Furion's Trials (Book Two of the Items Trilogy)

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  “Is it time?” Shade asked. As Alex nodded they both stood up.

  “Tell them to cover their ears.” Ava said as she flew out of the tent with the others. Once clear of not harming her comrades she took a deep breath and pealed a five second shriek that both sides could hear.

  She had made the first of many calls to war.

  Howls, shrieks, roars, barks and human war cries rose to accept her shriek as the time of waiting had come to an end. All battalions filed into lines as they crossed the trench and waited for the main force to build upon the plains. The Royal Guard did practically the exact same. Freelan nearly mirrored their oppressors, but the Royal Guard could never hope to match the unique army that stood against them.

  Just as it looked as if the Royal Guard were set and ready to march Alex set his plan in motion. With a look from him Ava shrieked again and the Royal Guard horses reared nearly as one. Alex smiled that the horses he spoke with earlier had told their companions the offer so quickly and just how many accepted it. Many of the horses threw off their rider and made a mad run across the plains, directly towards those they would have been forced to face. Only sixty or so steeds made it before the Royal Guard knew what just happened and quickly reacted to catch their fleeing mounts. Nearly half of their cavalry made it over before being captured. Allahandra was right, coming by boat had limited the number of horses that could be shipped. And nearly every steed and resource in Alluan’s southern boarders had been pulled from this area, all the way to Point Lake. It reduced what the Royal Guard would have stolen to further their ambitions.

  After a hard run, the horses found sanctuary within Freelan as spaces opened to allow free access past their lines. The three from before smelled Alex out and found him near the head and center of the entire force atop Shade with the rest of his pack by his side. Only Niranene and Krum stayed behind to tend to the many about to be wounded. Alex said “I’m glad you took the offer. We will spare as many of your brethren as we can.”

  “That is our hope.” A painted stallion snorted. “What can we do?”

  “Go to the rear and someone will approach to see what is in your saddles. Nod if you wish to carry one of us into battle or shake your head and you will be unsaddled and set free. I can’t talk right now because we’ve already started the battle with you breaking free.”

  “We understand. May the wind be at your back and fresh air fill your mane.” With that the three proceeded back and disappeared behind the wall of men.

  “Our first real battle.” Marlin said as he patted Clift’s neck.

  “Aye, but you are thinking of something else at this moment.” Alex noticed.

  “My brother Pirn.” He admitted as he slid his left arm through a metal buckler. “I know he isn’t here, but he’s on my mind.”

  “You cannot think such thoughts.” Lily said from Alex’s right. “Think of Niranene getting captured. Think those coming at us are coming to cause her harm. You can do nothing for Pirn at the moment, but Niranene is a different matter. Keep them away from her.”

  “I needed that.” He said, extending his cane, focusing on the here and now. Marlin would fight to see her again. After all, she agreed to be his wife.

  As it stood, nearly three quarters of the Royal Guard deployment was prepared for battle while close to seventy thousand of Freelan and Fiend together lined up to oppose them. The odds were nearly two to one, but numbers in battle weren’t everything, especially when new tactics were implemented.

  The advancement horn blew from Rakkian, two companies over. “Here we go.” Both Alex and Shade said simultaneously and all began marching to the destiny that would be claimed by some while others would fight on.

  The Royal Guards also blew their horn at seeing their enemy approach.

  Heavy siege-type weapons were scattered strategically to inflict the most damage to the largest bunching of troops.

  The battle began as the first catapult from the Royal Guard lobbed brimstone. The sulfur projectile missed by a large margin and scattered the flaming pieces along the ground. The smell of rotten eggs drifted to all, but many knew to avoid that weapon at all cost.

  With the first strike made, Shade howled and took off in a blinding streak towards the enemy line. Every other Shadow Fang and their rider flew across the plains with a single goal, create an opening for the charging infantry. The packs followed their High Alpha’s lead gladly. Arrows filled the sky as the Shadow Fangs raced over the ground, but not even the hail could slow their pace. Some tips were harmlessly deflected from their fur and their riders were more than skilled enough to capture the arrows in a shield or used their item to stop any from being anything more than an inconvenience.

