by C. J. Haines
-Chapter 5-
Present
Samana tossed and turned in her sleep. She felt uneasy. Something was screaming inside of her, something was wrong.
Awakening from sleep in a sudden burst, Samana surveyed the room. Light streamed forth through the windows. It must have been dawn. Samana felt next to herself. Her sister was gone. She wouldn’t have thought much of it at first, maybe she had just decided to wander the grounds, but there was a feeling of alarm within Samana. Jumping from her bed, she went to the window and found that Hoosun was circling the outer walls, curiously, as if searching for her sister, too.
Samana grabbed her jacket from the end of the bed, and threw it on. In a rush, she ran for the door, and flung it open wildly, and began charging down the stairs at a maddening speed.
Hoosun was heading in over the innermost walls when Samana came from the tower entrance, waving him down, calling loudly and worriedly. “Hoosun, have you seen Daimana? I woke up, and she was gone. Have you found her?”
Hoosun landed next to her, his wings spread wide before her. The feathers on his arms expanded into full-fledged wings when he took flight, and the process so reversed when he did not have the need for flight.
Spying around, turning his head, surveying in all directions in a very worried manner, the owl spoke speedily, and precisely, to the worried child. “I have not seen your sister since I returned from my nightly watch, early this morning. At first I thought she might have gone somewhere else in the tower, but I did not find her. I even searched all the inner walls, the library, everywhere. I fear she has left the Order. I just found that both your horse is also gone.”
What Samana had feared had become reality. Her sister had gone to follow their father into battle. Last night she seemed to have gotten through to her. Apparently she had not tried hard enough.
Feeling an overwhelming feeling of depression, sorrow, and regret, Samana pleaded with the great owl. “We have to find her! I think I know where she went…she must have gone to join our father in battle, at the Sands of Arndu…”
Hoosun’s eyes shot open, and he put an assuring wing on Samana as he prepared for flight. “I’ll bring her back, child, I’ll bring her back.”
Samana grabbed Hoosun by his cloak as worried tears rolled down her face. “Let me go with you…please.”
The kindly owl looked upon the tear stained face of the broken child. “I…”
The Mother put hands on Samana’s shoulders, standing behind her. “Hoosun must go alone. He needs as much speed as possible. Even the slightest extra weight could cause him to drop further behind than he already is. Knowing that your sister is riding a great steed, I believe this would be the best course of action.”
Hoosun nodded in agreement, and brushed tears from Samana’s face with his wing.
“I’ll hurry like my life depends on it, young one.”
Leaping high off the ground, the great owl sped like lightning across the sky, heading southward. The Mother held onto Samana, firmly, and spoke to her, calmly and assuredly. “Do not worry, young one, Hoosun is the greatest flyer I know, and the kindest living being I know. He will try harder than anyone ever could to bring your sister back. Now let’s clean that face of yours.”
Samana dropped her head down worriedly, as the Mother brushed the tears on her face aside with the back of her hand, the elder figure smiling at the child, secretly hiding a look of worry within.
It was about a six day flight to reach the Sands of Arndu, uninterrupted. Hoosun had been flying nonstop, keeping a constant effort going. Daimana was pushing her horse to do the same, and was getting rather impressive results. She would grab sleep at night, while her horse still carried her ahead, impressively. Loyal and obedient to her will.
Daimana had dozed off for about an hour or two, when all of the sudden she was awoken by the sound of battle. The sound of steel against steel, roaring voices, war cries, and the last uttered words before death, filled the air. Daimana had stumbled upon a battlefield. But this was not just any battlefield, for upon it took place the battle between the Dawn Bringers and the Elushu. The place which the battle had taken presence upon was an open plain of golden sand, blood soaked, and caressed wildly with a strong blowing wind.
Daimana patted her horse thankfully. She had found where she wanted to be. Now she just had to find her father. A task easier said than done. It was like an ocean of mixed armor and sharp weapons before her. It swayed, back and forth, like deadly waves, as warriors cut, slashed, stabbed, and mutilated each other.
