Dror relaxed his shoulders and waited for the carriage to move. Slowly, the carriage moved and it made its way inside Jenai. Dror risked a peek and saw the two guards on the southwest road. Now that he was inside Jenai, his next problem was getting off the vehicle. Dror hadn’t been in Jenai before. He only had a brief image of Jenai from what he saw from the sky earlier. For a moment, Dror regretted his decision of going inside. What if he was caught? It was possible that he would spur another uprising. But he was already in the caravan and almost at the heart of the city.
There was no turning back.
Dror looked at his clothes and saw the insignia of Perennia. He looked around for anything that he could use as cover. Silently, he searched the back of the caravan. Then, in the bottom of one of the crates, he saw a dirty cloth that smelled of soil and mildew. It would have to do. He threw the cloth across his shoulder, making sure that it covered his chest. He also took some grime from the root crops and spread it in his face. Dror retrieved the small knife from his boot and poked a small hole in the carriage’s awning. He peeked through the hole and saw a brick wall a foot from his face. He didn’t waste any more second and got off, he’s feet landing without a sound. He found out that the caravan was passing through an alleyway wide enough for a small vehicle. Dror checked if someone had seen him. Fortunately, there was no one in the alley.
Dror peeked from the corner to see where he was. He saw several shops selling their own goods and a few taverns and inns a few blocks from him. It seemed that he was in the commercial part of the town. It also meant that he may be far from Jenai’s main camp. Based on the shadows cast by the sun, it was a few hours past noon. He wouldn’t want to be inside Jenai when night came.
A door opened from a shabby tavern near him, the words Boar Snout hanging above it. Two men came out and stood in front of the tavern. Dror pushed his back to the wall, hiding from their view.
“I’m stuffed!” One of the men said. “People serve good food when we’re about to set out.”
Dror tuned in to their conversation and peeked from the corner. He saw two soldiers wearing Jenaian armor: one was short and stout and the other was tall and muscular. The stout one had his hands over his belly.
“They think you’re going to die out there, so they let us enjoy these treats while we’re still alive,” the tall man said.
“Might as well bring out the ladies too,” the small soldier said.
“Have you eaten too much that you started believing that ladies will drool over you?!” the other soldier said, laughing.
Dror saw the small soldier punch the tall one in the right arm. The tall soldier yelped and rubbed on the spot where he was hit.
“C’mon now. Don’t want commander yelling at us,” the tall soldier said, still holding his arm.
They walked away from Dror and farther into Jenai. He went out from the corner and followed the two soldiers. He maintained a safe distance away from them and tried to act like a man with a different agenda other than following two men of the sword. He pulled his cloak closer to his body and trudged on.
The Jenaian soldiers walked through the main roads. This posted a problem to Dror since the road was wide and he could not use anything as a hiding spot. He decided to turn into an alleyway and walk parallel to them. He would check if he was still close to them once in a while, then he would go on, weaving through small roads and narrow paths between houses and buildings. Several more minutes and he noticed that they were getting close to the mountains. Unlike Perennia, Jenai’s army seemed to be located away from the city.
The road gradually became wider and the pavement turned from stones to dirt and soil. Dror felt that they were nearing the camp. Soon, he was led to a clearing fenced by rough stakes of wood. Dror stopped at a safe distance from them, staying hidden from their view. He ensured that he was not seen by anyone and no one was following him.
Dror surveyed the Jenai camp and saw that the soldiers were busy. Most of them were tending to their weapons. The ones that he could see were holding metal spears with an arched blade at its point. Attached to its body was a glass-like canister, a device used to capture and store Lifeblood. Dror looked farther and saw that many were carrying this kind of weapon. He also saw men holding crossbows similar to the one carried by the soldiers he previously saw. On the other side, there were carts covered by cloth and tied to bull-like creatures with long horns protruding from their forehead. To Dror, these looked like Lifeblood reserves that the Jenaians had collected previously.
Dror felt that he saw enough proof that Jenai was up to something. But he wanted to know more. He wanted to know exactly what the Jenaians were planning to do so Perennia could stop them. He was about to stand up when the group of soldiers near him stood at attention. There seemed to be someone relaying orders in front of them. Dror tried to listen but he could not catch any of what the commander was saying. He walked slowly toward the soldiers.
“…march soon. But before that,” the commander said, “we’ll form in the open field to welcome the emissary of Oblivia.”
Oblivia? Dror was frozen by what he heard. He thought of many things at once. Why was Oblivia in Jenai? Were they working together? Would they start another rebellion?
He surely wouldn’t leave Jenai until he got the answers.
The soldier started moving and Dror stood up to follow his new quarry. When they were at the edge of the camp, Dror walked away from them and attempted to locate an unguarded area where he could enter. Compared with the activity he saw earlier, there was barely anyone on the field right now. There were still a number of Jenai soldiers patrolling the area but most of them seemed to be gathered in one location of the camp.
He made his way toward the group of people as quietly as he could. He hid behind closed barrels and crates, in unkempt tents, and under the wagons. One of the wagons was close enough to the group of people gathering together, so Dror hid under it. He hoped he would be able to have a glimpse of this new development. The soldiers were formed in a file, so whatever was happening from the far end was blocked by their bodies.
