Then I turn to my place in the camp, and the men all praise my quick thinking to get them out of that mess, and do so quietly to not give our position away.
Seberkyne chuckles softly, “The mind of a child... truly a blessing.”
“I can't believe we did that.” Dakanii says, “For millennia, the Nong have been terrifying on the plains, not just for their cruelty, but because of their mounts. No one has ever been able to beat them on the open plains. Accept for the cities of Yassan and K'mere, the Nong rule the western parts of the plains.”
Hmm. I wonder if it has to do with the fact that the Nong are just plain terrifying to look at, and easily intimidate any enemy? Mind warfare? Scare your enemies so bad, they defeat themselves before the Nong even attack? Something like that?
“Do.. K'mere and Yassan engage... the Nong on the plains?” I ask.
“No. Those two cities have high, fortified walls, safe from the Nong.” Bogamin informs. “They only engage each other on the battlefield when they start to warring.”
“What if they... start a war, and the Nong appear... like we did?”
“Mmm, I think that has happened once or twice, hundreds of years ago, and it ended up disastrous for all sides.” Jenna says, “Since then, tactics have changed for all of them, and don't do that any more.”
“That's why the Nong were trying for a sneak attack.” Dakanii says as he scratches in neck in thought, “But I just don't know when it would ever be a good idea for them to attack. As far as I know, they have never been successful. You would think they would have learned their lesson.”
“What if... the Nong surround... their cities... and stay there... a long time?” I ask.
Dakanii grunts and smiles at me, “K'mere and Yassan found a solution to that: they have catapults inside their cities and fling large fire balls at them. And take a look around us,” he points to all the tall grass and grain in the plains around us, “they have all the fuel they need for hundreds, even thousands of fireballs to make. And when a fireball hits the grass outside, it catches the grass all around on fire, forcing the Nong to withdraw, or perish in the flames.”
“K'mere and Yassan... wouldn't use... uh.”
“Catapults?” Dakanii helps me with the word.
“Catapults... against each other... on the battlefield?” I don't recall seeing anything that would be considered a catapult on either side of the battle lines the day we came upon their armies.
“No.” Dakanii says as he thoughtfully strokes his mustache and beard, “They only use the fireballs against the Nong when they lay siege on their cities to drive them away. I think.... if either side ever uses their catapults against the other side on the battlefield, that would end any possibilities of peace between them forever.”
“They consider the Nong as demons,” Seberkyne adds, “And only use those weapons against the demons they think they are.”
Well, they certainly are scary like demons!
“Well, as long as... Yassan and K'mere... keeping fighting each other... in their seasons... the Nong...” I let the statement hang and look to the faces faintly illuminated by the ring glow.
Seberkyne sagely nods his head.
Chapter Twenty Six
A few days later, and we are getting closer to our destination. We have not seen any further pursuit of us from the Nong, and we can now see the mountains the nayfursheth is supposed to be under. But first we have to navigate around and through the swamps marked out on the map.
Dakanii shows me our position on the map, and I can see that we are very near the bottom of the parchment.
Are we that close now?
I also see where the swamps had been hastily drawn on the map, not with ink, but with charcoal, and I wonder just how accurate it is.
“How... will we know if... we are on the right path?” I ask Dakanii during our last camp before we reach the swamps.
“Well, as I said before, when Yassan and K'mere were built, they used stone quarried from the mountains over there.” he points to the mountains we can now see. “And it took them a couple of hundred years in the construction of the two cities. The road they took through the swamps should be well used and marked out for us.”
“Are there... any settlements... in the swamps?” the thought just occurred to me.
“Uh, not that I know of.” Dakanii answers, “I think there are still reports of some creature, a swamp... thing that nobody can identify still living there. But I could be wrong.”
Uh.... a swamp, thing...? and nobody bothered to mention this to me earlier??
“It could just be stories people made up to keep others out of it.” Dakanii quickly amends, as he sees the expression on my face, then grimaces to the others.
I hear the others stifling their laughter, and start to cough and clear their throats and resume their meals.
Yeah, you go ahead and choke on it! I think ruefully at them and smile mischievously and finish my bowl. After I put my bowl down, I ask Dakanii to see the map.
Smiling, he hands it to me and watches as I look all over the map; the mountains, valleys, positions of several cities, most notably being Yassan and K'mere in the plains to our north now. With his help, I ask him what each item means. The mountains, the forests, the cities, the rivers, and I see three lakes marked out on the map. One due north near the top of the map, one in Spider Valley, and the third way off to the east of us. I see the canyon to the north of the two cities. I ask him which city is Kikkierilon, and he shows me. Then he points out Navarae, his kingdom, to the west and north from Kikkierilon, beyond a mountain range, and a river flowing past Navarae from some mountains on the northwestern edge of the map.
I ask Dakanii where they were camped that first night I met them, and he points it out on the map for me and I think, somewhere in that area, Midnight's territory is, unless I had wandered out of his territory after I had lost contact with him.
Midnight...
I roll Dakanii's map up fast and hand it back to him, to cover the fact that I am about to tear up again, and roll myself up in my cloak to go to sleep.
