by Aubrie Nixon
“Yes, Your Majesty. My mission was to kill a black stag. I tracked it for a fortnight and grazed it with an arrow before it changed into something monstrous. It was unlike anything I have ever seen. After a struggle, I killed it,” she told the king matter-of-factly.
The king raised his bushy eyebrows in shock. “You are very skilled, or perhaps lucky. Few men could slay a dark creature and live. Even less were skillful enough to avoid getting the blood from their kill on their bare skin.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but Baleem interrupted her. “I have taught her well. Her armor has been designed to cover her skin but still remain light enough for battle.” He cleared his throat and looked up, his eyes boring into hers. She looked down at her hands. They were shaking. Was she infected? Why didn’t her master want her to say anything? She had no such armor, and she had been covered in the creature’s blood. Some had even gotten in her mouth. She cringed at the memory of the revolting tang of sticky iron and rot. She could still taste it when her mouth got too dry.
They sat in uncomfortable silence for what felt like an eternity until the king spoke again. “I am glad you are so strong and skillful. You will need it on this mission. I need you to seek out and eradicate the creatures invading our world. We must stop them before the sickness spreads.” The king looked at the pair of them as though they were his last hope.
Sephera couldn't believe what she was hearing. In an instant she forgot her fear of the king and instead felt a burning anger.
“I'm sorry, but you want us to travel all over Nostorra to kill these creatures? All of them?” She laughed in desperation and disbelief. “That could take years. We could search our entire lives and still not find all of them.” She shook her head. “You are out of your mind, old man. And Baleem! How could you even think this could be the slightest bit possible?” Her hands batted the air in front of her. She started to stand up from the table, not caring that she was putting herself above the king by doing so. This was absolute madness.
“Sephera Travelle, sit down NOW!” Baleem yelled furiously.
She glared at her master. His face had turned crimson with anger, and his hands were shaking.
Baleem turned to the King, “I apologize, Your Majesty. I take full responsibility for her behavior. She is young and has not yet learned to check her temper.”
“Sit, old friend. She has spirit, and these are trying times indeed.” The king looked at her. She couldn't tell for sure, but she thought she saw the ghost of a smile in his eyes. “Sephera, please, sit. I would not send you on this mission if I thought you would fail.” She pursed her lips and sat down, not daring to look at her master.
“Now, on their own, these creatures are strong,” the king conceded. “However, it is their blood that stops us from ever being able to truly defeat them. We need to find a way to eradicate the poison in their blood that causes the plague. There is one person who could perhaps help develop a cure. The only trouble will be finding her. She has not been seen for many, many years. It may seem like an impossible task, but I assure you, it is not. It will be difficult and rather trying but not impossible.”
“Sephy, you are the only one who can do this, the only one who has fought these creatures,” Baleem murmured.
She looked at Zad, whose eyes were filled with questions and determination. “How are we supposed to find her? Just ask around for any sign of a mad, old woman who might have a cure for the plague?”
“Not quite.” Baleem smiled darkly. “She is very good at using spells to cover her tracks. She has been evading us for years, but recent reports have brought to my attention three items of hers that I need you to acquire. Once we have those, we can use a simple tracking spell to locate her.”
Sephera let out a harsh laugh. “That's all? Three items, a tracking spell, and a batty old hermit? Sounds fun, maybe for the Royal Guard or hirelings. But not for me. I don’t fetch items. I kill things.”
“Ah! Glad you pointed that out, Sephera!” the king exclaimed. “Those items aren’t just lying around, waiting for just any common guard or hireling to find. No, that old woman, Reina, is too careful for that. They will be well-hidden and guarded. I believe that would fit your particular talent for killing things.” He smiled darkly.
She glared down at her hands. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering.
“Fine,” she breathed out. “But you cannot expect Zad and me to do this alone.”
“Of course not. I have selected people from my own personal guard as well as the Tower of Light to assist you on your journey.”
She looked at the king in surprise. “The Tower of Light? You are sending a light mage with us?” Her voice was full of curiosity.
The king smiled, his thin lips tight and harsh. “As I have said, this is a matter of utmost importance, and I will send only the best.” He stood up, his large stomach pressing against the edge of the table. "I think I have explained your mission well enough. Every moment we spend talking here wastes precious time. I will leave you. Good luck.” With that, the king turned and strutted out of the room with Baleem.
She sat in silent disbelief, staring intently at the table, her lips curved in a snarl.
“What do you say, Beasty? A journey to the ends of the earth, darkness all around, and death at every turn. Let’s save the world, eh?” Zad quipped, kicking her playfully.
She peeled her eyes from the ember wood table and looked at Zad. His face was full of nervous excitement. He smiled at her, moving his shoulders in a little jig. “UGHHHH,” she scoffed, trying not to smile at his ridiculous enthusiasm.
“If you are so excited to run to your death, let's duel.” She smirked.
“Tsk, tsk,” he clucked shaking his head with laughter.
“I suppose if we wish to live, we must save the world. We can’t exactly continue living here with a plague consuming everything. It would be quite dreary,” she said dryly. “And, after all, we are the best. I wouldn't trust our fates to anyone else.”
