With Blades and Flames: Awakening

by David Csontos

  “I am neither! But you look like you have been having a hard time as well!” said Arkain.

  The dwarf did not answer though he was especially running out of breath and had a hard problem with running. Agaroth did not say anything until they have reached a steeper way which had two big walls on both sides and a place to go through in the middle at the start. This has opened onto the path that curled alongside the mountain. It was very small and on the right side there was nothing except air. The three men had started to sprint even more. Agaroth reached it first then Arkain.“Where is Burdõl?”asked Arkain in a hurry because he thought the dwarf was already there but when he looked back the axe wielding warrior was a bit further behind then they are expected.“Ask me to chop, cut, bleed, fight, but not running. Has anyone ever heard of a distance running dwarf?” he repeated.

  “Come on! What are you doing?!” shouted Agaroth. The wolves were closing in on him.

  “Oh nothing, just smelling flowers, and playing around with my close friends behind me! What do you think I am doing ugly!”he shouted. Arkain in the think of an instant ran out back into the warzone to him. He grabbed him and started pulling and pushing to make him faster. The wolves were now very close and some even managed to have a chance to bite but have failed. Back in the safety Agaroth saw this and took out his sword. When the two of them got there, he was pointing it at the cavalcade and made short but quick jabbing movements. Then, he raised his hand and pulled both of them outside.“Go!”shouted Arkain and started pushing the others. All of them were now, going up the thin path. The problem was that the snow that falls down from higher parts of the mountain freezes onto the hard rock making the road slippery.“Is this a joke? It is like stepping on snakes!” shouted Burdõl at the front. Arkain looked back to see if their plan worked. The wolves were now circling and growling at the start of the path. They did not even dare to cross the small rock opening but there was something very odd about them that Arkain felt. It is like they are scared or not permitted to go here. I wonder why. Probably they would die from all of this ice. Their paws cannot control them as much. There was one wolf which caught Arkain’s attention. A big grey one that did not look like a normal wolf. It had a very unfamiliar face which could have been anything but a wolf’s. Still, it was on a wolf and nothing could change that. Everyone else in the pack had backed away when it was coming towards the rock opening. It walked up to it hastily and without any sort of a problem jumped through with the others following him.

  As much as Arkain could do he sprinted across the hard ice after Agaroth who was now further ahead trying to reason with Burdõlwho have very stubbornly stopped.“I am not going any further! There must be another way! Dwarves aren’t meant to be up high! Even if we are, we usually‘in’a mountain not‘outside’it you moron! Nothing can make me go!”

  “Hey! The wolves are coming!”shouted Arkain as he came closer. There was a big curve in the path, on one end were Agaroth and the dwarf was while in the middle was Arkain trying to stay alive; on the other end were the wolves tumbling, one of them even fell.“Except that!” said Burdõland started running followed by the others. The road had lead up and up onto the mountain with lots of slopes that were probably staircases once and slopes that were probably only slopes once. Still, it had lead the travellers up successfully. When they got up a small plain of thick snow welcomed them. It cracked and popped at each step and was hard to navigate in. This place has not been disturbed for years so the snow had a free will. The three men had took their way towards what they believed was a connected slope between this and the other mountain.“That way we would be able to shake the wolves off, permanently”suggested the traveller, and so he started walking. Soon, the small plain even turned out to be very big indeed. It took quite a while to cross it though they had to hurry. The longer it took for them to cross, the more time they gave for the wolves to catch up.“This is beautiful” whispered Arkain when he looked out into the distance. Forests, lakes could be seen. Even a little bit of the place they came from. The stone fortress has been hiding far away on the horizon. This is what you saw when you would have looked to the right, if you would look to the left, you would see something quite different. On the other side, once Arkain looked, he saw a swamp, and more ground, given that the forest wasn’t as thick. It grew for a bit, then stopped. Only to give the land to something else, let that be grassy hills, old forgotten towers, or something that have never been seen. That was only in the far, far distance. If they would not have been running then, the boy could have stayed there for a while.What is this world? I know what to make of myself now, but it will take some time to adjust to this treacherous world with infinite land. Knowing that this, is as big as it looks to be, I don’t know how I am going to find my own home, never the less who I am, or who I was. It is good to have someone next to me that can help me along the way.“Here they come!” shouted Burdõl. And here they were, growling as more and more of them have managed to succeed in the climb. They reached the surface and they did not hesitate without even waiting for the others, they have rushed towards them. As expected the animals were a lot quicker in the snow and were already closing in. The three of them hurried as fast as they could but when they were about to step on the other side Agaroth pulled them back. Later did they realize that the way forward was split in half, and now there was around little to no chance that they could make it. “We are gonnajump”said Agaroth as he backed away, so that he could jump while sprinting.“You can’t make that jump! It’s too wide!” shouted Arkain.