  Alex used his wrist protectors to divert the shafts with ease or slice them apart with his sword. Lily made her rectangular short sword disperse and capture any weapons that came anywhere near either her or Crest.

  Not far behind the Shadow Fangs were the Beran, lobbing globules of corrosive acid when they were close enough. The cavalry weren’t far behind. The Grizon stayed with the infantry as they were running as well.

  Pikes, spears and shields lowered in hopes to create a doubt of death by impalement but it did little in the face of Shadow Fang and Beran armor.

  But just before Shade reached the enemy a thousand whistles filled the air as partners called in their Fury. Shadows dive-bombed and cut through the air and exploded as the Fury opened their impressive wingspan. Immediately the Fury shrieked along the front line of the Royal Guard defenses, causing thousands to enter an unconscious state. The front line had been crushed and nearly all archers were forced asleep.

  Shade easily leapt over the fallen defenders and entered the fray of frightened warriors. Slicing abdomen’s with his neurotoxin laced claws and ripping off heads with his teeth and sabers. Alex jumped down and began carving a path of blood and dismembered limbs into the bulk of the fighters. None were a match for an enraged Shadow Fang lord or the impossible speed of a Furion working together.

  Lily reached the fray not long after and used her crescent sword to plunge into an opponent and gave her blade the blood it needed to grow to its full six foot length. She clutched her legs tightly to Crests sides and kept any adversary from flanking her partner as she cleared a path as well as her mate. The crescent sword spun and arched in a whirlwind of deadly metal that killed any who dared attack. Lily also kept her petal blades on the defensive to repel any projectile attacks coming at her or near Crest’s eyes.

  Marlin caught up with the rest of The Pack with Clift galloping and crushing the helmeted skulls of the opponent under his hooves. Without a bridle or tack it was easy to even bite his advisories. Marlin twirled his cane in circles when the enemy saw them as an easier opponent. He released the bobber and set its weight to its greatest to crush non-item shields, helmets and aim for knees and any other exposed areas. At several points he wrapped the thin and unbreakable filament around their neck and have Clift jump into a run, forcing the wire thin line to sever heads.

  Ava shrieked as many more times as she could to keep her brothers safe before all she could do was watch and use her talons to scratch at the those wearing red, in their eyes. After her throat couldn’t handle another shriek she noticed her brethren were in the same predicament.

  When the infantry arrived they fought like never before and pushed back the Royal Guard in a way that has never happened. Their numbers were meaningless when a tenth of their forward fighters became unconscious and became an easy and defenseless target.

  Many granted mercy and tied up those from the initial attack that remained oblivious to what happened around them.

  The Grizon roared into battle, clawing and ripping into their attackers like soft bread. Though they didn’t have the armor like the Big Three, their thick hides were more than a match against the forces they were happily set against.

  Alex slashed from person to person, focusing primarily on those with a golden band on their left arm signifying the
m as a Kings Guard, heating the blade in his hand to make cutting and striking more efficient. Blood on the blade boiled, creating a pink mist and it would soon give him the apt title of Alex of the Blood Mist. Chainmail and solid armor were useless against its razor’s edge, intense heat and the strength of a Furion behind the strikes. When Shade was liable to be overrun he’d make enough room and give his brother’s attackers something even more deadly to fear. Together the brothers moved like the unstoppable force of death and killed with such efficiency that those smart enough could only flee. But with the effects of nonstop battle it drained ones stamina faster than training or exercising.

  After a few minutes of the sounds of battle Alex heard Rakkian’s billowing voice over the clashing. “What are you doing here!” He then spotted Allahandra with a bloodied sword in one hand and a dagger in the other and both her pants and tunic were also slick with the red life of others that ceased to flow. She sat atop her prized mare who was also drenched in combat. Alex then dashed, jumped over fights and skirted others. He wanted to know this too.

