“There are soldiers demanding entry. They’re tired of waiting for you to expel him from your property,” she says.
“And that’s my ticket to leave.” He steps to the tunnels entrance.
“Valedent, this may help.” She grips his wrist as she places a medallion necklace of her family’s crest in his hands.
“How’s this supposed to help me?” he asks.
“You see that shiny pipe above? It’s copper just like that medallion. Follow it. If you ever are unsure, look for my family’s crest. It’ll be engraved into the walls nearby.” Valedent nods, accepting the medallion as Scarlet turns to her butler. “Anna, seal the wall.”
Anna calls for his attention after Scarlet moves toward the stairs and accompanies the young woman up. “Don’t lose that or I’ll equally make sure you pay.” After handing him a hooded lantern, Anna shuts the wall. Valedent watches large gears from within the tunnel lock into place.
I bet you would, Anna Beth, I bet you would, Valedent smirks as he recalls her lashings during a different passionate time.
Using the light direction of the lantern, Valedent shines to the above pipes spotting the copper pipe, using it as his guide away from Dragonar. He whistles to pass time, journeying through the elongated maze. He turns away from other tunnels which are not threaded by the copper piping. The moisture made both the crypt and the start of the tunnel damp and smell of mildew, while stagnant air changes into a dry, light air. However, the ease stops as Valedent comes to a divide. Pipes are eroded and brittle on the ground is broken, with no known direction to go.
“Alright, now which way to go,” he scratches under his hat as something sharp pokes him. Valedent looks at his hand, reminded by the medallion Scarlet handed him. Well, she said that it should be engraved somewhere, right? Valedent thinks, putting her words to the test. He searches the walls and the ceiling using the lantern as he tries to wipe away spots of moss. Then a salty breeze travels down one of the tunnels, hitting his nostril with brisk air.
“The ocean?” Valedent says, turning his attention following the uplifting smell to what he hopes is an exit. After walking fifty more feet, he spots the family crest which boosts his faith of direction. He walks to the edge broken from the clashing of past waves as he looks upon a soothing ocean, reflecting the sparkles of a darkened sky. Looking around from the edge to learn it does empty out into the surrounding waters of Arthro. Valedent looks up, spotting the top edge of land within ten feet worth of climbing. Well, it’s not like anyone travels these pipes, Valedent thinks, sitting in the tunnel and relaxing his legs. He rests his eyes, covering them with his hat.
Despite the dank and dreary environment of the tunnel, the tranquility from the whooshing ocean wastes no time in sending him into a slumber. Then a slow water flow touches the back of his dangling hand. Valedent wakes as the reminder of rushing water clashing below him reminds him of where he sits. He refits his hat on his head as the motion of waves crash below the tunnel, echoing as if it were coming in front of him and behind him.
Remembering yesterday’s sunny descent, the tunnel’s state was originally bone dry on his arrival at the edge. He turns to look back into the tunnel, while the ocean waves recede. The tunnel continues volumizing with rushing water as Valedent investigates by squinting his eyes. He walks into the tunnel’s shadows as it quickly fills with hostile waters heading right towards him.
His eyes widen to the violent water now giving him chase. Valedent grabs his cane, securing it to his belt as he hurries, gripping to the side of the land. The water vomits into the ocean as Valedent hangs onto to rocks wedged along the side. He prays none of them give way, for fifty feet below him would only be met with sharp rocks and a continuous oceanic thrust.
Water continues to rush out. “Who the hell turned on the water valves?” Valedent looks at the water as it slows but fills the whole inside diameter of the tunnel with blackness. He leans in to get a better look. What the hell is that? Valedent wonders as his leaning weight causes a stone and some dirt to dislodge. He scrambles to reach something higher. With lightning reflexes, Valedent grabs a protruding root and continues to climb to the surface, refusing to test his luck any further. He unsheathes his cane sword. With one hand, he stabs it into the surface’s ground as he pulls himself up, rolling to safety.
Valedent lays on the ground, taking a breath as he looks around to see a cave with a branch woven bed. He finds his footing and investigates the area. Some branches on the bed have snapped from the alternating seasons. A working crafting bench with stones, sticks and loose feathers were strewn about the cave.
