The Obsidian Arrow

by Craig A. Price Jr.

  During the journey when they slowed to a walk, Searon would talk with Anaela. He couldn’t help but look at her beauty as they talked. Soft straight hair flowed down her back, and her gorgeous emerald eyes complemented her green-and-silver armor.

  “Why is it so wrong for a kheshlar to be with a human?” Searon asked.

  “We are immortal, you are not,” Anaela said.

  “So it is as simple as that. Since we don’t live forever, we are not worthy of love?” Searon asked.

  “That is how Elsargast feels. Some have tried to fight against it, but it is a law that he will not change,” Anaela said.

  “By some, do you mean Starlyn?” Searon asked.

  Anaela smiled, showing her perfect white teeth. “Yes, Starlyn. She tried hard after meeting your brother. And I believe her mother did as well many years ago.”

  “She told you about Noraes?” Searon asked.

  “Not intentionally, but the way she spoke when she returned … well, his name came up a few times,” Anaela said.

  “Do you think she went to find him?” Searon asked.

  “Perhaps.” Anaela shrugged.

  When they finally reached the enemy camp, they saw draeyks and daerions, but no leader. They appeared anxious, ready to fight, even getting into small brawls with each other. Either their leader wasn’t there, or they were awaiting orders. Searon stepped back, glancing to Anaela.

  “What are they waiting for?” Anaela asked.

  “I don’t know, but we better get back to tell Elsargast that their army is ready for attack, but stands still,” Searon said.

  Chapter 5

  The wind was cold as it blew across Arria’s face. She treaded forward swiftly, yet silently. She went out of her way to dodge every dry leaf and twig. Mostly dried pine leaves, but there were plenty of maple trees around as well. The weather was between seasons, as if undecided whether it was still summer, or early fall. Dead leaves covered the ground.

  She looked through the trees, but saw only blackness. The stars were dull, covered in clouds. She smiled at her luck, or was it more than luck? She could see better at night than anyone else, even kheshlars. Her vision was like an owl’s at night, including seeing in infrared. She could see in daylight, but she preferred the night.

  Sudegam was a league away, but that didn’t keep Arria from being careful. She had to evade their guards, and since they were kheshlarn, she kept careful. She’d learned a long time ago to never underestimate the kheshlars. If she were evading humans, she could run at full speed without worry.

  It had been a long time since she traveled freely through the forest. She’d spent many years in hiding, training, awaiting the moment she could strike again. Once, she came out of hiding, but she saw something she didn’t expect … humans. She didn’t know what her sister would be doing with a human.

  She knew the old wizard, Zergiel, was having trouble with the kheshlars, and knew it would only be a matter of time until he sought her out. A smile sprang upon her lips as she realized how dependent he would be on her. She would play along with his game for now, but sooner or later, she would grow bored of his … games.

  She noticed a kheshlar, perched in a tree, keeping an eye on the surroundings. The kheshlar wore only leather armor. Arria smiled as she threw a small pebble behind the kheshlar. The beautiful female kheshlar turned around, searching for the noise. Arria dashed forward and climbed the tree. When the kheshlar spun back around, there was already a dagger against her throat. Arria looked into the eyes of the blonde kheshlar. Her eyes filled with fear, and Arria smiled as she slit her throat. The kheshlar’s body collapsed. Arria caught the body and gently perched it on the branch.

  Arria found a quicksand trap in front of her and smiled. She threw the dead kheshlar into the quicksand, watching her disappear.

  She continued on, not wanting to waste too much time before completing her mission. The thing Zergiel had asked her to do brought a smile upon her face. She knew the old man possessed cruelty, but his request surprised her. It was dangerous, but well within her abilities.

  She knew where every kheshlar guard would be on the way to Sudegam, and she planned to eliminate them all. Every fall of a kheshlar made the land a better place for her. How dare the kheshlars cast her out … they didn’t understand. The kheshlars were scared that magic couldn’t be controlled. How foolish of them—Arria was well in control of it. At first the magic had overwhelmed her, but later she learned how to use it. Since her mother was no more, all that remained was revenge on the kheshlars who took her away. She remembered too well what happened during the war.

