Book One: Fate
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Chapter Fourteen: The Brood Of Noctern
Despite seemingly forgetting most of what had transpired, Tylor still seemed depressed to Joel. Not to the extent he had been told about by Leon, but woes and worries were definitely affecting his actions. There was nothing he or Karen could do for him though sadly he knew that. The weight of many problems bore down on his friend’s shoulders and no-one could help bear that burden with him. Karen was adamant that getting Tylor to Noctern would solve his problems.
He prayed that would be true.
The morning sky rising above the Great Forest’s edge did little to make the village look any more appealing than it had the day before. There was no grass or stone paving to walk upon between homes or around the large fire in the center; it was a swamp of trodden mud with a few houses slowly sinking in it. It had been a very uncomfortable and a sleepless night for them all, sitting around the large fire and lying atop small sheets resting on the logs and soil. Most of the inhabitants, even the children, wore tall boots a few sizes too large to stop them dirtying themselves in the mud.
Despite her continuing insistence that getting to Noctern with haste would solve many of their problems, Karen seemed intent on finding the mansion the old woman had spoken off the night before to see if it was true about her childhood friend still being alive. He said nothing of his concern about this detour however as the barrier between him and Karen had disappeared the past few days as they cared for Tylor and he did not want to spoil that by questioning her actions.
Directions given by the old woman had been vague at best. The Great Forest was named just that because of the vastness and amount of land it spread over. The old woman had said it lay to the western edges of the dense area and they would be entering it roughly in the direct center via a small road formed by horses’ trotting over it many years previous. The western edge led to nothing but a large lake according to Karen’s reckoning, which meant there was no easy path directly to that side. That meant they would only follow the winding path for so long before having to cut directly through thick sections of towering trees. She had estimated to him that they would reach the forests western edge by nightfall, that is, if they had to travel that far before finding the old mansion.
At the village, Joel had decided to ask the people a bit more about the mansion and the people who had made it. The mountain clan who had ventured down into Noctern seeking shelter a few years previous was of the race known as Dau. Joel remembered this race being mentioned by Leon when they were carting through the busy streets of Tentra when the cart they were in almost knocked down a small gentleman. Everything Karen had told them previously appeared to be completely true about them, though she left out some finer details. Considering how young she was at the time, it probably was not deliberate.
Dau (the mountain folk) traveled in clans for the most part, though it was possible to find the odd family which has strayed from their clan in order to start a business in a town or city. A clan could vary in size from anything around twenty Dau or up to over a hundred. They also had a longer life span than the average Man, Siran, and Lis, being able to live to the very full age of around one-hundred and thirty. The clan which fled the harsh weather of the northern mountains to seek asylum in Noctern were one of the bigger groups and because of this had to pay a lot for the service, hence why they offered to put their blacksmithing and architectural expertise to use in building a mansion for the noble council of Noctern.
The arguments over who would take over the Noctern council did not happen straight away either. The Dau clan had been in the city for almost two years before that happened. By then they had earned many friends with their good-natured friendliness and a level of amiability that was unheard of amongst men. It seemed that most Dau clans followed a life of pacifism and peace and did not concern themselves with war or feuds. In saying that, though, they did have particular skill in the crafting of elegant and stylish weapons using metals only found in the northern mountains. The old woman had explained that probably only created such things because of their beauty and not with any malicious intent.
The original Noctern council opted to ask them, the peace loving highly thought of Dau clan, to take their place when they would retire to the mansion they had built and everything would have went to plan had a criminal syndicate of Noctern not intervened at the meeting. The meeting Karen had briefly described to them between the old Noctern council and the diplomats of the Dau mountain clan was interrupted and they were all assassinated, sending the city into chaos. From this chaos appeared the rest of the things Karen had briefly mentioned to them in the past.
The once peaceful Dau clan swore revenge for those murdered at the meeting and left their pacifist ways to regain their honor. They tried their best not to involve the people of Noctern in the feud, but Noctern was without leaders and the syndicate formulated a fake council made up of its members to keep Tentra’s knights at bay. It was thought, by the other people Joel also questioned, that the Dau clan were wiped out in the great fire that had caused them to flee from their homes as Karen had done many years ago.
