On occasion she slowed to prise open the mental doors he was closing to check her progress. He could feel himself resisting, but he knew he was helpless to stop her, and at her mercy. Eventually she withdrew. ‘Good Ri§ine. You are starting to put up some resistance. Rather pathetic resistance, but some. Maybe there is hope for you. I noticed you have been going over the sword form in your head; that is good. Now, I shall test your willpower.’
She leaned closer and whispered to him. ‘§ara Shoriuda di§airm §uisquira shom.’
Without warning, he began kneeling. His muscles screamed for mercy at the sudden motion as he knelt down and kissed her boot, to the chuckles of the others.
When he rose Vashni was frowning at him. ‘You must try harder Ri§ine. When you feel compelled, not wanting to follow the command will not work. You must refuse to follow it! Use all your willpower! Now pack up our things and prepare my horse.’
While Korhan busied himself attending to the horses Brael approached. ‘Lady Vashni, would you examine my curse again? I would like to remove it before our encounter with the dragon. The restoration of my magical abilities would greatly improve our chances. I fear time is running out. If you cannot unspeak the power word, is it possible you could remove the curse with a whisper?’
‘Hmmm, let me examine the glyph again.’
He turned his back and allowed her to gently part his matted black hair to study the cursive writing, swirling on his neck. ‘It is still impossible for me to decipher, gravian. Would you like to make another guess?’
Brael sighed. ‘Yes... First, try to describe what you see; can you read any of the symbols at all?’
Vashni was quiet for a moment as she studied the writhing symbol as it morphed and changed. ‘I cannot read a word of the text. There’s something like a black sun, with dark swirly snakes or flames or something flickering out from the middle, the snakes are covered in words, but the writing is tiny and undecipherable... Then the glyph breaks up and re-makes itself into a spiral, which has some tiny words in it too, they look quite elvish, something like’ Vraic §iue zu§h awena’… Then the whole symbol swirls around, clockwise, anti-clockwise and settles down into a zig zag pattern made of words. It now changes back into the sun, but the symbol keeps changing. Tis truly hard to make out anything meaningful.’
Brael listened, then thought carefully, going through the possibilities in his head. Eventually he took a deep breath. ‘Try “Aili§ura §our§a, Ur§hoth, varoth §a anwea h§uz euiz carivsh cara ilketh e§o.”’ Vashni repeated this and peered at the tattoo, there was no flash of lightning and the symbol did not change. She tried again, with more care, then tried switching the order of the words around and changing her pronunciation.
‘I’m sorry Brael, no change. Unless you can come up with another phrase to try, I think you shall remain cursed, at least for now. Let me know if you think of something else. Though I am doubtful we can enjoy success this way.’
His shoulders slumped. ‘I agree. Can you try to whisper the symbol off?’
Vashni leaned closer, so her breath fell on the back of his neck. She began uttering a soft, subtle whisper. Suddenly Brael started panting and making muffled grunts.
‘Stop! Stop! It burns so! I do not think you can remove it with a whisper, the curse appears to be protected from being removed by force.’
Vashni shrugged. ‘I am sorry Brael, I did my best. Come, get your mount ready, we should ride.’
Votrex had packed his steed and removed an ornate dwarfish breastplate from his bulging saddlebags. He pulled it over his head and fastened the clips holding it onto his torso. Silus sneered at him. ‘I don’t know why you bother, dwarf. Armour will only encumber you and will offer no protection.’
‘Speak for yourself dragon slayer, this armour does not encumber me, and though it might not offer much protection from a dragon’s breath, against a claw or tooth, it might.’
Saul had loaded his horse up and was wandering about the area plucking plants from the earth, studying them and throwing some aside, but tucking some into a small satchel. Harald eyed him with suspicion. ‘What are you doing wizard?’
‘Ahhh... Harald, I’ve spotted some interesting plants around here; I should be able to take some of these and use them to brew some potions that might aid our battle with the dragon. Break up the fire pit; I shall be ready to leave in a few moments.’
Harald broke up the fire and attended to his own horse. Once all the horses were watered, and riders mounted they trotted back to the road in slow procession. Before Korhan could drop back to his place behind Vashni, she leaned towards him. ‘Ri§ine, this morning I want you to continue practising the first sword form in your head. Remember what I told you about technique; stop and mentally check that you are visualising the correct positions, I will test you later.’
‘Yes, Mir§a Vashni.’
The wind had died down now and the rain subsided. The scrubland was soggy underfoot from the previous night’s downpour and the sky loomed grey and overcast. Once the companions had made their way back to the road, they found the track a sludgy mess. The horses trudged on, the warriors occasionally reaching into their saddlebags for sustenance. By midday, the ramshackle, randomly placed buildings of Duramer could be seen in the distance and the clouds were breaking to
allow a few rays of sunlight down onto the plain. By the time the buildings were in clear sight, Korhan had repeated the sword form many, many times and felt mentally exhausted.