“Well, hell. If I knew this was here, I would’ve just come up,” Valedent says to himself. He stands as he scopes out the area, guessing the area hadn’t been used for a near year. Then an unnatural roar echoes from the edge he just climbed. Against his own judgement, he cautions his steps as he looks down below to see the black liquid starting to stick, climbing out of the tunnel. Oh no, I’m not sticking around for this, Valedent decides and runs into the surrounding woods.
Once far enough, Valedent heads towards the thicker parts. After gaining distance from the mountain cave, a giant explosion shakes the trees from the concussion. He spins about, trying to pinpoint where it came from holding onto his hat. Valedent can smell burnt lumber. That can’t be good, he thinks.
He sneaks closer, seeing in a distance rifts hovering inches from the ground as soldiers continue marching out, wearing Dragonar uniforms. What kind of power can do that? Valedent questions. As the rise of smoke thickens, a young man shouts and directs men exiting the rift. However, a familiar cackle falls on Valedent’s ears as he witnesses Gesthal through a break in the smoke to Gesthal entering a village.
He scopes out his surroundings, contemplating his path as a dark thought of possible reinforcements concerns him. If he chose to go right and skirt around the hostile area, there would be a higher chance of him being caught in the middle of this. However, going left meant taking a longer thickened route. He hadn’t used the spontaneous door lurking in these parts for a while, so therefore he wasn’t sure it would work.
Part of him wanted to fight, to give aid to the village, but he knew that his information must first be brought to headquarters. Therefore, similar tragedies could be prevented. Valedent makes left, working around the chaos. He gazes at the early morning sun through the trees, getting his bearing as he sets off to find the door. Valedent enjoys walking through the woods. It soothes his soul, reassuring him that he made the right choice and that there is good in the world.
Then, as he begins cresting the hill within vicinity of Nija, a red-light gleams for a moment within his peripheral visions. He stops. What was that? he wonders as he listens while the woods go silent.
Then, through the canopy of the trees, a violent fiery explosion goes off in the sky as if a monstrous roar was carried through the air. Valedent didn’t want any part in whatever that was. So, he hastens his steps, putting the village behind him. He hustles, making great distance. Regrettably, he’s still parallel to the village’s borders as chaotic sounds damper and give him a chance to calm his nerves. However, his relaxation is startled as a hideous roar makes his bones quake.
“What the hell was that? Have they released a new prototype loose on these people? Did it travel there from the tunnel? Sorry, but no. I’m out here.” He shakes his head, regaining his focus as the desire to put this place even further behind him increases. He continues to travel through the thick woodland, looking for a memorable path that should lead him to the door. Yes, finally the path I needed, he thinks and begins whistling with excitement.
As Valedent follows the curvature of the path, he is still on high alert but more relaxed as this path is not easily found. As he passes a couple of berry bushes, he pauses. Something seemed off. He sniffs the air around him and a light breeze passes from behind him, “Strange. It’s like I can smell a strong burnt aroma.”
He monitors his surroundings. The animal
s have resumed their normal behaviors, and nothing stands out. Though, he then hears rustling behind the berry bushes. He can make out whispers.
“Sh, Drotonic. Stop moving. You’re going to get us caught.”
Valedent pulls out his watch and sighs to himself. If I had to guess, they’re probably from that village. I don’t have time for this.
After dismissing any concern in respect of them, he continues onward, whistling and quickening his pace while hoping not to run into anything else. However, while Valedent walks farther, he notices the sound of scurrying footsteps following near, obscuring his memory of his path.
“Alright, where the heck is this door?” Valedent begins poking at bushes to locate it while staying aware of the time on his watch. He places the watch back into his pocket.
“Come on, keep up. I need to know who this is.”
Valedent refrains from smirking, knowing they think they can’t be heard. Then the path straightens as a ray of sunshine gleams through the canopy onto the middle of it. Valedent’s memory resonates, for this is the location he needed to reach. He reaches into his pocket for his watch and mistakenly grabs a green apple. Wrong pocket. Seth, you sneaky little brat. Well, not like I don’t have time to kill, he thinks, biting into the apple and pulling out the watch. It reassures him of the time which was left.
