With Blades and Flames: Awakening

by David Csontos

  “Where did you come from?” the man demanded the answer.

  “I do not know. However unbelievable that might sound…”he stopped“I do not know” The boy took his eyes towards the man who seemed to have stopped with the questions. He seemed to have accepted it for no reason. Why?So it was his turn.“Who are you?”but there was no answer, instead the man stood up and walked to his horse. He stomped towards it, opened the top bit of one of the rucksacks and took out a heap of thicker clothes. The wind was starting to pick up while Arkain just sat silently not even thinking about an escape. He did not know whether he needed to escape and even then, where to? The morning frost was approaching with the sun speeding across the horizon and it did not looked like it was going to slow down.“Here take this!”said the man once he came back and threw the things onto the boy, which Arkain jumped into as fast as he could, given that as any normal human being, he was too cold in this kind of a weather. It felt like it was some kind of a rough material that would make you itch after a while, still it was warmth and he could not resist that. Happier but still quivering he stood up though it lead to pain afterwards. In the meanwhile the man rushed back to the fire and started feeding it increasing its size with every throw. Then, when it seemed like it would be enough he ran to the horse, untied its leash and started pulling it towards the fire.“Come on Sefgy, come on”he shushed it and made it lay down on its side once it was close enough. Next, all of his belongings that were scattered out before were now brought closer and before decided to sit down decided to put a grey blanket on the horse itself.“I’d sit down if I were you” he ordered Arkain who looked in great confusion.

  “What are you doing?”he asked but at the instant he said it everything became silent. The breeze disappeared and the wildlife stopped hustling.“What is this?”

  “A blizzard”came the reply“but in your position I would just shut up and sit down” Merely after the duo sat down and huddled up a an enormous blast-like sound had shrieked along the mountainside carrying hard ice and snow with frozen dust that later slammed into trees and all the things that were in its way. The fire’s flames were now equal to a candle and it felt like they are not going to last long. It was not a simple fight, it was a fight for survival. If they would have even stood up their bodies would be blown away. There was no point in fighting and even Arkain realised that. He looked at the man only to see him calm, staring into the distance like all of this is just a dream and even then he was surprisingly calm. Looked like he wasn’t scare neither worried about any of this. Little did the boy know about him other than that he gave him clothes and was now saving his life for probably the second time. “You didn’t tell me your name!” reminded him Arkain. The man turned to him with the same blank stare as before but now it felt like it was different, maybe for the better.

  “My name is Agaroth” he responded then continued to stare into the distance far beyond the hills and trees towards a place he could probably only imagine.

  Teeth and Claws

  The wolves were fast. Faster than the wind as they ran, no-one could stop them but the fastest was the leader. Strong and wild in its nature which is why the rest of the pack followed him. Except one. One rotten animal that hated how he had to give up, how he failed. A long time had passed since he lost the fight that would have changed his life. The fight did not take long however hard he tried. Every bite, every attack became the reflection of his hatred towards the other. The grey had beaten him easily but now was his time to redeem his actions and finish what he have started, to kill his brother. The pack did not have enough food for a long time and this could be a way to throw the other off the throne that he so deserved. Most of the prey either died or disappeared and most of the pack feels that something is not right, something is definitely isn’t the way it is supposed to be and it affects other things around them. Let them fight, let them doubt their leader and rip themselves each other in the process. Once the others fall he will rise, there are already followers. The next stop will be the other’s last one even though the heir is about to come to life. It was not far from a chasm where their pack has stopped to have a rest. They have been travelling for a while now, trying to find prey which seemed impossible. The grey wolf had walked around the camp, sometimes whimpering, sometimes barking but eventually gave up on calming down the others. Everyone was hungry and everyone was impatient so he walked away far from them and sat down gazing at the stars in a small groove below a hill which might have been a home for foxes before. Currently it was empty and it did not look like anyone lived in there. The tiny dots in the night sky have illuminated his world as he looked and looked seeing them join and split making different shapes in the dark ocean. He had to find food, he had to find something to feed his heir so he could become a strong leader. There were troubles though, his brother did not like the situation. When they were young and a leader had to be chosen the two of them needed to fight for the position. That is how it always worked, but little did the leader know about his brother who followed his steps with some of his followers whose minds have been demolished by hunger. Their minds and souls no longer served the greater good. The pack wasn’t a family anymore but a rivalry between generations.“Well, well, well brother” growled the evil one once he dared to face the leader.

  “What are you doing here?” answered the grey wolf like he already knew the answer.

  “I just came to share the news. Your heir is a Lupe”

  “Oh, that is wonderful!”barked the wolf but with great sadness in his tone“Surely you didn’t just come here to reveal that. Are you here to take my throne?”came the question to which the evil became surprised. He wasn’t expecting this and it made things a little bit more complicated.

