Jasper whirled and danced, elegantly killing with his blades like a masterfully choreographed dance. He opened throats and severed limbs with surgical precision, dropping body after body to the dirt.
Camdyn fought less artfully, though he was no less effective. He hacked with brutal intensity, splattering just as much gore on himself as he did on the ground. His blade was like a woodsman’s axe chopping down trees.
Even so, the gron kept pouring out of the forest, shrieking and racing toward them with reckless abandon.
"What did you do, woman?" Jasper shouted over the din of fighting. "Did you bring an entire army down upon us?"
The mage girl did not answer. White light arced from her fingertips and blasted into her enemies, sending them crashing hard to the forest floor. Even Jasper could sense that she contained enormous power but that her abilities were raw and unrefined. Her spells seemed just as like to hurt her as they would the gron.
Gritting his teeth, he fought on, slashing and stabbing like a terrible whirlwind of death.
Behind him, one of the horses screamed as a handful of gron butchered it, piercing it again and again with their short spears. The other managed to break away from the tree that held it, whickering in fright as it galloped off down the road.
Looks like we’ll be walking back to Old Barrow, he thought to himself bitterly.
Further into the wood, several of the gron had gathered themselves together and begun using their bows, lobbing black-fletched arrows at them in haphazard arcs. One of the shafts struck Camdyn in the upper part of his arm and the big man cursed in pain, staggering backward and allowing more of the beasts to swarm around his position.
“Burning hell,” Jasper swore, yanking Vehemence out of a gron’s belly and spilling out it’s entrails. “They’re going to overwhelm us!”
The woman had backed herself up against a tree and was shooting out blasts of golden fire from her palms. She looked to be on the verge of collapse. “Get them off me and I can drive them away,” she cried, crossing her copper vambraces to form an X in front of her. This formed a translucent shield that her attackers could not penetrate. “I know a spell that could save us!”
Jasper did not hesitate. He broke away from the three gron that held up and dashed over to where she stood. “Sellsword, you’re going to have to hold your own for a minute,” he shouted.
Camdyn grunted in reply. “What do you think I’ve been doing?”
He managed to dispatch the creatures surrounding her in short order. The first one, he decapitated straight away. The next, he sliced from neck to navel, sending it shrieking to the ground. He cut the legs out from the third, separating its feet from its body, and the last ran away in fear, shouting in a guttural language that he did not understand.
“Thanks,” the woman breathed as she released her shield. “Now hold them off for a moment while I prepare the spell.”
“Yes, your majesty,” Jasper growled as he turned to face down the newest wave of gron.
Arrows were still flying, but they were poorly aimed and did not come close to hitting him. Despite the arrow sticking out of his arm, Camdyn managed to hold his own against a half dozen of the creatures, swinging his sword in great arcs and keeping them at bay.
Behind him, the woman made intricate movements with her hands, muttering words that he could not hear as her entire form began to glow with energy.
A gron lunged at him with a rust-pocked sword, but Jasper dodged out of the way and lopped off the arm with a lazy downward chop.
This spell of hers better work, he thought as he blocked a clumsy attack from another beast. Otherwise, I’m running back to civilization and leaving these two to fend for themselves.
Fortunately, it did not take long for her to complete the incantation. The golden nimbus surrounding her quickly turned a violent red, and flickering tendrils began lashing out from her fingertips and striking the nearby gron. When the tendrils hit, the creatures burst into flames, igniting them like living torches and making them to writhe in agony. The effect was devastating, even if she only managed to burn a dozen or so of the attackers. The fires leapt from gron to gron as they bumped into on another in their attempt to flee, and the flames even began to catch the foliage, burning fallen leaves and small bushes beside the road.
In a matter of seconds, the attacking army of brutish half-men was in full retreat, running desperately away from the magical inferno that had claimed so many of their friends.
Coughing from the smoke, Jasper turned to help the woman as she had fallen to the ground. He pulled her to her feet and dragged her away from the smoking fires. Camdyn was there an instant later, and together the three of them trudged down the road to safety.
