“Get your stinking hands off her!” Liana was surprised to hear Ari shout. As admirable as it was to defend her, such an outburst would only end in trouble, and she could only watch on as one of the men with sticks started beating him. However, the Dark Elf held up a hand indicating for the human to stop.
“Would you like me to punish him further your eminence?” the man asked still holding his stick aloft ready to strike again.
“No!” The elf snapped suddenly reverting his attention to Ari, who was grimacing from the pain of being hit.
The Dark Elf looked back at Liana then again at Ari, as if contemplating something.
“This is your mate?” it asked in its gruff, hoarse sounding voice, aiming the question to Ari.
“No!” Ari replied sharply, as he glanced up to meet Liana’s eyes.
“Hmm, I will take them both. I have clients who prefer young boys. This one has a bit of fire in his belly and will be a popular choice!” The Dark Elf said before turning away and heading back towards the building it had emerged from. Liana’s instant response was to run, but before she could even move, she felt a sturdy pair of hands gripping her, preventing her from doing so. Knowing her fate had been sealed she glanced over to Ari, only to see him being shackled and shoved to the ground.
As for the purpose of the wagon that had appeared that morning, they soon found out as both Liana and Ari were thrown inside along with the other two girls selected. As the door was slammed shut on their somewhat overcrowded prison, they were locked away in relative darkness. Although the narrow cracks between the planks of wood that made up the wagon did allow very narrow slits of light within. After a minute or two Liana’s eyes had already adjusted to the poor light and was surprised at what she could see. Sitting across from Ari was a man, much older than they were, at least as far as she could make out. Despite the noise going on outside, as the horses were harnessed up, Liana held her gaze at the stranger amongst them.
The wagon shook and shuddered a few times as it slowly started moving forward.
“Where are they taking us?” One of the girls asked sobbing in the corner beside the doorway. Nobody replied at first, probably because they were not sure themselves, at least that is what Liana thought. However, the man at the other end then answered, “Gashek. I assume you girls are to be used for their pleasure. Not sure what the lad has been picked for.” The man spoke in a soft, almost calming voice, that suggested he for one was not panicking.
“Apparently I’m going for the same reason,” Ari explained.
Another silence fell upon the group as the wagon bounced along the track. Liana turned her head slightly and put her eye up against one of the narrow slits to see if she could see through, but only ended up cursing as the wagon hit a divot and she ended up banging her head. She then heard a roaring sound coming from somewhere outside, and she recognised immediately to be that of the strange looking beasts they had spotted earlier.
“Why are you in here with us?” Ari suddenly asked the man, thinking it slightly odd. “You’re clearly too old to be up for this year’s reaping,” he added. Liana turned to look at the man once more, nothing more than a dark outline she couldn’t really make out what he looked like in the poor light.
“I’m to be taken to Gashek to be executed,” came the reply.
“You don’t seem overly bothered by it,” Liana added to the conversation, thinking how calm the stranger was being, considering his predicament.
“Oh, I don’t plan on staying in here that long. I was only waiting for you kids to get put in before I made good my escape.”
Ari looked at the man, sitting closest to him, he could see he had his hands and feet shackled just as he did.
“And how do you plan to get out of these?” he said lifting his bound hands up.
The man chuckled, “You’ll see,” he replied. “Let’s get away from the town first, then I’ll show you,” he added.
Whoever this stranger was, Liana was intrigued by him, so much so, she had all but forgotten where it was, she was being sent. The girl beside the door continued sobbing to herself, although not quite so much as she had when they had been thrown in, something that Liana was at least grateful for.
With the wagon bouncing one way then the other, both Liana and Ari kept their eyes firmly on the stranger sat opposite them. Liana was dying to ask when he thought they would be far enough away from Sarton but managed to remain patient. While she waited, she tried to relax, or at least as well as one could while imprisoned inside a small wagon with four other people. Suddenly the stranger started mumbling something, and both Ari and Liana watched with renewed interest. As if by magic the pins holding the man’s shackles to his hands simply fell out allowing them to be opened and removed. With his hands now free, the man was then able to wriggle the ones around his legs until they were also open.
“You want to come with me or you happy to go with the Dark elves?” The man asked not looking at any one person in particular.
“Take us,” Ari quickly replied indicating in the darkness to himself and Liana.
The man nodded his head once and asked for him to hold his shackled hands out. Ari did as was asked and Liana watched on with interest as the stranger mumbled a few incomprehensible words while laying his hand on the metal bracelets holding Ari’s hands together. Once more the pins fell free, and the shackles came off and fell to the floor of the wagon with a thud. As none of the girls had been bound, the stranger shuffled his way to the back of the wagon.
“When I open these doors everybody jump out and run to your right,” he said pointing that direction as if he doubted they knew which way that was.
“Ready?” he asked looking at the four youngsters.
Liana felt Ari’s hand on her shoulder as they crouched down preparing to leap out of the wagon when the opportunity arose. Feeling her heart pounding as the mixture of nervousness and excitement took hold, Liana waited and watched. The stranger waved his hands about and with an almighty bang the door to the wagon flew off tearing from its hinges and disappearing out of sight.