  In the distance, she spotted two male kheshlar guards wearing full armor blocking the only path leading to Sudegam. She hid behind a tree and used her black magic to create a loud noise well past her. The two guards unsheathed their swords and ran along the path. They searched cautiously, as if expecting an army. As they passed her, she sprang from the tree and ran to their guard post. Before she continued on, she poured some black powder in their canteens.

  She knew the forest around her remained quiet, but she began to hear noises. Hummingbirds fluttered in her mind. Dragonflies fled from her, and she got the urge to chase them, to play with them. She pulled out her canteen and took a sip. The liquid seep through her veins, giving her control again, control over the body she resided in. She would stay in control, always.

  She felt more powerful, not as weak. She kept the black magic elixir with her. Whenever she felt weak, she would take a drink. No matter how much she drank, she could not get rid of the weakness of her sister. No matter how hard she tried to forget her, the love for her sister grew stronger with each passing day.

  Chapter 6

  Swirls of black and white clouded Starlyn’s mind, making it hard for her to rest. The black abyss around her transformed into a forest that quickly passed by her. She didn’t feel exhausted as if she were running, but rather like the forest was running past her. Everything became a blur until the forest stopped. She faced a stream of running water full of lilies. She slowly tiptoed to the stream.

  She didn’t know where she was, but felt she had to follow the flow of the stream. Strangely, even though she was alone, she did not feel uneasy. It felt as if she were meant to be there, like she was meant to find something there. As she walked, she stared in awe at the black and yellow butterflies fluttering around the air in front of her. A smile broke her lips when she held out her finger and a green dragonfly landed on it. Its curious eyes stared back at her, and she laughed. Suddenly, frightened, the dragonfly took flight.

  Blue jays and robins soared through the sky, singing in tune with each other. They didn’t seem to care about their differences, but reveled in the beauty of song. It reminded Starlyn of home, where all the animals were loving and caring for one another. She hadn’t relaxed and enjoyed nature in quite some time. It was something all kheshlars did, all kheshlars except Starlyn. Her world seemed twisted ever since her sister became corrupted. She never took the time to enjoy the beauty of nature anymore.

  Her mind wandered as she listened to the relaxing trickling of the steady stream. It wasn’t just for her, not anymore, but for everyone of Calthoria. At first, it was all about her mother, and then it was soon all about her sister, but now it became about each person of Calthoria. If evil conquered the land, nobody would enjoy the simplicity of nature anymore. There would no longer be relaxing outside, listening to the birds and streams. It would all be gone in a shattered memory.

  Finally, her mind came back to reality as she saw the stream forking into a large calm pond. Near its rear was a small waterfall. There were large water lilies all across the water, and frogs perched on most of them. The dragonflies found rest there as well, many scattered atop of lilies or dancing with each other over the water. Starlyn smiled and felt at home. Somehow, it felt better than home, almost magical.

  A large ripple formed near the edge of the pond by the waterfall, and Starlyn stared intensely at it. She felt li
ke she should be afraid, but the fear never came. Instead, she took a step forward. Out of the ripple appeared a woman with dark sapphire hair. She rinsed her hair in the waterfall and stood, exposing her bare chest. She turned, looking at Starlyn, and smiled.

  Starlyn awoke as her head rolled into Snowflake’s paw. She shivered, realized she felt cold, and cuddled closer to the tiger. Her mind was still bewildered with the strange dream. Somehow, the dream felt right, like it was the place she should be. She tried to stand, but quickly fell to the ground in pain. Her head felt dizzy, and a searing pain flowed through it. She felt a sharp pain in her lower stomach, and she tried to remember what she had eaten. For the first time, she felt queasy, and she didn’t care for it. Her sympathy went to humans for being able to tolerate such illness.

  She knew something was happening to her, and she had to leave. Her mind wandered back to Searon and how he was doing as he led the army by himself. She shook her head, knowing he would be fine. Fear enveloped her as she remembered when her mother had gotten sick. She could only hope it wasn’t the same strange disease that now claimed her.

