Avarice Twilight

by R. A Davidson

I put my hand on his shoulder and smile to reassure him.

  I join the others as we make our way to the street.

  "Let's stop at Titania's and get Utrix," Barin orders.

  We walk down the main street in silence; I'm sure anything I say won't ease the tension.

  We reach the bar, Titania and Urtix are walking out. We walk up to them.

  "Hey Titan..."

  Titania slaps me.

  "How could you endanger the girls and yourself like that!?" she exclaims. "What will happen if all of you get scars on your cute faces?"

  Utrix pulls her away from me.

  "Listen, due to the shit you lot have thrown around, I now have to risk my life for this country again!" Utrix snaps.

  Again, he says? I thought he gave off the presence of someone who made a life of fighting; who would've thought he was a hero?

  "Are you shits ready?" Utrix asks. "We depart immediately."

  Utrix leads the way down the main road to a horse stable.

  "Hope you know how to ride," Utrix says as he mounts a horse.

  Barin and Isla pick the horses they like, then leave the stable to line-up with Utrix. Asteria stands in the walkway, looking at a horse.

  "Can't ride?" I ask.

  "Not enough to traverse the different terrain," she responds.

  "Get out here!" we hear Utrix yell.

  Asteria and I make our way out of the stable, joining the rest of them. A decent size covered wagon is with them.

  "The supply wagon Bayard supplied is here. You two drive it," Utrix orders.

  I help Asteria on to the front bench, then sit next to her. "Well, this solves that problem," I remark.

  I climb on next to her and take the reins.

  We don't take the path through the slums to exit Avalon. Instead, we depart from a gate for those in the inner part of the city to use. It's a guarded corridor that leads to a road past the city walls.

  We get on the path that will take us north to Rahdeur.

  "Hey, Aryn," Asteria asks. "What do you think will happen to us?"

  I sigh. "Don't know; I imagine we will face danger and you will see unimaginable places. We will see the true nature of the world and what inhabits it. You will see many things that will make you question who you are. I imagine we will come back anew… if we survive that is," I respond.

  She's quiet. I glance over to see her wipe a tear. "You could have lied, you know," she responds.

  I could have. Maybe I should have said it would be like the stories of adventures and heroes that kids read about. Unfortunately, the world is much crueler than what people read. People make those nice stories so they can lie to themselves. They don't want to know the truth of the world… just so they can keep their fantasies safe.

  11

  ASTERIA

  We keep riding north, only stopping once the moon reaches its peak. The moonlight just pierces through the trees, barely lighting the way in front of us. We are able to see the path with the torches Mister Utrix and Barin have, along with the lanterns on the wagon. Past the radius of lantern-light lies the unknown. I've never traveled without my father and a group of guards... Honestly, I’m scared of what might happen.

  Mister Utrix halts us. "Alright, let's make camp for the night," he tells us.

  Aryn leads the wagon off the path and to the tree line. Princess Isla, Barin, and Mister Utrix walk the horses over and tether them to the wagon.

  "Can you cut a tree for us, Princess?" Mister Utrix asks.

  Princess Isla approaches a tree.

  "Sword Symphony," she chants.

  Five large swords appear in the air and start rotating. The blades fly towards the tree, chopping it into several pieces almost instantaneously.

  "Much appreciated," Mister Utrix thanks.

  "Something such as this is a trivial matter," Princess Isla replies.

  Aryn starts picking up the wood after it is chopped and puts it in a pile a short distance from the wagon. I make my way over to help him.

  "No need for that," Aryn states. He then proceeds to pick up the remaining wood and carry it away.

  Barin walks over to the woodpile. "Ignite," he chants. A fire flares up within the woodpile, lighting the whole area around us.

  I wish they would let me help with something. I'm not entirely incompetent.

  "Why not have the fool use his fire for something so trivial?" Princess Isla asks.

  "I'll show you why," Aryn responds.

