The Crimson Claymore

by Craig A. Price Jr.

  Chapter 6

  Sun rising through the trees created a blazing yellow light that blinded Searon. He woke with a yawn and realized for the first time that he had woken up after the sunrise. It truly had been a relaxing night after Starlyn joined him. There was no recollection of nightmares for him from the previous night, and he smiled, tossing his arm behind him. He found that the space was empty, and he shivered turning around to see Starlyn was nowhere in sight. She could have just wanted some comfort in the middle of the night, as their previous conversation most likely stirred bad memories for the both of them.

  Reluctantly he rose to his feet and stretched out his muscles. It was something he tried to accomplish every morning to prevent strains. He stopped in his tracks to watch an exotic blue-and-red butterfly flutter by. It landed on a low branch in a nearby tree and flapped its wings a few times. The creature appeared to not have a care, and Searon often wished he had such a carefree life. He marveled at its simple beauty as it flapped its wings to hover for a moment before traveling north. His eyes continued to follow the creature until it flew past Karceoles.

  Searon stalked over to the wizard, who was staring north after the butterfly. His zylek was in his right hand and his pipe in his left. The pipe wasn’t hot, as he wasn’t smoking it but simply holding it. Searon stood next to him and looked into the sky where Karceoles was looking. There was a thin trail of smoke rising through the trees into the sky in the far distance. It was barely noticeable through the morning mist, but it was still clearly smoke.

  “Draeyks?” Searon asked.

  He didn’t imagine they were that close to the settlements, as he thought they were still several leagues away and the smoke came from a league or two, max. The smoke that rose in the distance wasn’t fresh but a smoldering remnant of a previous fire. It meant there was something traveling out there.

  “I don’t think so; that isn’t the location I remember from the map of their settlements,” Karceoles said.

  “We ought to check it out then. Where is Starlyn?”

  He looked around in hopes to spot her somewhere, but there wasn’t any sign. The last he had seen of her was in the middle of the night. She hadn’t given him a reason to distrust her, but he still was unsure about her.

  “I am unsure; she was not here when I awoke this morning.” Karceoles wrinkled his nose.

  “Well, I don’t think we should wait on her; if that smoke comes from either humans or kheshlars, there may be more allies out there for us.” Searon fidgeted his hand around the hilt of his sword, touching the sharp rubies.

  He was ready for another battle and could taste the blood on his lips. It had been far too long, at least for him, and he looked forward to the next time he could slash his claymore through the air. His mind would wander too much when he would keep still.

  “You are right. Let’s go, keep an eye out for the babe,” Karceoles attached his zylek to his pouch and nodded his head.

  The two saddled up, jerking the reins of their horses to trot forward. It was still early morning, and fog clouded the horizon. Condensation covered the light grass on the ground, and their horses were very gentle and quiet as they galloped. The morning air felt cool through their nostrils, almost too cold, as Searon began to shiver.

  Suddenly, the fog cleared a small area, and someone appeared before them. Searon raised his claymore while Karceoles lifted his zylek and took aim. As the fog thinned, they recognized Starlyn standing before them, hammer raised and stained with blood. She had heat rushing through her body, and her face held rosy cheeks and luscious red lips that Searon found tempting.

  “Humans, fighting draeyks, they need help,” she gasped.

  Three draeyks lay on the ground, dead before her feet, and she swiftly attached her hammer to her sash. She faced north and glanced back to the two of them before dashing forward back through the fog.

  “Let’s go!” Karceoles called.

  Starlyn kept well ahead of them despite her being without an animal to ride. They were blindly galloping into the fog and had to trust their horses’ instincts that followed Starlyn’s scent. His horse, Stripes, suddenly stopped unexpectedly, and he was tossed from the saddle where he collided with Starlyn. The two tumbled onto the ground with Starlyn falling on top. Searon’s eyes never made it all the way up to her face, and Starlyn rolled her eyes before getting off of him. He froze in place for a moment after she was gone before shaking his head from the memory and rising to his feet. She pulled her hammer from her sash, and Searon followed suit, grabbing his claymore from its scabbard.

