“What’s she got to prepare for? It’s only a few hours away.” Rakzar settled on the floor, but he didn’t like it.
He didn’t like being close to Urza. Not because he disliked her but because he found it difficult carrying the guilt of her situation. He swore he could sense death settling upon her. A subtle stench, but nevertheless there.
“Shalaidah.” Urza rested her head on his arm. “They’ve been at odds for a long time. Go easy on her.”
“And why should I go easy?” growled Rakzar.
“She’s doing this for us as much as herself. More so, actually. She chose to curse herself for our sakes. Remember that every time you’re about to open your big yap and say something stupid or hurtful.”
Rakzar expected Urza’s words to send him into a rage, but he realized she had a point. He focused so much on his problems that he rarely considered the problems of others. He’d strive to be better but would promise nothing to Urza.
“Admit it. You like the spunky little dryte.” Rakzar glanced back at the rocking chair. Amicus sat in it, a smile beaming on his face.
“Stay out of my business.”
“I’m only trying to help, “ said Urza. “You don’t need to be rude to me as well.”
Rakzar glared at Amicus. “Sorry.”
Amicus laughed. “Sooner or later you’re going to have to tell someone that you’re talking to me. Or to yourself. You can decide that on your own.”
Rayah flew around the corner of the fireplace. “Sorry I’m late.”
“It’s about—” Urza ribbed him in the side. “It’s fine. Let’s go before the entire day is wasted.” Rakzar rose on all fours.
Rayah said goodbye to Urza and headed out the door.
Rakzar growled, “Don’t you dare die on me while I’m gone. I’ll return as soon as I’ve ripped her heart out.”
Urza rose, grabbed his snout, and rubbed her nose against his. Hers was as dry as desert sand, and the implications of what it meant scared him. He couldn’t think about it though. Doing so might get him killed.
“Be safe, and don’t do anything stupid,” she said.
What part of this half-baked plan isn’t stupid?
He nodded and then headed out the door, too afraid to take one last backward glance.
You’ll see her again.
† † †
Rayah waited at the edge of the bluff for her rendezvous with Morcinda while Rakzar stayed hidden in the trees. She held the black, shiny object in her hands and studied it further. It reminded her of a seashell, but much larger and solid black instead of a tannish-white color with hues of pinks, yellows, and oranges.
When Rayah looked up, a boat sat on the water below. She hadn’t even seen it arrive. She returned the item to her pack and was about to fly out toward the boat when she witnessed something most peculiar. From her vantage high on the bluff, she watched as a woman with blue hair walked to the edge of her boat, looked down at the water below the boat line, and then stepped out beyond the boat’s edge. But the woman didn’t fall. Instead, the water rose to meet her feet. And as she continued to walk across the water, the spouts of water shot higher and lifted her up toward the cliff edge. The woman easily stepped from the water and onto the bluff. Rayah stuttered backward, jaw slacken and completely lost for words.
The woman spoke, her voice soft yet commanding. “You must be Rayah.” She proffered her hand and Rayah took it. “I am Morcinda. Savric said you’d have something for me to look at.” She looked around. “Where is it?”
Rayah stood there, anchored to the woman by her hand. She’d never seen such a strange yet beautiful woman before. As with most people, she’d assumed the whispers of aquatic elves existing we’re nothing more than legend, yet one stood before her and spoke to her.
“Well? Are you unable to speak?” asked Morcinda. She pulled her hand away from Rayah’s.
“I… um… I have it right here.” Rayah dropped her pack from her shoulder and rummaged through it.
What am I looking for? She’d never been so scatterbrained in her life. Alderan must be rubbing off on me.
Morcinda pointed at a large black object. “I’m guessing that’s what you’re looking for.”
Rayah blushed. “Yes, of course.” She withdrew the black object from her pack and handed it to Morcinda. “It’s certainly not fragile. I took a hammer to it and didn’t even scratch it.”
Morcinda chewed on her lower lip as she examined the object. “Of course you didn’t. Very few things could damage this.”
