Captain Abasi, Commander of East-side defenses, looked out of the small carriage window with his one black eye. The aromatic smell of freshly cooked Suya drifted in, causing his lips to water just slightly. This was soon replaced with the unappetizing odor of manure as their cattle drawn carriage clambered on. It hit a bump, causing him to bang his head on the side of the curtain rod.
"Fuck. This is taking way too fucking long." He said, rubbing his forehead with a dark palm.
"Sorry sir, I didn't think it would be so crowded." stammered Private Chuma, who was sitting across in the cramped space.
"Of-fucking-course the market is going to be crowded you little shit head. Refugees need to eat too." The Commander turned to the cowering little boy, feeling his anger dissipate at the sight. Chuma was mighty incompetent, but Abasi had chosen him as a personal aide for his pure skin. Just the sight of it made him giddy with joy. The boy read an eighty eight on a blackness scale, almost as high as Abasi's ninety.
It was his own blackness that had earned him this position. Kampalla, being as it was on the very frontier of the blacklands - bordering the neutral region that belonged to Torst, was too susceptible to foreign influence. Kairo felt more truly black men were needed in positions of authority to bring the city back into line. The Pharaoh himself had asked Abasi, a war hardened man of devotion to the cause, to come and ensure that black supremacy and patriotism was always evident in the city. It had been the absolute pinnacle of his life, to meet the supreme leader; the blackest of them all in the long, ebony Hall of Kings.
Now however, with the recent flux of refugees from the east, managing the city defenses and entrance procedures was becoming increasingly difficult. The city too was far too crowded and filled with more people of lower blackness readings. The corruption angered him greatly, and he often cursed the city council for continuing with their low reading acceptance policies.
"It's not your fault, it's these fucking refugees."
"But sir, they pass the tests...They are black. So it's our duty to the pharaoh to provide them a home"
"Listen kid, you're only black if the reading is above seventy. Fuck those shits that throw themselves in with the pure blooded."
The boy looked at him thoughtfully. "Then why do we let them in? Aren't they bad? Aren't they impure?"
"Yeah. Go tell that to the fucking council." He looked out of the window as the carriage began a slow uphill climb. They had reached the cities edge and were on their way up to the Ring of Entrance. On the other side of the road, a small three person family trudged slowly down a stairway. Weary and haggard, with no possessions, the trio clambered down slowly, hunched over and hiding their faces with dirty rags. Abasi spat in their direction. More refugees. "What do you think we should do with them?" He asked, turning back to the boy.
"Um...I don't know... I mean fuck them! right?" His response caused Abasi to roar in hearty laughter.
"Then you want to fuck a white girl?"
"N-no of course not, that would be horrible!" Abasi grinned maliciously at the boy.
"I once fucked a white girl. Nudered her man first of course, tied him up and made him watch. She gave me this." He said, pointing to the thin, long scar where his left eye used to be. "So of course, I gave her this." He added, affectionately patting his crotch. "Fucked her right to death I did." His voice thinning to a whisper as the rush of memories came flooding back.
How were they meant to know that a Commonwealth patrol just happened to be staying the night at the village? It was meant to be a simple raid, hit and plunder; spread black supremacy just a little bit farther. Undermine the white weaklings. Yet far too many good men had died. Chike...Beb...Bastet...All friends from his childhood in Kairo. Memories of their laughter and smiles, along with those of the many other friends he had lost to the white men haunted his dreams every night. He wouldn't have usually done it. Rape wasn't something he approved of. After all, he had no intention of fathering a white abomination. But the anger and depression after the fight was overwhelming. Even now, the deaths of his friends did nothing but fuel the burning hatred.
The carriage finally stopped, followed by a knock on the door. "Sir, we're here." He stepped out holding his head up, trying hard to appear dignified, and returned the salute of the small group of soldiers standing in front. They were all wearing gray green leather cuirasses and leggings, wicked scimitars shone brightly in the morning sun on their belts. Abasi stepped around them, walking to the edge of the walkway to take his daily look at the city. Behind him, the soldiers turned gracefully in a single motion, maintaining the salute.
Kampalla had been built at the very edge of the Dragon peaks. Here, an enormous ring of mountains surrounded a large circular plateau on which the city was founded. It lay at the same altitude as the long planes of the Blacklands on other side of the Eastern mountains. But there was no entrance from anywhere on ground level. Instead, a giant stone causeway had been constructed against the mountain sides. It bordered the entire city, creating a circular loop above it. Along this causeway, natural passages between the mountains had either been blocked or opened farther to create a multitude of paths in and out of the city. This allowed for a surplus of trade into the Blacklands from any where in the neutral territories. In times of war, small entrances would simply be blocked by large boulders, thus forcing enemies to use the heavily guarded ones that acted as bottlenecks.
Four ramps, bordered with stairs on either side, led up from the city. The eastern one stretched far beneath Abasi, merging inconspicuously with the sprawling market at its base. The city it self was a giant, crowded circle. On the outer edges, tents and small wooden shelters were beginning to spring up by virtue of poor refugees. Beyond these, more permanent wooden houses stretched far and deep into the ring, mixed in with ragged brick and mud huts. Separated by thin dirt paths that were bordered by dirty canals, they mingled in to a residential and market area at once. Despite this, the main markets all surrounded the thicker paths that led to and from the tall ramps. They created long, thick passages of people and colour that ran right to the cities heart. The effect was of a circle divided in to four quadrants. Graffiti, drying clothes, tattered flags, paint and market stalls painted the picture into a collage of colours, of which brown and red were the most dominant.
Beyond the bricks and timber, the city gradually filled with stone houses and paved roads. This was the residential area for richer folk. Separated by tall barbed fences, it ringed around a single point; Fort Koboko. An ancient stone fortress situated in the center of the sprawling city. It continued the geometry of the plateau, with tall walls that formed a giant octagon. At it's center, the primary towers stood tall, capped by domes. A black flag, bordered in red with the pharaohs sigil - a blue-golden headrest in its center, undulated in the wind all along the walls. Fort Koboko housed both government and army officials. And had been the first structure constructed in the city, as a forward staging post in the second racial war.
"Report!" He barked, keeping both eyes on the Pharaoh's banner; his arms crossed.
A man stepped forward from the group behind. "Sir! Fifty two refugees arrived through the night. Twenty nine were turned away due to blackness test failures." A pause, "There was another brawl sir."
"Causalities?"
"We got them, there was a group of thirteen unarmed. Four injured on our part, nothing too major. But...we lost one man."
Abasi's grip on his right arm tightened in anger. "Who?"
"Che, sir."
Che! Such a loyal boy too. Only eighteen years of age, eighty on the scale. He felt that same old anger rise in his heart again. "Fuck them, coming to our home like beggars and then killing one of my loyal men. Fuck them all." His angry whispering was met with a still silence. "Thank you for staying loyal to your post and protecting the city." He said, turning around to face the soldier. "See to it that Che's remains are returned to his family, along with my personal condolences."
"Sir!"
Abasi walked past his men, fully aware of them following him in full formation. It was time for his morning round of the Eastern entrances. He would start at the center, go south then come back all the way to the north and then back to the center. A journey that, even as his brisk walk, would take well over an hour. Enough time for his mind to wander and start pondering the causes of the refugees. Many claimed that monstrous creatures had come, or were coming. Others talked of a great line of darkness that flew across the land, destroying everything. All of them said that Torst had already fallen. That alone discredited their claims in his mind. He still remembered gazing upon the mighty stone walls of the city, and the two guardians which founded it, frozen in their eternal will to protect. The sight radiated immortality, such a city would never fall.
Yet, the council claimed that their messages to the city remained unanswered. Perhaps Torst had simply abandoned the people of it's territories and now refused to take them back. Unlikely though, considering how it had always claimed to accept and love all. Either way, Abasi and the other captains had been sure to tighten the city defenses. Soldiers had been taken out of the reserve, large groups of them patrolled the causeway and guarded each entrance stoically. He knew that if an attack was coming, it would come from the east. And he would be ready for it. Kampalla could not be allowed to fall. It was the gateway to the Blacklands. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people lived behind the mountain ring, depending on the city for protection. Already, many battles had been fought on the mountain causeway...warding off enemies that threatened the motherland.
The central gate rose above him; a giant wooden arch decorated with carvings of mountains and lightning to honour the Kampallan gods.Red streamers hung off the sides in decoration, and a thick metallic fence closed it from intruders; gating off a thick path naturally carved between two mountains. The path twisted and curved into the distance through a long forested valley that separated the Kampallan ring from the rest of the Dragon peaks.
As he approached, Abasi noticed some commotion on the far side of the gate. A group of soldiers was struggling to subdue a man while a woman was crying and yelling on the side. Clearly neither of them were even close to a thirty on a blackness rating.
"Sorry sir, I repeat, you need a blackness rating of fifty to enter the city." A guard with the bulky blackness meter in his hand said to the man.
"Let us through, please. They're coming, they're right behind us please! My wife, please just let her through please I'm begging." Tears were streaming down the mans face even as he struggled against the armed men.
"Out of the way!" Abasi commanded, stepping forward and unbuckling his whip. The soldiers all parted instantly, causing the man to lose balance and fall on his knees in front of the captain. He grabbed Abasi's leggings desperately.
"Please sir, my wife she is with child, just let her through please. There's no where else to go!" Abasi took a quick look at the woman, indeed the bulge in her belly was exceptionally large in contrast with the relatively petite frame. Then, kicking the mans hands away, he landed a blow with hard boots right in the gut. As the man groaned in pain, Abasi unwound his whip, striking it hard across the air to land on his side. The resulting cry of agony was ear piercingly loud as a stream of blood started drenching his tunic. Abasi swung the whip again and again, ignoring the womans cries.
"We don't want you, fucktard or your fucking abomination of a baby. Get the fuck out of my city." He yelled, spitting. Just then the woman broke free of the soldier holding her and ran over to the curled up shell of the man, protecting him with her body.
"Please let him go, we'll go, we'll go and won't come back, plea..." Abasi's whip came down hard across her back to interrupt. The tortured scream reverberated through his bones.
"Then get up and fucking move bitch." He could feel even the eyes of his loyal soldiers. Scared, horror struck, confused, why would Captain Abasi do such a thing? But they needed to be taught this lesson too, this city made strong men soft. He motioned to two of them. "Help them up, get them out of my sight." They nodded and slowly the two quivering people were led away, carried almost entirely by his men.
Long after the four figures had disappeared behind the first curve in the road, Abasi was ready to leave. He began to turn, but a blood curdling shriek pierced the air. A giant shadow blocked out the morning sun for just a moment as it soared over him. His heart beat furiously in response, was Kathman attacking? No, why would they? Two giant winged beasts were circling overhead, silhouetted by the sun. As one opened the long snout of a mouth, the shrill wail resounded off the mountain sides again. Even from this distance the silhouetted figures appeared huge, with giant bat like wings steadily beating the air. The creatures were unearthly, unlike anything he had ever seen before. They looked almost like giant winged lizards with a long slender body and whip like tail, yet the lack of legs was incredibly disturbing. The slow beat of wings enchanted him in a strange sort of elegance.
His trance was interrupted by a soldier. "Sir! Look!" He was pointing far into the forested valley. For there, a thick, endless line of blackness was fast approaching, clearly visible between the trees in the distance.
Abasi swallowed back his fear. "Pull down the boulders, sound the drums, call to arms." His voice, hardly a whisper was clearly audible over the silence of his companions as the ominous shadow fell across them once again.
**
Zammar was balancing precariously on the cliff edge. His left index finger alone supporting the weight of the muscular man. Visible ripples flowed through it and up the giant forearm as constant adjustments were made to reach an equilibrium. Other than that, the inverted figure was incredibly still. Eyes closed, his deep breath came slowly in the meditative state. The bare torso revealed incredibly large and defined abdominal muscles, visibly taught to stabilize and support the position. Enormous legs reached high to the sky, ending in a graceful tip at the pointed feet. His muscular back had a giant greatsword sheathed diagonally across it, disobeying the laws of gravity by some strange nature and staying in its place.
Just a few centimeters behind him, the cliff fell away sharply to a jagged rocky outcrop below. The sharp pointed rocks gradually faded to a relatively flat plane of gray rock. A few small lakes dotted the plane, surrounded by tiny shrubs and fed by streams that fell down from the mountains all around. Beyond it, The Dragon Peaks rose again, their tall spires hiding unknown secrets behind the morning clouds.