Then, the group of soldiers became silent, their chatter leveled into whispers. Dror waited and a voice broke out the silence.
“I’m not much of a talker and not used to speeches of grandeur, but I see you wanted me to speak,” the voice said.
Dror felt tingling sensations on his neck. He knew that voice. Luca, one of Apokalypse’s best soldiers.
“You see that?” Luca said, pointing to the pillar of Lifeblood. “That is what we have been waiting for.” He dropped his hand and scanned the faces of the Jenai soldiers in front of him. His thin lips slowly turn into grin, then into deep laughter, the fur coat around his shoulders bouncing. “Today, the wait is over.”
The soldiers responded with manic cheering and shouting. Luca raised his right hand and the shouting died.
“And what better way to start our crusade than an offering of blood?”
Dror felt immediate panic. A wave of unease swept past the Jenaians.
Luca looked up and sniffed. “There’s an intruder amidst our presence.”
The Jenaians looked around and gripped their weapons tightly. Dror raised his knees from his prone position.
Luca sniffed again. “Ahhh. This smell. It brings memories.”
The soldiers in the outer part of the group started searching the ground. Dror’s head was out of his hiding place.
“Find the Perennian bastard!” Luca shouted.
Without hesitation, Dror ran from under the wagons. Just a few steps away and he turned to a hawk. He heard the soldiers shouting, Luca laughing, and arrows whooshing past him. He quickly gained altitude. He saw that some Jenaians were still trying to hit him. He flew higher and when he looked back, he saw Luca and the other soldiers as small dots on the ground.
Dror flew quietly for a moment and tried to calm himself. He focused on the wind on his face. But his heart was still racing.
Even at a safe distan
ce, the shouts of the Jenaians and Luca’s laughter were still ringing in his hollow bones.
CHAPTER SIX
Guier reached the other side of the mountain and he saw Ceire in its base. For a moment, he wondered how a town could be formed in the center of the mountain ranges. Then, he dismissed his question.
After all, he was about to meet a group of little giants.
He treaded the downhill path as quickly as he could. After a series of slopes and graveled roads, he could already see the houses made of large stones with woven straw roofs. But from his current location, he could not see any trace of the Ceirish.
He reached the base of the mountain and carefully walked to Ceire. The rocky soil turned into cobblestones as he entered the town. He readied his staff anticipating an ambush. He passed by two houses, then three, then five — no ambush came. He looked around one more time, then lowered his staff. Guier reached for the Lifeblood inside him and cast it wide around the perimeter. He tried to sense the energy around him to see if there were creatures around.
None.
He released the Lifeblood and it snapped. Sure that no one was around, he decided to enter one of the houses. Guier went to the one closest to him. He went around it looking for the door. The door was twenty feet in height — big enough to accommodate the tallest of the Ceirish. The handle was above Guier. He pushed the door gently and to Guier’s relief, it creaked open. He pushed it further until it was wide for him to pass through. As he walked inside, he felt disoriented because of the size of the house’s furnishings. He walked beside a chair and its legs were almost as tall as him. The Ceirish weren’t particularly tall compared with giants but tall enough to tower over the Anarrians.
The house was small: only one floor equipped with a kitchen and a bedroom. The place looked tidied up and no traces of recent activity were visible. Guier considered that the Ceirish has planned to leave the village for a long period time. This idea puzzled him. The little giants were not big thinkers: they relied on power and their size to survive. With strange things happening around Anarri, it was hard for Guier to think that the absence of the Ceirish was just a coincidence.
He went to the next house and found similar furnishings. Guier entered several more houses and was met by the same silence he encountered with the previous ones. Even with the quietness around him, Guier would occasionally use his Lifeblood to feel any presence. Sensing none, he entered house after house expecting an ambush with every swing of the door.
There was only one more building left that he needed to check. The building was located away from the houses, with its walls built on the soil. It was wider and the building looked like a worn out stable. Guier went near and when he was a few feet away, he saw the first signs of the Ceirish.
Footprints leading to and coming from the building.
He walked closer and stopped before one of the prints. The footprints were big, almost twice the size of Guier’s feet, and they created uneven hollows in the ground. They were already dry with several cracks. Guier walked past the footprints and entered the shed. He saw more footprints on the ground. Following its trail, his eyes set on the empty shelves and sword racks. He did not need any more evidence the Ceirish marched out.
But to where?
Guier traced back his steps and went out of the armory. He followed a set of footprints but it took him back towards the town proper. He went back again and looked for another set. He found several that converged and moved away from Ceire. He followed it until he was near the mountains. At this point, he saw the footprints become organized and headed through the mountain pass.
What is Ceire up to? Guier thought.
He followed the trail to find out.
CHAPTER SEVEN
After several hours, the Tuderin Pass widened and Guier could see a slope leading to an open field. Reaching the slope, he stopped and surveyed what was in front of him. The first thing that caught his attention was the number of Lifeblood beacons around him. On his way to his current location, he saw beacons far from each other. But in front of him, he saw no less than ten scattered in the area. He also felt a sense of familiarity around him and mused about this for a moment. Then, he realized where he was standing.
