by Serena Whynd
Although not as much as her partner, Jacqueline also knew Gondor well. She had trained as an Amazon warrior during the years her country had been at war with Gondor. That was why the part of the course was intended for meeting the enemy, including its geography, as well as the layout of the main roads. In this adventure, she had the opportunity to expand that knowledge. She knew well that there was no road that went around Kjell, so they would have to travel around it and over the plain, which spread to the east of the city. The other option was to travel west, over the high mountains. Once they felt ease that there was no chance for an attack, they slowed the pace a little. Jacqueline allowed the gelding to slow his gait. They all needed to save their energy.
On occasion, they encountered travellers along the main road that connected the north of the country from the capital. Mostly they saw people walking and now and then a horse pulling a carriage. The means of transport, people’s clothing and their demeanour gave the Amazons the impression of a country trying to live a healthy life, but whose citizens could not entirely hide their exhaustion from the war. It all looked very similar to the roads in their own land, Gilsk—or at least to the roads that were not too close to the battlefield. The areas that were close to the battle field were lifeless and worn.
“It is time for me to congratulate you on your efforts.” Shalmar had concluded that after several days of gruelling events, this was finally a good time to express her appreciation for Jacqueline. She was not very good at complimenting, but considering that the young warrior now rode behind her back, holding her by the waist, it was easier to say a few commendable words. “I am very pleased with the skills you have shown. Your teachers would also be pleased.”
“Oh, I know” Jacqueline joked, but with a large dose of self-respect. “Thank you. And you have been a great teacher on this campaign.” Jacqueline found herself tighten her hold on Shalmar’s waist just slightly, enjoying the feeling of being this close to her. She thought for a second that she should loosen her grip, but when she felt Shalmar lean back gently into her body, she smiled and stayed put.
“Well, thank you.”
And so they rode on, the conversation between them flowing easily. They had a few good laughs while revisiting their current adventure. As they got to know each other better, the fondness between them strengthened. Jacqueline described her upbringing in a noble and wealthy family, which made her especially motivated to prove herself as a Warrior. From her story, it became evident that she was a typical member of the younger generation of Amazon Warrior girls, who had been made even more fanatic and radical by the war effort than their older predecessors. Their belief in the ideals of the Amazon Order could almost be felt in the air around them.
Shalmar remembered that once she had felt almost the same; however, she seemed to have had a different, more moderate kind of eagerness and passion in her youth. Back then, some beliefs could be questioned. It was acceptable for the youth to have views different than their elders. She liked those times much more; they were more suited to her character.
Shalmar was far from doubting the system and the Order in which she had been were born and raised. She was a faithful member of her Order and her nation. But she preferred her loyalty to be judged primarily by her actions. As she aged, she was growing more and more against the strict fanaticism that was commonplace in her world. She had seen too many unnecessary losses of life on the battlefield to still find sense in it. She based her success on wisdom, caution and calculation as much as possible. Such principles did not exclude by any means the willingness to be bold and come up with surprising solutions. On the contrary, their current adventure proved that she had maintained a knack for taking the bravest of paths.
She tried to pass this kind of thinking on to her younger colleague, to transfer to her at least some of the nonsense that lay behind every war. She hoped to implant within Jacqueline the intrinsic need to take a calm approach to every situation, to explain to her that she could be courageous and cautious at the same time. But she felt that her words had, thus far, not had a particular impact on her companion’s youthful mind. Indeed, Jacqueline was much more interested in proving herself and was eager to embark on exciting adventures.
Several hours of cheerful conversation, of various life anecdotes and lessons learned, made this part of the journey soothing and reenergizing. And so it was, until they arrived in front of the city of Kjell, which was about half way from Midbay to the capital of Gondor. As they glimpsed the roofs of the nearest town, which Shalmar vaguely recalled from a siege in which she had participated years ago, they knew it was time to leave the main road and the comfort that it offered.
“Getting off the main road to the left would mean going around the city to the west, along the border with the land of Koron, or the river that divides these two kingdoms.” Shalmar shared her knowledge of the local geography, even though she was convinced that the younger warrior already knew a great deal about the enemy’s kingdom. She continued, “That path is longer. Also, because of the river, it leaves us fewer opportunities to retreat if the enemy finds and surrounds us.”
The waters of the bordering river were too big and too wild to cross quickly in order to find refuge in the kingdom of Koron. The country was neutral in the conflict and its leaders entirely indifferent to the events playing out to the east of it. Even though the country was powerful enough to devour both nations at war in a massive march of its troops, its leaders chose not to become engaged in the nonsense of the other kingdoms.
“In my opinion, a much better option would be to move towards the east of the city,” Shalmar continued, pointing her finger to the right, towards the hilly areas. “That way, we can cut a shorter path to Yaraelen. But it is a much less walkable path.”