Tristan approached the muscular man cautiously, his footsteps betraying both trepidation as well as awe. He didn't want to startle him, that could result in falling off the cliff. But again, those muscles! and the way he held that incredibly difficult position with ease. This was a level of grace beyond that extended to human beings.
His heart beat furiously as he stepped off the edge of the grass line and onto the flat rock face the man was on. At that moment, Zammar flicked his finger, causing his entire body levitate slightly off the ground. He landed back fast, this time supported by the smallest finger on the same hand. Tristan walked to a distance of around two meters from the man before falling to his knees. He fumbled at his belt, pulling out the crudely made wooden sword and laying it before him, "Zammar, please train me!"
He was painfully aware of the blood throbbing in his ears during the silence that followed. As well as the sweat that accumulated on his palms, and the panicked beat of his heart. He stared intently at the ground, and for a long while there was no reply.
Then, "You told me you had no intention of ever fighting, not ever wanting to end a life." The voice was beautiful, dazzling. A melody that echoed off the mountain walls, the song of everything beautiful in the world.
Tristan didn't raise his eyes. "I have something I want to protect now," his voice was strong now, without hesitation. When he looked up, he saw that the alluring brown eyes were open. They looked beyond and behind him. Tristan turned to follow the gaze, losing himself in the sight of the girl that was studiously finishing up the packing of their night tents. She was crouching down, gently pushing the folded Yak skin canvas into the improvised knapsack.
Sleeping together in that cramped space had been a nerve wracking experience for him. Every night, her aromatic scent kept him up in the long hours of the night. Once, late in the eve he had even heard her quietly sobbing. A sound that broke his heart. Yet, she trusted him completely; leaving herself absolutely unguarded. Something he felt was too much of a burden on his sense of righteousness. Despite that, her trust warmed him. Sometimes he wished that Zammar too would join them in that tent, instead of making his bed on rocks and grass to suffer the cold mountain winds, if only to ease his anxiety. But then they probably would not even fit.
He turned back to see that the beautiful man was looking at him now, a knowing smile on his face. With a strong flick of his finger, he leaped through the air, somersaulting to land upright on his feet a meter behind Tristan. The ground shook slightly at the impact. He unsheathed the greatsword across his back. The blueish tint of the sharp edge sparkled in the sun, creating the illusion of rippling waves running down its length. The thick blade ended in a dangerously curved edge, and the ornate hilt alone was longer than Tristans forearm.
"This sword has many names. But to me it will always be Calesol, the Lightbringer." He inspected the sword, twisting it in one arm before tossing it to the ground casually. It landed explosively, throwing up dirt and denting the grassy ground. The thick blade whipped gently before settling, a sign of its extreme ductility. "I will train you, Tristan, once you have garnered the strength to hold my sword." He stepped back, arms folded to watch.
Tristan looked at the sword apprehensively, remembering the ease with which Zammar had swung it to slay the Und'kal when they had invaded his own home. He reached down, grabbing the hard hilt. It felt incredibly smooth in his hands, yet far too big. He jerked. The sword didn't even budge. A surprised pause, then he tried again. Again, the sword didn't even budge. He bent his knees and then tried to press the ground away. The sword moved off the ground slightly before halting midair. The effort of just holding it there was exhausting, sweat started trickling down his reddening face as back and legs strained. Finally, his grip slipped causing him to fall backwards on his rump. The sudden drop was met by giggling. His face reddened again as he looked away, this time from embarrassment, why did she have to see that?
"Ren, can you go and fill up our canteens. We must move soon." Zammar said, noticing Tristans dismay.
"Yes sir!" She laughed, walking off into the dark forest that stretched behind them, a small brown figure darted after her. They had reached here following a narrow path on the forests edge, coming from the North West. It was a pleasant change of scenery from the treacherous mountain passages between the Dragon Peaks that they had spent the previous three weeks journeying. The forest opened to the end of the long cliff they were on, which dropped away to a flat plane before reaching mountains again. Somewhere far beyond the mountains that they had turned their back on were the ruins of what the two had once called home.
Tristan looked down at the sword, hesitating. Years of living in a harsh and rugged terrain had made him a strong man in his own right. Well defined muscles sculpted throughout his lean body, and pulling himself from a dead hang on to a ledge was a joke. Yet, when he looked down at the massive sword and remembered the giant tornado of fire that Zammar had summoned, he felt more than a bit inadequate. Tristan reaffirmed then, that he would always be living under the mighty mans shadow of perfection.
"Use your head, boy. Appropriate muscular recruitment and positioning can allow you to lift enormous weights." Zammar walked over and picked up the sword easily, sheathing it across his back.
"But you just picked it up with one arm with no effort!"
Zammar grinned handsomely at him. "Well, you see I..." He stopped abruptly, large eyes staring to the east, above the dark forest. "Hide!" He yelled, grabbing the back of Tristans collar and shoving him down between two nearby rocks. He had only just crouched down himself when a shrill shriek pierced through the air. The sound was so high and sharp that Tristan felt his ears on the verge of exploding.
"What?" He managed to stutter when the sound faded and before Zammars hand quickly slapped across his mouth. His ears were already ringing.
The world darkened. When he looked up, Tristan saw the black, leathery underbelly of a massive animal so close that he could literally reach out and touch it. Instead, he remained stunned as giant wings beat a strong gust of cold mountain wind over his hair in a single slow motion. Once the shadow had passed, he peeked over the rock to look. It was already soaring over the plane below. The flying animal was reptilian, it had no legs and a long curved body with a whip like tail. At its head was an extended snout which it then opened to let out another haunting wail. Some sort of humanoid figure was riding on its back. Was this one of the flying monsters that Ren had told him about? It didn't look like a monster to him. Rather, the creature was incredibly elegant. The way it flew with slow, deliberate beats of the giant wings was graceful, similar to a traditional raptor.
"Is that the Und'kal?" He whispered.
"Yes, some animal they brought with them from their home. The one on its back, that's one of the smart ones."
"Why are they here? They look like they're looking for something."
"I think they are. It's probably a scouting mission, they're looking for human settlements."
Tristan didn't say anything. As graceful and interesting as the Und'kal were, he had to remind himself that they had so far done naught but bring death and destruction. Zammar had said that some of them had human like intelligence...Maybe they could barter a peace and live in harmony. The picture of his village laying in smoldering ruins, and the bodies wrapped in furs that he knew belonged to his childhood friends played again in his head, along with the pain of losing them. Then the massive piles of Und'kal bodies, the ones that Zammar had slain in his attempt to defend the village. Were those Und'kals mourned? What about the thousands that must have died in their savage conquest of Torst?
His eyes widened. "REN!" He yelled, jumping out from the rock and sprinting full out towards the forest.
"Tristan wait!" Zammar called behind him, but it was too late. Already the thick mysteries of the forest trees had captured him in their silent embrace.
Surprisingly, a fair bit of sunlight filtered through the canopy overhead, lighting the forest floor. Despite that, moss covered broadleaf trees grew in strange twisted shapes to try and reach light above the tall forest pines that dominated overhead. The ground was filled with small shrubs and taller ferns resting on soft dirt. Tristan pushed them to the side as he rushed through. He had explored the forest around his village extensively, unlocking all of its hidden mysteries. But this was unfamiliar, different. Where once he had trodden on chipped bark and pebbles, here was dirt, moss and sharp uneven rocks. All of which made impossibly hard to navigate by the endless vegetation he had to push out of the way.
Still, he pressed on. Ren may be in danger.
He still vividly remembered the grief in her eyes as she had killed the juvenile Und'kal, stabbing it relentlessly in a tear filled rage. And all he wanted right now, was to make sure he never saw that sadness again. The Und'kal had taken far too much from her. Now though, he would not let them have any more. He would protect her, the Queen of Torst with every fragment of his soul.
"REN!" He called yet again, only to be met by the still silence that permeated through the trees. "Calm down," he whispered to himself, coming to a slow halt near a mossy rock. The ground was smoother here, and carved out on his sides. A river had once run its course through this passage, not too long ago. Was this forest also dying like the one near his village? Water. Ren had gone to fetch water. He focused his ears, listening for the dribble of a stream that had once fed the river. It was a long time before he thought he heard one, just the slightest trickling from the East. Tristans feet hit the ground hard as he sprinted through the bushes. The clearing where they had made camp was long and far behind now.
Fallen twigs cracked beneath Rens leather boots as she strolled slowly through the thin forest paths. Bright rays of light filtered through the leaves to shine her black hair golden in their glow. She twirled it absentmindedly, sighing at how long it was taking to grow back to its original length. A month, and it was only just an inch below her shoulders. But that was okay, it was just hair...and it didn't even look all that bad right now. She felt happy, strolling through the forest. Today was a good day. Today, instead of the howling winds and snowy blizzards of the mountain passes, they had woken to a bright sun and cool fresh air scented with pine.
The first week had been horrible, just the two of them drudging wearily through the Northern Dragon Peaks. Zammar had tried his best though, using his massive bulk to protect her from the freezing snow that fell through their makeshift shelters. He had taken care of her like a little girl, and she had nothing to show for it. But travelling conditions had improved significantly since they stopped at Tristans village. At least now they had a tent, water canteens and fur blankets as well as a large supply of salted goat meat and bread. Ren was sure it wasn't just the well needed supplies that had brightened her mood.
It was Tristan. He had saved her. He was the one that had reminded her of the beauty of the world. Tristan had brought purpose back to her life, taken her out of the shell she had hid herself in. She didn't even clearly remember that first week when, so consumed with sadness and hate, nothing around her registered at all. Drowned in misery, it all seemed like a dream. Yet one single memory burned clear as day. The horrors of battle, followed by the image of her beloved city burning. Even now, the picture of an Und'kal, his taloned hand stabbing straight through Codys body was fresh in her mind. Is that the fate that her parents had suffered? And Torst, the magnificent city had still held on to a sliver of its former glory, even in burning. The statues of her guardians almost seemed to weep as the inferno raged around them.
But it was different now, she looked back at these events with her head held high. There was no hiding from reality, that's what Tristan had shown her. He had reminded her of the wonderful world and all of the places to protect. Now she had a purpose, a life long duty. She was the sole survivor of the greatest civilization in the history of man. She had to bring the message to the others, save them from suffering the same fate.
A thick, moss covered tree had fallen across her path. She reached out, feeling for a grip and then struggled to pull herself up on top. The ground looked far away, and the forest stretched far to the horizon. Despite the light trickling down, it was hard to see between the closely packed trees. She took a moment to get her bearings. Having traveled in a straight line from the camp, she still faced east. The slow trickling of a stream or river echoed eerily between the tree trunks from the south east. Perfect. She prepared to jump off the log, but her back foot slipped, throwing her weight forward. Her hands broke the fall, landing hard in a small and conveniently placed puddle of mud. "blah!" she exclaimed audibly, wiping them on a nearby shrub as she stood back up.
A nearby bush rustled slightly before a small figure trotted out, large dark eyes looked out at her from a face that would be mistaken for a puppy were it not for the longer snout and sharp ears. It's thick coat of black-brown fur was only just starting to give way to patches of white. The kit had grown remarkably fast, and Ren adored the little guy. She crouched down to rub between the large ears, to which it purred contently. A distinction from its relatives in the canine family, as Tristan had described to her. He always surprised her with how much he cared for animals. It made her happy to see that he had such a pure soul.
"We still need to find you a good name don't we?" To which the kit yapped happily. "Come on, we're going this way," she said, getting up and starting to walk. The fox followed at her feet for a while before getting impatient and running off into the undergrowth again. It had already become semi self sufficient. Just last night, it had gone hunting and returned with a large grasshopper clenched between the small jaw.
The stream was actually at least a meter long and flowing calmly down from the mountains to the east. Surrounding it was a small glade, where aggressive grass had prevented the growth of more trees. Sharp rocks, coloured green by algae, surrounded the shallow channel of water just slightly upstream. But at the edge of the glade, the ground was flat, the stream cutting slightly lower than the grassy edge. With bright rays of sunlight streaming in to light the picturesque scene, this was an image from a dream. The sort where she would meet magical unicorns and fairies. Ren approached with a smile, the water looked so clean. Yes Tristan, the world is a beautiful place.
