Aiden opened his eyes wide. “It's not the Naiadens, it's the Scratchers coming! I just…I think I just saw them kill two Naiadens and they’re right outside of this house. We’ve got to warn everyone.
The three on the bed shared a glance, and while Ashrak stood, Gavin and Chari didn’t. In fact, when Aiden looked closer, Gavin had a determined look on his face Aiden didn’t like.
“Why should we?” Gavin said angrily. “Maybe this is a good time to escape? If it's real, they’ll be busy and we can get away without them killing us too.”
“Gavin!” Chari hissed. “Analil is out there, and would you really be able to live with yourself if she died? Or Serilda?”
“They killed my father!” Gavin yelled, anger once again rising up within him like a dark serpent. “I hope they all die!”
Chari stood up angrily. “Fine! Then stay here and guard yourself. I couldn’t live with myself if they were killed. I loved your father too, Gavin, but we have to do something other than just let people die.” Turning, she didn’t look back as she began following Aiden out of the room.
Ashrak was right behind them but paused, putting his hand on Gavin’s shoulder and looking down at him. “Gavin, I know you are angry, but ask yourself this; if your father had killed Aiden in the trial, would it be different?”
Gavin gaped at him, shocked at the words but Ashrak didn’t wait for him, running after the other two toward the open door.
“Aiden, you go down this hallway and wake everyone,” Chari said, stopping in the semi-lit main room and pointing with her drawn sword. “I’ll go left and Ashrak, you go to the far wing. Start yelling!”
They did, yelling about an attack as they ran through the sprawling building. Faces began to appear, peeking out of the doorways. Some were confused, but many were drawn in disbelief. Aiden ran down his hallway all the way to the last door first, banging on it and throwing it wide before making his way toward the center room. As he turned, a huge form blocked his way and in the dim light he could just make out the angry face of Ontaya Jiada.
“What trickery is this, boy?” she hissed, taking a step toward him in the darkness and reaching her huge hand toward him. “I know you are angry at the death of your fellow, but you cannot escape our decision.”
Her hand closed on his upper arm and shoulder like a vice, huge and unyielding before lifting him halfway from the floor. For a moment, Aiden couldn’t breath as his terror overwhelmed him. The huge Exemplar had lowered her face toward his and he was confused by her huge features locked in a cross between anger and jubilation. Why would she be happy? He tried to shake his head and tell her about the attack but he just couldn’t. She was too terrifying and was hurting his arm.
A flash of movement came out of the darkness behind him, and a dark fist punched Jiada in the eye, making Jiada rear back and drop Aiden to the floor. As he fell, he could see the tall form of Serilda move and stand in front of him, guarding him against the now-enraged Exemplar.
“What are you doing Ontaya Jiada! Do you not hear what they are screaming through the house? We are under attack!”
“Lies! Lies that you are falling for, Serilda!” Jiada spat, taking an aggressive step toward her. “And you struck me! You are challenged and have one week to answer!”
Serilda frowned and her eyes narrowed. “You would not even give me a chance to grow a warbody? Are you afraid of me, Jiada? Nevermind, it is unimportant.” She turned and knelt next to Aiden who was still looking at Jiada in fear. “Aiden, tell me what is going on. Why do you say we are under attack?”
Aiden blinked but finally managed to shift his focus to Serilda. “I saw it. We’re under attack. By the Scratchers. I saw them approaching this house.”
“What do you mean you saw?” Jiada said, stepping forward but Serilda quickly moved to block Aiden’s view of the angry Naiaden.
“I don’t know. I just saw it three times in my head. Each time they were getting closer. The last time I saw them shoot darts into the throats of two Naiadens walking outside. It’s the Scratchers.”
Suddenly they heard soft popping sounds, following by the dramatic dimming of the light from the main hall. At the same moment, they heard one or two Naiadens cry out as if being struck by something. Serilda immediately turned to Jiada. “Get your armor and weapons. Quickly! We are under attack and you have wasted precious moments with your fear.”
Jiada stood straight, the look on her face unreadable before she turned and moved toward her room. Aiden quickly scrambled to his feet and moved to stand behind Serilda who had moved forward in the hallway. There was a small, beautifully decorated table set against one of the walls which she picked up and brutally smashed against the floor. Picking up two of the ornate table legs, she handed one to Aiden and kept one for herself before moving slowly up to where Jiada’s room had been.
The tall warrior hadn’t wasted time and just as they came even with her door, she stepped out and placed herself in front of them. She had on her crafted scale-mail, helmet, long sword and shield though she had not taken the time to put on her grieves or sandals. Slowly the trio moved forward until they were just barely at the entrance to the main hall. Across the way, they could almost make out two other figures. Aiden guessed one was Ashrak by the long, white hair and the other might be a normal sized Naiaden. Ashrak had his sword out, but the other didn’t have a weapon and was holding another end table up like a shield. To the left was the hallway Chari had gone down but they couldn’t see far enough into it to see if anyone was standing there. To the right was the huge, open-air veranda.