Never had he thought he would hear of such things. He certainly would not have, had he remained in Samilo. However, after hearing the tale Karen had once mentioned in such grizzly detail from others who had lived through it, he did wonder if it actually was better knowing of such things.
He had been lost in thought for so long that he had not even realized that he, Karen, and Tylor were well on their way through the Great Forest, following the dirt road which wound and weaved through the trees like they were walking atop a large snake. The last he remembered, they were sitting down to a full breakfast provided by the kind, but timid, people. At least they were on the way now, as the sooner they reached Noctern the better.
Although Tylor condition had improved, his friend still looked full of concern. Ever since he was engulfed in the blinding red light the day before he seemed lifeless, though still in pain. He had discussed it briefly with Karen again, but she had no answers for him and constantly reiterated that she did not think what happened was the work of anything to do with the Destined. She knew that he doubted he was hearing the full story, so in order to prove that she spoke the truth she allowed him to ask any three questions about the Destined and she would answer to the best of her abilities.
The first was the most obvious. He asked to hear the full story of the Destined, why they came about, when, and by whom. She smiled at him when he asked; she had expected that to be the first. Brushing her messy fringe to the side of her face, she sighed and said it would take longer than they had to tell him everything that she knew and that she did not know all the facts either. A little unwillingly, he accepted that answer.
The second question was a little easier for Karen to answer. He asked who the voice was that seemed to speak to both her and Tylor. She could only say that it was most likely the one who had created the Destined, though she was not sure.
The third question was asked clear and simply, he wanted to know what powers the Destined possessed and when Tylor would be able to use such power. Another smile appeared on her subtle lips, twice in as many minutes and to him of all people, it was a rare sight and made him uncomfortable to see her so cheerful towards him.
“That is a question Tylor should hear the answer to,” she had said, “Though I think it is better that he reach Noctern first. I will try to answer that question to both of you tomorrow evening.”
She had said that the day previous, which meant that very evening she would have to keep her word. Right now, Karen was walking in front of him, next to Tylor (who had barely spoken). He had murmured confused words as if talking to himself while trying to remember things which his mind would not let him. He had returned to being friendly though and he spoke to him as a brother once more and not with contempt as he had done in the cart.
They had walked miles, or it seemed like that to Tylor. Step after step, grass under foot, constantly moving between towering trees with bird calls echoing in the canopy above their heads. Sun beams shined through cracks in the trees, but most of the light was obscured by branches and the like. It made the forest feel very dark and foreboding, even during the day. And now, after walking most of the day, it was getting very late and the forest was growing even darker. It was still early in the evening however, and Karen was intent on covering more ground before stopping, hoping that she would see the mansion beyond every set of trees.
It was comforting to see Joel and Karen getting on, there was no hostility or hatred between them now and things were calm. If not for the constant reminders in his mind, of the dangers ahead and behind, then perhaps he would be able to be at ease. The thoughts of his mother’s death now lingered in his mind. So did the gray areas afterwards and then waking on the floor. Those gray areas where he knew memories should have been were a complete blur of random half obscured images. Tai had now taken both his parents and he was powerless both times. Up till a little while ago he was arguing with himself over the right to want the death of another person, but now he had no such conflict. The need for revenge had won him over.
Tai had to die and it had to be at his hands.
What guilt he might feel afterwards would be dealt with at that time. He did not speak of his new steely resolve to Karen or Joel, but he was now very interested in the power his mother had spoke of, that which he had inherited from Zan. Joel had let slip during the boredom of walking through the Great Forest that Karen had promised to tell them both of the powers she knew of come the night. He was growing impatient after hearing that. If he had power of some kind which would help protect those he had left and avenge those he had lost then he wanted the power, now.
“Karen,” he said, interrupting some conversation the others were having about the flora and fauna of the forest, “can we stop for a short rest, please.”
She agreed and they found some tree stumps to rest on until he was ready to move again. Only once they had all seated and looked out a canteen filled with fresh water from Karen’s pack did he announce that he wanted Karen to answer Joel’s question then and not later. Sighing, she asked if that was what he had planned all along. A shrug of his shoulders was the only reply she got.
“Alright, where to begin?” she asked rhetorically, passing from left to right. “You’ve actually witnessed some of the powers, if that’s what you want me to call them, though perhaps you did not notice, or realize, at the time. Though before I begin, I must make clear that I can only describe the things that I know are possible, I do not know the extent, or limit, of a Destined as I myself was only taught for a very short time. I want to know more about such things in Noctern as well.”
