Rook was never wrong. Something was out there, following them, and making her spend even more time in this cursed land. She almost wanted it to be something from the Abyss so she could blow off some steam without holding back. The Abyss. Another world that caused so much pain and suffering in this one, created by a god without remorse or a care for any of the inhabitants of Ven Khilada. Letting loose creatures that ran amok in this world, destroying homes, razing fields, killing family members . . . her parents . . .
She drew on that memory, letting it fuel her body and soul. An anger filled her, dulling the aches and fatigue better than any concoction created by a Healer.
"That's it," she mumbled. It was time to stop reacting to things and actually be a Seeker. "I'm tired of this blasted land."
Rising to her feet, she reached over to pull free a sword strapped to her back. With a slight twist of her wrist, she dragged the edge of the blade against the scabbard so that the sound of the two scraping together broke the silence around her.
"Whatever is out there," she shouted, brandishing her sword towards the mist, "be it man or beast, show yourself!"
Silence greeted her. It only fanned the flames of her anger.
"Come on! Either face me or tuck your tail between your legs and scamper off. I'm tired of these games!"
More silence. Kaytlin glanced at Rook, hoping for some kind of sign. The horse was struggling back to its feet. His head swung around wildly in every direction. Not good. Rook was acting like they were surrounded.
Movement to her right caught her eye. She caught a glimpse of a humanoid figure just at the edge of the mist.
The snap of a twig behind her made the corner of her lip twitch.
Ahead of her, one large blur separated into two human forms and walked in opposite directions, angling toward her at the same time. She watched them as they approached but kept her other senses focused on the rest of the world around her. As they moved closer, Kaytlin saw they were both men. Dressed in plain tunics and pants, they could have passed for any common merchant or worker. Besides their blue skin of course. The man to her left was bald with a crooked nose. The other man had long black hair that matched the smattering of days-old stubble around his cheeks and chin. They wore hateful expressions and approached with short swords in hand.
Kaytlin remained stoic as they approached. At least three of them, with the noise giving away the third behind her, and they had her surrounded. Not a horrible situation if that was all of them. If they were positioning themselves first, well, when the fighting started they would lose that advantage as soon as she began to move.
Both men in front of her tensed.
"I would know," she called out, "what your intentions are. Rude to approach a guest in your lands with weapons drawn."
The bald man stared back at her while the other man spoke.
"Simple. You wish to kill the Zekar. We cannot allow that."
"Who?
"The one you ignorantly call Ean Sangrave."
"So, he has taken a title . . . "
"Yes, and even a foreigner like you should show him the proper respect and not use his common name."
"Is that so?" She let a surprised expression cross her face. "Are you from Driavarage? I had heard this Zekar had killed twelve of your men. In a village that small, I'm sure they must have been men you knew. Men you were friends with. Yet you still respect him?"
The bald man shrugged. "They were foolish enough to oppose him. As are you."
"And although he could easily destroy you," the other man continued, "we will save him the bother and get rid of you ourselves."
"If it's a fight you want . . . but you are cowards to bring seven people to attack one person."
"We only brought four," Baldy said with a nasty grin. "Plenty to take care of you."
The two men in front of her held their weapons out like they were going to carve a pig. Threatening in appearance, it hinted at a lack of understanding in how to properly use a blade. If they were as unskilled as they looked, she could kill all of them in ten seconds flat. But her goal was keep one alive and force him to lead her to Sangrave. Leaving a survivor in the middle of a fight would make things more difficult for her.
"Well then," she said, lifting her blade. "Might as well get to it then."
"Agreed," the long-haired man replied before charging at her.
He came at her with balanced steps, his arms pumping even with the blade in his hand. His movements told Kaytlin exactly how he would strike. Before he had finished bringing the sword over his head, Kaytlin had her own blade ready to deflect the blow. His eyes widened but his momentum kept him from changing his attack. With little effort, she deflected the blade and stepped to the side. As he stumbled past, Kaytlin sent a kick to the side of his knee. The man let out a cry as his leg gave out and he tumbled to the ground. Then the other three men were on her.
Kaytlin twirled to her right as a blade stabbed where she had been just a moment before. Her blade rose as she spun, catching the edge of another as she swung it down to strike at yet another aimed at her gut. The blades rang as they connected, the blow having the desired effect of jarring the inexperienced man's hand enough to drop his weapon.
A simple step to the side brought her out of harm's way as the third man missed with a follow-up downward slice. A well-placed punch with her free hand connected with the off-balanced man's chin, sending him sprawling backwards. Kaytlin then lashed out with a kick to another man's head as he bent to grab his weapon from the ground. The blow snapped his head back. He fell backwards, his head bouncing off the ground as he crumpled.
Something struck her back with enough force to make her stumble forward. Instead of trying to regain her balance Kaytlin went with the motion and rolled forward to return to her feet and spin around. The fourth attacker was moving towards her. The bald man. With a shake of his hand, he dislodged a few pieces of white leather from one edge of his blade.
