A quick projectile sounded off, striking the rangers and wrapped them in vines. The huddled group fell and rolled down the steps to where the scorched guard lie face down. Heavy strides ascended, only for Dedricus to give a sigh of relief.
“Gods damn, I didn’t know you could go up stairs that fast!” he said to Ari.
“Only you could make a joke like that, covered in blood and with no pants on. Let’s go!”
Kasyra joined him at the top of the stairs, covered in sweat. She looked completely fatigued and ready to collapse at any minute. The Elf said they needed to leave Amberbrooke as soon as possible, running down the hall to his room. Kasyra dragged behind, panting heavily.
“Why? What the hell is going on? What's wrong with Kasyra?”
“I’ll explain in the morning. Let’s go!”
The blade looked at his friend with a stubborn gaze. Ari beckoned for him to continue along, but he remained unmoving.
“What is going on here?”
“I will tell you outside the town. We need to get our crap and leave!”
Dedricus gave an angry huff before following them to their rooms. They quickly gathered their belongings and were on their way. The innkeeper shouted about the commotion, but they simply pushed passed him.
Outside the inn, it was as if nothing had happened. The mercenary was confused, as the festival was still going on. Everything was exactly as it was before he went to sleep. Why had the Black Garde attacked him in such a busy place?
In all the rush, he hadn't noticed the bloody stain on Kasyra’s dress. She was trying to cover it and looked away when the young woman saw him notice. Rather than leave her to carry all her things, he took the heavy bag from her and threw it over his shoulder.
Making it to the same entrance they arrived from, their path was barred by a row of Black Garde. The soldiers appeared to have set up a checkpoint. It would be impossible to leave through there.
As Amberbrook had no walls, the group had to find a narrow space between two buildings on the outskirts and make a run for it. There was no telling what kind of host they'd face beyond the town's limits.
In a panic, they sprinted around back alleys and residences. Kasyra stumbled and tripped over her feet. Dedricus made notice and quickly helped her up, taking her hand as they ran. Eventually, they found the outer row of buildings, leading towards the plains.
Looking out, they couldn’t spot any encampment for Black Garde. The mercenary wondered where they had even come from. The three rushed down the large hill that the town was built on, roughly landing at the bottom. Swallowed by the black of night, they retreated away from the lights.
Chapter 15
The group had a rough night. After not being able to find a well hidden place, they camped near a tree growing behind a large rock. The only one with a decent amount of rest was Dedricus, who stayed at Kasyra’s side. Ari had healed her wound, but she seemed restless the whole night.
After she finally passed out, the mercenary laid down to get what little rest he could. By the time he awoke, she was gone and the Elf was cooking breakfast over a small fire. The air was warm and the sun beat down hard on them.
“Where’s Kasyra?” Dedricus asked as he shoved himself off the ground and stretched.
“She went to change. She seemed a little better.”
“What happened at Amberbrook?” he asked the Elf, walking over and standing before him in an intimidating fashion.
“I did say I’d explain, didn’t I?”
“You did. Tell me what’s going on. Why did Ravious’ men attack us there?”
With a long and heavy sigh, Ari flipped the egg had had been cooking and pulled his bag closer to him. He rummaged around the leather sack and revealed a tiny brass-colored cube. Dedricus focused his eyes before pulling away.
“The Soul Prison? You brought the Soul Prison?! Why?”
“Why? Because I don’t trust leaving this thing in anyone’s hands but my own.”
“Are you crazy?”
“I don’t think so; I believe myself to be rather sane.”
“Oh, shut up. What was wrong with leaving it back at Boranath? With Andrew? Kasyra got stabbed over that thing!”
“It’s possible. It’s also possible that they recognized her. Especially the way Thogar was creeping on her. It's no surprise Black Garde were parked nearby.”
Dedricus grunted and crossed his arms, irate with the Half-Elf. It was entirely possible, too, that Thogar could sense her abilities as Ravious had.
“Still doesn't explain why they came banging down on my door.”
“Does it really not? Thogar saw us all together.”
“And, wait a minute. What are the Black Garde even doing. Ravious has to be long dead by now. You think they're still playing towards the relic? Do you think he survived...”
“I don’t know. I do know Blackholm is still occupied by his forces, but there’s no way he lived. No. Not at all. When that portal reopened, it should have exposed the void that the prison existed within to our plane. He’d be torn apart from the pressure.”
“Gross. Look, it's fine. I just don't get it, why bring that thing at all?” he said, quieting his voice.
“I was going to get to that… We found it in a Nienilef prison. Why wouldn't we find more information at Droja?”
“Correct me if I'm wrong, but you said the books and stuff you got from Ravious didn't have anything to do with it.”
“Correct.”
“Then why bother? This thing has only given us trouble.”
“It could be a useless trinket. It could be a superweapon, like Ravious said it is. None of us will know for sure, not until we go to the Nienilef city and see for ourselves.”
“That place is huge! What if we find nothing?”
“At least we searched for the answer.”
Just then, Kasyra returned to their camp and Ari swiftly hid the Soul Prison away in his bag once more. She had changed out of her blood-stained dress and into a light blue padded robe with a golden trim, designed for combat. No longer was she clammy and enervated, but now wore a face of determination.
