by Susi Wright
Xandor smiled his gratitude as he handed over his charge, placing her in Sumar’s arms, and with it responsibilty for whatever might happen next, when she woke. He was more than ready to turn his attention to things he knew how to do. . .like fighting! He was well-versed in the art of combat, from constant exercises and numerous minor skirmishes, but this would be his first real battle.
With that, he left Sumar, holding the Lady Saria in his capable arms, and one other warrior with them as a guard and led his handful of men into the air towards the northern hills. He hoped Churian had left some kind of physical signs for them to follow, because none of them, even Dak, was exceptional enough to rely on Gaian perception in this conflict.
Their flight path took them over the burned wasteland to the forested border ranges, in the direction Churian had told Sumar he would take. Sharing the lead of the formation, Xandor and Dak flew abreast, conferring on Luminor’s possible battle strategy. Xandor had always done very well in his studies of that subject, was familiar with tactical theory. Dak, however, had experienced first-hand the reality of numerous lesser conflicts during his two score years; Xandor was glad to have his insights, as well as the mental protection he continued to provide for the entire group.
Unfortunately, the Xian formation had long-disappeared over horizon. And without sight of the elder warrior ahead of them, they would have to search as he did, in the forest below. They were alert for signs he might have left, or for Luminor’s encampment.
Initially, it looked as though there would be no clues. Xandor began to doubt they had taken the correct route. Even without sense-sign, all Gaians were excellent trackers and could pick up the least natural sign of disturbance in the environment. Nothing in the canopy of the forest was out of place. It would be customary for a veteran like Churian to leave a broken branch, a cluster of intertwined vines or attach a sign to a topmost bough such as one of the small, soft white feathers, a handful of which they each carried in their satchels for this campaign. Then, slightly to the right, Xandor spotted a flash of white which turned out to be one of those very feathers, deftly attached to a tall tree top with fine twine. It hovered high on the gentle breeze, almost under their noses as they approached. Removing this, since no-one needed to follow them now, they sighted a cross of broken twigs projecting an extra metre from the canopy a little further on. They continued due north, as these signs directed, for quite some time without seeing anything else.
It puzzled Xandor and Dak why they had seen no more clues, even though they had zig-zagged carefully across the apparent route. This method of search always turned up something. They continued north, guessing there would have been no reason for Churian to deviate from this path and perhaps he had been deliberately frugal with sign. Besides, visibility was deteriorating. The mist and light drizzle that had developed in recent minutes reduced the chance of spotting clues anyway.
Suddenly, they heard a terrible commotion up ahead. Before they could sight anything, their excellent hearing had picked up the sounds several furlongs away. A loud flapping, rustling and cracking of branches, then a sharp curse in Gaian followed by a reply, gave away the involvement of a fellow warrior or two in the tussle, though neither voice was Churian’s. Peering into the mist that hung over the trees, Xandor and the others hurried towards the noise, initially assuming that some of their brothers were in trouble, until Dak urged caution.
“Hold back, my friends! Remember, that is also the language of our enemy!”
That halted their flight and they swooped down into a tall treetop to assess the situation. There was a desperate struggle going on a hundred paces away. If they were to be of any assistance they would have to act quickly. It was obvious that there were Gaians down, fighting off a wild beast. When the creature swooped up above the canopy, they recognised the huge kudros, shocked to see one at all, let alone this far south. It was preparing for another dive at the men below. A couple of arrows whizzed past them, presumably aimed at the beast; one barely missed Dak’s ear. Then another yell. Melu’s name! Someone issued an order to get Churian under cover.
That was all Xandor needed to launch himself towards the fracas, drawing his bow and nocking an arrow as he flew, with his men right on him, doing likewise. As they swooped toward the small clearing, they recognised two of their clansmen, swords in hand, having used all their valuable arrows. The men were doing their best to deal with the hungry kudros, which seemed intent on diving for the two other figures on the ground. One of the two was Melu, with his distinct, overlong hairy arm and unusual body-shape. He was dragging a body towards the shelter of a hollow tree-trunk. Recognisable by the distinctive, long grey hair, the limp form was Churian. He was injured. Badly.
