by Erik Weir
“I…,” Dawn began before Kira spoke up.
“Skye was going to leave me. We had been together for years and I knew it was only a matter of time before she left me for good.”
Skye stepped closer, her rage washing away to sorrow, “Kira…you don’t have to say anything.”
Kira nodded. “I do. They should understand what happened.”
The silver-haired woman continued to hold Dawn’s hands. “We toyed with the idea of opening our relationship. When you arrived and we spoke, it seemed like Vala herself was guiding our union. The night was wonderful. I knew our hearts felt better for it. When we woke and saw that many items from our shop went missing, it made our bond stronger. We realized, we didn’t need anyone else to complete us, we were already complete.”
Dawn’s demeanor grew softer as she squeezed Kira’s hands. “I meant no lasting harm. I was going to return and pay…I just didn’t have enough gold at the time. After returning the payment, I would have come to you both…to apologize.”
Skye marched over and put her arm around Kira’s slender shoulders while looking to Dawn. “You showed us what was already there. We simply needed a reminder and for that we are thankful,” Skye said begrudgingly.
Dawn looked down before pulling her hands away. “I’m sorry,” she said simply.
Skye and Kira nodded, accepting her apology.
Victor leaned in to Lily. “It’s like a soap opera,” he said out the side of his mouth.
Lily crossed her arms, “If a ‘soap opera’ is anything like an opera…then yes, it is long, drawn out and boring. We don’t have time for this. Vonn and Yimer are still out there somewhere.”
Victor nodded. “We should find a place to sit down and talk. If they are acolytes of Vala, we should discuss before…,” Victor was cut off by the sound of clapping.
“It is a fine day to put the past away,” a man said from above.
All eyes turned to a tree where a man stood on a branch, his shoulder leaning into the trunk of the tree. Victor’s hand opened as his gun blade slid into his palm. Spending a Constitution point, he charged his blade as a staff appeared in Lily’s hands. Skye and Kira took a step back as Dawn drew a dagger and looked up with a hard gaze.
The man stopped clapping, a hand taking hold of a branch and hanging from it. Victor noticed the leather armor on his body was covered in black runes, similar to the Spellswords in the shop. A thick leather-bound book was chained to his hip and a pleasant smile painted his face. The air took on a stillness as the man and the group studied each other for any hint of aggression.
The stranger spoke first. “No need to brandish your weapons, I come in peace.”
“That’s not what we’d expect since your fellow Spellswords attacked our shop,” Skye growled as she pulled Kira back with her.
The stranger closed his eyes and tilted his head forward, “While I may be like them, I am not one of them. I told them it was foolish to rush in and attack, but Arthur’s ego was too big for his body to carry. Amber was just as foolish so they deserved their fates.”
Victor lifted his gun blade and aimed at the stranger in the tree, “And what fate do you deserve?”
The stranger opened his eyes and gave an impish smirk, “A fate where my goddess can have a moment of your time.”
Victor smirked, “It’s been a pretty busy day so far. How about we reschedule and just be on our merry way.”
The man leapt off the branch, somersaulted through the air and landed at the base of the tree, palms facing out. Victor kept a steady aim on the Spellsword as Lily and Dawn stood to each side of him. Skye and Kira moved behind them to stay out of the way.
“I believe this is a conversation you must have, Champion of Vala.”
Victor’s eyes took on a steely gaze. Lily kept her stance loose while Dawn was still as a statue in a cemetery.
The Spellsword leaned against the tree, his body relaxed. “My friends call me Nebb. I hope we can be friends.”
Victor studied the Spellsword. Short brown hair covered his head as a small braid hung from his right temple. His features gave him a normal, everyday man look, unremarkable except for his leather armor and the book at his hip. Victor could swear the man could blend into a crowd and disappear without a trace. They didn’t even hear him coming or knew he was there in the tree. If he wanted to hurt them, he had plenty of moments to cripple them.
Victor lowered his gun blade and let it slide back into his wrist. The succubus and the elf glanced over to Victor with question marks in their eyes.
