The Beasts of Areon (The Chronicles of Areon Book 2)

by Aaron J. Ethridge

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, say only three or four leave,” she said, “then, you and Erana could get on your horses and stage a second attack to draw out a few more. If you got the attention of just three or four, then Gwendolyn and I might be able to handle the rest. Either way, we can't make any real decisions until after Darian approaches them. Who knows, they may even parley.”

  “You don't believe that for a minute,” the rogue speculated.

  “No, I don't,” she replied with a very muted laugh, “but stranger things have happened.”

  “Oh yea,” he said, “Name one.”

  “What do you think I should say to them?” the knight asked as he and his companions rode slowly around the hills.

  “I don't know,” the warrior replied. “This is more the kind of thing you do.”

  “Well, it was your idea,” the Telian laughed.

  “Yes,” Tealor smiled, “and it might work. But, opening a dialog is your area of expertise. At least, in this case it is...”

  “Ian,” Darian said, glancing back at the bard over his shoulder. “Do you have any suggestions?”

  “Just don't say anything they might object to,” the dwarf replied.

  “What might that be, in the case of a troll?” the young knight asked.

  “I'm not sure,” the bard said, scratching his chin. “To be safe, I would avoid the subjects of fire and acid.”

  “That sounds like a good idea,” the captain chuckled. “Just try to be charming.”

  “I'll certainly do my best,” the Telian replied, rolling his eyes.

  The trio fell silent as they drew nearer the camp. The valley through which they rode was filled with small trees. Many of these were dead and dying. Here and there were broken stumps and narrow holes where trees had died; their roots rotting away in the earth below. The knight had generally thought of the badlands as unpleasant, but he found this shallow dell particularly so.

  As soon as the camp was in view, the knight took a deep breath and shouted his greeting.

  “Hail...” the Telian yelled before pausing to think for a moment. “Noble trollfolk...”

  At this salutation, the trolls universally turned their heads in the direction of the young knight and his companions. They rose in unison, bellowing in rage as they did so. The moment they were on their feet, seven of the nine flew in the direction of their enemies.

  “Hmmm,” the warrior said, “Maybe they objected to the word noble.”

  “Maybe,” the knight nodded. “I'll keep it in mind in future.”

  “I think we can risk a bit of a skirmish,” the captain speculated as he glanced around the dell. “There's room to maneuver and we need to make sure they'll follow us for a good way. Just strike to wound. Whatever you do, don't let one hit you.”

  “Alright,” the knight nodded. “Strike and run.”

  “Indeed,” the warrior replied. “Master Ian, do you think you could make sure they're sufficiently furious?”

  “Oh, aye,” the dwarf replied with a smile. “I'm quite positive that I can.”

  “Excellent,” Tealor said, gazing at the trolls who had already covered half the distance that stood between them and the camp. “Sir Darian, after you.”

  The knight didn't wait for a second invitation, but immediately kicked his horse into a gallop. The seven enemies that were dashing in their direction were, at least for the moment, spread out rather evenly. There was more than enough room between them to charge through without any great risk. Still, the young Telian wanted to make sure his attacks were effective as well as infuriating. In order to do that, he would have to get as close as he dared.

  Two of the trolls seemed slightly further apart than the others. The one on the right would be his target. Staying well out of reach of even the troll's long arms, the knight drove his lance into his enemy's leg just above its knee. The creature collapsed with the force of the blow as the Telian flew past him in the direction of the camp.

  The captain rode a short distance behind the young knight and felt he could open the gap in the enemy ranks even more by leveling the troll nearest the one that was the Telian's target. As they were only trying to anger the trolls before fleeing into the woodlands, he could risk a difficult strike. Holding out his lance to its fullest extent, he struck his enemy in the eye. It was a direct hit and his weapon ripped through the troll's face and skull; knocking the beast to the ground. The blow would have certainly killed most foes. This monster, however, climbed slowly to its feet with hatred and death in its remaining eye.

  As soon as the warrior and the knight began their charge, the bard had started chanting. He held out his palm, shooting a jet of bright green acid directly into the chest of the troll on the far-left end of the enemy line. This done, he burst into song. The tune, for some unfathomable reason, seemed to drive the creatures almost mad. Four of the seven immediately made the pony riding dwarf their target. Ian took the better part of valor and pointed his miniature mount directly at the not-so-distant tree line.

  The Telian rode a short distance toward the camp before turning around for another attack. Only two of their seven enemies seemed interested in him at the moment. He would strike again and then move a short distance away, pulling his foes behind him. He kicked his horse into another charge; this time merely striking one of his foes in the shoulder before dashing past him toward the woodlands.

  As he did so, however, some hidden hole or root tripped his mount. The beast fell, throwing the knight from the saddle before instantly getting to its feet and fleeing. The Telian did the only thing he could at the moment. He turned and ran as fast as he could away from the two trolls that were hotly pursuing him.

  “That's the signal,” the sorceress said softly as soon as the knight started yelling.

  Seven of their nine enemies flew in the direction of their allies. They only had two to deal with. That was a blessing.