“Go!” the man said sharply almost shoving the first girl out of the back of the wagon. The second girl quickly followed as the wagon suddenly came to an abrupt halt.
Liana paused for a moment unsure she should venture out, but had little option as Ari all but shoved her out of the opening. Her feet had barely touched the ground when Ari grabbed her flailing arm and dragged her off to the right like the stranger had requested.
They ran off the track and in amongst the trees before Ari even glanced to see if anybody was following, although Liana, feeling somewhat shaken, and out of breath was glad when he eventually stopped. She turned to see one of the strange beasts being ridden by a Dark Elf bounding through the trees, moving swiftly in pursuit of the first girl who had escaped. Liana then glanced over to where the wagon had stopped and watched in awe as the stranger stood his ground against the second Dark Elf rider. The elf drew a long metal blade which it held out as it had the strange creature sprint towards the man, “Why is he just standing there?” Liana mumbled merely speaking her thoughts aloud.
Liana need not of worried as the stranger raised his hands and produced a small ball of flame within them, which he duly sent forth. The ball of fire flew straight at the Dark Elf rider hitting it full on and sending it tumbling off the creature it was riding. The stranger did not stand idly by and admire his handy work as the beast leapt up towards him, causing the man to dive for cover. Thinking he was in trouble, Liana thought she and Ari should help, but before she could speak the man had already finished the beast off with a second ball of flame.
A loud scream from somewhere off to their right caught their attention, and it was Ari who spotted the other rider. Having caught up with the first girl, Liana turned to see the beast open its wide jaws and grab the escapee around the throat, swinging her about as if she were made of rags. Liana put her hand over her mouth in horror and disbelief as the Dark Elf rider appeare
d to laugh at the poor girl's demise. Clearly feeling just as angry and enraged, Ari bent down and picked up a fallen branch before holding it aloft and charging straight at the Dark Elf, shouting as he went.
Liana, knowing it was a foolish move, sprinted after him although in truth she had no idea as to why. The adrenaline in her body pushed her onwards, she had no weapon, nor any ability in fighting, yet here she was bounding across the forest floor charging headlong towards a Dark Elf sat upon a large ferocious wild animal. Ari ran much quicker than she did, in fact much quicker than the elf had expected as it was forced into an evasive manoeuvre to avoid being hit by the branch in Ari’s hands. The elf snarled as it drew a sword and the creature it was sat upon roared again showing off its multitude of sharp teeth. Ari, still holding the branch circled slowly around, backing up just slightly as both rider and beast edged towards him.
Liana was still several yards short when the beast leapt forward, and despite Ari’s attempts at defending himself, he was sent tumbling to the ground. Fearing the young man was about to die Liana had no idea what to do, and the thought of being so helpless enraged her even more.
“You will not harm him!” she screamed louder than she ever thought possible as she felt her body feeling strangely stronger and more powerful than it had ever been. With a bounding leap, Liana launched herself straight at the Dark Elf, hitting it with such force and knocking it from off the back of the creature. Liana had no idea what she was doing as she felt herself hit the ground with a thump landing on top of the elf and wrapping her hands around its skinny neck. With rage in her eyes and feeling a new inner strength, she squeezed as hard as she could glaring down at that grey skinned piece of filth beneath her. Feeling something give in her hands and the sensation of liquid splattering on her face, Liana suddenly keeled over as everything went dark.
Ari crawled backwards as the strange beast snarled and snapped his direction, edging ever closer to him. Suddenly a ball of flame soared across his sightline just in front of his face and smacked into the beast’s body. As the smell of burning flesh filled the air, Ari noticed the stranger leaping forward with a sword in his hand and swinging the blade with so much force it almost removed the creature’s head. Breathing heavily, Ari immediately felt panicked that he could no longer see Liana and scrambled to his feet calling her name. However, the stranger had already spotted her and was already kneeling down beside her as Ari got there.
“Is she dead?” he asked sounding as if expecting the worst.
“No, just exhausted!” The stranger said looking somewhat perplexed as he picked Liana up in his arms.
“Can you help me carry her. We need to get away from here.” Ari nodded and immediately placed a shoulder under Liana’s arm to help support her, hearing just the slightest of groans as he did, indicating she was indeed still alive. However before the stranger left, Ari watched him collect another sword and a long dagger off the fallen Dark Elf, all of which he tied to his belt, before assisting with Liana.
With seeing only one girl die, neither Ari nor the stranger could see any sign of the second, and not wanting to loiter for any longer than was necessary had to leave her to fend for herself.
“Will she be alright?” Ari asked more concerned for Liana than the girl they could not see or find.
“She’ll be fine. Lucky for you she revealed her power when she did,” the man said nodding his head to indicate the direction they needed to go.
Chapter 4.
