by Dean Cadman
“If we can survive the initial retaliation I think we might have a chance,” Renn said breaking the silence. “We need to plan our departure from here carefully though. Every wasted missile from them is good for us, but any that find their mark will reduce our chances of surviving tomorrow. Lusam, could you erect your magical shield around me, but leave my shield outside your protection?”
“I don’t see why not, but what good will that do?” Lusam asked.
“I propose a two stage retreat after we attack tomorrow. As soon as the arrows find their targets, the two girls will run as fast as they can, and put as much distance between themselves and the agents as possible. I will face the incoming missiles with my shield, hopefully neutralising most of them before they even touch your magical shield. If we stand back to back so I can see the incoming missiles, you can guide me backwards along the path as we also retreat. Hopefully the agents will waste a lot of energy before they realise the futility of their attacks,” Renn said.
“I’m not running away and leaving Lusam alone,” Neala said firmly.
“No, it’s okay, Neala. I think Renn’s plan might actually work. Especially if I expose my aura to them. It would be like waving a red rag to a bull. I’m sure they wouldn’t be able to resist a chance to finish me off, and hopefully waste a lot of energy in the process. In fact, if I stayed very close to Renn and projected my aura just in front of him, I doubt they would even be able to tell that Renn was even there, and if they thought it was just me with my magical shield, they would likely throw everything they had at me,” Lusam said, grinning at the imagined looks on the agents’ faces when they realised their costly mistake.
“Yes, you might be right, lad. If you did project your aura in front of me, it should be more than bright enough to blind them to my lesser aura. Like I said, I’m sure they will throw everything they have at us once we attack them, especially after they realise their original plan has failed. It would have been nice to know how exposed we will be further up this path before we made our move though, but I guess we can’t have everything,” Renn said.
“Maybe we can,” Lusam replied grinning.
“I don’t see how. If we move they will see us and think we are attempting to escape. All that would achieve is another sleepless night for all of us,” Renn said.
“Not necessarily. I’ve been partially hiding my aura since we entered these mountains, so the agents couldn’t tell from a distance who I was. I could hide my aura completely, then go alone to scout the path up ahead without being seen easily enough,” Lusam said.
“It would certainly help knowing what we’re likely to come across tomorrow before we commit ourselves totally. But it might be too dangerous for you walking on this narrow path in full darkness,” Renn said.
“Don’t worry about me. Even if I fell over the edge I would just levitate myself back up again,” Lusam said laughing.
“That’s not what I meant. I was referring to any night-time predators out there, like mountain lions or wolves. You can’t use your shield because you would be seen leaving. In fact, now that you mention it, if you did fall over the edge and levitate yourself back up again, the agents would see you the instant you used your magic, and likely fire at you with everything they had. You would have to be very careful out there, lad,” Renn said.
Chapter Two
Lusam wondered to himself just how likely the threat of an attack by a predator actually was this high up in the mountains, but he realised that he didn’t have enough experience in this type of environment to make an educated guess.
“Lusam, do you mind if I ask you a question about your aura. I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a long time, but never seemed to get the chance,” Neala said, breaking the silence.
“Of course not. What did you want to know?” Lusam replied.
“You told me that everyone has an aura, and certain people like you and Renn can see them in others. I also remember you telling me of your promise to your grandmother, to hide your aura at all times,” Neala said, trailing off into silence.
“Yes?” Lusam asked, prompting her to continue.
“Well, if you always hide your aura from others, doesn’t that make you very conspicuous? What I mean to say is, if you don’t have an aura, but everyone else around you does, surely that would make you more of a target and easier to find in a crowd,” Neala said.
“Yes, you’re right, that would make me very conspicuous. My grandmother also realised that potential problem when I was young, and had me adjust my aura so that I appeared no more powerful than a normal person, instead of hiding it completely. The best way I can describe it is like a shutter on a lantern. Normally I leave a small amount of light visible to others, but hide the full strength of my aura behind a barrier, so that nobody can see my full magic potential,” Lusam replied.
“Ah, that explains a lot then. I was wondering why that agent we first came across in Helveel didn’t confront you,” Neala said. Lusam was about to announce he was ready to go and scout the path up ahead of them, when Renn spoke first.
“I was also there when you encountered that agent. I was secretly observing him from a window above, when I saw you both walking up that cobbled street holding hands. I checked your auras and found you both devoid of any magical abilities, so I continued to observe the agent instead. What you don’t know is that when you left the street, he reanimated the corpse that had its throat cut. Then he sent the abomination out into the streets to find and kill you. Of course, at the time I didn’t know it was you, but luckily I was able to find it and destroy it, before it did any harm.”
“Thanks, I’m glad you did. He was creepy enough while he was breathing. I’m glad I never had to meet him face to face when he was dead too,” Neala said, shuddering at the thought.
“Yeah, thanks, Renn. Meeting him once was enough for me too, but how can anyone reanimate a dead person though?” Lusam asked curiously.
