by Seth Ring
“Haha, why shouldn’t I? Are you going to stop it?” Arhtu chuckled as his eyes met Thorn’s. “You’d have to figure out a way to connect with the Elves, let alone defeat our armies. And how would you do that when you are stuck here?”
“You are not concerned about my friends saving me?”
“I’m sure your friends are great and all, but no. No, I’m not worried about your friends saving you. Besides, even if they did, we will just crush you in the next fight.” Arhtu smiled easily, picking up another pastry. “You were right, these strawberry ones are delicious. Anyway. Even at full strength, you won’t be able to beat me, so why bother trying?”
“You don’t think so? Why not try it and see?” Thorn said, spreading his arms with his palms face up. “You could let me free and we could go at it.”
“Eh, it’ll just end up the same way it always does. The [Aeon Curse] will consume you and the fight will become boring.” Arhtu’s slight smile gained a wolfish edge as his eyes glimmered for a moment. “And even if it didn’t I would crush you.”
“You seem quite confident. I survived it once, what makes you think I won't be able to do it again?”
“Haha, you call scurrying away with your tail between your legs surviving? I mean, different knives for different warriors, but I would not really consider that a win for you. I am, however, interested in what allowed you to survive the curse’s life force consumption.”
“I’m tough, what can I say?” Thorn shrugged.
“Uh huh. Let's go with that for now.” Arhtu smiled and slowly rose from his seat. “It has been nice talking to you, but I do need to go. The assault on the harbor is reaching a critical stage, and I need to reinforce the tribes who were deployed to the front line. Please enjoy your stay here. If you need anything, you can try asking one of the guards, though I can’t guarantee they’ll help. They're not my warriors, you see. I will be back tomorrow to chat some more.”
Bobbing his head toward Thorn, Arhtu gripped his cane and slowly left the tent, leaving Thorn alone with the two large Orc warriors who were guarding him. Watching the Orc Shaman go, Thorn was left unsettled. The encounter had gone nothing like what he had envisioned. Arhtu had been gentle, soft-spoke, and more than willing to answer his questions. The conversation had borne no signs of the interrogation that Thorn had expected, and while he had not been looking forward to it, having the Orcs interrogate him would have made him feel much better.
As it was, Thorn was left with a strange empty feeling. Almost as if he had stepped forward, expecting to feel solid ground only to find an abyss waiting beneath his feet. Taking a deep breath, Thorn began to rise to his feet when one of the Orc guards stepped forward, a hand outstretched.
“Hold, prisoner. You may not leave.”
“Sure, I get that.” Thorn said with a nod and a smile. “Can I walk around in the tent?”
“Uh,” unsure, the Orc guard looked at his companion who shrugged. “Uh, sure, I guess. Just make sure you stay on the rug.”
“Yup, no problem.”
The tent was around fifteen feet tall at the point, with a roof that fell away to the four nine foot tall corners. Heavy canvas was stretched between the poles, enclosing the twenty foot by twenty foot space. A thick carpet dominated the center of the tent, decorated with gold and crimson thread in a swirling pattern. Taking a quick turn around the carpet, Thorn’s eyes wandered over the rest of the tent. Standing by two small tables was the chair that Arhtu had been sitting in, and against one of the walls was a small chest that was full of clothing, based on the corner of cloth sticking out from under the lid.
As Thorn walked, his [Spiritual Sense] seeped into the floor, spreading through the ground to the area surrounding the tent. With his energy largely drained he found that his [Spiritual Sense] did not spread nearly as far as it normally would and the picture that it fed him was blurrier than he had expected. Still, it revealed that the tent he was in was heavily guarded. Sixteen Orc soldiers, divided into groups of four, patrolled around the tent.
With a sigh, Thorn stopped walking and just sat down. With nothing else to do, he folded his legs under him and closed his eyes. Resting his hands on his knees, Thorn began to breathe calmly, doing his best to speed up his recovery as much as possible.