“Probably going to burn the whole damn forest down,” Jasper grumbled as soon as they stopped to rest.
“I don’t think so,” Camdyn replied, resting his hands on his knees to catch his breath. “This part of the kingdom gets more rain than anywhere. Everything is always wet. The fires will die out before they can burn a few trees.” He winced, looking down at his arm where the arrow stuck out painfully. “I’m going to need to take care of this.”
Straightening, he reached up and took the shaft of the arrow in a bloodstained hand. Then, after taking a few quick breaths, he snapped the fletching off with a clean crack. He tossed the broken bit of arrow off to the side and replaced his fingers on the length of wood still sticking out of him, closing his eyes and grunting in pain. With a push and a shout, he shoved the arrowhead through the meat of his arm and then pulled it out the other side.
The woman gasped, but Jasper merely eyed him impassively. “You’re not afraid of pain, I’ll give you that.”
The big man swooned, and for a moment he looked like he might pass out.
“I’ll be fine,” he mumbled, reaching up to stem the flow of blood. “We can sew this up when we get back to Old Barrow.”
“There’s no need,” the woman said, tentatively walking up to the mercenary and pulling his hand away. Camdyn let her do it, his brow furrowing as she gently touched his wound. Jasper watched curiously as well.
There was a murmured phrase and a flash of light, and then Camdyn gasped in shock. He staggered backward and reached up to clutch his arm, his eyes wide and his jaw going slack. “What did you do to me?” he bellowed.
The woman raised a finger and pointed. “Look.”
All eyes went to the wound. It was difficult to make out by the light of the stars, but Jasper could see that where a bloody hole had been just a moment before, there was now clean skin, smooth and unbroken. Using nothing but her magic, the foreign woman had healed his wound.
“Gods above,” Camdyn whispered, his lips forming a half-smile. “That’s incredible.”
“You’ll need to eat,” she said wearily, wiping the blood from her fingertips with the hem of her robe. “The healing makes you especially hungry, and you’ll need sleep as well. In a few days, you’ll be back to full health. There won’t even be a scar.”
“You’re a desert sorceress,” Jasper observed . “A mage from the White Tower of Kaarna.”
“Kaarna,” Camdyn repeated, suddenly wary.
“I am,” she said proudly, drawing herself up to her full height. “My name is Razja Saliib, and I am a servant of the Tower of Amun’dar.” Then, after a brief pause, her face fell. “Or... at least I was.”
There’s a story there, Jasper mused, looking over her with a newfound respect. I’m not certain I want to hear it.
A cold wind gusted through the trees, rustling the branches and dousing them in icy air.
Razja shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to find someplace warm, now. It’s been a rather long journey.”
Camdyn nodded slowly. “As you say. Old Barrow is up the road. It’ll take a few hours on foot, but we should get there before the sun comes up.” Gesturing with a gloved hand, he led the way toward the settlement without even looking to see if t
hey were following.
Chapter Four
It was almost dawn when they finally arrived at Old Barrow. The rising sun was nothing more than a purple line on the eastern horizon. Jasper, Camdyn, and Razja trudged up to the rickety wooden gates, their weary footfalls crunching steadily on the hard-packed dirt of the road. With the loss of their horses, the going had been slow, and none of them much felt like talking after the events of the night. They mostly walked in a distrustful silence.
We’re a motley group, Jasper thought as he glanced over the other two. Not my choice of companions, to be sure.
The guards recognized them as they approached and immediately moved to let them through. However, as soon as they saw a Razja, they hesitated. No doubt seeing a foreign woman from an enemy realm made them uneasy.
“Hold,” one of them said, raising a gloved hand. “Not sure we can let this one in.”
"Listen, friends," Jasper said, an iron edge to his voice. "I've had a very long night and I would very much like to drink a little ale and fall asleep in a warm bed. I've killed men for trying to bar my way before. Now, ask yourself is this: is keeping this young lady out of this midden heap of a town worth losing your lives?" He tapped the hilt of one of his blades to emphasize his threat.