Ari and the stranger walked in silence for a while as they carried Liana further and deeper into the forest. While he may not have asked them, Ari had so many questions he needed answers to, and every few steps he seemed to think of another one. As if sensing a tirade of questions was coming his way the stranger eventually broke the silence.
“My name is Brenion,” he said glancing over at Ari.
“And what are you?” the youngster asked, having never seen people do things he had just witnessed.
“I am human the same as you,” Brenion replied with a wry smile.
“No, I mean what are you?” Ari asked again.
The man chuckled, “I am a little different I suppose. I guess if you wanted to label me I would be classed as a sorcerer, although some prefer mage.”
Ari had no idea what either of those things was, yet it was undoubtedly not normal to produce balls of fire out of nothing and send them hurtling through the air.
“It’s called magic…You haven’t told me your name,” Brenion said noticing Ari’s confused look.
“It is Ari, and this is Liana!”
“Well, Ari I have to say you were very brave back there, stupid and foolish, but brave nonetheless.”
“Thanks…I guess” Ari replied, uncertain as to whether he had just been insulted or complimented.
“Did you know Liana was magic too?” Brenion then asked causing Ari to stop in his tracks and turn to face the man helping him carry her.
“Really?” he asked.
Brenion nodded, “Although from what I saw I doubt she even knows it.”
“No, that surely can’t be,” Ari said thinking it was probably the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard.
“How many fifteen-year-old girls can cover ten paces forward in one leap, knock a Dark Elf from its mount and have the strength to squeeze its neck so hard it bursts open?”
While Ari could not doubt the facts, the very idea that magic even existed in the world still seemed surreal to him. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, the very idea a man could summon fire in his hands would have been laughable. With his mind in a spin and everything he thought he apparently knew no longer being the case, he was glad when he finally heard Liana stirring in his arms.
“Quickly, set her down,” Brenion said. “I can give her something to help,” he added, before strangely reaching into the inside of his boot and removing what Ari could only describe as a very small metal tube. Brennion then twisted the top of the tube, and while Ari held Liana’s head, the sorcerer poured out the liquid contents into her mouth.
“I always carry a spare just in case,” Brenion said with a smile as he replaced the cap and slipped the narrow tube back inside his boot.
“Of course you do,” Ari nodded not having the faintest idea what the man was talking about or what indeed he had just done to Liana.
Ari looked down at the young girl in his arms, her long dark hair falling freely over her face. Gently and tenderly he used his fingers to brush it aside, as a pair of big dark eyes opened and looked back at him.
“Hey!” he said softly, glad Liana was finally awake, before noticing several dark spots on her skin and realising what they were. Using his sleeve, he quickly rubbed a few of them away, “What are you doing, Ari?” Liana asked confused as to why her face was being subjected to such strange behaviour.
“Just cleaning some mud off your face,” Ari lied to her, knowing only too well it was blood from the Dark Ef that Liana had killed with her bare hands.
The two stared at each other for a few moments, just gazing into each other’s eyes.
“Sorry to spoil the moment,” Brenion intervened, “Liana, are you strong enough to walk? I have given you a tonic that should help.”
Liana, although feeling as if her body had spent the past two days digging the fields without a break, thought that she would be okay. With a little help from Ari, she managed to get to her feet, and although a bit unsteady at first was okay to stand unaided.
“Good!” Brenion said with a smile.
“Who are you?” Liana asked looking the man in the eye for the first time. While she may have seen the outline of a face when locked away in the wagon, she still had no idea who he was. Now out in the light, she could see a friendly looking man, probably in his thirties and with brown hair which appeared to be neatly trimmed and brushed over slightly to one side, despite their incarceration.
“His name’s Brenion, and he’s a sorcerer,” Ari said answering the question that was not put to him.
The three walked on, albeit at a slow pace as Liana moved along somewhat gingerly. Brenion told them they needed to be out of the woods before nightfall, as there were things that came alive in the hours of darkness that even he would struggle to contain. Although tall and compact, Ari could still see gaps between the treetops allowing him to note the position of the sun in the sky. With them undergoing the selection quite early and not having travelled that far in the wagon, he could tell it was still not yet mid-day. An indication to him that Brenion knew just how vast these forests were, and that they had many hours walking still to do. However, with no food and only the small amount of water they carried in their bottles, they would need to find a source of supplies.
Liana felt her strength return quite quickly and little more than an hour or so after she had strangely blacked out, felt well enough to walk unaided. While she was more than capable of standing on her own two feet, however, she decided she liked the feeling of having Ari close by, and so kept her arm linked with his. This Brenion character appeared kind enough, and although not saying much did check back every now and then to make sure both she and Ari were still following behind him. The ground beneath her feet felt soft and somewhat springy as her aches and pains continued to drain away. With so little sunlight getting through to the forest floor it did make their progress so much easier, being as there was very little undergrowth to navigate through. Although every now and then where the trees had permitted the sun’s rays to reach the ground, small patches of green ferns, like small oasis’ of colour dotted the otherwise drab brown forest floor.
Reign of the Dark Elves: Book One : The Sorcerer Page 3