  “I am not going to sit by and watch while my people are locked in battle!” She yelled back. Her zeal and confidence shook Rakkian’s anger, slightly.

  “You must stay out of this!”

  “I will not! If you are worried about my protection I have plenty!” She pointed to her loyal guards as they fought off any attempts in her direction with their weapons and inhuman partners. Breaker still flew overhead.

  Suddenly Allahandra lifted her head and Rakkian turned in the same direction and instantly saw a berserker yelling and heading his way with two long swords. Before the general could react an ornate dagger was driven nearly to its hilt into the man’s chest. Both Rakkian and Alex turned to where it originated from and it was Allahandra’s ceremonial dagger, but now it had a new purpose and it successfully completed it. The berserker fell to the ground, dead, and suddenly the dagger was jerked out from under him as the queen had attached a thin flexible wire to it for easy retrieval. As she grasped its hilt again she said “Get back and down worry for my safety! Keep pressing the attack! We’ve almost won!”

  Seeing that she could indeed take care of herself both the general and Alex jumped back into battle without hesitation.

  In less than a half hour over half of Royal Guards were either dead, dying or captured. What was odd was they didn’t call a retreat even as their numbers continued to dwindle rapidly. This, Alex thought was strange as he effortlessly wove, danced and evaded through the warriors as if he were cutting grass with a freshly sharpened sickle.

  These Guards were normally accustomed to small squads, patrolling city streets or defending caravans from bandits. Many weren’t used to the scale of battle, hoping not to fight because of their superior numbers and reputation to bully the opposition into a surrender. They fought their best, but the uniqueness of this battle was something unknown and it instilled fear in those trying to oppress and subjugate useless laws upon those wishing for simple freedoms and liberty.

  Despite this and the forward and pressing attack the Royal Guard simply wouldn’t call for a much needed retreat. There was something else that didn’t feel right. When a hole was opened in the enemy numbers from Alex and Shade’s unstoppable attacks they took a moment to catch their tiring breath and speak.

  Shade’s fangs and fur dripped crimson and a quick shake loosed more red droplets from his coat. “Why aren’t they pulling back? Aren’t the superiors worried about these subordinates? Or are they really committed to the self sacrifice notion?”

  “I know not.” Alex admitted as he swung his sword, using the centrifugal force to dislodge the gore from the steaming blade. Then he peered back around to visualize his surroundings and watched the intense battle continue to rage from both sides. “I would have thought they would have called a full retreat by now. It seems to me like they are waiting for something. But what could they have that would make them sacrifice so many. What’s more is I’ve only come across a few dozen level five’s, but hundreds of lower levels seem to think they are a match. Just what is going…” But he couldn’t finish his sentence as a strange mist crept along the ground and seemed to gain height quicker than any rolling fog he’d ever encountered before.

  Both sides paused in their struggle as the mist seemed to creep in from behind the Royal Guard lines. This wasn’t a natural fog by any means. It was long past the morning time when the fog would have lifted by natural means. The mist continued pouring in and soon became knee level and seemed to stop growing.

  “Shade, I need a higher vantage point.” Alex said and Shade instantly widened his stance. He focused his abilities and exploded into a short run and jumped, planting his foot in Shade’s back as a stepping stone and jumped high into the air to find the source of the mist and see what the threat was.

  Using his heightened senses and his heart pounded, making the world seem slow had felt almost as if he hung in the air for nearly a minute to scan the surrounding area. His jump was almost like the signal to resume fighting. As the struggle continued the mist was kicked up and around, obscuring nearly a half of a mile of battlefield. It wasn’t difficult to find the source of the drifting mist. It came from what looked like an oblong dome for a slow southern wind blew the mist in Freelan’s direction. The mist source continued to pour out more and more of the white haze. Whatever this was didn’t feel right for some reason. Was this what they were waiting for, a change in the wind? He wondered as gravity brought him back down. What would be the point of creating fog?