“No, we couldn't have that. What if they poured milk in their bowl before the puffed sweet oats in the morning?”
“The horror,” she mocked.
They both laughed. Baleem came back into the room, his face creased with stress.
“Have you decided?’ he questioned.
“When do we leave?” Zad asked. Baleem’s face lightened.
“You will stay here tonight and leave at first light tomorrow. I will send someone to the Keep to fetch your things.” He turned and walked briskly out of the room.
The toadish servant appeared in the doorway. “Come. I will show you to your rooms. Dinner will be brought to you later.”
CHAPTER 6
The sun blazed through the stained glass window, showering the room in rivers of color. Sephera stared up at the ceiling, her eyes bloodshot from exhaustion. She hadn’t slept a wink. Her body aching from the lack of rest, she groaned as she sat up and walked across the cool stone floor. She dressed in yesterday's clothes and pulled her raven hair into something more presentable than the mangled bird’s nest it had become.
Once again, her thoughts turned to the king's impossible quest. She was an assassin, a Lady of Death, and though she was trained in many things, stopping a plague was not one of them. It pained her to admit she was frightened. She sighed as she opened the heavy oak door and walked down the long, dimly lit hall to Zad’s room. She needed someone with whom to share this unsettling feeling—dread, was it? It was so foreign. She rapped three times on Zad’s door—two long, one short—a simple knock, really, but one that she always used. She waited, but there was no answer, so she knocked again. Frustrated with Zad’s ability to sleep like the dead, she opened the door. The room was empty, the bed stripped of sheets. It looked like he had already left. She heard footsteps in the hallway. Sephera peeked her head out and saw a tall, plain-looking woman dressed in servant's clothes.
“Excuse me, miss. I was looking for you,” the servant squeaked, not
daring to look her in the eyes. “Your master and friend are down in the Great Hall. You are to join them.” Sephera nodded and, without saying a word, set off to find Baal, Zad, and whatever else waited for her.
Sephera heard new voices as she arrived in the Great Hall. She walked into the room and saw Baleem, Zad, and two other people dressed in travelers’ clothes. The female was tall, with golden hair and pale skin. She stood next to Zad with her hand on his shoulder, laughing at something he was saying. Zad was smiling from ear to ear. So typical. Sephera walked over to Baleem, who was hovering over the table, looking at maps and speaking with the tallest man she had ever seen. He had short blonde hair and kept his back hunched, as if trying to blend in, not that it helped. Even hunched over, he was still a great deal taller than Baal.
“Ah! Sephera, come here, my dear,” Baal said, motioning for her to join them.
He clasped a hand on her shoulder, almost making her knees buckle.
“This is Brenner. He is from the Tower of Light. He will be joining you on your journey. He is an Arcane Healer,” Baal said with pride and excitement in his eyes.
She nodded politely and stuck out her hand. “Sephera,” she said.
The mage returned her nod and engulfed her hand in both of his. His large hands were surprisingly soft, which she speculated probably came from a life in the tower studying potions and practicing spells. Hers were calloused and rough in comparison, and she quickly pulled her hand away.
“Have you spent all your life in the Tower?” she asked with intense curiosity.
Brenner nodded and smiled, although his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“I have never actually met a light mage. It is quite an honor. I am pleased you will be joining us.” She smiled warmly.
The mage bowed his head in quiet thanks.
“What is the plan, Baal?” she asked.
“Plan? I thought you had one,” Baal blurted out.
She exhaled and looked up at the ceiling impatiently.
“Gods above, Sephera,” Baal said. “I'm only joking. You need to lighten up.”
Suddenly, a familiar hand gripped Sephera’s shoulder. “I'm always telling her that Baal, but you know our Seph. Strictly business,” Zad said with laughter in his voice. She shrugged his hand off, annoyed.
“We are waiting on another member of our little troop. He should be here soon,” a soft voice said from Zad’s right.
Sephera looked up to see the thin, disturbingly gorgeous blonde she’d noticed earlier. She had an irritatingly large smile on her face.
“I’m Chantry. You must be Sephera Travelle. Zad has told me so much about you,” she said enthusiastically without taking a breath.
Sephera raised an eyebrow, suddenly miffed. “Zadkiel, I hope you told her good things,” she cooed mimicking the girl in front of her, eyes narrowing protectively.
“Of course!” the girl exclaimed. “I am just so pleased to meet you, Lady of Death. Your reputation amongst the guards . . . well, I was expecting someone taller, maybe. And scarier.” The girl laughed, her golden eyes filled with excitement and warmth, unaware that she had awakened a beast.
Sephera’s eye began to twitch, something she couldn’t help when she was feeling particularly angry. She balled her fists, trying to keep from exploding at the girl. She must have looked like a crazed animal because Zad interjected, “Looks are deceiving. I wouldn’t want to be on Seph's bad side. She can be terrifying, and she's tough. There is a reason they call her the Lady of Death.”
The trio was interrupted by the entrance of a tall, muscular ox of a man. He had tan skin and hollow eyes, and his dark hair was pulled back from his face with a black, velvet ribbon. He wore deeply-colored leather armor with three—no, four—daggers strapped to his legs. Sephera’s eyes darted over the rest of him, looking for any other weapons. The steel toes of his boots were sharpened to a point. There was a bit of dried blood on one of them. She scoffed. Impractical, yet effective.
