by Kyle J Cisco
Virgil went to turn and ran right into Natasha as she came up from behind him without a sound. He took her by the hand and swung her as if he knew she had been there the entire time.
"That sounded as if it came from a textbook," she teased.
"Well, don't tell the boy this but it was something, Rex said, to me once," Virgil said.
As the group headed toward the mountain pass where they hoped to bisect the island, Virgil tried to shake the relentless feeling of foreboding that lingered in the back of his mind. The steep mountain pass that they were headed toward looked daunting covered with the lingering scene of winters chill. Virgil watched his footing as a rock slipped from under him and toppled down the pass.
As the group climbed higher into the pass the wind of the plains below whipped through the small passage they came through. The conditions slowed the travel of the group and by the time night began to fall they were still above the alpine level.
"Virgil, we are going to need to make camp soon,"Deater said.
"We are going to continue until we hit the tree-line. We are going to need shelter and food. Both of which we won't get while still in this pass," said Virgil.
Yes, Sir, we shall continue then,"said Deater. The captain turned and began to walk away when Virgil called out to him once more.
"Captain, I want you to take up position in the rear of the column."
"Yes, Chaplain."
As the group exited the pass they were only a short hike from where the tree-line sat below them. The sight of the forest beyond the mountain range was magnificent even in the dark of night. There was a serene glow that came from the forest. The other detail Virgil noticed the forest was dotted with the distant illumination of campfires littered within the forest.
"Nat," Virgil said.
"Yeah,"she said.
"Do my eyes deceive me? Or is there multiple campfires lit throughout the forest?" he asked.
"They do not. Seems this trip won't be as boring as I thought," she replied.
Their heads turned at the same moment as foot steps grew closer that came from behind them. The bushes that lined the overlook they stood at which over looked the rest of the forest. Both drew their daggers and prepared for combat.
"Chaplain,Chaplain!" A young man said as he broke through the bushes.
"What is it soldier," Virgil said, as he sheathed the blade in his hand.
"Capta...Captain Deater, found a man stalking us from the pass!"
"Bring me to, him, now," Virgil said, as he moved from the overlooking position. His pace was that of a ravenous animal looking for food. As they moved through the camp area that was in the throws of being created from nothing. They made their way to a stump where Captain Deater stood, and the prisoner he found sat head down on the stump his hands and legs bound by rope. A pile of weapons lay next to the man in a heap on the ground.
The most interesting of the personal items on the ground, was the six sided pendant identical to the ones around both Virgil, and Natasha's necks. Virgil's fists curled in anger as he could feel the power welling within him. Natasha grabbed his shoulder snapping him out of the moment of rage. He grabbed the pendant from the pile of possessions. And dangled it in front of the man on the stump.
"Where did you find this?" Virgil said.
"Didn't find it. It's mine is service during times of darkness so easily forgotten?" the man said.
"Who, are you? And what are you doing tracking us?"
"Well, ain't that the question of the hour," he said. "Names Fredrick, your turn."
"High Chaplain, Virgil the heir of Dvorak. And this is Captain Deater, of the First battle brothers."
"Mother of Light! Well, its a good thing I found you then." Fredrick said. "Your, about to run into the valley of the tribes."
"All those fires down there?" Deater asked.
"Yup, those are the tribes of different necromancers that control the valley below," Fredrick answered. "What brings such a high ranking member of the order to the isles?"
"We are following a traitor to the order. A necromancer."
"Well, below would be your best bet of finding a necromancer."
A crack in the woods that surrounded where the interrogation was happening. Another crack, and Deater went to investigate as Virgil stayed close to Fredrick.
"Give me my weapons."
"No, you think I am stupid? Arm you then you run. I don't think so," Virgil said.
Something knocked Deater onto his back as the woods exploded with motion. As bodies ran out of the wood-line. Virgil unhooked the hammer on his back and went to work trying to protect Deater as well as Fredrick. In between fighting off the foes that came from the forest, he tossed the dagger to the man tied on the stump. In a flash the man was unbound, had sword in hand and went to work defending not only Deater but interviened saving Virgil from a heavy blow from one of the unknown men that attacked them.
Only a moment went by before more of the me from the camp found their way to combat zone. Virgil dodged the blow from the foe in front of him, but was struck in the back by a heavy mallet of some sort. As he turned to strike down the man behind him. A spray of blood covered the side of his cheek as the mans head toppled from his shoulders. His face showed the shock of seeing that it had been Fredrick once more that had been watching his back.
A vicious war cry came from the edge of the forest as a tendril of purple energy struck Deater from the edge of the wood-line. The blast sent him tumbling through the air when and ended crashing into the stump. There the man sat crumpled on the ground. Virgil ran to his fallen battle brother. But hesitated as he saw the necromancer emerge from the woods in front of him, the man stood his face covered in the varicose veins of those corrupted by the darkness.
"I got this, you, stay with him," Fredrick said, as he headed off toward the necromancer. His six pointed pendant in hand.
Virgil looked on as the man blocked the magic thrown at him from the hands of the necromancer. As he held the pendant in his hand it looked as though the man was surrounded in an aura of light. Could he be a former chaplain? Why would he have left the service of the order? A crack sounded and Fredrick's body fell motionless to the ground at Virgil's feet.