On the outskirts of the large village, a blacksmith was hammering at his forge. The smith wasn’t in sight, but they could see his smoky hut and hear the clanging of the hammer. A youngish boy, maybe of thirteen or fourteen years was darting in and out fetching things. When the riders approached the boy frowned at them worriedly, but Saul held his palm aloft. ‘Do not worry young one, we are peaceful travellers.’
The boy did not appear completely satisfied at this, but after casting his eyes over their steeds and equipment, particularly noticing the sigil of Cormaroth on Saul’s saddle - he relaxed slightly. ‘Who are you then? And what are you doing up here? We don’t get many empire folk up here.’
‘We are here to investigate reports of a dragon terrorising the village of Brunwelt to the east. Our mission is to establish whether these reports are true, and if they are, to slay the dragon.’
‘You’d better not ride into town then. Your so-called reports are true; there is a dragon over at Brunwelt. Everyone’s gone a bit crazy over it. You’d better speak to father. He’s working the forge now and he’ll need to finish the pieces he’s working on, but if you ride into town, well... Not everyone is unhappy about the dragon. He’s a proper dragon you know. They say he can talk, they say he calls himself “Thrax”. Tie your horses up, I’ll get father.’
With that, the young boy scampered into the smoke filled hut. Saul glanced around at his companions. Votrex shrugged, and dismounted. Slowly the others followed and one by one they tied their horses up at the hitching post.
Harald shook his head at Saul. ‘People aren’t unhappy about the dragon? How can this be? A huge, fire breathing, man-eating beast turns up and people think… he’s implying we are likely to receive a hostile reception in this village, for wanting to vanquish the dragon? I don’t understand, I assumed people would be pleased!’
Silus, who had been dismounting behind, overheard him. ‘You still seem to think we are dealing with an ordinary, yet particularly dangerous beast. Did you not listen to anything I told you in the alehouse in Trest? Dragons are clever, manipulative. I hate to tell you this, given how much I dislike and distrust the elf, but her training in mental defence would benefit us all. Of course that is assuming we can even get to the dragon before the villagers of Brunwelt stop us.’
Saul turned to him. ‘Was this the case all those years ago? Did you encounter the same sort of problems with locals?’
‘No, the Empress knew about the emergence very quickly so that specimen... Firus... I might as well tell you its name. Firus did not have time to establish followers and so forth before we were sent to hunt the beast. We do not even know how much time has passed since this Thrax has risen from his long slumber. Perhaps the blacksmith can tell us more. Either way, I have conversed with a dragon, and it does not surprise me at all that this beast has managed to manipulate the people into-’
‘Worshipping him like a god.’
They turned as the blacksmith, covered in sweat, emerged from his forge. He was a tall man, barrel chested, with arms bulging with muscle. His wife, red faced and agitated looking, followed him out. Saul held his palm up. ‘I am Saul Karza, emissary of the Empress. We are here to slay your dragon.’
‘You’d do well to keep your mission to yourself Saul Karza, people around here won’t be too pleased to hear it. Tam Briarly, I’m Duramer’s blacksmith.’
Harald stared at him. ‘Worship him like a god? What madness is this?’
‘That beast is a cunning one. He doesn’t kill indiscriminately; he’s beguiled the Brunwelt town council, promised them something or other. Ishar knows what, but they’ve more or less formed a cult with Ramon Hern, the head of the town council as high priest and Thrax as their deity. They’ve started-’
His wife cast him a worried frown and his eyes drifted down to the floor in dismay. ‘They’ve started sacrificing people... Once a week they take one girl. I’m sorry.’
The warriors exchanged glances, a mixture of disbelief and disgust that people could die this way.
Korhan stepped forwards, forgetting his commitment to maintaining a position behind his Mir§a. ‘When is the next sacrifice due to take place? We must stop it!’
‘I guess they’ll be taking her up to his lair tomorrow; if not, the day after?’
‘Have you seen the dragon? How big is the beast?’
‘I do not know, no one has seen him bar Ramon and, perhaps a couple of others. They lead cattle, or other livestock up every few days. The beast seems to remain in his cave for most of the time. Why wouldn’t he, when his loyal followers are running around tending to his needs?’
The boy at this point pulled on his father’s heavy apron and whispered in his ear. The blacksmith sighed, then whispered to his wife. She gave him a look of sheer horror and disgust. ‘Tam! You CAN’T let him go! Tell me you’re not going to allow this folly!’
The boy glared at her, the blacksmith sighed and looked her in the eye. ‘Mildred, he’s fourteen; I don’t know if it’s right that I stop him. Tis a noble endeavour and, well, should they fail, at least he can report back to us. He should be in no danger himself.’
Saul stepped closer. ‘What is he proposing?’
