by Kurtis Smith
“I would,” Radash said quickly and politely. “Thank you. I understand how hard it must be trust me.”
Egan went over to grab some rations from his pack. While rummaging through his belongings, he replied firmly, “Not at all.”
Davin watched him, whether Egan was concerned about it at all was unclear. But perhaps that was the point.
“Either way. I am grateful, Egan of the Ancients.”
Egan shook his head. “No need to be so formal. You know that my name is Egan and my companion’s name is Davin. That will do.”
“Understood…Egan.” Radash winced as he said Egan’s name, as if speaking as plainly as saying someone’s name was uncomfortable for him. .
***
Once they had settled down again, Davin realized his mind was too active for sleep.
Maybe, if we travel hard I can get some practice in before the days over.
He debated trying to leave now to find his own way to the Slainte. Egan had said they were getting close and they could just meet him there when they arrived. But if he were to venture out on his own Egan might consider him a hopeless cause and decide not to train him. Not to mention the fact that they were still within the labyrinth of the Wading Pools. He would never make it out without Egan’s help.
A loud cracking sound overhead caused him look up. Seconds later a branch snapped high up in one of the trees and plummeted to the ground. Davin side stepped just in time. It bounced harmlessly as it thumped. It had been an awfully large branch to have just snapped off on its own.
He walked around and investigated the tree and the branch. There was nothing unusual about them, though the leaves were thick and he couldn’t see high up very well. Could there really be someone else following us?! he thought.
At the risk of waking the others he shouted, “Hello up there.” When no one responded he spoke again.
“Who’s there?” He admittedly felt a little foolish shouting up into the tree.
When no response reached him he shouted again, except this time woke Egan and Radash.
“Davin, why are you shouting like that? Some of us are trying to sleep.”
“This giant branch just-,” he cut off in mid sentence.
The quiet landscape became filled with the flapping of wings. They all watched as nearly twenty-five golden eagles lifted into the sky. One by one the eagles gathered directly above where the travelers were standing. The wind caused by their immense wing-spans rustled the trees below them violently.
As soon as all had gathered, they began singing out in eagle song. It was hypnotic. It reverberated over the hills around them, carried by the incredible vocal qualities of the eagles.
“I’ve never seen so many eagles in one place. What are they doing?” Davin asked quietly, when he finally found his ability to think return.
“I have an idea, but I hope it’s wrong,” Egan whispered, barely loud enough for the others to hear.
“What does that mean?” Davin asked.
Davin looked back and forth between Radash and Egan, waiting for one of them to explain what this meant.
Egan continued. “We must get moving. Gather your things.”
There was a short silence while they did what Egan asked.
He continued momentarily. “The kings and armies of this land found out hundreds of years ago that these eagles could be trained, much like you would a horse or dog or pooka, but even more intelligent and better at tracking then the other animals. They used this in the army for many years.”
“We are being tracked by them?” Davin shouted.
“It would seem so. But this practice was outlawed soon afterward because the soldiers who trained them grew too close to their eagles. The connection they formed was an unnatural one. When the eagle died, so did the man.
Davin laughed as they left the camp site. It all struck him as funny. Eagles couldn’t be trained to hunt and attack humans. His laughter slowly died out when he saw the other two weren’t laughing.
“At least they haven’t been trained to carry transport yet,” Egan addressed them both.
Radash spoke up this time, much to the others’ surprise. “Though from what I remember it won’t be long before they will, if they’ve already begun tracking.”
“How would you know this?” Egan inquired.
Radash stood silent for a moment, thinking. “I have read my history, like you said.”
Davin was beside himself with confusion. “You mean you weren’t kidding. They can actually do that. I’ve never heard of anything like this before.”
“Yes, it does seem unnatural. The world takes these things for granted, but knowing what you know now about our ancestors, you can’t possibly think that some of their great power hasn’t lingered. The Ancient’s magic lives on to this day, infiltrating the world in mysterious ways. I tend to believe this is one of those ways. And now we need to move…fast,” Egan explained.
The eagles’ song continued as they traversed through ponds again, always right over head. Davin had to admit the constant flapping of wings on top of them was ominous. Egan tried to steer them out the Pools of Confusion.
“Now that those eagles have found us, what happens next? They aren’t harming us,” Davin noted after they’d only been travelling for ten minutes.
“They will once we are out of these thick trees and they can attack all at once. Be prepared, we may have to kill a lot of angry birds soon.”
Egan’s tone was humorless. But Davin couldn’t blame him. It was only Egan’s fault they were caught, but he wouldn’t say that out loud.
“Let’s hope we can,” Davin said, doubtfully. I’ve barely began to learn how to fight humans.”
For a while it felt like they were going in circles again, but slowly the pools became more few and far between. The ground felt firm under their feet again. It had taken most of the day, the eagles were still behind them, and their water supply was gone, but they were out.
As soon as they passed what looked like the last of the pools Egan breathed a sigh of relief, but said nothing more. The three of them continued in a westerly direction. The land was gradually getting more even.
