Homecoming (Homecoming Chonicles Book 1)

by James Thornton

  He took one last look at the camp. The workers had already resumed their work as they put together the camp. He turned away and started back on his way to Auverance. The forest was even more of a challenge to navigate as he trudged through it. Many of the plants shifted from his previous trek and forced him to take a different route. The sounds from the animals overhead had vanished. Only the sound of the foresters in the distance made any noise.

  It was near impossible to keep the proper direction as he wandered deeper into the forest. The sound of the workers behind him kept him pushed him forward, toward what he hoped was the wall. Occasionally, he found a footprint that he could only hope was his own and followed in the opposite direction it led.

  As he made his way further from the camp, the sounds of the workers became nothing more than background noise. The sounds of wildlife once again took their place. Sounds came from all around, but mostly overhead. Birds that flew about, he hoped. It was too dark to see into the dense canopy overhead. All he could do was hope. More groups of footprints seemed to connect, and his confidence grew that they were his own. Unless someone else was dumb enough to travel through the impossibly thick forest. Even if someone had, he doubted they would have been as lucky as him while they traversed it.

  For the most part, he had kept himself intact. Only a few scrapes from thorny vines and small tears in his clothes where they had caught onto a stuck out branch. In some ways, he had surprised himself. He hadn’t been through woodlands in years. Even when he had been a ranger, the forests were never quite as dense as this.

  He followed the footsteps until finally, through a small break in the foliage, the gray of Auverance’s wall came into view. With a self-satisfied smile and a sigh of relief, he continued on the last stretch of his trek. The sounds of animals overhead followed him the entire way.

  His hand ran against the impossibly smooth wall and looked for any grip he could use to scale it. The rope he had climbed down on laid in a pile on the ground. The knot he had tied into it still there, it hadn’t fallen on its own. Of course, someone would have cut the rope. It would have been a disaster if someone from the Warring Kingdoms climbed atop the wall. After all, the border was such a heavily walked area. It was just a matter of moments before someone spotted it.

  There were no handholds to climb, and it was no use to try to shout to one of the soldiers atop. Even if he managed to get their attention, he would more than likely be shot by a crossbow before they threw a rope down to him. Norvance would have let him up, most likely. But if he shouted for him, there was no chance that he would live long enough to get to talk to him. He sighed and looked up and down the border for a way up but he saw nothing but trees.

  Trees. Of course. The answer was almost impossible to miss. Branches reached over the wall in some places. He would drop off one of those branches and onto the wall, easy enough. He only had to find an appropriate tree for the job.

  When he did manage to find one, he was less than excited. The tree around twenty feet around and at least seventy feet tall. It was thirty feet before the first branches grew out. It would be a bitch to try to scale it. But it was his only option, so he began to climb.

  A paw the size of his head swiped down from an overhead branch and cut through the air an inch before his face. He let go of the tree and let himself drop to the ground. Another swipe landed where his head would have been. He landed into a roll and pressed his back against the wall. His eyes scanned the canopy of the tree he had just been in. A purplish-black feline creature climbed down the tree and left huge scratches down the length of the trunk. It let out a low growl while it prowled around the trees and itself against him.

  There was no chance to outrun or hide from it, Freedic knew that much. He also didn’t like the idea of a fight with it. Unfortunately for him, there were no other options. As the creature stopped and turned toward him, his choices narrowed down to one. The beast lowered its head, its eyes focused and narrowed, and its whiskers turned in tight to its face.

  It began to dash toward Freedic. He matched it and began to sprint at it. It leaped from the ground, claws on each paw exposed and mouth wide open. He raised his arm to his side, called for his sword, and began to swing his arm. The sword started to materialize, the hilt, the guard, and then the blade. His attack was barely a flash before the creature’s eyes.