‘My son, Callen here, he wants to take you to Thrax’s lair. He’s followed Ramon up there a couple of times. He can show you a way up to the cave which avoids Duramer and Brunwelt.’
Mildred scowled at the warriors then turned her back on them and stormed into the house.
The blacksmith shook his head at her as she slammed the door after her, then he turned back to the companions. ‘She’ll come around. If the rest of the villagers find out he’s helped you, they’ll be after us. Come, feed and water your horses. I am a farrier as well, so I shall shoe your horses for you. If I’m asked, I’ll tell them that you were travellers come to get your horses shod. You should travel by night, the skies are clear and moonlit, and you are less likely to be seen and challenged by the so called, “Servants of the Flame”. Callen will lead you to Thrax’s lair and take care of your horses until you return, or until such time as he is sure you are all dead. I’m sorry to sound so grim, but what little I know of the beast leads me to believe your chances of success are low if existent at all.’
Saul cast a sly glance about his companions. ‘You might well think that, but we have a few surprises up our sleeves for Thrax. If anyone can defeat him and end this madness, it is us.’
This caused Tam to shudder. ‘Callen, take them in, give them mead and food.’
Silus walked away from his horse and sat on a pile of chopped logs that leaned against the house. ‘I might sit a while and smoke, you go on in.’
Saul nodded and the rest of the warriors filed into the small timber frame house next to the smithy. Silus watched Tam walk past the horses and enter the smoke-filled smithy. He drew a worn-looking wooden pipe from his tunic and a bag of brown smokeweed. As he began packing the bowl of the pipe, he heard hammering, ringing out from the smithy. After lighting his pipe, he leant back against the white, cracked plaster of the cottage. He drew deeply on the pipe, making the bowl flare red. This place looked barren and desolate. A few lone trees dotted the landscape. When the smell of hot food cooking wafted over to him, he smiled to himself. It reminded him of home, of Velth, of the life he’d left behind. Part of him wanted to throw down his sword and return to farming. Why had he been wasting his time, drunk as any ale-sop in Trest? A meal on the table, a mug of ale – that was really all he needed. All anyone needed. As he sucked on his pipe, he recalled Firus, decimating his group the first time he’d faced a dragon. He winced as a vision of corpses, charred remains and dismembered limbs entered his mind. Would this endeavour be a repeat? No, he knew dragons. He knew how to kill them. Thrax would die and he would spend his reward on buying his own small-holding. Something to keep him busy –
a better way to forget than mead. Perhaps he’d even return to Velth. It’d be so long, so many years since he’d said goodbye to his home. It was time he returned.
Inside the cottage, a fire burned in the fireplace. As the rest of the companions took their seats at the large table, Callen fetched mead and mugs, while Mildred silently prepared some simple food, bread and cheese. They heard the sound of Tam outside dealing with their horses as they sat. Mildred had a cauldron of stew cooking over the fire. The warm smoky atmosphere, the smell of good home-cooking. It was all a welcome respite from their grim task, at least to the humans in the group. In truth even Votrex felt somewhat at ease – the fire, the smell and the dark of the cottage reminding him of his father’s chambers in Durgheim Holt. They sat, huddled together in the cramped room and ate in silence, while Callen stood with his mother at the cooking pot. After a while Mildred served out a small portion of stew to each member of the party in a wooden bowl, except to Korhan and Vashni who both refused, though in truth there was little meat to speak of in the stew.
Once he’d eaten, Votrex pushed his empty plate and bowl aside and gulped his mead down, before catching Mildred eyeing him with suspicion. ‘Thank you for the food. Tis a good stew.’
‘Well, it’s not really... It’s the best I can do with the scraps of meat and poor vegetables we have. You’re a dwarf.’
Votrex chuckled at this. ‘Yes I am! That is an astute observation!’
Her eyes settled on Vashni, who had lowered her hood to eat. ‘And an elf?’
Vashni smiled sarcastically. ‘Yes indeed.’
She fixed her eyes on Brael. ‘So what manner of creature is the grey-skin?’
‘I am a citizen of Durth Orza, a gravian. Sometimes referred to as a dark elf.’
‘Hah! You spend most of your life wondering if the magical races are true or legend, then the whole complement turns up at once!’
Saul smirked. ‘Well, considering we are here to slay your dragon, a member of a race which everyone thought was long extinct, our presence has a certain irony doesn’t it? Anyway, I can assure you we do not have the full complement; many other dangerous creatures live deep under the ground, and the Empire is under constant threat of being invaded by the orcs and goblins of Gharzbad.‘
Mildred looked momentarily disconcerted, as if more such strange beings might come through the door to introduce themselves. ‘Well, I hope not to meet any them. But in Ishar’s name, may you succeed in ending this evil.’ She fixed Saul with a steady look. ‘I must warn you though, if you DO succeed against the odds, do not attempt to ride triumphantly into Brunwelt. The Servants of the Flame will attack you on sight once they realise you have slain their god.’ She raised a finger to forestall Votrex’s expression of disbelief. ‘Trust me, if you survive the encounter, I suggest you flee as fast as your horses will carry you. You’ll get little thanks, no matter how great a deed you have done. And, though I am sorry to say it, I am doubtful you can succeed. I am sure you are all skilful and brave, but there is a terrible, hungry darkness over this land.’