The old and dilapidated road was located between the towering trees and even more prominent mountains. It stretched through the north of the country like a serpent. The highlands had represented a vast natural defence shield for the nation in the first years of the war. Shalmar had been part of those Gilskian troops that had nevertheless tried to cut the enemy’s kingdom in half along the way. They managed, with lots of difficulty, to cross the mountains and for quite a long time, to keep Kjell under siege. Eventually, they failed in their conquest. As it was, she knew this region. She doubted that they had repaired the road in times of war—there wouldn’t be the resources required. However, this meant that their horse would struggle to travel over the rocks and that the girls would have to go by foot much more frequently. But the fact that this unpleasant road would lead them towards their destination consoled them. It would return them to the end of the main road, just in front of the entrance to the capital, Yaraelen.
Before she even had the chance to express her agreement with her older colleague, Jacqueline suddenly jerked. She felt someone’s presence beside the road, behind a canal with overgrown shrubs. Seconds later, Shalmar also heard a faintly disturbing scuffling sound off to the side.
A dozen armed men suddenly erupted from the canal to the road on both sides. “Now!” demanded the captain of his men. His loud voice startled the horse that was carrying the two Amazons. The animal’s agitation prevented the women from taking any kind of action, and within a few seconds, they were entirely surrounded by the group of soldiers. Two men came closer to the Warriors, their crossbows pointed directly at them.
“Put down your weapons and get off the horse!” came the order from the head of the enforcement of Kjell. The search team from Kavarr had apparently done their job. Although the two had hidden from them on the first part of the road, the team had rushed as quickly as possible to inform the army in the next town, who had had sufficient time to set up an ambush. Crossbows were a sign that the soldiers knew they were dealing with Amazon Warriors. The farm owner’s description had likely made that clear. Nevertheless, despite the impressively executed ambush and seizure, the faces and movements of the individual soldiers reflected their fear and uncertainty before the famous
rivals. They were unconvinced that all their available weapons would be sufficient if the Amazons decided to put up a fight.
After a few seconds of holding still, they slowly dismounted from the horse: first Jacqueline, then Shalmar.
“Listen” yelled Shalmar for all to hear, we do not want trouble. We did not come here to fight. We are on an important mission.”
“Silence!” the confident commander yelled out. The little officer obviously felt that he had the women under complete control, and the harshness in his voice showed this. “Your lies do not interest me. When you find yourself behind bars, you will be free to explain as much as you want! If you find someone willing to listen.”
“We are serious. It is crucial for both our countries that you let us go on with our business,” Shalmar tried again.
“Oh, you would like to go on? Well, you do not say.” Now the officer started to speak theatrically, “and could I please ask you where exactly you are headed?"
Only then did Shalmar remember that the soldiers would not have liked the correct answer to this question. And she had no time to think up a convincing lie. She also took great pleasure in knowing that she would tend to the sarcasm he had used when she was free.
“I thought so. Take their weapons!”
There was a brief, somewhat embarrassing pause in which none of the soldiers moved to take away the Amazons’ swords and knives. This was a good sign. Both girls knew it was worth fighting these men to avoid being taken captive and being forced to explain their purpose. In unspoken agreement, they waited for the soldiers to come close enough and in unison, drew their swords.
At the same moment, a strong gust of wind from the north blew across the plain, followed by the appearance of a small blue dot, which emitted a light blue light. It was coming from the same direction as the wind. Everyone present suddenly turned to face this odd occurrence, shielding their eyes with their hands.
The blue dot rapidly started to expand. Soon they realized that the light was getting closer to them with incredible speed. Its form that was difficult to recognize from so far away. The torrent of wind blew was hardly bearable: some of the soldiers were losing their balance, and the dust which was raised from the road sliced their skin and entered their eyes. As the gap between them and light narrowed, they recognized a human figure through the dust. They had never before seen a human form quite like this. The light emanating from the body was almost blinding. Wearing a dark robe, it hovered with open arms, in a whirlwind of air currents, sustaining itself a few feet above the ground.
“By All, what the hell is it?” Jacqueline wondered out loud. She still had her sword in her hand, as did her partner. None of the soldiers around them seemed to notice or care about their weapons. They were transfixed on the entity before them.
Shalmar could not answer Jacqueline’s question. She had never seen anything like this or heard that anything similar existed among the human species. She was pretty convinced that people could not fly. In fact, the only ones she had heard were capable of such feats were the Mages. According to the legends, they had been expelled from the Continent hundreds of years ago, and for some reason, they have never dared to return. Indeed, Shalmar had always been led to believe that the mages had died on their island, so this phenomenon made no sense to her. She had seen many things and witnessed much magic, but this sight was a first.
The flying creature came quite near, and then suddenly stopped, still hovering in the air directly in front of the small group of armed men. Although he still radiated light, the light was now slightly duller. He descended upon them, revealing the face of a youthful, young man, with soft human facial features and a long, carefully groomed beard. Despite his beauty, his expression was threatening. All of his visible body parts shone with a blue/black light. No one in the party had ever known anything like this.