She paused, collecting her thoughts.
“Do you remember on the Sparda when we escaped from the storage room in order to get off the boat? In order to break the door open I had to use considerable force, my daggers blade was not strong enough to cut the lock or the hinges, but with the power in my arms I pulled the door open, severing the lock and by accident even breaking one of the hinges in two, I think. This was the first power that I discovered. Even at a young age, I found it easy to walk considerable distance and my legs did not pain me nor hinder me, it was like they were filled with an unearthly strength. However, as I grew older I started to lose this extra strength until I spent some time at a Katerano church where I was taught how to look within myself for the physical power. The monks were always quick to remind me that this was just a tip of a large iceberg and I had much more to learn…”
She paused, perhaps remembering other things from the times she was recollecting.
“…Unfortunately, that was not to be. Tai murdered those in the church, cutting my training horrifically short. You see, the monks had already planned out two years worth of training for me, but in the end I was only there for about three months before Tai found me. I seek just as many answers as you Tylor. I am not a fountain of knowledge on this subject, so please do not mistake me as that. Anyway, you wanted to know the other powers that I know of…This next one is one I have seen even you use, though I do not know if you were aware. The Destined are adept at healing from injury quickly, apparently we rarely bruise for long periods of time and cuts or other battle scars rarely stay. Remember the beatings we received in the bandit cave north of Cattra? Did you notice that you bare no reminder of that anymore? And nor do I.”
Joel looked to Tylor and examined his figure from top to bottom. He looked tired, hunched over and weary, but was listening attentively to Karen’s words. His mucky leather armor covered his chest and his shirt was over his arms so he could not be sure, but Tylor’s face was unscathed. His friend nodded and confirmed that he had no scars or lasting marks and that his side had not ached in days, he also added that he did not even notice when the pain fully stopped, it seemed to simply disappear.
Karen nodded and then continued her tale, “Other than that, I have experienced no more of the power of the Destined, though you have seen what Tai is capable of, haven’t you? That may be a prime example of what lies ahead for us in terms of abilities.”
Tylor was not sure whether to feel full of hope, or full of dread. Did he really want the power that Tai seemed to possess? The murderer possessed the ability to form balls of pure energy in his palms and kill countless people with little effort. However, with that power he could use it for good, to protect people and fight Tai on even ground. Temptation to use the power for wrong doing worried him greatly. He was pure of heart, he wished no harm to good people, but he could not tell how he would feel if he was able to do such destructive things.
Thinking too far ahead again, he thought to himself. I can’t summon up the strength Karen speaks of so any hope of being on par with Tai seems laughable. At least now I have more information and more detail of what my mother spoke of, the power of the Destined. I wonder how much of this power my father had. When he fought Tai he moved as fast as lightning, faster than any normal person. That must be part of the strength Karen spoke of.
He looked up to Karen, who was standing and preparing the back pack, clearly ready to move once more. Joel was starring at him. When he caught his young companions glance, Joel grinned at him. He could not help but crack a sly smile back at his young companion, not really understanding what he found funny. Maybe he was pleased those fantasies he had of brave warriors of Samilo were now partly true, but either way, he was happy and Tylor was content with that.
With the explanation over and with it the chance to rest, the trio returned to traveling. They followed Karen through the Great Forest. One by one the beams of sunlight coming through the leaf canopy overheard faded and began to vanish. The sun was withdrawing, ready to set in the distance far out of view. And still there was no sight of a large stone mansion crafted many years before by the hands of the mountain people and no great lake which apparently sat at its edge. But then, as Tylor felt his heart sinking, Karen pointed in front of them and slightly to the right, where a small light gleamed quite high off the ground, but not high enough to be a fading piece of sunlight. As they walked closer a wall came into view. The light was that of a candle sitting inside a window of the building beyond it.
They had found the mansion.