* * * * * * *
The next morning we break camp, pack up, and begin looking for the road through the swamps. It takes us a couple of hours, but we do indeed find it, and it is very wide on hard packed ground.
The road itself isn't in the swamp, it is between two of the swamps, at least, as it shows on the map. If the road proves to be like this all the way through, it will be very easy to traverse. Or, did they build the road through the swamp before starting to quarry the stone from the mountains? As I have heard, there are differing stories as to whether the road was constructed or found by explorers.
No matter, we're using it now, and we keep all eyes peeled for anything that would want to launch itself at us from the creepy looking trees and brush in the swamps.
There is a fog that covers the road and the ground... I'm a little reluctant to call the ground, ground, as it is just soupy and muddy and—
What was that I saw off to the right? Am I seeing things? I thought I saw movement some distance away...
“What is it, Sean?” Seberkyne asks me as he pulls up next to me on the road.
I shake my head and look harder into the fog of the swamp. “I don't know. I thought.. I saw.. something over there.” I point the area out.
He looks hard at where I pointed, but he doesn't seem to see it.
Then we all hear a huge crashing and thrashing sound, coming from the area I had pointed to.
What is that?
We all stop in our tracks as a monstrous bellow is heard coming from the eerie swamp to our right.
Does it see us?
Is it coming for us?!
Is this the thing Dakanii had mentioned, and it is real?!
“Move!!” Dakanii shouts and spurs his horse to a full gallop.
The rest of us charges our mounts after him, and I see... something writhing around in the fog of the swamp. Perhaps it is a little further aw
ay from us than I thought, but I definitely see something in there! And— I saw a flash of light with it. What is that?!
The fog opens just enough for me to see a long, scaled, reptilian looking... thing, like a cross between a snake and a crocodile, of monstrous proportions, playing with something? Something made of metal? Shiny metal? I know many animals are attracted to anything shiny, and it looks like this thing has a favorite toy... the armor of a warrior long forgotten, perhaps?
Swiftly we make it to the other side of the swamps, us and our mounts panting and exhausted from the running. We stop to let our horses rest a moment.
“Was that it?” Jenna asked from the back of his mount.
Dakanii nods his head, “I think it was.”
“Did you see it?” Bogamin asked.
“No. Did you?”
“I did.” I reply to the group.
“You did?! What was it?” Anjax asks me.
I shake my head, “Not sure. Too much.. in the swamp. In the fog. Saw only parts of it. But it is big. And fast.”
“I'm glad it didn't come after us.” Dakanii says.
“I think it was... playing with something. Its last meal, maybe?” I suggest.
Everyone blanches at that thought, then turn our attention back to the road, which stretches on into the mountain range. We are now south of the swamps, in a tight valley between mountain ranges, with the road going on between them.
As we continue down the road, we notice that the road now sweeps to the east, going directly into the mountains on that side.
I don't know. I can't put my finger on it, but something is making me feel a little uneasy going into these mountains. Feeling eyes upon us? Are we being watched? My bow is in easy reach behind me on my saddle with my arrows and spear in front of me, and my left hand is itching to grab my bow and put an arrow on the string.
There are many hiding places I can see in these mountain, easy places to conceal an attack for an ambush. Then we come upon an opening in the mountains, the area where the stone was quarried to build the two cities of K'mere and Yassan. There was vast amounts of stone taken from here!
How did they do that? I marvel at the feats of engineering those builders possibly used to move the stone, as we pass by the area and continue, off the road and going up into a small valley between a couple of the tightly packed mountains.
Is that a cave up ahead?
Are we here?
Is the nayfursheth in there?
So... what's waiting for us in there?
We all dismount our horses, and decide to make camp for the night.
I nearly fall off my horse as I move to get off of it, my nerves are frayed and I'm unable to shake the feeling. Dakanii sees me stumbling around, and take a calming breath.
“Sean? What's wrong?” he asks as he walks up to me and places a hand on my shoulder.
I hold my hand out in front of me, and see it visibly shaking. Dakanii and Seberkyne both see my hand shaking, and look puzzled at each other, then look back to me.
“I don't.. know.” I manage to get out. “I just... feel...” I cringe and gasp as my imagination once again runs away with me as all kinds of hideous monsters (and some of them look like Nong warriors) pour out of the mouth of the cave towards us. But it is only my imagination that makes me see these things.
Seberkyne looks to the mouth of the cave as though I do see something, then looks back at me, very puzzled.
Am I seeing ghosts?
He kneels down in front of me and makes eye contact with me, “Sean, listen to me carefully. There is nothing here that can hurt us. I don't know what you are feeling, or seeing, but you must fight it. Fight it!” he takes my by the arms and gives me a gentle nudge, “Do you understand?”
“Perhaps, it is the deep magic...” Jenna offers, “warning him of something?”
Dakanii shakes his head and shrugs.
Seberkyne gazes into my eyes with his hypnotic eyes, and it is having a calming effect on me.
Finally, whatever fear had its choke hold on me, releases me and I can relax, and I can breathe normally again. I didn't realize that my whole body had just been rigid during that whole time, similar to when I discovered we were going through Spider Valley and was so petrified with fear.