“Then you know what it is?” Rayah moved closer, not wanting to miss a word.
“I do.” Morcinda turned to walk away, so Rayah grabbed her arm.
That was certainly a mistake. Rayah found herself laid out on the ground before she could blink. She sat up as Morcinda walked away.
Frustrated, Rayah jumped to her feet. “That’s it? You’re gonna just walk away with it and not give me an explanation?”
Morcinda turned back, her eyes ice blue and her gaze as cold as the sea. “I will return after I’ve spoken with Savric.”
Rayah grabbed the brass-handled, hand-held mirror from her pack and thrust it at Morcinda. “No need to go anywhere. You can talk with him face-to-face through this mirror.”
Morcinda snatched the mirror and examined it for several moments. When her gaze fell back on Rayah it’d softened a little. “And where did you find such a rare object?”
“It belongs to a sorceress named Zerenity. I borrowed it so that I could contact Master Savric when necessary.”
“I see.” She handed it back to Rayah. “Contact him. We shall see his reaction together.”
Rayah stared into the mirror. “Master Savric?”
Several moments passed and Rayah was about to give up when Savric’s face finally appeared in the mirror. He smiled wide, but Rayah could see how weary he’d become since departing from Zerenity’s. Dark circles underscored his tired eyes.
“My dear girl, it is a pleasure to see your face.” He pulled on his beard. “I fear I am out of sorts.”
Morcinda snatched the mirror from Rayah and stared into it. “There’s no time for mindless chatter. We’ve got much bigger problems than we had first imagined.”
Savric’s smile faded as he stroked his beard. “Graver than hordes of infected humans? Pray tell.”
Morcinda held the black object up to the mirror. “This is a dragon scale.”
Savric and Rayah both gasped. Rayah looked at the object with renewed vision and wonder.
A dragon scale…
For a few moments, she became lost within her own thoughts and missed a good portion of the conversation.
“…and then Cinolth cursed the world and all the humans in it. His scales shattered and ripped away from his carcass and then shot across the Ancient Realm, spreading across the land to its far reaches and burrowing deep underground,” Morcinda finished.
Savric’s face had turned ghostly white. “Dear Ƨäʈūr…”
“Yes, you understand the gravity of it,” said Morcinda.
“But what does it mean? Where are the people going and why?” asked Rayah.
Savric pulled on his beard. “Time will most certainly tell.” He glanced away and grimaced. “Keep me apprised of further developments. I must continue my pursuit of the horde before I lose them again.”
Again? Rayah wanted desperately to know what’d happened, but she held her tongue. Another time would be more suitable for asking.
“As do you,” said Morcinda to Savric. The mirror went dark and Morcinda handed it back to Rayah. “I will keep the dragon scale. I’m certain it will prove more useful in my hands than yours.”
Rayah dared not argue with Morcinda. Besides, she had more pressing matters to deal with, like finding a way to help Rakzar kill Käíeƨ and save her own life. “I’m sure it will.”
“Good.” Morcinda placed the dragon scale in a leather satchel that h
ung from her left shoulder and eyed the woods. “Be wary of the company you keep.”
Rayah followed Morcinda’s gaze but saw nothing.
How does she know about Rakzar?
“It’s not what you think. He’s—”
Morcinda turned on Rayah, her gaze cold. “Never presume to know what I’m thinking. Even with good intentions, natural instincts are hard to overcome.”
A cold streak shot through Rayah. Did I make the wrong choice?
Morcinda nodded and then walked away—straight off the bluff. Rayah walked over to the cliff edge and watched Morcinda descend to the ocean’s surface on a pedestal of water. She walked across its choppy surface toward her boat, the waves parting around her and giving her a clear path to walk.
Rayah retrieved her pack and headed into the woods where Rakzar waited. She chose to push every negative thought of Rakzar from her mind and focused instead on the events that had just unfolded. Her stomach flipped with excitement.
I can’t believe I found a dragon scale! And I met an aquatic elf! Alderan won’t believe it when I tell him.