The Spellsword bowed slightly before leaning back against the tree. “I see you are a man of intelligence. I am happy to call you friend.”
“Friendship is earned,” Victor said with a cool edge. “You mentioned your goddess wants to speak to us and we don’t have a lot of time.”
Nebb nodded. “Time is a resource many of us don’t have, that is why our introductions must be brief. Forgive my sudden appearance but I have been watching you since you arrived in town. Where my cohorts wished for your capture or death, I was instructed by a higher power to gain your attention. Now that I have it, my goddess will want to speak to you personally.”
I don’t like this.
Victor remained silent as Nebb stared at the group. Victor gazed on the Spellsword, eyes growing wider as the bark along the tree began to shift and move. Nebb grinned as bark crawled onto his body like a swarm of brown insects. They shifted over every part of him, becoming rough scales over limbs and the trunk of his body. Lily and Dawn kept their stances, all of them watching as the Spellsword was consumed by the tree. When the bark crawled over Nebb’s neck and then face, he was covered from head to toe with bark as he became one with the tree. Vines emerged and criss crossed over the humanoid lump. Bark fell away from his face and Victor’s eyes widened a hair.
A green skinned face emerged from the falling bark, eyes closed and mouth a thin line. Green hair flowed, taking on a mossy texture while the vines tightened. Shards of bark fell away until a womanly form pulled from the tree. She stood seven feet tall, skin and hair an emerald green while brown bark covered her body in patches. Oval eyes opened and a smile formed.
Victor stared with unblinking eyes. “I saw you,” he stated as he remembered the face in the forest on their way to Runon.
The green woman knelt to her knees, a cheery smile on her green lips. “I wanted you to see me.”
Lily stabbed the end of her staff into the ground, her face a hard mask. “Nyphy, Goddess of Plants, Seasons and Life.”
Victor looked to Lily and then to the big green goddess kneeling before him. “You know her?”
Lily nodded. “She is a powerful goddess here in the Eddor Realm. Many of the lesser gods look up to her.”
Nyphy’s smile broadened. “Then you know I took no part in Vala’s murder.”
“You didn’t do anything to stop it either,” Lily sneered.
The green goddess’ smile dimmed but only for a moment. “True, I remained neutral but her death weighed heavy on myself and many others. It is part of the reason why I am showing myself to you through one of my Champions. There is some regret in the pantheon, but I wish to personally extend my hand in friendship.”
“So, you can slit our throats with a friendly smile,” Lily said with a hard edge.
Victor turned to Lily with wide eyes, “She’s a goddess. We should hear her out.”
The succubus shook her head, “She may be a goddess, but she is just as flawed as all the others. Don’t let her power fool you into thinking she wants to be our friend. Vala called her friend even when she did nothing to stop Vala being hacked to pieces. She will try to manipulate and use us for her own designs.”
Nyphy’s shoulders deflated as her gaze shifted downward. “I understand your anger and if I was one of Vala’s followers, I would feel the same burning protective passion. You are trying to right a great wrong, but you are not the only ones who wish to see a brighter future. Vala’s death lef
t a void and it is something many want to see rectified.”
“But not all,” Victor said in a low tone.
The green goddess nodded. “While we speak, forces are aligning to cause great harm to many here on Eddor. Trust, much like friendship, is earned. I wish to personally give information to show I desire what you desire, Vala’s return. If I tried to pass it through one of my Champions or followers, I know it would be a mistrusted source. By showing myself, I want you to know the information is valuable and a first step to bridging the chasm of darkness across the six realms.”
She talks a good game, but I’m with Lily, we can’t trust any of them.
“It doesn’t cost us anything to listen. Let’s hear her out,” Victor smiled.
Fine, don’t come crying to me when she betrays us!
Nyphy eyed Victor with an amused smile. “Thank you, Blade of Vala. To begin, my influence is connected with plants and living beings from insects to dragons. Not too long ago, I felt the presence of two Warp Spawn entering Eddor.”