  In the distance, Searon noticed a clearing through the fog and watched as a human was struck down by a draeyk. There were two dead humans sprawled on the ground now among four dead draeyks. There were still two humans left standing that were putting on a fierce battle against the last three creatures. The last two warriors both battled without helms. Searon figured they had been caught by surprise or their helms had been knocked to the ground during the battle. One, with straight black hair that nearly touched his shoulders and a clean-cut face, held a higher skill with a weapon than the other. His fighting companion wasn’t as skilled and held an axe instead of a broadsword. He blocked attacks fiercely with the wind tossing his thick brown dreadlocks across his face.

  The two fought well with each other and had obvious practice in teamwork. However, the man in dreadlocks that held an axe began to slip on his strikes. He injured two of the draeyks in the shoulder, but they snarled and jumped at him using their own axes to slice him down. His voice cried out in pain just before his body went limp.

  Searon jerked his horse’s reins, causing the animal to dash forward. He looked to his side and noticed Starlyn next to him with her hammer drawn and a fierce look upon her face.

  The lone warrior struck hard with his sword, holding it only with his right hand. It was shaped like a broadsword but seemed to have a smaller blade allowing him to maneuver the sword with only one hand. He stabbed at one of the draeyks while punching another one. The third he was able to strike down after a series of blows, leaving him only two left. One jumped forward and struck his head with the backside of the axe, and the warrior fell to the ground.

  Searon’s stallion slid in front of the two draeyks before they could give a deathblow. He blocked their attacks and was joined by Starlyn at his side. The two battled perfectly together against the draeyks. Their strikes were almost in unison with each other, and they switched opponents. When they switched, it confused the creatures, and their guard was let down. It was long enough that both were able to deliver deathblows at nearly the same time. Searon’s blow came from overhead, slicing the scaly creature’s skull in half while Starlyn’s was an uppercut that shattered the creature’s jaw with her hammer. Starlyn turned to Searon and grinned, causing him to smirk back before nodding.

  Karceoles finally arrived next to Searon as he got off his horse to hold the young warrior up. He checked his pulse and found the man was still alive. There were cuts across his arms and a stab wound into his stomach. Searon looked up to the wizard.

  “Can you heal him?”

  “No, I’m not that type of wizard. Most of my energy I focused on learning flame, not healing. I can heal to an extent, but most of it will be external,” Karceoles said.

  “Perhaps now would be a good time to learn,” Searon rumbled.

  Starlyn moved closer to the human warrior and began tracing her hands across his wounds. She ran her fingers across his stomach, arms, and face. They had stripped him of his armor to his cotton clothing underneath that was stained red. His abdomen was fit and scrawnier than Searon, but he still held strength enough for battling. The wounds weren’t too deep, but his injuries were still threatening if he didn’t have medical help.

  “I can heal these, but we need to find some herbs. Some can be found in this meadow, but others we need to head back to the trees for,” Starlyn said.

  “There is a forest to the west, not far,” Karceoles said.

&n
bsp; “Come, Searon,” Starlyn grabbed Searon’s hand and nearly dragged him to his feet.

  He felt the cool of her soft skin touching his now that his gauntlets were attached to his sash. A warming smile graced Starlyn’s lips as her eyes met his. It was strange having another hand in his, and he looked at it reluctantly before glancing to the wizard.

  “Will you watch him?” he asked.

  Glancing back down to her hand, he noticed how much paler it was than his own. It was cool in his hand but it wasn’t cold, and he found he liked the presence of it.

  “I’ll be the babysitter this time, but hurry, there’s not time for fun,” Karceoles glared at the kheshlar, who only smiled back at him.

  Searon slid back onto his horse, and surprisingly, Starlyn jumped on behind him and clasped her arms around his waist before resting her head on his shoulder. A half smile found his lips before he tugged the reins, making Stripes gallop off.

