by R W Caron
Ryukin graced the top of the hill and finally seen Andrew in trouble. He grabbed his oak bow and loaded an arrow. He let the arrow fly, burying it into the side of the bear. The bear howled in pain and its head turned to Ryukin. Ryukin loaded a second arrow and let fly into the beasts shoulder. Ryukin’s hand move quickly as he continued to rain arrows into the bear moving to the right up the hill getting a better angle. The bear started up the hill towards Ryukin and Ryukin gritted his teeth, loaded another arrow and pulled his arm back to full draw. He dropped down to a knee to steady his final arrow as the Bear laboured up the hill towards him. Ryukin held the shot until the last second then let it fly. The arrow whistled through the cold air like a heat seeking missile, digging deep into the bear’s chest. The arrow ripped through the fur and skin and found its mark in the heart of the beast.
The bear however continued to come forward, its momentum and adrenaline driving it for one last dying attack. The bear’s heavy body slammed into Ryukin, driving him down the hill in a rolling fury of Nipawin and fur. Ryukin grabbed his small blade from his belt, stabbing in the blade into the bear over and over again. As they reached the bottom of the hill, Ryukin rolls the animal over and driving its blade into the beast repeatedly. He finally relinquishes his assault and takes a long deep breath. His face is covered in the warm sticky blood of the bears. He pulls his blade out of the bear and starts to grab his arrows out of the beast.
He takes a few moments to compose himself then heads up the hill to check on Andrew. As He graces the top of the hill he looks over to Andrews location. Andrew was surrounded by a pack of wolves. The wolves where larger than normal and Ryukin quickly loaded an arrow in the bow and took aim.
“If that arrow flies you die.” Echoed a female’s voice on the wind. Ryukin turned towards the wind and shield his eyes from the wind as a woman riding a large black and white striped cat. The cat was about the same size of a horse; it wore an armoured saddle and had one ice blue eye and one yellow eye and it defining feature is its two long over exaggerated canines that hung from its mouth and curled slightly backwards. The beast she was ridding lowered its head and barred its teeth.
The woman on the back of the beast held her long staff metal staff with a glowing blue sapphire on the end aimed at Ryukin. The sapphire seemed to swirl, as if ready to engulf him in ice should he move suddenly. The woman behind the staff stared intently at him, he hardened features glaring at him. Despite the cold she wore an very revealing robe that was slit up the side to her hip with the ‘V’ neck cutting down to her naval. The decretive blue leather of the outfit danced like flames on her ebony colored body as Ryukin stared at her, refusing to lower his bow. “My companion is injured.” Ryukin said, focuses his eyes on the woman.
“My wolves are tending to him. Lower your weapon.” She replied
“How are your wolves tending to him, by killing him?” Ryukin growled. Andrew screamed in pain and Ryukin’s head snapped to the wolves. He quickly let his arrow fly before a ball of Lightning slammed into his chest. The impact sent him flying backward and he slammed into the carcass of the dead bear. His eyes blurred and slowly everything went dark. The last sound he heard was the howls of the wolves.
∆∆∆
Tuck was in a bad way and he knew it. The man that he was dueling with was much more skilled then himself. Lord Walsh was quick, and struck with precision and accuracy. Tuck had never been one for the finesse of a duel, he was your average swords man that stuck when needed but would prefer tp either strike from the shadows or slash and hack his way to victory.
Lord Walsh also had intimidation on his side. He was the leader of the best group of killers in Esmos. The Shadows were known for toying with their victims, torturing them before finally killing them. Unlike normal assassins, who hid in the dark and stayed out of the public eye the shadows where known across the land, and all who opposed them quickly died. All but one.
When tuck had been approached by Lord Walsh to join and he had refused, he had put a bounty on his head. Lord Walsh came in the middle of the night and attacked. He however did not attack Tuck, he murdered Tuck’s tavern girl. I girl that tuck had loved once, had bed many of times, and how had slept beside him the night she was murdered. Tuck had slept through the encounter to awake beside her in a pool of blood. Months had gone by with tuck searching for answers and one fateful night they came to him in the form of this ladies killer.
