by Ross Turner
“Very well Miss Isabel. I shall have your belongings brought up from the stables and your horses shall be seen to. I’m told they’re most fine specimens. The stable-boy is itching to ride the black beauty you have with you.”
“Please tell him to feel free.” Zanriath said waving his hand in an offhand manner. “If he can tire the horse out, tell him he can keep it.” He added with a smile. King laughed in response.
“Very well, I will tell him. You are most kind Master Zanriath. Will you be requiring anything else?” He asked, opening his question to them all. They assured him that they were fine and he clapped his hands together in delight. “Very well then, I shall leave you to your evening my friends. If you should need anything further will always be someone downstairs in the chamber, supper shall be brought up for you. Sour escorts shall be waiting for you just after first light in the stables. I’m making all the arrangements myself.” Casting a quick glance to a larger window and the darkened sky his forehead creased slightly. “Though, at this rate, first light won’t be all that early…”
“Thank you King. You are a good man.” Zanriath grasped their new friend in a firm handshake.
“It is my pleasure entirely my friends. Extra supplies will go with you tomorrow, have yourselves a good night’s rest, and please give my best to our High Priest.” With a final smile and farewell King retreated to the staircase and, Isabel imagined, to a flurry of questions and queries downstairs. He was in for a long, rowdy night.
“How far is it to see this Priest tomorrow?” Ben asked Zanriath.
“Will it take the whole day?” Zhack added.
“Yes, I imagine it will.” Zanriath replied. “It’s on the west side on the Island - we’re almost as far east as you can go.”
“Great.” They said together quite sullenly. They were clearly tired of travelling and were not overly excited by the notion of another full day’s hard riding.
“It’s pretty much a straight shot though. We’re lucky - Vak’Istor isn’t very wide.” Zanriath tried to assure them. “It would be much worse if we had to go to the south coast. With the horses we’ll make good time…provided of course we don’t run into any trouble…” The boys nodded in unenthusiastic agreement and soon disappeared to their room to get a good night’s sleep.
“Well, you two sleep well.” Ayva said yawning theatrically and flashing Isabel a smirk and a sly wink. “I’ll see you at dawn.” Before either Zanriath or Isabel could reply two men of slight builds entered the corridor from the spiralling staircase with their packs and supper. They weren’t in any way rude, but they didn’t seem comfortable in Isabel’s presence, which unsettled her slightly. She wasn’t sure if she was unnerved more by their silence, or by the fact that they seemed innately afraid of her.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before the steaming dinners of pork, potatoes and vegetables had been demolished and they had all turned in for the night. It would be yet another long day riding tomorrow and Isabel was concerned that the people here seemed so much more afraid of the demons than they had been in Hinaktor. It was altogether possible that, though she was sure the people of Vak’Istor were committed to aiding their cause, they weren’t by any stretch of the imagination warriors. Clearly there had been attacks already. She imagined that Depozi would be less than pleased with the way things had turned out in Hinaktor. The boy would surely be looking for revenge.
“What do you think?” Zanriath asked her. He paced back and forth while she sat on the bed tracing his steps with her eyes. The room was furnished elegantly with a large oak double bed and wardrobes and dressers to match. Zanriath had lit the large fireplace and as the room had warmed it had become even more inviting. Intricate tapestries were hung at every opportunity and depicted a wide range of landscapes and animals.
Zanriath’s feet made no sound as he crisscrossed the thick carpet with his hands clasped behind his back. He seemed deep in troubled thought.
“About King?” Isabel responded, unsure exactly what he meant.
“No, about the High Priest. Do you think the boy knows?” He said.
“No I don’t think so, and I haven’t sensed a single demon in town the whole time we’ve been here.” Isabel rubbed her cheek as she spoke, her words somehow disconcerting.
“I’m a little on edge about this place. Something just feels wrong Isabel.” Zanriath’s open confidence in her took Isabel aback slightly. Had it been her clarity in the corridor about her feelings? Did it matter? She sighed.