  The sword bit into the creature’s flesh and cleaved through it. The first paw, then its neck, and then its second paw. Freedic twisted out of the way of its falling body which landed with a heavy thud. Three softer sounds came a moment later. Freedic looked down at the blade and dismissed it. There was no reason to check whether the creature was alive. He knew exactly what he had done.

  He walked back to the tree he had climbed and stared at it. There was no need for him to try that again. Instead, he called a sword again. With a single flick of his wrist, the tree fell. It landed leaned against the wall, easy to walk up. If one of the guards dared challenge him, there was no chance he would let them live long enough to realize their mistake.

  Forec stood atop the keep with a bubble of wind around him to keep the snow off him. No one had sent out the signal in thousands of years. The magic was more or less forgotten. Only those that Insmith chose would learn the proper mechanics of it. Unfortunately, Forec was one of the lucky ones she chose.

  Still, it wasn’t all bad. The spell was more difficult than anything else Forec had ever used. It would be an excellent opportunity to show where sat among the mages. In his mind, it was over almost all of them.

  With the wind bubble still protecting him, he opened his arms. He focused on light, forcing six orbs of it to form around him. They stayed the same size—small enough to fit in his palm— but grew brighter with every passing moment. When he was satisfied with the orbs of light, he shifted his focus to where he would be sending them. One for each of the Five Kingdoms, and one for the Warring Kingdoms.

  The orbs flew in every direction. They would arrive at their destination and hover there for around an hour. Any talent that knew what the signal meant would have time to prepare themselves. Poor bastards.

  Satisfied with the display, Forec left the top of Krux Aev’then and back into its sullen gray walls. He walked down the many staircases with a spring in his step, then made his way into the winding hallways that led to the High Mage’s chamber. The guards nodded as he passed, respectfully acknowledging him without speaking. For once, he felt as if he deserved their respect.

  The two guards that stood outside of the High Mage’s chamber door stood blocking the hallway. Their staves crossed between them. Forec walked toward them, still on the high from sending out the signal. He smiled at them and ducked under their staves.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” one guard asked.

  “Are we going to do this again?” Forec asked.

  “Don’t mind him,” the other said. “If the High Mage asks, you kicked our asses.”

  “Seems fair enough,” Forec said.

  He passed by the two and continued through the drab hallway. The door to the High Mage's chamber was slightly ajar, letting him peek into the room before entering. He had no issue walking in on a conversation in which he was unwelcome. If they talked on something important, he would rather avoid it entirely.

  Unfortunately, the moment he poked his head around the corner, Insmith locked eyes with him. There was no way to go back from that, even as he ducked back around the corner. The High Mage cleared her throat. Damn.

  He pushed the door open and entered, revealing a man sitting in one of the pine chairs before the desk. The King’s Hand of Auverance, Ters Versing. Both he and the High Mage stared at Forec as he walked in and took the available seat.

  Ters was a tall, spindly man that strongly resembled a rat. Though, Forec wouldn’t say that to a rat’s face. Black hair rested on his shoulders, curly and greasy. His mouth seemed always upturned a smirk that made it hard not to hate him. His gray eyes ran over Forec, analyzing him.
Still with that loathable grin.

  “How convenient of you to join us,” she said. “We were just talking about you.”

  “Fantastic timing,” Forec said under his breath.

  “Ters was giving me a slightly more detailed account of what he had been told,” she continued. “I would like a Council Mage to accompany him on his way to the wall. And while you’re there, you will be collecting the talents from within the Warring Kingdoms.”

  “You do know the wall separates us from the Warring Kingdoms, right?” Forec asked.

  “Of course I know, you idiot,” Insmith frowned. “I was the one who had the damn thing raised.”

  “My apologies,” Forec said, his head bowed.

  “Typically I would be the one to collect those talents, but my duties as King’s Hand have to come first,” Ters said. “You’ll be going in my place.”

  “Fantastic,”

  “I thought so too,” the High Mage said. “I want you to get a firsthand account from some of the men on the wall as well. The more I’ve thought about this, the more I am convinced my decision to raise this army is sound.”