Lord Walsh approached him again demanding the mercenary join The Shadows. Tuck refused again and Walsh let him know that no one refuses The Shadows, and reminded him that the last time he refused someone he loved died. The sinister grin was enough to tell tuck that he had been the one who had killed her. Tuck had attacked him but Lord Walsh was too quick, he parried all of tucks attacks in pure anger and laughed in his face when he dropped to his knees exhausted. Lord Walsh had given Tuck One last chance to join the shadows, but Tuck had other plans. When lord Walsh lower himself to get Tucks answer he had told Tuck he wouldn’t have been able to save her anyway. Tucks arm had shoot out at the man, but lord Walsh caught it and smirked in his face. He did not expect the other arm to to cut across his throat with a dagger that had been hidden in Tucks boot. His eyes grew larger and he fell back as he held his wounded neck. Tuck thought he had killed him that day, yet here he stood, wielding the same curved blade he had wielded that night.
Sweat had started to form on tucks brow as the two continued their dance. Lord Walsh attacked quickly striking from multiple angles with the speed and precision of a seasoned duelist. Tuck answered with a series of blocks and lunged forward dipping the blade at his advisors chest.
The attack missed.
Lord Walsh side stepped and kick Tuck in the rear end sending him falling forward into a roll. The Laugh of Lord Walsh made the blood in Tuck’s veins burn like a forest fire and he growled as he got to his feet and charged the man. He attacked with all his strength whipping his blade back and forth attempting to gain any kind of ground.
Once again his attack was parried.
Lord Walsh quickly turned up the offence attacking with barrage of strikes, most tuck could barely block. Lord Walsh stun quickly off of a parried attack and jumped in the air driving his blade at tucks neck. Tuck raise his shoulder and deflected the bow off his shoulder plate and spun himself swinging with all his might.
The ring of metal connecting with metal was deadening as Tuck stared astonished that his blade had been blocked. Lord Walsh smiled and kicked his foot up catching Tuck in the nose with an armoured boot. Tuck felt the cartilage in his nose crumble and the sweet copper taste of blood assaulted his senses and filled his mouth. His eyes watered and his instincts had him grasp his nose if only for a spit second. Lord Walsh quickly pivoted on his heel and kicked out with his other leg. The leg caught tuck in the jaw and the world spun for Tuck and the ground caught him as he fell. The cold snow melted under the crimson fluid that flowed freely from Tuck’s nose and mouth as he stared at the dripping blood, his heart sank. He knew that today would be the last day he would see the wonders of the world, knew that this day would be his last. He looked toward Lord Walsh who spun his blade with over in his hand and a chilling smile crossed his lips.
“Goodbye Mercenary.” He croaked. He raised his blade and Tuck accepted defeat, he closed his eyes and awaited the cold steel across the back of his neck. The ring of steel on steel stung his ears and his eyes shot open to see two swords crossed in front of him. Brittina stood defiantly blocking Lord Walsh’s blade with her own. Lord Walsh sneered at her and shook his head. “A pity, I was going to let you live.” His armoured elbow shot out and caught Brittina in the jaw. She staggered and Lord Walsh spun striking downward into her exposed neck. Tuck screamed and charged Lord Walsh tackling the man that had taken both loves of his life. Brittina stood for a couple of seconds before falling to a knee then finally coming to rest on the ground.
Tuck tackles Lord Walsh to the ground and started swinging with his fist. Rage filled him, he no longer cared if
he died, no longer cared about the mission, no longer cared about anything but this man’s death. He continued his assault, raining punches into Lord Walsh’s face. Lord Walsh reached for his sword that had fallen from his hand but tuck pinned his arm with his left leg and continued the assault. The riders of the South stood perfectly still a watched the contest as did Tuck’s men, neither wishing to engage and shed more blood then needed.