“How's your wound?” asked Ari, legitimately concerned with the young woman’s well being.
She casually dismissed it, stating his healing had scabbed it over and she was ready to get moving. The newfound fortitude in her confused Dedricus. Just the night before he would have sworn she was in agony.
“You’re pretty good at healing.”
“Thanks. It’s a more subtle skill of mine. Well, if it scabbed over completely, that’s a good start.”
The Elf whistled a tune as he slid his scrambled eggs off the frying pan and onto a small plate. The three sat in an awkward silence as he ate, staring at one another uncomfortably. As he finished, he wiped the scraps off his plate and dug through his bag.
“Where'd you go to change?” Ari inquired, his arms filled with a bundle of clothes and other supplies to freshen up.
“Out that way.” she replied, pointing out to a tree farther away, “I like my privacy.”
“And I share your sentiment! I'll be back.”
After Ari became a speck in their view, Dedricus turned to the young woman with a solemn look. Overnight he had thought of something to keep her out of harm's way.
“You should let me teach you to use a weapon.” he suggested bluntly.
“I have my dagger!” Kasyra giggled.
“I mean a real weapon, because that thing did nothing. Look at what happened to you! I was talking to Ari about it. You could have died!”
“Well, I’m here now. Aren’t I? And besides, I'll just have to do a few sessions of healing until I’m all better.”
He growled at her, not pleased with her attitude. She seemed too laid back about the attempt on her life.
“If you’re going to hide your powers, you need to be versatile in how you defend yourself. No offense, putting on some ‘combat-ready gear’ isn’t going to inherently save you.”
> “It’ll help.”
“I know it will, but come on. I… I care about you, okay? All that crap at the game, I didn't mean it. You mean alot to me… I’m sorry, okay?”
Kasyra smiled, tilting her head slightly. She affectionately passed her hand down a scar on his left cheek. Under her breath she muttered something the mercenary could not make out. He pulled away with discomfort and turned his head from her.
“I get it.” she said, taking a few steps back.
“I've just got a lot on my mind. It’s not like… You still haven’t told Ari about your magic, huh?”
“I know, I know…”
“Then decide what weapon you want to use. I really am happy to show you.”
“I guess a mace or something. A two-hander seems fun.”
With a heavy sigh, Dedricus passed her another unenthusiastic glare. He chastised her for thinking of self-defense with a priority on fun. A part of him knew that nothing could change that, though her safety was far too important.
The mercenary plopped down underneath the shade of the tree, done talking for the time being. Ari returned in a new change of clothes. He was dressed in a leather overcoat and leggings, much more suited for combat.
“Look who’s the only one not ready to fight!” said the Elf, putting his dirty clothes from the previous night away.
“What? Me? I already told her, you guys can’t just put on some gear and think you’re ready to take on the world! It’s so stupid.”
“I was kidding. The truth is we’re going to start heading deeper into the heart of the country. A lot of canyons. Admittedly, it’s also a more dangerous place. We’re gonna wanna keep our armor on at all times.”
“I hate this place.”
“We know.” said Kasyra and Ari in unison.
Chapter 16
Rocks were all that could be seen in either direction. Dedricus wondered why the Nienilef would build their capital out in such an inhospitable region. Ari had mentioned there were once roads connecting all their territories in the Highlands.
Throughout the ages and various conquests, they had been crushed to dust. Some pillars that once held the vast roads up stood firm, but now acted only as mile markers. All that was left for travel were slopes lined with jagged rocks and shady canyons.
The plains, and even the mountainous northern regions, were sorely missed by Dedricus. Now he wondered if the trip was even worth going on as he hauled himself atop a rocky outcrop where the rest of his friends sat. It was hot, far hotter than the plains, and he was growing irritable.
“This place is awful. Why'd the Nienilef set up their capital out here?”
“A strategic advantage actually.”
“What do you mean? It's burning up out here and, at one point, there were no roads. What advantage is there?”
“You said it yourself. Who would invade upon a city in conditions like this? When Droja was built, long ago, the world was in a state of constant struggle. The best safety? Build a self sustaining city and keep everyone out.”
A raspberry from the mercenary’s lips cast aside all knowledge Ari had to impart. He wasn't wrong though. If traveling to the city was hardly worth it, why would invading it be any easier? The amount of resources required to transport an army there would far outweigh the benefit, whatever that may be.
“The Nienilef. You said they live in floating cities. Where are they?”
“Excellent question. Yes, they do live in floating cities scattered across the world. From the ground they look like big cones of rock and dirt. They’re usually found by the coast, not over land. Nylevran is at the heart of the continent and completely landlocked. They'd never go there and it explains why you’ve never seen one.”
“Interesting. So once you’ve detailed the whole history of the Nienilef, are you gonna build a really big ladder and try to get up to one of the floating cities?
“Comedy gold Dedricus. Perhaps that or I’ll mount the back of a dragon and fly right up!”
“Ari! That’s rude!” laughed Kasyra, as she took a sip from her canteen.