The atmosphere grew more sombre from this point, each lost in their own thoughts, supping their mead and avoiding conversation. The fire died down to glowing embers. The silence was broken when Tam strode in through the door, with Silus on his heels. The door clicked shut and Tam, shuffled into the limited remaining space by the fire. ‘Saul, your horses are shod, I would normally ask for four silver pieces for the work, but as you’re riding into battle against Thrax I shall not charge you.’
Saul rose and pulled out his coin purse. ‘Tam, if your advice saves us the trouble of dealing with the Servants of the Flame, then I think it’s our duty to pay you. Besides, if we don’t make it back, I shall not be able to repay my debt until we meet again in Kirkfell, the banqueting hall of the dead.’
Brael shuddered at this, unnoticed to the others. Saul reached in and pulled out two gold pieces and handed them to Tam Briarly. ‘Here, take this with my thanks.’
Tam glanced about the group. ‘The sun is setting; the time has come for you to leave. Good luck, and don’t forget to avoid Brunwelt afterwards. The madness is bad in Duramer, but Brunwelt is on another scale altogether.’
Saul pushed his chair back under the table as the others rose. ‘Come, we should leave.’
Tam pressed a hand on Callen’s shoulder. ‘Son, avoid the road, take them north into the foothills, before heading west. If you see any sign of the Servants of the Flame, try to remain unseen.’
The blacksmith turned and frowned sternly at the band of warriors. ‘Should you run into any of the dragon’s devotees, you may have little choice but to kill them, they are dangerous fanatics. I wish this weren’t so, but they are not only your enemy, they are also the people you are trying to save. If eliminating Thrax ends this cult and makes them see reason, then an encounter might not be a problem, but we can’t be sure the death of Thrax will restore their sanity.’
Vashni who had been stepping towards the exit, pushed the door open. ‘We shall try to avoid them, and I will try to make sure no harm comes to Callen.’
Mildred sank down into one of the empty chairs now. Tam followed them to the door and watched Silus and the rest of the companions ride off, away from the village and to the north. The Sky Cleavers were close now, towering up into the clouds, their black outcrops looming over them, full of foreboding. Broken shards of rock and boulders littered the moor. The horses had to tread carefully, picking their way through the gloom towards the base of the mountains. Silus riding in the middle of the group, gazed up at the sheer rock face and shook his head. ‘I’ve never been this close to the Sky Cleavers. I doubt any man could climb such an unforgiving cliff face.’
Vashni chuckled. ‘I think you are right Silus Mendelson, though in truth I could climb it with ease. Boredom would be the barrier to me being able to reach the summit.’
Callen, riding on his pony turned back to them. ‘Shhh! There might be Servants of the Flame around! We don’t want to be detected!’
‘What are they like?’ asked Vashni in hushed tones.
‘Like any other person. You’ll know Ramon and his priests, can see them a league away in their blood red robes. It’s the followers you have to worry about. You never know who they are, you can’t trust anyone.’
So they rode on in silence. The moon was full and high in the sky, lighting the moor surprisingly well. The village didn’t appear to be stirring, the large collection of ramshackle buildings stood still and dark. As they hugged the base of the Sky Cleavers, making their way to Thrax’s lair, a few lights were visible to the south-west. Though Duramer slept; Brunwelt was still harbouring some activity. Saul urged his horse to trot up alongside Callen. ‘What is going on in Brunwelt do you think? I see lights, but it is late.’
‘I think they throw a sort of party for the one who is being sacrificed; I guess that’s it... I suppose we are at least heading out on the right day. We ought to rest though, we’ll need to get to the cave early if we want to save her.’
Harald moved alongside and put a hand on Callen’s shoulder. ‘You and your father keep referring to the sacrifice as “she”. Is Thrax so discriminating?’
‘I dunno... Ramon always chooses the fire queen, and she is always a young maiden. He never picks children, nor old hags, and he never picks skinny girls.’
‘Fire queen?’
‘Yeah, that’s what they call her; she gets to be a sort of princess for a day. Not that it should make her fate any better.’
Saul gasped. ‘One a week? Plus cattle and other livestock? Is this sustainable?’
‘Lots of folk live in Brunwelt, more than Duramer. Don’t forget, the old dwarf town, Strak is over to the west and there are lots of farms and smallholdings around. He’s been at this for months now. I suppose in time he’ll have to look further for his food, or be a less fussy eater.’
