After the disastrous events in the castle and they had lost both King Taihven and Princess Letandra, LLasher had left with Letandra’s Aberrisc friends, Scars and Ama’yen. On board his ship, the Corrta Da’Eale, they had headed out of the bay when they were intercepted by a ship owned by the Khestal Ezan Order. On it had been Taliah the Blood Seeress and the Order’s Headmaster, Tal Crowan. A small, thin man with long white braided hair and a silvery goatee.
After Tal Crowan and Taliah boarded, they convinced LLasher that they would be able to help free Letandra from The Bleeding Crown and restore the balance of the land. However, their efforts had been stymied by her Barrier of Storms which magically blocked any land and sea entrance as well as any magical efforts.
Plus, the new Ebon Queen’s own machinations. She outlawed the Khestal Ezan Order, labeling them a cult of traitors. Then the Beleardea Cult was reinstated and given powerful resources.
Rivyen was one of the Khestal Ezan’s strongest assets, a swordsman with his own collection of magical items. He had long platinum blond hair and a cropped brown beard. Strange rumors said that the man was from another plane of existence. LLasher only now remembered the two were to rendezvous along the Nestermaryn Forest Road about a mile outside of the port.
He stopped his mount and waited. The man caught up with him as LLasher was stepping off his own horse. LLasher said, “You did not have to–“
“–I grew concerned since neither you nor the Wyvernguards came to the meet. Where are they? Did they get to the courier?” Rivyen inquired as he dismounted. He was always all business and focused. LLasher admired that the most in the warrior.
“Not yet. Inside Port Scescima, Temerryk met up with the Pontiff. I gave chase as did the ex-Wyvernguarrd, but we could not catch them before The Barrier. I ordered the two to follow after.”
Rivyen stared at him, his eyes wide as his features began to tighten. He set his hands at his hips then turned to study the towering clouds.
“What is wrong?”
“You murdered those men? What were you thinking!” He growled, seething with emotion.
LLasher grabbed at his shoulder, turning him about. “What are you babbling about? They are soldiers. They know how to prot–“
“–YOU DO NOT CARE THAT THEY ARE MEN! YOU LABEL THEM SOLDIERS SO YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO ASK THEM THE IMPOSSIBLE. YOU DO NOT HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OR INSTINCTS TO LEAD MEN!”
Taken aback by the sudden flare of rage, LLasher gaped back at him, could not answer him.
Rivyen pressed his lips tight, pulled at his cheeks with both hands and shook his head.
“I…I do not believe they will die,” LLasher stated. “If they are quick and careful, they can slip in, ambush the scout and leave. The pontiff has surely escaped, but with some luck they can get to Temerryk. Perhaps. Why do you think…What makes you think that they will die?”
“If you were capable of conjuring up that storm, do you think you would stop there? Or would you put further protection or obstacles to prevent further trespass? She has blotted out the lands for a reason. Whatever she–IT is doing in there, The Bleeding Crown does not want anyone to see or know.”
“Alright, I see your point, but that does not mean they will be killed.”
“No one has ever come out of there! Even as we argue about it, they are surely bleeding, you arrogant ass!” He launched himself up to his mount and started pulling at the reins. “Follow!”
He left the ex-slaver in the plumes of the canyon’s dust.
LLasher was in shock but numbly followed the instruction and climbed up onto his saddle. He secured and adjusted the hatchet bandolier across his chest.
When he caught up with Rivyen, the man was back down on his feet again, crouching beside the boot tracks in the dirt.
“How long have they been in there?” he shouted trying to be heard over the howling fury of the storm.
“Not that long, but…I fear you are right as I thought they would be back out by now. I am sorry that I did not think this through.”
Rivyen glanced up at him. He gave no words of acceptance but nodded his chin toward the storm. He was armed in a broadsword and a short sword combination. They did not speak again as they steeled themselves and walked into the high winds.
For a few yards, the wind screamed in their ears and battered at their bodies nearly taking them off their feet. Each had to hunch over and walk in an angular fashion. Bitter chill air enveloped them. Hard rain mixed with tiny hail balls spattered at their exposed skin.
Abruptly, they passed into a calmer region. It was not the same as the inside eye of a hurricane, but more like if one found a valley that dipped beneath a raging storm between two mountains. Icy ivory fog obscured everything, but they could hear the roar and fury above and surrounding them.
They were in a world of only two colors now, gray and white. Nothing had any definition or sharp lines. The two men stepped closer together in order to not lose sight of each other.
Rivyen pointed at the ground where drops of red blood pooled and dribbled along the path. They began tracking the droplets.
“How far are we from the castle do you think we are?” LLasher asked.
“I cannot tell, but I am more concerned how far away we are to the Wyvernguard men. We should hear them, no?”
“I would dare not to call out. As you said before, who knows what protections or guards she has out here for any fools such as us.”
A shadowy mass appeared and charged out at them. It was a black horse, wild-eyed and frothing at the mouth. They jumped to the sides of the path as it raced past. It was saddled, but blood ran down its left haunch from an arrow protruding from its backside.
“That is the courier’s ho–” A scream cut off LLasher’s words. It was muffled by the fog and distance. Another closer scream of agony followed then another scream joined the first.
“I believe they are coming from this way!” Rivyen shouted and grabbed at LLasher’s leather vest, hauling him along after him.