A hushed silence fell upon them. The man was only a few years older than her. He obviously commanded a lot of attention and respect wherever he went. She glared up at the beast of a man. I could take him, she thought, annoyed at the looks of awe everyone in the room was giving him. Even Baleem was looking at him with wide eyes and an expression of wonderment.
“I assume we are almost ready to leave?” the man asked, his sonorous voice uncaring.
Baal came to his senses first. “Yes, yes, we were just waiting for—” he stopped mid-sentence. The man stared down at Baal with an expression that would have made anyone run for the hills.
She fought back a laugh. Her own master was scared of this man? Please.
“We were just waiting for you to grace us with your presence, Sir Knight,” she said sarcastically.
She heard Zad suck in his breath. The man looked at her with such a dark stare that even she felt small. But she stood her ground and didn’t look away from his piercing gaze .
“Is that so?” he spat.
“Indeed.”
“Daegan,” he introduced himself coolly, not bothering to offer his hand.
“Sephera,” she replied, still not breaking eye contact.
“We were supposed to head to the stables once you arrived, Daegan,” Baleem interrupted.
“Then let's go. We have a world to save, do we not?” Sephera snapped, walking out of the room and leaving the stunned party behind her, along with the brooding Daegan.
Reaching the stables first, she quickly changed into her favorite armor, keeping her tunic and pants on underneath for warmth. The horses were already loaded with their travel supplies and maps. She sheathed her weapons and grabbed an apple from her pack, feeding it to the white horse she always rode. “Winter, you silly thing. What have we gotten ourselves into?” she asked the horse as the others shuffled in.
“You will head north out of the city to a small village near our borders,” Baleem was saying. “There, you will go through the Mountains of Dreer. I have marked on the map the path you will need to follow through the pass. Somewhere near the pass is an ancient stone altar. I am not sure what item you will find. All I know is that it is there. Look for something out of place, something that feels old and full of magic. Reina is impossibly difficult, but she isn’t cruel. She knew there would be a time when she was needed again.”
“The next item you need is one of Reina’s personal items. She is rumored to have grown up in the village on the north side of the mountains. I have a suspicion that something of hers will be there.”
Sephera glared at Baleem. “A suspicion?” she shrieked. “We are risking our lives for a SUSPICION?! You don't even know for sure?”
“Seph . . .” Zad whispered to her.
“You judge too hastily, foolish girl. For once, shut that mouth of yours and listen.” Baal eyed her dangerously.
She folded her arms like a pouting child and leaned against the armor stand. She felt her cheeks grow hot as Baal continued.
“Now, we have narrowed down the location of the third item to two different places. Until we are certain of where it is, I will not burden you with the information. It will only cause more stress and confusion. An old associate of mine will meet you in Reina’s old village and update you with any progress we have made. So please, wait there at the inn after you have acquired the first two items.” Baal looked around at the group wearily. “It is a lot, and we are short on time. Asking anyone else to make such sacrifices . . . well, we are very grateful for you all. We must keep the reason for your mission secret so we don’t cause mass panic. So please, be wary of who you speak to and what you tell them.”
He looked around at the sturdy group of warriors and smiled. “Any questions?”
“No. Thank you, Baleem. I’ve gone over the maps, and I believe we will find the items. We will stop this,” Zad said with authority.
Everyone nodded in silent agreement. Sephera watched as they finished packing their bags and mounted their horses. She felt t
ired, angry, and scared. She hated it. She busied herself by tightening the saddle on Winter. She contemplated saying something to Baal. She still had questions about so many things. Why had he hid the fact that she had come into contact with the creature’s blood? Why was she not infected? Before she had time to reconsider, she found herself walking across the barn to him. He was busy saddling a grey mare for Chantry, who was readying her bow and arrows for travel. As if she needed one more reason to dislike the girl, she used those sorry excuses for weapons. She held back a scoff.
“Jealousy is very unbecoming of you, Seph,” Baleem smirked.
“What? I’m not jealous,” she said, the last word tasting like bitter milk.
“I would be concerned if I were you, Sephera,” Baal joked. “You pride yourself on being cool and calculated. We would not want you to start having feelings now, would we?”
She turned to walk away, frustrated with Baal’s assumptions.
“Honestly, stop this horrendous act of entitlement and loosen up. I am only teasing, Seph.”
Arms folded across her chest, she turned on her heel to face the man who had raised her. “Fine, I will, but only if you tell me why I am immune to—”
“Hush. Not here. There are too many ears. As I have said before, there is much I need to tell you. I have just never found the right time or place. When you return from your journey, I promise I will answer every question. For now, this will have to suffice.” He handed her a thick envelope. “Burn it when you are done reading it. Do you understand?”
Nodding, she took it and placed it in her satchel.
“Do not show it to anyone, not even Zadkiel. You will understand in time.” The old man reached out and hugged her. She tensed at the sudden burst of affection from her master. They had not shared this kind of affection since she was a young girl.