She saw it before she had heard anything. As she crouched down to gently wash her hands in the clean water, she stared at her own reflection. Green eyes, an heirloom from her mother, looked back at her before flicking quickly to the right. A large, dark figure was approaching slowly, stealthily. Her heart began to race, palms were sweaty. Slowly the reflection came into resolution, the malicious, crowned face of an Und'kal Warrior bobbing up and down as it moved quietly. It was shocking, she had never seen one so calm and focused; so intent on the hunt. Despite the noisy fall leaves that covered the ground behind her, she still couldn't hear it.
A part of her wanted to scream, to let loose the limitless fear that was building up inside. She didn't. She wouldn't. No, she was tired of being saved. This was not the time to be a little girl. Time to man up, she decided resolutely. The image of Torst, burning in the red of the morning sun flickered back.
The creature still seemed oblivious to her awareness of its ambush. She reached slowly for the canteens tied to her belt, instead placing her right hand on the hilt of the long sword. Hopefully it won't get caught in the sheathe this time. There was only one chance. Adrenaline was pumping through her limbs, bringing an inexperienced clarity to her mind and senses. The entire world seemed to slow down. The chirping of birds was far too loud, her reflection in the water far too clear. At a most inconvenient time, she suddenly realized that she had never fought a fully grown Und'kal before.
The tall shadow fell across her a moment before a loud growl preceded the long talon swing. She whipped the sword out of its sheathe, swinging her entire body around to land in a lunged position, her back knee hit the rocky bottom of the stream hard. The sword swung round to meet the sharply taloned hand between two of the lethal claws with a loud ring, the impact was jarring, it felt like her entire arm was about to shatter. Once that settled, the first thing she noticed was the weight. It pressed down on her impossibly, her arm was shaking and it didn't stop even when she brought the other one up to support it. Beyond the locked blades, the Und'kal looked surprised for a moment. Then it grinned. A giant, malicious grin that displayed rows of sharp needle like teeth stretching back into the dark cavity. Saliva dripped down from the ones at the front virulently. From down here, the creature looked remarkably tall. She knew them to stand at least seven feet high, but from up close it felt like a hundred.
Tristan looked down at the sword, hesitating. Years of living in a harsh and rugged terrain had made him a strong man in his own right. Well defined muscles sculpted throughout his lean body, and pulling himself from a dead hang on to a ledge was a joke. Yet, when he looked down at the massive sword and remembered the giant tornado of fire that Zammar had summoned, he felt more than a bit inadequate. Tristan reaffirmed then, that he would always be living under the mighty mans shadow of perfection.
"Use your head, boy. Appropriate muscular recruitment and positioning can allow you to lift enormous weights." Zammar walked over and picked up the sword easily, sheathing it across his back.
"But you just picked it up with one arm with no effort!"
Zammar grinned handsomely at him. "Well, you see I..." He stopped abruptly, large eyes staring to the east, above the dark forest. "Hide!" He yelled, grabbing the back of Tristans collar and shoving him down between two nearby rocks. He had only just crouched down himself when a shrill shriek pierced through the air. The sound was so high and sharp that Tristan felt his ears on the verge of exploding.
"What?" He managed to stutter when the sound faded and before Zammars hand quickly slapped across his mouth. His ears were already ringing.
The world darkened. When he looked up, Tristan saw the black, leathery underbelly of a massive animal so close that he could literally reach out and touch it. Instead, he remained stunned as giant wings beat a strong gust of cold mountain wind over his hair in a single slow motion. Once the shadow had passed, he peeked over the rock to look. It was already soaring over the plane below. The flying animal was reptilian, it had no legs and a long curved body with a whip like tail. At its head was an extended snout which it then opened to let out another haunting wail. Some sort of humanoid figure was riding on its back. Was this one of the flying monsters that Ren had told him about? It didn't look like a monster to him. Rather, the creature was incredibly elegant. The way it flew with slow, deliberate beats of the giant wings was graceful, similar to a traditional raptor.
"Is that the Und'kal?" He whispered.
"Yes, some animal they brought with them from their home. The one on its back, that's one of the smart ones."
"Why are they here? They look like they're looking for something."
"I think they are. It's probably a scouting mission, they're looking for human settlements."
Tristan didn't say anything. As graceful and interesting as the Und'kal were, he had to remind himself that they had so far done naught but bring death and destruction. Zammar had said that some of them had human like intelligence...Maybe they could barter a peace and live in harmony. The picture of his village laying in smoldering ruins, and the bodies wrapped in furs that he knew belonged to his childhood friends played again in his head, along with the pain of losing them. Then the massive piles of Und'kal bodies, the ones that Zammar had slain in his attempt to defend the village. Were those Und'kals mourned? What about the thousands that must have died in their savage conquest of Torst?
His eyes widened. "REN!" He yelled, jumping out from the rock and sprinting full out towards the forest.
"Tristan wait!" Zammar called behind him, but it was too late. Already the thick mysteries of the forest trees had captured him in their silent embrace.
Surprisingly, a fair bit of sunlight filtered through the canopy overhead, lighting the forest floor. Despite that, moss covered broadleaf trees grew in strange twisted shapes to try and reach light above the tall forest pines that dominated overhead. The ground was filled with small shrubs and taller ferns resting on soft dirt. Tristan pushed them to the side as he rushed through. He had explored the forest around his village extensively, unlocking all of its hidden mysteries. But this was unfamiliar, different. Where once he had trodden on chipped bark and pebbles, here was dirt, moss and sharp uneven rocks. All of which made impossibly hard to navigate by the endless vegetation he had to push out of the way.
Still, he pressed on. Ren may be in danger.
He still vividly remembered the grief in her eyes as she had killed the juvenile Und'kal, stabbing it relentlessly in a tear filled rage. And all he wanted right now, was to make sure he never saw that sadness again. The Und'kal had taken far too much from her. Now though, he would not let them have any more. He would protect her, the Queen of Torst with every fragment of his soul.
"REN!" He called yet again, only to be met by the still silence that permeated through the trees. "Calm down," he whispered to himself, coming to a slow halt near a mossy rock. The ground was smoother here, and carved out on his sides. A river had once run its course through this passage, not too long ago. Was this forest also dying like the one near his village? Water. Ren had gone to fetch water. He focused his ears, listening for the dribble of a stream that had once fed the river. It was a long time before he thought he heard one, just the slightest trickling from the East. Tristans feet hit the ground hard as he sprinted through the bushes. The clearing where they had made camp was long and far behind now.
**
Fallen twigs cracked beneath Rens leather boots as she strolled slowly through the thin forest paths. Bright rays of light filtered through the leaves to shine her black hair golden in their glow. She twirled it absentmindedly, sighing at how long it was taking to grow back to its original length. A month, and it was only just an inch below her shoulders. But that was okay, it was just hair...and it didn't even look all that bad right now. She felt happy, strolling through the forest. Today was a good day. Today, instead of the howling winds and snowy blizzards of the mountain passes, they had woken to a bright sun and cool fresh air scented with pine.
The first week had been horrible, just the two of them drudging wearily through the Northern Dragon Peaks. Zammar had tried his best though, using his massive bulk to protect her from the freezing snow that fell through their makeshift shelters. He had taken care of her like a little girl, and she had nothing to show for it. But travelling conditions had improved significantly since they stopped at Tristans village. At least now they had a tent, water canteens and fur blankets as well as a large supply of salted goat meat and bread. Ren was sure it wasn't just the well needed supplies that had brightened her mood.
It was Tristan. He had saved her. He was the one that had reminded her of the beauty of the world. Tristan had brought purpose back to her life, taken her out of the shell she had hid herself in. She didn't even clearly remember that first week when, so consumed with sadness and hate, nothing around her registered at all. Drowned in misery, it all seemed like a dream. Yet one single memory burned clear as day. The horrors of battle, followed by the image of her beloved city burning. Even now, the picture of an Und'kal, his taloned hand stabbing straight through Codys body was fresh in her mind. Is that the fate that her parents had suffered? And Torst, the magnificent city had still held on to a sliver of its former glory, even in burning. The statues of her guardians almost seemed to weep as the inferno raged around them.
But it was different now, she looked back at these events with her head held high. There was no hiding from reality, that's what Tristan had shown her. He had reminded her of the wonderful world and all of the places to protect. Now she had a purpose, a life long duty. She was the sole survivor of the greatest civilization in the history of man. She had to bring the message to the others, save them from suffering the same fate.
A thick, moss covered tree had fallen across her path. She reached out, feeling for a grip and then struggled to pull herself up on top. The ground looked far away, and the forest stretched far to the horizon. Despite the light trickling down, it was hard to see between the closely packed trees. She took a moment to get her bearings. Having traveled in a straight line from the camp, she still faced east. The slow trickling of a stream or river echoed eerily between the tree trunks from the south east. Perfect. She prepared to jump off the log, but her back foot slipped, throwing her weight forward. Her hands broke the fall, landing hard in a small and conveniently placed puddle of mud. "blah!" she exclaimed audibly, wiping them on a nearby shrub as she stood back up.
A nearby bush rustled slightly before a small figure trotted out, large dark eyes looked out at her from a face that would be mistaken for a puppy were it not for the longer snout and sharp ears. It's thick coat of black-brown fur was only just starting to give way to patches of white. The kit had grown remarkably fast, and Ren adored the little guy. She crouched down to rub between the large ears, to which it purred contently. A distinction from its relatives in the canine family, as Tristan had described to her. He always surprised her with how much he cared for animals. It made her happy to see that he had such a pure soul.
"We still need to find you a good name don't we?" To which the kit yapped happily. "Come on, we're going this way," she said, getting up and starting to walk. The fox followed at her feet for a while before getting impatient and running off into the undergrowth again. It had already become semi self sufficient. Just last night, it had gone hunting and returned with a large grasshopper clenched between the small jaw.
The stream was actually at least a meter long and flowing calmly down from the mountains to the east. Surrounding it was a small glade, where aggressive grass had prevented the growth of more trees. Sharp rocks, coloured green by algae, surrounded the shallow channel of water just slightly upstream. But at the edge of the glade, the ground was flat, the stream cutting slightly lower than the grassy edge. With bright rays of sunlight streaming in to light the picturesque scene, this was an image from a dream. The sort where she would meet magical unicorns and fairies. Ren approached with a smile, the water looked so clean. Yes Tristan, the world is a beautiful place.
She saw it before she had heard anything. As she crouched down to gently wash her hands in the clean water, she stared at her own reflection. Green eyes, an heirloom from her mother, looked back at her before flicking quickly to the right. A large, dark figure was approaching slowly, stealthily. Her heart began to race, palms were sweaty. Slowly the reflection came into resolution, the malicious, crowned face of an Und'kal Warrior bobbing up and down as it moved quietly. It was shocking, she had never seen one so calm and focused; so intent on the hunt. Despite the noisy fall leaves that covered the ground behind her, she still couldn't hear it.
A part of her wanted to scream, to let loose the limitless fear that was building up inside. She didn't. She wouldn't. No, she was tired of being saved. This was not the time to be a little girl. Time to man up, she decided resolutely. The image of Torst, burning in the red of the morning sun flickered back.
The creature still seemed oblivious to her awareness of its ambush. She reached slowly for the canteens tied to her belt, instead placing her right hand on the hilt of the long sword. Hopefully it won't get caught in the sheathe this time. There was only one chance. Adrenaline was pumping through her limbs, bringing an inexperienced clarity to her mind and senses. The entire world seemed to slow down. The chirping of birds was far too loud, her reflection in the water far too clear. At a most inconvenient time, she suddenly realized that she had never fought a fully grown Und'kal before.
The tall shadow fell across her a moment before a loud growl preceded the long talon swing. She whipped the sword out of its sheathe, swinging her entire body around to land in a lunged position, her back knee hit the rocky bottom of the stream hard. The sword swung round to meet the sharply taloned hand between two of the lethal claws with a loud ring, the impact was jarring, it felt like her entire arm was about to shatter. Once that settled, the first thing she noticed was the weight. It pressed down on her impossibly, her arm was shaking and it didn't stop even when she brought the other one up to support it. Beyond the locked blades, the Und'kal looked surprised for a moment. Then it grinned. A giant, malicious grin that displayed rows of sharp needle like teeth stretching back into the dark cavity. Saliva dripped down from the ones at the front virulently. From down here, the creature looked remarkably tall. She knew them to stand at least seven feet high, but from up close it felt like a hundred.