The two men air-cloaked around the beast, slashing out with their blades while trying to avoid its snapping jaws, in an attempt to draw its attention from Melu and Churian. Xandor’s group let fly a flurry of arrows at the kudros. Incapacitated, the creature slumped out of the air, its wings ripped to shreds. Down, flightless, and now with an injured leg, the crazed beast still continued to drag itself along the ground towards its intended prey.
A man lay motionless and bloody at the edge of the clearing, tangled in a voluminous cloak. His comrade hurled himself onto the kudros back to deal the killing blow. Dak leaped to join him, the two of them simultaneously driving their blades into its neck and back, severing its spinal cord in two places, killing it instantly. As the large body toppled sideways, the men somersaulted to the ground to examine their fallen brother.
Xandor made straight for Churian, his heart pumping, desperately hoping that his beloved mentor had not been bitten. He crouched down into the tree hollow beside Melu who was cradling Churian’s head in his lap. At first glance, he couldn’t see any teeth marks, although Churian’s unconscious body was covered in scratches and his clothing was in tatters. He had an injury to his head which bled profusely – the first thing to deal with. Churian was losing too much blood. Melu tried to staunch the flow with his large hand, pressing on the wound. Xandor rummaged in his satchel for Prian powder, poured a small amount into his palm, struggling against the dryness in his mouth to spit enough saliva to mix it to a paste. He replaced Melu’s hand with an application of the thick salve and held his own hand on it. He hoped fervently that Dak’s mental shield held through all of this and also covered the prayer which he sent without thinking, to the Ancestors. For Churian’s survival.
The others, who went to attend to the injured warrior on the edge of the clearing, found their comrade badly-bitten and already close to death. His arm had almost been severed by the beast’s sharp teeth and his torso was striated with creeping purple veins. The warrior groaned with the excruciating pain of the poison, as it quickly took a grip on his body.
One of the men cursed. “It’s too late! Nothing can be done for Brother Celo! There’s no time for even Lord Luminor to try – he has only minutes!”
The other remarked, “He was so proud to be chosen as Melu’s carrier, but the new cloak was surely unlucky for him!”
His comrade added, “I have heard it is the most painful death in this Existence! I wish there was something we could do to ease his passing!” They fell silent, feeling some of their brother’s pain.
Xandor heard the remarks, thinking immediately of the lubio he still carried. He was glad he had thought to bring it. He palmed the bottle, rose to his feet and strode to those at Celo’s side. The men parted to let him close to the injured man, seeing the drug in Xandor’s hand.
“My Brothers, I can think of no better use for this!” He shook the vial. “There’s not much here, certainly not enough for an entire battle. But I think. . .enough for this!” He glanced towards Celo, who was already writhing in pain. Xandor’s eyes searched those of his comrades one by one, receiving their unquestioning agreement in each grave nod. They all knew that Xandor meant to use the entire contents of the bottle; a dose sufficient to deal with pain of this magnitude could also stop Celo’s hear
t. But was he not going to die anyway?
With the company in unanimous agreement, Xandor crouched beside his dying comrade. Celo thrashed in agony. Xandor beckoned two other warriors who moved quickly to hold the man still while he administered the drug into the gasping man’s open mouth and massaged his throat to help him swallow the dose in its entirety. Then Xandor joined the others, laying his hands on Celo’s chest to hold him gently while the lubio took effect. Every warrior knelt, keeping a respectful hand on his twitching body in a show of loyalty. Finally, Celo calmed and became still.
Whether it was the kudros poison or the drug which stopped Celo’s heart in the end, no one could know, but his friends were glad that the last minutes of his life were pain free. Their brave brother was now with the Ancestors and the burial of his body had to be attended to without delay. This was a small task with so many able hands. Celo’s oversized cloak was gently removed. It still had a use for carrying a passenger, even though it had notable shortfalls in a skirmish. The prayers were said as they worked, quickly making a grave deep enough to prevent wild animals digging it up; the task was accomplished in mere minutes.