  “If I make it, than you can make it. No more questions, just jump!” He made a run for it and before anyone could say anything, he was flying across to the other side then rolling in the snow, and later going back to where he managed to land and stayed there, holding his hand out. The wolves were closing in even more. If the two of them does not act fast then there is a very likely chance that they are going to die. Well, if he made it, that I can make it! Arkain did the same. He walked back, kneeled down, breathed for a few seconds, to try and get ready for the jump. It is just a small jump nothing else. Probably if Agaroth did it than I can do it. “What are you doing?! You can’t make that jump! No-one can” roared Burdõl.

  “Then how did he?!”asked Arkain but did not wanted to bother much with talk. He looked at the other side and stopped breathing, then he made a run for it. With every step he became faster and faster. Even the snow could not stop him. With his last step, the muscle and bones in his leg did everything that they could to raise him up. Arkain leaped through the air and made his way across with a big ‘thump’ in the snow just where Agaroth was standing. For a second it looked like that he was flying.“How did you do that?” he spoke in amazement. A boy should not be able to jump this far. He was looking at the boy like he had never seen anything like it but have managed to shake himself out of the influence because there was still one person that needed to be saved: Burdõl. The dwarf did the same but he did not back up as much. He just walked back a few steps and tried to sprint.“He is not going to make it” said Agaroth and tried to stretch out into the air as possible, to get ready, and to catch him. The dwarf was running as fast as his legs took him. The wolves were now able to reach the dwarf. One of them made a dash for his leg and nearly got him before he jumped but fell into the abyss because of the speed it tried to sustain. When Burdõlwas in the air both Arkain and Agaroth realised it is not enough.“I’ll grab your leg, you jump!”shouted Agaroth and with incredible speed, grabbed Arkain’s leg. The boy could only respond with himself jumping off the cliff. There was no time to do anything else, ask questions or hesitate. When Arkain jumped and stretched his hand to catch Burdõl’s, his leg got pulled back, because of Agaroth and they swingedinto the rock, painfully.“Don’t let go of me!” shouted Burdõl.

  “I will not!”

  “Hold onto each other! I will try and pull you up!”

  As they slowly got lifted up Burdõlhad started to mumble.“Inside is not the outside. Inside is
not the outside, it is good. Dwarfs are not meant to be outside and jump”

  “Are you alright?” asked the boy but did not receive an answer. When they have got pulled up into the snow, Burdõlcurled up and tried to grab as many white powder around him as possible and squish it together to make some kind of wall. While the dwarf was minding his own business Arkain and Agaroth were inspecting the wolves. Each and every one of them was now sitting and looking at them. Some stood up but sat down later. As the three travel started to walk away, the hunters started to do the same.“What made these animals climb a mountain for us?” asked Arkain.

  “I don’t know. I have never seen anything like this. Hopefully this is the end”answered the traveller“By the way, how did you do that?”

  “Did what?”

  “The jump. You kind of caught fire and jumped as far as me. For someone like you it would be impossible to even do the jump”

  “Why? You jumped far as well”

  “Yes but he is something else than you” said Burdõl.

  “I don’t know, he looks human enough to me”

  “But he is not, isn’t that right my old‘friend’?”

  “You Burdõl should really learn to shut up, and no. I am not like either of you. But that is something for a different time, I do not wish to discuss my personal matters with you. If we get off of this mountain I will still be leaving”

  “Leaving? You cannot be serious! After all you have been through with us!” exclaimed the boy.

  “I will not discuss this any further”

  “Then at least tell me why you came this far to later give up!” asked Arkain but yet again no answer could be heard as the man quickened his tempo and was now walking in front. Arkain continued to walk next to Burdõl and find out what the traveller was and why the dwarf mentioned him as ‘something else’. I am eager to hear, what he has to say. If that ‘thing’ is no human, than what is it?

  "Look, I am not sure that I should be the one to tell”

  “What?! You were happily shouting about it a few ‘jumps’ ago!” exclaimed the boy. He did not seem to understand why Burdõlbacked out as they walked in the cold snow.“Listen! It is not something you want to talk about, especially in his presence! I tell you, once he left”whispered the dwarf as quietly as possible. None of them noticed that Agaroth stopped and was now waiting for them. When he was close he started talking, quickly in a deep voice.“If you stopped talking then you should probably listen. The only way down from this mountain is a long way ahead with a great journey. We should get some rest here then make our way through the region at sunrise”he pointed his finger at a small place which was a small hole in the wall which was fairly protected from rain and the snow if it were to fall from above but if it were to get a bit of help from the wind and change its direction to move to towards the side, the ‘shelter’ would be exposed and the potential people or beings using it could have a hard time surviving.“So, you are coming with us then?” asked Arkain.

  “Well, do you see any way down apart from jumping?”answered the traveller hastily and made the dwarf giggle a bit to the boy’s surprise.

  “Why are you so mad?”

  “I do not want to be here that is all. Now if you excuse me, I want to get some sleep!” He said and fell down onto the cold ground to turn in for the night.

  “Princess” murmured Arkain.

  “I think he heard that” spoke Burdõl as Agaroth stood up and was making his way towards the two of them.

  An angry man and his followers

  “You tell me, that he failed?!”