  “Shall we be going then, Forec?” Ters asked.

  He looked at Insmith who waved him away. “I guess so,” he said.

  Ters opened a rift in the air before them. The edges glowed royal blue.

  “After you,”

  Forec walked through the rift and into a flowing field of greens. The pre-dawn sun had begun to crest over the horizon and shed light on the open range. The field disappeared into itself until it flowed into distant cliffs that the morning light hadn’t yet reached. Ters stepped out behind him and took a deep breath.

  “Wonderful, isn’t it?” he asked. “Much better than the stuffy air in that keep.”

  “You’re not wrong about that,” Forec said. “You don’t get sights like this up there either.”

  “A shame we can’t admire the scenery longer,” Ters said. “But there is work to be done. Follow me.”

  Ters turned and began on his way to the wall, only a few yards from where the rift had opened. Forec had never visited the wall in person but had seen his fair share of artistic renditions. He quickly decided none of them had done it justice. It was a marvelous sight. Over twenty feet high and stretching as far as the eye could see in either direction. Only the occasional staircase to the top gave any indication of distance.

  They climbed to the top of the wall where two armed soldiers greeted them. The men recognized who climbed the steps, saluted, and stepped aside. Ters gave them a gentle grin and a nod as he passed, while Forec maintained a stoic expression. The two mages walked together toward a group of men who stood around a small fire, burning in a brazier.

  “Norvance,” Ters said. “I’m sorry I didn’t announce my intentions to visit, but there has been some chaos back in Quisen that I hadn’t anticipated.”

  “Sir,” Norvance answered and saluted, “the rift disappeared sometime in the night, though we do have some news on the situation within the Warring Kingdoms.”

  “Out with it then,” Ters said.

  “Freedic, an ex-ranger, went into the woods,” Norvance said. “He’s claiming to have seen some unbelievable things. Human-like creatures that executed around fifty men and women. A camp in the forest. that was expanding with every minute, and workers who never stopped to rest.”

  “And you trust this man?” Ters asked.

  “Yes, sir,” he said. “With my life. He also killed a creature that I had never seen before.”

  “I imagine there are many creatures within those forests,” Ters said. “It wouldn’t be impossible for you to have never seen one.”

  “It was something like a panther but much too big,” Norvance said. “We have the body on the wall. You should take a look.”

  “Very well,” Ters said. “I would like a word with this Freedic too.”

  “As would I,” Forec added. “If the King’s Hand will allow it.”

  “Of course,” he said. “Auverance has no issue complying with the requests of a Council Mage.”

  Freedic was a spindly looking man, sitting with his back against the wall. Shaggy brown hair fell in front of his face. His gaze was locked on something in the distance. Even as the two mages approached, his eyes stayed fixed. It wasn’t until they stood in front of him that he so much as glanced up, but even then he continued his distant stare.

  “You’re the man who went into the Warring Kingdoms?” Ters asked.

  “You can’t have me strung up for it,” he said. “I’m not a part of the army.”

  “You misunderstand me,” Ters said. “I merely have some questions as to what you saw.”

  “You and me both, mage,” Freedic said. “You see the cat yet?”

  “No, we haven’t had a chance,” he trailed.

  Freedic gestured in the direction of another group of men. “Take a look, be easier to swallow the rest of the story if you’ve at least seen an example.”

  Forec followed Ters they walked toward a group of men standing in a partial circle. At the center of them the remains of a massive feline creature laid in a lifeless heap. The two front paws separated from its legs, bigger than the head of a man. Its head was also free from the body. From tail to head it was longer than most men were tall. If standing, Forec guessed it would be near chest high. Purplish black fur covered the entire creature. It would blend perfectly with the darkness of night. Terrifying.

  “Well, he wasn’t lying,” Forec said. “I wouldn’t have believed this existed.”