The weight became heavier. Her front foot dug in to the ground as her entire body was pushed away. Her arms were bending now, burning with the strain. Face clenched with effort, she squinted up at the grinning warrior. He was playing with her. Then, even as both of her arms were busy holding back the talon, another arm started appearing to her right. It came very slowly and deliberately, as if the warrior was trying to instill as much fear in her as possible. Talons flexed and relaxed repeateadly...Heading straight for her head. She stared at it wide eyed. An image from the blood bath in front of Torst, a man held by an Und'kal as his head was popped right off the body.
She kicked the ground hard with her front leg, swinging the sword out of the way and flipping backwards. The Und'kals talon swung quickly through the air where her head was a moment ago. Her backfoot splashed out of the water fast, swinging forward in a quick kick that grazed and rebounded off the warriors plated chest. Then her entire motion was abruptly halted as the creature, quick as lightning, grabbed the boot on the foot that had just kicked it. Instead of spinning backwards and landing on her feet as had been planned, her head swung through the air fast, striking a rock on the bottom of the stream. Everything was spinning as the Und'kal slowly raised her, dangling by one leg and swinging slowly like a pendulum. Her head throbbed painfully, vision blurred as she realized that she had dropped her sword in the shallow stream. It glimmered brightly in the light, refracting rays to her eyes that only disoriented her more.
Slowly the world started making sense again. The Und'kal was grinning at her madly. "Glad you're having fun." she whispered hoarsely. Was this the end? No. She couldn't die here, they had to be warned. The Blacklands, so many people...
The Warrior was holding her by the boot, which was beginning to slip off her foot. Just a little bit more...She struggled, trying to dislodge her foot from the curved leather. The warrior started articulating a strange sound, a mix between hissing and growling. Was it laughing? Ren ignored it, and continued to squirm until her foot slipped out very suddenly; the moment it was past the curved section of the boot. The ground rushed towards her extraordinarily fast. She only just had enough time to bring her arms up to break the fall, landing sprawled on her side before scrambling to the stream, picking up the sword and swinging it around. The warrior hissed in surprise and stared at the boot in its deathly talon angrily before tossing it to the side. It looked mildly annoyed now as it approached once again, walking fast. Ren held her ground, waiting for it to swing. When it finally did, she ducked under the talon fast and brought her sword up hard to stab the soft leathery section between two of the plated pieces on its underbelly. "Die!"
Ren had never stabbed an adult Und'kal warrior before. Her sword hardly penetrated its remarkably hard skin; the entire blade stuck out of a small cut. How had Zammar sliced through them like butter? She looked up at the creature that towered overhead with wide eyes brimming with fear. It stared back, showing its needle teeth before letting out that same hissing-growling laughing sound. Now, Ren was scared. There was no way she could fight one of these monsters by hand. Her arms were shaking as a tear slid down her eye. This was the end.
Suddenly, a sharp high bark bark sounded. The warrior looked to its right just before the small brown figure leaped off a rock and on to its crowned face. Blinded, the monster hissed and struggled to pull it off, but the kit was incredibly devious as it dodged the talons that came its way. Instinctively, Ren withdrew her sword and scrambled for the nearby foliage. She just reached the ferns before a loud shriek reverberated through the small clearing. Turning around, she saw the Und'kal clutching desperately at its face. Dark blood was flowing freely between the talons as it hissed and yowled in pain. The small kit trotted over to Ren, calmly as if nothing was amiss, it was carrying three dark black spheres that oozed black liquid. She gently reached out through the ferns to pick it up and pull it in to safety. "Hurry, go find Zammar." she whispered, not knowing if it understood her or not.
The kit scurried silently off into the forest. She dare not follow for fear of being far noisier.
The Und'kal was almost whimpering now in its pain. Ren prepared to strike, the enemy was injured and distracted. Maybe if she put all of her weight behind the blade and if it was aimed at a critical location she could kill the creature. She eyed the small gap between the two plates covering the area where a humans heart would be. It was at least a few inches above her head. She moved to pounce, bending her legs in preparation and then stopping only just in time. The bushes by the clearing opposite Ren hardly gave any warning before another warrior leaped over them in a gallop. It turned and started articulating at the first one that now removed the bloody talon to show the damage done to the monstrous face. At first it looked ordinarily horrible, the black blood was hard to see against dark skin. But the origin of the deathly sludge was empty holes where three of the four eyes were meant to be. They had been removed with remarkable precision. The new Und'kal started growling and stamping its feet in anger.
Now, the first was gesturing randomly in a direction beyond Ren. They want to hunt down the fox, she realized. These creatures seemed more empathetic to each other than she had initially assumed, and the desire for revenge seemed strong too. What would they do to Zammar? Who had cut down hordes. A pang of worry hit her. Still, she decided that it was time to sneak away while they remained distracted. There was no way she could fight two of them.
Turning around, she almost screamed in surprise. A third warrior was standing less than a meter from her. It stood still, not grinning maliciously or taunting her like the previous. Rather, it looked incredibly serious.
Instinctively, she stepped back. Then the creature took a step forward and she stumbled, falling on her rump. Victorious growls erupted behind her. She had just fallen back in to the clearing. The other two Und'kal slowly started to spread in a circle to surround her. Time seemed to slow for Ren, and it felt like all she heard was the blood beating hard through her ears. But no. She would not die on her knees. Her arms were burning with exhaustion as she pushed her self back up hurriedly, faltering in the process as she swung the sword up for protection. She pivoted around, trying to watch all three but failing miserably. The third Und'kal stepped out from the tree line. Now she noticed that not only did it have darker skin, but it stood taller than either of the other two. The protective plating on its underbelly was scratched deeply with many scars.
The warrior she had stabbed was articulating sounds desperately, pointing to its own injuries, Ren and the forest even as it closed in on her. All three of them were slowly closing the circle, encroaching her. She turned frantically, trying to keep them all in her vision. If she could kill one, just one then she would die content. The taller warrior had been ignoring the injured one, staring intently at Ren. But, just when the complaining of its compatriot had reached a crescendo, it turned abruptly to stare right at it. The air fell silent. Now! Ren turned quickly, the enemies had approached dangerously close. She swung the sword hard, bringing it through the air in a pointed stab and using the momentum of her swinging body to add speed. The injured warrior couldn't even see her blade as it pierced through the gap between two of its protective plates. Momentum carried the blade through the body about half its length, before causing Ren to tumble after it and fall on her knees before the Und`kal.
A cacophony of screaming ripped the air directly above her. It was joined by more chaotic sounds from behind, filling the clearing with unbearable clamour. The world spinned around her as she left her senses behind to deal with the chaos. This was the end. She was so tired. Tired of running. Tired of losing everything precious to her. Tristans face drifted into her image, blurred by delirium. It was replaced by the beautiful smile that Zammar always saved- just for her, only her.
The ground was leaving her behind. Had god extended his hand to pick her up and bring her to his eternal paradise? No. Leathery hands tightened around her neck. She was looking in to four deep, dark abysses of such blackness that not even the tiniest glimmer of light reflected back to her. Instinctively her hands slowly reached up to grasp at the talons futilely. Everything blurred, the air was thin. She was dreaming. Outwardly Ren stared down the chief Und'kal, not relenting as its grip tightened around her neck. But all she saw was the image of her beloved city burning in an all consuming inferno slowly fade in to blackness.
"Yes, I'll be your friend. What's your name?"
There was a long pause before "Aythyl, that is close to name"
Tristan smiled at the Und, "Then, friend Aythyl, why don't you sit here." He said, gesturing to the rock next to him, "and I'll tell you all about human beings."
So he did.
Another swirl of colour, another memory. Trying and failing to console Chodak after the passing of his mother. It sped up. Another swirl, looking out from a high cliff across the long plateau and promising himself to one day travel past it to explore the world. Another swirl, night time in the forest, seeing Ren for the first time. He had almost forgotten how empty she looked at the time. Another swirl, his village burning in an inferno. A giant tornado of fire suddenly erupting from it and scarring the clouds with its fury. Another swirl, sleeping in the same tent as her on that first night, a sleepless night with his heart pounding rapidly the entire time.
The Und nodded, turning to run out of the cave. It's stride was surprisingly elegant and unburdened. Similar to how a young child would run. Tristan followed right behind. As they emerged from the other side and disappeared between the thick tree trunks, he heard it murmur to itself. "Love?"
She kicked the ground hard with her front leg, swinging the sword out of the way and flipping backwards. The Und'kals talon swung quickly through the air where her head was a moment ago. Her backfoot splashed out of the water fast, swinging forward in a quick kick that grazed and rebounded off the warriors plated chest. Then her entire motion was abruptly halted as the creature, quick as lightning, grabbed the boot on the foot that had just kicked it. Instead of spinning backwards and landing on her feet as had been planned, her head swung through the air fast, striking a rock on the bottom of the stream. Everything was spinning as the Und'kal slowly raised her, dangling by one leg and swinging slowly like a pendulum. Her head throbbed painfully, vision blurred as she realized that she had dropped her sword in the shallow stream. It glimmered brightly in the light, refracting rays to her eyes that only disoriented her more.
Slowly the world started making sense again. The Und'kal was grinning at her madly. "Glad you're having fun." she whispered hoarsely. Was this the end? No. She couldn't die here, they had to be warned. The Blacklands, so many people...
The Warrior was holding her by the boot, which was beginning to slip off her foot. Just a little bit more...She struggled, trying to dislodge her foot from the curved leather. The warrior started articulating a strange sound, a mix between hissing and growling. Was it laughing? Ren ignored it, and continued to squirm until her foot slipped out very suddenly; the moment it was past the curved section of the boot. The ground rushed towards her extraordinarily fast. She only just had enough time to bring her arms up to break the fall, landing sprawled on her side before scrambling to the stream, picking up the sword and swinging it around. The warrior hissed in surprise and stared at the boot in its deathly talon angrily before tossing it to the side. It looked mildly annoyed now as it approached once again, walking fast. Ren held her ground, waiting for it to swing. When it finally did, she ducked under the talon fast and brought her sword up hard to stab the soft leathery section between two of the plated pieces on its underbelly. "Die!"
Ren had never stabbed an adult Und'kal warrior before. Her sword hardly penetrated its remarkably hard skin; the entire blade stuck out of a small cut. How had Zammar sliced through them like butter? She looked up at the creature that towered overhead with wide eyes brimming with fear. It stared back, showing its needle teeth before letting out that same hissing-growling laughing sound. Now, Ren was scared. There was no way she could fight one of these monsters by hand. Her arms were shaking as a tear slid down her eye. This was the end.
Suddenly, a sharp high bark bark sounded. The warrior looked to its right just before the small brown figure leaped off a rock and on to its crowned face. Blinded, the monster hissed and struggled to pull it off, but the kit was incredibly devious as it dodged the talons that came its way. Instinctively, Ren withdrew her sword and scrambled for the nearby foliage. She just reached the ferns before a loud shriek reverberated through the small clearing. Turning around, she saw the Und'kal clutching desperately at its face. Dark blood was flowing freely between the talons as it hissed and yowled in pain. The small kit trotted over to Ren, calmly as if nothing was amiss, it was carrying three dark black spheres that oozed black liquid. She gently reached out through the ferns to pick it up and pull it in to safety. "Hurry, go find Zammar." she whispered, not knowing if it understood her or not.
The kit scurried silently off into the forest. She dare not follow for fear of being far noisier.
The Und'kal was almost whimpering now in its pain. Ren prepared to strike, the enemy was injured and distracted. Maybe if she put all of her weight behind the blade and if it was aimed at a critical location she could kill the creature. She eyed the small gap between the two plates covering the area where a humans heart would be. It was at least a few inches above her head. She moved to pounce, bending her legs in preparation and then stopping only just in time. The bushes by the clearing opposite Ren hardly gave any warning before another warrior leaped over them in a gallop. It turned and started articulating at the first one that now removed the bloody talon to show the damage done to the monstrous face. At first it looked ordinarily horrible, the black blood was hard to see against dark skin. But the origin of the deathly sludge was empty holes where three of the four eyes were meant to be. They had been removed with remarkable precision. The new Und'kal started growling and stamping its feet in anger.
