“Richard, distract it as long as possible. I have an idea,” shouted Raylan.
“Distract it? I am trying not to get killed here!”
Raylan noticed Richard sounded out of breath, but it could not be that bad if he had the energy to make a joke about it…still, he figured he had better hurry. Kicking at the wreckage to break some of the planks, Raylan worked as fast as possible to free the chain. He grunted as he gave another mighty pull on the chain with both hands; it finally sprang free.
The unexpected drop in resistance, as the chain gave way, made Raylan stumble and fall backward. Jumping up, he ran around the stone giant in a large arc, toward Richard, who had just run out of space to dodge its attacks. Heaving one end of the long and heavy iron chain, he called out to Richard, “Catch!”
Even before his hands caught the chain, Richard figured out what Raylan had in mind. As they both ran to opposite sides of the stone giant, Richard went low, while Raylan jumped over the chain. They twisted the chain around the massive stone legs, crossing back to the front.
Trying to move toward its enemies, the stone giant found its legs tangled up by the chain. Losing its balance, it crashed heavily into the mud. Right away, both men moved from front to back again, twisting the chains around its stone arms in an effort to get the giant even more tangled up; but its strength was too great.
Raylan looked over his shoulder and spotted Galen. The heavy hitter also figured out that they needed a heavier weapon than their normal swords for this rampaging menace. Raylan saw the war hammer in his hands.
“Galen, hurry up, we can’t hold him for long!”
As the giant rolled onto its back, twisting the chains around its torso even more, it simply sat up. The combined strength of Raylan and Richard had no effect on its movement. They felt the chain slip through their hands, and their feet scratched over the ground.
At the same time the stone giant erected itself, Galen reached them at full running speed. Shouting out a great war-cry, Galen put all his momentum into a horizontal swing with his heavy war hammer. His timing could not have been better.
The war hammer hit the giant with full force in its face. Knocking it straight back to the ground, its head smashed onto the flat rocky surface of a buried boulder. By the sound of the impact, they hoped that a crack formed on the stone skull. Skidding to a halt, Galen turned around right away, raising his war hammer above his head. The giant tried to raise its head as Galen brought his hammer straight down, again and again, smashing the stone head between the hammer and the buried boulder. A crack started to show and became more visible as Galen put in blow after blow. Finally, after a dozen smashes, the crack suddenly widened. The next impact of the hammer shattered the stone skull. The final blow caused the stone skull to erupt with another sound blast. Blue light sparkled and evaporated from the smashed head, and then the giant statue remained motionless on the ground.
Out of breath, both Raylan and Richard dropped to the ground and released the chain. Galen let go of his hammer and sat back, panting heavily. The sun was coming up already; the fight took longer than expected.
Suddenly remembering his brother, Raylan’s fatigue vanished as he jumped to his feet. He turned around to see Xi’Lao, already crouching next to Gavin, holding him with his back against one of the boulders.
“Is he alive? Is he still breathing?” said Raylan, as he rushed over.
Arriving at his brother’s side, he heard a low groan as his brother grabbed his head and tried to open his eyes. He lifted his head up slowly and looked at them hazily.
“What the hell was that?”
Chapter 3
Egg
Gavin leaned against the rock, while Raylan passed him the leather sack with water. Slowly tipping his head, he took a sip. His head was killing him. They had taken his armor and his shirt off, so Xi’Lao could examine him. Her extensive medical training had already become invaluable in the field.
She slowly followed Gavin’s ribs from his chest to his side, applying pressure lightly along the way. Gavin let out a soft groan when she reached the spot where the stone giant’s punch hit him. He did not look happy. At least the rain stopped, for now, and the morning sun rose above the horizon, giving him a little bit of warmth from the direct rays of sunlight.
“How bad is it?” said Raylan, as Gavin put his clothes and his armor back on.
She looked at him with a faint smile.
“His head was knocked around pretty good, but at least his ribs do not seem to be broken. He will need to take it easy with his head for a number of days, if that is possible. He might vomit. His ribs will take longer to heal. Breathing will most likely be uncomfortable for some time.”
“I’ll be fine. It was my own fault for not moving quickly enough.”
As Gavin tried to get up, his head started pounding right away, making him feel so dizzy that he had to sit down again. He closed his eyes to stop his head from spinning.
“Is everyone alright? Did we lose anyone?” said Gavin, directing his questions at Raylan.
Raylan looked around to Galen and Richard, who joined them after catching their breaths, and he knew that Peadar had gone to check on Harwin in the wagon wreckage.
“Galen and Richard are fine; they did a great job taking out that thing. Peadar is okay, just a bit shaken. Harwin still stands; it seems his shield took most of the impact. He has some cuts from the crash. Apparently, he also had a nail in his leg from the wagon, but that has been taken out. It was nothing serious, he assured us, just a couple of more scars to brag about during drinking night. Kevhin and Rohan are good, only some bruises from the tumble off the boulders. Stephen’s leg is in pretty bad shape. It seems the stone giant broke his leg when it grabbed him. Peadar is currently making a splint for him. Xi’Lao and I have no serious injuries. Ca’lek only has a superficial cut on his arm. It’s been bandaged up already.”
