The Sworn Defender

by The Ranger

  Aven seemed deep in thought for a moment before turning his attention to Edmund.

  "Did you tell her?" he asked.

  Edmund's eyes grew large, and he shook his head rapidly.

  "Khora, you won't believe it," the boy began. "Richard used a vine when they fought the Seekers!"

  She seemed taken aback by the revelation.

  "Like the vines Tala used to…" she trailed.

  "I think so," Edmund finished.

  Khora's eyes darted to Richard, who was at the head of their little formation. She couldn't help but look at him now with a shard of distrust. She questioned just how much of Tala left the cave with them and just how much of her cruelty was still to be revealed. Her hand lingered near her dagger.

  "Khora, are you… scared of him?" Edmund questioned, staring into her eyes.

  She bit her tongue. She had been fearful, if only for a moment, but the sentiment passed as quickly as it formed. She was ashamed of herself for having such feelings towards her companion; knowing how prejudiced people had been towards her in the past— she knew the thought was unjust.

  "No, Ed," she denied. "We just have to be careful. All of us, including Richard. We must all return to Azra safely."

  Khora jogged ahead, hoping her friend might enlighten her on his progressing condition, but he stopped abruptly, his attention shooting off to their right.

  "Do you see something?" Khora asked him, setting her hand on his arm.

  "You don't…" he began to ask.

  "I do!" Aven yelled, running into the dense forest.

  Richard ran in behind him, and Ranger hurdled after them both.

  "Do you know what just happened?" Eren asked.

  "No," Khora answered. "But we should find out."

  She sprinted after them, with Eren and Edmund trailing behind. They weren't running for more than a minute before they found Aven and Richard battling Seekers. The former wielded his sword, as could be expected, and Richard fended them off with a rusted mace he had picked off the ground. They were defending an overturned wagon, with baggage and torn fabrics scattered across the dirt.

  "Just five?" Eren laughed. "Easy!"

  He rushed in, smashing the nearest Seeker with his shoulder before swiping off its head.

  Another skeleton ran towards Khora; its bony hands stretched out to grab her. She sighed and slammed the shaft of her spear into its skull, sending it flying through the air.

  This was her first encounter with the Soul Seekers, but she felt they weren't quite as petrifying as Eren had made them out to be. They were intimidating, to be sure, but Khora felt that without large numbers, they seemed more of a nuisance than anything else.

  "Why are we here, Richard?" she asked, striking a Seeker with her fist.

  He groaned as he disabled the last of the creatures with the mace and walked over to the toppled wagon.

  "Because of them," he sighed. "You can come out now. It's safe."

  Khora waited a few moments and gasped as two little girls crawled out from beneath the wagon. They were both around four feet tall and bore brown, curly hair that fell to their shoulders. They wore identical dresses, with the exception that one was red and the other was blue. She was sure they could not be more than eight years old.

  Without hesitation, Khora rushed over to them and checked to see if they had sustained any injuries.

  "Are you two hurt? What are you doing here?" she half-yelled at them.

  The girls were about to speak but instead winced as a heavy crack fell on their ears.

  Khora turned to see Eren smashing the Seekers' skulls with his foot.

  "You have to stomp them. Stomp them hard," he suggested, as his foot caved in a skull. "It keeps them from reforming so quickly."

  "You're scaring them, idiot," she hissed.

  Eren looked at her sheepishly before picking up the skull and trudging further away from them.

  Khora moved her attention back to the children and set her hands on their shoulders.

  "Everything is fine now, but, tell us, why are you two here?" she asked.

  "F-father led us off the path because of-of-of those monsters," the girl in the red dress explained.

  "B-but then there were more, and they knocked over our wa-wagon," the other whimpered. "Our parents led them away from us but haven't come back…"

  The two girls huddled closer to each other and began to tear up as they recounted what happened.

  Khora turned to Richard, who nodded slightly.

  "We'll help you find them; you are safe with me," she said, stretching out her hand. "What are your names?"

  "Alice," said the one in the blue dress.