“Sometimes he just says the stupidest things, I swear. I have no idea what I’ll do. My goal isn’t to unlock the whole history of the Nienilef. Yes, they are fascinating. The Core Trees and their connection to the Nienilef is what I’m really after.”
He decided to back off, as the heat was obviously getting to the Half-Elf as well. However, Ari had never divulged the true focus of his work to him. Perhaps he had to Andrew or even Kasyra, but hearing it just gave him a sense of fulfillment.
The three hopped back up and started down the rock that jut off the sandy ledge. Dedricus thought about how massive the Nienilef roads had to have been, especially looking at some of the decaying support pillars. He wondered just how involved they were in setting up the primordial world, considering they were very much ahead of their time.
He would soon find out, as they were only a couple days away from Droja. While it was easy to imagine at first, taking everything he had learned into account, the city would be a total wild card. His stomach fluttered with wonder and worry.
Chapter 17
Dedricus sighed heavily, as Kasyra and Ari were just starting to reach the top of the hill he stood upon. He teased them, urging for the two to hurry up. Both looked up at him with exhausted eyes. They looked ready to collapse as they ascended.
“What’s got you so pumped up? I thought you hated all of this?” Kasyra asked, finally reaching the top and taking a long drink of water from her canteen.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ve been ahead of us... the last few miles. Way more ahead than normal anyway... You actually... seem excited to go to Droja.” the Half-Elf got out between panting, also exhausted.
“Yeah, that.” she said, pointing to Ari.
The mercenary shrugged his shoulders. If anything, he was just eager for it to be over with. Best case scenario, they found what they were looking for in Droja and get out with no commotion. Knowing how recent times had been, it was doubtful.
Above all else, he wished to avoid the defense systems Ari spoke of. The golems, unless swarming the group, could be dispatched one way or another. The Planar Magic defenses were what had him terrified. In all his experience, he had no method of stopping something like that.
Continuing on, the group crossed the barren valley at a slower pace. It finally showed, with a broken spire-like tower rising above the hill they climbed. Excitement grew within Dedricus, wanting to see a Nienilef city from the inside. He raced up the hill, with the city growing larger and larger as he did, leaving his friends in a wake of dust.
Arriving at the top of the hill, he gasped. It was nothing like he ever imagined. From the rocky outskirts, Droja was shielded by a curtain of iron-plated walls. The barrier ran all the way around the city, with no visible entrance. They were taller than any walls he had ever seen in his life, easily reaching sixty or seventy feet.
Even with their position on the elevated ground, they could only see the tall buildings within. The structures were incredibly similar to the buildings found in many of the abandoned ruins they had found throughout the rest of the country, but seemed to be in better shape and much taller. An immense glass structure could be seen on the southern portion of the city. All the glass was clouded with dirt from neglect.
Knowing what they had to do, the group descended the slope they were standing upon. In every cardinal direction, there appeared to be more shattered roads. Above that, were the true entrances to the city and they had no way of reaching them.
As Ari had remarked earlier, there were thieves who made attempts at plundering the city. He tried thinking back on what the thieves had done to get into the city. It was a bit fuzzy, but he did remember them mentioning a sewage system.
“I am not getting in that poo water.” Kasyra said with a laugh, almost as if the Elf wasn’t serious.
“Then I suppose you won’t be joining us. There’s no other way into the city.”
he replied with his hands behind his back.
She held a look of disgust as Ari began looking around for some sort of entrance. They walked around the outer rim of the wall, trying to find some kind of entrance. Most cities had a gated sewer entrance under or along the walls. The area surrounding Droja was nice and shady, covered by the walls, rich with small wildflowers.
Further hiding itself, there was no stench nearby. Following their noses would be an easy enough venture, chasing the foul scent with each sniff. Dedricus kicked rocks in the sand as his two friends did most of the searching. He craved a cup of Tenebris tea, swearing to himself that he would get one when they returned to civilization.
Ari began teasing the idea of physically climbing up the iron walls, then throwing down a rope for the rest. Finding the sewage entrance would take a good while, possibly the entire day considering how large the city was. In a stroke of irony, Kasyra pointed to a circular object she had spotted, partially buried in the massive sand dune.
Upon closer inspection, it was in fact the sewer entrance they were searching for. The dry winds in the barren land would often lead to solid objects being buried in time. They were fortunate the tube hadn’t been completely buried. Ari conjured up some vines to lash away at the sand, clearing their entrance.
With the way now open, the three took to the pipe, ducking in as they entered the stone pipe. It led back to a ladder down. The darkness below made Dedricus uneasy, but he descended without making a show. As he reached the bottom, he squinted and scanned the area to try and find a source of light. There was nothing.
His two friends dropped down and they proceeded. The pipes were barely any taller than the Elf, leaving little room for Dedricus and him. Due to the Nienilef’s supposed small stature, it was easy to understand why the sewage system was built the way it was.
For a five hundred year old civilization, the sewage system was remarkable. Considering it was used to transport waste, it was also remarkably clean. The pipe they were walking within turned into a large squared tunnel with walkways on either side. Below the two sets of passages was a murky and foul smelling water.
The Sufferer's Chronicle - Book 1: The Soul Prison Page 8