“I was only fulfilling my duties,” he said.
“While your means were quite unorthodox, and your sword skills are . . . lacking, protecting others in times of need is far from a duty. Especially when faced with such odds. Most of the soldiers wanted to flee and would have, if not for the structure of our laws and military. Yet you were different. You jumped into the battle when you did not have to. And the king sees the potential for great things due to your bravery. Though I still question your intelligence,” she said, a warmly teasing note in her voice. “The king’s offer has a reason. It is not our position to question his judgment. His rule is law. Simply follow your orders and trust the king.”
“Speaking of orders, I am fairly positive I know why my parents were ordered to accompany me. The reasons for Caedmon and the healers are quite obvious as well, but I am not quite sure why the king requested your presence on this assignment. You are a general. Do you not have an army to maintain?” he said.
“I commanded the army stationed at Darnum. When Darnum evacuated, there was no longer need for me to command. There was no longer a city to protect. The men I once commanded have been reassigned. For now, I am a general without an army. The king suggested I might be able to train you while I have the time on my hands. Though I am unfamiliar with your weapons as they are custom made and have an abnormal form,” she said.
“The king wished for you to train me?” he said.
“Not to be offensive, but your form is awful, and there are numerous holes in your defense. Your attacks are unique and ill advised in true combat. You need training, but I cannot fix your deficiencies in such a short time,” she said.
Faolan was hurt by her harsh assessment. “The only training I have had is sparring lessons with my father and mother. Their guidance has provided me with the basic understanding of combat and allowed me to pass the scout’s assessment. The instructor did say I required more training but that a scout’s position does not require expert combat tactics or understanding. The scouts are just observers and recon units, not combat oriented, so I have never been formally trained by the army.”
“I know. Your movements show it clearly. But your instincts are fantastic. You should train if you intend to maintain your position as a Shadow Guardian,” she said. “Normally, the king would have provided you with intensive combat training and stealth tactics for your new position, but with all the current events in motion, the king had little choice but to push you forward without your initial Shadow Guardian training. I advised him that was unwise, and he agreed but stated that we could not wait months for you to train when so many dangers loomed and that you are needed now.”
“Very well. Whenever you wish to start, just say the word,” Faolan said. A question popped into his head. “Gavina?”
“Yes?”
“Why do you believe the king asked the prince to come with us? I mean, he is royalty, and he is assisting a newly inducted Shadow Guardian on a potentially dangerous mission,” he said. “It is not exactly a mission for a prince.”
Gavina hesitated, thinking about the question. A wide smile crossed her face. “Perhaps the king thought Treasach could use a breath of fresh air. Or maybe it was the king who needed it.”
They laughed.
“The prince can be a handful. You can be sure he gets on the king’s nerves,” she said.
They saw a human soldier in front of them. After a moment, Bayne rounded the corner in a hurry. “Faolan! Gavina! The fishermen were attacked by Hyips,” he said, heaving in deep breaths in between words.
“What?” Faolan shook his head in confusion. “The mayor said he would call us to escort them.”
“There was a miscommunication. The fishermen left earlier than usual. I have spoken to Caedmon and Treasach. They went to help the fishermen and told me to come find you. The healers insisted on accompanying them,” Bayne said, breathing heavily.
“Have they left the city?” Faolan asked.
“Aye.” Bayne nodded.
“Caedmon should be able to handle a couple of Hyips.” Gavina brushed the concern away.
“No. The fisherman who returned to report the ambush said there were many of them, and a champion accompanies the ambushers,” Bayne elaborated.
“A champion?” Faolan asked, unfamiliar with Hyips.
“Aye! They are the hardiest of the Hyip warriors. Please, you must go. There is little time to waste on deliberation,” Bayne begged.
“Very well. Where are they?” Faolan asked.
They traveled quickly toward Upell Lake. They realized the distance was longer than they expected when they left the plains and entered into a dense forest. They wove between tree trunks and large boulders. The ground grew uneven, and the understory thickened. They leaped over fallen trees and ducked under low branches.