The Dawn Bringers stood as an outer ring of the conflict, surrounding the opposing Elushu between their ranks, strangling their numbers, slowly but surely. The Elushu, unlike the rustic, golden armored warriors of the Dawn Bringers, were dressed darkly, and had a great amount of chains, torn black cloth, and spikes situated on their armor, which were all colored with that of dried blood.
Daimana rushed into the mix, atop her horse, charging forward madly as she drew a blade from her horse’s saddle, raising its tip forward into the fray. She and Samana each had a short sword that their father had trained them with, and she planned to use hers. As the charge carried, the horse crashed into a mess of Elushu, sending them sprawling across the sandy dunes before its massive form. Daimana soon swung her sword in defense, as she was confronted by a trio of warriors, all brandishing spears.
Attempting to deflect the spear points, Daimana swung her sword towards them in swift fashion, but missed two of the shafts, and chopped the end of one off. The steed being unable to stop its gallant charge, had found itself running right into two of the sharp tips that were lowered and ready to catch it, causing the horse to capsize. Just as this had happened, Daimana had not a moment to feel the shock of the steed’s injuries, as the third spear’s broken point planted itself in her shoulder, flinging her from the back of the horse, the long shaft breaking as her body met the sandy ground.
Daimana watched as her horse fought valiantly to rise, but it was hopeless as the steed was sharply wounded. Two of the three warriors stood in front of her with their backs turned, holding their spears as they stared upon the desperate beast. The third warrior stood licking his lips at the sight of the wounded child, blood trickling from her wound as she applied pressure, her free hand reaching out for her sword as it had left her grasp upon her crash. “Come on, little girl. Let’s see what your blood tastes like.” The Elushu warrior licked his lips, drawing a blade from a belt on his leg. He spoke, having seen his broken spear shaft on the ground. “You broke my weapon, you little rip. Don’t matter though. I’ll give you a good cut with this good thing, right here.”
The sickly figure drew his blade back for the kill, when out of nowhere his arm was chopped off with a single swing from a sharp blade, his head soon to join his arm as the blade cut once more, cleanly through his neck, whishing loudly as it came swift. The headless form fell dead to the ground, a tall, armored warrior stood above Daimana, with their back to her in a protective stance.
The two spear wielders stood at the ready. Having had their attention stolen by the warrior’s interruption, they leapt though the air, thrusting their weapons in deadly fashion.
The warrior dodged each thrust, as he chopped down through the wooden shafts, and then spun in a blur, decapitating the two chargers with one swing of his sharp blade. As the bodies fell, the warrior stood, standing his ground as he held out a hand to the young child. Daimana gripped it, and found herself pulled into a standing position.
The warrior looked about, as the battle raged around him. He cut down an enemy here, and an enemy there, holding strong to the child’s hand, leading her through the mess of battle.
Upon reaching the outer layer, which was of Dawn Bringers, the warrior knelt before the girl and removed his helmet, which had one long horn on the front, and a visor which covered the left half of his face.
Beneath the helmet had been concealed a peaceful face, one that Daimana recognized. “Dormand, it’s you.” D
aimana grabbed his arm thankfully. “Thank you for saving me.”
Dormand smiled, but kept a serious face as he spoke urgently. “Daimana, what’re you doing here? Your father left you at the Order, why have you come here? This is not the place for a child. It’s dangerous here.”
The young girl’s head began to slump. “I came here for my father. I couldn’t just stay back and be helpless as he went into battle, risking his life. I’m a warrior now, I can fight.”
Dormand shook his head disappointingly. “You’re a child, Daimana, you’re a child. You need to leave here now, quickly, before it happens.”
Daimana was as headstrong as she was brave, and shouted her answer to Dormand. “No.”
Hoosun was beginning to feel tired and broken, but his will was strong, enabling him to continue onward. He had found the battlefield that he was told of by Samana, the Sands of Arndu. Trying to find the child in the mess of battle would be like finding a needle in a hay stack. Even when utilizing his sharp eyes it would be a great challenge.