Now, the first was gesturing randomly in a direction beyond Ren. They want to hunt down the fox, she realized. These creatures seemed more empathetic to each other than she had initially assumed, and the desire for revenge seemed strong too. What would they do to Zammar? Who had cut down hordes. A pang of worry hit her. Still, she decided that it was time to sneak away while they remained distracted. There was no way she could fight two of them.
Turning around, she almost screamed in surprise. A third warrior was standing less than a meter from her. It stood still, not grinning maliciously or taunting her like the previous. Rather, it looked incredibly serious.
Instinctively, she stepped back. Then the creature took a step forward and she stumbled, falling on her rump. Victorious growls erupted behind her. She had just fallen back in to the clearing. The other two Und'kal slowly started to spread in a circle to surround her. Time seemed to slow for Ren, and it felt like all she heard was the blood beating hard through her ears. But no. She would not die on her knees. Her arms were burning with exhaustion as she pushed her self back up hurriedly, faltering in the process as she swung the sword up for protection. She pivoted around, trying to watch all three but failing miserably. The third Und'kal stepped out from the tree line. Now she noticed that not only did it have darker skin, but it stood taller than either of the other two. The protective plating on its underbelly was scratched deeply with many scars.
The warrior she had stabbed was articulating sounds desperately, pointing to its own injuries, Ren and the forest even as it closed in on her. All three of them were slowly closing the circle, encroaching her. She turned frantically, trying to keep them all in her vision. If she could kill one, just one then she would die content. The taller warrior had been ignoring the injured one, staring intently at Ren. But, just when the complaining of its compatriot had reached a crescendo, it turned abruptly to stare right at it. The air fell silent. Now! Ren turned quickly, the enemies had approached dangerously close. She swung the sword hard, bringing it through the air in a pointed stab and using the momentum of her swinging body to add speed. The injured warrior couldn't even see her blade as it pierced through the gap between two of its protective plates. Momentum carried the blade through the body about half its length, before causing Ren to tumble after it and fall on her knees before the Und`kal.
A cacophony of screaming ripped the air directly above her. It was joined by more chaotic sounds from behind, filling the clearing with unbearable clamour. The world spinned around her as she left her senses behind to deal with the chaos. This was the end. She was so tired. Tired of running. Tired of losing everything precious to her. Tristans face drifted into her image, blurred by delirium. It was replaced by the beautiful smile that Zammar always saved- just for her, only her.
The ground was leaving her behind. Had god extended his hand to pick her up and bring her to his eternal paradise? No. Leathery hands tightened around her neck. She was looking in to four deep, dark abysses of such blackness that not even the tiniest glimmer of light reflected back to her. Instinctively her hands slowly reached up to grasp at the talons futilely. Everything blurred, the air was thin. She was dreaming. Outwardly Ren stared down the chief Und'kal, not relenting as its grip tightened around her neck. But all she saw was the image of her beloved city burning in an all consuming inferno slowly fade in to blackness.
**
The impenetrable darkness cast by the thick canopy overhead surrounded Tristan ominously as he slowly trudged through the thick undergrowth in the heart of the forest. The last time he had seen the sun, it was high in the sky. Too many hours had been wasted, lost. And now, his body was beginning to fail him. He felt the fatigue in his legs, as accustomed as they were to a hard terrain, and the gnawing hunger in his belly was almost audible. Yet he pushed on, driven by nothing but sheer will to rescue Ren.
He came to a low hanging branch with a piece of red cloth tied around it. In frustration he unwound it and, throwing it to the ground in anger, stepped on it hard. This was the second time he had ended up finding himself back in the same place. "Where are you Ren!?" He yelled in to the forest, only to be met with absolute silence. Even the echo died down almost instantly.
Tristan backed up against a thick, slippery tree trunk and fell against it. He buried his head between his knees, holding back the tears that tempted to slip out from closed eyelids. He was furious with himself. All he had to do, was slow down and take his bearings before charging in random directions after having no success at the stream he had found hours earlier. Now that the sun was hidden, he had no way of even returning back to their camp. What worried him the most though, was that hours had passed since they saw the last Und'kal. If Ren had run into them...He didn't want to think about it. But then, maybe Zammar had found her. A thought that made him feel both jealous, and hopeful.
The ground was cold and moist as he put a hand down to struggle back to his feet, ignoring the groaning of exhausted legs. Moist, he realized. The thick canopy overhead would probably not allow too much rain to reach here. Then, he noticed the pebbles strewn about on the ground in front of the tree. Some were visibly smoother on the right side. There was a small chance, with luck that the river that had once run here had come without too much winding from the mountains east of their tents. He looked at the pebbles, and started following their jagged edges back in to the trees.
Soon he came up to a tall rocky cliff that blocked the entire path. Made of a collage of hard rocks, it was covered in moss. Hardy ferns poked out from their recesses in between, where small patches of dirt had taken place. It didn't reach even close to the canopy, but being a few heads above Tristan he knew it would be impossible to climb. Conveniently however, a large passage had been carved right through it to the other side. The river that flowed must have been mighty powerful to create that passage, he realized. Unless this was the work of man.
As he stepped in, Tristan realized that the interior of the cave was actually brighter than outside. Trees did not grow on the rocky surface, and giant holes in the ceiling allowed the sunlight to streak in, casting long pillars of yellow light. The end of the passage could be seen in the distance, a giant archway, through which the branches of the forest pines creeped in. Shrubs grew all between the rocks strewn about the floor. Except, he realized for a single thin path that had been paved on top. It was straight, and turned to his right somewhere before the end. So, man made.
He was just reaching the end of the path, intending to side step the dark interior that it turned in to when he heard the slightest whimpering. Turning to look, Tristan stepped back in surprise. In a shaded corner right next to the opening of the side path, a small humanoid figure was cradling itself, exposing its side to him. A child? No, it's entire body was covered in a layer of rough looking brown fur. The slender torso curving over its own legs in a fetal position, hiding the face. Long pointy ears stuck out from the top.
"Hello?" Tristan whispered, cautiously stepping forward. The figure jumped in surprise, turning a large oval head with an elongated chin towards him. Giant black eyes looked out from deep recesses, unblinking. He was perturbed by the lack of a mouth or nose.
Tristan took another step forward, extending a hand when the slight figure got on two skinny legs and began to back up against the wall. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." It kept backing up until hitting a ledge and stopped abruptly to watch his hand warily. "You must be one of the Und'kal, do you have a name?"
The two held their position for a long, awkward pause before a mouth appeared on the furry face. Small, needle like teeth - identical to the ones Tristan had seen on the Warrior Und'kals filled the newly created gap. They were the sole connection between the two types of alien as far Tristan could tell, them and the blackness of those eyes. "I am Und, the others are Kal." Tristan tumbled forward with surprise, trying desperately to not startle the Und'kal and failing miserably at that.
"You can speak our language!" He gasped, after having regained balance. The young Und'kal had backed up another foot already. "Sorry, I was just surprised that's all."
"The Primes teach us, they teach all us your language." It's voice was exceptionally hoarse, and guttural. Yet Tristan was surprised. No animal from this world could speak a mans tongue as fluently, and yet these aliens had not only mastered it but also possessed the ability to produce the required sounds. There was no way he would be able to speak their language.
"What is your name? You are an Und right? Then the other ones, the Warriors are called Kal?"
"Yes, I am Und. The fighters called Kal. But together we are Und'kal." It stepped forward trepidly "You said you won't hurt me?"
"I won't hurt you, Tristan reassured." He unhinged his crude wooden sword and threw it across the cave, raising his arms in the process. Then he sat down cautiously on a nearby rock. The Und approached him, still cautiously but with a little more confidence.
"Why?"
Tristan was surprised, and it showed on his face. "What do you mean why? I don't want to fight. Why would I want to hurt you?"
Now the Und looked surprised, large black eyes seemed to grow even larger and the pointy ears tweaked slightly. It's mouth closed, hiding the dangerous teeth behind the facade of the furry face. "Primes told us, that 'umans will destroy us. 'Umans killed many when we tried to make hive under Great Mountain. You are 'uman right? 'Uman is dangerous."
The Und was standing less than a meter from him now, its head cocked to one side. It was shorter by far than him, and he could tell it was still a juvenile. The teeth hadn't matured, it's limbs were too spindly. He remembered the one riding the back of the flying creature; it would grow a lot taller. Tristan looked away, into the darkness of the cave, feeling conflicted.
"But you came and tried to invade their homes. They had to fight. They had something to protect." He turned back to the Und, it was staring at him with that same confused look.
"Had to establish Hive. That was Prime directive."
"What is a Prime? Is that your King?"
" 'Umans do not have guidance of Primes? Primes are chosen born. They are last children of the mothers. Together the Und Prime guide us in...living. And, Kal Prime guide us on...battlefield."
"Okay, so they are like your leaders? But they're wrong. Humans aren't all bad."
"Und Primes can not be wrong, together they...they show us." The Und clutched its large head with long fingered hands as it shook side ways violently. "No, they can not be wrong. They teach us. I have mind shared with Prime four. He was my...my...teacher when I was birthed. I have lived what he has seen."
Curiosity was pecking at Tristan like a woodpecker on fresh pine. But he could clearly see the distress that discussing these Primes was causing to the poor Und.
"Don't worry," he smiled, "I won't hurt you. Okay? Maybe we can be friends?"
The Und stopped to stare at him with large black eyes. "Friends? will 'uman be my friend?
"Yes, I'll be your friend. What's your name?"
There was a long pause before "Aythyl, that is close to name"
Tristan smiled at the Und, "Then, friend Aythyl, why don't you sit here." He said, gesturing to the rock next to him, "and I'll tell you all about human beings."
So he did.
*
" 'umans have small groups called families. Confused, us Und were confused...'umans have no Primes and so many Mothers...we were very confused."
"You confuse us too," Tristan smiled at the Und, "Maybe that's why we fight."
"Aythyl don't know...Primes taught that 'umans will kill us all and burn our hives. We fight because we need new home."
"I think many humans would be okay with sharing the world with you."
The Und paused in reflection before looking back towards him. "Can you mind share with Aythyl?"
"Sorry?"
"Do not 'umans mind share?"
"No, what's what?"
"Aythyl want to see, want to see what 'uman life like. I can mind share you, I can live what you have seen."
"I don't really understand, Aythyl." The Und slowly raised its long hands and put them on the side of Tristans face. It stared deep in to his eyes, and all of a sudden, he noticed that its black eyes were slowly changing colour. The world swirled around him, disappearing in shades of blue and green.
He wasn't in the cave anymore. Instead, it had been replaced by a very familiar clearing. Early morning fog covered the forest, but gave reprise to the group of huts and longhouses. The village looked identical to when he had last seen it, before the fire. There was a small group of people near the forests edge. He clambered over to them slowly.
A brown haired lady was clutching a small bundle, wrapped thickly in furs. Embracing it desperately, she sobbed uncontrollably, an image made more painful through the fact that she was clearly beautiful. A man, broad shouldered with a chiseled face and similarly coloured hair had a big arm around her petite frame. Tears were streaming down his face as well.
"Mom, dad?" Tristan stepped forward, extending a hand. His eyes were already watery.
"The 'umans can...not 'ear you, this is not real...not anymore." He jumped at the small figure of the Und next to him.
There were two other people. He circled around until he was looking at the gathering from behind the two crying figures. A small, brown haired face poked out from the bundle of clothes. It's hazel eyes were large in confusion.
"Alisia, Caden...You do not need to do this. We will gladly welcome you to our family." Tristan recognized the high, squeaky voice instantly. Though Elder Gyasho looked many years younger here; the gray hair on his head was still thick.
The man, Tristans father, shook his head slowly. "There is no other way, Gyasho. We must go, or they will come to us and your village will suffer because of it."
"I still think you are being too paranoid."
"Maybe so, but I am adamant. We must leave."
"Then take Tristan with you, he deserves to know his parents!" The girl next to the elder was young, looking to be close to twenty.
This time it was Tristans mother that shook her head. "No, we found this village and loved it. This is where I want him to grow up. He'll be safe here, from their corruption."
His father nodded "Sorry, Sangmu. We're going to have to ask you to take care of him. I will not let them have my son. This way, his life won't be decided for him just because he didn't meet their requirements." He said the last word vehemently.