“It can only be achieved through the use of necromancy. A vile and dark magic known only to the followers of Aamon. Its very existence is an affront to Aysha and all that she represents. It’s the main reason why the paladins were created, to fight the evil of Aamon’s followers, and their undead minions,” Renn replied.
“How can you kill something that’s already dead?” Alexia asked, with revulsion clearly evident in her voice.
“It’s almost impossible for a non-blessed weapon to kill an undead minion. Fire of course will eventually burn it away to nothing, but regular steel weapons are almost useless against them. If you cut away a hand, it will still grasp at you. Remove a head, and the body will continue to advance on you. They have little intelligence, but they do possess great strength and can easily kill a man. If you’re ever unlucky enough to be confronted by such an abomination, my advice would be to run. They may be strong, but they’re not fast, and you can easily outrun them. Just remember they don’t ever need to eat or sleep, and they will never give up chasing you until they are destroyed, or you are dead,” Renn replied.
“Are you guys trying to scare me to death before I go out into the darkness alone or what?” Lusam said, sounding rather nervous. Renn laughed loudly startling them all a little.
“Don’t worry, lad, you’re not likely to come across any undead up that path, but if you do, try not to bring them back here with you. I’d like to get some sleep later when you get back so I’m fresh for tomorrow. I can do without fighting any undead tonight,” Renn said still laughing. The two girls also laughed at his comments, but Lusam didn’t seem to find it quite as amusing for some reason.
“Okay, I’ll go and leave you guys to have some more fun,” Lusam said sarcastically.
“Wait,” Renn said. “You can’t just vanish into thin air, the agents are bound to have a lookout, and if they see your aura vanish they will know something is amiss. Come and sit behind me, but do it slowly so whoever is watching down there can see you disappear behind my brighter aura. Once you’re sitting down reduce th
e strength of your aura gradually until it’s completely gone before standing up. Also, when you leave camp don’t walk in front of anyone else and block their aura either, or it may give away your position.”
“Oh, I’d never have thought about that,” Lusam said, moving slowly to Renn’s position and sitting down behind him.
“I’ve spent far too much time observing enemy agents from a distance to overlook things like that, lad. I’m sure they will also be trained in such tactics, so let’s not give them any more help than we have to,” Renn said. Lusam grunted his agreement and started to gradually fade out his aura from sight. Once he had completely hidden his aura he stood up and moved to the back of their camp. He said his goodbyes and quickly left their camp behind, making sure not to walk in front of any of the others as he did so. He then headed up the path to scout out what lay ahead of them for tomorrow’s crucial retreat up the mountain.
After Lusam left nobody spoke or moved for a long time in camp. Renn was busy carefully watching for any signs of movement in the agent’s camp below, and even though neither Neala or Alexia could see their camp, they too found themselves staring in that direction. After several minutes Renn heard movement from behind as one of the girls stood up. A moment later Alexia appeared at his side and knelt down beside him.
“Renn, may I ask something of you, please,” Alexia said quietly by his side.
“Sure, what is it?” Renn replied, never taking his eyes away from the enemy’s camp below.
“I’ve never met a paladin of Aysha before, but would it be appropriate to ask for a blessing from you in preparation for tomorrow’s battle?” she asked sheepishly. Renn was surprised by her request, and didn’t really know how best to respond. He had never been asked for a blessing before by anyone, let alone given one. As a paladin he was a solider of Aysha, not a priest who dealt with the spiritual needs of people. He considered her words carefully, and what his response should be for a few moments before he replied,
“I’m honoured you would ask me, but I think the best person to request a blessing from would be Aysha herself. I would be more than happy to join you in prayer in this regard,” Renn said.
“Thank you, Renn, I would really appreciate that,” Alexia replied. Neala watched as Renn removed his sword and took to one knee in front of it, head bowed in prayer, while Alexia knelt beside him also in prayer. Neala felt strange mixed emotions. She had never been a religious person, but for some reason right at this moment she felt left out, as if she were missing out on something important. She found herself also praying for their success in the coming days, but still felt a tinge of jealousy that Alexia had prayed alongside a paladin of Aysha for some crazy reason.
When Alexia and Renn were finally finished praying, Alexia returned to Neala’s side and sat quietly in the darkness.
“I didn’t know you were the religious type, Alexia,” Neala said quietly.
“Yes, I always have been since I was very young. We had a priest of Aysha join us in the forest when I was a young girl. He came to try and convince our band of thieves to change their ways. Although no one there would have caused him any harm intentionally, at first he was ridiculed for his beliefs and views of the world by many. Not long after he arrived in camp we were viciously attacked by a roaming patrol and took heavy casualties. He saved many lives that day, and the respect the other members of our band gave him from that day forward helped cement his place among us. He came to understand the injustices we faced on a daily basis, and apparently decided to make our ‘godless band of men and women’ his personal mission. He started conducting sermons within our camp soon afterwards. At first his congregation was made up of only a few people.