  “No, you’re Lordship! They have merely escaped! And now they cannot get down for a long time. It should be a perfect time to send people up!”

  He was only a mercenary. And what would a mercenary know about any of this? Only a mercenary; he wore tight leather armour with rusty swords on his side. We cannot get there fast enough! The mountains would slow them down for now, yet there isn’t any time to spare. I cannot send an army, nor a group. Only pairs, or ones. He continued to think about it, while the man left. It was now only him in the big throne room. It was dark and a few torches were served as lighting, and the occasional lightning. Still, it was dark. In the middle, one would even get lost, the flames only managed to light the sides of the corridor. Next to the throne in his own chair was the High Priest sitting, staring into the distance, planning his next move steadily. Most of the cards are gone from the table and there are only a few left. Which one, shall I pick? The rain’s pounding on the diamond shaped windows was metronomic as the seconds went by. We cannot get there in time anyway. So I just have to find something that can. Or make something. His mind slowly started to settle on one of the many ideas. Then, eventually he decided to stand up. His footsteps echoed on the hard marble. The doors screamed as he passed through them. When he swingedopen the last door and entered, a small room welcomed him. His own chambers. On the sides, bookshelves stood, and in the middle at the back a great big bed on which anyone would have an easy night. But not this man. He did not intend to sleep just yet but researched something that he have long forgotten. He lifted one of the hundreds of books from the shelves and opened it.“Damn these lights!” he shouted and grabbed a candle then placed it on a table, onto which he would sit down later. For hours he researched and for hours he suffered until he found the exact page that could potentially solve his problems. Then, he hurried along the long corridors again to find the only one he could trust at the given moment. Although it might change for tomorrow. Never the less, I need him for now.When a similar figure could be drawn out in the darkness of one of the towers he walked up to it.“I need as many men as you can get. As many warriors as you are able to get who are willing to give their lives to me”

  “May I ask what you are intending to do again, sire?” asked the pale but tall figure and stretched his eyes as far as he could to try and work out what was happening at this time of the night.

  “If you dare speak of this I will cut your tongue out! There is no time. Just bring me men. Fast!” said the Pope and frantically ordered the pale man to get out and find what he was searching for this instant. Yet again he was the only one in a room as the door have closed behind him.

  Chapter 11: High up…

  Nights were as cold as days as the time speeded on. Sometimes the air was equal to liquid ice and froze anything it touched. When this statement was true, the view was spectacular because at these kind of times there were no clouds anywhere and if one would have looked around, he would not only see the never-ending land but the clear sky as well. Clear, plain sky that kept changing colour throughout the days. After a while all of this managed to take off the mind of Arkain about reality. And the reality was, that they were storming through cold and hard snow, sometimes ice as well, through rock, stone, and air. The days were cold but the nights too. Even though he tried to make that his excuse, that wasn’t really why he stayed up and stared at the clear stars for hours and hours.“Arkain? What are you doing?” whispered Burdõl.

  “I do not think I ever saw stars before”

  “What? How old are you?”

  “I don’t know”

  “Where did you live before?”

  “I don’t know”repeated himself the boy painfully“look, I do not remember who I am or who I was since I met Agaroth. I don’t know why and I barely know anything about all of this”he pointed towards the infinite lands and forests. In the distance a few blinking lights could be seen, probably they have belonged to travellers or campfires. This was far and far away in the distance. So far away that if you closed your eyes and then opened them again you would have lost both of the small points. Around the mountains complete darkness ruled. Blank, dark grounds where nothing could be seen. Even the moon and the stars were too far away tonight to light up the surroundings. All the trees and bushes, all the grass and flowers, all the rock and stone, all the hunter and prey stood in complete silence waiting for the circle in flames. Too bad they did not rea
lize that it is not going to come this early. Most of the night is still ahead of them. Some will die, some will survive. That is mostly up to them, and a bit of luck.“This feeling have grabbed me and I cannot let it go. It is like no-one is here with me. It feels like…” continued the boy.

  “You are alone?” guessed the dwarf.

  “Yes” agreed Arkain.

  “Then you haven’t forgot about everything. I don’t think feelings count as memories but you still have them. You should feel lucky” spoke the dwarf with great knowledge and understanding. To this Arkain was surprised.

  “I have not seen this side of you. What happened?”

  “Me? What do you mean?”

  “What you said. I did not hear you speak like that ever before”

  “Well, now you have.‘Now, if you don’t mind I would like get some sleep’” imitated BurdõlAgaroth’s words cheerfully and turned around to get some rest. His head and body was facing towards a rock wall.

  “Burdõl?”

  “Yes?” asked the dwarf painfully and slowly.

  “Do you think I am a normal?” Burdõl hesitated for a moment not knowing what would be a good an acceptable answer. Then he opened his mouth but no words came out of it. He tried again.

  “Depends on what you think of yourself. If you would be normal then you wouldn’t have survived this much. Trust me kid” This time it was Arkain who hesitated. Then opened his mouth.