She had been careless. If the bald man had aimed at Kaytlin's neck or head, she would be dead. The man's inexperience or simple luck had made him swing at her back, and her armor had done its job. But she had to keep her focus and shake off the soreness in her muscles and the exhaustion clouding her thoughts. Otherwise, the next strike she let slip by could put her down for good.
Bald Man moved towards her. Standing, she glanced at the others. The man with long hair was back on his feet, weapon in hand. The other two were still down.
The bald man paused and waited for his companion to join him, then the two spread out and began to circle her again.
Kaytlin wasn't going to wait a second time for them to get into position.
With four quick steps, she placed herself in front of the long-haired man. Her blade cut through the air as she swung an underhanded attack towards his ribs. He brought his blade down in time to parry the strike, the impact sending a jolt to Kaytlin's hand. She ignored the small pain and took a step back, bring her blade with her before thrusting it forward. Her weapon sliced through his side as he failed to get out of the way completely. He let out a cry and stumbled back, freeing her up to face the other man.
Spinning around, she brought her blade up, expecting to deflect a strike from the man's weapon. Instead, a kick to her hip knocked her off balance. She stumbled backwards as the man pressed his attack. Parry. Dodge. Parry. He never gave her enough time to recover her balance. Every movement she made was a stumble, her feet moving on instinct instead of conscious planning.
Her heel hit . . . something. A rock. A root. It didn't really matter. The small impediment caused her to fall backwards. She hit the ground hard, the surprise of the fall not giving Kaytlin time to brace herself. Her attacker let out a cry of triumph and drove the point of his blade straight at her chest.
But Kaytlin was too well trained to let a simple fall shock her into paralysis.
With a push of her elbow she rolled to the side to dodge the killing blow. As her attacker’s blade stabbed into the earth, h
e let out a grunt of surprise. Then, with all the strength she could muster, Kaytlin swung her sword in a backhanded chop. The blade cut deep into the bald man's neck. A gasp was the only sound that escaped from his lips. The force of the blow knocked him to the left. Kaytlin's blade was yanked from her hand as the man fell back.
She watched him twitch for the briefest of moments before pushing herself up to her feet.
Only instinct made her jump back as a blade sliced towards her. It missed, but the follow-up kick from the long-haired man took her back off her feet. Kaytlin hit the ground hard. Her eyes darted around until they locked onto something she could use for defense. Bald Man's weapon.
Kaytlin rolled towards the blade but Long Hair was there first. His foot stomped down on the blade just as Kaytlin's hand reached the handle. Then his other foot stomped down on her chest.
The air rushed out of her. White spots filled her vision. Her armor did an excellent job of protecting her from the cut of a blade but did little against a man's leather boot. Another stomp sent a jolt of pain through her body. Kaytlin struggled to react; tried to get her hands up, roll away, lash out with her legs, but her body refused to respond. A third kick struck the side of her face and almost knocked her out.
"You stupid woman!" Long Hair growled. "I'm really going to make you pay now."
A hand grabbed the front of her armor and Kaytlin found herself lifted up onto her feet. She struggled against the grip, trying to get free while also trying to get her bearings. Before she could pull herself together, Kaytlin was yanked to the side and fell face down. Struggling to rise, she brought her head up and found herself face to face with the nearly decapitated bald man. She tried to crawl back from the vacant stare but a hand snatched her by the hair and thrusted her forward.
"Take a good look," her attacker practically yelled into her ear. "He was my friend for longer than you've probably been alive. We were going to usher in the Zekarian's reign together."
"And if I hadn't killed him . . . " Kaytlin struggled weakly against the man's grip, "someone else would have. You were both fools to think--"
Her words were lost as the man smashed her face-first into the ground. A kick to her side a moment later rolled her onto her back. Through blurred vision, she looked up to see Long Hair glaring down at her. The tip of his blade hovered above her throat.
"You were the fool." Spittle flew from his mouth as he spoke and his eyes were wide. "Anyone that stands against the Zekar will fall. Seekers, The Silent King, even your gods. They will all fall before his--"
Without warning, Long Hair stumbled backwards, the shaft of an arrow protruding from his stomach. If Kaytlin hadn't been fighting just to stay conscious, she would have appreciated the look of shock that painted his face. He took a step forward and then another shaft appeared in his chest. He fell backwards without a sound.
Moving her head around despite the pain, Kaytlin tried to find who had saved her. Her vision grew worse, but blurs walked into her line of sight.
"This her?" a man said. In her condition, Kaytlin couldn't even tell if one of the blurs was talking or someone else.
"Appears so. Matches the description, and she was right where he said she would be."
"Grab her then."
"What should we do with the others?"
"Burn the bodies."
"I think one or two might still be--"
"Was I not clear in my orders?"
"No, sir. We'll burn them. All of them."
Kaytlin struggled to rise. "I . . . want to thank . . . "
"Tough one, isn't she, Captain?"
"Yes. I can see why the High Counselor wanted a full squad to come and retrieve her. Thankfully, these men softened her up for us."
"Wait . . . " Kaytlin managed to get out before the rest of her thoughts were lost in a haze.
"Gentlemen. Someone be so kind and get our guest ready to travel?"
"Yes, sir."