“As time passed, either through luck, coincidence, or his direct intervention with Aysha, no one knew, but our luck changed for the better. Patrols lessened, injuries and deaths decreased dramatically, and there was a new found prosperity in our camp. I think the real reason for the change was the fact that the priest had convinced our leaders that they didn’t need to kill people in order to rob them. Traders and travellers were no longer killed or harmed as long as they didn’t resist too much, and as a result the local authorities simply posted warnings not to travel through our forest. Of course, many did as it saved a lot of travelling time in comparison with travelling by road, but the authorities deemed it their own fault if they were robbed, due to ignoring their advice in the first place, and we were left alone for the most part.
“The priest became almost talisman-like, and everyone wanted his blessings. His congregation grew rapidly, and I became one of his young followers. He taught me and a few other youngsters many things about life outside the forest, and instructed us all in the ways of Aysha. Many years later he was killed during one of the many raids sent by the Duke of Oakedge. He was trying to protect one of our elderly women, and was viciously cut down as he did so. They left him there to bleed out, ignoring his pleas to spare the women and children. I was there when he died. He asked me to promise him that I would not stray from the path of Aysha after he left this world. I freely made him that promise, and from that day on I have put my complete faith in Aysha for all things, and I will continue to do so for as long as I draw breath,” Alexia said quietly.
“What was the priest’s name?” Renn asked from the darkness.
“His name was Sigmond,” Alexia said quietly.
“I know of whom you speak. He was a good man, and it saddens me greatly to learn of his passing in that way, but his mission was as you guessed; to spread the word of Aysha to any and all non-believers. It seems he achieved his goals. He would have considered even one saved soul worth his life, and from what I just overheard he certainly achieved that,” Renn said. “Come, let us thank Aysha for our mutual friend, and his successful life.” Alexia didn’t reply, but gladly accepted Renn’s offer and rejoined him in prayer for her old mentor and friend.
Chapter Three
Lusam slowly and carefully followed the path, making sure his footing was good before taking each step. It was slow progress, but he knew how important it was for their plan to remain a secret from the Empire agents below.
After about an hour the path widened and became much less steep, levelling off into a small plateau. He couldn’t see above or below, but he felt sure it remained almost vertical on both sides of him. The wide flat path would make it much easier to run, but it would leave them extremely exposed to the magical-missiles coming from the Empire agents who would be chasing them tomorrow. A few minutes later Lusam stubbed his toe on a large rock sitting in the middle of the path. After hopping around on one foot and quietly cursing to himself for a while, he felt sure he hadn’t broken anything and resumed his exploration, albeit with a little more care. It became increasingly apparent that this part of the mountainside was unstable, as more and more rocks littered the path the further he travelled.
His worst fears were confirmed when a few minutes later he found the path completely blocked by a rockslide. He couldn’t see how high the blockage was in the darkness, or how far across the path it stretched. He needed to use his mage-sight to check, but he wasn’t sure if he would still remain unseen, even whilst his aura was shuttered. He made a mental note to ask Renn later if he could detect any signs of his magic, when he used his mage-sight and had his aura completely shuttered. For now he needed to err on the side of caution though, just in case he could be spotted in the darkness by the Empire agents. He needed something to block their line of sight to him, so he started to carefully feel his way around the area, looking for anything large enough to hide behind, but found nothing.
He made his way back to the safety of the rock face and away from the edge of the dangerous drop-off, before leaning against the wall to think for a moment. He leant back against the wall, but instead of finding a solid wall behind him, he instead found himself falling. He was about to initiate his levitation spell, when his fall came to an abrupt and painful halt, as his elbows met the hard unforgiving rock-str
ewn floor, quickly followed by the rest of him with a solid thud.
“Ouch!” he said, wincing at the pain in his elbows, and the lump now forming on the back of his head. Carefully, he knelt up and reached out with his hands, trying to work out where he was. He could feel a smooth wall to his right and traced it upwards, making sure there was enough room to stand up there, as he didn’t want to add another lump to his now throbbing head. When he regained his feet he followed the smooth wall to where he expected to find the path again, and was quickly rewarded with just that. Realising it must have been some kind of cave he had discovered, he returned to the entrance and gingerly stepped back inside. Knowing the Empire agents could no longer see him, he quickly slipped into his mage-sight so he could finally get a proper look at his surroundings. The cave wasn’t very deep, in fact, it wasn’t really a cave at all, it was more like a scoop of missing rock from the mountainside. It was only about five paces deep, and just about high enough to stand upright near the entrance, with the roof becoming lower the further back you went.
When Lusam saw the extent of the rockslide his heart sank. It was at least three or four times higher than he was tall, and stretched all the way across the path to the drop-off at the far side. There was no way they would be able to safely climb over such an unstable obstacle, and certainly not while under constant fire from the Empire agents. One sudden movement, and the whole pile of rocks could easily slide over the edge taking them all with it, to their deaths far below. He also knew he could not possibly levitate everyone over the rockslide all at the same time, not in his current weakened state, and not while he was under constant bombardment from the Empire agents. Feeling totally dejected he sat down to contemplate what options still remained to him, but could only think of one: stand and fight. He knew very well how that would end, and it wouldn’t be good for any of them.
