Beyond the Hell Cliffs

by Case C. Capehart

  Just as Hemmil reached Raegith, the young man reached out and jabbed the older Saban in the eye. As soon as Hemmil reached up to his face, Raegith pummeled his midsection with a flurry of blows and then raised up with an uppercut. Hemmil was much less affected by the attack than Raegith anticipated and caught his arm before his fist hit. Hemmil yanked the boy in close and slammed the top of his head right into his sternum, taking the wind from him. As Raegith staggered, Hemmil slammed him with three heavy punches to the body and a shove that sent him tumbling.

  “You’ll not catch a veteran with moves like that,” Hemmil said, rubbing his eye with the back of his hand. “Are you finished?”

  “Not yet, Paladin,” Raegith said, getting to his feet.

  Raegith approached and threw a jab at Hemmil. The big man went to block it, but Raegith threw it short and followed it up with a blow to the gut. The punch didn’t land hard and Hemmil almost laughed as he shrugged it off and threw his own haymaker. Raegith was counting on the heavy follow-up and ducked under it with ease, raised his leg up and kicked out hard into the man’s side. Moving quick to stay behind his enemy, Raegith darted to his outside again and hammered him in the ear with his open hand. Hemmil roared and swung about, nearly taking Raegith’s head off, but Raegith instead spun to the opposite direction and wound up to his rear again. This time Raegith slipped an arm around the man’s neck and went to clinch it tight with the other arm. Hemmil was not fooled and shot his arm up to get in between the choke hold and Raegith could not get a good lock with the man’s thick arm in the way. When Raegith tried to release, Hemmil collapsed to the ground and rolled, taking the boy with him.

  As the two rolled, Hemmil threw the back of his head right into Raegith’s face. The blow not only crushed his nose, but stunned him enough to make him release his hold. He had enough sense to shove away from the big man, but not enough speed. He struggled to breathe and the blood from his nose was getting everywhere; in his eyes, mouth, even his ears. Hemmil was on him in an instant and after three blows to the head, Raegith plunged into darkness.

  He awoke to warmth on his boots and the sound of crackling embers. Raegith could make out a fire nearby, but everything else was dark. His head ached horribly and he could not breathe out of his nose. When he tried to sit up, pain shot through his arm and he quickly dropped to his back, abandoning any attempt to move.

  “Just lay where you’re at, boy,” Hemmil said from somewhere beside him. “You’re in no danger out here. Rest up. Come dawn we’re riding south… need to catch up with the company.

  “Why are we staying out here tonight?” Raegith asked, memories of his fight coming back to him.

  “You’re the bastard who wanted to keep me out here past sundown,” Hemmil replied. “None of us are up for a four hour horse ride tonight and by the time you got done taking a bath and getting spoon-fed by that pagan Faeir it would be time to start all over.”

  “Well, I won’t argue with that logic,” Raegith replied.

  “I’ll be sure and thank the Fates for that, then,” Hemmil grumbled.

  “Did you just make a joke?” Raegith asked. “Aww, Hemmil, I’m truly impressed.”

  “Don’t get accustomed to it,” Hemmil said. “Humor is not a Paladin’s strong point. We leave that bullshit to the bards and barbarians. Zakk follows the code of the Paladin and it will keep him alive on the battlefield much sooner than a quick wit and funny words.”

  “Yeah, but that kind of wrath won’t keep his bed warm at night, I bet,” Raegith replied, looking over at the sleeping form of Zakk across from the fire. “Don’t we all need some purpose beyond war and death?”

  “I suppose,” Hemmil said, his voice growing to almost a whisper. “It was my hope that he might have been given… more options.”

  Raegith turned his gaze back to Hemmil, confused by the statement, but the man was staring off to some memory beyond the fire. There was a sorrow on the hardened man’s bruised face that seemed so foreign to him, as if he were looking at a different person. Zakk was something more than just a squire to the Paladin. Raegith wondered at the relationship between the two, but did not move to speak the questions that came to mind. Everyone deserves their own time for reflection without interruption. Raegith had been given a decade of it, sitting alone in a tower with nothing but his thoughts and fantasies, but it seemed as if Hemmil had not been given enough. Or maybe, it was only that Hemmil had so much more to reflect upon than Raegith did.