It was an elegant well crafted building just like the people of the small shanty village had described and was surrounded by quite a short wall with a tower on each corner. The mountain people were truly talented to say the least. It was two stories high and very long. The window that they had seen was on the second floor of its left corner and the front of the mansion was around to the right which was why they could not see the building in its full glory from a distance and a direction which faced its side wall. The rims of the roof draped over the edges of the building and twisted and intertwined with each other in a breathtaking display of well crafted mason work. The mansion had a fine coat of cream paint licked all over it, though now after so many years it had begun to show its age, peeling and leaving dirty gray parts of stone showing in some locations. The group wandered around the edge of the mansion and stood before a stoop of stairs ten steps high that lead to two large bolted metal doors. The doors were not as welcoming as the peaceful and beautiful architecture of the rest of the mansion. The doors however unwelcoming were indeed another example of the fine craft work done to the home. Into the metal a number of shapes had been carved, a very artistic design.
Karen walked up the steps slowly and then ran her hand across the shapes in the door. It did not look like writing, more just random shapes which appealed to the eye, but he had little knowledge of other cultures languages. She said nothing of them and moved her hand to a large clapper. It was thick and made of metal, metallic gray in color, and clapped with a loud boom as she knocked metal on metal. The sound echoed in and out. Tylor felt the pound within his chest as his heart beat in time with the three knocks Karen allowed the clapper to make. With that, she took a step back and moved her hands away from the door and waited to see who would answer their call.
It was strange. No other light could be seen from any window in the mansion, the only light was the sole candle shining in the window on the wall now on their left and out of sight. If there was anyone still living in this old mansion there could not be many of them, unless they preferred the dark to the light.
They waited, and waited, and waited some more, but no one answered the three knocks. Someone had to be in there though. Candles would not stay lit for years or light unattended and anyone within would surely have heard the knocks at the door unless they were deaf. Karen looked back at them both and told Joel to run around the side and see if the light was still on in the side window. Without a word, Joel nodded and trotted off to have a look. Returning just as quickly as he went, he informed them that the candle was still in the window.
Walking up to the doors again, Karen knelt down and examined its keyhole. She turned to them and explained that she should be able to pick the lock. Tylor and Joel were not sure that was the best thing to do since it did seem that there was someone in the mansion, but she explained that if they should run into anyone they could just apologize and say the door was ajar. The air was getting colder, it certainly was not the best weather to camp out in, and there in front of them they had a chance to hopefully sleep within warm walls and possibly in a bed. Temptation won the struggle of morals within him and he hesitantly agreed that she should try to open the doors.
“It’s lucky I picked up my tools in Tentra, I doubt I could break these doors like I did back on the Sparda,” she muttered to herself as she dug into her back pack for two small twisted metal rods.
Beside him, Joel swayed on the spot, moving his knees up and down and blowing into clasped hands. He silently agreed with his friend that it was getting chillier. The cold had grown in such a short period of time it was unnerving, it was so cold now that he could see each breath he exhaled before him. Joel caught a breath in his throat then looked to Tylor.
“Did you see that?” he questioned. “I’m sure I saw someone looking down at us from the window above the doors, on the floor above, did you see anything?”
He shook his head. He had been watching Karen twist and turn the metal rods deep within the doors lock, listening to each clicking sound she made.
“Perhaps someone decided to answer the door after all,” Tylor said, “but I did not see anyone at the window.”
“There,” Karen said, standing up straight. “It’s open, let’s go.”
She pushed one half of the door inward, allowing them to take a look inside. It was very dark and dull with a stagnant smell in the air. Cobwebs lined the corners of the floors and walls, and a chandelier towering above them was also covered in soft white thread. Even after stepping through the doors completely, little could be seen. Directly to the left of the main doors was another door, this one was wooden in make and bore no special markings. The right was similar, but had two doors rather than one. Straight ahead of them was a large staircase which parted in the middle and wound round to the floor above. Unlit candles lined each side of the wall that looked as though they had not been touched for many a year.
Joel snorted, “This place looks-
An angry hush from Karen shut his young friend up. She turned to them both and pointed above their heads, then put her finger to her mouth. Directly above them was the bottom of the top floor landing, it was old and wooden in make. At first he was not sure why Karen had made Joel stop talking, but then he noticed small specs of dust fall to the floor, first to the left of his head, and then directly above. A quiet bump sound with a clank of metal thrown in rung out as each pile of dust fell from the floor above. The dust was being loosened from the cracks in the wood in time with someone on the floor above walking slowly around the upper level.
