by C. J. Haines
All seemed taken quite aback, and then Maela tapped the back of Mensh proudly.
“I’m sure I can make good use of this one, around here. Don’t worry at all. I’ll make very good use of her. Maybe she can be my assistant until these two are out of bed?”
The Mother and Hoosun nodded in agreement, and ushered Samana as she left the grip of her friends, and tapped Mensh on the shoulder in passing. “Thank you, Mensh.”
Mensh stood to attention, as Maela gestured her up. “Come on, let’s get some food for these two, they need as much energy as they can get.”
The Mother and Hoosun had taken Samana to the front gate, turning the opening gear, causing the raucous of turning iron and churning stone to open the behemoth gates.
Samana looked upon the opening. The distance was vast before her, as Hoosun placed a confident limb on her back. “You will make it, and with great haste. Your will is strong, Samana. Don’t forget that.”
The young warrior smiled, as the Mother stood to her left, and the owl to her right, the Mother standing as the wind blew cool and serene through the open archway to the walls boundaries.
Samana breathed in deeply and stepped outside the wall, and then turned in great speed, giving the owl that cared greatly for her a good, strong hug.
The owl spoke softly, his head on her shoulder, as he wrapped her in a feathery limb. “Be safe, young Samana, and come back.”
Samana spoke, hugging the great white owl with a caring vice. “I will. I promise I will return, Hoosun.”
Letting loose of her grip, Samana turned to the Mother, and nodded her head as the Mother did in return. “Thank you for your training, Mother, and all the things you’ve done for me, the armor, the sword, your guidance, everything. It shall serve me well. I will use it in good accordance.”
The Mother placed her hands wide, feeling the gentle breeze blowing her clothed and white ribbon strewn head dress serenely. “So you will, I have great faith in you, Samana. Now go, make us more proud than we already are.”
The young warrior maiden bowed her head in honor to the Mother, and then took off into the southwestern vastness, the Mother and the owl watching as she went.
Hoosun spoke as Samana faded into the distance, already seemingly far away from him, his voice sad. “I do wish that I see her again, Mother, she is so young.”
The Mother placed a caring hand on her friend’s shoulder and smiled. “Do not worry, you will. No matter what happens we all see each other again, whether on this plain, or the next.”
The two friends stood silently, as the stone doors were shut before them. Samana trudged across the vastness of the outside, as she heard the churning of the door gears behind.
Not bothering to turn her head, in fear of causing greater depression in her, she kept her eyes forward and her mind on the journey. It was to be a long and challenging one, the start of things to come, which would shape her entire future, and in time, her place among the people of the Order. She could finally feel acceptance among them.
-Chapter 5-
Past
The Sharp Sands were at their fiercest. The air was thick and wild with sharp grains of sand, as Haten and Prend ran out of the camp and northward.
Sofius watched them leave from his tent, and pulled his black cloak over, issuing words to his wife. “I’m going to go now, Moira. I need to find out what’s really going on. I have to be sure before I tell anyone else. There should be enough vegetation for you to eat for two days, before going hungry. I must go, now.”
As Sofius made his first step out of the tent, his wife grabbed him from behind and hugged him tightly, speaking in a concerned tone. “What if you’re right, Sofius, what happens if they find out that you know…I can’t raise our child alone.”
Sofius removed Moira’s hands from around his waist and kissed them, speaking in an assuring voice. “Do not worry, love, I can take care of myself. After all, I have my three trusty blades at my side!”
Moira smiled upon her husband, looking into his golden eyes. “They never leave your side. Do be careful, Sofius!”
The cloaked Sofius smiled and ushered his wife back down to rest. “I will, do not worry, I will return!”
With his last words said, Sofius left the tent, and rushed off into the vastness of the desert, sharp and cruel.
Tracking anyone down in the southern lands was near impossible. The wind was always wild, and covered up tracks shortly after they were made. But Sofius was a skilled tracker, and fast. He had caught up to Haten and Prend, and followed them from the rear, keeping a good distance from them as not to have his cover blown.