Tuck continued to strike Lord Walsh as blood spattered onto him from the Lord’s face he continued. Tears welled in his eyes, the pain his body felt was nothing compared to the pain him his heart or the pain he wanted to inflict on Lord Walsh.
Finally one of Tucks men stepped in and grabbed Tuck’s shoulder. “He’s dead.” He yelled though Tuck continued to punch the dead man’s face. Two more soldiers grabbed Tuck and pulled him off of the bloody mess that was once Lord Walsh. As tuck looked down at the man, one of his eyes had come clean out of its socket and bits of bone had protruded from his face. Tuck looked down at his own hands, covered in blood and turned to Brittina who lay in a crimson pool of blood. His world spun and he collapsed to his knees as emotion overwhelmed him.
Chapter 13
The Deal
Days had flown by like hour, since he had been awaken. Nahan had accepted death, had embraced it even but it was not to be. Something inside him had made him hold on, made him wounded heart continue to beat. The griffin had been freed and had attacked the hunter, he had picked Nahan up in its talons and flown him to the Wizards of the North. They had placed him in a healing pool for weeks, had kept him alive and healed his wounds. He should have been grateful he knew but deep down he resented the fact they did not let him die. If he had passed on to the spirit realm, maybe he would have found Alina there, they could have been together again and forever. Nahan sat on the bed made of straw and stared down at floor with his elbows resting on his knees. He could not blame them for saving him, if what they had told him over these last few months was true he was the key to an ancient races survival. The thing that bothered him about this was it was not the race he had scarified so much for. Master Barton Corer had walked the castle with him many times and had explained how key a part he played in the survival of the Azrael people from across the Helkus sea. Nahan’s Nipawin Father, the chief of the Nipawin people had ventured up the Cloud Mountains to beg the Wizards of the North for help. He wife could not bear children and he wished for an heir.
Master Corer told of his wife’s journeys across the seas, the turmoil she had found. Across the seas events had unfolded to a bitter end. Rivals continued to murder innocent people in hopes to provoke a war. Nylala Croak had found Nahan in a pool of his father’s blood, hidden under his father corpse. His mother was nowhere to be found and she could not bring herself to leave an innocent child alone. She took Nahan with her and headed back to the forbidden mountain. By this time the Assassin’s War had started.
Upon her arrival; the Nipawin Chief was just departing. She had presented the man with the child and thus, Nahan had become a Nipawin. It had taken Nahan mouths to believe this, and still he did not believe it all. Nylala had sat with him, and forced him to open his mind. His people had abilities. Some could command magic, other could control minds, and there was still much to learn about the Azraels. Nahan had neither of these abilities but his training with her did not stop. Every night she would come to his room and they would train. She was powerful, had shown him things he could never have dreamt of. She could control the wind, ignite a candle without a flint, turn water into snow, then snow into a blade of ice, that blade then cracked and shot into the wall as a lightning bolt. Nahan had tried to learn these traits but could not. She always reassured him that it was not his fault, that his powers where yet to be unlocked. He however continued to feel like a failure.
As Nahan walked the halls of the giant castle build into the top of the mountain he felt more alone then he had ever felt. In the forest he had the bird, he had the creatures bustling about, he had life flowing around him. In this cold and dark castle he had nothing but the smell of wet parchment and the soft dripping of water on stone. He was completely alone.