The trio watched the dust as it traveled in time with the person above passing right over them and then along the upper left side of the first floor. A figure came into view on the balcony above. He turned and peered at them. His face and eyes were hidden behind an old copper helmet. The things he wore also looked aged and well wore, copper in make, but black and gray in color. The breastplate, belt buckle, and leggings were all of a similar make and condition. He walked with a strange rhythm, like he was held up by invisible strings, or found it difficult to move, like he was stiff all over.
“What are you doing in this place?” the figure asked slowly and in deep tone.
“I have come to find someone,” Karen spoke out. “I hail from the city of Noctern and was told that a childhood friend of mine now lives here. I know you are not him, but does anyone else who lives here go by the name of Andros?”
“This mansion belongs to Master Andros. I will tell him of your visit. Wait in the room on your left until you are called,” the puppet-like person in armor said.
With that, he slowly turned and disappeared above them somewhere. Karen strolled across the hall to the left hand door that was indicated and slowly twisted the knob. The door squeaked with every inch moved as she opened it, like it had not been touched for a long time. She called to Tylor and Joel in a low voice and then entered the room with them.
The condition of that room was just like the main hall, decayed and filled with cobwebs. A medium sized old dining table sat in the middle of the room with six chairs sat round it following its circular shape. There were more unlit candles on the wall in this room too and an old picture, its paint had faded with time. It was of a countryside view with plows in a field and farmers tending their land in the background. The sea was sitting in the top right corner. It probably would have been quite beautiful in its prime.
“Did you know that person Karen?” asked Joel. “He was acting kind of strange.”
“No I did not,” she replied. “I agree with you, but if Andros is here then I have to speak to him. Still, to be on the safe side, both of you wait here while I see what’s going on. If you hear a commotion or something like that, get out the front door and wait for me in the forest.”
He protested, but then he realized that she was thinking of their safety, not of her own. She was the strongest of them and quite capable of protecting herself should there be the need. And so he accepted that plan, there was no need for he and Joel to see Andros anyway, it would probably only create more questions he would have to ask her. With that decided, when there came a knocking at the door to single the dusty looking knight was back, Karen answered it and exited the room.
“I have a bad feeling about this, Tylor,” Joel said hesitantly.
Karen walked behind the knight, moving slowly to keep up with his snail like pace. He had only said “Master Andros will see you, follow me” when she answered the door. And now he was leading her towards the mansions main staircase. He tackled each stair like it was a mountain, his slow feet dragging and hitting down on each step. It was as though he required the mustering of all his strength just to make the next peak. By the top of the staircase Karen had lost all patience with the old knight.
“Point me in the direction of Andros’ room and I will go to it,” she demanded.
The old knight nodded his head forwards towards some double doors just left of the middle of the staircase, along the left upper wall. It had been too shrouded in darkness when the group first entered to have seen the doors. Karen thanked the knight and left him struggling up the last two of the middle stairs and strode up the left hand set two at a time to the upper balcony and the doors where Andros apparently waited.
Taking a door handle in each fist, she pulled them both open at the same time. Dust ridden air blew past her in a great gust as she did. Coughing, she wiped her eyes clean of the dust and examined the room before her. It was as dark as the rest of the mansion, save for a window directly in front of her, but at the opposite end of the room. Before the window, a figure was outlined, a person of average height stood looking out the window and not caring that the room was almost pitch-black. Karen entered the room, but did not close the doors behind her; else the room would have been plunged into complete darkness except the minimum amounts of light which shined in through the window. The pale figure turned and looked to Karen. His eyes examined her from bottom to top. She neared him with some tension, something was not right. Her apprehension grew with the small cautious steps she took.
“Is that you, Andros?” she asked with a quiver in her voice that she could not control.
“I thought he was lying to me,” a male voice said, “I can not believe it, it really is you! Karen Warren! It is I, Andros Marok.”
Joel would not sit still. Tylor followed him with his weary eyes while leaning against a window frame. Neither of them dared to sit in the old chairs that were round the table, they looked so weak that they would snap if they even touched them.
“How long has it been?” his young friend asked, fidgeting with his gauntlet.
“I wonder,” said Tylor with a smirk, “are you bored or are you worried about Karen?”