Victor and Lily’s ears and attention perked up.
Nyphy continued, “While the Kurggoth occasionally appear in the mystical cities across Eddor, it was strange to feel their presence so close to the Forsaken lands to the East. They show no interest in those lands and tend to stay away as do many others for shadows are attracted to those lands.
“I was further surprised when they vanished. Even with my power, I would only gain slight whispers of knowing they remained on Eddor but their location eluded me. I have no ill will toward them, but most of the Pantheon do keep a watchful eye on those who cross realms. But a curious thing happened; the Slingers to the East began to move toward the border, not many but enough for the Mage Authority to take note.
“My spies within the Authority prayed to me, telling me of the storm stirred by such illegal actions. They have dispatched Casters and Spellswords to march on the border town and arrest all who dwell there. I have felt the connection of the warp spawn to Vala and know you are searching for them from the whispers across realms. I have no desire for more bloodshed and only wish to see the Kurggoth reunited with Vala’s Blade and Shield.”
Victor rubbed the back of his head as he took it all in. There was no doubt the two warp spawn were Vonn and Yimer, but why they appeared here in Eddor instead of Vala’s realm was beyond him. Looking to the green goddess as she sat on her ankles, Victor couldn’t deny the feeling she was telling the truth. Glancing to Lily, the succubus kept her stony gaze on the goddess. Victor knew he didn’t know much, but his gut gave an approving nod and he decided to go with it.
“What’s the name of the town?”
“Blackwood,” Nyphy said simply.
“I know where it is,” Dawn said in a low voice to Victor.
The goddess looked into Lily’s red eyes, moved to Victor’s green ones and stared at Dawn’s brown eyes. “For now, I can assist with information. The Mage Authority has bounties on all of your heads and they already have a lead on you. I suggest you move like the wind to Blackwood.”
A vein throbbed along Lily’s forehead as her demeanor became sharp edges, “Do you think helping us is going to get you in Vala’s good graces, after everything that has been done?”
Nyphy focused her attention on the succubus and gave a warm smile. “I believe this is the first step to healing all our hearts.”
The goddess turned her attention to Victor, “Be brave and know Vala has an ally in these uncertain times.”
Cracks appeared along Nyphy’s body, snaking up to her smiling face. Peaceful eyes closed as the cracks covered her entire body. A moment later, the outer shell fell away in pieces. Victor and the group watched as the pieces of bark and green skin covered the ground, Nebb kneeling. The Spellsword looked up, giving a smirk before standing up.
“See you around,” Nebb smiled before turning and launching himself into the air.
The group watched as he landed on a tree branch before vaulting to another and another. Victor gave the fleeing Spellsword a small nod while noticing the man moved through the trees like a ninja from Naruto.
It’s a shame we won’t be able to finish the series now.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Victor whispered to himself before turning to the small group.
The young man clasped his hands together, “Alright, it looks like we have a hike ahead of us.”
“Blackwood is about fifty miles to the South East. It will take us two to three days to get there,” Dawn said matter of fact.
“We should begin now and try to gain some ground,” Lily added.
“What about the Caster and Spellsword army between Blackwood and us? We will have to come up with some kind of strategy or it will take us longer to get around them,” Victor said as he rubbed his chin.
Lily stepped closer to the Blade and gave him a confident smirk, “I’m sure you can take them.”
Victor raised an eyebrow, “Don’t you mean we can take them?”
“Remember, I’m the leader,” Lily said with a sarcastic edge.
Dawn tried to hide her smile with her hand. Skye and Kira looked on with blank gazes.
“We are going to have to work out these team dynamics,” Victor chuckled.
“We are coming with you,” Skye blurted out.
Victor, Lily and Dawn turned to face the two women. Skye took a step closer, Kira off to the side.
“Thanks to our shop burning down, we have no reason to stay here,” Skye said with a hard edge.
Kira moved to Skye’s side and coiled her fingers between the redhead’s fingers. “We also know Vala has brought us together for a reason. We can help as well.”