As the battle roared on, at the top of a sandy dune stood a formidable looking figure. It was Druskele, the leader of the Elushu. He wore a dark set of armor, splattered with the blood of his fallen opponents. His war helmet was of a fierce sight, chains dangling all around it, like iron braids. A half-mask visor, with small chains hanging from it, covered the bottom of his face, leaving only the top half of his face open to view as many scars covered it, as if another layer of skin entirely, or no layer of skin. His frozen eyes peaked from within the helmet’s shade, surveying the battlefield below him.
A strange sight was caught by the warlord, a giant, cloaked owl flying above the battlefield. But he was not the only one to have noticed it. Kaimana too had seen the owl, an image which he had immediately recognized as Hoosun, as he shouted to his flying friend, kicking, slicing, and chopping at anyone who crossed his path as he pursued the owl.
Hoosun surveyed the field of warring motion, and saw Kaimana waving him down from the foot of a sandy dune. Pressing hard against the heavy winds, Hoosun landed next to his friend, who was surrounded by his fallen opponents, and informed him of the situation.
After hearing what his friend had told him, Kaimana surveyed the wide spread of spewing dust, and raging winds, as visibility was getting worse. “I don’t see her, Hoosun…where could she be? I can’t believe she came here…”
Hoosun, although understanding of the position of his friend, had to voice a fact of the situation. “She is brave, my friend, after all…she is your daughter. Did you really think she would have stayed back at the Order? She does not seem as cautious as Samana is.”
Kaimana nodded in agreement, but was worried none the less as his friend shared the same feeling. “I know, Hoosun. She is very much a headstrong girl, just like her mother…but at times such as these, this could get her killed. When we find her, I want you to take her away from here the second you get a chance. There isn’t much time left.”
Dormand shook his head in response, and took Daimana by the arm, leading her through the outer ring of warriors as the Elushu started breaking through the ring which was formed around them. Seeing that the Dawn Bringers were being pushed back, Druskele watched approvingly as his horde was piercing the Dawn Bringers fortification. Victory would be his.
Daimana was being led away from the battle, hurriedly, when she saw her father and Hoosun on a sandy dune, only a short run from where she stood.
Breaking away from Dormand’s grip, Daimana raced across the sands. Sandy clouds sputtered from her feet as she trudged her way onward through the mess, the young girl waving her sword to gain her father’s attention.
Druskele was standing on top of his dune. He pulled a very deadly looking blade from its sheath at his side. It was serrated on the back of the blade, and sharp as a razor on the front end. The warlord signaled with his sword, standing atop of the hill, letting out a loud and clear war cry. “Elush!!! Elush!!! Elush!!!”
The dune, which the warlord stood atop, burst with clouds of sand as his warriors, who had laid in hiding, revealed themselves for a sneak attack upon the enemy. Daimana was cut off guard as enemy warriors burst from the sands before her, and drew weapons against her. Kaimana and Hoosun saw her amongst the sand and armed warriors, their attention gripped by the war cry and bursting sand clouds.
Kaimana felt fear grip his heart, tightly, as his daughter was surrounded by enemy warriors, as all were well-armed for the killing.
As Hoosun took to flight, Kaimana dashed like never before. Like lightning across the sand he ran, yelling out like thunder as he charged for the enemy’s side.
Druskele saw Kaimana heading a lone charge for his warriors and grinned behind his half-mask. This was going to be entertaining.
Daimana held her blade at the ready to fight as she saw her father leap, causing a spurting cloud of dust beneath his feet as he leapt. Crashing into several Elushu warriors, Kaimana emerged from the pile of armored bodies and went into a dance of death, dealing a killing blow with his great sword to all who stood to threaten his daughter.
The enemy rushed down the hill at the brave figure as he stood taking each charging enemy down, each falling with one single stroke of his blade as his back was to his daughter, as she rushed to him, keeping to his back for protection.
The enemy feared the amazing fighter, and many of them ran around him to attack the encirclement of Dawn Bringers who were soon aware of the advancing attack.
Druskele watched, amused at the sight of blood trickled sand and dead bodies that surrounded the fearless warrior. This was not the first time he had seen Kaimana in battle. The two were long time nemesis, and had come against each other in battle before. After all, Druskele had the scars to remember.