For a moment, Raylan hesitated, while Gavin pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Regis?” he asked, gloomily.
Raylan shook his head.
“We lost him. Stephen and Harwin went to check on him right after the horses trampled him. They pulled him to the side, but he was not breathing anymore. Ca’lek went to double check a while ago, but his body was already cold…”
“How many enemies dead?”
“Thirty nine…forty, if you include the statue. I still can’t believe that thing moved. What kind of force could do such a thing? The soldier looked like he had been sucked dry of all life. There was that blue light surrounding the soldier, once he cut his hand. It looked like water and fire at the same time, constantly moving around his figure. Then, once he struck the statue, all that light rushed into the stone, with that blast at the end. Do you remember?”
Gavin nodded his head and looked sideways at Xi’Lao.
“I don’t think any of us has ever seen anything like that before. Have you?”
She urged Gavin to take another sip from the water bag before answering.
“Nothing like this…back home, it is a common belief that all living things have energy, a force of life one could call it. It flows through every person, animal, plant and thing. Even rocks have its own energy. In my language they call this Chi. The way you describe this light, it reminds me of it. Chi moves around the body of a person in a certain flow. We’re taught this energy pattern is build up out of channels and points, across the entire body. It is said that the grand masters of the temples are able to see, feel and manipulate the current of Chi in a person. It is the source of miraculous stories, about people seeking help from grand masters for incurable diseases, or used as an explanation on the abilities of extraordinary fighters. I, too, have heard many of these mystical stories back home, but none that I remember mentioned anything about making a statue move.”
Raylan felt his curiosity about the subject increase. He had never heard about such a thing. It seemed like very exotic knowledge to his brain, as he soaked in all the details that Xi�
��Lao mentioned. He wondered why he was drawn to something so untouchable and so vague.
“Have you ever seen it?”
“No, but as warriors, we are taught to memorize the Chi pattern of a human body. Many of the channels and points are vital spots, important to the human body. Focusing an attack there will often cripple your enemy quickly—or worse—even if you do not wound him much.”
As Gavin listened, with his eyes closed, his mind fought hard to regain some control over his thinking.
“What about the item they stole and transported in one of the wagon?”
Xi’Lao’s voice instantly lost the softness that was in it while tending to Gavin and while recollecting about her home far away.
“We have not found it yet. Harwin and Peadar checked the wagons, but it was not there anymore. Perhaps Ca’lek didn’t see it correctly and made a mistake?” she said, looking apologetically to where Ca’lek stood.
“I know what I saw,” said Ca’lek, “it must be here somewhere.”
They waited while Gavin processed everything.
“Okay, please gather around. We can’t afford to sit around here for too long. We’re too exposed and too far from friendly ground.”
Once everyone was gathered, he continued.
“I believe we’re far from home and from safety. We crossed the most northern tip of the Great Eastern Divide weeks ago, which means we are a fair distance into the Dark Continent and possibly on enemy territory.
“Raylan, Xi’Lao, first we have to find the stolen item. You two will look for it in the enemy camp. We haven’t seen any soldiers leave the encampment, so it still has to be there.
“Kevhin, Rohan, take care of Regis; balm his body, to preserve it. Handle him with respect. See if you can find a cloth to wrap his body in. After that, put him in the wagon with the least wear and tear. We will use it to transport his body, as well as the chest, back home. Make sure he’s secured well; those horses stomped on him too much already. I would like his mother to be able to say goodbye to her son while she can still recognize him. After that, go through the camp and salvage any food that you can find and collect it. We need to restock our rations in order to make it back home.
“Ca’lek, I want you to take a horse and ride out to the ridge we passed half a day ago when we were following these guys. If you ride fast, you should be able to ride there and back before the sun reaches its highpoint. I remember we had to hide, because the ridge gave our enemies an excellent view of the valley we traveled through. I want you to use that advantage now to scout for a safe route back to Aeterra.”
He looked at Stephen.
“How’s the leg?”
Stephen gave a small tap on the splints wrapped around his leg.
“Peadar added an extra splints to improve the support. It’s not very comfortable. Richard found a solid walking stick in the enemy encampment that I can use for support, so I should be able to move around. Horseback riding is out of the question though; I can’t put any weight on it or push my leg inward.”
“Alright, you’ll have to travel in the wagon, for now; hopefully, that will give your leg enough rest to heal while we move. I’ll have to send out someone else in your place.”
Gavin surveyed the group for a moment. His gaze stopped when he reached Richard.
“Richard, you’re amongst the most fit of our squad, and you’re an excellent horseman. You go and scout in the opposite direction from Ca’lek. We need to know what lies ahead of us, in case we can’t take the road back, or in case we are about to be boxed in. Ride out for half a morning before turning back. Ride fast and safe…and keep your eyes open for enemy movement.”
Gavin closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, before he continued. “Also, we’ve seen the footprints of larger predators lately, as well as some kill spots of their prey. So, be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially when alone.”
“That goes for you both,” he added, looking at Ca’lek.