  Aryn walks a few trees deep into the forest, stopping at the edge of the light from the fire. He lifts his hand towards the forest and uses his flames. Flames burst forward; the noise is so loud it is as if his flames roar.

  His flames are just as intense as the first time I saw them, a burning cloud that consumes everything. While I'm not afraid of Aryn, the sight of his flames fills me with immense fear.

  He ceases his fire, revealing all the trees in front of him gone and the ground scorched. Why is there no smoke or any burning remnants of the trees?

  "My flames don't burn magic. They burn everything… leaving nothing." he says. He seems to be somewhat remorseful after displaying his flames.

  He walks over to help Mister Utrix unload the tents.

  "Well, fires do tend to burn," Princess Isla smirks.

  Aryn stops what he is doing. "They do, don't they," he replies.

  For a brief moment, all of us stop and look at Aryn. I don't know about the others, but I feel utter sorrow from him. The moment passes as he returns to his usual demeanor.

  Barin joins Aryn and Mister Utrix with setting up the tents.

  "I will be sleeping in the wagon," Princess Isla states. "I will not spend my time out in this abhorrent environment."

  Mister Utrix, Barin, and Aryn drop the tents simultaneously, almost as if they read each other's mind. The three of them turn around in unison; each of them has the same annoyed look on their face. It's freaky how in sync they are with each other.

  "Well, it seems the girls are sleeping inside the wagon," Mister Utrix says bitterly.

  The three of them immediately take the tents and put them back in the wagon.

  "What are you three doing?" I inquire.

  They take out bedrolls.

  "The weather's nice tonight; no need to go through the trouble of taking the tents down come morning," Barin answers.

  "And if an enemy attacks, we won't have an obstruction surrounding us." Mister Utrix adds.

  Princess Isla hops into the back of the wagon while Mister Utrix, Barin, and Aryn set up their sleeping areas.

  "Any animals in these woods?" Barin asks.

  Mister Utrix stands and dusts his pants off. He takes a few steps past the tree line. "You may find a few deer at this time of night," he responds to Barin. "We've been standing downwind. Along with the fire, they would have run away from the area by now."

  Barin walks over to the wagon and knocks on the side. Princess Isla sticks her head up. "Can you track and hunt at night?" he asks her.

  "I am not wasting my time looking for any animals in those woods," she replies.

  Barin smirks then walks away. "Then you don't eat after a whole day of riding; I'm sure even a person of your standing would be hungry," he says.

  "Why do we not simply eat the provisions that Father supplied?" I ask.

  Father sent more than enough food for our trip to Rahdeur. We have no need to hunt for our food.

  "The provisions Bayard sent are mostly nonperishables that can last a long duration," Mister Utrix responds. "That being the case, we only have dried meats, which can make for a decent snack, I suppose."

  Princess Isla looks displeased as she slouches over the back of the wagon.

  "If you want to make a meal out of dried meats and dry goods, then we can… if not, then help get some food," Barin states.

  Princess Isla jumps out of the wagon to follow Barin. "Can you not find a simple animal without me?" she sighs.

  The two of them head into the forest. I wo
nder if they'll find anything. I don't mind eating the dried foods, but I'd rather eat something fresh. Mister Utrix settles down against the tree he will be sleeping against.

  "The two of you can take a quick nap until they get back," he orders.

  "Are you sure it is fine for us to rest?" I ask. I am tired, but I'd hate to be more of a burden than I feel at the moment.

  "The mind can play tricks on you if you don't let it rest. With this being your first time in a setting like this, best not scare yourself," Mister Utrix answers.

  Aryn wastes little time getting comfortable. He walks over to a small tree and pulls it from the ground. He proceeds to gently rest it on its side a few yards from the fire.

  "What are you doing?" I ask.

  "I prefer to sleep leaning against something." Aryn replies.

  There are trees everywhere he could've leaned on; why did he choose to uproot one? He sets a rolled-up blanket against the tree and rests himself against it. I shake my head. It would take too long to try and figure out how Aryn thinks.

