“That is quite the force to match. I’ve never seen such high numbers with these creatures. Let us hope that with one swift strike we can all safely return home.”
“That is the idea, my Brother, but I fear that there is much more going on than we can see. My heart tells me that such a force isn’t enough. Let us only hope that it is.”
“Dare we send for Xython?” Searon asked.
“He will learn of it soon enough. Besides, let him visit with his family for a bit longer before the lust of war clouds his judgment.” Noraes brushed his hair back before grinning. “Besides, we still have a game to finish. Are you ready?”
Searon smirked. “Aye, you will not survive long without your captain.”
Chapter 30
Starlyn stood on a grassy hilltop that looked over most of the land. Only she, Andron, Sh’on, and the human captain, Etherond, stood on the hill. Behind them, a force of nearly eight thousand men camped. She was surprised that young Etherond was able to mass such a large force in only a few weeks, yet at the same time she could sense the aura of leadership about him. Most of the men were barely warriors, as nearly half were holding pitchforks, but there still were a large amount of pikesmen and maces. The cities to the north weren’t wealthy in any way, and so there were few swordsmen, less than a thousand in the army. She only hoped their determination and heart could replace what they lacked in skill. While their task had been successful in bringing numbers and heart to their cause, Starlyn still didn’t feel it would be enough. She hoped that Searon had been more successful when he met his brother in the south.
There was an elderly gentleman with a sword that invented a concept weapon called a protosword. It was a wooden club shaped like a sword with sharp edges fastened with chunks of glass and obsidian. They were easy enough to make and were given to the new recruits or those without weapons. Every day there were people outside practicing with wooden swords, preparing for war.
She stared at the lavender-and-scarlet sunset of the third day they waited for Searon’s return. It was true that they had expected him days ago, but she didn’t fret the delay. After all, it had been years since he had seen his brother, and she was sure Karceoles was doing all he could to hasten things up. She smiled at the memory of the bitter old man and his sarcastic remarks. Being so long without seeing the two of them, she actually missed some of his bitter remarks.
As the last light dipped below the horizon, leaving the sky in twilight, Starlyn sighed. Another day had come and passed without sight of Searon. She hoped that he was all right and nothing had gone amiss. The men were growing impatient for battle despite their readiness. Etherond being the worst as his blade almost seemed to twitch for battle. Out of all the men, he was the most capable, as she noticed his skill not only from battling him once firsthand, but also from the many spars that both he and Andron engaged in each day. Both seemed matched in skill, although Etherond came out ahead more often than not.
She walked down the hill unsteadily to the company of men. Etherond and Andron had already gone back to the games and activities while Sh’on accompanied her back to camp. He seemed as anxious as her to get things moving, but she was unsure if it was to be in battle or to see his old cousin the wizard. The mage had always been much of a mystery to her, and even after the years of knowing him, she still didn’t fully understand him. It had been decades since she’d even seen him, but from what she could tell he hadn’t changed in the slightest.
“If he doesn’t appear tomorrow, we’ll have to send scouts,” she whispered.
“Yes, I believe we should have sent a few today.”
“Sorry, I have been going by his word when he should return…I should have realized that things could have come up. I will send scouts in the morning.”
“Do not fault yourself, Starlyn, you have trust in this young man…a human. How are you fairing with the likes of them?”
“At first, I wasn’t sure what to think with the rumors through Sudegam about the hastiness, hatefulness, and stupidity of them. However, after meeting both Searon and Andron, I have also found compassion, love, and wit. They are more intelligent than kheshlars give them credit for, and their compassion and love is something that the kheshlars could do with.”
Sh’on flashed a smile. “I am glad you have chosen not to discriminate against them as so many of your kin have done.”
“Discrimination is only for those who choose not to take the time to get to know someone. I have a friend who is discriminated against only because of what she is, when she has no choice in the matter. I protect her, and if need be, I will protect Searon and the others from the discrimination of the rest of the kheshlars.”