The rest of the night passed quietly for Thorn, who was meditating in the center of the tent, but he knew that was not the case for his friends. With Arhtu and the Ash Maw tribe joining the attack on the harbor, Thorn could only imagine that Corvo and the others were going to be in for a serious fight.
The silence gave Thorn some time to sort through his encounters with the Orc Shaman. Arhtu had seemed like the typical villain at first, but their latest interaction had forced Thorn to reevaluate his opinions. There was something about the kindly seeming Orc that set Thorn’s hackles up, though Thorn could not quite pin it down. It was different from the disgusting smell that those touched by devilish influence possessed. Instead, it was a feeling of pure danger, similar to what Thorn felt when he met the mad alchemist, Alph, in the Barrow Hills catacombs.
Based on their first encounter, Thorn knew that the unassuming way that Arhtu carried himself was pure deception. He had taken Thorn’s full powered strike and returned it in kind, easily beating back Mina and Akira at the same time. Even now, Thorn could feel the lingering energy of the [Aeon Curse] surrounding him. Thin fingers of the turbid energy roamed the carpeted area of the tent, forming an invisible prison around him.
He was unsure if it was just the natural state of the [Aeon Curse] or if Arhtu had the ability to control it completely, but Thorn could feel the curse following his every move. Earlier, when he walked around the carpet, Thorn could feel the energy of the [Aeon Curse] following him, as if it was getting ready to pounce as soon as he attempted to step off. Now, as he sat and tried to restore himself to at least half of his normal state, Thorn could feel the [Aeon Curse] trying to constrict him. Every time he would breathe in, the [Aeon Curse] would drift closer, trying to absorb the life in the air before he could.
Annoyed, Thorn’s brow furrowed slightly before smoothing out. With a grunt, he gathered his [Spiritual Sense] back together, taking control of the earth elemental energy under the tent and funneling it into his body. Instantly the swampy energy of the [Aeon Curse] reacted, attempting to stifle him and cut the connection. Wrapping itself around the pure earth elemental energy that Thorn was pulling up from the ground, it tried to consume it, as it had with Thorn’s life force.
Sneering in his heart, Thorn controlled the earth elemental energy to slam into the slivers of the [Aeon Curse] that were in the tent. As they collided the purity of the earth elemental energy proved too much for the [Aeon Curse], beginning to burn it away bit by bit. Doubling down, Thorn was about to surround it completely when he noticed the sound of hurried footsteps approaching the tent.
Quickly releasing the earth elemental energy under his control, Thorn allowed it to flow back into the ground and spread his [Spiritual Sense] out, locking onto Arhtu’s figure at the entrance to the tent. With the earth elemental energy gone, the [Aeon Curse] dominated the area around Thorn once again, subtly eating away at his life force. Coughing slightly, Thorn’s breath was ragged as Arhtu threw aside the cloth door and strode into the tent, his eyes blazing.
“Did you see anything strange just now?” Arhtu’s voice had an edge that Thorn had never heard before as he addressed the two guards.
“N...no, sir!”
Both of the guards were standing as straight as two spears, their bodies trembling slightly as Arhtu’s eyes raked over them.
“Hm. Very well.”
The fire in Arhtu’s eyes died down, replaced by the muddy haze that they normally bore. Taking a look around the tent, he saw that Thorn was sitting on the carpet meditating. With nothing else out of place, Arhtu could only sigh. Ambling over to the chair where he had been sitting before, Arhtu sat down and faced Thorn.
“You know, on second thought, why don’t w
e chat some more?”
Chapter Fifty-Nine
By the time the morning sun had begun to make its presence known, stretching thin fingers of grey into the deep blue of the night sky, the fight at the wall of the Twin Bay harbor had slowed to a crawl. Exhaustion had set in for the attackers almost an hour earlier, but their commanders still urged them forward, forcing them to trudge up to the wall over and over again. The situation on the wall was better, though most of the defenders were just as tired as the Orcs who were attacking them.
“Why is there no report?”
At the command center that had been set up in the harbor office, Earl Blaige narrowed his eyes as he stared at Corvo. The avatar of Huginn was bent over the map of the forest, his eyes darting back and forth.