It was obvious the few lamps that had been lit were now out, plunging the great hall into darkness with only the faintest light from the small moon Tulugri creating deeper shadows with its contrast. Permeating the room was an odd, musky smell Aiden couldn’t identify but left him wanting to rub his nose at the cloying scent. It was not unpleasant, but it was thick.
Suddenly, they heard a sound from outside and perhaps on the roof, making them all turn subtly in the direction it came from. It was a faint scratching sound, repeated rhythmically for a few moments that broke the tense silence.
Almost before it completed, Aiden could feel both of the Naiadens tense expectantly. Immediately afterward, there was a very faint hissing sound causing Jiada to move her shield to the right and they heard two oddly-muffled thumps on her shield. She didn’t move again, but Sirelda quickly ducked and her arm reached forward and under the huge shield, grabbed something and quickly pulled it back behind the barrier.
“Darts” she hissed softly, looking down at them in the faint light before bringing one up to her nose and taking a deep breath. “And poisoned, too. Not surprising.” The bolts themselves were dark, oddly shaped things that looked more organic than metal and even as Aiden watched, they looked like they were dissolving. Serilda raised her voice, calling to the other groups. “They are shooting poisoned darts. Use your shields if you have them. If not, use a table or cloth.”
Jiada moved again, blocking another set of darts sent toward their position, but this time Aiden heard the large woman grunt. Growling, she reached up and pulled another dart from her left leg and threw it to the ground. “I’ve been hit and feel it moving through me, Sirelda. It is a strong poison.”
“How long have you got?” The dark Naiaden asked, concern heavy in her voice as she shifted her grip on the wooden table leg.
The Exemplar paused briefly, but finally answered. “Long enough. The poison is lethal but they did not account for our warbodies. Long enough to delay these trespassers, though. If they struck you, you would be down within a minute. I’ve already sent word so others should be arriving soon.”
There was another sound of whispering darts, but this time, it wasn’t aimed at them. They heard a grunt and curse from the hallway Ashrak was in, and the Naiaden next to him reeled before leaning against the wall. “Telna has been hit!” Ashrak called out as they watched him pull her back further into the hall. Two more sounds of darts
being cast could be heard, but they couldn’t tell which direction the shots had come from.
“We need light,” Serilda said to Aiden though she didn’t take her eyes off of the shadows out in the room beyond. “Go back into my room. There is a glass lamp there that is already lit. As quick as you can come out and throw it into the middle of the room. I suspect they have something that will smother light, but they can’t get a big pool of oil. At least I hope not.”
Aiden nodded and then turned, running back to Serilda’s room and finding the lamp she had indicated. For a moment, he despaired of destroying such a work of art but knew he didn’t have a choice. He came running out and was just about to launch it toward the center of the room when Glowby darted out of nowhere and streaked toward a particularly dark corner towards the veranda. Sensing his friend’s intent, he launched the lamp over the two Naiadens and toward that corner.
“Dammit! We needed it in the middle of the room, fool boy!” Jiada spat angrily.
Her anger quickly turned to surprise when the lamp cracked and splashed against the wall and splashed onto several drapes that had been bunched toward the corner. However, what caught all of their attention was a figure dressed in tight, segmented leather armor perched up near the tall ceiling. Despite the fire, it was difficult to make out due to the wildly flickering shadows but there was no mistaking the four, spider-like legs that projected from its back and held it onto the wall. For a second, the Scratcher froze, but quickly leaped clear of the fire before crouching down next to one of the several large chairs in the main room.
With the sudden light, they could see numerous other dark figures creeping closer or moving along the pillars and walls. The darts had been a distraction to prepare for assaults on the hallways, and Aiden could imagine another group right above them preparing to move.
However, the Naiadens were not fools and even those who were not Exemplars were fast and strong. Jiada moved almost without pause, moving two steps out of the hallway and sweeping her sword in a terrifying arc. Aiden could hear screams of pain from above them, and immediately several bodies fell at their feet. Serilda moved behind her large companion and blocked one responding blade as it came from a side angle, but missed another that stabbed deeply into Jiada’s forearm. Those two did not avoid Jiada’s second swing and they also joined their fallen comrades on the floor.
Aiden stayed back but looked out, trying to determine where his friends were. To his left, Chari and Gavin were fighting alongside three other Naiadens. Though not as devastating as an Exemplar, they were holding against their attackers mostly due to the swords Chari and Gavin were wielding. They had already reduced their attackers from eight to three, and those remaining Scratchers had fallen into a defensive formation.
Across from them was another story. The Naiaden who had been with Ashrak slumped against the wall, unconscious, while Ashrak alone was desperately fighting off five remaining attackers. The initial surprise with his sword had cost several of them their lives, but the remainder were clearly about to overwhelm him. Aiden could make out the small form of Analil standing about four meters behind him with wide, terrified eyes.