  "Andrea," replied the one in the red.

  "Come now, girls. Everything will be fine," Khora smiled.

  Richard and Aven held the front, with the latter tracking the girls' parents through gnarled roots and slight ravines. He claimed to have been a hunter's apprentice once and was adept in leading a pursuit.

  Eren and Edmund carried the rear, watching carefully for any Seeker who attempted to catch them off guard. Khora remained in the middle of the formation, holding Alice's hand on the left and sharing her spear with Andrea on the right. Even Ranger remained close to the trio, a welcome sight for the terrified children.

  "Hello," Andrea whispered, passing her hand through the dog's fur.

  "Do you like dogs?" Khora asked them.

  "We have one back home," Alice answered. "But we left in a hurry; Father didn't give us time to bring her along."

  "Where is your home?" she inquired.

  "We live in Marinia," Andrea revealed.

  Khora seemed taken aback for a moment. The thought of children living in the Ashlands hadn't occurred to her, but now the idea seemed obvious; while the city was ruled by the criminally inclined, that did not mean it was devoid of regular people.

  "Why did you leave-" Khora began.

  A flash of movement ahead of them had interrupted her train of thought. She saw Aven had shot his arm out, barring Richard from moving forward. They shared a few words before the latter trudged back towards Khora.

  "Keep them close, and stay here," he whispered. "Aven's found a trail of blood leading into the clearing ahead. The rest of us will investigate."

  Khora pulled the girls closer.

  "Tell me what you find," she requested.

  Richard nodded and motioned for Eren and Edmund to follow him. The three of them went after Aven, who had gone forward into the clearing.

  "What's wrong?" Alice asked.

  "Nothing yet, little one," Khora strained. "Stay calm. I am here."

  A few moments passed, and Edmund returned to Khora, a gloom hanging heavy on his face.

  "Was your mother wearing a violet dress?" he asked the girls.

  They nodded slightly, not yet understanding Edmund's question.

  Khora shut her eyes for a moment and clenched her jaw.

  "Ho-how does it look?" she questioned.

  "Aven said it probably happened fast," he whispered. "It doesn't look… doesn't look that bad."

  Khora nodded and began walking to the clearing, leading the girls along with her. She felt conflicted: a part of her thought it would be best for them to have a final moment with their mother, but the other wanted nothing more than to shield them from whatever horror laid ahead. In the end, she knew they could have no better release than to see their mother one last time.

  They made it to the clearing, with the others gathered at the far end. They had circled the girls' mother, who seemed as if she were simply lying on the ground peacefully; however, the crimson pool gathered at her waist told a different tale. She appeared to have been young, no older than twenty-seven, and had brown hair that matched her daughters.

  They screamed when they saw her.

  "I'm so sorry, girls," Khora murmured. "I am so sorry."

  Alice and Andrea wailed as they ran towards their mother, and Khora began to cry as well. She knew what it was to lose a par
ent.

  Chapter Five

  Richard

  The air was fresh and crisp; there was a definite chill, which was soon succeeded by mild snowfall. Besides the cold, and the corpse, the forest clearing seemed quite welcoming.

  After discovering the body, Khora took it upon herself to return to the girls' wagon to retrieve a large sheet Edmund had spotted earlier. The pair ventured out, along with Alice and Andrea, nearly a half-hour earlier. However, some of those who remained behind had begun to grow impatient.

  "We're wasting time," Eren pouted.

  "You think we should have left the girls to fend for themselves?" Aven questioned, a slight arch in his eyebrow.

  "No!" he exclaimed. "I meant letting Khora go back to the wagon."

  "I doubt you could have stopped her," Richard murmured.

  "That doesn't mean it's not a waste of our very limited time," the former guard returned.

  "If that were your mother lying on the ground, wouldn't you want to pay her respect one last time?" Aven countered.

  "Not if my father was still out there," Eren sighed.

  Richard looked at the falling frost.

  "Could you still track his path under snow?" he questioned.