“Hmm? Report about what? Oh, about the Cog Priests?” Corvo straightened and rubbed his forehead. “The ones we targeted were fakes. That Arhtu is pretty cunning. He baited us in and has captured Thorn. I sent him a message, but he has not responded, which means there is probably something blocking us from communicating. The other members of the hit squad are linking up with the Charging Wolf Army as we speak. I would expect them to arrive some time tomorrow evening. Maybe even the next morning.”
“So we just need to maintain our defense?” Bothy frowned, his finger tapping on the table. “How are we going to survive the siege weapons?”
“We need to hold on for at least another day. Possibly two.”
Sighing, Corvo pointed to a spot on the map north of the Orc camp.
“Part of the issue is that Thilvena is continuing to teleport around. The latest report from our scouts is that Thilvena was located right here. But they also reported something else troubling. When the Orcs found it, they rushed over with a bunch of Shaman and began trying to set up a spell around it. I did a flyover and it looks like the Orcs have a way to keep the city in place. It just takes a certain amount of time to activate. Thilvena can teleport before they can set up the spell, which is good. But it also means we can’t make contact unless we can take the Orcs down.”
“And if we can’t make contact, we won’t be able to survive a siege against the Orcs.” Bothy squinted down at the map. “We need to figure out a way to break the siege on the harbor and connect up with the Elves in Thilvena. How are the efforts of the Charging Wolf Army?”
“Great.” Corvo said with a broad smile. “They’ve taken down two of the supply camps, wiped out a supply convoy and are about to hit the third camp. They’ve been moving fast enough that the Orcs have not caught on yet, which is great. As soon as they get through the third camp they’ll be on the way back up here.”
“Finally some good news. Do you think we should have them join up with us or go and rescue Earl Greymane?”
“I’m not sure, sir. We could have them potentially do both, but,” suddenly Corvo paused, his head snapping to look south.
Following his gaze, Bothy saw nothing but a blank stone wall.
“Corvo? Is everything okay?”
“Uh, yeah.” Corvo spoke slowly, his words drawn out. A grin slid onto his face and he turned back to look at Earl Blaige. “Sir, an old friend is coming to visit. I’ll be back in a bit.”
Barely had the words left his lips when Corvo dashed to the window. Jumping up onto the sill, he launched himself into the air, his coat swirling around him. As he reached the apex of his jump, his body shifted and the swirling coat became a flurry of feathers. Two wings emerged, carrying him further up into the air.
As Bothy watched Corvo’s figure disappear into the early morning light, he sighed.
“Stupid travelers, just running off all the time.”
Rushing through the sky, Corvo could feel the cool morning air slipping past his wings. Turning in a rising spiral over Twin Bay, Corvo’s eyes scanned the Orc forces who were still pushing toward the large walls that had been erected around the harbor. It was a puzzle to him and Earl Blaige why Arhtu the Cursed had not joined the fight, but whatever the reason, he was thankful. The battle would have been significantly harder if the Ash Maw tribe had joined once everyone was tired. Instead, the attackers and defenders were largely even, leading to an exhausting stalemate.
Turning his gaze away from the fight at the entrance to the harbor, Corvo flew to the southeast. Dark trees passed underneath him as he sped over the forest, his eyes constantly scanning for threats. As he got further from the harbor at Twin Bay, he saw fewer and fewer Orcs, and soon he had left them all behind. Continuing on for another ten minutes, Corvo’s sharp eyes spotted an opening in the forest below him.
Tucking his wings, Corvo dropped rapidly, quickly arriving in the clearing. Just above the ground his figure transformed from his bird form back into his Elven form. Landing on the ground lightly, he looked around, his hand resting on the hilt of his thin rapier. The light of the morning sun had not yet pierced through the thick canopy, casting the trees in deep shadows. The darkness did nothing to deter Corvo who began to walk into the forest.