It was where the Oblivian Rebellion had concluded, Gulgalta, the Valley of Skulls.
Guier moved forward and observed the field of beacons. He noticed that there were people around the pillars of light. He squinted and focused on the group closest to him. He saw two or three people holding staffs with glass canisters on its body. They seemed to be extracting Lifeblood from the beacons. Then, Guier gasped. He realized where he had seen this technology before.
The Jenaians.
Guier gripped his staff. He followed the trail believing that it would lead him to the Ceirish. But it felt to him that there was a lot more going on around him. He saw movement in the corner of his eye and saw the little giants walking. Some of them were carrying weapons and some of them were carrying bricks and pieces of wood of different sizes. They were also Ceirish standing in front of two erected structures towering above them. They were made out of the materials the giants were carrying. What their purpose was, Guier didn’t have any idea yet.
In the east, Guier saw more people coming. There were foot soldiers, cavalry, and caravans. As they got nearer, he saw that they were Jenaian reinforcements. Some of them went to the beacons and some of them went to the two tall structures.
Guier took a moment to take it all in, to make sense of what was happening in front of him. He felt that Jenai and Ceire knew something that the Perennians didn’t know. Whatever they were doing could not be orchestrated within just several days. They were prepared for the supposedly unknown phenomenon of the Lifeblood beacons. Above all this, a concerning idea was tugging Guier’s head.
That Oblivia may be behind all of this.
Guier was about to walk forward when he felt something pull his right ankle. He looked at it and saw a withered hand with half of the bones sticking out. Guier pried the hand out and his eyes became alert. He stood up and stared at the spot where he thought the hand came out. Then he heard rattling sounds. The sounds filled his head, coming from every direction. He held his staff with both of his hands.
He saw the first one - a human-like skeleton creeping out of the ground in front of him.
The skeleton rose up from the ground, using his left arm to pull itself up. Guier saw that its right hand was missing. He heard more rattling sounds and two more skeletons appeared beside him. The rattling sounds became louder and there were five, then ten, then twenty skeletons, until he was completely surrounded. Some skeletons were Anarrian, some were humanoid with large bones, and some were just bizarre, with bones protruding out of their shoulders or their heads.
Guier made the first move and swept his staff in front of him. Several skeletons were hit and they fell down to the ground. Guier thrust his staff on the other side and fired a bluish-white lance from it. Most of the skeleton horde were thrown away, their upper limbs flailing, separating from the torso. Only the skeletons with bigger bones remained standing. But the fallen ones were already regrouping. Guier noticed that limbs of the dismembered skeletons were crawling back to their body, attaching to it and making them whole again.
From twenty, there were now fifty skeletons around him.
For a moment, Guier thought about whether the Ceirish and Jenaians were hearing the commotion. The sting he felt in his left arm brought him back to the battle. He held his staff and closed his eyes. When he opened them, the Yggdrasil staff was illuminating like black light. He swept the staff around him and hit the skeletons nearest him. The staff sent them flying thirty feet in the air. He repeated his attack and sent the second wave also flying. But the skeletons kept coming at him and at a more aggressive pace. They were swarming on top of him. Guier tried to hit them, but the numbers were against him.
There were a hundred of skeletons clawing at him, tearing at his arms and legs. Guier shouted and releas
ed a surge of Lifeblood. It exploded from his body and the skeletons were thrown away. Guier knelt down and panted. There were flesh wounds on his face and arms. He looked at his right forearm and saw a finger sticking out from it. He pulled it out and dark red blood squirted from the wound.
Guier looked around and saw the skeletons sprawled on the ground. They looked stunned but Guier knew it would only take a moment before they would attack again. He knew he was outnumbered. Not that the numbers would kill him — he fought and defeated a thousand of warriors before. But those warriors remained dead when he destroyed them. These skeletons around him kept coming, as if they didn’t have life on their own. As if something, someone was…
It can’t be! Guier thought, a trace of alarm and recognition in his eyes. He shook away the thought when he heard the rattling of the bones again. He looked to his left, then to his right. The horde of skeletons were closing in on him. If he tried to defend himself, they would just keep coming back and his energy would be depleted. His heavy breathing and the sweat on his forehead weren’t good signs. He needed to find another way.
Guier held his staff in front of him. “Egresium,” he whispered.
The space in front of him cracked, a small black opening appearing, its edges outlined by a blue energy. The opening widened until he could fit. Without looking at the opening, he went through.
He was halfway through the portal when a huge beast-like skeleton grabbed his shoulders. He swatted the skeleton’s arms and it was torn from its upper limb. Guier reached the other side and landed on a stone pavement. He removed the skeleton’s hand that was still on his shoulder and looked back at the portal. Guier saw the horde coming out of the Gate he created. He fired several shots of Lifeblood from his staff to push the skeletons back to Anarri. He went near the Gate, still firing Lifeblood until the opening was clear of skeletons.
Guardians of Lakaya: The Catalyst Page 4
