"Sweet and soft, little one," he heard his father say from beyond the grave. "Envision the currents of your lungs held behind the dam of your mind. When your mind bids you to release the full dam and allow the air to rush in without moderation, know that is not what your will desires."
"What do you mean, Drahin," he heard his young voice say in response.
"Simply allow your body to listen to what you know you need to do, not what your mind is telling you to do. Listen and act. Slow and sweet, little one. Slow and sweet," echoed his father's words from the past as a specter heralding wisdom from the life beyond.
"Yes! I see you are beginning to awaken, little pup. Though it matters not. I have grown. One of you has never been able to stand against one of us. But let us stand now, as we did in the Old Age. Prepare, little pup, for I too have awoken," hissed Miligos.
Following his father's lesson of the past as though it was offered and learned yesterday, Rony focused his body not upon the power aching to explode from within, but instead on the greater purpose he felt, a purpose of calm assertion and endless solidity. He stopped his breath and held it for a slow count to three, just as his father had instructed. Then, instead of releasing the full dam and flooding himself with what he could not possibly hope to control, he allowed the memory of his father to control the switch. Ever so faintly, with the soft and sweet effort of a father's love, the power smoothly flowed at just the right amount as he saw the hand of his Drahin, his father, ease up on the control. With this came a relaxed and full inhalation followed by and equally slow and relaxed exhalation. Again he allowed this power to flow in limitation reflecting his breath. His muscles followed and ceased their involuntary shaking. Within moments, he was ready to stand. Within moments he was ready to hunt. Gathering himself, he began to rise.
Without allowing Rony an unhindered ascension, Miligos struck him across his face with a force beyond what his muscles would allow. After his head snapped to the right, absorbing the full effect of the clawed strike, Rony growled a single word, "Again." As his eyes regained focus upon the Demon, and he gained the balanced stance of both feet, it unleashed another blow with its opposite hand snapping Rony's head in the other direction.
"Again," he growled a single word.
Each strike delivered by the Demon landed upon Rony's new felt strength. Each time it grew and each time he responded by uttering a single word. The Demon howled in rage from the impotence of his forceful attacks. Neither bruising nor marks were left upon Rony's face, yet he stood with the scars of an ancient pain and purpose, "Again."
With a fierce growl, Miligos lunged, but this time, Rony moved. Lithe and animalistic, he bounded to the right un-expectantly, and Miligos was caught off balance. However, Rony was not the only entity fueled by a power beyond mortality, and reflecting this, the Demon, with amazing quickness, regained his footing in a single instant. Spinning and striking, the Demon again found contact with the infused Rony. This time, however, it was not the side of his face that absorbed the blow; it was his clenched fist that caught the Demon by its wrist. It lashed out again with its free hand, but met the same result. There the Demon was held immobilized in a power greater than its own. And for the first time in its life, if its existence could be classified as living, it feared. Struggling, they Demon could not mount the strength necessary to break the hold Rony had upon him. "This cannot be!" hissed Miligos.
"Yet it is," replied Rony from behind closed eyes and in a voice betraying an existence of something much greater and older than himself. "Now, witness your end," he spoke with finality. A moment later, Rony opened his eyes and found those of the Demon. In a powerful contrast to the dark black orbs of Miligos, Rony's eyes were completely white and began to glow. He drew the Demon slowly closer to his face, until each could feel the breath of the other. With each passing inch of Miligos’s forced progression, the white glow brightened and extended until it all but consumed the two figures. However, within the glow, Rony could see clearly, but his vision was not that of physical sight; instead, it pierced into the Demon's intent. And it saw utter blackness. There was no light, nor hope of anything more than for it to exist as it was; a mirrored aspect of the evil it served. Through this sight, Rony was able to see the full depth of the entity before him. He knew not how, but he extended himself inside the will of the creature, and once there, dissolved it away. In the span of a few seconds, the demonic form of Miligos was gone and what remained was nothing more than a shriveled husk of withered flesh and emaciated bones. Rony dropped the husk and backed away two staggered steps, and then collapsed.
Liani saw the whole episode unfold. She was horrified when Rony was facing the mountainously strong Miligos. She was going to run for assistance, but was frozen in place when she saw the barbarian slowly transform before her eyes. A fear gripped her as did the nausea. But Miligos' transformation was not the only one she witnessed this night. She saw Rony stand to face the Demon, but his form was not altogether his. He had become feral, primal, basal. At least, that was the visage superimposed upon his physical body. It appeared wolf-like, mixed into the defining qualities of human physicality. She was able to see Rony as she knew him, but there was more. When she saw his transformed image, she felt no fear, only a form of admiration. And when he fell, unconscious, she instantly ran to him.
"What is going on here?" said a calm and gruff voice that could be identified only as Borinth. Liani saw he and Dianali emerge from the darkness, each with weapons drawn. No doubt they had heard the confrontation between Rony and Miligos. As they approached, they each saw the emaciated form of their former companion lying lifelessly on the ground. Their response might have been more threatening had the body not been a reflection of its demonic shape, but such that it was, it calmed their initial assessment. They approached the girl and boy slowly and with caution.