A hundred yards into the dense and dark forest, she found Rakzar leaning against a tall conifer with large pinecones, cleaning under his nails. Morcinda’s warning faded in her mind. She walked up to Rakzar, her thoughts still focused on the dragon scale.
“Ready when you are.” She couldn’t wipe the smile from her face.
“Just what I need. A cheerful dryte,” said Rakzar.
“Even you won’t be able to ruin this day.”
“I won’t need to. Shalaidah will bring you back to reality quick enough.”
Rayah’s mood flattened in an instant. She sighed. “You certainly know how to ruin a girl’s day.”
“Good. Let’s move.” He dropped on all fours and headed south through the forest.
Rayah took a deep breath.
This is going to be a long journey.
† † †
About an hour into their almost two-hour journey to see Shalaidah, Rakzar slid to a stop. Rayah came flying up behind him, the sound of her wings akin to a dragonfly’s. She settled on the ground next to him, her breathing shallow and quick.
Rakzar sniffed the air and listened intently to the sounds of the forest. He didn’t detect anything beyond birds, squirrels, and other small creatures, but his gut told him that something else lurked in the shadows. His hackles rose.
“What’s wrong?” whispered Rayah.
“Keep quiet.” Rakzar scanned the shadows again, but the thick canopy and dense forest created a plethora of hiding places in the darkness. “We’re not alone.”
Rayah moved a little closer to him. Too close for his liking. They’d have a conversation about it later. She retrieved a pair of tan gloves from her pack and slipped them on. They helped control the knives that hung from her belt. He appreciated her caution and preparedness.
Snap!
A rotted twig or branch. The sound came from behind them. They both whirled around.
Maniacal laugher filled the air. Came at them from every direction. “Oops.” A male voice. Neither gruff nor smooth. Nondescript.
Rayah stood with her hands at her sides, her head on a swivel and poised to loose her blades on anything that moved. Rakzar rose on his hind legs and stood next to Rayah, his double-edged battle axes clutched in his hands.
“Be ready but do nothing unless I say so.”
She nodded but kept her focus on the dark forest.
Ten paces away, the shadows moved. A humanoid figure stood within them. No, the shadows moved with the figure.
Rakzar gripped his axes tighter. “Show yourself.”
The figure stepped forward and shrugged away the shadows surrounding him as though they were nothing more than a cloak. The man dipped his head quickly, sending his curly, raven locks into a bouncing fit around his face and over his shoulders. “Greetings.”
The man stood about six and a half feet tall and wore black from head to toe, including a thick, leather coat, a long-sleeved shirt, leather gloves and gauntlets, leather trousers, and leather boots with thick soles and high heels.
“Why are you following us?” growled Rakzar.
“Following you? Oh, no, no, no. You misunderstand. I promise you I’m not the following sort.” The man stalked closer, a gleam in his golden eyes and a wicked grin on his face.
Rakzar snarled, “Then explain yourself before the bladed ends of my axes meet in the middle of your neck.”
The man chuckled. “Your confidence and enthusiasm are exceptional. I’ll give you that. But your confidence is misplaced.” He closed the distance by half again, leaving just a handful of paces between himself and Rakzar. “The name’s Kendar, and I’m hunting you.”
Rakzar motioned Rayah backward. “To the ground, Rayah. This fiend is mine.”
Rakzar glanced down. Rayah stood her ground, hands still at her sides. “I’ve dealt with far worse than a human.”
Kendar crossed his arms and smiled. “I’ll wait right here while the two of you decide on a plan of battle. I’ve got all day and nowhere to be.”
“Ground. Now,” barked Rakzar. “I won’t ask again.”
“Whatever.” She sank into the ground and disappeared.
“You ready now, tough pup?” Kendar winked. “Give me your best shot. I won’t even move.”
Something about Kendar gave Rakzar pause, and it wasn’t just the man’s overconfidence. As far as Rakzar could tell, the man carried no weapons.
What kind of fool seeks out a fight without weapons other than a wizard?
Rakzar feared Kendar might be something else entirely. He took a step backward. “Brandish your weapon of choice.”