After following the two hunters for a good amount of hours, Sofius watched the two finally stop. They had reached their destination.
Haten was crouching low against the ground, along with Prend, the two watching ahead, as did Sofius. The tracker looked ahead to see something that made him uneasy upon viewing.
A small gathering of housings, wooden and rough looking filled in space upon the southern lands. There was a ragged fence bordering the outer rim of the small community. The people looked peaceful. Children were running amongst the sand, wives were hanging laundry, and husbands were carving wood into useful tools or supports for more dwellings.
Haten bit his lip in excitement, blood dripping as his sharp teeth pierced his rough lips, as his tongue swayed out to indulge in the salty residue. Prend knocked Haten in the side, and gestured ahead for him to follow, whispering as he spoke. “Come on, Haten, let’s go and grab one of them, and sick our claws in, nice and tight!”
As the two blood thirsty hunters progressed, Sofius scurried across the sandy dunes, hurriedly, thinking he was right. The new source of food is human. He has to stop them before they kill anyone, and fast.
A woman was hanging wet linen up on a tight line that was going from a pole to the side of her house, a small child running from behind her and tugging the linen as he stood shorter than her. The woman had stopped her hanging, and picked the child up, stopping him from his effort of tearing the linen. “Now watch it, little one, don’t go tearing things that aren’t yours.”
As the small one fussed, trying to get free of the adult’s hold, Haten and Prend were at the very boundary of the fence, and were ready to pounce.
The woman was unaware of her watchers, and set the child down, shaking a finger at them in a punishing manner. “You’re down now, but don’t you come and start causing a fuss again, or it’ll be you getting torn, understand?”
The young one nodded vigorously and started making his way from the laundry line, the woman shaking her head at the young one, and then going back to her laundry with a sigh.
“The kids these days, don’t even want to know what he’ll be when he…”
Before the woman could finish, Haten and Prend had leapt from over the fence and right at her. Releasing a gasp in shock, it was all the woman could do, unable to move as she was scared far too match as she sighted the sunken eyes, forward claws, and beastly look of the approaching figures.
Just as they thought they were to dig their claws in deep, Haten and Prend were knocked right out of the air, and sent sprawling across the dusty ground. As they got up from a crumpled heap, Sofius stood by the woman, he had knocked the two hard and away from the woman, now granting her protection as he spoke. “Stay behind me, it’ll be okay!”
Haten and Prend dusted themselves off, and stood craned over, claws ready, looking at Sofius with piercing eyes as they spoke. “Heh, look at Sofius. Looks like Grede was wrong, he’s onto us!”
Prend elbowed Haten in the stomach, and gritted his teeth. “Shut up, it doesn’t matter! We’ll just have to kill him then, and get him out of the way for good!”
Sofius was ready to take them on, and stood strong with his teeth bared and sharp claws at the ready as he spoke. “I can’t allow you to kill any of these people. They’re peaceful, and minding their own lives. I’m giving you a choice, leave or fight?”
Haten cracked his neck, and started foaming at the mouth at the thought of tasting blood, and started to make an approach, slowly but surely. “Do you hear that, Prend? He’s telling us to shove off, what do you think we should do?”
Prend started approaching Sofius too, scratching his claws against his skin to test their sharpness. “I say we shove our claws in him, and pull his guts out to meet the sand!”
Haten grinned evilly, and stopped his tread, letting Prend reach his side. “Sounds like a good idea, let’s rip in then!”
Sofius stood sturdy as the two blood thirsty hunters leapt for him. His hand was at the ready to grip one of three blades sheathed at his side. Each was only but a foot long and each with their own purpose as well. The first was for stabbing, the second for slicing, and the third for peeling. They were simple, with leather handles, steel blades, and each sheathed in a case of matching steel.