The guards looked at each other uncertainly.
Camdyn came in a bit more gently. "Come on, lads," he said, nodding at each of them and turn. "Over the last month, I've helped keep the peace of Old Barrow. You know that I am not a troublemaker."
This seemed to put them at ease. After a moment of consideration, the guards finally relented.
“On your way then,” the first one muttered gruffly. “But make sure you keep an eye on that Kaarnish lass.” They pushed open the gates and let them through, both men obviously avoiding Jasper’s eyes.
It was still too early for any of the townsfolk to be up. The wide, mud-churned streets were still completely deserted, and nobody accosted them as they made their way quietly to the old man’s house.
Jasper did not even bother to scrape the mud from his boots as he pushed his way inside. The place was filthy enough as it was. A little extra muck would not make a difference. He led the way into the darkened interior, and Razja and Camdyn followed behind him. They found the Wanderer waiting for them, sitting contentedly on his chair in the blackness.
Candles suddenly sprang to life as they approached him, filling the entire house with a warm wavering light.
"Ah, Razja, it's so good to see you," the old man said, his lips twisting upward into that disconcerting smile of his.
Razja's eyes opened wide, and for a moment Jasper did not know whether she meant to run, attack, or embrace the old man. Her face was unreadable as she seemed to consider what she was going to say.
Eventually, she merely replied, "I can’t believe that it's actually you."
The wanderer cackled. "Of course it is, child," he answered wryly. "Who else would it be?"
She faltered. "I... am not sure what I was expecting."
The old man nodded somberly. “A trait that your companions both share, I fear. It is difficult to expect the unexpected. Nothing can fully prepare you for what is to come." He paused, as if waiting for the words to sink in. Then, he abruptly pointed at the satchel on Razja’s hip. "I believe that you have something for me."
Razja reached down and unslung the satchel from around her neck. Then, she flipped open the flap and reached inside, pulling out a large, cloth-wrapped bundle bound with rope. She unwrapped the package and revealed a ruby larger than any gem Jasper had ever seen. It was long and tear-shaped, with a glittering multi-faceted surface that reflected the light of the candles. It was approximately the length of her forearm and was as wide as both of her hands put together, fingers extended.
Jasper gaped. Camdyn let out a low whistle.
“Thank you, child,” the Wanderer said, grinning widely. He reached forward gnarled hands to accept the jewel.
Razja looked apprehensive at first, but she lowered her gaze and gave the ruby over to him all the same. “It is death to bring this to you, stranger. My life is now forfeit.”
The old man cradled the gem like a newborn child, stroking its surface lovingly with his dry, leathery touch. “The sorcerers of Amun’Dar never understood what they protected. If they knew what this was, they would have thrown it into the depths of the sea long ago.” His voice was a frail whisper, a rustle of dead leaves. He seemed to regard the enormous stone with a profound sense of reverence. “Do not worry yourself over the laws of men, Razja Saliib. The affairs of the gods are what should concern you.”
“You speak in riddles, old man,” Jasper accused, balling his hands into fists at his sides. He was beginning to lose his temper with the miserable wretch. “I would have you speak plainly, for once. Why have you brought us here? What is this mysterious quest that you would have us embark on?”
“I was wondering the same thing, myself,” Camdyn rumbled to his side.
The Wanderer sighed and rested the ruby in his lap. He turned his sightless gaze on the three of them, suddenly looking frailer than Jasper had ever seen him. “Now that Razja has joined us, you are ready to hear the truth. I implore you to listen, as I am about to discuss matters of grave importance. Have any of you heard of the Tears of Eternity?”
All three of them shook their heads.
The old man harrumphed. “I am not surprised. It is a legend as old as time itself – a remnant of an age long before recorded history.” Taking a deep, wheezing breath, he dove right into the story.