  “You wouldn’t think I would do such a thing, now would you?”he lied trying to see how the other reacts. The leader sniffed into the air which carried the scent of the others. He stood up in an instant and jumped out of the hole while the others surrounded him.“Oh brother! What have you done?!” the grief could be felt in the air that night. It was poisonous and quiet. He fought hard as he could, even killed three out of the six wolves, but could not last long and got bitten in the leg. He fell to the ground and his brother leaped in him.

  Chapter 3: The pub

  “Wake up!”told the man to Arkain who seemed to have fallen asleep while the storm raged. Now, it ended and it was time to go. The boy opened his eyes with a great surprise, it was now sunny and a lot warmer but still a bit damp.“All right! I am awake” he replied and stood up.

  “That is good because you are coming with me. I have someone that can help you”said Agaroth and started packing his stuff from around the camp onto the stallion. There were now also weapons holstered on the traveller and a sword hung from his right side hanging from a belt that was lashed across his waist.“Do you?” asked the boy with startle in his eyes. Then the traveller told him that there might be someone in Raldonthat could explain everything.“Raldon?” wondered the Arkain when he heard it.

  “You really don’t know anything do you? It is a city a few days away. We need to get there” This seemed overly suspicious, in fact it was sure a trap which Arkain could not make sure yet. What if he is just trying to help?He looked towards the cliff and saw the endless forest that stretched on for miles meaning that even if he would have refused and ran away his body would have died soon after. He had to try because there was nowhere else to go.“There is a pub nearby called the Belt N’Buckle where we can spend a night or two. We need to get there in three probably two days if you want to find out who you are”

  “That is a long way away from here”

  “Then start packing because we need to this instant. I am also warning you that if you become a tiny bit annoying then I will leave you here no matter what without turning around even once. Currently I am doing you a favour and I do not want to regret it”

  It was a long walk from the top to the bottom even though Arkain’s pain had decreased. It did hurt him but
not as much as before. The traveller walked in the front leading the horse while the boy kept walking behind them using the already dug holes in the snow to fasten his pace and make travel a bit easier. Birds have started singing and a river could be heard as they made their way down and the wind has disappeared behind the pines. The forest had started to come alive once again and the hustling animals had started to come out of their homes to gather food. They have walked further and further through the land which could have held a thousand secrets if you would have asked the boy. He believed that this might be a very mysterious forest even though it was the only one he could remember. Sometimes they needed to stop to allow the horse to rest, but not them. The traveller wanted to get to the inn as soon as it was possible. He did not show any sign of excitement, fatigue or pain, or at least you could not tell from the straight face that he wore and which always kept looking forward. They have walked for quite some time until a dirt road had appeared in front of them leading east. It was rough and no different than the normal ground they used so far but at least it showed directions. It could have been just from the time passing which might have decayed its beauty. You wouldn’t know it out here. To Arkain this was all new, the sounds, the looks, everything that he did or saw was completely new though not entirely. A couple of hours have passed when they got to a splitting, a sign stood between the two directions on which two names lay that were scribbled out. Probably from the time as well. He wanted this road to become significantly shorter because he was hungry and also tired. The sleep he got back at the camp wasn’t long at all. They took the one on the right and followed the track which lead on for another couple of miles, each worse than the other. Some had muddy ground, some had an incredible amount of stones in it but the snow had slowly disappeared from their field of view and turned into dust. Unfortunately this couldn’t be said about their clothes. From the long journey through the ice their shoes got wet and particularly Arkain seemed to have had the worst experience. The sky was cloudy and did not look promising. It stopped snowing but the dark clouds brought the smell of rain. One more reason to hurry. By the time they have spotted the structure it was dusk and only a handful of light shined their way to the door. It was a big building that housed two levels that both had dirty windows on them with wooden chipped off frames. The roof was from wood planks nailed onto each other, each torn and worn from rain, wind and alike. The building was dark except from the windows. True, the type of wood they have used to build the walls were dark but through the window light could be seen however filthy it was. It was a faint light that kept waving at them from each window on the bottom floor, on the top however every single one was dark. Next to the inn was a small farm where crops were planted so they could grow and be harvested but currently it was empty which was most likely caused by the cold. Crops don’t grow in these types of weathers. Behind it was a smaller building if it could be called that, it was merely a shed where the pigs were kept. Even they were quiet. Above the door was a board which had a bottle carved into. It was hanging from the top, dangling whenever a small breeze crossed its path.“Is this it?”asked Arkain but didn’t receive and answer. The traveller took his horse and tied it to a fence near the back where a small stable was set up. Then, he took a small sack out of one of the bags and walked back to the boy, this time taking his way across the road through the doors. There were exactly two fairly sized doors with metal plates so it stays up even in the harshest conditions. There would be no help if they fall off, it would be the owner’s job to fix it and this design made these types of occasions scarce and rare. The traveller pushed one of them in followed by Arkain who did the same. Once they were inside candles helped them show the big room that welcomed them. There were tables all around with people sitting on it, drinking laughing but silent once they saw the newcomers which didn’t make much difference to the man who just kept walking until he reached the bartender. It was all quiet until the traveller sat down onto a chair in front of the bar and asked for a drink. Arkain quickly joined him by choosing a seat next to him. After that everyone continued their conversations filling the place with noise that were a mix of gossips, whispers but rarely laughs.“One of those red blood you have there”requested the travel and received a drink afterwards. It was served in a big wooden cup that had a great handle, inside it with a liquid that was lightly red but had a strong smell to it. The boy looked around and saw that there were table to the right and left, all occupied and a staircase that probably lead upstairs to the upper courters. The bartender had a long brown beard that covered his neck, and a round stomach that could have been mistaken for a mountain. His eyes supported a dark line below.“Here it is, just don’t make a mess. I am not eager to clean up after others that had drink spilled on the floor because of their own head being smashed into my floor”