“Kind words. I hope this Searon treasures your friendship.”
She smiled. “He does.”
Etherond walked up with an impatient look upon his sturdy face. “Still no sign of this army?”
Starlyn felt his deep-gray eyes stare deep into hers. “Not yet…they will be here.”
“I say we strike. There is plenty of damage our force can do to the draeyks, instead of all this endless waiting!”
“Relax your bloodthirst; you will have it soon enough,” Sh’on remarked as he stepped forward next to Etherond and collapsed his hand on the man’s shoulder.
Etherond flinched at first, but his scowl quickly turned into a wide grin. His hand released where it clutched at his sword hilt, and he clasped Sh’on’s shoulder in turn. He shifted his bronze curls from his eyes. “I’m famished.”
“Let’s eat,” Andron suggested as he walked up next to Etherond from behind.
The two humans had seemed to form a bond in the past few weeks. Starlyn noticed that Etherond was still reticent to approach her on most matters, but she was happy that Andron was at least able to form a friendship with him. The two seemed to have a lot in common—from their love of families to morals to their respect for the creator. Etherond was constantly preaching about following the creator in his wishes and willing to speak to anybody willing to listen. Andron was most interested, as he shared the same beliefs in everlasting life in another world. Starlyn wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, as kheshlars hadn’t created sin as the humans proclaimed to have happened to them. Perhaps that was why the kheshlars were still gifted with eternal life, but she wasn’t sure and didn’t feel like getting involved. The only thing the kheshlars worshipped was nature, and respected all those whom lived among it.
“Do so away from me,” Starlyn grumbled as she looked away from the men.
Without saying another word, she disappeared from sight and walked back up to the top of the hill where she sat with her legs crossed. Her mind became filled with her thoughts, and her breathing slowed so that it was too low to be heard by anything other than kheshlarn ears. A soft breeze tickled her long ears and brought a chill to her face. The last bit of light disappeared from the sky and was replaced with darkness.
Starlyn loved the night more than the day, as nothing could compare to the beauty of the stars. Her blonde hair always seemed to brighten in the starlight. It was a calm night with only a few clouds in the sky in the distance. Lightning zipped from the clouds off in the distance with a few crackles sounding nearly thirty seconds later. She was glad that the storm was far off as it would have covered the beauty of the stars. The small crackles and pops of lightning almost sounded like music in her ears. Sighing heavily, she lay down on the hill and ate a small piece of bread to settle her stomach.
She wondered where Searon was and if he was safe, yet beyond that she wondered where her sister was. It had been a long time since she had seen her sister. She was surprised when she had appeared to taunt both her and Searon. Before that encounter, it had been a few decades since she’d seen her last. She wondered if there was anything she could to do to bring her sister back to the light. Surely, there had to be some way, a hidden piece of a puzzle, that once shifted into the right place would complete it once more. She closed her eyes as she remembered the times she
spent with her sister as a child. Back when the two of them were innocent, playing in fields and catching dragonflies and butterflies. Often, she wished she could return back to that time, but instead her mind faded to a dream where she felt like she was reliving it.
* * *
Starlyn awoke to a hazy pink sunrise through thick fluffy clouds. Birds glided through the sky, allowing the brisk wind to carry them on their journey to new lands. She still lay upon the top of the hill where she strayed during the night. All was silent around her except for a few murmurs between the men at the bottom of the hill in camp. A warm smile came upon her face as she whistled into the wind at the birds. There were four in the distance, but one was apart from the others, and when it heard her call, it immediately soared toward her. Its beauty was unmatched by any other bird in the sky with its head as white as the clouds and its body as brown as the bark on evergreen trees. It was a bald eagle and the proudest of the sky.