"Are we done with ameture hour?" the necromancer said, as he pulled the cloak from his body. "I can sense great power in you. A worthy challenge I hope."
"A lot more then you bargained for," Virgil said, as he stood and threw his hammer to the ground.
With a furry of motion it began, Virgil sent a tendril of red toward the man. But the energy dissipated in an explosion as it was obstructed by a tendril of the purple energy the man wielded. Virgil charged forward releasing a roar of energy in the form of a rage indussed battlecry. The necromancer stumbled back as he was assaulted by the blast of energy. He closed in focusing the energy into his hands. The radiance of red engulfed Virgil's hands as he threw punch after punch at the foe. He was nimble for his old age. As he blocked and ducked most of the blows that came for him. Counters came at Virgil but were easily absorbed or blocked. The flash of both red and purple hands flying at one another went on for what seemed like forever.
A fist smashed into Virgil's ribcage and he could feel the newly cracked ribs that pierced his mind with a searing pain. He had been stopped by the blow. A few more connected and Virgil was forced to his knees dazed, his head spinning from the hits. He saw the incoming blow and forced all his rage into the punch he threw as he grabbed the hand of the man pulled him forward as his other fist smashed into the face of the necromancer. His punch sent his foe back a good five feet. Virgil drew the dagger from his boot. He strode toward the man who squirmed on the ground as he tried in desperation to crawl toward the woods.
Virgil kicked the man in the ribcage, his foot forced his foe onto his back. Virgil placed his booted foot at the mans throat and pushed the knife into the mans chest. The audible pop of the dagger being driven through the man's ribcage eliciting a wince from the man on the ground as
his eyes rolled back and his last breath ragged was released.
"To much of a challenge for you old man," Virgil said, as he made his way back to Deater who now stood over Fredrick, who was still on the ground.
"Will, he be alright?" said Virgil.
"Yeah, he took quite a hit to the head though," said Deater.
"We, will take him with us."
"Are you sure, Virgil?" Deater asked.
Virgil shot him a look meant to pierce the mans soul. "Did I not make it clear, Captain?"
"Yes, Chaplain, I shall have the men tend to him."
As Virgil made his way back to camp, as he looked at the man who had come from out of no where and saved them both from defeat. Who is he? Why is he here? And why now?
4
The morning sun peeked over the horizon, its warm embrace moved little by little up the side of his face. By the time it reached what would have been his eyes was already awake. Virgil went to where the men had been working on the man that they had caught right before the battle with the necromancer.
Virgil strode to where the man sat up at his bedroll, the man held a cup to his lips as Virgil knelt beside him. "I want to know why you were following us?
"I to am tracking someone," Fredrick said.
"A Necroman-"
"Yes."
"What is his name? Virgil asked.
"He, has no name. But, her, name is Liliana The Blackhearted was going this way. And she travelled with another, a male I would say by the depth of his step."
"It must be Xavier then," Deater said.
"I know nothing of an, Xavier-" Fredrick said.
"He is the man we hunt," said Virgil. "Good, then it is done. You are with us now."
"Im not really the militar-"
"That was not a request," said Virgil, as put a hand at the hilt of his dagger.
"I, was goin to say. I'd be more then willing to help you, Chaplain...but I get to kill the Blackhearted." Fredrick said.
Virgil's face erupted into a sinister looking grin as he looked at the man that would lead him to justice for Rex's death. As he turned away from Fredrick and the others his smile faded. The thought of something worse swept over him like a wave. The foreboding grew within him. He spun and headed back.
"Why are they here?" Virgil said. His voice cracked from the tension he could feel within. As he asked the question, that he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to.
"For something ancient." Fredrick said, as he paused to glance at those listening. "For a demon of immense power. The Devourer of Realms, the demon was bred for one purpose to destroy those of the living."
"This, demon, in which he speaks was created by Banon during the wars of creation over ten thousand years ago," Sister Laura said, as she came full front of those who now huddled around Fredrick.
"He, is here trapped in some tomb. This is where they are headed Chaplain," Fredrick said.
"Where is this tomb?" said Virgil.
"If I had known that I would not need to track them there," Fredrick replied.
Virgil gave Fredrick a hardened look, as the man had called him stupid. Then looked up and addressed all in the camp. "What are you waiting for tear down this camp, we set out in twenty mins!"
As the order was said so it was done. The camp broke out into a full chaotic mess of packing the camp up. After 19mins the was moving once more. Straight into the Valley of the tribes. Virgil lead the column flanked by both Laura, and Natasha. One on each side each in competition over the one in the middle. Behind them was Captain Deater, and his sergeant. Fredrick lead the column from several dozen feet in front. The man doing the odd things of a great tracker. Virgil almost recoiled as he saw the man sniff and then taste a piece of shit off the ground.
"Trackers are odd individuals," Virgil said, into Natasha's ear.
"I, am a tracker my dear chaplain," she said, as she punched him in the ribs.
"Not all of us are odd, High Chaplain," Fredrick said, from almost 30feet ahead of them.