Kaimana called back to his daughter, his armor covered in enemy blood. “Daimana, I’m going to try and fall back, and regroup with the others. I can only hold this up for so much longer…hold onto my back.” Daimana held onto her father, approving of his sound battle logic.
Hoosun flew, above, looking for an opportunity to grab Daimana, but the battlefield was too crowded for him to do so. Druskele saw the owl again, and started his way down the dune side. Picking up an iron spear from one of his fallen warriors, he looked up at the circling owl, grinning evilly beneath his half-mask. The owl would never fly again.
The warlord shot the spear from his grip with great velocity. Having released the shaft, he watched as it pinned its target dead on, a target that had never seen it coming.
Hoosun never did see it coming. He plummeted to the ground below, and fell right in front of the charging mess of Elushu, right in front of Kaimana. The warrior’s eyes were aflame with fury as he saw his friend lying before him, in a heap of pain, but Hoosun was not dead.
The owl tried to prop his body up, and grunted heavily in severe pain, due to the iron spear shaft that was set into his shoulder. Kaimana, taking over the situation, left the hold of his daughter, and leapt over the wounded body of his friend, dealing a deadly slash to the face of an oncoming enemy as he downed them with one blow.
Druskele gritted his teeth. He could see that the bird was not dead, as it lay struggling on the dune below. But it was of no matter. Druskele at least removed the owl from causing any potential problems for him on the battlefield. Now it was time for him to clash blades with his great nemesis, Kaimana.
The leader of the Dawn Bringers stood strong, enduring the chaos that continued to pour down the dune from above. There were but few foes left to come down, most of which had run away in fear of the brave warrior, while the rest had charged down to meet their death by his blade.
Kaimana caught sight of Druskele heading down the sandy hill, and called back to his friend, Hoosun. “Hoosun, do you think you can manage to fly out of here? Do you think you can muster the strength?”
The owl was wounded pretty badly, but managed to stand upright and spread his wings, feebly. “I can try, my friend.”
Kaimana c
ut down another charging enemy and guarded two incoming blades. “Hoosun, hurry, take Daimana with you! It’s about time.”
Hoosun turned to Daimana as she grabbed his feathery hands in hers, and shook her head. “You won’t have enough time to get out of here. You’d be doomed if you took me on your back, especially with your wound. Go alone, Hoosun, leave quickly.”
Hoosun respected the young one. For a child, she showed great bravery, and selflessness. Hoosun turned to Kaimana, who had heard every word that Daimana said, and was given a nod of approval from the warrior leader. “Go now, Hoosun. Make haste in your departure, before it is too late.”
Hoosun nodded respectfully to his friend, and took to the sky, every beat of his wings causing the spear shaft to crawl deeper into his body.
Kaimana stood with his daughter at his side, the time was soon to come. Kaimana gripped his blade at the ready, as his daughter did hers, both preparing for a charge up the hill.
Her father grinned beneath his helmet, speaking as they stood and watched as only but ten Elushu rushed down the hill to meet them in battle, the remainders of the ambush squad. “I am proud of you, daughter, you are so brave. Let us stand together now, and cut down those who stand before us, for they stand no chance against those with spirits that are as strong as ours.”
Daimana smiled at her father, as soon the two warriors shouted together, taking on the coming foe. “Yeahaaaah!!!”
Hoosun circled the sky above, looking back to the ground below. The time had come. The sands of the battlefield shifted. Like waves of water, the dunes crashed upon the open ground, sputtering clouds of sand everywhere. All those who stood before the sands disappeared amongst the flurry, and were soon gone from sight in the raging ocean of sands.
Hoosun circled the empty battlefield from above. There was no one to be seen. He was unable to bring Daimana back to the Order…he had failed.
Back at the Order, Samana stood at the outermost wall top, looking far into the southern distance. Her hood was pulled over in an attempt to hide her anguish. The girl’s eyes were dry, her body feeling as wet rags that had been ringed out of all energy. Leaning upon the battlements, she waited and watched, hoping at any time to see the great owl, Hoosun, flying with her sister in grasp.