“Me too. It does all seem a bit too easy doesn’t it? I know that probably none of this is coincidental, but surely it can’t all just be working so well in our favour by chance? Something must be wrong. Something is going to give. I suppose there’s still every chance that we’ll fail - I’m just afraid that I’ve missed something.”
“I’m sure you haven’t Isabel.” Zanriath replied gently, ceasing his pacing and sitting beside her on the bed, putting an affectionate arm round her shoulder. “If you have, then so have I, and everyone else for that matter. But whatever it is that’s wrong, we’ll just have to work through it together.”
“Mmm.” She agreed, though she still worried that something evading her attention was afoot, for some reason at that point Isabel began to forget her worries and looked straight across at Zanriath, only to find him doing the same. She held his gaze for only a moment before her newly found confidence overwhelmed her once more.
Closing her eyes and bringing her arms to his waist, her lips found his. He brought his hands up to gently cup her face, holding her lovingly in their embrace.
Sitting closely, they paused for a moment and Isabel looked deep into her Zanriath’s eyes. They were a magnificent golden and radiated the clear compassion he felt for her, filling a pit that had formed an abyss in Isabel’s heart. This had been building now ever since they’d met in Aproklis, but Isabel gathered somehow that it had been developing for millennia upon millennia.
She kissed him again, this time more passionately, feeling his warm lips against hers and enjoying it. Finding their way slowly to the top of the bed, they now lay side by side, still holding their fervent kiss and embrace.
Their worries were temporarily forgotten, fading amidst the heat of the moment, and even the tender crackling of the flames seemed to quieten and dim, allowing the couple their intimate privacy.
26
Just as King had promised, two escorts awaited their arrival in the stables. It was no longer raining, but there was little light and the overcast clouds above them were a far cry from comforting. The early morning wasn’t overly warm and Isabel pulled her cloak more tightly around herself, missing Zanriath’s warmth as the chill stole the heat from her body.
Their horses had been fully prepared, fed and watered and it took them only a few minutes to check their saddlebags before they were ready for what was surely to be a tediously long day.
Their escorts were the same two men who had waited on them the night before, and they seemed even less pleased to see Isabel this morning, outlining their route quite reluctantly on an old and slightly stained map. It seemed they would reach The High Priest’s Tower some time in the late afternoon, so long as they did not encounter any trouble and rode hard.
Isabel fervently hoped they wouldn’t be delayed and was silently grateful to King for emphasising so clearly to their escorts the need for haste. Once they began west she was also once again thankful for the startling speed and stamina of their mounts, hoping they would shorten their day as much as possible.
They were to travel almost due west through the thickest forest on the mainland, heading directly for the High Western Priest’s Tower. He was clearly an important figure in Vak’Istor; the track they were to take more or less led straight from Kazra to his abode.
From the map they had been shown Isabel pictured the outline of the island in her mind, tracing above the tree tops to the south, along the thinnest stretch of land, to the far away mills and farms extending out in all dir
ections. Her imaginings helped pass a little of the time at least, though why her concentration was slipping so easily she was unsure.
As before, the track was not overly wide and they remembered all too clearly what Zanriath had warned them of the woodland. However, their guides seemed not to worry and pressed on sombrely, still scarcely speaking. They rode slightly ahead of Isabel, who now sat with Zanriath on his powerful mount, her hands wrapped tightly around his waist. Ayva rode to their left and the boys to their right. The journey was uncomfortable and they stopped very little throughout the morning.
They raced across Vak’Istor and the day wore inexorably on. The clouds above hung much darker and heavier by midday. At either side of the track the undergrowth was thick and Isabel couldn’t see far into the woods at all, what little light there was being mostly blocked by the treetops. The scenery hadn’t much changed, save that the undergrowth was much thicker and reached higher overhead. Although it did worry Isabel somewhat that she saw no animals darting through the trees and, besides the pounding of their horses’ hooves on the dirt track, there was very little sound.