  “Alright, Gwendolyn,” Sarena said, turning to the maiden. “I have a very simple plan, but I'm going to need your help. There are eight prisoners and I can't handle them all by myself. Especially considering what we've already had to do this morning.”

  “What do you need me to do?” the maiden asked.

  “Something you've felt me do more than once,” the sorceress replied. “You're going to need to make yourself and two of the prisoners invisible.”

  “I don't know if I can.”

  “That's alright,” Sarena assured her, “I do.”

  “I've already failed twice today,” Gwendolyn replied nervously.

  “That's good,” the sorceress asserted. “They say the third time's the charm. In this case, it's an invisibility charm. Now, clear your mind and pay attention.”

  “Alright,” the maiden said after a moment's silence. “Go ahead.”

  The sorceress began her chant and vanished from view seconds later.

  “Now, you do the same,” Sarena said with an encouraging tone in her voice.

  “I'll try.”

  Moments later, the maiden also vanished.

  “Excellent,” the sorceress said, “Now, you head to the left side of the enclosure and I'll head to the right. We have to make all the prisoners invisible, as well.”

  “Right,” Gwendolyn replied.

  The pair moved quickly and quietly to the makeshift cage.

  “Stay quiet,” Sarena said softly as soon as she reached the prisoners. “Help has arrived.”

  “Thank the Eilian,” one of the elves whispered.

  “Give us just a moment,” the sorceress said. “We're going to make you all vanish. Then, you can head to the tree line just east of here. Help is waiting for you there. One moment, Gwendolyn.”

  Having said this, the sorceress turned her attention to the two trolls still in camp. For the moment, they were distracted by the nearby battle.

  “Alright, let's hurry, my dear,” Sarena said, “I don't know how much time we have.”

  The sorceress began to cha
nt softly. She could hear the maiden doing the same just feet from her. Sarena reached her arm through the makeshift bars and touched one of the prisoners. Immediately, the elf disappeared. Seconds later, another did the same.

  “Head for the woods, you two,” she whispered. “The rest of you get closer. We can only reach in so far.”

  Several of the wooden poles shook as the currently invisible elves scrambled over them. Just moments later, two more vanished from sight.

  “Sarena,” Gwendolyn said, her voice shaking, “I think I'm going to be sick.”

  “That's alright, dear,” the sorceress replied. “You've done all you could and all I needed you to. Now, get back to Kilren and Erana.”

  “I'm sorry I can't do more,” the maiden replied. “We'll be waiting for you. Good luck!”

  Sarena once again glanced over at the trolls standing guard. They were still completely captivated by the nearby combat. Sweat began to form on her brow as she made yet another elf vanish. There were only three more to go. She could channel more than enough energy for that.

  In less than a minute, the last of the remaining trio climbed over the edge of the cage. However, just as the last invisible warden flipped his weight over the top of the cage, the wooden pole in his hands snapped. The dexterous elf landed safely on his feet without even exerting himself. The sound of the cracking wood, however, rang like a chiming bell in the ears of the two troll guardians.

  “Run,” Sarena whispered, “and do it as quietly as you can!”

  “I'm sorry about that,” the elf replied.

  “It's not your fault,” she said. “Now, go!”

  For a moment, the trolls stood staring at the empty cage before howling in fury. The sorceress would need to fallback as quickly as possible. The armor she wore was chainmail, although it looked as if it were made of cloth. It was finely crafted and far lighter than if it had been made of steel, but trying to run in it wasn't exactly like running in a dress. Even if it were, she didn't have the incredibly soft tread that most elves did. All things considered, if she ran, she would very likely get herself caught. So, she would have to make it a very brisk walk.

  As the sorceress fled the scene as quickly as she dared, the trolls began to explore the area. They stood listening at first, no doubt hoping to catch some sound that would lead them to their lost prisoners. They quickly gave this endeavor up, however, and began snuffing the air around them. They walked slowly around the cage and carefully examined the broken pole. Suddenly, one of the pair bellowed. It was obvious he had caught the scent.

  The sorceress had used the little time she had to put what distance she could between herself and the trolls. Now that they were on her trail, she would have to do what she could to stop them. At least they were close together. That was certainly some help. She began chanting loudly, moving her arms in a pattern that pulled arcane energy from the air around her. She became quite visible as flames ran up her arms, shaping themselves before her into a blazing ball of fire.

  She cast this sphere of destruction at the trolls. It flew between them before exploding; engulfing them in a super-heated inferno. They rose, stumbling as they did so, before continuing slowly in her direction. It hadn't been enough to stop them. Once again, the sorceress began her chant while focusing on her desire to destroy; pushing her very will into her all-consuming flames. The ring on her finger was burning like the sun when at last she released the blast. What was left of the monsters after her second attack was nothing more than smoking corpses.

  She had stopped the creatures, but they needed to move on immediately. It was very likely that the sound of the two explosions had attracted their remaining enemies. The rescue had been successful, but they could very easily be recaptured if they weren't very careful. With these thoughts in mind the sorceress, her allies, and the elves they had rescued fled into the forest.