  Another attempt to get to her feet was unsuccessful. When she fell, the noise awoke Snowflake and the little girl who slept against the tiger’s stomach. Snowflake got to her feet, stretched out her front legs while yawning, and casually strutted to Starlyn. The tiger rubbed her face against Starlyn’s as she purred.

  “Are you all right?” Charlotte asked, rushing to Starlyn.

  “I am feeling slightly under the weather, would you mind helping me up?” Starlyn’s cheeks colored.

  Charlotte held out her hand. Starlyn took it gratefully and got to her feet. Starlyn whispered her thanks to the young girl and grabbed something from her pack. She took a step closer to Charlotte, who tilted her head up at Starlyn.

  “I made this for you. I hope you won’t have to use it on our journey, but it will keep you safe,” Starlyn said.

  Charlotte took the short bow in her hand and stared at it in awe. The craftsmanship was beautiful. Starlyn had spent a few hours on it after the young girl had gone to sleep.

  “Th-thank you.” Charlotte smiled.

  Starlyn took a step, but faltered and felt weak again. Her head spun and her stomach cramped in pain. She would have fallen to the ground had Charlotte not caught her. For being such a young girl, Charlotte was strong, and Starlyn was grateful.

  “I thought kheshlars don’t get sick,” Charlotte said.

  “We’re not supposed to. It has happened before, but we do not know why.”

  Snowflake walked closer to Starlyn, leaned on her front legs, and offered a ride. Starlyn smiled at her friend and gratefully accepted it. She felt better holding onto the tiger. Soon she felt Charlotte’s arms around her stomach, and she began to feel queasy again. Snowflake sprinted east.

  “Snowflake—stop,” Starlyn whispered.

  The tiger stopped in its tracks and tilted its head to glance at Starlyn. Starlyn knew her friend could sense her pain and only wanted to comfort her. She petted behind Snowflake’s ear, reassuring her.

  “Take us north. There’s a place we must visit first,” Starlyn announced.

  Snowflake nodded and turned north. Starlyn smiled as she pictured the woman with blue hair. Perhaps she had the answers Starlyn desperately needed.

  A gentle breeze touched Starlyn’s face, bringing a familiar foul scent. She whispered for Snowflake to slow. Two daerions jumped out of the forest shadows in front of them.

  Starlyn turned to Charlotte. “Hide, now!”

  Snowflake jerked to a sudden stop. Charlotte held onto her short bow tight, leaped off Snowflake, and ran into the bushes. Starlyn gently got off and pulled her large battle hammer from her sash. The weight of her hammer felt too much for her. Her body was weak, the sickness not wanting to relinquish its grip, even in a time of need. She steadied the weapon by grabbing the spike on the back of the hammer with her opposite hand.

  The daerions shrieked and rushed at Starlyn, equipped with ball-spiked maces. She dodged the first few strikes and blocked a few more, but she grew weak fast. Normally, she could block their initial attacks with ease, but since she lacked strength, she struggled. Her head spun and her stomach turned. Instead of pressing forward, she found herself stepping backward.

  Snowflake noticed Starlyn’s failed attempt to defend herself and tackled one of the daerions. Surprised by the sudden impact from the animal, the daerion dropped its mace and struggled to get back to its feet. The tiger was relentless, clawing and biting through its rough blue skin. The daerion gathered enough strength to throw the tiger off. Snowflake’s back collided with a tree. The daerion grinned, its crooked teeth stretched out nearly to its two horns as it lifted its mace and slammed it into Snowflake’s shoulder. The tiger yelped and dashed away, limping.

  Starlyn barely held her own against the one daerion. She only had strength for a few strikes, and they were easily blocked. She felt more like a human than a kheshlar with her weakened state. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other daerion running toward her. She took a step back, avoiding the bashing of a mace as she withdrew a dagger from her belt and threw it at the incoming creature. The dagger penetrated its shoulder, which only slowed the daerion momentarily.