Egan finally stop in his tracks by a small stream at the base of a meadow. The land was clear of trees just ahead.
“The route from here is pretty straight forward. A few more hills and you will be able to see the lights and walls of Slainte in the distance. Radash, how is your skill with a blade?”
“Weak at best. I will not be much good in a fight.”
Egan nodded. “Then run ahead to the city. We will meet you there. Go now.”
Radash ran onward beyond the last of the thick trees. As expected, the eagles being to rain down on his location. Egan and Davin weren’t far behind. They sprinted into the open.
Egan called out. “Over here! Fight us!”
Without hesitation, the eagles gracefully turned in unison upon the Descendants. Egan and Davin both raised their swords, ready to strike the first of the birds.
Davin’s sword hand shook. He admitted it was strange to be attacked this way. The birds almost looked as if they felt hatred, not simply obeying a command of training.
He raised his sword to defend but Egan pushed it back down. “That won’t be necessary. We would struggle to fight them with our blades, but Driocht will stop them easily.”
Egan placed the orange-red fire orb in his hand and raised his arms above him on both sides. Fire appeared on the grass, encircling them.
The eagles tried to attack but the wall of fire only set them to screeching in pain. They couldn’t reach the Descendants within the circle. Several of them fell to the ground after a couple of minutes, dead from their burns. The stench of the charring of flesh was strong.
Slowly, the eagles began to retreat, returning the way they had come. Egan let the fire cease.
“What about the rest of them? They are getting away,” Davin said, worried.
“It will be fine. The eagles will lead the
army here, which means they will know we are headed to Slainte. But at that point it is hard to guess. The city is big and there’s no guarantee that we will even be there anymore once they arrive.”
Davin shrugged. “You’re more confident than I am.”
“Look,” Egan said, pointing ahead. Davin was forced to forget about the other matter.
A great walled city lay directly in front of them, glittering in the distance. There were a few small, treeless hills and a long plain of farm land leading up to the walls. A smattering of farm homes was spread outside the walls up to the point where the hills began. Some of the taller buildings of the city could be seen jutting out above the walls. The city was enormous to behold for someone like Davin. As he took in the distance it stretch across the land, he realized it was at least ten times bigger than Lemirre in width alone. Along the horizon, the blue expanse that signified the beginning of the sea was visible. All of this meant they had reached the port town, Slainte.
“What lies ahead is our concern now. We will train you for as long as it takes, but beyond that your fate is unclear. I am not sure what we should do after that.”
“How long do you think the training will take?” Davin asked, hoping it was shorter rather than longer.
“Each person has their own rate. It’s impossible to tell. But be prepared for trials that will test your limits, and I don’t mean only physically. But we will stay as long as we can. Don’t worry, you will enjoy yourself,” concluded Egan, sounding more sarcastic than Davin hoped he was.
Davin smiled, but it was forced. They were taking a lot of risks, first with Radash, then the eagles, and now with staying in this town an extended amount of time to train him. He hoped Egan was right that everything would be fine, but somehow he knew they weren’t going to get off so easy.
Chapter 9 An Old Friend and a Captive
The two Descendants’ passed several farms on their way to the gate. Some of the men tending the fields gave them curious or suspicious looks. Others simply gawked. Davin tried not to notice so as to not give them a reason to be suspicious. None of them called out, they just stared. Soon it seemed the entire community of farmers was outside their homes trying to discover the identity of these strangers. It seemed odd that these people would pay so much attention to common travelers. The road from Slainte to the edge of the pools was somewhat regularly used, by Cureists and their guides mostly, seeking the Self Heal plant in the pools.
Not long after Davin and Egan passed the last farm before the city Davin looked back. Everyone had either turned back inside or resumed their work. Still, the thought made Davin nervous.
“Do you think it was wise coming down into town where everyone could see us? They seem a little too interested.”
Egan shook his head without expression, and said bluntly, “No, we would have been more suspicious sneaking around out here. They would have had more reason to turn us over to their authorities. They did nothing, so we have nothing to worry about.”
As they came closer to the gate the traveling road became brick, and joined with another road. Davin noticed the other paved road snaked to the north around the high walls of the city and out of sight.
“Where does that lead?” Davin asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
Egan spun his head around to look at what Davin was referring to. “It winds around to the north gate of Slainte and the Keenan Road.”
Egan continued when Davin stared at him blankly. “Keenan was a king 300 years before our time that paved a road from the port to the capital for ease of travel across the kingdom. Some just call it the Long Road.”
“So if we wanted to head straight to the capital it would take us there the fastest way?” Davin commented.
“Do you really think that there aren’t men watching that road for us?” Egan replied quickly, sensing Davin’s growing excitement. “We might as well march right into the army training grounds and turn ourselves in.”