As they wove through the trees, Faolan yelled over to Gavina, “Should we not have already found them?”
“I do not know. The forest is thick, and I have lost my bearings,” Gavina responded.
“Should we turn back?” he shouted.
“No, just keep going. We must find them.” She motioned forward as she leaped over a log.
“Bayne said nothing about a forest.” He questioned their bearings.
Faolan was not watching his steps. His foot hit a hard object, and he tripped. A branch smacked his face, and he hit the ground hard.
“Faolan!” Gavina shouted.
Faolan opened his eyes and found he had landed face first in a bed of grass.
“Faolan! Are you all right?”
“I am,” he said as he came out of his daze. He lifted his head and saw a female form standing before him, but it was not Gavina. The young guardian blushed and quickly scurried to his feet.
“Are you sure you are all right? You just flew out of the trees.” Aili giggled.
“Yes, I am fine.” He scratched the back of his head and grinned in embarrassment. His eyes bashfully avoided hers, and his face was rosy at his foolishly stumbling in front of the elf maiden he felt growing affection for.
Aili smiled and thought his reaction was endearing.
Faolan caught movement in his peripheral vision. It had not just been Aili who had witnessed his foolish fall. Everyone had seen him, including the injured fishermen lying behind her. Granted, their amusement at the matter was minimal due to the various wounds they had acquired. Treasach, on the other hand, was the only one enjoying it a bit too much, laughing on the other side of the injured fishermen.
Faolan shook off the embarrassment and assessed his surroundings. They were situated in a small grassy glade. A small area was stained red by the bleeding fishermen. There were about two dozen of them with various wounds. Leith was finishing treatment on the last of the injured.
“Welcome, Faolan, Gavina.” Caedmon acknowledged them.
“What happened with the Hyips?” Faolan asked.
“We dispatched three of them,” Caedmon said.
“Three?” Gavina asked. “Bayne said there were many, and a champion accompanied them.”
“Then that must have been a small tracking party sent after the men when they fled,” Treasach said. “The fishermen are hurt; I do not think they would have made it if the whole group chased after them. They did manage to fend off the tracking party with their fishing spears until help arrived.”
“How did you stop them?” Gavina wondered.
“Ah, well, you see, my sword is quite sharp. I had a smithy sharpen it before we left Lesley.” Treasach jabbed at Gavina.
Aili quickly trampled on his pride. “Ha ha! The prince has really good jokes. Caedmon felled all three.”
“You dare insult me?” Treasach said.
“Oh, come on! You, offended?” Gavina defended her.
Treasach smiled and brushed their comments away. “Hah! How do you know me so well, Gavina?”
Gavina glanced over at Aili. “Imagine dealing with him every day as a youngling. I had to put up with him for years while trainin
g him with that sword and shield. He knows how to fight because of me.”
“Ah, yes, those were good days. Always trying to find a way to get under your skin, Gavina,” Treasach reminisced.
Faolan was smiling at their quick banter when he glanced over at Caedmon, who had his head slightly tilted as one of his ears twitched. The young guardian’s smile faded as his mind drifted from their conversation. He watched the old wolf curiously and took note of the loose gaze. The scout knew the experienced protector was tracking something.
Treasach continued. “How are they, Leith? Good enough to move?”
The healer nodded. “Yeah, just finished. The last one has been patched and wrapped. We are good to move. I will properly treat them all when we get back to safety.”
“Relative safety,” Treasach quipped.
Faolan watched the old guardian. One of the wolf’s ears rotated slightly while the other twitched finely. Caedmon’s head tilted and turned to a different angle as he focused his hearing.
“We should leave. It is not safe here,” the scout quietly stated as he scanned his environment.
“What?” Treasach asked.
“We need to move! Hurry, get them up!” Faolan raised his voice.
“As you wish,” Treasach said hesitantly as he turned toward the fishermen. “All right, time to go. Everyone up!”