They stopped only very briefly to eat and rest. None of them had really spoken that morning and their escorts’ unshakeable bad temperament made them all more than a little agitated.
“How far away are we?” Ayva asked one of the two slight men as they remounted. One didn’t even attempt to respond and the other grunted sourly before replying.
“We’re over halfway.” And with that he turned his horse and led off again.
“Those two are getting on my nerves.” Ayva muttered quietly to Isabel as they moved to follow.
“Mmm.” Isabel agreed, thinking for a moment - she’d spent virtually the whole morning wondering why they were in such foul temper, and had come up with very little in the way of an explanation. “Maybe they didn’t get a choice about being escorts? King did seem to be quite demanding.”
“That’s a definite possibility.” Zanriath agreed.
“Or…” Isabel began, looking further up the track as the two men began pulling slightly away from them.
“What is it?” Zanriath asked. Ayva answered for Isabel.
“They’ve picked up speed, something’s wrong.” They forced their horses into a gallop to catch up with their guides, but they did not slow.
“What are they doing?” Isabel called breathlessly to Ayva, both angry and worried now. The chase did not last long, Zanriath’s horse proving utterly relentless in its powerful charge, the gap was quickly closing.
“Maybe they saw something in the woods?” Ben supplied.
“Or a demon?” Zhack added.
They soon managed to catch up with the two escorts and pulled their horses alongside them. Zanriath and Ayva grabbed their reins and brought them to a startled halt.
“Right you two.” Ayva brought her bow close to hand, “what the hell is going on? Did King force you to escort us? I’m sure we could go on without you if you’re unhappy about the whole business?” Her voice was forceful and thick beads of sweat were clearly visible on their foreheads, but they did not answer.
“Come now.” Zanriath said quietly, but holding his tone unmistakeably level. “Don’t be foolish.”
“Zan…” Isabel said quietly, barely whispering. Her face had turned a deathly white. He looked to her and immediately realised the danger. Ayva and the boys saw her fear and drew bow and blades. The trees creaked loudly and almost painfully either side of where they stood.
“We’re sorry.” One of the escorts choked, his voice shaking with fear.
“After King assigned us as your escorts we were stopped by a boy, only, he wasn’t a boy. He got inside our heads…”
“AYVA!” Isabel screamed suddenly as she sensed the ambush charging towards them and reached for her bow, knowing there wouldn’t be time for her to stop the attacks any other way.
A demon ripped from the trees, roaring angrily, tearing directly at Ayva. But she was calm, her bow already drawn. Letting but one arrow fly with deadly speed and accuracy the beast crashed to the floor twitching, the shaft of Ayva’s arrow protruding from its right eye.
And with that it began, fast and thick. There was little time for arrows or throwing knives. Swords were drawn and the horses went wild, the two escorts attempted to flee only to find themselves cut short and dragged into the woods kicking and screaming.
Ayva and the boys tried desperately to protect Zanriath and Isabel, caught in such close quarters hand to hand combat was their only option. Zanriath assisted where he could but at such close range struggled to avoid burning his friends, or the trees for that matter, and resorted to dealing clumsy strokes with his sword. Isabel leased a few arrows but struggled to cope with the speed of the attack and before long the situation was looking to be fatal.
Ayva was on foot with her horse going wild behind her, sweeping high and wide arcs with her two blades, her movements were rhythmic and entranced. The boys darted left and right, their movements blindingly fast and deadly, slicing and stabbing with their lethal knives, aiming always for vitals. But the attacks continued relentlessly.
The beasts were only small to begin with as the more agile creatures slipped easily through the trees, the size of large dogs, only much more vicious. It was not to last. Larger monstrosities eventually made their way through the tangle of trees and undergrowth and the boys and Ayva were close to being overwhelmed.