Haten and Prend were forward with their claws, and swiped at Sofius as they were upon him, Sofius dodging the aerial attack to the side, and then kicking Prend into Haten.
Haten swiped sand from his eyes and went to all fours, causing sand to billow as he ran for his opponent. Sofius jumped over the approach, swiftly, but was met in air by Prend who caught him, and landed on him, sending dust spraying.
Sofius was pinned, as Haten came down upon him with his sharp claws, and grabbed his head, speaking. “That wasn’t so hard, was it, Sofius?”
Sofius struggled against the sharp grip, and then made his move with strong motion, thrashing his head forward, but scraping his head against Haten’s claws in the process. Sofius sent his head sailing to make port against Prend’s.
Yowling with pain, Prend held his nose, now broken. Releasing his grip from Sofius, and leaving himself open for the next move.
Sofius bit Prend on the neck, and then lifted him from his lap, and arose, swinging Prend in a circular sweep to knock Haten off his feet, and finished with a sturdy toss of the fleshy form of Prend into, and through the boundary fence.
Prend moaned with pain, as blood trickled wildly onto the sand underneath him. Haten got up from the dusty ground, and looked at Sofius with a hateful glare, and then, upon hearing painful cries leading into one final howl of pain, the scarred hunter looked to his partner in bloodshed, who was pierced through by several wooden shafts that were part of the fence, the wounds having killed him.
Haten gritted his teeth angrily, and then returned his glare to Sofius, who stood ready to take him on, too. “You killed Prend! I’m going to kill you, now!”
Haten rushed for Sofius who slammed his hands downward on his back as both their bodies met. Haten had slammed his head hard into Sofius, and now had his arms wrapped around him tight, his claws digging deep into Sofius’ back, through his black cloak, and into his flesh.
Sofius howled with pain, as the sharp claws dug in deep. Having a quick solution in mind to end his pain, Sofius rose his arms high, and then slammed them down heavily onto the back of Haten, causing him to let loose his grip, making him then eligible to receive a good kick to the face from Sofius.
Haten was in a crumpled heap, and rose weakly from the ground, as Sofius held his back, the pain heavy and sharp as blood filled the back of his cloth. Haten was upright, and grabbed a sharp stake from the fence and held it as a spear. The woman was behind Sofius, watching as he bled from his back, the approaching threat coming closer.
Sofius watched Haten as he came forward with the makeshift spear, and upon the thrust of the sharp wood, Sofius grabbed the hands of Haten and dug his claws into his forearms, staring into his eyes as he spoke. “I told you, you had a choice!”
Haten gritted his teeth, and spoke. “I’d choose killing you any day!” Haten let go of the spear, unexpectedly, and bit Sofius in the neck, trying to get a good enough grip to twist and break his neck. Sofius let go of the spear and wrestled against Haten, as the woman called out for help.
Haten was trying hard, but was unable to get a good grip as Sofius slammed a hefty elbow into his stomach and then tossed him, Haten landing on his feet, outside the fence.
Willing to go at Sofius and finish him, Haten leapt over the fence, but then had a change of mind, when he saw a good twenty men heading for him with sharp carving blades.
Haten looked upon the bloodied form of Sofius and spoke as the wounded fell to his knees, and breathed in and out in a weak manner. “I don’t have to finish you. You’re too wounded to live, Sofius, and you can’t count on the charity of strangers. They would kill you as soon as I would!”
Without hearing response to his words, Haten leapt back over the fence, and made his way back to the sharp sands. He would live to make it back, but what would happen to him upon arrival, empty handed and without his partner?
The body of Sofius was surrounded as the woman went to his body and spoke to her fellow people. “This one helped me. We have to save him!”
The other villager’s spoke of the blood covered ground and the curious looking ones.
“There’s blood everywhere!” “Why should we help him? He’s a stranger!” “Look at those claws, and those eyes, and teeth. What are these things? They are not human!”
The crowd continued with their opinions, until they were pushed aside by a strong carver, he looked upon the crumpled and bloody form of the new comer and shook his head.