  I step into the wagon and take a seat; it is a bit better to sleep in here, I suppose. I pull a bedroll close and lie down. I close my eyes, though I doubt I'll get any rest.

  The smell of meat being cooked wakes me up. My stomach growls from the aroma the food is giving off. I look out of the wagon and see Aryn cooking deer.

  "Have a nice nap?" Barin asks.

  I get out of the wagon as Princess Isla brings me a plate. It appears we're having venison, bread, and berries for our meal.

  "I hate to say it, but the fool can make fairly tasty food," Princess Isla admits.

  I join everyone around the fire for the meal. Aryn is manning the cooking, roasting the deer over the fire and cooking with a few pans. He's surprisingly serious while he's cooking, methodically moving to maintain the consistency of the cooking meat.

  "We should discuss our plan for dealing with the horde," Mister Utrix states.

  Princess Isla and I stop eating and look at him. It is an important subject that we will have to discuss soon.

  "We just have to kill them, do we not?" Princess Isla asks.

  "That's easier said than done. Anyone who's ever dealt with them knows that," Barin interjects.

  "I just have to use my magic and destroy all of them!" Princess Isla pridefully exclaims.

  Mister Utrix, Barin, and Aryn all chuckle.

  "What is so entertaining about what I just stated?" Princess Isla asks. She looks aggravated by the way they're acting.

  "You do realize goblins live in caves and only leave to find another cave or to attack villages. Don't think your magic would be effective underground," Mister Utrix states.

  Princess Isla says nothing in response.

  "We have two options for dealing with them. The best would be to use Aryn's flames in their cave to kill them. Depending on the size of his flames and the cave systems, he should be able to take out the whole horde," Mister Utrix states.

  I see, that would be the best we could hope for: to win the war by winning one battle.

  "What is the second outcome?" I ask Mister Utrix

  "We face them in the open, preferably in an area we could control. Luckily, we have someone who can use earth magic. The three of us could then use our magic to attack wide areas at a time," Mister Utrix answers.

  After a lengthy period of discussing the two plans, we resume eating. We finish eating in silence, and afterward, Aryn wraps the remaining meat for later.

  "There is one more way the scenario that could transpire, the worse outcome," Barin comments.

  Barin leans forward; he looks quite serious.

  "We get surrounded by the goblins, unable to fend them off from all directions. They kill us men, and take you two women to their caves to violate and reproduce with," he states.

  "T-then what?" Princess Isla stutters.

  "The horde attacks the city and does the same to the people within," Mister Utrix responds.

  We all sit in silence, looking into the fire. What Barin said, it's so terrifying to think about. I wonder what the others are thinking about; are they thinking the same as me? Are they just as scared? Probably not. Each one of them is strong and unique, while I'm only the daughter of a wealthy merchant, who can heal people.

  "How long is the ride to Rahdeur?" Aryn asks Mister Utrix.

  Mister Utrix looks up. "If we make the same time as today, then we could be there in five weeks," he answers.

  Five weeks of riding are not so bad; I hope to resolve the matter once we arrive.

  "This is only the first of many missions we'll be ordered to do. That's only if we survive this one," Aryn says somberly.

  Aryn volunteers to keep watch for the night while the rest of us sleep.

  The three of them position themselves so they can respond to any emergencies that may arise. Princess Isla and I climb into the back of the wagon.

  Once in, we undress into our sleeping attire. We position our bedrolls and lie down.

  "What do you think will happen to us?" I ask Princess Isla.

  She turns over to look at me. "I plan to survive and return to my homeland. I will have to keep up with this charade until I am able to leave the country," she responds. She turns back. "My father would not oblige for me to be placed at risk like this. I know he could not."

  I have trouble sleeping; it's the first time I've slept in an unknown place such as this. Every noise I hear makes my body tighten with fear, fear of not knowing what may be out there. Eventually, I find my eyes get heavier and heavier, until I cannot keep them open. I begin drifting into darkness.