  “What in the world is it, though?” Ters asked. “It almost looks like it belongs here, but there is something dreadfully wrong with it.”

  “You’ve got me,” Forec mumbled. “Bastard could hunt cattle at that size.”

  Freedic stood with arms crossed behind them. “This was hardly the worst thing I saw out there,” he said. “There were some real monsters. Things that looked human but weren’t.”

  “What do you mean, looked human?” Ters asked. “If they looked like a human wouldn’t that make them human?”

  “Not quite, mage,” he said. “They were too tall, their faces too sharp, and their bodies too muscular. They looked like they had been built for a purpose.”

  “You’re suggesting you saw some sort of superhuman race in the forest then?” Ters asked with a laugh. “I will admit it that the creature is massive, but that is hardly anything new. My family has raised animals for centuries. Occasionally there’s one that’s just a bit bigger than the rest.”

  “Oh, would you look at the damn thing, Ters?” Forec said. “The man saw what he saw.”

  Freedic nodded. “They wore armor, black plate that covered every inch of their body. Nothing exposed. And what they did to those villagers.”

  “Yes, that was mentioned,” Ters said. “They executed them?”

  “It was torture. One after another they dragged the villagers in front of one of the damned things,” Freedic said. A look of horror on his face as he recalled. “He’d stab them, slow like, twist the blade. Wait until they tossed the body into a fire and then get his next one.”

  “Ters, I’d like to get the talents out of there before whatever those things are manage to find them,” Forec said. “Insmith will hang me outside of the keep by my toes.”

  “Very well, should I make the rift for you?” he asked.

  “Do you think I know where they meet?” Forec asked.

  “If it’s not too much to ask, I would like to follow along,” Freedic said. “I am a talent myself.”

  “You have any proof of that?” Ters asked.

  Freedic summoned a sword, the tip of it appearing just before Ters’s nose. “Proof enough?”

  “It’ll be good to have support,” Forec said. “I know some talents aren’t particularly trusting of mages.”

  “Couldn’t imagine why,” Freedic said as he stared at Ters.

  “Very well,” Ters said. He swiped his hand through the air and opened a blu
ish rift. “It was nice working with you, Council Mage.”

  Forec nodded to Ters and stepped through the rift. Freedic followed a few a steps behind. He stepped into an empty clearing in a forest. Around the perimeter were lamps that held candles. It seemed they had been lit for some time, most of them were down to nubs.

  The rift closed behind them a moment later. Both men turned at the same time. A group of stone tables and benches near the edge of the clearing, by a path that led into the forest before it twisted into obscurity. Forec sat and Freedic took the seat across from him.

  “How long do you suppose we’ll be waiting?” Freedic asked.

  “Not too long,” Forec said. “The signal was sent out some time ago.”

  “Do they know what it means, though?”

  “Any talent who went to Krux Aev’then knows,” Forec said. “They should be arriving any time now,”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Chapter 4

  Vyra watched the orb of light hang in the sky. Her mother’s instructions rang in her head. They were even more important now. She learned of the signal from the mages as a girl, one of the talents thought it very important she knew.

  She planned to set out as the sun had risen but started out early. It was close enough to sunrise in her mind. She could make out the paths that led from what remained of her village in the morning light. She remembered the one that her mother led her down. It would lead to the village where the talents of the Warring Kingdom lived. She was sure of that.

  The path wound and was grown over. Vyra's mother had only brought her through it rarely. But when they did walk it, they carried an axe or machete to clear the way. She had neither. Instead, she pushed through her way through. Her clothes tore and opened cuts up and down her arms. Not only were her arms a mess of shallow cuts, but her legs and face gathered their share. It was a miserable experience, but she had no other option. She continued forward and followed the path.

  She continued to follow what she hopped was the path for what felt like hours. In the back of her mind, she knew it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes. Blood dripped from her forehead and onto her brow. It made it even harder to see in the darkness of the forest.