His young friends face flushed red, but he said nothing. Joel continued to pace until he walked to the door, touching the handle he said that he wanted to take a look about, but as he twisted the knob it stopped prematurely with a click. Letting it reset back round, he twisted it again, and again until he was sure what was wrong.
“Tylor, the doors locked,” he gulped.
He thought his young friend was joking, to get back at him for his remark, but it was true. When he too tried to open the door he found it locked. They had not heard a sound, no key turning in the lock, or a bolt being dropped on the door. He grew more worried and forced more of his weight against the door checking its strength. The door was old, but stood defiantly firm for the time being. Next, he tried knocking, but got no reply. After that; he tried calling to the knight and to Karen, but both calls went unanswered.
“Now you can start being worried,” Tylor said.
He pulled Joel over and asked him to take up the same position as him, with one shoulder up against the door and the free hand supporting it. It was obvious to Joel what he planned to do and needed no explanation; he simply nodded and said he was ready at the count of three.
“One… two…three!” Tylor cried.
On the cry of three, both of them pushed their bodies forward putting as much force into their shoulders as possible and struck the door together. The aging door could not hold back both of them and snapped from its hinges, falling with a clatter to the floor in the hall. As it touched down on the cold stone floor a huge cloud of dust was upturned and was sent swirling through the room like a mini hurricane. Joel and Tylor ran into the middle of the hall and scanned the top balcony. There was no sign of any old knight or of Karen, but there were raised voices coming from a room above them somewhere.
With a loud crash, some double doors on the top floor suddenly flung open. The doors had been obscured from their view before, there had been too much shadow cast over them. Karen ran out and almost right over the balcony bars. She saw them watching in shock from below and instantly looked more relieved. She called something to them, but was cut short as a frail white arm reached round her shoulder. She twisted on the spot inhumanly fast and kicked someone or something away from her. And then she stood still and peered into the darkness of the room that Tylor and Joel could not see.
“Karen!” Tylor cried to her, snapping her back to her senses.
With her senses returned, she slammed the double doors closed and leapt from the balcony. Landing on her feet unscathed on the bottom floor, she tugged Tylor and Joel by their arms and said that they had to leave right away. They quickly ran back to the waiting room and collected their packs before heading to the front door. Karen tugged on the door, but it had been locked just as the waiting room door had been, preventing their escape. She cursed under her breath. But then there was a deep knocking, on the outside of the large front door. Someone else was there, trying to get in.
“Step back!” Karen shouted, running a few steps towards the main hall stairs.
The doors went silent and for a few seconds everything else seemed to as well. Karen opened her eyes wide as if a six sense had warned her of something about to happen. She darted over to Joel and Tylor and shoved them to the side of the door. The very second all three landed on the cold dusty floor with a crash, the huge double doors of excellent craft bent inwardly and blew off their hinges, flying through the room and coming to a halt at the base of the staircase. As the doors flew across the floor they took with them all the dust on the floor nearby, it was like a wave which crashed down on the metal. Below where all the upturned dust had come from a cream color stone floor appeared.
The trio stood up and looked round the door to be greeted by a group of small people, all wielding swords and daggers. They had been responsible for the damage to the door and almost causing great injury to them. The group outside the mansion had to be Dau. Their appearance was similar to the one they had seen in Tentra except they were in small tightly woven leather armor and yielding what to them had to be like large broadswords, but to any normal sized man they would be short swords.
“They are not of the Brood!” cried one, taking a sharp glance at Tylor.
One Dau at the front, who did not hold a weapon, glanced at each of the trio and then deep into the mansion behind them.
“You three, what are you doing in this cursed place? Come brothers, we must call off this attack and lead these wayward sheep back to the farm!”
Karen was the first to leave the darkness of the mansion and stood amongst the Dau men. She beckoned to them and said that it was okay and that they should go now. Without a word, he and Joel joined the large group and were lead deep into the forest at great haste away from the mansion, heading east back roughly towards the path they had been using when they first arrived.
Back inside the mansion, Andros walked slowly out of the confines of the room that Karen had found him in with small, but proud and dignified, steps. His hands sat at his sides not moving at all. The old dusty knight greeted him at the top of the stairs and pointed to the destroyed doors that sat at the base of the stairs all bent and broken.
“Master, they have escaped. They were spirited away by a group of Dau clansmen,” the old knight whispered.