The scene disappeared with another swirl of colour. The blue of the sky transformed in to black, studded with small sparkles of light. Night time in the village. A young boy, in his early adolescence was standing aside, watching two other boys yelling and laughing as they chased one another around the fire. His eyes looked empty, alone. He turned and began to walk away and in to the forest. Tristan and the Und followed him. There, he sat with his back against the tree facing out to the village. Soon, a mountain wolf creeped out from a bush. He extended his hand, and the animal sniffed it eagerly. Then it curled up on his lap. The entire pack joined a moment later, and there they sat deep in to the night.
Another swirl of colour, another memory. Trying and failing to console Chodak after the passing of his mother. It sped up. Another swirl, looking out from a high cliff across the long plateau and promising himself to one day travel past it to explore the world. Another swirl, night time in the forest, seeing Ren for the first time. He had almost forgotten how empty she looked at the time. Another swirl, his village burning in an inferno. A giant tornado of fire suddenly erupting from it and scarring the clouds with its fury. Another swirl, sleeping in the same tent as her on that first night, a sleepless night with his heart pounding rapidly the entire time.
Then, just as abruptly as it had began, everything ended. With another swirl he was back in the cave, sweat glistened on his forehead and he felt like collapsing. The two eyes he was staring in to had returned to their deep black. Aythyl suddenly back away, removing his hands from Tristans face as if he were a scalding piece of metal. It started shaking, quivering as it curled back down to the rocks and stared at the ground.
"What just happened?" Tristan asked, rubbing his head. He had a pounding headache, something he had never experienced before.
The Und looked at him for a moment, "I just lived your entire life, Tristan. You humans...It must be so painful to be human." Tristan was shocked at how much more human its speech sounded. He would have thought that there would be a greater physical barrier despite the improvement in word structure. Yet, despite the voice still being guttural, it was perfectly clear now.
"What do you mean?"
"Sadness, loneliness, that is what you call these...emotions. It hurts so much."
Tristan smiled, "But there's also happiness and love. In the end, those are worth living for."
The Und stared at him with large black eyes. "I want to help you, friend Tristan. The Primes taught us that humans are weak and stupid, but you have shown me different." It started getting up. "Your friend Ren, you think she was in danger."
Tristan nodded, "do you know where she is? can you lead me out of here?"
"You travel with The Mighty Destroyer. He has killed many of us. So many Und'kal want to find the source of his strength and then drink his lifeblood. They will use your Ren."
Tristan jumped to his feet. "Okay, please take me to where she is, Aythyl. Please, I have to save her."
The Und nodded, turning to run out of the cave. It's stride was surprisingly elegant and unburdened. Similar to how a young child would run. Tristan followed right behind. As they emerged from the other side and disappeared between the thick tree trunks, he heard it murmur to itself. "Love?"
**
She was woken by violent scuffling, hissing and growling. The ground was hard and cold beneath, causing her entire body to feel stiff. Everything hurt. But she did not move, hardly daring to breath. Was she dead? The last thing she could remember was losing air as the Und'kal warriors grip tightened around her neck. Surely they would have killed her! But, could heaven be so cold?
Slowly, Ren began to open a single eye, grateful that it remained hidden behind her hair. She was on some sort of hard dirt path that led to an open clearing. Ahead of her, small huts were gathered in somber silence around a common central area. All around, the forest enclosed the little village with greenery. The bonfire in its center had been trampled, even from this distance she could make out the glowing of small embers in the darkness brought on by twilight. A horrible smell, like that of rotting meat, permeated through the air, causing her to instinctively breathe through her mouth before she realized it was too loud. There were no people.
Her attention turned to the cause of the loud commotion. A large batch of Und'kal seemed to be arguing in front of the village. A small distance separated two different groups, both of them flashing their talons and growling at the other. It was clear that one was significantly larger than the other. She instantly recognized the maimed warrior that had attacked her. It was limping now, having seemed to have lost some control over a leg. But the injuries did not prevent it from being the loudest. It gestured wildly and flashed its talons at the other warriors, constantly pointing to its injuries. She almost felt sorry for the blinded creature. The smaller group huddled around him protectively, joining in his cacophonous vocalization. She could guess what they were arguing about. But why did the other group want to keep her alive?
Cautiously, Ren began to twist her body so that her feet moved closer to the village and her head away. She saw now that the road merged in to the forest immediately at its edge, only a few meters away. She kept turning, intending to simply roll in to the forest and escape. Then, just when she was nearing close to parallel with the edge of the road, a mutilated head popped in to the top of her vision, causing her to bite down on her tongue hard to prevent crying out in surprise. There were no eyes, and a massive gash where the nose should have been. Ren tilted her head slightly, realizing in horror that it wasn't just a head. An entire pile of bodies had been laid right next to her. Ripped clothes, stained in blood dangled helplessly from mangled torsos. A collage of limbs, various shapes and sizes hung out at unprecedented angles. Insects swarmed all around the rotting pile. The villagers had been dead for a while.
The Und'kal hadn't bothered with their weapons. Knife heads and a few broken swords were scattered around the pile. Ren sorted through them with her eyes, looking for something useful. Finally, she spotted a pristine wooden bow and conveniently, a quiver with a few arrows just a few feet from it. It seemed to be the lone item that wasn't crude or broken. She moved quickly, not even checking the arguing warriors again. With a sudden leap, she jumped out from her position, kneeling to grab the bow and quiver, before diving silently in to the bushy undergrowth on the roads side.
She landed, shaking, on her knees. Breathing slowly, Ren tried to calm her pounding heart as she peeked out from the undergrowth. The Und'kal warriors were still arguing, having not even noticed her disappearance.
"Where are you, Zammar?" She whispered quietly to herself, trying to stop her arms from shaking.
Ren looked at the bow in her arms, she had never even held one; yet alone fired. Archery had been such an enticing form of combat, but her father had insisted she learn to deal with the blade. She placed a hand at her waist, realizing with a thick knot in her stomach that the longsword was gone. But still, Ren glanced up at the stinking pile of bodies, remembering the mutilated face in front of her. Then, with renewed conviction, began to slowly creep along the edge of the road; still hidden in the dense undergrowth.
She angled herself so that she was behind the larger group of warriors but could still see the smaller one. There were four arrows in her quiver, but she knew that she would only get one chance. One chance to kill one of them before they rip her to shreds.
As she raised the bow and slotted the first arrow in, Ren realized she had never felt so calm in her life. She pulled back on the bowstring, ignoring the sting it caused to her hand. And, as she released, she knew that her arrow would hit its mark. It whizzed through the air fast, the short passage seeming to take an eternity. Finally, it landed with a sickening squelch. The arrow dug deep in to the wound she had inflicted earlier on the Und'kal warrior. It's fletching disappeared entirely.
Rens sudden cry in pain from the bowstring snapping against her hand, as well as the chaotic argument that had filled the clearing before, were drowned out instantly by an ear piercing shriek of pain.
The entire group of warriors had suddenly fallen silent, except for that one that clutched desperately at its side; it groaned loudly. Ren was surprised they hadn't noticed her yet. She began to load another arrow, far too wary of the stinging on her left hand. The shot went arcing out of control into the forest on the other side.
"Damn!" The Und'kal were searching around frantically now and did not even notice the haywire shot above them. Just when one pointed to the space where she had been lying with a loud cry, her third arrow released. It flew gracefully in an arc, finally coming down to go straight through the space where the injured Und'kals eyes had been. The arrow stuck out from the other side of its head as the giant creature fell on all four knees and collapsed in a dark lump. Its loud moaning was silenced instantly by deathly retribution. "Die monster." Ren whispered, feeling happier with herself than she knew she should.
None of the other Und'kal had even noticed the fall of their comrade. Instead, the entire group was gathered around the space where Ren had been. Another argument. Another opportunity. Ren began to crawl slowly, still careful about detection through the underbrush on her knees and hands. Keeping her new found bow around her shoulders, she moved the leaves from her path as quietly as she could. The sun was setting on the other side of the village, all she had to do was crawl around and then run west until she reached the camp.
She moved a branch, almost jumping back in surprise. A thick, scaly black leg was less than a foot from her face. Her heart rate picked up fast as she looked up quietly. The tall warrior hadn't even noticed. It was standing with its head cocked to the side away from her. Then she heard the rough vocalizations of the Und'kal language coming from ahead. It was higher in pitch than the warriors she had seen before. The picture of a dark room doused in blood, a strange humanoid alien approaching through the window flicked through her head. Ren backed up instantly.
There was a small group of them. They began to walk slowly towards the village, a single Intellectual class surrounded by four Warriors. The Warriors were larger than the ones in the village. She held her breath as they passed only a foot in front, thankful that she was downwind.
The cacophonous arguing from the village stopped almost instantly when the new group entered the clearing. Suddenly there was hustling and the clapping of heavy feet on hard ground. This was followed by more vocalizations. The group of Und'kal from the village, all at least a foot shorter than their brethren from the new group, seemed to be desperately trying to convince the others of something. The intellectual in the center ignored them and looked at the pile of corpses where Ren had been. The deafening shriek it unleashed silenced the entire group instantly. It then began to vocalize more in their harsh language, causing the entire gang of warriors to shrink back in dismay. Ren couldn't believe she was watching monstrous Und'kals get chastised by another of their own. It seemed far too human for her to accept.
"WHERE IS SHE!?" The fierce voice boomed across the forest like an earthquake. A shockwave caused all the trees around her to shake violently, the broken roof of a hut in the village collapsed. All of the world fell silent, bowing to the unquenchable rage of a single man. There, standing across the clearing was Zammar. His giant muscles flexing rigorously in the setting sun, as the cape on his back waved calmly in the evening wind - a single, glorious silhouette. The small fox kit was curled up on his enormous shoulder, looking quite content with itself. It jumped off and disappeared behind the trees again. Tears streamed down Rens face at the sight of the beautiful man. "About time," she whispered weakly.
The Und'kal had frozen suddenly at his entrance. The stillness lasted a long moment before, as if some trance had been broken and with loud hissing, the entire group huddled quickly around the intellectual in the center. The younger ones formed an arc in front, moving very very slowly towards Zammar. The other four simply stood still, flexing their talons.
That's when it hit her. She had been a trap. A typical damsel in distress. "It's a trap!" She shouted. Except her voice hardly came out as a whisper.
"WHERE IS SHE!?" Zammar took a step forward, unsheathing the giant greatsword. The fury in his eyes was unreal. The younger monsters stepped back in fear, tripping over the limbs of each other. They were quelled by a shout from the intellectual.
Suddenly, the ground burst apart as four ropes shot out simultaneously. No, not ropes. They were thick, black and whipped with amazing elasticity. In a flash they wrapped around Zammars ankles and wrists, to be met by the harsh cheering of the Und'kal warriors who again began to approach.
"No..." Ren whispered, unwilling to believe what was happening. She had to do something. The light bow felt heavy as she began to raise it. Her hand was shaking hard.
The intellectual Und'kal made the familiar hissing-growling sound. It was laughing. "Your mate, Great Destroyer, we enjoyed her much." Ren blinked, "now, she is dea-"
When she opened her eyes again, Zammar was on the other side of the group, his shackles lay broken where they had bound him. The elegant face was devoid of expression as he calmly sheathed the Greatsword. The Intellectual, with his back to Ren, tried to turn. It had hardly moved when its the head rolled off the long neck and knees collapsed to the ground. There was no blood, the stump had been cauterized. The four Warriors surrounding it looked to each other in confusion. Then a massive gash, running the length of their long torsos opened explosively in a spray of black blood. All four crumpled to the ground instantly.
Zammar turned his head away from Ren, looking at the large group of Und'kal that were still staring at where he had been a moment ago. Slowly and in great confusion, they began to turn for further instruction. All they received was the anger on Zammar's face, and it sent the lot of them scurrying in to the forest with loud wails.
Turning back, Zammar fell on his knees. His giant hands pounded the ground, creating a massive craters where they struck in fury. Long, beautiful black hair covered his face.
Ren stepped out from the underbrush. "Zammar?" He paused, slowly looking up with large, beautiful brown eyes. She sprinted, covering the short distance in less than a second, straight in to his giant arms. Tears streamed from her eyes as she sobbed uncontrollably in to his shoulder.