  "Wake up!"

  Princess Isla and I are awoken by the wagon being shaken.

  Aryn sticks his head through the covers. "Time to get up," he announces.

  I pull the blanket over me; I don't want him to see my nightwear.

  "Piercing Arrow," Princess Isla chants, sending a sharp metal rod flying into Aryn.

  Aryn staggers back.

  "You perverted fool, there are two maidens in here in their sleep attire!" Princess Isla yells.

  Princess Isla and I get dressed. We both decide not to put our armor on, since we're not fighting. We get out of the wagon and see Aryn on the ground with his hand impaled.

  "I see they taught appropriate manners at your castle, Isla," he remarks with a smile.

  "If you keep up the impudence, I will further discipline you. And you are to address me by my title," Princess Isla states as she makes her way to the others.

  I walk over to Aryn. "Let me see your hand, please," I instruct.

  He sticks his hand out; I take it and slowly pull out the rod. Aryn doesn't flinch. I wonder how much he has had to endure to take the pain I've seen him withstand. I use my magic and begin to heal his wound.

  "You would get along better with Princess Isla if you wouldn't antagonize her," I inform him.

  He responds with a full smile and laughs, almost like a mischievous little kid.

  They're quite an odd group to be part of. A mage who controls gravity and has connections to The King. The elven kingdom's princess. A merchant girl who can only heal and no combat experience. Lastly, two powerful brothers with unknown backgrounds.

  Not a single one of us would interact with another if we were not in this circumstance. Yet, it feels as if none of us genuinely dislike each other.

  Still, out of all of them, Aryn is the most mysterious to me. Most of the time, he seems to be just strong enough to beat his opponent. Yet he fought Lord D'eon and was able to overwhelm him and beat him to the point of near-death. Aryn remarked that his flames burn everything; that seems like it would be powerful magic to have, yet I have not heard of magic like that.

  The most concerning aspect is his personality. I don't know what type of person he truly is yet. Most of the time, Aryn appears to be an easy-going fool, but… I can't forget that bloodlust. It was horrible, as if I was suffocating just being in his presence. Thinking about the look in his eyes back t
hen truly terrifies me.

  "Hey, Asteria!" Mister Utrix calls, snapping me out of my thoughts. He motions for me to join them around the fire.

  I join them. Aryn has made a breakfast of eggs, venison, and some wild berries for us. Barin hands me a plate, then we sit for the moment and eat our meal. He really is a good cook; the chefs in the city couldn't recreate this flavor even if they had better ingredients.

  After we finish eating, we pack up our supplies to head out.

  "Are you ok to handle the wagon?" I ask Aryn. He was on watch last night, so I imagine he will be tired.

  "I'm fine," he quickly responds.

  Mister Utrix, Barin, and Princess Isla retake the lead as we continue on the path. The further we get, the denser the forest becomes.

  "Be alert for any creatures or vagabonds," Mister Utrix instructs. "The knights don't regulate the area from here out."

  Since I was raised in Avalon's best districts all my life, this new scenery is mesmerizing. Every direction you look is like a painting of woods that never end, with a sea of emerald green grass. While the unknown scope of what wonders lay beyond the horizon feel me with awe, I have a sense of foreboding that grows ever stronger the further we go.

  The day seems to pass quickly.… the sun has lowered as soft reds and yellows elegantly meld with purples to turn the sky into an almost mystical prism.

  The horses stop on the trail and began to whinny. Aryn hands me the reins and stands to observe the tree line. Mr. Urtix and Barin seem to be looking into the woods as well.

  Aryn holds his hand up to keep me from speaking.

  The wind picks up, and a foul stench brushes past my nose.

  "What is that putrid smell!?" Princess Isla exclaims.

  "Ssshcraaaak!" a terrible screech pierces through the silence.

  Trees break as a large shadow rises into the sky.

  "It's a Basilisk!" Mister Utrix screams.

  "Get the horses to the trees!" Barin yells.