“No matter, though I did like those doors,” his master replied. “The sun has yet to set fully, so we cannot give chase, but the old master may. Send him after them, kill them all, save for Karen Warren, she must live.”
And then as if the house itself was awakened. A low and long painful cry echoed through the walls. It was the sound of a beast awakening to answer its new master’s call.
Tylor winced as his shoulder was caught on a branch hung low, another smaller twig cut him across the cheek as the group ran blindly through the forest. They had been running for a while and now it was getting very dark, he could not see more than a foot before him which was where Joel was running at high sprint trying to keep up with Karen and the Dau that had found them. They came to a reasonably sized clearing between two sets of trees and though this was open and void of tree trunks, the sky above was still clouded by the canopy of leaves of the larger trees. The Dau who appeared to be in charge of the small group looked back from the direction they had came. He muttered something in his native tongue to the others of his kind. They seemed to shrink back in fear and repeat one word over and over; Brood.
“What’s going on?” Karen asked them.
“We are being stalked, stay quiet and close. If you have weapons strangers, I would arm yourself.”
Karen pulled Tylor and Joel next to her, commanding them to place their backs against hers and watch the darkness for any movement. She drew her dagger from its sheath as she said it. The Dau had done the same, all half dozen of them and sat their circle next to them. The leader of the Dau had not drawn the large sword which sat along his back in an elegant red scabbard lined with small jewels. Instead, he drew a much smaller sword on his side.
Suddenly, the forest’s silence was shattered with an ear splitting screech coming from the direction they had ran from. It was as if a hundred birds had grouped together and called at the same time in order to form some deadly chorus. After a few seconds there was another screech, this time closer and much louder.
“It is worse than I feared; it is no Brood that they have sent. It is a Wraith!” the Dau leader cried.
The Dau seemed to grow even smaller and more afraid, sitting quivering with their little weapons in quivering hands. They were not nearly as eager as they had been to defend themselves before they had learned it was a Wraith. Tylor had never heard of this thing, but something with such a name and a screech of such ferociousness was obviously not to be taken lightly. He would get to see a Wraith close up soon however, as with a third screech sounded much closer than the second had.
“It’s too late to move!” A Dau cried.
“Stand your ground!” the leader shouted back.
And then a second noise startled all of them, this time to the opposite side, away from the direction of the Wraith. The sound of someone who had walked out from behind a tree consumed in darkness. A man stood with his arms on his hips hidden in shadow, looking like nothing more than a silhouette.
“Of all the places to run into you again!” the man exclaimed. “I find you with a group of Dau hiding in the great forest.”
A sigh of relief came over Tylor when he realized who it was. It was Demon Hunter Sansec, Leon. He had found them, even if by accident (or miracle) he could not have appeared at a better time. A forth shriek echoed through the old trees snapping all their attention back to the danger at hand.
“…A Wraith! I thought them to be extinct! Dau clansmen, I ask that you take my three friends here and seek refuge wherever it is that you have come from. I will take care of the Wraith, but there is one more favor that I must ask of you!”
The Dau leader stood looking at Leon’s tall figure, he squared his vision at the buckle on the belt Leon wore, and on it was a crest which Tylor had never noticed before. The Dau captain spat at the ground when he saw it.
“…A cowardly Atraian knight! We will take no orders from you!” he growled.
“This is no time to relive past differences and I had already guessed that you were of the Dau clan that came to Noctern. I will hold off the Wraith so that you may escape, but I require that you also save these three people and that I may also borrow the sword you bare round your back. It is made of dauraniam, is it not? My weapons will do no good against the Wraith, there are but two things which can wound it, a weapon crafted of dauraniam, and fire.”
“Please believe him,” Tylor cried, “Leon is a kind person!”
Without a word, the Dau captain unfastened the sword strapped on his back and handed it and its scabbard to Leon. He turned to his fellow clansmen and ordered them to carry on towards home. Looking to Karen, Tylor and Joel he told them to follow as best they could.
“Four miles east, half a mile north, look to the east for light, that is the location of our village,” the Dau leader said to Leon.
And with that they parted ways. Leon stood grasping the short sword in his hand, facing the direction of the Wraith. Tylor took one last look back to Leon before running as fast as he could through the darkness with Karen and Joel, the Dau squad in front of them running as fast as their little legs could carry them.