Finally, after redoubling their efforts several times over, the piles of dead were high and blood ran freely from a hundred wounds at the feet of Ayva and the twins. The rushing ambush came to a sudden and abrupt halt. They all still stood alert with their eyes peeled to the trees. They were bloodstained, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.
Behind her Isabel heard a low groan that steadily grew louder and louder. She turned and saw nothing but green, swaying without a breeze. She became transfixed on one tree in particular. Its huge gnarled roots protruded from the ground and its stout trunk moaned wistfully at her.
“We need to go.” She said decisively. “More are coming.” The others looked at her for a second, torn. “GO! Come on!” She screamed, suddenly racing to her horse. They all followed suit. “We need to get ahead of them.” Kicking their horses’ flanks they began thundering west once more, all too aware of the crashing and snarling they could hear clearly amidst the trees, only seconds behind them, the largest of the ambushers finally catching up. Isabel whispered thanks for the thickness of the woodland, but she was sure that wasn’t the only thing slowing the attacks down.
Suddenly a demon leapt from the trees, at last catching up with them. The beast ran on all fours but jumped at the last second, holding its front legs outstretched, extending huge claws, reaching for Isabel. But then Ayva was there, with her blade raised, and the beast crashed into her, throwing her and her horse to the ground with three shrill cries.
“Ayva!” Isabel screamed once more, wheeling her horse round and racing back to her friend. Ben and Zhack dismounted and instinctively drove their blades into the struggling beast while Isabel and Zanriath rushed to aid Ayva. Her horse had managed to escape unhurt and stood snorting wildly at the beast lying atop his rider.
A pool of blood was rapidly forming and Isabel held back tears, fearing the worst. The demon was dead and, as well as the fatal wounds inflicted by the twins, the tip of Ayva’s blade protruded from its back, stained blood red. Kicking it hard in the ribs, Isabel rolled the carcass off her friend to find her lying in a thick pool of blood, completely saturated. She coughed weakly for a moment and clutched at her chest, just beneath her right shoulder. The demons claws had sunk into her torso, but it was impossible to tell exactly how deep her wound was through the dark oozing blood. Isabel choked slightly, holding Ayva close, hoping her wounds looked worse than they actually were.
The trees groaned once more and Ben and Zhack looked round nervously.
“Isabel…” Ben said. Zhack continued in exactly the same worried tone.
>
“We don’t have long.”
“Maybe a minute…”
Zanriath held his hand on Ayva too, examining the wound below her shoulder.
“Come on. She’ll make it. Most of it isn’t her blood. But we must hurry in case there is infection. We have to go.” Isabel only nodded meekly in agreement and they moved Ayva to her still wide-eyed horse.
Once more they heard a crashing racing through the trees, getting louder and closer by the second.
“Twenty seconds!” The twins warned, judging the distance by sound.
“Come on! Let’s go!” Zanriath barked at Ben and Zhack, helping Isabel up onto the saddle with Ayva. Just as they turned to their horse, yet another beast, even bigger than the last, cascaded from the trees. It flew through the air and directly at Isabel once more. Ben and Zhack dove forwards to protect her, but even they were too late - the demon was too close.
But before it could reach Isabel it was caught short at its feet and, its momentum carrying it forward, smashed its face to the ground. Confused and desperate it roared and clawed at the dusty track, trying to drag itself closer to Isabel with its powerful front legs, green eyes focused on her, stood mere feet from its jaws.
“What?” Ben said confused.
“The trees…”Zhack answered.
“Go! Now!” Zanriath snapped once more, more fiercely this time, and the boys hastened to their mount. Within seconds the party was charging west again, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the demon still screeching and grating at the earth.
It screamed after them in frustration, but the branches holding its back legs were much too strong. Slowly they dragged it back from the track and into the forest, wrapping it tighter in branches and roots with every passing moment. Soon it stopped struggling and began wheezing, its very breath and life being crushed out of it.
Accompanied by the horrific snapping and crunching of bone and limbs, the beast was crushed by the very trees that had as first concealed its ambush.