The large bird landed on her outstretched hand and blinked its eyes at her. It cocked its head as it watched her, making its beautiful bright-yellow beak glitter in the sunlight. She stroked it a few times gently on the back of its neck as it watched her. Footsteps echoed behind her, and the eagle tensed up but soon relaxed. Starlyn turned around to notice it was only Sh’on, and he smiled back at her but kept his distance.
“Can you do me a favor, oh proud one?” she whispered.
The eagle considered her for a moment before nodding its head. She smiled back at the bird and stroked its neck some more.
“Fly south, and find an army, a large army. It will have a general in red plate mail with a giant claymore sword. With him will be a foolish wizard wielding a zylek. You should notice the horse with the black-and-white stripes. Can you find them and come back to me and tell me how far away they are?”
The eagle’s beak seemed to form into a smile as it nodded and leaped from her fingers and into the air. It flapped its wings and flew up high until it found a wind path in the sky, heading south. Sh’on quietly walked up and gently rested his hand on her shoulder. She didn’t turn around to observe him but kept her eyes attached to the direction the bird flew.
“I was going to suggest sending a few scouts, but it seems your idea will be swifter,” Sh’on laughed.
“I would go myself, but I’m afraid to leave.”
“And you should be. You are needed here. Etherond is a great captain, but if anything happens and it falls to him to command everyone, I feel chaos will be his fighting style. Andron has yet to grasp any leadership himself, even though I believe he would make a great captain.”
“He is young, but yes, I am in agreement.”
Starlyn took one last glance south before heading down into the camp. She explained to Etherond that she sent a scout to search for them, but she withheld that it was an eagle she sent. Andron would understand because he had seen her with birds before, but Etherond would most likely question her abilities. He seemed to accept her response and didn’t seem as on edge for battle as he was the day before.
Throughout the morning, he and Andron sparred each other, coming out with an equal number of winnings. Starlyn observed a few battles, but she had quite a few offers of engagement herself. It seemed many of the top swordsmen wanted to test their skill against a kheshlar. They figured they were at higher odds since she used a hammer rather than sword, but as they found out they were sadly mistaken. She even took the opportunity to really show off and battle a few of them at the same time. There were stunned expressions everywhere as they saw her defeat two or even three opponents.
Chanting began for Andron and Etherond to pair up and face her. Both the blade masters smiled at the thought but disregarded it, as if they would be too much of a challenge for her. It was that motion that sparked Starlyn’s interest. She was never one to back down from a challenge, and even she admitted that facing the two would be one of her most difficult tasks. The two were masters of the blade compared to the rest and had different fighting styles that would complement each other as allies.
Starlyn faced the two of them and bowed with her hammer clenched in her hand. Andron frowned, but Etherond smirked at the chance to have a rematch with her. He stroked his bronze-hilted broadsword before flashing a few fancy maneuvers through the air. Cheers erupted throughout the crowd louder than before as everybody circled around the three of them.
Etherond leaped forward with a quick, high thrust followed by a lower one. Starlyn avoided the first by sidestepping. She slammed her hammer onto the top of the blade on its low strike, causing the weapon to embed into the ground. Andron circled onto her other side with a few rapid strikes of shimmering metal. She avoided strike after strike with a few defensive maneuvers with her hammer. When Etherond reached her other side, she grasped the shield that she seldom used that hung on her back and brought it forth to block a strong impact from Etherond’s broadsword.
She didn’t use her shield often except in dire need, as it slowed different attacks she could accomplish by using two hands. The shield formed into a large star with two leather straps in the back where she slid her arm through and held the top tight in her palm. It appeared silver but instead was crafted of titanium, which was one of the hardest metals the kheshlars had found. A golden trim surrounded it to match the rest of her armor with a golden S in the center of the outside.
Both Etherond and Andron appeared surprised when they saw her shield and frantically searched for an opening through her tightened defenses. She didn’t let even an inch of play through her hammer or shield. Sparks surrounded her as they fell from her shield and hammer. Dead grass at her feet ignited in flames from sparks from the clashing weapons.