  Chapter 7

  Searon’s horse pranced forward through the small meadow with Starlyn at his back, clutching hard onto his plate mail. She seemed uneasy at traveling on a saddle and behind Searon. It could probably be assumed that it was both her first time on a saddle and riding behind someone. When they reached the end of the meadow through the thickening sun, she whispered in his ear to stop. He clutched the reins, causing Stripes to halt, and he looked around. The meadow was clear besides a few fluffy white clouds above them that only blocked enough sun to withstand being completely blinded by its bright yellow rays.

  She gently dropped to the ground and stalked over to a small bush with large leaves and violet flowers. Searon kept on his horse, stroking his mane for comfort while watching Starlyn out of the corner of his eye. She brushed her hands through the five large flowers as if searching for the perfect one. Finally satisfied, she pulled two and held them tight to her chest as she made her way back to him. She handed him the two flowers, and he studied them curiously. Both were deep blue in color and turned bright green near the petals. The two flowers must have been hard to find when the majority of them on the bush were violet. He cautiously wrapped them in a red linen handkerchief and stuffed them in an empty saddlebag.

  She lifted herself back onto the saddle and sat behind him, tugging at her hair.

  “What are those called?” he asked.

  “Adueur… they are rare in these colors and hold more healing potency than the purples…and they’re less bitter.”

  Searon watched as her glittering sunflower-blonde hair fluttered in the wind. Her electric silvery eyes resembled jolts of electricity that bolted outward from her pupils and sparkled to match the stars at night. Her beauty outmatched any human that he had ever met, and yet he felt nothing for her. Nobody could tear away the love he had felt for his wife, and even though her physical beauty hadn’t compared to this kheshlar before him, in his eyes Victoria was absolute perfection.

  He became lost in thought, and her body faded out of existence, replaced with memories.

  * * *

  Victoria clutched at his waist as he rode off into the sunset to begin his life anew with her in it. There was something about the way she clutched at him as they rode into the sunset atop his brown mare. She seemed to want the closeness with him but was still afraid of what kind of person he was. He knew he would have to prove himself to her before she fully trusted him. She had accepted his proposal, but she was still reticent about accepting him as a husband.

  When they arrived at his small gray slate home, he noticed her anticipation. Worry stained her face at what his intentions were, and he had to prove himself to her that he was kind. After dismounting, he gracefully lifted her into his arms and pushed open his front door. Inside, candlelight lit the room, and it was larger than it appeared from the outside. He strode into the bedroom with her still in his arms before he rested her on his bed. She looked up at him with concern on her face, and he leaned down to kiss her on the forehead.

  “Rest well, my darling fiancée.”

  Without pausing to see her reaction, he left the bedroom to rest in his chair in the front room. He pulled out his pipe and lit it carefully, pondering the events of the day. In his room rested the most beautiful woman he had ever come across. It wasn’t only that, but she glowed unlike any other as if the heavens were making her known to him. He rested his pipe on the small table and shut his eyes to patiently wait for the next morning.

  The next morning, he awoke to the smell of fresh porridge lingering under his nose. He opened his eyes to see Victoria dressed in loose cotton clothes of his, setting two bowls of porridge on his cedar table with two cups of fresh squeezed orange juice. His eyebrows rose as he got to his feet and approached her.

  A smile brightened her face when he secured his arms around her and relaxed his jaw on her shoulder. She motioned for him to sit, but instead he pulled out her chair for her and set her down properly before relaxing in his own. The soothing smell of cinnamon, brown sugar, and oats relaxed Searon.

  “This is a surprise,” Searon grinned.

  “It is gratitude, for not pressing consummation last night.”

  “We have not made our vows for each other yet; my fiancée and I have no interest in consummation until after our marriage. It will not be until you are ready.”

  An exhale of relief spread across her face, and a slight smile appeared. Searon nodded and silently ate his scrumptious porridge before directing his attention back to Victoria. He chuckled as he glanced back over his loose clothing she was wearing.

  “It seems I must take you shopping today; besides, you must pick out a dress to marry in.”