Aili noticed the concerned expression on their leader’s face. “What is wrong, Faolan?”
Faolan looked back into the forest behind them. His eyes searched for movement, and his ears listened to the silence. He could not see far into the understory, but he knew something was wrong. Faolan glanced back at the old wolf guardian and watched his ears.
“Faolan?” Gavina slowly slid her sword out of its sheath.
Treasach directed the fishermen. “There we go, on your feet. We are heading back to Mor. Now follow me!”
Faolan watched both of Caedmon’s ears rotate behind him toward the far side of the glade. The young guardian stepped out into the clearing and gazed across the small grassy area. He longed to hear what was beyond the silence.
“Run!” Caedmon roared. “Now! Go!”
Everyone froze in response to Caedmon’s abrupt call and looked at him, confused, except for Faolan, who unhooked his swords from his belt and watched the distant tree line.
“Run!” Caedmon growled.
An inharmonious howl sounded from the northern tree line. It caught everyone’s attention, and they all spun toward it. A dozen Hyips raced out of the trees. The beasts were seven feet tall with sturdy builds and an appearance similar to a bipedal hyena. They had a ridge of long fur running down the length of their spines while sharp claws tipped their fingers, and fierce carnivorous teeth revealed themselves through snarling maws.
Soon after, a thirteenth form emerged from the forest. The champion. It was more than ten feet tall, and its mass was greater than Caedmon’s. The champion held a massive log on its shoulder, and the enormous hyena’s lips furled at the sight of its prey. The Morians cried out in fear and fled into the southern tree line. The healers followed suit.
The ambushers charged toward them at full speed.
“Caedmon!” Treasach watched the fishermen’s mass exodus. Caedmon glanced back and noticed their disappearance.
“Protect them!” Caedmon shouted.
Treasach and Gavina sprinted after the fleeing Morians and disappeared into the forest.
Caedmon hesitated. He was watching the Hyips and assessing his adversaries.
Faolan’s eyes shot back and forth between Caedmon and the Hyips. “Why are you waiting?”
Caedmon held his head high as his fur rustled in the light breeze. “Humans cannot outrun Hyips.”
“Then what is our plan?” Faolan held his swords loosely, so as not to tire his hands before the battle started.
The champion laughed, a disturbing sound. The twelve Hyips wove to the side and broke off toward the west, leaving the champion alone to continue its charge forward.
Caedmon watched as the smaller Hyips rerouted around them. “It is the dominant one and has chosen its prey. They are going after the Morians.”
“Then let us go!” Faolan said.
“No,” Caedmon said. “We cannot defeat all thirteen at once. Especially while trying to defend the fishermen. Perhaps without the champion, we could successfully defend against the others. Divide and conquer.”
The champion slowed as it approached and then came to a complete stop.
”A champion chooses its adversary, normally the most formidable opponent in an honor fight, though it seems to have chosen you. Faolan, can you hold it here?” Caedmon asked.
The champion’s piercing yellow eyes danced between the two of them. It licked its maw, drool hanging from its razor-sharp teeth. Faolan knew Treasach and Gavina could not defend the others alone against twelve Hyips. He also understood Caedmon to be much quicker on his feet. He knew he had the least training and would prove the least helpful in their current situation. If nothing else, he would buy them time.
“I will deal with it. I will not fail,” Faolan assured Caedmon.
Caedmon could hear the skepticism lacing Faolan’s answer, but knew he could hesitate no longer. Caedmon turned and took off toward the south, disappearing into the tree line. Faolan’s grip tightened on the hilts of his swords. He walked toward the champion, who mirrored his footsteps. As the gap between them closed, Faolan attempted to muster as much confidence as possible, but his attention was drawn to the champion’s striking eyes. They were eerily piercing his own. The two opponents stopped when the gap narrowed to ten yards. The champion dwarfed Faolan, nearly twice his height.