Davin ignored him. He had to admit that the idea was tempting. The fact that his training had yet to fully begin was becoming a crutch. He could simply follow that road straight to the capital. But it wasn’t that simple. He had to focus on that. Clenching his fist, he simmered the rising desire to leave Egan behind.
The overhead sunlight blazed against the large, elegantly designed door that held the city within. Its design was from an earlier, more proper time when buildings in the urban areas of the kingdom were still art themselves. Silver and gold accentuated the piece that ran the length of the doors top to bottom.
The piece was, as in most cities, the city’s crest. The crest for Slainte was most fitting considering the main market a port. Ocean waves ran down either side of the door’s middle while a ship bearing full sails sat directly in the center. There was a short phrase in a language Davin didn’t recognize right below the ship. The city walls leading away from the door on either were painted gray brick with the golden waves running parallel on the top and bottom of the wall.
Egan noticed Davin admiring the handy work. He hadn’t thought about the fact that Davin had never seen any of this before.
“What does that phrase say?” Davin asked curiously.
“It was written back when tongues of the worlds were diverse and many. It means ‘good winds to you’. It is a good luck charm started by the original inhabitants of this city. Good winds are a necessity here. And it’s the home of the only guild not in the capital city, the Shiprunner’s Guild.”
“Makes sense,” said Davin.
Davin thought about sailing away for a moment. Dealing with the sea sounded much easier than dealing with their problems. For a short time he let himself drift over the swells of the ocean to other lands, his worries more distant all the while. This land was becoming far too complicated. There was nowhere he could go within the kingdom now that would allow him to forget who he was and live in peace. His heart leapt happily at the idea vanishing from the known world.
There were two guards standing on either side of the wide gate. They looked bored and weren’t really paying any attention the two men approaching them.
Egan caught Davin by the shoulder and whispered, “These men have no reason to hold us up. They are City Guards, not Grand Soldiers. I doubt they even care about the soldiers agenda.”
Davin looked straight ahead and held his hands at his side in attempt to look more inconspicuous. They stepped up the three steps before the gate and continued to the guards.
Egan quickly assessed the situation and greeted the men cordially. Guards usually didn’t stop travelers unless they had reason to suspect foul play, but not this time. Egan turned a surprised face to them when one guard addressed him.
“What business do you have here?” the guard on the left asked in a gruff voice.
Egan replied casually, “Just visiting a friend. We will be in town roughly a week’s time.”
The guard thought for a second. He looked at the other guard as if seeking approval. The other guard nodded.
“Acceptable. Be minded though, there is a ceremony to be in the north square soon. The king has a full regimen dispatched here. They are looking for two escaped prisoners and won’t be kindly to you if you get in their way.” The guard could have stopped there, but he continued, his level dropping a little. “They are none to friendly either. I had hoped they would be gone quickly, but it has not happened. Makes me nervous, always feels like they’re looking over my shoulder. You two should stay-,”
The other guard smacked him on the chest lazily, keeping his gaze forward and relaxed. The rambling soldier grew silent and stone-faced.
Davin tried to not make a noise when the guard cut off quickly. He knew who they were talking about. Word had certainly spread fast. Egan gave no indication that he had been alarmed though. The guards themselves didn’t really seem to care all that much. It was like they wanted to talk about the garrison, but, at the same time, didn’t want to get in trouble.
Davin was shocked when Egan decided
to pursue the conversation further.
“I’ve heard such news of these escapees, though I was aware only of the pursuit through the mountains. You say they’ve tracked them here?” The previous speaker opened his mouth and closed it again without a word. He was fighting the urge tell Egan more. After several long seconds of silence, he huffed, seeming to lose the willpower to stay quiet.
“The Grand Army doesn’t know where they are. That’s why First Captain Deverell has left soldiers at every major city from here to the capital, in hopes that these runaways might stumble upon the army by accident. At least, that’s what I might think.”
Egan placed his hands on his waist and continued his excellent performance. All Davin could do was watch and enjoy.
“Seems a bit obsessive in my opinion,” Egan said.
The guard on the right looked at him straight in the face, “Indeed.” There was a short silence and the left guard spoke up again.
“I just hope they catch them so we can rid ourselves of these bloody soldiers. This is our city. Why do they think they need to intrude?”
The other guard hit the first one harder this time. “Will, what are you doing, talking like that on duty? You’re going to get us locked up.”
Egan gaped at them, and then nodded. “Thanks for the chat. Good winds to you.”
One of the guards waved blindly in the air and the gate keeper atop the wall opened the silver doors. The guards said nothing more to them, and Davin was glad that Egan and he were able to keep their anonymity. The guards would be forced to arrest them if it became too obvious who they were.
When the gate closed behind them Davin he spoke. “How it is that they didn’t suspect us? We fit the description of the missing prisoners.”
Egan smiled slyly; despite the fact he looked a little more drained and pale than he had a minute ago. “They weren’t really concerned about the army’s search for us? That was plain in their attitude before we even spoke. But after the first exchange it was clear. You wanted some training? There you go.”