  Starlyn dashed for cover, hoping to catch her breath. She dug in her sash for her shurikens and threw a handful at the daerions. Her aim didn’t ring true, and she either missed or only succeeded in hitting their horns. She growled and dropped her forehead against the tree in front of her. She glanced around for Snowflake, but couldn’t find the tiger anywhere. Starlyn realized she was trapped and wished she’d have run instead of fight.

  Starlyn held her back sturdy against an oak tree as the daerions found her. She dropped to the ground when they struck. Both maces slammed into the trunk and splinters of bark fell over her. She rolled away, brushing bark off her armor, and found another tree to hide behind. All she had time for was one breath before they found her. They came at her fast, and smart, one aiming high, the other low. She exhaled and spun around the tree. When both maces impacted the tree, she came back around the tree and struck one with her hammer. She reeled around and slammed her hammer backward into the other creature, embedding the spike in the daerion’s shoulder. It howled in pain, jumped back, and ripped Starlyn’s hammer from her grasp.

  Weaponless, she backed away, feeling her belt for anything she could use. She found her dagger back in its scabbard. Her eyes bulged when she grabbed it, and she noticed it was no longer in the creature’s shoulder. She smiled and thanked the mother for Searon’s gift. She threw it at the same daerion, hitting its chest. It snarled, but didn’t stop. Its mace struck her shoulder. She tumbled to the ground and rolled several times before stopping on her stomach. She clenched her teeth, and closed her eyes to prevent her tears. Her entire body vibrated. She tried to take a breath, found out she couldn’t, and rolled onto her back, watching as the daerion came for her.

  Before it reached her, an arrow whistled through the air, penetrating the daerion’s chest, followed by a second one that struck its leg. Seeing an opportunity, Starlyn jumped up, drew the dagger for the third time, and stabbed it through the throat of the daerion. It collapsed in front of her as she fell to her knees, her bruised shoulder pulsating in pain.

  The last daerion rushed at her, snarling. It stumbled when an arrow found its stomach and another its eye. It cried out in pain, dropped its mace, and reached for the arrow in its eye. Starlyn took a deep painful breath, grabbed the creature’s mace, and slammed it into the daerion’s skull. Its body went limp and it tumbled to the ground. Starlyn looked at the two dead daerions, exhaled, and collapsed to the ground, lying on her back. Everything blurred as she saw Charlotte approach, holding her short bow. Starlyn smiled before blackness overtook her.

  Chapter 7

  A dim candle hung over Searon as he sat at an oak desk, scanning through scrolls. Elsargast had recently left him to his studies after discussing some of the kh
eshlarn defenses. It was the first time a human was allowed access to documents concerning the defenses of Sudegam. He was rather impressed with the king’s cooperation with the humans. Elsargast knew without the numbers of the humans, Sudegam stood little chance against the rage of the upcoming force.

  Using a feather quill, Searon wrote plans for his men to follow. After every few strokes, he dipped the tip of his quill into the glass ink container next to him before scribing more information. He gathered as much information as Elsargast allowed him.

  A rapid knock at the door startled him, causing him to streak ink across the fresh sheet of paper. The scent of ink tickled his nose, causing him to rub it as he stood. He dropped his quill into the ink and pushed in his chair. He checked the candlelight above his desk, making sure it wasn’t about to burn out, before he strode to the door.

  The door creaked when he opened it, and he was surprised to find Anaela on the other side. She was alone, lips trembling and face ashen. Without speaking, she pushed her past Searon without glancing at him. Bewildered, he peeked out the door, finding the hall of the library empty.

  He spun and found Anaela sitting at his desk, her hands covering her face. He studied her fingers and realized something was amiss. At first, he hoped she’d come to talk about their moment, a haze of giddy anticipation overcoming his thoughts, but he knew if that were the case, her actions would have proved either more romantic, or more violent. He took a deep breath and walked over to her.

  “Is everything all right?” He gently set his hand on her shoulder.

  She looked at him and he noticed the large dark circles around her eyes. She was exhausted. He wished he could comfort her, but didn’t know how. Searon wished they could find common ground, but it seemed Anaela wanted to stay as far away from her feelings as she could.