  Raegith, Zakk and Hemmil rode into camp as it was packing up the next morning. They looked like hell in a hurricane, but neither stopped to rest before grabbing a bit of breakfast and going back out into the field for more training. This time Raegith was given a practice sword and heavy leather armor, as Hemmil demonstrated sword techniques and Raegith repeated them. Unlike the natural skill he had in unarmed combat, Raegith was completely inexperienced with a sword and progress was slow. Hemmil did not drill Raegith as he had before, giving patience to both of their injuries. As the sun dropped low, Hemmil called off training and they mounted up early. At the camp, Hemmil was called to a meeting with the officers right away and two soldiers led Raegith and Zakk back to camp.

  It was not their tent that they were led to and Zakk was not allowed to leave for Raegith’s cleaning, as he always did before. Something was very wrong and though it merely troubled Raegith, Zakk was openly anxious. He would not sit down or even begin to remove his armor, though he was clearly injured and in pain. Raegith had never seen him so upset and unnerved. After a short while, a Faeir man in white and blue robes came into his tent with a bucket of water and medical supplies.

  “Who the hell are you?” Raegith asked, reclining on a cot. Zakk moved away from the man in nearly a fighting stance.

  “I am Anicetus, a medical officer of fourth platoon,” the tall Faeir replied. “I have been sent by Captain Laurent to clean your wounds and see to any injuries you have incurred. I also have a potion that will rejuvenate you and…”

  “Get out,” Raegith interrupted. “If Onyx will no longer see me, then I will suffer these wounds on my own, tell her that.”

  “Onyx? Who is… oh my, the Stone Seer?” Anicetus asked with a hiss. “She is a monstrosity! Whoever attached her to your escort group was an absolute fool and our captain is getting to the bottom of this as we speak.”

  “Where is she?” Raegith asked, coming to his feet. “What has happened to her?”

  “Where is Hemmil?” Zakk asked. He turned to Raegith, his eyes betraying his discomfort with the situation. “Raegith, we have to get back to our campsite. We are not a part of this regiment and they have no right to keep us here.”

  “Check your attitude, squire,” Anicetus said. “You may not be of our regiment, but you are of the Rellizbix Army, are you not? As a Medical Officer, I am an officer of this nation’s army and your superior. We, all three, have our orders here. Rest assured, we are acting in your best interests.”

  “I rest assured,” Raegith said with a smile. “Relax, Zakk, we’re in good hands here. Besides, I have this blister on my knee that looks infected. Sir, could you take a look and assuage my fears?”

  “Of course, soldier,” Anicetus replied, bringing the bucket over to him and pulling up his pant leg to look at his knee.

  Raegith reached down and grabbed the man by the ridiculous hair “idol” on his head and yanked the medic’s face downward, smashing him in the face with his knee. There was barely a grunt from the colorful man as he crumpled to the ground unconscious. They were such fragile things. Pulling his shoes back on, Raegith pulled up the back corner of his tent and looked through.

  “By the Fates, Raegith, what have you done?” Zakk squealed.

  “Like you said, he had no authority over us and he was getting on my nerves,” the prince replied, ducking back into the tent. “Get to the rest of our group, Zakk. Tell them to come find me and do it quickly.”

  “Stop! Just stop, okay,” Zakk said, clearly unnerved. “We’re alr
eady in a ton of trouble and if we go out and cause something to happen…”

  “Dammit, Zakk, lock it up!” Raegith hissed, grabbing him by the arm and shaking him. “Now is not the time to lose your shit, alright? All that practiced discipline is useless if I can’t count on it when it matters.”

  “Okay,” Zakk said. He took a deep breath and his face hardened into the emotionless mask Raegith was used to, though his eyes were still wild with fear. “Okay, I’m good. Now what are we doing?”

  “Get to Boram and Tavin,” Raegith said. “Walk, don’t run, but go quickly. Tell them we’re getting out of here.”

  “Where will you be?” Zakk asked.

  “Getting Onyx back.”

