The Rokkaia Chronicles

by Rhys Thomas

  Whipping my falchion out of its scabbard and lashing out at its rear leg, with a swift backhand attack I sliced up at an angle through the meat of the thigh. The hound just managed to stop its momentum from carrying it over the edge. I stepped away cautiously, ready for a fight, in my other hand I summoned a small flame and fed it the last dregs of my power and a fireball the size of my head bloomed over my palm.

  The hound spun, it’s rear leg and wounds causing it to limb in place. It let out a long echoing whine that morphed into a growl aimed at me. My own growl escaped at the challenge as I snarled back.

  Then a long note blasted out of nowhere from what sounded like a horn, the hound’s ears twitched, the glowing gold band flashing, apparently losing all interest in me suddenly. Its head swings to face the road leading back down, the note lasted for several seconds then stopped. I tensed, nervously twitching to blast this fucker when the hound growled at me and then much to my surprise, took off at a limping sprint back down the mountain. The pounding vibration through the ground from behind caused me to duck as the hound that followed the wagon flew over my head, it’s mouth snapping out at me in a taunt.

  I kept my massive fireball in hand and my sword out as I jogged further up the road, hoping the other’s had stopped. I needed some bloody sleep, and hopefully something to curve the empty ache I felt in my core.

  ~*~*~*~

  The passage through the mountain was a massive winding sinuous crack leading through one of the smaller peaks. The light shower of snow had everyone pausing before going through, “how long will it take to reach the other end of the passage?” I asked Hurallan.

  The wagon driver shrugged and whispered back, “A day at most, sometimes we’ve had to stop and shovel the snow back. Others we’ve simply passed straight through. We won’t encounter beasts or monster either going through this passage as the witches of Glen’dal have a treaty with most that live in the Dale Mountain.” He explained to me, I nodded and stretched out, feeling that gnawing emptiness within. The feeling made my guts churn and growl as if both sick and hungry for more.

  We headed into the pass, everyone kept quiet and I was unsure why. “Hur-” I started, about to ask the wagon driver why everyone was so quiet when he shushed me. I nodded, a small sigh escaping me. *They’re a superstitious bunch,* I sent to Marisa.

  *I know love. I’ve—I’ve decided it might be better to actually tell you everything.*

  *Okay?* I thought back to her, wondering if she was about to tell me now.

  *Not right now, I’ll wait till we’re at the Glen’dal. Then we’ll talk,* she replied.

  I gave her a mental nod, *Aria back there with you?*

  *She is. Why, want to speak with her?*

  *No. just – uh wondering is all, if you...* my thought’s trailed off to the memory of me, face-fucking the Valakharian scout.

  *She is a little broken isn’t she. How forceful you were though with her,* Marisa purred in my mind and I had to remind myself that she was now a pipsqueak of dragonling. Not the incredible goddess of a woman I had met on Ra’als station.

  *That’s because I’m the essence of fire. All warmth spawned from my image, just as creation spawned from-* she cut herself off with an effort. I could hear her frustrated growl in the back of my mind. So, I decided to change the subject, *So you’re okay with me and her- Ariana I mean?*

  *Why yes of course. I just can’t wait till I’m restored enough to form my human shape, the pleasure she’ll bring you and I… It, hmm, makes me quiver,* she thought to me, her words becoming shaky at the end. Hurallan flicked his wrist and the thadda drudged down, descending even further into the passage.

  *But I don’t just want to fuck her and throw her away. It’s odd; but I’m beginning to care for her as much as I do you,* I thought to her honestly.

  *Aw, I love you as well. To answer your question properly, I am absolutely fine with it. Our niece gave her domains freer will; than any other domain leaders out there has at present. You’ve simply grown up in a society of full opinions, ideals and escapism. Everywhere else though, love and sex come’s hard and fast but the commitment is still a binding thing, a permanent course. If you married Ariana, she would then gain a gift of your power, meaning she would benefit from the commitment, you would also grow in power as your ‘delve’ would expand. It’s the same with children. The more you have, the more power shared, the more yours will expand,* Marisa explained.