"I thought I lost you," he whispered in her ear. She didn't reply. She couldn't. The tears wouldn't stop.
"REN WHERE ARE YOU!?" She hardly even noticed when Tristan stumbled in to the clearing, stopping abruptly at the edge to stare big eyed at the two.
She landed, shaking, on her knees. Breathing slowly, Ren tried to calm her pounding heart as she peeked out from the undergrowth. The Und'kal warriors were still arguing, having not even noticed her disappearance.
"Where are you, Zammar?" She whispered quietly to herself, trying to stop her arms from shaking.
Ren looked at the bow in her arms, she had never even held one; yet alone fired. Archery had been such an enticing form of combat, but her father had insisted she learn to deal with the blade. She placed a hand at her waist, realizing with a thick knot in her stomach that the longsword was gone. But still, Ren glanced up at the stinking pile of bodies, remembering the mutilated face in front of her. Then, with renewed conviction, began to slowly creep along the edge of the road; still hidden in the dense undergrowth.
She angled herself so that she was behind the larger group of warriors but could still see the smaller one. There were four arrows in her quiver, but she knew that she would only get one chance. One chance to kill one of them before they rip her to shreds.
As she raised the bow and slotted the first arrow in, Ren realized she had never felt so calm in her life. She pulled back on the bowstring, ignoring the sting it caused to her hand. And, as she released, she knew that her arrow would hit its mark. It whizzed through the air fast, the short passage seeming to take an eternity. Finally, it landed with a sickening squelch. The arrow dug deep in to the wound she had inflicted earlier on the Und'kal warrior. It's fletching disappeared entirely.
Rens sudden cry in pain from the bowstring snapping against her hand, as well as the chaotic argument that had filled the clearing before, were drowned out instantly by an ear piercing shriek of pain.
The entire group of warriors had suddenly fallen silent, except for that one that clutched desperately at its side; it groaned loudly. Ren was surprised they hadn't noticed her yet. She began to load another arrow, far too wary of the stinging on her left hand. The shot went arcing out of control into the forest on the other side.
"Damn!" The Und'kal were searching around frantically now and did not even notice the haywire shot above them. Just when one pointed to the space where she had been lying with a loud cry, her third arrow released. It flew gracefully in an arc, finally coming down to go straight through the space where the injured Und'kals eyes had been. The arrow stuck out from the other side of its head as the giant creature fell on all four knees and collapsed in a dark lump. Its loud moaning was silenced instantly by deathly retribution. "Die monster." Ren whispered, feeling happier with herself than she knew she should.
None of the other Und'kal had even noticed the fall of their comrade. Instead, the entire group was gathered around the space where Ren had been. Another argument. Another opportunity. Ren began to crawl slowly, still careful about detection through the underbrush on her knees and hands. Keeping her new found bow around her shoulders, she moved the leaves from her path as quietly as she could. The sun was setting on the other side of the village, all she had to do was crawl around and then run west until she reached the camp.
She moved a branch, almost jumping back in surprise. A thick, scaly black leg was less than a foot from her face. Her heart rate picked up fast as she looked up quietly. The tall warrior hadn't even noticed. It was standing with its head cocked to the side away from her. Then she heard the rough vocalizations of the Und'kal language coming from ahead. It was higher in pitch than the warriors she had seen before. The picture of a dark room doused in blood, a strange humanoid alien approaching through the window flicked through her head. Ren backed up instantly.
There was a small group of them. They began to walk slowly towards the village, a single Intellectual class surrounded by four Warriors. The Warriors were larger than the ones in the village. She held her breath as they passed only a foot in front, thankful that she was downwind.
The cacophonous arguing from the village stopped almost instantly when the new group entered the clearing. Suddenly there was hustling and the clapping of heavy feet on hard ground. This was followed by more vocalizations. The group of Und'kal from the village, all at least a foot shorter than their brethren from the new group, seemed to be desperately trying to convince the others of something. The intellectual in the center ignored them and looked at the pile of corpses where Ren had been. The deafening shriek it unleashed silenced the entire group instantly. It then began to vocalize more in their harsh language, causing the entire gang of warriors to shrink back in dismay. Ren couldn't believe she was watching monstrous Und'kals get chastised by another of their own. It seemed far too human for her to accept.
"WHERE IS SHE!?" The fierce voice boomed across the forest like an earthquake. A shockwave caused all the trees around her to shake violently, the broken roof of a hut in the village collapsed. All of the world fell silent, bowing to the unquenchable rage of a single man. There, standing across the clearing was Zammar. His giant muscles flexing rigorously in the setting sun, as the cape on his back waved calmly in the evening wind - a single, glorious silhouette. The small fox kit was curled up on his enormous shoulder, looking quite content with itself. It jumped off and disappeared behind the trees again. Tears streamed down Rens face at the sight of the beautiful man. "About time," she whispered weakly.
The Und'kal had frozen suddenly at his entrance. The stillness lasted a long moment before, as if some trance had been broken and with loud hissing, the entire group huddled quickly around the intellectual in the center. The younger ones formed an arc in front, moving very very slowly towards Zammar. The other four simply stood still, flexing their talons.
That's when it hit her. She had been a trap. A typical damsel in distress. "It's a trap!" She shouted. Except her voice hardly came out as a whisper.
"WHERE IS SHE!?" Zammar took a step forward, unsheathing the giant greatsword. The fury in his eyes was unreal. The younger monsters stepped back in fear, tripping over the limbs of each other. They were quelled by a shout from the intellectual.
Suddenly, the ground burst apart as four ropes shot out simultaneously. No, not ropes. They were thick, black and whipped with amazing elasticity. In a flash they wrapped around Zammars ankles and wrists, to be met by the harsh cheering of the Und'kal warriors who again began to approach.
"No..." Ren whispered, unwilling to believe what was happening. She had to do something. The light bow felt heavy as she began to raise it. Her hand was shaking hard.
The intellectual Und'kal made the familiar hissing-growling sound. It was laughing. "Your mate, Great Destroyer, we enjoyed her much." Ren blinked, "now, she is dea-"
When she opened her eyes again, Zammar was on the other side of the group, his shackles lay broken where they had bound him. The elegant face was devoid of expression as he calmly sheathed the Greatsword. The Intellectual, with his back to Ren, tried to turn. It had hardly moved when its the head rolled off the long neck and knees collapsed to the ground. There was no blood, the stump had been cauterized. The four Warriors surrounding it looked to each other in confusion. Then a massive gash, running the length of their long torsos opened explosively in a spray of black blood. All four crumpled to the ground instantly.
Zammar turned his head away from Ren, looking at the large group of Und'kal that were still staring at where he had been a moment ago. Slowly and in great confusion, they began to turn for further instruction. All they received was the anger on Zammar's face, and it sent the lot of them scurrying in to the forest with loud wails.
Turning back, Zammar fell on his knees. His giant hands pounded the ground, creating a massive craters where they struck in fury. Long, beautiful black hair covered his face.
Ren stepped out from the underbrush. "Zammar?" He paused, slowly looking up with large, beautiful brown eyes. She sprinted, covering the short distance in less than a second, straight in to his giant arms. Tears streamed from her eyes as she sobbed uncontrollably in to his shoulder.
"I thought I lost you," he whispered in her ear. She didn't reply. She couldn't. The tears wouldn't stop.
"REN WHERE ARE YOU!?" She hardly even noticed when Tristan stumbled in to the clearing, stopping abruptly at the edge to stare big eyed at the two.
*
"I think you forgot this," Tristan walked over to where Ren and Zammar were sitting by the tiny fire. He took our her sword, twisting it so that the low sun glinted off it and into her eyes. She brought her hands up in protest as he grinned maniacally.
"Thanks," she took the sword with a big smile, using her thumb to wipe the dirt off the Torstian emblem on its hilt. "This sword means a lot."
He took a seat next to her on the ground. "So that's Kampalla?" He indicated to the tall mountains that formed a ring across the vast valley below them.
"Well, it's the Kampallan ring," Ren adjusted the sizzling skewers of rabbit on the fire. "I've never been inside, but can you imagine that the entire city is just in a big crater surrounded by mountainsÉ!"
Tristan grinned, "I've never even seen a city before! It must be huge."
"Oh, it will be." Ren felt the old worry again, she looked at Zammar. He seemed similarly worried-gazing at the mountains with an unfocused look in his eyes. Would they be allowed in?
Finally, the trio had reached the very western edge of the Dragon Peaks. The last of the great mountains slowly transformed in to foot hills around them, surrounding the long forested valley that led to Kampalla. From their vantage point high above the valley, they could easily make out rivers and trade paths to the city. The Kampallan ring remained a geological obscenity, with mountains far too tall and too perfectly arranged this far west. It boasted the absolute end of the enormous mountain range.
"Here," Ren took out the improvised skewers from the small flames, handing two to each of her companions and taking the last for her self, removing off a few pieces of meat for the fox that was curled up next to the flames.
Tristan took his gingerly, and looked towards the rocky growth behind them anxiously. "uhm, nature calls." He got up to walk swiftly. The fox jumped up with a yap and followed behind him, a chunk of rabbit meat still in its mouth.
Ren watched him disappear behind the rocks with a sardonic smile. "Did he just take his breakfast to the bathroom?"
Zammar was smiling beautifully, shaking his head as he looked at his skewer of meat. "I'm guessing it's a bear cub."
"Really? I was thinking wolf."
"Nah, they usually have a pack to take care of each other."
The meat was tough and hot as she nibbled it slowly. Zammar had already destroyed his food. He looked around for something else to eat. "Man must eat to get strong!" That's what he would always say.
"Thanks for saving me," she whispered hoarsely, looking down at the ground in shame.
"That was a week ago!" He grinned as he finally found the folded cloth containing biscuits from Tristans village.
"But even at Torst. There were so many." The painful memory returned. "There were so many...so many dead..." She was sobbing now. "Why me?"
There was a long pause, during which she felt self conscious for the tears streaming down her face. Then a strong hand fell on her shoulder, she looked up at him with tear streaked eyes. "I'll protect you with my life, Ren."
"Why?" her voice was hoarse.
The giant man sat by her side, staring in to the fire. "Because, I trust you with the future." He reached in to his tunic, pulling out a neatly rolled scroll and an envelope. "And, because I promised your father I would." He said, handing them to her.
She recognized the seal on the envelope instantly. "Dad?"
"Don't open that yet, save it for the ceremony. Read the roll first." She did.
1'st Septem 1247
By decree # 14 from the charter of freedom written in the year 0000 on the founding of Torst.
This council votes unanimously to reinstate the Monarchy of the free city of Torst.
The throne shall be returned to the daughter of the last remaining descendant of the Adriatic lineage:
Brenda Ansari.
As per history, the council will continue to operate under the Queens guidance.
The names and signatures of all seven council members spanned across the space at the bottom of the neat parchment, a seal of absolute undeniability. Ren stared hard, unbelieving at the one of her father.
"How?" she whispered in disbelief.
"It took a long time, but I finally convinced them. And just in time too, the attack was two days later."
Her eyes were big as she looked up at him. With shaking hands, she thrust the parchment back. Away from her. A shiver ran down her spine. He took it calmly and looked towards the rising sun.
"Torst was founded with both a monarchy and elected representatives for a council. At the time, the world was war torn and divided. The idea, being that a king or singular leader is something that all people can unite under. It was also similar to the Pharaohdom of the Blacklands, and the Dragon Empire in the East. A council was incorporated to mirror the Commonwealth cities of Indus and the Whitelands. Thus providing absolute neutrality. The political structure became its own though, with the king symbolically leading the people but also working as just another of the council."
"And, it worked very well for centuries. Every new king in the lineage would marry a woman from a rotating selection of other colours to ensure that the lineage be passed through all the races. But alas, Ren, Love plays a part in the downfall of all good men. Kings fell in love with people from the inappropriate race for their turn, or others just decided not to marry. Disquiet grew through not only the city, but the world. King Golrond himself abolished the monarchy in the year seven-fourty-one, after the war."
"Because of Elyse the fair. I know the history..." she whispered.
"Exactly. It was a contingency plan. I convinced the council that were something to happen, then for the sake of humanity, the lineage of Torst must be preserved. It is the symbol of unity, something the rest of the world can unite under."