Korhan grimaced, the talk of eating young maidens triggered his ‘resonating whisper’ and turned his sto
mach. ‘Urgh, how can an intelligent creature eat another?’
‘Until recently Ri§ine, you were guilty of this yourself!’ Vashni said, haughtily. ‘You can wipe that expression off your face! Intelligence is proportional. No, a horse cannot understand Torean, but neither can you understand horse! Maybe Thrax views humans in the same way that humans view cows or pigs. As uncomfortable as you may be with the idea, to me this seems likely. He has effectively created himself a human farm!’
Korhan grimaced. ‘Please Mir§a Vashni, can we not speak of such things?!’
Conversation lapsed again for some time, Korhan still practising his sword form in his head, the others lost in their thoughts. Silus, found himself pondering over Vashni. He still disliked her, but he found his distrust difficult to maintain. She seemed to have spoken the truth about her feelings, even when to do so meant antagonising her companions. At least you knew where you stood with her. She said what she thought, without fear of repercussions. If she hadn’t joined them, they’d be dead outside Trest. He’d seen arrow wounds like Harald’s before; the normal procedure would be to knock the arrow through the victim or to cut the barbed edges out. At best he’d be tired and lame in one arm, at worst he’d be slumped in his saddle, pale, dying from a festering wound. Oh, but if only she didn’t take such delight in making others look like fools; she was clearly of great value to their quest, but he still found her arrogance hard to swallow. He would have to try. Eventually Callen turned his pony north towards a narrow gully between two massive round boulders, barely wide enough for a horse and rider. The others followed him to a large circular flat area between the sheer rocks, the floor covered in loose shale.
His pony slowed and he pulled the animal to one side, before turning to the others. ‘We stop here. I shall take you to the cave tomorrow on foot.’
The warriors dismounted, Korhan tended to Vashni’s horse before his own as ever, he then placed her sleep mat in a sheltered position before finding a spot for himself. As Votrex laid out his sleep mat, he glanced up at the others. ‘We should not light a fire tonight. There is little fuel here anyway, and the smoke and flames may draw attention to our presence.’
This drew murmurs of agreement. Soon everyone had a spot. This was going to be a cold, uncomfortable night without the warmth of a fire. Before he could settle for the night, Korhan turned as Vashni’s slender hand grasped his shoulder. ‘Ri§ine, I want you to practise the sword form before we sleep tonight. Try to control your thoughts while you practise.’
‘Yes, Mir§a Vashni.’
She picked her way through the loose boulders, over to the others. ‘I will make this offer only once. If anyone would like me to attempt to whisper them some resistance to mental attacks, I shall. The effects will wear off a little by tomorrow, but I do not wish to expend energy just before confronting the beast on whispers. Who would like to accept my offer?’
The band exchanged glances, Saul answered first. ‘Thank you for the offer lady Vashni, but I think my training in mental defence should suffice and I would not want you to expend unnecessary energy on me.’
‘That is true wizard; you should fare better than most... The same is true of you dwarf; your kind are naturally resilient to mental attacks... Brael, you certainly do not need my assistance... So Silus?’
Silus avoided making eye-contact with her, looking embarrassed. ‘I... You’re probably right... I’m sorry for my former hostilities lady Vashni. Let us make amends, I shall accept your gift.’
‘As will I, if you are offering it to me.’ Harald said.
‘Harald? Of course my offer extends to you; I shall arm the dragon slayer first. Now sit still, and listen. Embrace my words.’
She stepped over, leaned close to Silus and began uttering quiet whispers for some time. He gasped as he experienced the effect. It tightened up his consciousness and reined in his stray thoughts, while building a mental wall about his core mind. Next she strode over to Harald and repeated the whisper. Finally she turned to Korhan. ‘Come Ri§ine. It is your turn.’
‘You didn’t ask me whether I wished to accept this!’
‘No, I didn’t, you are my Ri§ine. As long as this is true you are under my care and I shall make all decisions about your welfare. You are making progress, but you are not ready to rely on your own mental skills. I do not wish to watch you get killed tomorrow, so sit still and listen!’
Korhan subdued, sat down and allowed her to whisper to him. The sensation was a concentration of how his mind was changing through Vashni’s training. Everything felt more measured and controlled, tighter, sharper. After she’d finished, Vashni urged him up with her finger. ‘Now Ri§ine, I have another exercise for you. Come where there is lots of space. I am not going to whisper your eyes closed. Unless you need me to. If you open them during the exercise I will take that as an admission that you require them whispered closed. Now I want you to perform the first sword form, with your eyes shut. Check where your feet are placed, your hand positions, the angle of your blade... Begin!’