Ca’lek gave a short nod, to acknowledge that he understood the possible danger. Scouting solo was always a risky business; if anything went wrong, there would be no backup. Unfortunately, they just did not have time to scout the area in pairs in order to decide the safest route home. They assumed they were in enemy—or at least unclaimed—territory, which meant that an enemy stronghold, or force, could run into them at any time.
“Harwin and Galen…I want you to secure the enemy’s horses still in the camp. See if you can catch some of those that escaped, too. It will help us move faster, if we have more horses to rotate through wagon duty.”
“Peadar, once we’re done here, please help me move to a place higher up in the camp. I’d like to make a fire for some extra warmth now that the rain has stopped, and perhaps get some rest—to see if my head will stop spinning. But before I lie down, I want you to go and grab one of the long distance birds and then help me prepare a report of our encounter. I bet the king and the council are wondering what has become of us. The last bird we sent was several weeks ago.”
“The rest of you go find that chest. I, for one, will be glad to leave this cold, barren land and to get back to the comforts of our home. Now get to it.”
Raylan walked around the enemy camp. He and Xi’Lao double checked the wagons but could not find the chest amongst them. The enemy could have moved the chest for safekeeping, hiding it amongst the many boulders; or, it could be nearby, perhaps camouflaged. So, Raylan decided it would be easier if they split up and searched separately. He took the enemy encampment, while Xi’Lao went up on the boulders, to check from a higher viewpoint if any of the wagonloads were hidden between the boulders.
The battle left a grim scene in the camp. Dead soldiers lay everywhere. The element of surprise gained through their night attack worked in their favor. By the time the camp was on full alert, more than half of the enemy force had already been taken out. It would have been a very different story, if they had tried a direct, head-on attack in daylight.
Raylan stepped over the dead soldier in the campfire. His upper body and face were charred black from the fire. The smell of burned flesh, mixed with the already thick smell of blood and dirt, gave off an unpleasant odor to be walking around in.
He saw Gavin had reconsidered his earlier decision to rest in the main camp. He claimed a spot on the other side of the main rock formation that housed the cave. It was upwind, and would be in the sunlight soon enough, as the sun rose higher in the sky.
Although the days here were not warm in temperature, the oncoming sunlight would soon warm up the flesh of the dead bodies. Flies would have no problem finding this place, however remote, and with them decay would set in. They could not stay there much longer. The smell would only get worse and the flies would bring diseases, which would be especially dangerous for those with open wounds.
Raylan saw Harwin and Galen untie the remaining horses that were in the corner of the encampment. The horses calmed down as soon as the fighting stopped; although, they were still a bit nervous from the smell of blood. Neither man had trouble leading the horses out of the camp. They planned to move them closer to the wagons; but as soon as the horses saw the now motionless stone giant, they started pulling their reins, bucking and rearing to get away from it. Eventually, they had no choice but to move them downhill to the foot of the rock formations. They would try again later to get a horse calm enough to pull the wagon and lead it downhill, but first they had to locate the chest.
Raylan approached the cave where a number of soldiers had been resting before they launched the attack. Multiple soldiers lay dead in front of the cave, most of them taken out with cross bolts. Stepping into the opening of the cave, Raylan picked up one of the torches that lay near the entrance. Apparently, a small campfire had been burning in the cave entrance during the night. Raylan saw some of the wood still glowing red between the ashes. The torch came alive with a burning flame after Raylan lay it in the ashes and blew on the embers.
A few ste
ps into the cave, Raylan suddenly halted and listened. He could have sworn that he heard a sound coming from the cave. Carefully, he passed the torch to his other hand, so he could draw his sword. Trying to make out what lay ahead of him in the dark, he inched forward. He wondered if anyone thought to check the cave for remaining enemies. Surely they would not leave such a place unchecked after taking out the soldiers in the camp. He thought back and tried to remember if anyone had mentioned checking the cave. There could still be an enemy waiting in the dark, hoping to ambush an unsuspecting intruder. Raylan felt a small chill go down his spine, as a worse thought entered his mind; perhaps another stone giant waited for its chance.
No, we would’ve heard that strange sound…felt that windblast…seen that strange blue light…
As quietly as possible, he walked further into the cave, stepping over the simple beds that the soldiers had made while setting up camp. Small personal effects were scattered around, probably kicked about when the soldiers exited the cave in a hurry, spurred on by the sounds of yelling and fighting. By holding the torch outside of his direct line of sight, his eyes slowly adjusted to the low light in the cave.
“Well, at least there’s no sign of people or moving statues,” he whispered under his breath.
Moving further into the dark, he saw that the cave tunnel slowly bent off to the left, where it suddenly turned sharply out of sight.
There it was again, a soft thud as if someone knocked on a table or a door. Something was around the corner; he saw soft light bouncing from the cave walls. Edging along the cave wall, he moved toward the corner, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. Shadows danced on the far wall, playing tricks on his eyes. He tried to look around the corner, but the shape of the tunnel made it impossible to see everything. Drawing in a deep breath, he stepped out in one fluid motion, turning around the corner, sword ready and torch high, casting light as far as possible.
Windcatcher: Book I of the Stone War Chronicles Page 5