One of the blurs moved until he was standing directly in front of Kaytlin. This close, she could make out a human form covered from head to toe in red. She reached out a hand, hoping to get some help getting to her feet.
Instead she received a sharp blow to the side of her head and then blackness descended.
Chapter 34
Ean and his companions all rode horses towards Novufyr, provided by Haavian Joor and his soldiers. Their goods had been transferred to saddlebags, and the cart had been abandoned. Zin had squeezed himself into one of Ean's larger saddlebags to rest and recover from his injuries. Ean's Hound lopped along off to his side some distance away. The horses went into fits anytime he came even close.
Ean had spent eighteen years growing up in Rottwealth. While his dabbling in the magic of the Abyss had made it harder for him to be impressed, he enjoyed the stories he had heard about the grand city of Lurthalan. When he finally ventured out into the world, he had been amazed at what he saw. A giant Vithalos in Rensen. The great stone road between Lurthalan and Halyquain. The Unyielding Wall to the east. Lurthalan, with its massive temples and thousands of people moving about their lives. Now, less than a year later, he had been in the Deadlands twice and faced off against creatures beyond explanation.
Everywhere else they had traveled to, the curse had created the same density of fog. The mist thinned the closer they got to Novyfyr, especially around the central castle. It was as if a great wind constantly emanated from the castle and kept the mist and fog at bay.
None of it had prepared him for what he saw when Novufyr came into view. Lurthalan was the largest city in Ven Khilada, but it looked like the smallest town next to Novufyr. A massive wall circled the city, massive gray blocks that reached as high as the partially completed wall around Lurthalan but stretched out in each direction for twice as long. Buildings peaked over the top some distance behind, colored tiles covered the roofs in different sections of the city. Some of the buildings that Ean could make out over the wall were as grand in size and appearance as the temples in Lurthalan. On the east sat a huge, circular tower that popped out of the surrounding homes like a stone tree in a field of flowers. On the west side of the city, he could make out six large, square buildings that led to a seventh circular one that was even larger.
A green castle, taller than anything within view, rose from the center of the city. Square in shape, with towers at every corner, a bevy of windows ran along each story. Blood-red banners embellished with golden imagery, waved from the castle's turrets, but Ean couldn't make out the design. To say Ean was impressed by the size of the city would be an understatement, but that wasn't all he noticed.
The sound of moving water reached Ean's ears. He looked around but unless a river appeared in front of him, it was unlikely he could easily spot a body of water off to the east or west. It added more mystery to this already bizarre land.
Having ridden most of the way in silence, Ean hoped that now having approached their destination, he could get some answers. He had a great deal of questions, and many of them had nothing to do with the city.
"Haavian, could I ask you something?"
"You may."
"How were you able to find us? Not saying I'm not grateful you did, but I would think the chance of randomly running into us would be fairly small."
"The High Counselor was informed where you were by The Silent King and he relayed your whereabouts to us."
"Really?" The captain of the guard shot him an annoyed look that showed a man not used to being questioned. "I'm sorry for sounding incredulous, but it just sounds impossible. Did he use some kind of magic to locate us?"
"It is not my place to speak of The Silent King."
"But--"
"You may direct questions such as these to the Counselor. That is, if he has been given leave to discuss the abilities of The Silent King."
"And we are going to meet this High Counselor?"
"Yes. I've been instructed to take you straight to your accommodations in Zinortan Castle. Counselor Almirg will then greet you at
his earliest convenience."
"Is Counselor Almirg the second highest leader in the city?"
"I told you--"
"Sorry. Right, you don't want to speak about the Counselor or The Silent King. Can I ask about the city?"
"I would imagine the High Counselor has planned to give you a tour himself. I would not want to have him repeat things I've already said."
"You could at least confirm something I've heard. Is it true that this is the oldest city known to civilization?"
"Indeed," he said, puffing out his chest. "Novufyr was founded before recorded history. Not even the Temple of Ni'Aren’s library goes back that far."
"That's surprising considering how important information and history is to those that follow Ni'Aren."
Haavian turned his head to look at Ean. His eyes were hidden in the shadows of his helmet, but his voice was tinged with growing irritation. "Many were lost during the uprising of the Plaguebringer. Those that followed him often performed subversive acts, trying to rot out the city he could not breach from the inside. One such instance involved a raid on Ni'Aren's temple and the destruction of many archives and histories that did not have Ze'an as the most important subject."
"Oh."
Haavin stared at Ean for a few more moments while their horses trudged on, he returned his attention to the road ahead. They weren't far now from the main gate.
"Since you are curious about MY home," Haavin continued. "Let me tell you something that I want you to keep at the front of your mind while you visit.
"I was here during the uprising. I defended the walls from the creatures the Plaguebringer pulled from the Abyss. I hunted the streets for his followers that infected my city. When the Plague reached the city, I chose to stay as riots and madness ruled the streets. After order returned, I've spent lifetimes watching the repair take place. I watched hope return to a people who suffered more than any should have to endure. This city is, and always will be, mine to defend.
Enemies and Allies (Bound to the Abyss Book 3) Page 28