Under the moonlit sky Korhan assumed the ready position and after checking that he had a clear, flat area around him, closed his eyes and began. His moves were less confident with his eyes closed, but the many rehearsals in his head helped him greatly. Vashni stood at the side, eyeing him with a critical expression. When he’d finished both mirror images of the form Vashni approached.
‘Open your eyes Ri§ine... Look at where you stand; you are several feet from where you started. Your stances were sloppy and inaccurate. Your hand positions were wobbly and wayward and your strikes, parries and thrusts lacked any finesse or control. Now try again. Focus! Concentrate. Perform the moves with conviction! Hmmm... Wait here, I shall place that single darker coloured stone at your feet so you can see for yourself how poorly you have performed.’
She picked up a small lump of obsidian and placed it at his heels. ‘Now try again!’
Slowly he closed his eyes and began again. This time he took more time to check his positions. When he executed a move, he committed himself more, imagining he was parrying a genuine attack or thrusting at a real foe. Again Vashni watched him, her face stern, suggesting disappointment. When he’d finished she sighed crossly. ‘Open your eyes Ri§ine! Look at your feet! You are still a good two feet from your mark! You performed better that time, but you had no rhythm or flow, you seemed sluggish, stiff and unyielding. Now try again, but try to perform with a rhythm, almost like a dance. You should start to feel where subtle pauses improve the performance, and where quick successions of moves work best. Be nimble and agile. Now, on your mark and try again!’
Korhan's arms were aching and his legs were tired, but he lined himself up on the mark, closed his eyes and began, searching earnestly for the rhythm and trying to sink deep into the correct stances. He performed more fluidly, and it looked better, flowing strikes raining down upon his imaginary foe and the parries and strikes flowing seamlessly into one another. When he’d finished he was sweating, but pleased with his performance.
‘Better, you are only a foot from your mark this time. But be mindful of your breathing. Breathe in between moves, as you wind up, then out as you strike or parry. Now try again!’
Groaning, he moved back onto the mark and began the form anew, his sword swinging with real purpose, flowing move to move and striking with accuracy. He tried to make sure his breathing was timed well with the moves and sometimes it felt natural and right, but concentrating on breathing affected his flow, and accuracy. He found the exercise mentally as well as physically exhausting. As he finished the final move Vashni stepped in front, to face him, and grasped his shoulder. ‘You are getting better Ri§ine, but you still have a long way to go. You should rest now. Before you sleep I will whisper away your aches and pains. I do not want you getting killed because I overworked you the night before a battle and neglected to repair you.’
Korhan lowered the sword and started walking towards the sleep mats. ‘Thank you Mir§a Vashni.’
‘Hah! Never would I have believed it possible for such an innocent-looking, slight-framed female to crush me so!’
‘You had never met an elf before, or agreed to be her Ri§ine. You have no right to respect yet Korhan, you are at the small foothills of a mountain, which towers into the clouds. I believe given time, and provided my patience with you doesn’t wear too thin, I can lead you to the summit, and you can be proud of your abilities. For now lie down.’
He lay still and she began reciting a slow rhythmic whisper to him, her flowing voice resonating through his body. The cramp that had built up in his muscles started to recede. He became more and more relaxed, and by the time she had finished and sat up he was fast asleep. She smiled at him and stroked his forehead caringly, as a mother might stroke her sleeping child. She spent a few moments studying him intensely, then she rose quietly and retired to her sleep mat.
The whole band was preparing to sleep, all avoiding the awkward question of who would take watch at a time when they would need to be operating at full efficiency to survive the next day. A hint of tiredness might be the difference between life and death. As it happened Callen picked up on this atmosphere. ‘You lot should try to get some rest. I’ll keep an eye out for the Servants of the Flame.’
Saul smiled at him as he settled down. ‘Thank you Callen, we won’t forget your kindness.’
The others muttered their agreement and soon the only sound around the camp was soft snoring and the occasional rustle of someone turning over or pulling their blanket up higher.
Callen sat quietly on a boulder watching over the band; after a couple of hours had passed he heard a rush of wind and looked up to see a massive shadow overhead, black even against the night sky, its bulk ominously blocking out the stars as it passed. He tracked it with his eyes back to Duramer. Though it was distant, he heard an unearthly screech and shuddered as a bright jet of flame blasted the village. Thrax had taken a disliking to something or someone else. The jet, bright yellow, shrouded by orange struck a distant spot. Where it met the ground, a great mushroom of flame and smoke erupted. When the dragon halted the onslaught, flames continued flickering into the air. Callen shook his head and quivered, preparing to hide should the beast return, hoping and praying to Ishar that nobody he knew had been the target. When Thrax did return, he swept overhead, seemingly not noticing the warriors camp.
Vashni woke and glanced at Callen. He walked up to her, as white as a sheet. ‘It was Thrax. He’s just been to Duramer and flamed something or someone. Many a night I’ve heard that sound and found a hovel burnt to ashes the next day. I always felt glad it wasn’t our house, but I always felt guilty – like it’s wishing ill on someone else.’