  I blinked at the flood of information. *So, you’re telling me. I get a power boost from having sex, marriage and babies?* I thought back dryly. Marisa light chuckled answered in replied. *What about you?*

  *What about me?* she purred, and I could feel her trying to tug on the memory of us together.

  *Marriage, children? Did you ever have any of those?* She was quiet for some time and I looked straight up to see the sun passing between a bank of clouds, the brief light brightening the passage.

  *I had a marriage of a sorts. Children though… I couldn’t conceive back then. I can now thankfully,* I got the impression of a mental wink, but the sadness and grief in her voice were unmistakeable.

  The day carried on smoothly, the light snow had eased up completely and we had stopped to take out rations that could be consumed quickly as we travelled. I had spent some more time exploring my delve, refining and organising things better, though I only had a minuscule amount of power custard left to spend.

  Everything seemed to be going fine, so when the first rock fell and crashed through the roof of the wagon in front of us. I knew shit just wasn’t going to be so easy. I looked up sharply to see a grey furred man lob a stone the size of my head down on us. Then another and another popping up to do the same.

  “Rocks, from above, watch out!” I called out.

  Suddenly wishing I had enough power left in me to even form a flame. “What do we do?” Ariana asked me, leaning against my side as Hurallan pulled sharply on the reins. The thadda huffed and moved irritably to the lefty pulling us just in time to avoid a stone as it smashed into the ground and rebounded to topple off to our right.

  “I don’t know,” I snapped out. “Still got that last arrow?” I asked the scout, remembering that we had plucked the arrow from the dead hound. She paused and then nodded, going into the wagon to retrieve her quiver. Just as she opened the door Marisa ran out and hopped up beside me to perch on the bench.

  *Leave this to me,* she thought and flung herself into the air. Flapping her wings vigorously, *who’re these assholes anyway?* I thought to her.

  *Fyn’ney. Or a name they’re better known as that you’ll recognise is Bugbears,* Marisa replied, and I was struck once again by the reality of this world and the fiction of Earth.

  A fist sized rock slammed into the side of bench just after Marisa leapt off, “Jesus!” I exclaimed and looked up to watched Marisa rise, feeling utterly useless. Ariana stepped out through the door and I turned to See Sishshik watching me with worry in his big emerald green eyes. All four of his arms stretched out and holding onto several racks to keep himself steady. I gave the boy a nod as the door swung shut.

  Ariana walked out with her single arrow. Unhitched her belt-bow-thing, I hadn’t seen in a while and had frankly forgotten all about it. It snapped taut, as a mechanism in the bow whirred, pulling the string taut against the bow. “Aim at any you see going for Marisa-” I started to say when a loud scream came from up ahead. Suddenly a raucous cheer went up as the bugbears began to hoot and pound their chests like gorillas.

  I could only guess that they had hit someone. Worry bloomed in me, I knew Hurallan was a damn fine driver and would avoid the rocks the best he could. What worried me was the amount now flying at Marisa.

  She easily dodged most and even stepped on others to pounce off of. Her bronze scales and dark red feather blurring, her movements agile. Then a few beats of her wings later and she reached the top peak. Her head snaking back to chomp down on some fire which she promptly spewed forth.

  A torrent
catching two of the bugbears, they screamed patting down at their fur. Except that their furred hands then caught fire. As they struggled, she dove for another, this one ducked to the side. Seeming to dodge the fire that was coming it’s way, but none did and suddenly Marisa’s claw dug into its flesh. Flapping her wings furiously she pulled the bugbear off the rocks sending it tumbling to splatter right besides us.

  “Fuck!” I heard Hurallan exclaim and pulled us right to avoid it. This went on for several seconds. Marisa ducking and weaving their thrown rocks, spraying fire to suppress them into cover. One of the bugbears got too caught up in its attempts to hit her, that it actually stumbled off and fell smacking into several rocks below. The sound jarring as it echoed loudly through the passage.

  Then it quickly latched on to a rock face, halting it’s fall off the sheer ragged cliff. It tried desperately to climb back up, but Marisa was there latching onto the bugbears back and pulling it off. Only to be almost crushed as a stone impacted the bugbears head just above her. I could her growl and spin around launching herself off from the falling crushed bugbear.