The road wove ahead and between several piles of rocks and cut logs. The entirety of the lands before the castle appeared to have been flattened and prepped for an oncoming invasion. Deep trenches were cut parallel to the road and lined with spikes.
LLasher tried to ignore the skulls and half-rotted heads that were impaled on the spikes. His skin crawled as he sensed the dead’s eyes were tracking their steps.
Just past three large piles of boulders, a creature roared in defiance as the two invaded its territory. It was unlike anything he had seen before. The winged body was scaled with white, stone-like scales. It was comprised of three heads: a broad lion’s head surrounded by a massive snake head on its left and on the right shoulder was a horned reptilian head. The entire beast stood at least fifteen feet at its shoulder. Under one of its massive paws was the body of a headless soldier. LLasher immediately recognized the Wyvernguard armor, but he was not sure which of the two it belonged to.
How do you send a man to his death and not even know his name? He berated himself.
The courier’s parchment bag was pinned under the man’s legs. The two soldiers were able to overtake them at least!
“Go for the parcel! I will keep it occupied. GO!” LLasher exclaimed, charging the beast with his hatchets held high.
Seeing the oncoming challenge, the huge beast pounced to the ground, abandoning its victim at the top of the pile. Its feline body arched and kept low to the earth. A barbed tail swished back and forth in the air.
He circled away from the body and tried to keep the beast’s eyes on him as Rivyen crept carefully on the right.
The creature growled and hissed, but it focused upon the glinting steel hatchets. As it judged him, LLasher tried to determine if the creature itself had any opening or weaknesses. This was not going to be easy.
Lifting his hatchet high into the air, he cried out and lurched forward, only to feint to the left, testing its reflexes and reactions. Both the snake head and the lizard’s snout shot out, their jaws snapping and drooling. The beast was very quick and agile.
Taking another tactic, this time on the left side, he threw one hatchet at the snake head as he feinted back to the right. It dodged it easily as LLasher anticipated, but it did not expect the handful of sand he scooped into hand right after his throw. The particles covered the three heads in a brown shroud. All three screeched as the body reared back trying to get out of the cloud of debris.
He followed and swung in low with a hatchet thrust, straight into the exposed underbelly. It struck and sank into white skin, but the wound was not deep or even long, but it could be cut. One of the paws scraped the hatchet out as the creature leaped into the air. It was not done with the two of them, but it was taking full advantage of height.
Rivyen joined him with the courier bag in hand. “We have to go now.”
“I am not leaving the other man.”
“If you do not go now, you will never leave these men!”
“He could be–“
Shaking his head vehemently, Rivyen leaned in again. “I saw other creatures flying in the distance. It is not alone.” He pointed at the beast. “WE cannot take down one of them, let alone four or five. The other man is not here and no doubt, he has died somewhere else.”
“You coward!”
Rivyen swirled around, striking LLasher hard in the side of his jaw, knocking him onto his back in the dirt. He spat at the Camiyaan. “I did not put these men in here. You did! I am not afraid of this fight, but there is no honor in dying for no reason and I have too many people counting on me to get things done. Done right. Lie there then and let them eat you if your honor dictates that is the right thing, fool.”
He marched out of sight as he went back down the road with the parchment bag under one arm.
Swallowing his pride and seeing the validity of the words, LLasher quickly got to his feet and ran after him.
Above hidden in the gray blanket of sky, they both heard wings flapping and screeches called out and answered from other beasts in the distance.
“Faster!” LLasher urged.
The men were near where the Barrier grew furious again when a pair of the three-headed beasts landed heavily in front of them. Growling and mewling in defiance and anticipation for fresh meat. Behind the men, out of sight in the fog another pair of answering thuds shook the ground.
“Damn thee! No help for it now,” Rivyen cursed. He tore at his shirt sleeve and ripped it back from his wrist. On his arm was an inscribed band of bronze. He placed two fingers on circular patterns.
“We have to run off the path.” LLasher cried out.
“No, leaving the path is still certain death. Give me a moment,” he snapped and closed his eyes. “Grab my shoulder quickly!”
As the first pair of creatures bolted forward, a silvery light bloomed around the men and repelled the animals.
“How long can that hold them off?”
“I am not done. Do not let go!”
Suddenly the scene outside their silvery bubble altered and they stood on the shoreline of the Khestal Ezan Isle.
Rivyen released his fingers and the magic of the bubble dispersed.
“That was a nice trick!”
Rivyen shrugged. “It does not have many charges left.”
He wanted to apologize again for bring them into the mess of the Sea of Storms, but instinct told him his words would fall on deaf ears. The man’s point had been made and Rivyen was not the type to dwell on what could not be changed.
LLasher hoped he would find a way to make it up to him and regain his standing with the man.
There is no way to repay those men that he had easily sacrificed. Whatever they might learn from the parchment’s messages would still pale to the fact that their blood was on his hand.
I have never taken anyone for granted before like that. What has gotten into me? Am I changing or am I slipping because of all the failures?
He remained quiet as he followed the planar warrior again as they headed up the beach to the compound’s entrance. His introspection continued as he analyzed his actions and thoughts. He wondered if he really was fit to lead anyone anymore.
Look what his help had done for King Taihven, the city of Wyvenshield and the love of his life, Letandra.
His touch seemed to bring ruin.
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