Holding the sheathed sword before him, Leon slowly drew the blade out, grasping it by the hilt. The hilt was normal enough, though the bottom of the handle and sides of it had small crystals studded into it. The sheathe was the most decorative, now having it so close he could see it was red in color and had studded jewels lining both sides. The blade, as he had suspected, was made of dauraniam. This was a precious metal found only in the northern mountain ranges and used for crafting by Dau clans that dwelled there to create weapons of great beauty. The distinguishing feature of this metal was that it was almost as clear as day or of a brightly polished window yet as hard as any steel broadsword. If a person looked at it you would see no reflection, you would see what you would normally see past it as if the sword’s blade was not there. This material started like all others, but this was special for this material once smelted and beat with the hammers of the Dau turned into what now sat before Leon; a near invisible blade. Had its edges not been cut and sharpened white, the blade would be completely invisible to normal eyes. There was another special ability of this metal that he had heard rumors of and Leon hoped they were true.
The time for admiring the weapon had past, the Wraith had finally caught up to the opening. A black mist was sweeping towards him, like deep smog from a large fire that had taken the form of a wave set on consuming everything in its path. It was almost pitch black all around now which made it very difficult for Leon to see the full form of the beast, but his sharp eyes had grown used to darkness over the years and he soon picked out two deep purple eyes staring him in the face and thin long nailed talons which spread from the fog at either side.
The smog was on him sooner than he realized, a talon swung high and then down towards him, a swift roll left saved him. Leon’s rod fell from his back as he rolled, no matter, it would do no good against such a monster. The right talon took a swing, but the blade of the Dau clansman’s sword steadied by both Leon’s hands stopped the claw in its path, clashing with a spark as the monster pushed again the near invisible metal. Though the blade was strong enough to halt the force of the attack, Leon could not match the strength of such a large monster and instead used that time to prepare to leap away from danger once more.
Leaping backwards, away from the mighty Wraith, Leon hid behind the closest tree, on the right hand side of the opening. The Wraiths claw smashed into the ground up turning much dirt. He delved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a familiar amber sphere. Holding it near the blade of the sword he held his breath for a second.
“Now, let’s see if there is truth to the rumors!” he cried.
With as much force as he could muster, Leon struck the sphere into the side of the blade, cracking it immediately along one edge. The magical essence within the sphere began to spill out over the sword and onto the grass below. Every second counted as Leon slowly pulled the sphere along for the whole length of the blade covering it in the magical liquid the sphere had once held. When he had reached near the tip of the sword he crushed the remainder of the cracked sphere into millions of small pieces while concentrating on them as he did it, then he spoke the word which would have activated the sphere had it been whole. The blade illuminated into a mighty blaze which spanned the whole sword spreading amber light all round and causing the Wraith to shrink back in fear. Leon flipped blade covered in flames into the air then caught it again with a slight smirk on his face.
“So, the rumors of the metal were true after all!” he exclaimed.
The fire-sword gleamed with light brighter than any fire Leon had seen a sphere create. The metal was enhancing and prolonging the burning liquid on the blade giving him a potent tool to use on the Wraith. Leon twisted out from behind the trunk he had hid behind still grasping the blade of fire. The licks of flame did not hinder him as the magic fire spirited up from the sphere cannot wound the caster. The Wraiths left talon was quickly knocked away as the smog around it became dust as the fire-sword touched it. The dark monster tried to back away in fear, but Leon would not let it, instead he darted forwards and threw the blade directly at its stomach. The sword pierced straight through its center making the Wraith catch ablaze instantly. The sword dropped a small distance behind it, plunging deep into the earth and dripping liquid flames onto the grass around it.
The Wraith’s form turned into ash as the fire spread around its body. The Wraith was not alive, nor was it dead, but the flame devoured its mystical smoke form and returned it to the earth as ash. Walking past the pile of dust, Leon retrieved the sword and stomped out the fire which had begun to spread along the grass. The fire on the blade already seemed less strong than before, most of the liquid had wiped off onto the Wraith.
“Don’t go out yet!” Leon said to the fire-sword, “You can light my way to the Dau village!”
With that, he retrieved his rod and ran into the thick forest on the right side of the opening, following the directions that the Dau captain had given to him.
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