  “I thought that was your job to do that but because you have asked me nicely I am only going to say that I had a long journey and need a real bed. I need two different rooms”said Agaroth in a gloomy tone that expected zilch fight. He had a hell of a journey and now he is tired. Arkain in the meanwhile kept looking around at the different types of people, listening to what they are discussing. His eyes have settled on one of these groups that sat close to them. There were three people whispering to each other especially the one with a leather cap and teeth like rocks. He talked for a while and then looked up at the boy.“I don’t like that you are looking at me boy!” he shouted across and stood up. Arkain turned his head around back to Agaroth pretending that this has never happened.“We are out of rooms sire and…”continued the bartender but got interrupted by leather cap man“I have the last rooms!”and walked up to the two of them“Where did you come from ladies?”

  “That is not for you to ask or to know and if you don’t have any interesting to say keep it to yourself or you might lose a teeth or two” said the traveller to the great surprise of all the people. By now everyone was yet again looking at them.

  “Really? How many men do you have? I have got two and you have none”tried to threaten the man and sat down next to the traveller placing his hand on his shoulder and whispering into his ears“Do you even know who you are talking to?”

  “No and I don’t intend to change that any time soon” replied Agaroth rapidly.

  “You will not talk to me like that!”shrieked the drunker while he grabbed a dagger out of his pocket. A small knife with a small blade but enough to kill. He tried to hold it up against the traveller’s neck but Agaroth was aware of all of this in a second and quickly reacted to it. This wasn’t the first time this has happened and he knew exactly what to do. He grabbed the attacker’s hand and twisted it into an abnormal place making his whole body fall off of the rickety old chair and landing on the wood floor with a great thump. He had also grabbed the dagger and threw it behind the bar. Then, he stood up from his seat while the man was shouting and cursing and punched him in the face once he managed to stand up. Next to the drunker he seemed a lot bigger and stronger.“Beat him up!”he shouted and called upon his companions who leaped towards the man. They didn’t stand a chance, Agaroth had taken both of them out by punching one on the nose and the other in the stomach stopping his air and because of this they have quickly given up and ran out of the pub pushing away others. When the door opened it could be seen that it has started raining outside and that it will be a very hard night for the three of them if they were to sleep in the nearby forest but inside the inn Agaroth and Arkain were in a different situation. When they came in there were four hooded men in one of the corners, now they lifted their cloaks and were walking towards Agaroth. Each of them wore the same armour with shoulder and chest plating on the front and back. Below it a chain shirt could be seen covering up the unprotected parts of their bodies. They also had swords which they pulled out as they came closer.“You and the boy are coming with us”ordered the one in the middle, on his hand a red ribbon was tied.“Great, just what I need”murmured the traveller to himself and took his sword out too
, which seemed a lot fiercer than the others. It somehow looked more dangerous to Arkain and also clearer and shinier then the knights’ even though it was a darker steel. It was obviously from a better metal. It was the leader that attacked first with a great swing. His sword swiftly split the air and got deflected by the traveller’s, who was now the one attacking. Then, the other three men have joined the dance as well. Arkain jumped back so that he could not get injured and pushed aside some of the tables. He couldn’t interfere much because he didn’t know how. Agaroth was now jumping, attacking and defending all at once. The knights could not get to him. He was moving too fast and if someone tried to deflect his blow it costed most of their energy. The people around were mesmerized by the image. No-one knew who this man was but he looked like he was even a better swordfighter than anyone currently in the pub. Blades were clashing and sparks were flying towards all direction. Broken glass fell onto the floor as Agaroth threw a cup into the enemy’s face.“No! Don’t!”the bartender tried to argue with them but it was no use. They were too loud and even if they would have heard, it wouldn’t have made a difference. The traveller slashed with his sword with great speed and accuracy from which there was no escape. From all the three knights their sword flew out of their hand and they had no weapon. It was now completely up to Agaroth whether to spare or leave them. They stood there staring at each other with a sword between them and Agaroth, then he sheathed his sword and told them to“Get out”. Without hesitation or even picking up their swords they went the same way as the drinkers.“Somewhat tells me that you have free rooms now”he stated towards the bartender, threw a small bag in front of him and started walking upstairs with declaring to“Keep the change”. He picked the first room he could find and walked in there shutting the door behind him. Arkain walked into the one next to it.