  As the knight ran headlong into the woodlands, it was obvious that he wouldn't be able to stay ahead of his enemies for long. The two trolls that were pursuing him were very quickly gaining on the young Telian. He had often thought to himself how very light his armor was considering how much metal it took to make it. However, as step followed running step, he had to admit that it got very heavy very quickly. He felt rather sorry for his horse as he considered this. But at the same time, he very much wished that his noble mount was currently still carrying his load.

  He could hear Tealor yelling in the distance. He would obviously get there as quickly as he could, but he would rather not face two trolls alone for any amount of time if he could help it. In truth, even if the warrior managed to arrive in time, it would very quickly be three trolls against the two of them. Those were odds he didn't really like. Of course, he had done the right thing. If he died here, he would die a hero.

  As these thoughts ran through his head, the young knight heard a loud whinny from up ahead. He looked up to see a unicorn flying at him with all the considerable speed its muscular body could muster. It reached him seconds before his foes. The beast stood perfectly still with its side facing the young knight. Darian leapt on the noble creature's back as the nearest troll crashed through the undergrowth. It drew back its massive, talon covered hand and lashed out at the young knight.

  At that moment, the unicorn vanished along with the Telian laying across it. The creature appeared again almost instantly a short distance away. Darian quickly got himself into a proper riding position before the beast burst into the woods ahead.

  “I think we distracted them!” the knight yelled as loudly as he could.

  “I think I agree, lad!” the bard replied from a short distance away as his pony dashed madly away from the still pursuing trolls.

  “Tealor!” the Telian cried.

  “I'm coming!” the warrior yelled, not far behind. “Don't fall off your mount!”

  “I don't intend to!”

  Although the trolls weren't as fast as the riders’ beasts, they were almost relentless. It took the trio nearly half-an-hour to lose the monsters in the forest. Their little band took a very convoluted path as the unicorn seemed determined to follow the knight's rider-less and fleeing horse. Finally, the animal slowed enough for the unicorn to overtake it. The creature moved up to the Telian's mount and got into a position where the knight could easily take the reins.

  As soon as Darian slipped from its back, the unicorn jogged quickly into the woods and disappeared.

  “Thank you!” the knight yelled.

  He was immediately answered by a distant whinny.

  Chapter 11: A Safe Haven

  The band had agreed to regroup just a few miles back along the road. The first to reach the rendezvous point was the rescue party, in spite of the fact that most of them were on foot. They spread out the moment they arrived; doing their best to hide in the surrounding woodlands. The handful of extra weapons the party carried with them were equally dispersed as much as possible amongst the former prisoners. They also cut makeshift staffs for those who remained unarmed. These precautions were scarcely sufficient to protect them from troll attacks but under the circumstances, it was the best they could manage.

  The knight, the warrior, and the bard appeared just minutes later; their mounts still covered in the lather of their former exertions. As soon as they arrived, their allies emerged from the woods. The rescuers and rescued quickly introduced themselves to one another before they began discussing their immediate plans.

  “Two of the wardens can share my horse,” Darian said, lowering himself from the saddle as he spoke. “I can walk for a while.”

  “No, sir,” Tealor instantly replied, “we need you mounted. In fact, our entire party needs to remain mounted.”

  “I disagree,” the knight said, shaking his head as he spoke. “These people are exhausted. We'll move faster if they're riding.”

  “Even if that were true,” the warrior began, “and I'm not sure that it is, we can't risk it. Now, consider the situation yourself and explain to me why.”

&nb
sp; The young Telian took a deep breath and glanced around at the various members of the band.

  “My love,” Sarena interrupted, “I believe it would be best if Sir Darian considered the question as we traveled. The trolls have no doubt returned to their camp by now and it's probably only a matter of time before our scent leads them here.”

  “As usual, my heart, you're quite correct,” the captain replied with a nod. “You'll just have to figure it out as we ride, Darian.”

  “Alright,” the young knight said, climbing once again into the saddle. “Let's go.”

  The band immediately began its journey back to the tower. After a few minutes of silent reflection, the Telian spoke.

  “At the moment, we're the most deadly combatants in this group,” the young man said thoughtfully to the warrior at his side.

  “That's true,” the captain nodded.

  “If we were attacked,” he continued, “you and I could harry the enemy while Sarena and Gwendolyn did what damage they could.”

  “Go on,” Tealor encouraged.

  “I've lost my lance,” the Telian observed, “so, even on horseback, I'd have to be very careful engaging a troll. Considering this fact, our tactics would have to be similar to what they were in that last fight. We'd have to strike and fade; doing our best to keep the enemy's attention. Ian, Kilren, and Erana would have to do whatever they could to support us, obviously. While we were keeping them busy, if there weren't too many of them, the wardens could make a run for it. If worse came to worst, we would simply have to flee. Our mission is too important for us to die – even trying to save these people's lives. A lot more people are going to die if we fail.”

  “You're right,” the warrior agreed.

  “I hope it doesn't come to that,” the knight said.

  “So do I, Darian,” the captain replied, “but we have to be prepared for the worst.”

  “Captain, Sir Darian,” Kilren said, making his way up beside the pair.