‘Shhh, I don’t think the others have woken. Are you okay?’
He nodded.
‘Would you like me to keep watch for a while?’
His voice was shaky and fearful. ‘No, I’ll be okay. I just want you all well rested, so tomorrow you can find him and kill him.’
‘If you’re sure. Do not worry; we shall try our best Callen.’
She rolled over and drifted off back to sleep.
Korhan slept heavily. When he awoke he sat up to see Votrex checking the remainder of his plate mail. Votrex had cleaned and fitted his pauldrons, arm plate and gauntlets. He wore a thick mail skirt to protect his legs and thick dwarfish greaves to protect his shins. He was sitting adjusting the leather inner part of his horned helmet for comfort. Saul had a collection of bottles and vials, a mortar and pestle and a book out. He sat, working diligently, and decanting one flask into another. Vashni appeared behind him. ‘What are you doing wizard?’
‘I’m brewing some slipperin oil, a powerful sharpening concoction. The effects will not last long, but it will mean at least a few strikes from our weapons should do some damage to Thrax. I am memorising some spells too. The winds of magic flow strongly around here, perhaps because of Thrax’s proximity. I have already placed a ward of fire resistance on Votrex, Silus, Brael and Harald. Would you like me to do so for you and Korhan?’
‘Why not? It will be interesting to finally see your skills in action; I was beginning to think your title of wizard was a ceremonial one, granted to you for your excellent beard growing and the fact that long robes become you. Now we’re ready to face Thrax, I find it reassuring that your magical abilities extend beyond juggling apples and pulling flowers from your sleeve. ‘
Saul frowned, then spotted her subtle smirk and laughed. He closed his eyes and started muttering. Vashni almost felt energy being drawn into his words. As he finished he placed a thumb on her forehead and brought his chant to a crescendo. Vashni jumped back a little as a jolt of cold smacked into her body. She felt colder, more resistant to heat, she smiled. ‘Impressive, wizard, how long will this last?’
‘A few hours, less if you are struck by heat. I don’t think the spell is powerful enough to allow you to stand directly in the path of dragon breath, though. The intense heat would be too much for this simple ward.’
Korhan now approached, he felt good. His increased agility and mental acuity had left him feeling ready and alert. Saul looked up to him. ‘Ah, Korhan my friend, please sit. I will place a ward of fire resistance upon you.’
Saul repeated the process he’d performed on Vashni. Korhan shivered as he felt coolness emanate from Saul’s thumb and envelope his whole body. He had the sensation of a thin barrier hugging his skin and clothes. It was comforting to have a layer of protection, even though Saul warned him that this ward would not prevent direct contact with dragon breath from vaporising him.
Their attention was drawn by a twang and a dull thud. Glancing across they noticed Brael had strung the crossbow he’d taken from the Berger of Trest’s men and taken a practice shot at a dead stump a few metres away. Silus sneered at him. ‘I doubt quarrels will penetrate a dragons hide gravian, you waste your time.’
‘They may not penetrate a dragon’s hide or scales, but every beast has its weaknesses and I am an excellent shot.’
Harald was taking a few practice swings with his battle axe, when Korhan strode up to him. Harald, I will wield the sword gifted to me by the elf. Why don’t you take my old great sword? A sword should be more effective at penetrating a dragon’s hide than your axe.’
Harald reached out and took the blade he was offering. ‘Thank you, I shall take both weapons into the cave, then if I am disarmed I have a spare.’
Callen, yawning, approached Saul. ‘Come on! It’s time we were going.’
Saul stood and pulled a large, wide-brimmed pointy hat from his saddlebags and unfolded it. When he pulled it onto his head Vashni grinned. ‘Decided to look the part as well now wizard?’
‘No, the hat is embroidered with accumulator runes, it has been storing ambient magic since I left Cormaroth and it should now allow me to cast more spells and more potent spells, at least until its power has waned. I wanted to save its power for the final battle.’ As he spoke he pulled a torch from his saddlebags. Prepared, he strode towards Callen, staff in one hand, torch in the other.
Callen was waiting at the bottom of a narrow shale-covered path, barely big enough for an adult, weaving its way up the rock face. Grimly the warriors walked towards him, Votrex having donned his full plate armour now, including his helmet and each warrior except Vashni wielding their weapons in readiness. They climbed a couple of hundred feet to a narrow ridge. Callen poked his head over first then turned back. ‘Shhh! The priests are fastening her to the sacrificial stone now!’
Harald and Saul reached the peak next and peered over. Harald gasped. ‘Why does she not struggle? She is holding her hands out for them to shackle her to the rock!’