“I assure you that my body is my weapon.” He leaned his head to the side and rubbed his neck. “Right here, or anywhere you please. Take your shot, and then I’ll take mine.”
Enough of this.
Rakzar roared and lunged forward, his arms wide and axes poised to relieve Kendar of his head. Metal struck flesh with a concussive force, cracking like thunder. Fragments of blade exploded outward, a thousand shards of death, nicking and piercing Rakzar’s tough flesh. Rakzar retreated. Each of his double-edged axes now only had one edge. Kendar’s head remained atop his neck, not a scratch on his flesh.
Kendar threw his head back and laughed. “No weapon can harm me.” His smile faded and his jaw tightened. “Now it’s my turn.” He removed his gloves and stuffed them into his coat pocket.
“Do your worst,” growled Rakzar. “You’ll find I’m not so easy to kill either.”
Kendar squeezed his fingers together with his thumbs, and his hands morphed into thick, long, hooked claws. Then, his arms extended and narrowed into whip-like appendages that stretched all the way to the ground. He whipped them around and they cracked the air.
Rakzar had heard of forest spirits known as the Zhrimƨzhedō that could take the shape of any creature. Shadowgrym. As Kendar had stated, weapons could not harm them, but there were other things he’d known about them as well, but he couldn’t recall any of them. He retreated several steps and pounded the side of his head with his palm, trying to knock his memories back into place.
Kendar rushed forward, his arms a flurry of motion. Rakzar easily blocked the attack with his axes but hadn’t anticipated Kendar’s arms wrapping around the ax handles, latching onto them, and ripping them from his grip. He’d never been disarmed so quickly.
Rakzar lunged forward, wrapped his hands around Kendar’s throat, and grunted as he squeezed as hard as he could.
Kendar retaliated, wrapping his arms around Rakzar’s. His hooked hands sliced right through Rakzar’s tough skin, digging deep into the flesh of Rakzar’s arms.
Rakzar fought through the pain and found the strength to squeeze harder.
Kendar’s eyes bulged, and then his mouth and nose morphed into a sharp, pointed beak. His neck lengthened a good foot, and he pecked at R
akzar’s face and eyes.
Rakzar released Kendar’s neck and tried to protect his face, but he couldn’t escape from Kendar’s grip.
Rakzar fell backward, taking Kendar with him, but it only made matters worse. Kendar’s weight increased tenfold, crushing Rakzar into the ground.
A question crept into Rakzar’s head. Can I be killed with this stupid curse on my head?
But the true question that lingered in the back of his mind was whether or not he was willing to take the chance of finding out. If Kendar succeeded in killing him would he come back to life?
Saliva dripped from Kendar’s beak and landed right in Rakzar’s left eye. It burned like liquid fire, and he couldn’t reach his eye to wipe it away.
“Prepare yourself for death,” said Kendar.
Death…
How many times had Rakzar been on the brink of death? He couldn’t count the times on just one hand.
Memories of those occasions flooded his mind, but then he remembered something else about the Zhrimƨzhedō.
They are immune to normal weapons, but mezhik weapons can hurt them.
Rayah’s knives used some sort of mezhik. He started to call for her but remembered something else.
The Zhrimƨzhedō heal quickly. Almost as fast as they are injured.
Damn.
Time I faced my death.
Rakzar glared at Kendar, his eyes still full of fire. “I’ve been prepared for this moment my whole life, yet it always seems to evade me. Don’t be surprised if you fail to kill me as well.”
Kendar’s face returned to a normal state. “I will go slow so that you can savor the moment.”
“Bite—”
Rakzar suddenly remembered another detail of the Zhrimƨzhedō. An important detail.
Rakzar roared, “Now, Rayah! Slit the bastard’s throat with your knives!”
Kendar laughed. “You’re axes did nothing—”
Two silver blades shot into the air and crossed the front of Kendar’s throat.
Kendar’s eyes grew wide as two red lines in the shape of an “X” surfaced on his dark, brownish-green skin.
Rended Souls Page 21