The priority was to get Churian back to camp; the time Luminor had allowed Melu to return was running out. It was a hard fact. Luminor could not afford delay and his company might have departed already. They hoped otherwise. Churian’s injury was serious and Lord Luminor’s touch might give the boost he needed. To get that help from Luminor and to be of help to him in the coming battle, they had to hurry back and become acquainted with his plan before he departed.
Folding his own feather cloak and lashing it to his waist with twine, Xandor threw the larger cloak around his own shoulders. With a grunt, he picked up Churian’s limp body in his arms. Entrusting the sturdy Morvian to another man, he urged Melu, “Hold on tight with your one good arm, my friend – we do not want to lose you as well! Thank you for saving Churian’s life! I think he will live – if we can find him somewhere safe to heal. I know a place for him to recover. There’s a monastery not too far from here, but I will have to send two warriors to fly you both there. It will be far too slow and dangerous to attempt the journey on foot. We will try to get Luminor’s help first – if we can. Churian must survive! He is my own mentor and I love him dearly as a brother!” His mouth twisted in desperate hope. “And we still have much to learn from him!”
The warrior who had accompanied the others to rescue Churian led the way back to the forest encampment. The fliers employed the speediest wind possible considering they had two passengers. To their relief, when they came upon the camp, the army was still there. The mood among the men was tense. Luminor had sensed the enemy near the Plains of the King. Of course, he had delayed departure to help Churian. Nevertheless, he had given the order to be ready to move out if the rescue party had not returned in another ten minutes, so all the men were on their feet, armed and ready to fly on his signal.
Forsaking customary greetings, Xandor lay Churian down on the leaf-littered ground. Luminor hurried to place both his hands on the injured man’s head. He drew a sharp breath. “This is a very serious wound, it has very nigh killed him! The Prian has helped with the bleeding. But damage like this needs more than salve – if we want Churian to wake as the man we knew! I can begin the process, though it will be a long and difficult recovery. I am taking a chance using the healing power of Fire here, even though my shield has been strong enough so far. Because the latent element is mine, I can conceal it very well within myself. If I bring it into Existence, for any purpose, that concealment may not hold. I am confident our enemy has not yet seen us, but if anyone here can help to mask what I am about to do – ” he glanced quickly around the warriors closest to him, settling his eyes on Dak. “Welcome to a new talented brother, I see!” He smiled. “I take it, you wish to join us.”
Dak stepped forward with a deep bow of respect, immediately affected by Luminor’s powerful aura. Behind his mental mask, he was chiding himself. He realised how laughable it now was to have even considered asking this lord to assist in his resistance movement. Deep down, he had known all along that he was just part of something much greater. Now he had found it! He answered truthfully, placing his hand over his heart. “I would be honoured to swear my loyalty to the Alliance, my lord!”
“Brother Dak, your shield is commendably strong! You covered your companions well. I did not see your approach just now!” He flashed Dak another smile, hastening to add,”You are capable of more! I would value your assistance in this – one can never have too much help!”
With the assumption that Dak would set himself immediately to the task, Luminor began to draw on the Supreme Power, knowing that even though the Eternal Flame had been depleted, he would only need a flicker of it to begin Churian’s healing. He had learned that wise restraint and focussed application were the best measures with healing, as it was with all the Fires. Experience had given him easy access to the gentle Fire of Healing and he had used it often during these first years of the Alliance, though never before with his shield in place. He had also learned much about the simultaneous use of two or more faculties. It was all a matter of concentration.
Summoned from the Ancient Realm, the instant and familiar warmth rose in his core, but something gave him pause. This time it came with a caution from the Guardians. He acknowledged the danger in helping his friend, accepted the risk and continued to control the energy, gently directing the flow to his fingers so it could trickle into the brain injury. Such wise restraint when necessary, which had become so much a part of his psyche, would create the least disturbance in natural energy and hopefully keep them all safe. It was only just enough to begin Churian’s healing. There would be no visible change in his condition. The damaged man would remain unconscious for quite some time yet; he would need many such applications if he was to eventually wake. With the battle to attend to, Luminor hoped it would not be too long before he could continue Churian’s treatment.