The champion produced another maniacal vocalization, sounding like a low-pitched hyenalike laugh. It believed its opponent was rather weak on closer observation and said, “You . . . die now . . .”
The beast charged Faolan, its heavy log ready to pummel its adversary. The young guardian met the champion’s charge with a whirl of his blades. Faolan sliced the champion’s limbs at every possible opening while dodging the massive Hyip’s slower attacks. Faolan counted his contacting strikes: left arm twice, right leg three times, right arm four times, left leg twice. Though the wounds accumulated on the champion’s body, it seemed untaxed by Faolan’s attacks. The young guardian carelessly swung wide with his next attack, and the beast took advantage of the opening. The Hyip swung its heavy log and struck Faolan flat across his chest. The guardian was lifted off his feet as his swords slipped from his hands, and he was flung backward, landing hard on the grass and rolling to a stop. His breathing became labored from the impact. He looked around for his weapons as his mind quickly refocused. He spotted them and took note of his adversary’s position.
Faolan scrambled for his swords and quickly flipped them in his hands, a more aggressive stance. The sets of tri-teeth now pointed down and away from his body. Faolan rolled onto his back as quickly as he could, but the Hyip gave him little time to react. The champion swung its log down at Faolan.
The guardian responded by thrusting upward with his swords, crossed just below the tri-teeth. The log fell on his quick defense. The teeth of his swords dug into either side of the Hyip’s weapon. The log’s momentum ceased yet the Hyip would not. The champion leaned its massive body on the log. Faolan’s arms strained to keep the log aloft. He watched his swords slowly drop toward his chest. His face grew red as the pressure on his burning arms slowly increased. The champion’s grinning maw hovered above Faolan’s face. The beast produced a laughing vocalization at the sight of its saliva dripping onto Faolan’s cheek as it craved its kill.
The Hyip’s ears twitched as it heard wood cracking sharply. It looked down toward the tri-teeth and saw the smallest of the teeth on both swords had dug into either side of the log. Experimentally, it pressed down on the log with a burst of power. The champion noticed the blades had indeed lodged themselves into the sides of the log. The Hyip checked to see if Faolan had noticed. The b
east grinned wider when it realized its foe was oblivious to the fact that their weapons were now locked together.
The creature vocalized once more before abruptly releasing its pressure on Faolan’s defense. The wicked beast leaped backward and with all its might heaved the large log over its shoulder. Faolan found himself entirely confused as he was lifted into the air. His swords were now one with the log, and he unwillingly maintained his grip on their hilts. He trailed after the fused weapons and found himself airborne as he flew at great speed toward the forest. He looked at his weapons, now sadly aware of his predicament. His brief flight arced into a descent, and he disappeared into the forest canopy. A heavy crash sounded, which was followed by wood shattering audibly, almost explosively, and finally several objects could be heard striking the forest floor.
Then there was silence.
The champion peered toward the northern tree line and waited for Faolan to emerge, but he did not.
The silence was broken by a female scream emanating from the south. The Hyip screeched in response to the cry and knew its kin would win a fair meal this day.
A soft rustling sounded toward the north. The Hyip looked in its direction.
The champion smiled as Faolan emerged from the trees. Faolan was bleeding from three large wounds. Blood flowed down the left side of his face and dripped from his jawline, forcing him to shut his left eye. The second injury was a laceration down his right shoulder. The length of Faolan’s right sleeve was soaked, and blood was streaming down his right hand, dripping from his fingertips. He had also landed hard on his left leg after it had struck a tree; a sharp pain was radiating through it as it was numb from the fall.
Faolan held on to his swords loosely, which he had pried from the log. The ends of his swords dragged through the grass behind him. He tilted his head as he looked ahead with his right eye and stopped a dozen feet out of the northern tree line. His vision was beginning to blur, and he leaned on one sword for support.
“You have many wounds, yet you stand unaffected,” Faolan mumbled as he glanced at his blood-laced swords. Disbelief consumed him.
A female scream sounded from the south for a second time.
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