Victor looked to the two women and smiled, “The more the merrier.”
Dawn turned to the south east and began walking. The rest of the group looked to the elf and slowly boots began to shuffle in her direction. White puffy clouds glided across the blue sky as the group began to march. Victor looked up to the west, seeing the clouds grow thicker and darker. The sun dimmed as some clouds floated overhead and a small shiver filled his heart.
***
The sky grew darker as the small group made their way through the thickening forest. Dawn led the way, silent as a thief in the night. Victor and Lily walked side by side, the two of them keeping the rogue elf in view. Behind them, Skye and Kira walked side by side. Hours had ticked by as they moved through the forest, the sky now covered in a thick layer of gray clouds. The air cooled in the lack of sunlight and Victor wondered if they should make camp and build a fire.
“How long should we travel before we make camp,” Victor casually said to his demonic companion.
“When it gets dark,” Lily said with a faraway gaze.
Victor looked to the succubus, noticing she was mentally a million miles away. “Is everything okay?”
The succubus blinked a few times until it appeared she was back in her body, “I’m fine.”
“You don’t seem fine.”
Lily gave her companion an annoyed glance before looking forward.
Victor waited for a response, but the demoness remained quiet. Feeling she wasn’t ready to talk, he decided to change the subject.
“So, Skye and Kira. They’re acolytes, but I’m not sure how this is going to work. They seem to be in a committed relationship and I sure don’t want to come between that.”
“What do you mean,” Lily asked.
Thoughts painted Victor’s mind. He was all for connecting with Vala’s acolytes, but he didn’t want to be some relationship wrecker. Glancing back, he saw they were both beautiful women, but he had a hard and fast rule of never messing with other people’s relationships.
“I mean…how do I..um...connect with them to release Vala’s power,” Victor said uncomfortably.
Lily looked to Victor as they walked, remaining silent. Victor gave her a nervous look while making a circle with his fingers on his left and pointing a finger with his right. He then stuck the finger in the hole
and moved it back and forth.
Lily’s expression exploded into laughter. Victor continued with a nervous smile as the succubus laughed. Holding her stomach, she nearly stumbled walked as tears formed at the corners of her eyes. Dawn looked back as Skye and Kira turned their attention to the laughing succubus. Laughter rose up along the trees as Lily found it difficult to contain herself. Soon the laughter died down, but Lily was smiling from ear to ear.
“You never cease to amuse me,” the succubus grinned. “Vala encourages prayer through our bodies, but that isn’t the only way to unlock her divine power.”
“So…this might be a test?”
Lily shrugged, “Maybe, I’m not sure.”
The demoness was silent for a moment before speaking again, “Remember when we were on Xull with Wynn and the others?”
Victor nodded.
“I don’t believe you slept with everyone, but you managed to unlock their divine orbs.”
The young man nodded again, “I thought it was because we were all sharing a moment.”
“True, we were, but it goes beyond just our bodies. Vala’s love transcends all and we may be gifted to be her Champions but we don’t have to pray the same way.”
“I feel someone should be writing this all down,” Victor quipped.
Lily’s smile faded as she looked down, darkness covering her eyes. “There used to be. Cassandra told me stories of scribes gifted by Vala to chronicle her knowledge. The Rage War wiped out most her teachings. Books were burned and scribes slaughtered. Most of her teachings were lost long ago. It is one of the many duties we must perform before she returns and long after her resurrection.”
Victor looked off, “Sounds like we still have a lot of work ahead of us, but right now, I wish I had the ability to fly. Two to three days to reach a border town might be too long and I’m not happy with the thought of fighting a small army before we get there.”
Victor glanced back to Skye and Kira before turning his gaze to Dawn’s back. “Plus, I don’t know if we should put the rest of the group in a fight. Skye and Kira lost everything and Dawn doesn’t seem like she wants to talk either.”
“Dawn has a strong spirit, she’ll be fine. Skye and Kira held their own in the shop.”