*swish*
A faint sound caused Corvo to pause his footsteps. Looking ahead, he saw a slight motion in the forest as a strange wind picked up, rustling the leaves and branches of the trees all around him. Tightening his grip on his rapier, Corvo’s other hand slipped into his coat, curling around a piece of wood carved in the shape of a strange looking flower.
“Hello?”
Corvo’s question was soon lost among the trees. As if in response, the wind began to blow harder, swirling around a thick tree trunk, sending the tree’s leaves waving. With a small sound the leaves separated from the branches of the tree and joined the wind in swirling around the trunk. Faintly, Corvo could see a faint green figure on the tree growing clearer and clearer. As Corvo watched in amazement, he saw something emerge from the tree, stretching out to reveal itself as a slim hand.
Little by little, the hand left the tree, becoming increasingly clear as it was followed by an arm. The leaves swirling around the tree gathered around the hand, granting it further definition. The first hand was soon followed by a second, and then a head and torso as a glowing green figure stepped out of the tree completely. As the figure separated from the tree the leaves plastered themselves against it, forming the shape of an Elven woman.
“Hello, Corvo.” The figure spoke in a voice made of gentle wind and rustling leaves. “Thank you for coming. I’m occupied at the moment or I would have made my appearance in person.”
“Where are you?” Corvo asked, his hand falling away from the hilt of his rapier.
“Where am I active, or where am I truly?” The figure lifted her chin slightly as her eyes turned up toward the sky. “The forest is my domain and my presence permeates it. That is how I knew of your enemy and your plight. Though my attention is limited, tied mostly to the brave trees keeping the invaders occupied to the southeast, I felt your enemy moving and came to help.”
“Do you know that Thorn was captured? We fell into a trap. A trap I should have seen coming.”
“You cannot be blamed. Your enemy is dangerous, a powerful arm and a cunning spirit. He is a rarity among the Orcs. It is not often you find a mind so meticulous. The curse he bears is even more dangerous.”
Biting his lip, Corvo began to pace back and forth in front of the leafy figure.
“What is bothering you?” The figure asked, drifting closer to Corvo.
Stopping in place, Corvo let out a deep sigh and threw up his hands as he began to speak, his voice laden with frustration.
“I’m not a tactician and what we need right now is someone to come up with tactics. Political manipulation, sure. Scheming against others, no problem. Military tactics? Forget it. I’m frustrated because I simply don’t know what to do. I’d love to help, but I have no idea how. Thorn has been strong enough to punch his way through anything that has been thrown at him, yet even he was nearly wiped out by Arhtu the Cursed in a direct engagement.” Corvo shuddered as he recalled the scene. “I was there, I saw it with my own eyes.
Corvo’s voice fell quiet, and for a moment the forest was silent. After looking at Corvo for a moment longer, the leafy figure sighed, causing the trees to rustle around them.
“Yes, Mina has been keeping me posted.”
“Velin, what is going on?”
Staring at the avatar of Huginn, Velin finally was not able to maintain his clear gaze and turned away.
“You know, don’t you?” There was no accusation in Corvo’s voice, just absolute certainty. “You know what is happening. It's happening to you too, isn’t it? That’s why they took your pod. I heard from Mina that your pod has been moved and you’ve been logged in permanently. Don’t glare at me, intelligence gathering is what I do. All Seeing, remember?”
“I have an idea, but I can’t tell you anything. Believe me, if I could I would. I think everyone has the right to know, but I really can’t say anything. All I can say is that,” the figure paused for a second, a deep shiver running through her. “Never mind. I can’t say anything. Do you remember how Thorn got his position? What started it? The game began changing at that moment, and we’ve all gotten caught up in it. I just got caught up a bit earlier.”
“I guess some of Thorn’s luck really did rub off, huh?” Corvo flashed a smile.
“Luck? I guess you could call it that.” Glancing up at the sky again, the figure began to rise up into the air. “I need to go. I can’t spare too much attention or the Orc Shaman might succeed in tying down Thilvena. Without my interference their magic will be able to establish a dimensional anchor, locking the city in place.”