  A smile lit her face, and she swiftly washed the few dishes before sliding back into her freshly washed black silk dress. She strode forward into Searon’s arms, who took her wholeheartedly. Looking into his eyes, her face lit up, and she bit her lip. Her freckles glimmered in the candlelight, and he fought the urge to kiss her. There was nothing more that he wanted at the moment than to feel her soft lips upon his, but he held his desires back. It would not prove to her to act hastily with her. He knew waiting for marriage for his first kiss would be the hardest thing he would have to do, but somehow in his heart he knew that it would be worth it. For the moment, he was at his happiest with only her in his arms. He felt complete, which was something he had never known before.

  * * *

  “Searon?” a familiar voice whispered unseen.

  His memories swirled back into nonexistence, and reality consumed him. Looking down, he saw Starlyn at his back on his horse, staring at him with concern. Sighing heavily, he pulled at his hair and coughed. He wondered how long he had been lost in a haze of memories.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  “Yes, I am fine,” Searon shrugged and cracked his neck. “Starlyn…about last night.”

  His mind flashed again back to the memory of her arms around him throughout the night. Even though he felt warm and peaceful through the night for the first time in ages, it still wasn’t something he was ready to get used to. He had been alone for too long, and his memories still faded to Victoria every chance they could.

  She dropped her grip from her ear and bit her lip, eyeing him. Her eyes either filled with hopefulness or surprise.

  “What about last night?” she asked with innocence.

  “When you came in the middle of the night and slept by my side. Either to comfort you or me, or perhaps both of us from the past memories that still haunt us. First, I would like to thank you for the comfort. I haven’t slept so well in such a long time. Now, you are beautiful, of that there is no doubt, bu—”

  Starlyn didn’t allow him to finish his sentence as her lips met his. At first, he resisted, but soon he molded into the kiss. Her lips were so soft and tasted so sweet that he couldn’t find it within himself to pull away. The kiss seemed more comfort than passion, and it lured him in.

  * * *

  By midday, they had arrived at the thick pine forest to the west. Searon slowed his hors
e now that they couldn’t see too far ahead. Birds conversed with each other from branches, and Searon noticed several nests where mothers fed their hatchlings. They sought only two more plants in the forest: a purple-leafed plant and a scarlet flower.

  “Starlyn…about what happened back there,” Searon said.

  He hadn’t soberly lost control around a woman in so long that he wasn’t sure how to act around her now. Complications rolled in his mind at his stupidity that he had seemingly become involved with a woman that traveled with him. Not just any woman, but a kheshlar for that matter.

  She smirked with a blush but said nothing as she continued looking for the plants.

  “What about it?”

  “What happens now?” He turned away from her.

  “The two of us were lost in a moment of comfort and passion. It stays at that.”

  He looked at her now, and her face was stern without emotion. Her blush was gone and so was her smile. She stroked her blonde hair from her eyes and tugged it behind her slender ears.

  “What do we say?” he asked.

  Her grip on him tightened, and he imagined if he didn’t have thick steel armor on that he would be able to feel her claws digging into his flesh. She shifted abruptly behind him in the saddle and cleared her throat.

  “Tell no one.”

  Her eyes stared deep into his, colder than he had ever seen them. She left it at that, but it seemed to carry weight that it was important, that it was to be kept secret. Turning her head to the north, she smiled slightly before hopping off the saddle. She knelt to the ground and picked up a few large purple-bordered leaves from a plant.

  Searon slid off the saddle and soothed his horse before approaching Starlyn from behind. Before he reached her, he noticed a scarlet flower from the corner of his eye lost in a patch of vines. Gently, he plucked it and walked over to Starlyn, tapping her on the shoulder. Abruptly, she turned to face him and stared into his eyes. Her heart caved and lips parted as she studied him. Finally, she saw the flower he held in his hand. She blushed quickly before snatching the flower from his grasp and rising to her feet. Smelling the flower, she smiled before placing it in her hair.