Even as all of this occurred, Aiden heard more darts being fired. Serilda jerked back, pulling Aiden with her but they both could hear the sounds of impacted flesh. Jiada had been too far out to recover and out of position to block. She took three to her arm and one to her large thigh, causing her to stagger. Two of the Naiadens alongside Chari and Gavin also took darts, and one hit Chari, which stopped Aiden’s heart for a moment before he remembered her tunic would protect her.
Even as the darts flew, he watched the attackers push past Ashrak’s defense and bear him to the wall. The tall boy struggled but his attackers were too strong and too many, and Aiden watched in sick fascination as one pulled a dagger and drove it toward the young man’s heart. The blade was stopped, but drawn back for another blow.
Time stopped. Aiden couldn’t watch another person he cared about die. Before he realized it, he’d launched himself across the room, bouncing over fallen chairs and other pieces of furniture. It didn’t take more than a few moments where he watched a second dagger push against his friend's stomach, and then there was a third descending toward Ashrak’s widening eye.
It didn’t land.
Aiden was close enough and in one massive push of will, he reached out to all of the Scratchers gathered around Ashrak and pushed them into the Anderealm. The thunderclap of the barrier giving way was monumental and tore at Aiden like a cold fire trying to burn the flesh from his bones.
He didn’t know how long it took him to regain his senses, clutching at his head from a debilitating headache, but he quickly checked his own limbs to find them intact and healthy. However, it didn’t appear his passengers had fared as well as he stared in sick fascination at the charred, crisped husks locked in rictus images of pain around him.
After quickly making sure Ashrak wasn’t amongst them, Aiden felt his gorge rising and turned away from the scene of death. Aiden ran toward the veranda’s edge and just managed to make the dirt before losing the little he’d managed to eat that night.
He’d never even thought of killing someone in his life, and now he’d just taken the lives of five beings.
Chapter 10
It took Aiden several minutes to recover from being sick and even longer to stop crying. The stark loneliness of this place seemed to feed his despair, almost as if it wanted more lives to be sacrificed to fill its bleakness. Finally getting some control back, he stood and forced himself to walk back into the room. Ultimately, he knew if he hadn’t done what he had done, then Ashrak would have joined them in their demise, but it was of small consolation to him at this moment.
The corpses were still there where he’d left them. They were the same black, charred husks locked in their moment of time between anger and pain. He stared at them for a few minutes taking in those he’d killed. They were a tall, humanoid species just about two meters with long graceful limbs. The largest difference being the four, powerful spider-like legs projecting from their backs. These he had killed had drawn their spider legs in, tucked tightly against their sides which he assumed was so they wouldn’t entangle their brethren as they attempted to kill one of his friends. He could make out little else because their armor covered everything, including their faces and the char had merged everything.
At about that moment, Glowby popped into being next to him, flickering between a dark red and purple. He could feel his friend’s concern and distress as the glowing ball flashed toward Aiden’s face, and suddenly he remembered his friends. “Oh, Gods, Glowby! I don’t even know how long I’ve been here,” Aiden said, blinking and trying to focus his thoughts. A headache was still with him but substantially less painful so he decided to risk it, moving back toward the hallway were Serilda and Jiada had been and sitting down to focus.
It wasn’t easy and he was deathly afraid for his friends, but he forced himself to take it slowly. Glowby had floated over to rest next to his head, and Aiden could feel a cool, soothing feeling wash over him. The practice of working with glimmer steel seemed to have strengthened him in all areas, and it was only a few moments before he was sitting in the hallway in the real world.
Immediately, the sound of many voices came crashing around him along with the acrid smoke of a fire. Loud though it was, it didn’t sound like there was any fighting and he just hoped it meant the Scratchers had been subdued or driven off. He could just make out the deeper female voice of an Exemplar calling over the general din of many voices.
“Give us your weapons now, younglings, I will not ask again!” called the voice, rich and powerful, and also one Aiden didn’t recognize.
“I will not!” Gavin yelled back. “You’ll have to kill me with a sword in my hand, not through the back like you killed my father.”
Aiden edged out from the hallway, looking around carefully. The room was full of Naiadens with several Exemplars towering over them all. While m
ost were tending to the fallen, unmoving forms, several were facing off against his friends who, surprisingly enough, looked like they were standing over and protecting Ontaya Jiada. They were currently facing away from Aiden, so didn’t see him shuffle out from the dark hallway. Surprisingly, there was no sign of the Scratchers other than the burnt drapes and fallen Naiadens scattered around the room.
Jiada was slumped, leaning weakly against one of the larger pieces of furniture in the hall. There were angry red lines radiating out from the injuries she had suffered, and one of her arms seemed to have a deep cut high on the shoulder. Slowly she raised her hand as if to push back the other Exemplar.
“Stop,” she said weakly. Aiden was taken back by how weak her voice sounded. He could barely make it out as he came up behind Gavin and Chari, but even so, the other warrior paused. “Let them keep the weapons. On my honor, I grant them the privilege.”
The Glimmer Steel Saga, Boxed Set, Books 1 - 4 Page 43