  Aven shrugged his shoulders slightly.

  "If we get moving within the hour, sure," he answered. "This is a light snowfall, but if it escalates into a storm… it would be harder to sniff him out."

  Richard's eyes remained on the sky above as he attempted to stretch his senses as far as he could. The effects of the poison Lyla had administered were already beginning to fade; he was sure that he would revert to his previous state in a day or two.

  "Your monster senses are coming back, aren't they?" Eren asked. "That's how you knew the girls were there, eh?"

  Richard turned to face him and nodded slightly.

  "Yes," he mumbled. "I heard them crying."

  "Is that bad?" Aven poked.

  "It's all coming back to me, but it's slow, so I'm hoping I can adjust enough that I'm not overwhelmed like before," he said. "And if not…"

  Richard reached into his pocket, and his hand accidentally brushed against the gem he had recovered from Tala's cave. He hesitated for a moment before retrieving a thin vial.

  "Lyla gave me this," he presented. "It's the same poison as before."

  Eren nodded for a moment but quickly shifted his attention to Aven.

  "So, I understand how Richard knew the girls were there, but how did you?" he prodded.

  "I didn't," Aven answered. "Sound is carried far in forests like this; I didn't know for sure what it was I had heard, but I knew something wasn't right. When Richard turned, it was all the confirmation I needed."

  "Well, in any case, I'm glad we found them before something tragic happened," Eren sighed.

  He glanced at the corpse on the ground.

  "More tragic," he added.

  The sound of a twig snapping brought Richard's attention to their right, where they spotted the others returning. Khora led the group, with either sister on her sides and Edmund trailing behind with a folded sheet in his arms. Ranger followed behind them lazily, a lack of effort visible in each step.

  "Stay here," Khora told the girls.

  They did as they were asked, and she moved forward, approaching the body. Edmund handed her the sheet, and she began wrapping it around the corpse. Aven moved to help her, and together they swaddled the girls' mother in a few moments.

  Khora seemed mournful as she tied the linen together at the woman's feet before laying the body near a large boulder.

  "Her name was Margaret," she sighed, standing up. "Nothing can be done for her now, but we can still locate the girls' father."

  "Well, that's the plan; we were just waiting for you to get back," Eren grumbled.

  Khora scowled for a moment but turned to Aven soon after.

  "Have you found a trail?" she asked.

  "I think so," he nodded.

  Richard watched as Edmund caught a bit of falling snow in his hand and presented it to Ranger, who in turn quickly lapped it up.

  "Let's get moving then," Eren urged.

  Aven turned to Richard expectantly.

  "Lead on, Aven," he pushed. "Ed and I will take the rear."

  Edmund looked up at the mention of his name but did as he was told without saying a word.

  Aven went ahead, picking up what clues he could from the terrain, with Eren at his side scanning their surroundings carefully. Richard and Edmund marched behind everyone, keeping Khora and the children in view at all times.

  Edmund walked along cautiously, keeping his eyes on the ground so that he would not trip over a protruding root or step into a slight crack. Richard eyed him carefully as they went along until he looked back up at his companion.

  "How are you doing, Ed?" he asked.

  "Fine, I suppose. A little cold, sometimes," he responded.

  Richard forced a warm smile.

  "Is something wrong?" the boy questioned.

  He turned his attention ahead, surveying the shadows between the trees.

  "You're afraid of me," he muttered. "I can sense it."

  "Well, saying things like that doesn't help," Edmund joked.

  Richard nodded, a hint of sadness hanging in his eyes.

  "Look," the youth said, gripping his friend's arm. "I'm not afraid of you. I could never be afraid of you, but I just don't know what's happening to you. You've got in you the same stuff that kill— the same stuff that killed-"

  "I know," Richard cut. "I know that more than anyone. I know… but I'm still me, Ed. I'm still me."

  Edmund smiled warmly.

  "That's why I'm here, Rich. That's why I'm not going anywhere," he grinned. "And when this is over, we'll have time to adjust to… to everything."