“Long ago, two great dragons roamed the world of Thel’Varden, shaping it to their pleasure and protecting the creatures that lived upon it. They were brothers, you see, and their names were Draxxes and Zoracles – the demigods of this world. For countless years they lived and built, using their considerable powers to create the land on which we now live.” He paused and inclined his head, as if remembering a distant memory. “Then, one day, they were approached by a true god – a being of light and power called Aeo.”
Jasper thought he had heard this story before. It was strange, but for some reason, he thought that the old man had a personal connection to the tale.
The Wanderer continued. “Aeo struck a deal with the dragons. If they protected his creations – mortals that he called humans – then he would bestow upon them immortality, a gift beyond even their powers. They agreed, and for a time, they acted as the guardians for the human race, protecting them from threats real and imagined beyond the skies.” His voice fell to a faint whisper, his fingertips drumming on the surface of the great jewel in his lap. “But when the dragon Draxxes saw the destruction that men themselves could sow, he sought to destroy the mortals that he had sworn to protect.”
“Yes, yes,” Jasper interrupted impatiently. “I’ve heard all this before. The brothers fought each other and then Draxxes was banished to the Shadow Realm. Get to the point, old man, and tell us why you’ve brought us here.”
The Wanderer did not seem angered by the outburst. He smiled sadly and slowly bobbed his head. “You may know the story, Jasper Aurelio, but one important detail escapes you. When the great god Aeo imprisoned Draxxes for his treachery, he sealed his prison with his own godly magic. He shed three tears to act as keys to the Shadow Realm and scattered them across the face of the world.” He gestured at the gemstone. “The Tears of Eternity.”
He then hoisted the ruby up with both hands and let go, leaving it to levitate in the air above his head. Then, he reached to the side and picked up a polished rosewood box from the refuse pile next to him, pulling off the lid and dropping it to the floor. Inside, Jasper saw another gemstone, only this one was the rich green of an emerald. Unlike the oblong ruby, this one was rough-cut and round, and was roughly the size of a fist. He picked it up and it, too, floated in the air beside its crimson brother.
Camdyn’s eyes widened in recognition. “You mean, I–”
“Yes, Camdyn Taurus,” the old man crooned. “L
ike Razja Saliid, you played a role in bringing me one of the Tears of Eternity.” His smile was a broken, yellow ruin.
“If these jewels are the keys to a dragon god’s prison, then what do you want to do with them?” Razja voiced the question that was on everyone’s mind.
The Wanderer quietly regarded them all with his blindfolded eyes, and for a moment he did not reply. Then, finally, he spoke, his wrinkled expression thoughtful as he leaned back in his chair. “There are dark forces in this world that would see Draxxes the Defiant returned to Thel’Varden. They seek to use him like a weapon for their own nefarious purposes.” He motioned to the glittering Tears spinning in the air above his head. “Without these, they have no hope of unlocking the prison. Make no mistake – if Draxxes were to escape, he would lay waste to the entire world.”
“You said that there were three,” Jasper remarked as he examined the Tears. “Where is the third?”
The old man smiled. “That, my dear assassin, is why I have brought you here.”
Camdyn, who Jasper thought was the slowest of the group, frowned to himself as he listened. “You want us to find the third Tear?”
“Precisely,” the Wanderer answered. “The sapphire has long eluded me, but no longer. I know where it is, and I need the three of you to retrieve it for me. That is the quest for which you have been gathered.”
Jasper snorted. “A simple retrieval mission? Surely a common delivery boy would have sufficed.”
“Do not underestimate our enemies.” The Wanderer’s voice had grown as cold as ice. “Those who seek to steal the Tears are a fanatical cult. They are ruthless and utterly without scruple. They, too, know the location of the sapphire and are actively working to take it.” He stood up and plucked the gemstones out of the air and held them gingerly in both hands. “This is not simple retrieval mission, it is a fight for the fate of Thel’Varden itself.”
Tears of Eternity Page 3