“He’s so weird, right, Drotonic? He doesn’t behave like the others do.” The whisper comes from behind some bushes neighboring some trees.
Weird, huh? I don’t think I’ve ever been called weird before except maybe by Connie, he thinks.
He then walks over to a tree, leaning his cane against it. There he sits, relaxing to eat the apple. However, something about the woods changes and catches his attention. He tries listening for his shadow friends from earlier.
Except for the occasional breeze, a silence overtakes the woodland. Valedent knew of only one thing with that kind of effect. Vladimir’s soldiers. He continues biting through half his apple as some rustling emanates from the bushes where his followers are hiding.
“Look out,” the robed man says, defending the girl. He hits a soldier with his staff like a quarterstaff.
Valedent stands, concerned for the cause of the sudden commotion. While standing afar hidden behind a tree, he sees a girl who’s about eighteen years of age. A man in sage robes tussles with Vladimir’s soldiers. He watches as she disarms one soldier, swinging her foot around to kick another in the head. She picks up the soldier’s dropped sword, engaging with difficulty as Valedent could only foretell it to not end well.
“What I would give for a bow, right now,” she says, wielding the sword with one hand as the other helps to counterbalance her movements. Valedent could tell by her hesitancy to strike a fatal blow that the girl had never intentionally killed anyone. That’ll get you captured or killed girl, he thinks.
While deliberating what to do, he watches as a white aura begins to surround her. She can use magic! It looks powerful, Valedent guesses.
The white essence begins to form something in her hand as four men step forward. They’re wearing lighter versions of armor signifying their place among the Black Razors, but Valedent senses there is something different about them. In harmony, they begin to chant. So, it is true. Vladimir has trained some of his lap dogs as mages. Valedent files that piece of information away to tell his employer.
The girl looks confused as her white essence wanes. She calls out, “Drotonic, what’s happening?”
The Sage answers, “They’re using dark magic against you. You must fight it.”
Valedent can see the girl trying to muster her power, but she can’t, and the soldiers take hold of her. The Sage, distracted by her cry, loses the focus on casting a spell as he is also seized.
“Damn it. How’re you even alive?” the girl mutters as they become entrapped by soldiers.
“It’s funny how relics work,” he says, tapping the hilt of his blade. “Now, it’s time to stop running and come home, Erryn. I’m not leaving empty-handed,” the leader says. Valedent’s senses become alert with concern upon hearing that voice. Gesthal. These two must be important if he is here, Valedent assumes.
“Are you crazy or just plain stupid? I’m not going.” the girl, Erryn, says.
“When I said I wasn’t going empty-handed, I meant it,” Gesthal grips her arm, ensuring he wasn’t letting her slip away this time.
Then with a light ding, the door for which Valedent been waiting begins to outline on the ground. It starts rising, but quick shadowy figures run past him towards Gesthal and his captives. That can’t be good, and it’s going to take a minute for this damn thing to open. I suppose I could be a nice thorn in Gesthal’s side. Not like that’d be enjoyable or anything. He shrugs with a smirk, dropping his unfinished apple and grabbing his cane as he jumps into the trees.
“Oh, yes, you are.” The girl spits in his face and head butts him, pushing him back.
“Your defiance will cripple you,” Gesthal slams her into the closest tree, gripping her neck. The sage breaks free of the soldiers, charging Gesthal with a swinging fist. But his arm is snatched by Gesthal who twists it nearing the brink of snapping as three men step out of the shadows.
“Hex Razors,” she mutters.
Valedent maneuvers his way across from tree to tree until he sits almost directly above Erryn and Gesthal. He succeeded infusing people with Arthro’s forbidden blood magic, too? he notes.
“Now, you’ll be coming with me after saying goodbye to your newfound friend here. Just like that pet thing you and your sister treasured… what was it again….Oh, right! Bear,” Gesthal recalls, throwing Drotonic to the Hex Razors to rid of him.