He was right; the girl in a simple, white cotton dress, with a crown
of flowers, was standing still, allowing the priests to bind her ankles to the standing stone. The platform which the standing stone sat on looked partially melted, as did the standing stone, and it was blood stained, with odd human bones scattered about. Saul was sure he spotted a severed hand with rotting flesh on it near the base, presumably a remnant from when Thrax had ripped a prior victim from the stone.
The girl had been fastened securely to the stone, but if anything she appeared happy to be there. She showed no sign of resistance. As they finished securing her, the priest who appeared to be in charge approached and placed a mark upon her forehead with his thumb, then muttered something while shaking water from a small flask onto her. The priests backed away, gave a respectful bow, then backed away a little further and bowed again. Finally they backed off, bowed, then turned and headed for the path.
Callen watched them go then turned to the others. ‘Now’s your chance! You don’t have much time!’
The companions scrambled over the ridge and descended the other side of the rise towards the sacrificial stone. The girl didn’t notice them until they were close, her gaze fixed upon the gaping cave ahead of her. As they approached she turned to them and gasped. ‘What are you doing here? Lord Thrax, Master of flame and sky does not like to be disturbed when he is feeding.’
Saul stared at her in disbelief, still trying to catch his breath from their brief climb. ‘Does it not concern you, that you are about to be ripped apart and eaten by a fire breathing lizard?’
‘Do not be so vulgar! It is a great honour to be chosen as fire queen and my sacrifice will win land and title for my family!’
Harald shook his head. ‘Good lady, the land hereabouts is not the best, and title that is of significance in the village of Brunwelt is not worth giving up your life for.’
‘You think that is the limit of Lord Thrax’s powers? He is biding his time and building his strength; soon he will fly forth and start to bring more villages, towns and cities under his control. Those who have been loyal shall reap the rewards. ‘
Votrex rolled his eyes. ‘You’ll be dead though, what reward do you expect?’
‘Ishar grants the highest honour in Kirkfell, the banqueting hall of the dead to those who have sacrificed themselves for their god, and Thrax is our god.’
Brael shuddered. ‘I cannot tell you why fair maiden, but your reasoning is flawed. You cannot secure a place of honour anywhere by volunteering to be eaten by a dragon.’
‘It is my choice to make. Now leave me to my fate, lest you anger Lord Thrax.’
The warriors looked at each other confused, this had not been expected. Korhan glared at her. ‘You want to die? To be chewed up and eaten? Surely there are better ways to meet your end than this.’
‘Ishar will recognise my bravery and reward me in the afterlife; my sacrifice will secure riches for my family in this world and riches in the next for me.’
Brael turned to Saul. ‘We cannot allow her to do this!’
Vashni shrugged. ‘I do not see why not. I do not sense any enchantments upon her. If she desires to be torn limb from limb and chewed up, then who are we to argue with her? Let her feed herself to the beast, and maybe it will distract him long enough for us to kill him quickly.’
The girl gasped, horrified. ‘You mean to harm Lord Thrax? You are fools, you cannot destroy a god!’
Silus laughed. ‘God? A great ugly lizard is what he is. I killed a dragon before, I see no reason why we can’t kill another.’
The girl gazed forlornly at the path where the priests had headed, obviously thinking of screaming for help; alas the priests had long since vanished.
Votrex groaned. ‘So she’s not enchanted, she genuinely wants to be eaten. What are we to do?’
‘Perhaps I could whisper her into wanting to be saved, then we can save her and any moral ambiguity will be lost. I believe if Thrax has been able to bend her mind to desire being eaten, then her willpower must be low indeed and her mind quite easy to manipulate.’
The girl screeched. ‘I do NOT want you to mess with my mind, making me want to be saved! I want you to leave me alone and allow Lord Thrax to consume me.’
Korhan stormed forwards. ‘Enough! People’s minds can be bent into doing strange things without the use of enchantments. She has clearly lost her mind, the only question is; do we leave her shackled to the rock while we kill Thrax, or do we free her and send her on her way!’
‘Free me, and I shall run into his open jaws! There is nothing you can-‘
Thump!
Korhan shook his fist, he’d swung a punch at her jaw, not hard enough to do real damage, but well placed enough to knock her out. As she slumped against the rock Vashni stepped up and whispered to the shackles in turn, making them fall open. Amongst the warriors two short lengths of rope were found and the girl’s hands were bound tightly behind her back and her ankles tied hard together. She was carried unconscious some distance from the cave and lain down prone on the floor.
After they’d laid her out Callen looked about them. ‘I’ll go and get my horse, take her back to Duramer.’
Saul shook his head. ‘No, Duramer is under Thrax’s influence, you should take her over to Strak, keep clear of Brunwelt and the road, and don’t stop to wait for us. Take her to the Berger and explain the situation. We’ll join you when we can, if we can.’
Chapter 9
Deathsworn Arc: The Last Dragon Slayer Page 8