He walked through larger wooden door, the hinges of the doors groaning in protest, from the weathering on them, but then yielded to the soft push of the young man as he walked into a warm well lit room. The room was created with stone, as was everything in this castle. With a large magical barrier at the other end of a long running hallway. Nahan walked slowly into the oval shaped room connected to the hallway and closed his eyes. Moments flooded by but suddenly a large feathered head pushed itself against his cheek, nuzzling his face. Nahan left his eyes closed as he raised his hand and stroked the griffin’s neck. “Hello my friend.” Nahan said softly. The griffin nuzzled him again and Nahan opened his eyes. Standing in front of him was the griffin he had saved, and who had returned the favour. The sharpness of the yellow in its eye was almost as sharp as the curled beak it bore on the front of its face. Nahan looked around and seen his training harness and saddle sitting where he had left it on the far edge of the room. The griffin nudged him and looked towards the harness but Nahan shook his head. “No training today Trinity. Master Cento has yet to return. ”
Master Cento was the Griffin master. He had told Nahan that in his younger years he had focused so much magic into taming the magical beasts that his looks at suffered. He always laughed at that, saying the other wizards looked like they are in their thirties but he looked is real age. He was the only true wizard among them as they all ranged from three hundred to five hundred years of again. Cento was the youngest but looked the oldest. Nahan looked at the magical barrier and sighed. “I wish we could connect the way the Cento and Traid do.”
Trinity moves to him and places her massive head on Nahan’s shoulder in a way to comfort the young man. He reaches up and rubs her neck, “We’ll get there girl.” Something in the distance catches Nahan’s eye and Trinity starts to get excited. She rear up and grabs Nahan’s tunic pulling him out of the way as a griffin larger then Trinity shot through the barricade.
Traid landed and trotted into the oval room. Nahan smiled at the site of Traid. Master Cento slide from his mount and smiled at Nahan. “Nahan, I have brought you a gift.”
“You found my pendent?” Nahan asked as he rushed forward.
“Yes, but...” Cento started.
“Where is it?” Nahan interrupted.
“It’s right here.” Alina said as she walked into Nahan’s site. Nahan’s heart skipped a beat. He could not believe his eyes. He stood in place, his jaw hanging low to the ground and his body was completely frozen. How could she be here? He had watch Andrew slice her throat, had lost her completely. His mind immediately went to magic, that this was some sort of trick but Master cento did not possess such skills. He couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked, even covered in the poorly tanned furs of a wolf and the heavy hide of a boar for warmth, he could still see every curve in her body. Her long black hair pulled into a braid and her emerald eyes stared at him with utter amazement. “I never gave up hope.” She said as tears slowly filled her eyes.
“How,” Nahan started. Alina quickly rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Nahan’s neck kissing him hard as tears rolled down her eyes. Nahan wrapped his arms around her and lifted her into the arm holding her tight to him. He continued to kiss sliding his hand up her back and holding her passionately. He had never held her before, not like this. He felt weak and strong at the same time. He never wanted to let her go, never wanted to stop kissing her. He was afraid to open his eyes, afraid that it was a dream and if he opened his eyes it would go away. Nahan had never felt this much fear before as he forced his eyes open and pulled his lips from hers. His fear was replaced with a wave of relief as her beautiful green eyes stared back at him. He could lose himself in the forest green of her eyes, be lost in that forest forever and never feel trapped, never feel scared or alone.
“I see we have a new arrival.” Came the
sound of a smooth female’s voice from behind them. All three of them turn and look at the beautiful woman that had entered the room unnoticed. Her long straight dark brown hair ran down the curvature of her back like a stream down a mountain side and the sharpness of her features made her look much younger then she was. Nahan had seen her many of times in her training gear but never in such formal attire.
The whole outfit started at the neck, the hard white leather cutting out in sharp points off the shoulders, working its way down into a ‘V’ shave revealing the tops of her breasts. He arms where completely covered in grey silk cloth that ran down and hooked onto her ring finger to stop it from rolling up. The decretive design of the leather with the form fitting roughness of the top pulled it all together. The back of the top ran down much further then the front, rounding off at the bottom much like a gown. As it cut up high in the front, it revealed her jeweled golden belt, and the cotton and silk pants that she worn underneath. The pants where mostly black cotton with the silk running in a then line from her hip down across her thigh across the knee and back, hiding itself under the long heeled leather boots. Nahan smiled at her but instinctively pulled Alina behind him as Nylala’s eyes flashed to Alina. “Hello, my dear.”