The soldiers stood, frozen in shock. Several of them were unable to hide the fear that swept over them. The horse had decided he wanted no part of this, and escaped down the road in the direction they had come. In addition to her confusion, Jacqueline felt the urge to attack. She wanted to act before this mysterious man—if she could call him that—made an unexpected move. Shalmar, however, felt the need to remain cautious. She feared that reacting too quickly could result in their death. She would leave it to the arrogant little snit that was the captain of this bunch to react and suffer the consequences. She thought calmly.
“The statuette! I feel it! Where is it?” Mage Declavius finally spoke, his voice frantic. In their great amazement and fear, the soldiers could not comprehend what this human-like figure was talking about. But for the Amazons, the reason for the Mage’s appearance had become evident.
When they first saw the light from a distance, the troops’ captain had carefully pulled himself back and placed himself cowardly behind all of his subordinates. Having acquired security, he dared once more to issue reckless and hasty orders. Just as Shalmar had predicted, the captain allowed his need to control to take over.
“He is with the Amazons! A mage! They plan to kill our King together! Kill him!”
Again for a few moments, nothing happened. Within the minds of the members of the Gondorian force, there was a significant fight going on. Fear of the unknown and magic was stronger than the sense of duty and respect for any commands. After all, these were the less bold and less dishonourable soldiers in the group. The best of Gondor’s soldiers were on the battlefield. However, one of the two with a crossbow finally dared to fire the arrow. The target was quite close and could not avoid a precise hit. The second man with a crossbow immediately did the same. Two arrows were launched within the same second.
At the same moment, the arrows bounced off the invisible force field that surrounded the flying Mage. The arrows turned around in the air and ended up deep in the chest of the men who had fired them. They ended up, with perfect precision, in the hearts of the soldiers. It happened so fast that it was almost impossible for the human eye to witness it.
The remaining soldiers were now completely panicked. Several of them instinctively stepped back, feeling the need to start running. But it was too late. They soon felt a strange force taking them off the ground, lifting them into the air and rotating their bodies in all directions. At one moment the force was spinning them around in one spot, at the second it was shaking them, and at the third, it was manipulating their bodies in unnatural positions.
Declavius was having a great time. For centuries he had had no opportunity to feel the joy of using his powers on weaker creatures. On the island, there were no other creatures besides wizards; the environment was too inhospitable for their survival. When fighting with other Mages, there was always the possibility that one would possibly hurt the other. He could only hit the rocks there to practice. But this was much more satisfying. With ease, he directed the wind around the bodies of these lesser beings, making it swirl, fast and powerful enough to tear shields and clothes from the masses. As it grew in force, it began to tear the skin from their bones and break their limbs.
He was so into juggling the bruised and half-living Gondorians that he ignored the presence and movement of the two Amazon warriors. While watching the scene unfold, Shalmar and Jacqueline had carefully and quietly withdrawn behind the Mage. With the help of a few hand movements and signals, they agreed on an attack strategy. Jacqueline had a bold idea and took the time to present it as clearly as possible. Just like the vast number of maneuvers they had learned, Amazons were obliged to know by heart their people’s sign language, which was useful as an alternate form of communication during battle. The language was reasonably well equipped to describe fight tactics, and Shalmar managed to quickly understand Jacqueline’s intentions. She liked the idea, in the absence of a better one.
The two warriors took advantage of the captain’s stupidity in his decision to send the men forward to challenge the mage. They decided to attack at the same moment. Shalmar and Jacqueline cast their swords at the very same moment,
holding them by the blade located in front of the handle and releasing them quickly, like spears. They were not worried about the morality of attacking the enemy from behind, as this opponent was just too powerful to be overthrown in a fair and honourable fight.
Sensing danger behind him, Declavius turned and tried to defend himself. He directed the powerful stream of wind towards the oncoming swords, managing to turn Shalmar’s sword away. But Jacqueline’s weapon grazed his head, just above the left ear at the temple.
The wind suddenly came to a halt. The light surrounding the Mage disappeared at the moment of his injury, and he crashed to the ground. Together with him, the bodies of the soldiers he had been manipulating in the air fell firmly onto the earth’s surface. Most of their bodies remained on the road, lifeless. Those that were still breathing were experiencing great suffering and pain. Their commander, who had been spared from the wizard’s torture, and up until that moment had been standing frozen in place, felt he could finally regain control of his legs. He took advantage of this re-acquired ability, leaving his dead and injured soldiers where they were, and fled to the city.
“Is he dead?” Jacqueline asked after they cautiously approached a downthrown wizard.
“How do I know if he’s dead? I do not know what he is or what he looks like if he’s dead” responded Shalmar quietly, knowing full well that the being was most likely a Mage. During warrior training, it had been explained to her, as well as to her younger colleague, that such powers existed in this world against which it was not easy to fight in the traditional, physical way. They were told that these forces had long been hidden and silenced, but also that they should always be prepared for the possibility of their reoccurrence. Nevertheless, she was amazed and unpleasantly alarmed by the event that had taken place. Shalmar had made a point of training herself in the art of controlling her inner energy and saw that she would have to develop it further if she were to have any chance of standing up to beings like this one.