Virgil shot a questioning place at her. "Oh I should have warned, you, trackers have the most keen hearing," Natasha said.
Virgil said nothing in reply. They tracked the foot falls to the outskirts of a camp. The dingy canvas tents of the encampment were all peppered with the off color square shapes of holes. Smelt of embalming fluids and alcohol. Virgil, Natasha, and Fredrick observed the camp from the wood-line that encircled the small opening in which the camp was set. There was only a five tents of medium size, and in the center was a larger tent. Shadow could be seen moving within the larger tent from the lighting within. The sun fell behind the peeks of the mountains a few hrs ago. They had waited out of sight until the camp fell silent. All but the middle tent.
The sounds of conversation cut through the silence of the camp. That alone is what had spurred Natasha and Fredrick to take a closer look. Virgil sat overwatch and let the tracker and ranger go it alone. But they did have the most stealth between them. They got to the large tent, and Virgil and Laura who waited with him, walked down the steep hillside toward the camp.
An explosion of purple energy, swept the canvas cover from atop the frame. Virgil snapped his gaze to the source of the blast seeing a hooded man with hand outstretched. A line of blue runes running down his face. Anger flared in Virgil as his pace quickened. He ran down the hill full bore headed toward the large tent. He unhooked the hammer from his back, as he took a firm two handed grip of the weapon.
As he neared the first tent the canvas door flung open, getting draped around the frame where it now hung. Virgil reacted and hurled the hammer into the middle of the man's chest. A wet crunch sounded as the man's lungs collapsed expelling all the air within them in a gasp. Others ran out of the tent and Virgil dod not hesitate, as he shifted momentum and took the legs from under three of his opponents.
"Behind you! Said Laura as she too came barreling down the hill.
By the time he was half around the foe he had turned to face was already dead a mace embedded in his skull as he leaned on the wooden frame of the outside of the tent. A blow struck him right as he turned in the back. It sounded with a thud then Virgil felt the impact. Not a piercing weapon but he knew it was big. Then as he turned he saw the rather large man wielded a large wooden club. Virgil swiped its second blow away with the head of the hammer. But his hammer was the least bit good to him against a club. He needed to get in close and finish this one.
He tossed the hammer and dodged the third blow. He moved in slow as the heavy club impacted the ground with a thud. Inside the guard of the clubman he drew his dagger. He drove it into the man's leg hitting the bone in his thigh. A practice Virgil had gotten trained by Evon a long while ago. It was meant to expose the marrow within the bone. Which made certain the foe was to die of infection if they lived through the battle.
The man recoiled in pain as he registered the pain. Virgil waited for the man to bend and he did at that moment he raised the blade once more severing the skin on the man's neck with a surgical precision. A noise in which came from the direction of the large tent, drew virgil's attention. It was the sound of Natasha's crossbow. His vigor renewed when he heard the sound, sprinted through enemies in the direction of it. Laura's footfalls only a little behind his.
About to round the corner of the tent in which they had approached from. Virgil ducked in reflex to the axe head that wrapped into the frame of the tent where Virgil's head had been just a second before. Still low Virgil drew his dagger in one hand as he drove it into the man's abdomen viscerating him. He left the dagger in the man, as he grasped the hammer with two hands.
He charged into the circle of fanatics that surrounded Natasha and fredrick. They were about to be over taken by the mob. One swing knocked four from Virgil's field of vision. He smashed through to the others. Then turned and while sure they would follow him out he broke out from the encirclement.
"Was it, him," Virgil said, as he grasped onto Natasha's arm. "Was it, Xavier?"
"Yes," she said. "But, Virgil, wait..."
Don't go off and do something stupid. He already knew what it was she was going to say.
It was too late the Virgil already a few steps ahead of them was headed toward the direction he had seen Xavier and the other left. A battle cry came on Virgil's left the man had two hands up with a woodcutters axe raised in position to strike. Before Virgil could get his hammer up the man was struck in the chest with a bolt, Virgil looked behind him at Natasha as she smiled. He rounded the last of the tent where the canvas had blown into an accordion on the ground.
The clash of weapons behind him grew more distant as he approached the wood-line on the back side of the camp. He entered, the wood with excited caution. A branch cracked to his left.
"Nothing, just your nerves."
Something hit him. He lay crumpled on the ground. The leaves crunched beneath booted feet that grew closer. As the crunch grew louder in his ears. A heavy boot struck his unarmored fore arm as he tried to roll over to get up once more. His arm throbbed as the face that hovered over him came into focus. A line of tattoos streamed down the man's face.
"You, Bas-" Virgil began, as the boot slammed into his mouth.
"Should have stayed home, Chaplain, your people are going to need, you," Xavier said, his voice trailed into the distance as he headed farther into the woods.
Why didn't he kill me?
5
A ball of fire passed over Evon's head. The heat from the burning projectile buffeted his face as it flew by. The men around him atop the rampart, ducked as it passed by. Dust covered the wall, from the ash had peeled from it and others. The constant barrage a continuation of the past few hours since the sun had set.
"Even the damn moon is shrouded in darkness," said Evon, as he shook his fist at the sky.