“No, let him go. He’s only following some superstitious orders from his temple,” Erryn pleads as her eyes start to gloss.
“This’ll make you think twice before evading us,” Gesthal says as the Hexers start to brutally stomp Drotonic into the ground, unsheathing their blades.
“Let him go!” Erryn yells, attempting to wiggle free from his grip with little success. Her eyes begin turning purple.
“Will you hurry up and kill him? We’ve a king who’s waited long enough for his prize,” Gesthal tells the Hex Razors. Erryn begins to panic as purple flames start forming underneath around his gauntlet. She, meanwhile, begins losing control.
Alright enough is enough, I think, Valedent thought. “Psst,” he tries to grab her attention as she looks around, not seeing him. “Psst,” he says again. Erryn looks up into the trees, seeing Valedent with a finger over his lips. For a moment in time, everything freezes as her mystifying lilac eyes return to vibrant stardust emerald, captivating his attention.
Valedent shakes his head, breaking his trance. Focusing back onto Gesthal who’s scanning the bushes next to him, Valedent says, “Hey idiot, up here.” Valedent jumps down and knocks Gesthal down from a kick to the face. Once Valedent’s feet land, he hurries over to Drotonic, bull rushing the Hexers as one blocks with a sword meeting Valedent’s cane. Valedent kicks the other’s hand, gripping their blade above the sage. Forcing him to miss Drotonic, he stabs him into the ground.
Drotonic rolls away as he grabs rocks and dirt to throw toward the Dark Mages, interrupting their chanting and concentration. The third Hexer raises his hands to bring down his blade on Valedent. However, he moves faster than any eye could catch as an electric charge channels about his feet, allowing him to jab the bridge of the razor’s nose with the point of Valedent’s elbow.
Then he spins while lightning flows, unsheathing his cane sword to slash down the razor he first approached. As his slash is blocked, Valedent follows up with a knee to his stomach. Valedent pushes through using the handle of the cane, punching the second in the jaw and flipping the blade to cut his neck upward while kicking him to the ground to bleed out. The lightning fizzles out, slowing him down as two soldiers charge at him with blades swinging as they light on fire crumbling to ashes.
Valedent scans and sees the girl he
saved radiating with a white aura as flames surround her hands. She throws another with both hands as the blast forces the other two soldiers to fly backwards. Drotonic grabs his staff, hurrying to Erryn’s side as words begin from the mages, hurting the girl surrounding her in a black mist. Valedent throws a pair of dice at them, exploding at their feet.
“Quick, this way!” Valedent glances at his clock, for there’s only thirty seconds left before the door vanishes. Erryn and Drotonic follow him with the mage’s chants silenced to a majestic floating door he opens.
“I really hate teleporters,” Erryn hesitates to step through.
“You’d rather stay here with them?” Valedent nudges his head to behind the bushes as Erryn looks to their rising stances.
She sighs, as Gesthal cradles his face, “Erryn, don’t you dare! You keep running, and we’ll keep following! We’ll bring a destructive massacre within the footprints of your travels, no matter where you go!”
Valedent smirks at Gesthal and with a wave, walking through the door as Drotonic takes Erryn’s hand, smiling and saying, “Let him follow. We’ve the gods on our side.”
Drotonic leads her through the portal as it closes behind them. Valedent steps through to the other side, emerging in an alleyway. It smells of a familiar air, carrying a wet saltiness which reassures that he made it to Pinya.
Then Drotonic steps through but not Erryn. Valedent starts for the end of the alleyway. He looks back and sees the sage has arrived, saying, “Don’t fret. She’ll be coming through there shortly.”
“Who’re you?” Drotonic asks.
“Me? I’m just a guy that happened to be around with similar troubles,” Valedent shrugs.
“Thank you for helping us,” Drotonic bows repeatedly to him as Valedent gestures a lazy wave, leaving them as he blends into the crowd. Now, let’s go visit down some old streets, he reminisces. However, images of the girl’s face with her unique eyes still weigh awkwardly heavy across his chest, coupled with confusion.
A Summoner's Calling Page 14