Melu insisted that he would not leave Churian’s side. He and the two carriers would take the injured elder to wait out the battle in the safety of the monastery, under Sumar’s protection.
Luminor removed his hand from the patient, ceasing the thin flow of heat; with great care, he let it recede naturally to its source. It would have appeared and disappeared like any one of the numerous blazes, lucky decoys, that continued to flare and die down throughout the nearby wastelands since the misuse of Fire. The Dark One would be completely unaware that his own actions had been – would continue to be – instrumental in his undoing.
Luminor came to his feet to attend to the next order of business. He beckoned Melu, smiling assurance. He spoke in Gaian but rested his hand on Melu’s shoulder. “Brother Melu, you have proven yourself a worthy servant of the Alliance, saving Churian’s life, just as you promised. That you will loyally continue to protect him now is a testament to that loyalty and is commendable! His healing has begun. There will be more danger ahead, before he is well again, but I trust you will see it coming and take measures to keep him safe. I am honoured to call you ‘Brother!’”
Melu remained silent, simply conveying his obeisance and gratitude to his lord in his own special manner. His mouth stretched wide into a genuine smile, his eyes welled with emotion and he turned to attend to his sworn duty: to continue to care for the Gaian who had saved his life and the lives of his family, when all had seemed lost.
Xandor stepped forward with due urgency to pass on the information that Churian had not managed to deliver. “My Lord, the Dark One has a name – Xian. He has amassed a number of clans and an army of two hundred warriors. His mental edict holds them all in thrall – slaves to his ruthless plan. Dak, here – ” he smiled, “got us into the palace and we saw them preparing for battle. They have all the usual weaponry and are battle-worn, but are notably heavily-armoured – which begs a question – How much ability do they have in the higher talents?”
Luminor paced a few steps. “I know of certain weak
nesses, it is true. . .but Xian’s forces outnumber us and we cannot take anything for granted with such an adversary! He has strong talents, the assistance of some dubious magic and unprecedented ruthlessness!”
Almost as an afterthought, Xandor added the other major detail of the recent mission. “Oh – and aside from that, we have his wife in custody. It might be useful! We rescued the lady. She is safe with Sumar. Xian took her wrongly to wife and most cruelly treated her. She is my. . er. . Dak’s cousin. . . Lady – ” he looked quickly to Dak to fill in her name as if it had escaped him.
Dak gave Xandor a look of censure at this improbable short-term memory loss, smiling wryly. He sensed there was far more to this than forgetfulness. He also suspected that none of this would have escaped Lord Luminor’s perception. Nevertheless, he supplied his cousin’s name. “Lady Saria, my lord. She has title through this abominable marriage, but we do come from a noble clan. My uncle, aunt and twelve others were duped into joining Xian’s cause. Along with hundreds of other wanderers. I believe in my heart, that you, my lord, will be able to release them all!” His jaw tightened. “But I am not in agreement with using Saria as a hostage!” He stared at Xandor, stung by that suggestion, but a moment later dropped his eyes. The idea was only strategy – it wouldn’t work anyway, with the ruthless Xian. He turned to Luminor and bowed deeply to show his respect and complete loyalty.
“Thank you, Brother Dak, for your fealty. Welcome to our ranks! Contrary to my hopes, we face a cruel conflict – I deeply regret that it has come to this – brother against brother. We are all doing things against our natures. But the fate of many races who would find shelter in the Alliance hangs in the balance. I must engage this enemy and thwart his march of tyranny – whatever it takes! With the assistance of my loyal men and everything within my power, I have an excellent chance of victory. All the blocks and masks in place on both sides prevent me from sensing the final outcome, good or bad. But we have surprise on our side, though we will not remain hidden for long – of course, I cannot make us totally invisible. But you may be assured, however precarious the game seems at times – and war has always been a deadly game, a dance between the ancient rivals, Power and Love – it is written in the Stars that Love wins in the end! Whatever happens in the coming battle, the honour in that virtue is our impenetrable armour. We need nothing else!”