Ren shook her head. "But I'm not the queen...I can't be...The Ansari name is ancient...The family has been part of the nobility for centuries. Completely separate from the Adriatic lineage." Zammar was looking at her when she looked up desperately, pleading.
"It's in your eyes, Ren. Where did you get those from?"
"Mom..?" The world shattered around her.
"I recognized it instantly. They are an heirloom of your heritage."
Ren remembered that she had never even met her maternal grand parents. The truth of her ancestry finally started to dawn on her. She had never really connected the fact that the Adriatic line of kings always presented green eyes, similar to her own. A rarity in itself without looking at the bright, striking shade.
It was as if an enormous weight had suddenly been dumped across her shoulders.
"I don't want to be a queen." Her eyes were wet, looking at Zammar pleadingly. He gave her a sympathetic smile.
"And that's why I know you will make an amazing one." He turned toward the rising sun. "Ren, the Und'kal threat is enormous, far greater than we appreciated in their initial attack. For Torst to fall in a single night...Our survival as a species and civilization is at stake. Humanity can not survive unless it stands united. And I truly believe that you are the one that can make that happen. I am sorry, I place this terrible burden on you. But I do so with the best intentions."
"I can't...you put too much faith in me...I won't."
"Ren, you are the last of a mighty civilization, one that flourished for centuries. The dreams and hopes of its founders, long forgotten in this war torn world, live on in you. I have seen them for myself. Listen and hear the call of the fallen ones; those whose time has long come and gone. They weep for what has become of their descendants. Honour their memory! You will make a great leader for their children. You can bring them together like no other. I know it deep in my being."
She looked in to the fire, seeing an image of her beloved city burn. The queen of a fallen kingdom. A mighty city that had stood for so long, and it had fallen while she was its leader. It was all her fault, she failed. A good queen would have protected her people. But she couldn't...All she could do was pass out and be saved by the real hero. The responsibility was overburdening, the price of failure...heavy on her heart. Yet she knew, that Zammar was right. Someone had to save the poor people who had fled from the lands under Torsts protection. And, someone had to heal the deep scars that separated the Blacklands from the White. Someone had to lead the scattered remnants of mankind, one who would not favour any above the other. As the last of an ancient lineage that began the dream of a unified humanity, the impossible task was hers alone.
"He's right, Your Majesty. I know you would make a wonderful queen."
"Tristan...?" With a warm smile, he came to sit by her side.
"And, I'll support you, always."
Ren turned her head to look between the two men by her side. Both wearing happy, encouraging smiles. The burden seemed to lift slightly. They believed in her. That was enough.
She smiled weakly, "Well, I guess someone has to save your sorry hides..." her weak voice was met in contrast by loud, rambunctious laughter from Zammar.
An ear piercing screech ripped the air around them, causing the trio to jump to their feet abruptly. Silhouetted against the rising sun, the giant winged creature beat massive wings elegantly to soar over the Kampallan valley. It was heading straight for the ring of mountains. The figure on its back, visibly holding some sort of reins, scanned the ground below with broad turns of the giant head. They flew level with where Ren and the men were, soaring over the forest canopy with easy grace.
"No!" Zammar yelled as a strong shiver ran the length of Rens body. "We have to stop it. They can not be allowed to see the city!" He began to reach for his sword.
"Wait," Ren picked up the bow, cold from frost as it was, from the ground by her feet. She reached in to the quiver for the last arrow.
"It's far Ren, and the wind blows hard. If we can distract them, bring them to us..."
"No," She walked forward slowly, loading the arrow in to the slotted bow. The wind, having been calm all morning, blew her hair wildly now from the North. She stood at the edge of the cliff, and began to slowly raise the bow, taking aim. There was one chance, one single shot. She waited. The creatures flew ever closer to the city.
She was painfully aware of Tristans eyes in the back of her head. She didn't want him to see her, to see this. Instead, she forced herself to stare through the sight on the bow and lost all awareness to the thrill of the hunt.
"Ren, we have to hurry" She didn't hear Zammars voice.
She was the queen. She would protect her people. Even those of the Blacklands were her children now. She would not fail them again. The wind changed direction suddenly, blowing her hair in front of her face. Now! The arrow zoomed across the valley, boosted by the back wind. It flew for an eternity, before piercing straight through the eye of the giant winged beast. There was a long, drawn out beat of its wing, before the creature slowly turned downward and nose dived to the canopy below. The Und'kal on its back turned to look right at her then, and let out a wail that would torment her for the rest of her life.
Ren didn't watch for long, she instantly turned, running to Tristan. He was staring big eyed at the creatures spiraling to their end. She embraced him in a hug, trying to distract, trying to protect the innocence. But she knew from the way his arms hung limp at his sides that she couldn't.
Another screech tore through the air from high above them. Two more of the creatures were far above their heads, soaring slowly to the Kampallan ring. Zammar stared after them desperately.
"Let's go," he whispered. "We need to hurry."
**
"Tristan, we need to get moving." Zammars voice came from the direction of the paved path through the forest.
"Coming!" He yelled back, getting up from the fallen log despite the intense fatigue in his legs. They felt like collapsing underneath him. He'd only had two hours of sleep for the past four days of travelling. "So listen, once we get in to the city, it's going to be pretty hard for you to stay hidden. I think there will be a lot of people. Stay outside the gates until I come out okay?" The ground beneath the forest canopy was covered in broken branches and fallen leaves, the shrubs underfoot had been trampled. Overhead, the enormous eastern mountains of the Kampallan ring pierced the cloudy sky, casting the world at their base in darkness.
"I know, friend Tristan, this is the sixth time you are reminding me." Aythyl got up nimbly from his position on the ground. The Und had grown remarkably fast, already reaching the height of Tristans shoulder.
"I will see you soon, I promise."
"I hope so too, friend Tristan, now go. Your queen-mate is calling."
"You've been going awfully often," Ren giggled as Tristan stepped back on to the road. He blushed as she elbowed his side playfully.
Zammar was already moving down the road quickly. Completely oblivious to their fatigue. If he was tired from the restless journeying, he certainly did not show it - never slacking his pace for even a second. Although even Ren had began to move with renewed conviction. Maybe it was just him. The two of them fell in behind Zammar as if it was an age old routine.
Finally, the forest gave way to an open path built on top of a narrow passage that dropped off steeply to a river basin to their right. In the distance it curved to the left, disappearing behind a tall cliff - a foot hill of the Kampallan ring.
The smell overwhelmed him at once. Rotting and burned flesh. Zammar, who had stopped the moment he exited the path, began to sprint incredibly fast. Tristan looked to Ren, all he saw were big eyes brimming with fear before she ran after him. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, giving renewed strength to his legs as he joined. A quick glance down to the river to his right. It ran dark red.
As he turned the corner, the first thing he saw was a giant, ornate gateway. Made of wood painted red, the gateway curved prettily at the ends. It was decorated with carvings of mountains and lightning. The thick fences in the center had been absolutely crushed and thrown aside.
Then he looked down. The road, for all its entirety was strewn with bodies. Zammar had stopped half way up, Ren was by his side, on her knees, hands cupped around her mouth.
Dark faces frozen in moments of agony stared up at him from blood stained ground. Many twisted and placed in unearthly positions. Insects covered glaring wounds, buzzing around and adding to the darkness of the scene Scattered amongst the human bodies, the immense bulk of fallen Kal's was clearly evident. The ground was darker around the area where their blood stained it. Between them, shattered weapons glinted in the afternoon sun. The sheer number of corpses was incredible
He felt sick. How could so many people have lost their lives so pointlessly?
Zammar had begun to move slowly towards the gate, stepping over the fallen bodies with neutral ease. Tristan walked up to Ren, looking down sympathetically. There was a stunned expression of disbelief on her face. He helped her up slowly, allowing her to lean her entire weight on him as they slowly followed Zammar.
The gateway opened to a giant causeway that ran the length of the ring of mountains. The concentration of bodies here was beyond belief. The ground was not visible beneath them, even as they piled on top of each other. Blood was dripping down from the piles, followed by the relentless celebrating of insects. Zammar was standing at the very edge of the causeway, where a long, wide ramp led to the crater below. It took them a long time to reach him between the bodies.
Tristan was stunned by the sheer scale of it all. This must have been an immense city, even from his vantage point he could hardly make out where it would have ended. Now, the ramp was stained thick with blood and covered entirely with bodies. The corpses continued down in to the ruins of the city below. There was absolutely no structure left. Ashes and burned timbers littered all around fallen bricks and destroyed mud huts. Limbs stuck out from collapsed structures where the scared citizens had tried to take refuge. The smoking ruins covered the entire plateau. Gradually, the structure of bodies began to change. Beyond the bottom of the ramp, there were no more Und'kal corpses. Rather, all of them were human. More so, none of them wore that same green uniform of the ones before. These were innocent civilians. Mutilated beyond recognition, they and their blood doused the ruined city in dark red.
Just a single building could be made out. In the very center of the city, what was once a giant fort was now shattered walls that hardly stood anymore. An immense hole had been blown in to its Southern side, and the North had collapsed inwards. Tall domed towers were shattered, ready to crumble at the slightest quake. At its ramparts, a black flag bordered by red with a golden headrest on it blowed in the wind, a single, solemn mark for the immense city that once was.
Zammar turned and began to run along the causeway, jumping over the bodies. Before Tristan had realized it, Ren followed him. He followed her, almost tripping over the torn and out sprung limbs. A while later, the bodies suddenly ended. They had all surrounded the Eastern gate, now the rest of the causeway was clear. It took them half an hour to finally make it to the other end. All along the way, massive boulders had been laid down to block more passages. At the very end, on the Western gateway, the massive boulder had been crushed and destroyed. Fragments of the rock lay strewn about on the ground.
As he walked through the gate, panting hard from the long run, Tristan was almost blinded by the brightness of the sun overhead. Zammar stood at the edge of the causeway. Here, it turned into a long ramp to their side. Beneath them, the Dragon Peaks suddenly dropped away in to a flat prairie landscape that stretched far in to the horizon. As Tristan walked forward to get a better look, Ren at his side panting just as hard, Zammar fell on his knees.
"NOOOOOO!" His long, pained cry echoed off the mountains behind, reverberating through Tristans bones. Beneath him, a thick path curved slickly through the landscape to the distance. All along its length, thick plumes of black smoke rose high from the countless villages that had settled near and prospered from the consequent trade.
Tristan didn't even realize when Ren's head landed on his chest. Unconsciously, he reached his arm around to comfort her, to stop her uncontrollable crying. All he could think about was his own home burning in an inferno. How many lives had been ruined? How many had been lost? How many would never see the next golden dawn?
Authors Note:
It took a long time, but part 3 is finally complete. I guess one may think that not much happened in this part, but I think it was incredibly important!!
Also, it is stupidly long, as usual (funnily, I cut out a very long and important part!). I feel like despite the length, I could still benefit from being more in depth. In trying to create a universe with dynamic characters, I think it is important to paint a beautiful picture for the readers and allow them to join the journey. Which is contradictory to what is commonly said about being short and to the point...I feel like that doesn't ALWAYS work too well for Fiction.
Still, I digress. Lots of room to improve. Maybe the style of writing is what needs to be changed :p
If you took the time to read this then please do drop me a comment on what you thought. If you insult my story, no doubt I would be insulted! however! I shall hope to show you my great appreciation and take your words in to great consideration. Otherwise, I would love to know what you thought/think about where the story is going and etc!
Please look forward to part 4. I am really excited for that one :D
Much love,
Authors Note:
It took a long time, but part 3 is finally complete. I guess one may think that not much happened in this part, but I think it was incredibly important!!
Also, it is stupidly long, as usual (funnily, I cut out a very long and important part!). I feel like despite the length, I could still benefit from being more in depth. In trying to create a universe with dynamic characters, I think it is important to paint a beautiful picture for the readers and allow them to join the journey. Which is contradictory to what is commonly said about being short and to the point...I feel like that doesn't ALWAYS work too well for Fiction.
Still, I digress. Lots of room to improve. Maybe the style of writing is what needs to be changed :p
If you took the time to read this then please do drop me a comment on what you thought. If you insult my story, no doubt I would be insulted! however! I shall hope to show you my great appreciation and take your words in to great consideration. Otherwise, I would love to know what you thought/think about where the story is going and etc!
Please look forward to part 4. I am really excited for that one :D
Much love,
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