  Richard felt a stone form in his chest, but he pushed it down. He wasn't very sure what he could say next. He had been feeling the same as Edmund had since leaving Tala's domain, and talking with him stirred the same emotions he was attempting to evade. He thought of bringing this up with his friend, but another obstacle quickly presented itself.

  "Seekers!" Aven yelled. "A lot of them!"

  Richard had been lost in thought but began to sense the enemies around them as soon as he split from his daze.

  "Come on!" Eren urged, running ahead with Aven.

  "Stay with Khora, protect the girls," Richard told Edmund as he rushed ahead.

  They ran towards the edge of a steep ravine where nearly two dozen Seekers had gathered. They had focused their attention on the ground below but quickly turned to clash with Richard and the others.

  "Don't let them overwhelm you!" Eren screamed, lingering at Aven's side.

  Richard swung his scavenged mace in every direction, breaking through two or three Seekers at a time with each blow.

  "Is there someone there?" a voice yelled.

  Richard looked towards the cliff, quickly realizing the voice had come from just below it.

  "Father!" Alice screamed, running towards the ravine.

  "No!" Khora cried out.

  She shot her hand towards the girl in an attempt to grab her but narrowly missed as the child dashed across the battle. She tried to chase after her but was bombarded by two Seekers before she could close the distance.

  "Defend her!" Richard yelled. "I'll get the other one!"

  He twisted around and began to sprint towards Alice. He had nearly reached her when a skeletal fist knocked him onto the ground. He looked up in time to see the child crash into a lone Seeker.

  "Please, no!" he yelled, reaching forward.

  The Seeker looked down at Alice, who had fallen to the ground after bumping into it. She began to cry while it stared at her, but it simply returned its attention to the others and marched away.

  "It didn't… wait… are they— they're not targeting children!" Richard realized.

  Before he could share this information, he felt a sharp pain shoot through his side as a Seeker kicked
him.

  He turned and caught the second kick with his hands, forcing the creature to stumble back. Richard rose to his feet, mace in hand, and prepared himself for the monsters to rush forward. However, the three Seekers that had assembled before him froze, an action that confused him, but their scheme quickly unfolded.

  Two of the three Seekers began to crumble into gray smoke, as they did when they were defeated, yet, this time, their skulls evaporated along with the rest of their forms. The dark fumes that had gathered were then absorbed by the monster that remained.

  It grew larger as the smoke disappeared into its body until it stood nearly a foot above the rest of its comrades. Its bones looked thicker than they had before, and it seemed eerily similar to the powerful Seeker they had encountered near Lyla's cabin.

  "Fine, I was hoping for another chance," Richard muttered to himself.

  His hand shot forward, and he gathered his focus. Before, when he had summoned a vine from the ground in battle, he had felt a change in the air. It was as if an unseen and intangible thread materialized inches from his hand. All he needed to do then was entwine it between his fingers and pull. Now, it was time to do it again.

  His spirit called to the earth, and the invisible threads returned to his mind; he weaved them through his fingers and shot his arm upwards, launching a nest of vines towards the strengthened Seeker.

  "Yes!" he smiled as they cut through the air.

  The creature raised its arm, and a black blade materialized in its hand. It swiped at the vines, slashing through them with ease.

  "What!" Eren shrieked from across the clash. "How did it-"

  "Don't let up!" Aven interrupted, defending his distracted companion.

  Richard clenched his fist and ran towards the monster. He held the mace high above his head and brought it down sharply on the Seeker's blade, cracking it slightly.

  "You're stubborn," he groaned. "But so am I!"

  He continued to strike the creature with the mace, and it continued to block the blows with its splintered blade. Richard threw his hand behind his back and tangled his fingers in the imperceptible threads once more.

  Vines sprouted from the ground, coiling around the Seeker from its feet to its waist. With one last mighty bash, Richard broke the creature's sword, forcing its dark essence back into the skeleton's form. He swung the mace down towards its skull, but the monster caught the weapon with its hands, struggling beneath Richard's fury.