"I, I do not know," said Liani as she cradled Rony in her arms.
"What did you see?" asked the woman.
Liani took a deep breath and gathered Rony a little more tightly in her arms. She looked up at both Borinth and Dianali and began to retell her story. When it came to the part when Rony stood against the Demonic form of Miligos, she hesitated because she did not want to betray Rony. However, she knew that whatever falsified explanation she could offer them would be grossly inadequate. There was no story she could tell other than the truth that would offer an explanation adequate enough to explain the fallen and dead Miligos at Rony's weaponless hands. As expected, both of the seasoned warriors remained calm during her retelling, for they had seen and heard much in their lives. And as fantastic as her story was, it was not beyond the boundaries of their ability to understand and believe.
"Well now," Borinth said as he looked to Dianali and back to the girl, "it is about time someone did something about him. I have had an uneasy feel about him ever since he joined us." Taking time to look around and inhale, he spoke again, "I sense much upon the wind in this hour. An uneasy stench approaches. We had best break camp now and make directly for The Lonely Unicorn. Our next job lies in the hands of my next meeting inside its friendly confines. Confines I much prefer to our current surroundings. Dianali, see to the girl. I will assist The Wolfing."
"You mean carry him," Dianali said with a smirk, "He does not look fit to walk."
"As such, carry him I will. When we return, tell the others to make preparations. We march in twenty minutes," he said as he knelt down and hefted the unconscious Rony on his shoulders. Dianali knelt and offered a hand to Liani. "Now, let us be away."
As she watched Borinth carry her brother away, she was finally able to breathe again. Though her bond with her wolf pup conveyed no remnant of fear or desperation, her eyes, specifically what she had just witnessed, possessed a greater influence over her emotions and expectations. She was not awake to see Liani walk away from their campsite. Nor did she have any awareness of the danger the woman was in. Her only warning that her brother was in danger came from the pups, who
remained a safe distance away, but still close enough to set their influence upon Zyndalia. As such, she woke in enough time to see her older brother dash off into the night. She knew to follow him, but there was no alarm, nor call to assist. As she settled into a position where she was able to unknowingly observe, the two pups nuzzled to her squatted form.
As she bore witness to the awful transformation of Miligos into something that challenged her understanding of the world and its workings, she instinctively flinched to assist Rony; however, the solid calm demeanor of her pups held whatever action she was poised to take in check. Her heart had pounded fiercely and her breath echoed her heart's desperation. But all that she felt when she saw her brother drop to his knees and vomit upon the ground as the ominous form towered over him, stalking him, was replaced with wonder as she saw him rise. She had known he possessed a great strength within, but never expected his metal to stand facing such an abomination. But there he was, achingly small yet standing in powerful defiance to all that Miligos represented. And as he held the beast still and was absorbed in a white light that seemed to emanate from his eyes, she thought he had been consumed. Then, in a matter of two paces, her hope dissolved away as she saw him collapse in an unconscious heap. Only then was she made aware of Liani's presence as she saw her rush to his side and cradle his head in her hands, holding him closer than she would have thought.
She wished to speak to her brother about what she saw, but knew tonight would not be the time. She stayed crouched next to the pups, instinctively petting hers behind its ears as she watched the party of four walk back to their campsite, her brother slung across Borinth's broad shoulders like a sack of potatoes. She thought better of it to remain hidden instead of announcing her presence to Borinth and the unpredictable Dianali. She was hoping to speak with Rony first, but doubted she would have the opportunity because of their strict training schedules. She looked down at her pup who had met her gaze as she seemingly always did. Smiling, she spoke, "You always seem to know more than you say, do you not?"
Her pup began wagging its tail avidly in response to her praise, and even spun in a circle only to stop and stare at her affectionately.
"I bet you know what happened to Rony. In fact, I bet you know what that thing was," she again addressed it as it continued to wag its tail in response to the attention. "I had better join the others. I think enough time has passed to where I can slip back unnoticed. I still think it will be safer if you two stay away." The pup whined in sadness, but was reassured by Zyndalia, "Now do not worry. I will be safe, and so will Rony. Go now and conceal yourselves. I need to be going."
The pup hesitated for a moment but then darted off into the coverage of the tall grass with its brother close behind. As she watched them go, shown only by the shaking of the foliage, she could not help but marvel at them. So special were they in their silent presence. She was never without them, and was beginning to realize she would never be.
She contemplated them as she carefully made her way back to the campsite. She had long learned to keep her footfalls silent in the wild. Her brother was not the only one who understood the necessities of the hunt. She dared not risk a chance to observe her brother, so she went directly for her bedroll. "Best be to bed early tonight," she heard a woman's voice say. Startled, she turned toward it and saw the open eyes of Dianali staring at her. "It will be an early morning. Borinth means to be rid of these grounds and make for his next proposition."
"What does that mean," Zyndalia asked.