  On the ground the mist barely reached Shade’s chest, but something was most definitely wrong. It began to become difficult to distinguish between friend and foe as bodies became little more than hazy shadows in the mist, but it was Shade who captured the most of his attention. Shade kept growling and violently shaking his head. “What is the matter?” Alex asked and he jumped in front of Shade to disarm and kick an opponent rushing his younger sibling.

  “I can’t smell anything!” He growled.

  “Why? What does it matter?”

  “Can you smell?”

  Alex flared a focused amount of heat to his nose in order to heighten his own sense of smell, but could identify nothing. Sweat, the iron scent of blood, disemboweled corpses, grass and even wind couldn’t be identified. Ones sight was obscured by mist while even the keenest sense of smell was rendered useless. “Nay, what could do such a thing?”

  It was then Alex noticed all of the hackles on Shade were standing on end. “There is but one thing to my knowledge that is capable of this.” He said ominously.

  “You don’t mean?” Alex stopped and gulped like a whole apple was lodged in his throat. There was only one creature that could frighten Shade and it also meant another problem.

  “Yes, it means this is a Makkian’s mist and that also means we are most likely dealing with Jerkin and that means Runkamon might be here.”

  Then a deep rumbling that could be felt within the chest of all caused another round of silence, but dread crept deeper into everyone who heard it. The sound intensified in its rumble and an unmistakable growl deepened the fear growing through everyone. This sound was one that caused even the most hardened warrior to wet himself at night. It continued to grow in intensity until it reached its feline peak. This roar was beyond any Beran and more terrifying than anything ever heard before. Even Fury quaked.

  Then Alex realized that he made it sound worse for his mind drew out the noise and his heightened hearing made it sound as if the Makkian roar was right next to him. Then there was a pressure against his back and he turned around to see Shade and see a deep strength inside those large gold eyes. “Alex, if we are quick and show we aren’t afraid we can take them both out while everyone is still rooted in place. The fog isn’t stirred up enough to hinder my ability to see just yet. Get on and let us finish this.” Those golden eyes gave strength to him as well and if they hurried this would indeed be the swift victory they hoped for.

  Inde
ed it was time and enough blood was shed. Alex jumped and twisted correctly to find the right place upon Shade’s back. He looked up and spotted Ava circling overhead, looking in the direction that the mist’s originated from.

  “Be swift and find our true enemy.” Alex said and felt Shade’s powerful muscles clench one moment and in the next they crashed into the enemy without pause, sending any who stood in front of his explosive charge to the ground or tossed in another direction. Shade kept his eyes above the mist that had been stirred into twisting wisps as his speed increased and more men were removed from the path he created. The mist made the rush easier actually because the Guard couldn’t see Shade’s approach until it was too late.

  Within moments they traveled and saw the dome of mist that rose ten feet in the air and it slid and poured to the ground like rain rolling down a hill. Before the dome stood a man in a long, blood red robe and he stood upon some kind of platform to oversee the battle. He had long blond hair and sharp blue eyes. From the way he stood he didn’t care either way for what he saw, not caring for the warriors in battle or what to do next, but then his brow clenched together as he spotted the swift and unstoppable approach of Alex and Shade.

  “RUNKAMON!” Alex yelled at the top of his lungs at seeing this man. He fit Lily’s description and stood so at ease after hearing a Makkian roar that it could be none other than him. All the turmoil in the land was caused by one person and it would be ended by his nephew before further bloodshed could be caused.

  Around the misty platform, none stood protectively around it and it only made the brothers more bold and reckless.

  At the right moment Alex jumped with all the strength and rage he could muster in his legs and jumped like a thrown javelin to the robed man. He grasped the handle of his sword with both hand and brought down with all the force his abilities could muster. The uncaring expression was just a mask and fear caused the men to flinch instinctively away.