  This one’s body actually fell directly on top of the wagon before us. I heard the woman driving it curse and flick her reins more frantically. “At least she’ll go faster now,” I shouted and heard Hurallan laugh nervously. I shot a glance at Ariana to see her stood motionless and waiting. Her arrow nock to the bow, but not drawn or aiming.

  “It’s just ahead. We’ve almost made it,” Hurallan cried out and started to whip his reins like there was no tomorrow. Suddenly Marisa’s voice cried out in my mind, and pain almost crippled me as I shared in it through our bond.

  This hadn’t happened before and I squinted upwards holding my head, to see her falling. Her right wing mangled at her side, then a loud twang! from my side as Ariana drew her bows string all the way back and release almost immediately. The arrow flew passed Marisa’s falling body to slammed centre target into a bugbear. That same bugbear dropped the stone it was about to throw, fell and smacked into the rocks below, bounced and crushed a bugbear beneath it.

  I didn’t have time to stare in awe though and climbed to my feet to thrust my hand out leaning away from the wagon. I felt Ariana hands firmly grip my back, but she didn’t pull me away and I just managed I catch Marisa limp body as she impacted my arms directly on her mangled wing.

  She cried out, and I was pulled back in and thrust to the floor behind the bench. Marisa still in my arms.

  “Don’t worry, I got you love,” I said shakily, holding her close to me, being extremely careful to not jar her wing. She mewled pathetically against me, whimpering in pain and again I felt utterly useless.

  We breached through the passage coming out on the other side to a wide-open plain of snowy fields. I didn’t care, I just wanted my soul-bonded to be alright. “Won’t encounter any monsters, my ass!” I shouted at everyone. Then breathed deeply to cool my anger.

  ~*~*~*~

  We stopped not long after clearing the mountain passage. The stress and worry had eaten everyone from the inside out, Byron the caravan master had his head and shoulders crush to pieces by a rock the size of my chest. He was an asshole, but I wouldn’t have wished this on him, at least it was quick. So, the rest day and into the night, had been spent in mournful silence.

  The Venyin people were dotted about weaving different shape’s using grass and the stems of plants taken from the earth. Everyone except Ariana, Hurallan and I placed a single silver coin on each shape crafted. Then when it was dark, these were then placed on Byron’s body, they’d wrapped his body in one of the larger furred blankets bought in Wheldrake. The campfire threw everyone’s shadow about elongating and stretching them out across the plains eerily.

  His wrapped body was brought before the campfire, where a hole had been dug in the ground. Everyone gathered around for his burial, except us who stayed far back, even Hurallan stayed with us.

  “This is gonna stink,” he commented, I was about to ask him what he meant when Bria spoke up.

  “We’ll meet again on the road ahead. I know the fires sing his death and the earth craves his spirit. The dream of the open road and fell autumns days still lie ahead, we shall meet him once again.”

  Everyone murmured they’re agreements reciting Bria last words. “With this we welcome the season,” with that said she hopped off of whatever she had been standing on and pushed her brother-husband into the hole before the campfire.

  Then with shovel they pushed the campfire atop his dead body in the hole. “What. The. Fuck,” I stated, punctuating each word. I pushed the wolf fur of my cloak up to cover half of my face.

  “Odd burial customs,” Ariana noted dryly, and I had to agree. Then a cry went up and drink were poured. The next few hours passed in a blur, the Venyin people becoming smashed enough to actually include Ariana and I though Hurallan declined and shortly fell asleep.

  The passing hours went by with Ariana and I fondling each other and exchanging a few heated kisses. But it ended when she denied me even further advances and with a tired lust-filled sigh, she went to bed.

  I watched her go, wanting to follow after her, but something told me to let it go for now. To give her space and sort out whatever it was holding her back.

  “No luck with the woman tonight outworlder,” came a voice and I turned back to the campfire to see Bria sitting opposite me.

  “Hah, none I’m afraid,” I sighed a brief chuckle and drank deeply from the wine skin in my hand. The sharp sweetness and the tang of the berries made me wince. I was never a big fan of wine, though I always had wanted to own a vineyard. Odd dreams.