"It means you had better hone your skill with the blade. I have a feeling you will be needing them soon," she said with a slight amount of foreboding. "I have a feeling we will all need them soon."
The rest of the night progressed without incident or interruption, and it was very fortunate because Borinth set a blazing pace and was pushing them well before the rise of the sun. Such was their speed, that it left little time and opportunity for anything else. When she was able to speak to Rony, between bouts of traveling and training, he remained largely silent and avoided most of her direct eye contact. He had become withdrawn, and spoke only when he was directly addressed. She felt for him and wished he would open up to her like he did in the beginning of their journey, but this was a different reclusion. His isolation was propagated by the absence of answers to questions that struck deeply. She wanted to push him to talk, but she felt that would only land him further into this silent consideration and solitude. Yet, as bad as he had it during this part of their journey, Liani had it worse. While their journey and that of the mercenaries began in a state of relative health and strength, hers saw its genesis from a position of weakness having been given the minimum by the goblins for the sustenance of life.
But the young woman never allowed her feet to stop while walking or during her training. She continued on, no matter how weak she looked or how tired she became, she never failed in the completion of her duties and exercises. The forced pace from Borinth, however, saw the balance of her feet falter several times causing her to, rather violently, meet the ground. The third time she had fallen, she was unable to get up on her own stumbling during several attempts. Zyndalia hurried to her side and assisted her. Liani was weak and depended on Zyn's shoulder to sustain her pace and stability. The two of them continued on like this for the next four days, but Liani was afflicted with the same distant silence as Rony, which left little opportunity for the women to converse, let alone bond.
Borinth was ruthless in his pursuit for speed and demanded his companions maintain his forced pace in spite of their waning strength. Yet, he was not ruthless as a reflection of his character; rather, he became so out of what appeared to be a deeper necessity. There was no doubt he was being driven, but his council consisted of only Dianali, and beyond the sealed tumblers of her mind's confidence, there was no other entry into his motivations. But Borinth did nothing without reason. Though he appeared to most as a gruff, primitive minded mercenary of common motivations, Zyndalia understood, quite quickly, this was a contrived facade designed to allow an element of surprise. So she knew there was a reason which had been fully considered and appreciated, and in that trust, she pushed without protest. And because of this, she again withheld her protest when he announced that it would be Dianali and Rony who would be accompanying him into the city for the meeting.
For whatever reason, a secondary effect derived from Rony's confrontation with Miligos was his inclusion into Borinth's personal protection. But this protection was not of a physical nature as Rony's skills with blades of all make accelerated exponentially, though he showed a pronounced adaptation to dual wielding the twin-bladed hand axe; rather its focus was solely concerned with silencing the rumors emerging from that night. But, however vigilant his attempts were, the rumors continued to develop reaching its end with the adornment of a nick-name: Lugis Lon, Wolf Kin.
When it was time to depart, Rony and Dianali fell in behind Borinth on the backs of the horses they had been using to carry their equipment. It was a short ride to the gates, where they were granted passage quickly. Once inside the city, they were instructed to wait, but after a few minutes, Borinth, having grown impatient, spurred his horse and trotted down the central road. It was not long before they found the sign of The Lonely Unicorn. They all dismounted and tied their horses, making sure they were secured to the posts.
It was still early in the day, not even before the noon sun peaked in the sky, which explained why the tavern room was mainly empty save for a single figure sitting at a table in the corner. Under most circumstances, when three personas with the gravity these three companions wielded entered a room, even when filled, they would have surely drawn the eyes of every person therein; however, such was not the circumstances surrounding this individual as his current endeavors saw his attention transfixed and immobilized to whatever it was. Seeing no-one else inside, Borinth chose a table on the side opposite the engrossed man and sat. Rony and Dianali followed silently.
"Do you think
we were forgotten about?" asked Dianali
"I do not believe that would be the likely reason for our host's delay. He sounded quite urgent in his letter as did the courier who delivered it," responded Borinth. "And considering we, ourselves our late, I had expected him to be waiting for us."
"Who is it we are meeting?" asked Dianali again.
"I do not know. There were no identifiable markings on the letter. Nor did the courier possess any official documentation regarding his employer," he said flatly.
"Perhaps it is a ruse to draw us into a trap. We have made many, many enemies over the years. It would not be beyond reality if one of those enemies chose to strike back."
"I considered that," he responded to the woman.
After his statement hung in the air like a hummingbird just before it decided which direction it would dart off toward, the tavern doors slowly swung open and a short man entered. He was wearing the grey robes of a scribe, but did not adorn himself with any identifiable color suggesting any allegiance or employ. He looked toward the man sitting alone at the table and then to the three on the opposite side of the room. As he stepped toward them, he glanced back to the single man, then around the room as he walked. He was noticeably anxious, bordering on nervous. He sat down next to Rony and nervously looked around.
"Ah, yes, yes, thank you for coming. These are indeed difficult times and one cannot be too careful," he said in a high pitched voice reflective of his small stature.
Convergence (The Dragon Within Saga Book 1) Page 63