I nearly collapse on my feet from exhaustion, with my head hanging forward limply, but Seberkyne already has me by the arms and holds me up.
“Here, let me take him.” Dakanii volunteers and scoops me up in his arms, and carries me to where they decide to make camp as I fall fast asleep.
* * * * * * *
A few hours later I wake up, feeling tired, but hungry.
Anjax smiles to me when he sees me stirring and sit up, “You hungry?”
He hands me a bowl, which I take and start shoveling the contents into my mouth.
“Whoa! Slow down there, boy!” Anjax laughs and goes back to the pot over the fire.
The others chuckle around the group where they sit.
I look around to the group, shrug sheepishly, and continue eating.
Dakanii puts a comforting hand on my back, “You really had us worried there, Sean. What happened?”
I pause in my chewing as I try to think back to what had happened. What did happen? Why was I so caught up in fear that affected me so bad? All I can do is swallow my mouthful, shake my head and shrug, “I don't know. I just... felt...” I sigh as I cannot put into words what I was feeling. “Something bad.” is all I'm able to get out.
I look up to Dakanii and see him looking back at me; he can see the residual fear in my eyes.
Dakanii gives me a small reassuring smile. I feel his hand stroking the back of my head, then he takes my left shoulder and hugs me to him, “Well, none of us will let anything happen to you.”
Anjax, Bogamin, and Jenna all give out a warriors' grunt in agreement, nod their heads and raise their sporks in salute to me.
I giggle and look down to my bowl, then look back to them. Their loyalty. Now I breathe a sigh of relief.
Dakanii gently kisses me on the top of my head, then releases me so I can finish eating, then we all bed down for the night. I see the midnight shadow on the rings approaching from the east.
Chapter Twenty Seven
The next morning we are all up. We gear up with torches and our weapons, and picket our horses nearby as we can't take them into the cavern with us.
I leave my cloak rolled up with my bag, strap on my newer long sword on my belt, and put my smaller sword on my back like I used to do. Although I don't quite like it, I decide to leave my bow and quiver of arrows behind in the camp, and I take my spear instead. A torch is handed to me, and we enter the cave slowly.
We hold our torches above us as we look all about us, stepping softly to listen to any sounds.
We go deeper and deeper, the cavern widens, and we separate ourselves a little, searching for any crack and crevice, and this nagging thought keeps trying to come up to the surface of my mind. Finally, it breaks through, and I think; if the nayfursheth is in here, how did anyone find it? And why didn't they bring it back with them? Ugh! I would like to voice my apprehension with Bogamin at this point!
I'm looking about with Seberkyne close to me, and I want to ask him my thought.
However, before I'm able to say anything, torches rush into the cave behind us—
The Nong! They've found us!
The roar of battle from the Nong warriors alerts us to their presence, and I see everyone switch their torches into their other hands to take out their swords and engage the enemies.
Uh... I have my spear, which I throw at the nearest Nong warrior to me, and it goes into his chest and he falls at my feet. I don't know how many enemies are now in this cave with us, but it doesn't look like we'll be getting out of here with this horde flooding into the cave.
With my torch in my left hand, I draw my sword and look about me for any attackers.
One charges me, and I engage him with my blade, ducking under his sw
ing and thrusting into his chest and he drops. One thing I can say about the Nong, they are not only large, but also strong and fast!
Whatever warrior I once considered myself to be, I am starting to reconsider that assessment now with these guys! Another engages me, stroke for stroke, and I back away from him, trying to use my blade skillfully to keep him from killing me! We don't—
Well, I don't want to lose myself in these caverns, and try to keep the entrance to the cave within sight. I glance about me to the other guys, seeing their hands full keeping the enemies in front of them. I hear Seberkyne calling out to me, and I see him off to my left.
How'd he get that far away from me?
I back away from my attacker towards Seberkyne, desperately making sure my head stays attached to my shoulders.
Stop trying to kill me!
I swing to cut low on the Nong warrior's legs, but he counters my swing with his own blow to my blade, and knocks my sword out of my hand. I look about me to the men with me, how they're fighting their foes, and I see now that I can't fight these Nong like they do. The Nong warrior I'm fighting thrusts his sword at me, but I dodge. He swings at me and I duck under. I don't have time to reach down to pick up my long sword again, so I draw my short sword from my back, and... I feel an old friend in my hand again. I drop my torch, and grab for my claw necklace from under my tunic.
I hear Seberkyne screaming out my name—I guess he saw my torch fall to the ground and is now afraid that I have fallen? But then he sees the torch of my attacker acting erratic, and sees the Nong warrior swinging his sword wildly about him.... that's because, panther-like, I am dashing about him, cutting him down with my brothers in my hands, and it is a family reunion!
I make that warrior fall from all the cuts I inflicted on him, then slash him across his neck, and I run for Seberkyne's light. Another Nong warrior blocks my path but I dodge between his legs, raking both legs as I pass under... I guess he didn't get the message about what we did to the land-striders out on the plains? Then I whip around and finish him on the ground before he has a chance to do anything else.
Avarii- the Golden Child Page 14