  Raegith stole a cloak from a rack as he passed through the camp, heading towards the center. He was looking for the second carriage; the one that was part of his group but separated from the others. He found it easily enough.

  Pyrrhus was right at home with the other Faeir, even among the Regiment. Raegith wondered if the cool-acting Mage even worried about being exposed among his own kind. Raegith waited at the side of a tent for the tall mage to withdraw into his carriage before approaching.

  “What in the hell are you doing here, prince?” Pyrrhus asked.

  “Where’s Onyx?” Raegith asked. When the Mage waved him off, the boy crossed the carriage under the cover and yanked the man off his seat and onto the floor, gripping his windpipe with between iron fingers. “This is my serious face, Mage.”

  “You’re angry, prince,” Pyrrhus replied, not bothering to even look frightened at the boy’s threat, but doing nothing to counter it. “You’ll expose us all, though. The Stone Seer is lost to us. As her owner, I’m more upset at this than you, but we have to deal with it. The mission comes first.”

  “Bullshit. You could do something if you wanted.”

  “Faeir custom, boy,” Pyrrhus said. “You have no idea what you’re getting into here… but I’m curious to see just how far you’re willing to take this. What’s your plan?”

  “Well…” Raegith said. “I kind of hoped that you might have one. I’m really surprised you haven’t burned me to a crisp, yet.”

  “There are a lot of things in this carriage that don’t react well with open flames. Let me go and I’ll guide you to the Seer, but you had better thought of something by the time we get there, because you’re on your own.”

  Pyrrhus and Raegith moved out of the back of the carriage and across the camp towards a tent. It was not a long way and Raegith wondered if the others in the group had managed to get out of the camp, yet. He was starting to realize that planning was not exactly a talent for him. He had no idea what he was going to do about Hemmil.

  “Two Faeir eunuchs are keeping watch over her,” Pyrrhus said, pointing at the tent. “If you can’t outwit them, then you should at least be able to overpower them. They are resistant to combat magic, but like all Faeir, they’re not resistant to much else.”

  “Thanks, Pyrrhus. About Hemmil…”

  “I’ve obviously managed to put together more than you have and I’ve only been thinking on it for a few minutes. You get my property back. I’ll get the Paladin and our comrades out.”

  Pyrrhus took off towards the officer’s tent and Raegith entered the tent where Onyx was being held. To Raegith’s surprise, it was not a pair of frail Faeir guarding the Stone Seer, but a handful of Sabans in armor who were very surprised to see Raegith in the tent. One slowly began to draw his sword.

  Chapter 6

  The group was lead to a holding area, away from the rest of the regiment to await further orders from Hemmil. They were watched over by members of the Captain’s guard and it looked like it might be for their own protection just as much as it was to keep them under arrest. Boram sat and smiled, though the others seemed a bit more anxious than him. Zakk was a nervous wreck. Ebriz took that time to play on his flute, which was actually kind of relaxing to Raegith.

  “Sorry for getting us into this, guys,” Raegith finally said after a few minutes. “I reacted a bit poorly to the idea of us losing Onyx to this regiment.”

  “Well, I think we’ve all done something stupid because of a woman before,” Boram said, giving him a friendly slap on the shoulder. “Maybe not Zakk, but the rest of us, sure!”

  Boram laughed and seemed to lighten the mood a bit, but Zakk wasn’t as amused.

  “What does that mean, Boram?” Zakk asked, clearly offended. “What, you don’t think I could… you know, make it with a girl?”

  “Zakk, buddy, you’ve got the demeanor of a crotchety old man who yells at children,” Boram said, turning to look at the boy. “That attitude, unfortunately, will run off even the kind of women who might be turned on by your effeminate facial structure and those cute freckles across your nose.”

  Zakk’s eyes almost bulged out of his head at those words. “I am not cute! I am a soldier, sir, through and through. I work every waking moment at soldiering, unlike you, who does nothing but drink and talk and… and fart in front of everyone. I may not have the physical presence or brute strength, but I have twice the determination and infinitely more discipline than you.”

  Boram and Raegith both produced an expression of shock at hearing the first tirade from the soldier since the beginning of the journey. Ebriz momentarily stopped playing and listened in with renewed interest and Tavin simply tended to his war-shrike, Carver. The large warrior looked at Raegith, who returned the same surprised look and then turned back to Zakk.