“Look at that. What a sight, makes your eyes sore. This may not be human, but it bears a similarity, and it saved my wife. I’ll bring him back to my place and fix him up. With any luck we can repay his courage with his life!”
The woman smiled at her husband as he took the form of Sofius and carried him away. His wife followed and spoke. “What do you think he is? Where do you think he came from?”
The sturdy one answered as he carried the load upon his back. “I don’t know. Let’s see if he lives first!”
-Chapter 14-
Present
Those known as the Five Great Towns sat across a long stretch of land, each town sitting miles upon miles apart, going in a long, straight distance southeast from the City of Murta Sota. They had been built in the aftermath of the wolves’ feast that took place so long ago. Their names were Homa, Huna, Hera, Hila, and Heigha.
The one located the greatest distance southeast from the rest, was a town named Homa. It was surrounded by square walls on all sides, sealed in for protection from the outside, and was made of red stone, and filled with shingled buildings, like the other four towns of its heritage.
A young girl, only but five years of age, was walking down a lane of the town, as she passed street sellers, other walkers, and conversers.
The young girl carried a stuffed doll, made out of plush linen, with her. It was in the form of a small girl, animated and childish.
The young one went to the entrance of the city, and heard two spotters on the battlements who pointed outward, shouting. “Hey, I…I see something in the distance. There’s some kind of cloud, like, like something is kicking up dust.”
The second of the pair looked outward and tried to get a good glimpse of the sight, but to no avail. “I can’t quite make it out. We better get the others.”
The armored sentries ran down wall steps, and passed the girl, shouting for reinforcements.
The young one looked at them as they ran down the open, dirt covered street, and then turned upon the door before her. It was wooden, and with only but a small latch keeping it locked.
The young one set her doll softly on the wall steps, and tried to open the lock, and soon held success.
Armored guards came running down the street in simple armor, mostly with only bracers and armored vests, with a helmet among one out of every four of the forty guards that came to the gate, the leading one picking the girl aside as she tried to open the door.
“Take it easy, there, young one. We’ll take a peek out, and see if it is safe enough for you, first.”
Gesturing two guards to open the doors ahead, the leader watched as the heavy wooden do
ors swung open, joints creaking, to reveal a beast on all fours before the armed sentry.
The leader questioned the sight of the beast with his eyes, as his guards held their spears and blades forward at the ready. The beast was a fearful sight.
The eyes of the beast were bright yellow, and seemed almost dead. The beast was of a great size, its fur blood red, as it stood silent as a statue.
The leader of the guard set the child on the wall steps, where she had set her doll, and pulled his blade from his side, watching the beast and then giving his next order swiftly as the beast gave its first movement. “Attack!!!”
The beast leapt from the entrance and into the fray of blades, the cries of pain and suffering renting the air, as a loud, disturbing howl filled the sky. Flesh was mangled, and blood sprayed upon the child on the steps as she was gripping her doll in fear, as she closed her eyes at the gruesome sight.
The end of the day was growing near. Samana had made good progress on her journey, and had used no food, and little water, thinking that the exercise she was getting was a good perk of the journey.
Samana strode strongly and looked ahead. Seeing vast greenery ahead, it was a wondrous sight, as the grounds she had walked all day were patchy with life and death, due to the wolves burning run across the face of the world, so long ago.
Welcoming the trees warmly, Samana pushed aside wild bush, and entered the fortification of foliage.
The falling sun let out its last shouts, sending orange hues of light, dripping down through the trees above Samana. As she walked the forest, her hand on her blade, she heard birds and all a manner of wild sounds calling out around the wooden fortress she had never been a visitor to before now.
Eyes watched closely as the young warrior maiden traveled the green spread. A dark shriveled hand gripped a tree limb, as Samana strode further away from the watcher.
The time had come to take camp. Samana had made a good day’s progress, and decided it would be wise to take a rest.