  “Care to join me instead,” Bria said slurring her words slightly. I looked at her in the dark, fire and shadows flickering her images and distorting it. “No thank you,” I told her, and she shrugged.

  “I only ask because we’ll not see each other again I imagine, and I want a good fuck on the night of my brother’s death.”

  “Ah,” I said simply and thought it over, “then I respectfully decline. I'm not the one to comfort you.”

  ~*~*~*~

  The following morning, I awoke groggily. A weight shifted near me and I turned over to see Sishshik curling into a ball in his sleep. I got up careful not to wake him and shifted the blanket up to cover part of his sleeping form. I moved to where Marisa laid resting. Her wing still unhealed, and the sight of her mangled like this made me angry at myself. But I knew there was nothing I could do about it just yet.

  I looked around for Ariana but found her nowhere in sight, I also noted that the spear that belonged to Sishshik’s mother was no longer propped up in the corner. Lightly fanning back; the small dark red feather on the crown of Marisa’s head, I was saddened when no purr proceeded it.

  She didn’t stir or let out a groan of annoyance. She just laid there, her chest rising and falling quickly as she rasped air into her lungs. I got up and shuffled to the door, exiting to the fresh and fucking cold morning air. The chilly winds hit and instantly soured my mood even further. I had like the winter back on Earth, because it meant I could wrap up and be lazy. Here, it seemed everything fought to harden you.

  I found Ariana sat behind the wagon, I passed Hurallan who gave me a small mug of the xhant coffee, and I breathed in the scent, waiting for it to cool before sipping. I watched as Ariana fastened a hood for Sishshiks’ spear.

  “I heard you got an offer last night,” Ariana commented coyly, her back to me so I couldn’t see her expression. I let out a dry chuckle and sipped my brew, hissing at the heat though it was welcomed.

  “It was nothing,” I said by way of explanation, figuring she had overheard us.

  “Nothing?” she asked, and I imagined her fine eyebrow arch at my response.

  “I mean nothing happen, she offered is all,” I said gruffly staring at the top of the woman’s head. Simply enjoying the side of her. I cared deeply for Ariana, I didn’t know or understand why. But I wouldn’t fight against it.

  “Is that
right?’ she asked rhetorically and looked over her shoulder at me, her body tense like a spring ready to uncoil. Her sharp violet gaze searching my face as I sipped my cup. I burped, interrupting the tense moment.

  “Ah, sorry about that,” I said smacking my chest a bit. I saw her tension bleed away slightly into amusement. With an exaggerated sigh she turned back to her work, “so you’re covering the kids spear?” I asked, already knowing the answer but needing to fill the silence.

  “Yes,” she replied nodding. “I think it’s time he learned how to use his mother’s weapon and he can start by carrying it at least,” She explained and leaned forward to bite the thick thread she had been sewing with. I felt the sudden creep of the power draw, so I sat then and there, “what’re you doing?” Ariana asked me curiously.

  I placed my coffee besides me and got comfortable on a dry looking bit of grass. “Mediating,” I crossed my ankle. My delve was working like clockwork now. My mock solar system, rotating around one another orbiting like a planet would orbit the sun.

  In this instant, I was the sun, the power orb the planet. I saw the puddle of power custard grow and refill. If I was not mistaken, there was more than before as well. Floating out of the sun, I spun about and gazed thoughtfully at my creations. Conjuring the misty construct again, the one that spun with my inactive and active runes, I looked it over.

  “Could it really be that simple?” I muttered aloud. Then I pushed the construct into the star at the centre of my delve and leashed it place. Then I formed a thread of will and leashed that to the construct through the star. I immediately felt my runes become active outside of my delve. They hummed and throbbed agreeably, then I moved over and halted the power orb. With a finger and laughed as I carved the emblazoned words, Fire: On/off. Then I focused on the connection to my delve and noted distantly that though my runes weren’t active, they were but a touch away. With a push of my will only the runes behind my ears went active. Then I flicked out with a thought and felt my runes instantly go dark.