  “Zakk, if you would like me to, I would be glad to assist you,” Boram said.

  “Assist me with what?” the agitated soldier asked.

  “Well, as red as your face is right now, I have to assume that your panties are so twisted that they’re now cutting off your circulation,” Boram replied. “Zakk don’t be afraid to ask for help with something like that; you could die!”

  Raegith busted up laughing and a grin split Boram’s broad face as Zakk realized he was once again the butt of a joke. The enraged boy’s jaw began to quiver with the strain of keeping his calm, disciplined composure.

  “I don’t even know how to reply to something so… so insipid,” the soldier said between clenched teeth.

  “You could laugh,” Raegith said. “Come on, Zakk, just laugh. It’s the only thing you don’t practice at.”

  “Come on, kid. I’m an ass, I don’t bath often and I’m barely literate; lots of material there,” Boram said, grinning at Zakk. “Gimme your best shot. I’m a gentleman, I won’t take it personally.”

  “A gentleman?” Zakk huffed. “If you are a gentleman, then I am a bearded sand lizard!”

  “Is that…? Okay, well, we can work with that,” Boram said, nodding. “Let’s get some expert opinion. Ebriz?”

  “It’s more of a grossly inaccurate simile,” Ebriz answered, tapping his flute against his chin. “Especially since he is trying to convey a negative correlation between you and the typical traits of a gentleman and the bearded sand lizard is actually a surprising analogy of gentlemanly behavior, within its own ecosphere, as it embodies traits of formality with its complicated mating ritual as well as chivalry in that it often allows the female to consume its still-living body after copulation…”

  “Okay, I’m not waiting around for this to finish,” Boram said, shaking his head. “Raegith?”

  “It was a decent first attempt. I don’t think we should expect too much right away, but with some practice… I see some potential,” Raegith replied.

  “Sergeant, get them up,” Captain Laurent said as he came into view. One of the guards motioned for the group to get to their feet. Hemmil was beside the captain, but there was also a green-haired Faeir sage among them as well.

  “Paladin Hemmil has explained that you are the illegitimate child of one of the Royal Paladins and are travelling home with his men,” the captain said. He then looked at Raegith and approached him. “He has also explained that you have lived a somewhat sheltered and undisciplined
life; that you should be shown mercy for your ignorance on Faeir custom and basic common sense.”

  Raegith started to say something in return, but Hemmil cut in.

  “Raegith, if there were ever a time to bite back that quick tongue of yours, it’s now,” Hemmil advised. “This is the commanding officer of the 9th Regiment and second cousin to King Helfrick. No games.”

  “We found the medical chief unconscious in your tent, Raegith,” the captain said. “He’s all right, just a bad headache, but very confused and angry. I hear this is all over a misunderstanding over a Stone Seer?”

  “It is inconceivable to me that you could not know how foolish your endeavor was, boy,” the green-haired Faeir said. “But your safe-passage is guaranteed by a letter bearing the king’s seal. Whoever your Saban parent is, they must have impressive connections. I can see why they would want to keep a half-Twileen like you out of the public eye.”

  “And you are?” Raegith asked, sneering at the Faeir.

  “This is Vi-Sage Falfa, of the Terrestrial Sect,” the captain said. “And he is the one who is willing to make you a deal. You may have the Stone Seer back and this incident overlooked. You all will be allowed the night to rest properly, under guard and then in the morning you will be on your way… away from my command.”

  “What must I do for this deal?” Raegith asked.

  “Face summary justice for your crimes against members of the 9th Regiment and the customs of the Faeir,” Falfa said with a smile. “This plea bargain would be unfeasible if not for the strong influence of your companion, Pyrrhus, whom I have a high regard for.”

  “You don’t have to accept this deal, Raegith. It is a lot to bear for one so young as you.” The captain gave him a sympathetic look.

  “I care not, either way,” Falfa continued. “But if you do not accept, we will still have our justice. The Stone Seer will take your place. Do not feel bad. Their kind is quite used to punishment by her age. She will certainly heal up by the time she is back at Thromdale.”