The crowd was no longer cheering or rowdy but instead was stunned into silence as they watched with disconcerted eyes. They opened the circle even farther to give them more room to fight. Most wore their jaws wide, as well as their eyes, as they studied the different moves. She only hoped that they learned a few tricks as they watched, to better prepare them for the battle ahead.
Etherond’s blade broke her defenses once to strike her shoulder, and as she dashed to the side Andron’s sword tripped her. As she stumbled, she threw her shield toward them, where it hit Etherond in the gut. She tossed it so the points wouldn’t pierce his flesh. When she rose back to her feet, she parried with Andron for a few moments until knocking his sword down with her hammer on her left side and leaping into the air to kick him in the jaw, causing him to release his sword and tumble back. She reached down and grabbed his sword and leaped into the air into a dropkick against Etherond’s chest. He tried to recover from the wind that had been knocked out of him as her foot stomped on his shoulder. She looked down at him and smiled. He sighed and let his head collapse onto the ground.
Nobody cheered, but everybody watched her intently. Andron walked over to her and bowed. She held her hand out for Etherond, who grabbed it and stumbled to his feet. Smiling at the two of them, she handed Andron his sword back and picked up her shield. As they stood there in silence, she could hear something distant in the air. She looked up and saw the eagle appear from high and glide down toward her.
Starlyn smiled and held her arm out. Everybody watched in amazement as the eagle landed on her outstretched fingers and began to chirp lightly. She nodded with acknowledgment, and the bird flew off into the air.
“What is it?” Andron asked.
“Searon is a day’s march south…with an army of at least ten thousand.”
“Dare we wait?” Andron asked.
Etherond smiled. “I say we rush to meet thy army; thy men are restless, and thou be ecstatic with this task.”
She turned to Sh’on, who appeared through the crowd. He smiled at her and nodded. Everybody around her was still as they awaited her command. She had never commanded so many—or any humans before, and now they all looked to her. Her mind traveled as she thought; she was excited to see Searon as well and finally get everything started.
She grinned.
“We march south.”
Chapter 31
After a while, Searon, Karceoles, and another young man came up the hill and met with them. The army stayed down the hill and waited.
“Is this your brother?” Andron asked, trying to find the resemblance between the two men but somehow missing it.
“No, my brother wasn’t able to make it; he’s managing the defenses of his city. This is his captain, Phoenix.”
Phoenix held his hand out and shook it with everybody there.
“This is Sh’on, a mage, who once helped us kheshlars against the draeyk,” Starlyn said.
Sh’on bowed and shook Searon’s and Phoenix’s hands. Then he stood in front of Karceoles. “Hello, Cousin.”
“How have you been, Shronan? I haven’t seen you in a very long time.”
“I’ve been traveling the universe; I always have to be where something is happening. So when this world doesn’t need me, I travel to another.”
“How exactly?” Karceoles raised an eyebrow.
“Ah…now that is my little secret.”
“It’s nice seeing you again; are you ready to get this started?”
Sh’on nodded.
“Are we going to head out in the morning?” Etherond asked.
“Who’s this?” Karceoles asked, bewildered.
“My name is Etherond; I’m leader of these ’ere men,” Etherond said, pointing over the hill.
“Let’s give our army a day’s rest; so we’ll leave day after tomorrow’s morning,” Karceoles announced.
“The men are well rested and ready for battle.”
“Ours are not; one more day isn’t going to strain you, Captain Etherond.”
“Let us not be bitter but instead rejoice in the presence of each other. Tonight, let there be a feast—and ale!” Xython stepped up and clasped his hand upon Etherond’s shoulder.
During the night, there was a celebration of the armies. There were some who drank too much, but most only drank enough to feel a slight relaxation. Most knew that at any given moment they could be attacked or be called for an attack. Andron and those from his town pulled out the pipe weed and shared with anybody willing to try it.
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