by A R Maloney
“Yes sir.”
I nodded to the guard and continued to my quarters. Ready to heed the call of sleep which had been beckoning me relentlessly. One thought stopped me, and I turned back to the guard.
“I have one more request of you. Only two are needed at this post. I will give you a particular task. You are to gather any wings which hang in our halls and take them to the bonfire in the central courtyard. Add them to the fire, make sure they burn completely. Tonight, they are to be returned to the skies.” I removed a pendant with my personal sigil from my belt and handed it to the guard. “Show any who question you this. See this task is completed tonight. I will find you tomorrow for its return.”
“I will do as you ask, you have my word.” He turned on his heel, placing the pendant in his pocket before leaving in search of wings to complete his orders.
Finally, I could sleep. I tried to suppress a yawn as I turned and made my way down the hall to my quarters. I unlocked the room, shucked off my clothes, and climbed into my bed. Moments later, I had turned onto my side with my eyes closed, pulling and pushing my pillow into a place of comfort under my neck.
Chapter 9 - The End of Nova
~Nova~
IT WAS WHAT WE had been training for. But still, we never saw it coming. One minute we’d been practicing. It was a training exercise in preparation for our coming assignment. The next minute… it was death.
Our company had finally been chosen to go to the badlands. Our commanders had left us a course to navigate, objectives to retrieve. We were to maintain silence, practicing stealth and working together to pass the set of obstacles which had been set before us. But what happened today was not anything we could have anticipated.
The morning was cool, a light haze hung over the fields and brush, leaving tendrils of thin fog drifting between the rocks and trees of the forested canyon in the province of Dramheim. Our small team of sixteen had been working together for thirteen months now. We had reached a level of cohesion and trust I had never known possible.
I remembered back to the day we received our assignment, Gema and I. We arrived together, standing at the front doors of Company Aphos. We had grown up as neighbors, playing in the fields and forests that surrounded our village. I had even fallen in love with her brother, Kaven. Now, we would fight together as sisters.
They came from the direction of the badlands. There were five of them, a small Lluren raiding party. I’d heard of them before, but I had never laid eyes upon them. The stories I’d been told as a child did nothing to prepare me for what we came across this day.
Initially, we’d been doing well. The sixteen of us against the five of them. But they were behemoths. Twice the size of our largest warrior, their biceps wider than my waistline. Their dark skin, green like a lizard and covered in heavy scales. Many of my first arrows merely bounced off them doing no damage. They wore thick metal helms, leaving only small spaces near the eyes and mouth to aim. Finally, I found they had a weak spot beneath their arms.
“The armpits, aim there!” I tried to yell to the others, over the din of clashing swords and spells.
First one fell, then another, but just as quickly I watched my brothers and sisters falling on the field. There were six of us left, we had them down to the last one. He turned for Gema, raising his wicked blade high. I screamed to her and she evaded the blow, dropping and rolling backwards several feet. Angered, he turned his attention towards me. My back was pressed against the steep face of the canyon wall. I had nowhere to go. I nocked an arrow and raised my bow, whispering a blessing onto it as I drew it close to my cheek. I let the arrow fly; my aim was true… yet his was also.
Given the chance, I would die for my company a thousand times over. I felt the heavy pressure of the sharpened point of the blade as it pierced and broke through the links of the light chainmail which covered my leather tunic. I felt every inch of the cold, razor-sharp metal as it slid into my chest and through my body. I knew this was my death and a smile crossed my face as I fell, knowing our last foe had also been defeated.
Chapter 10 - Introspection of a Healer
~Clarissa~
IT WAS CHAOS. I’D battled these beasts in the past, many years ago. These ones in my company… they thought they were ready. They were still fledglings for the most part. Only Markus was battle-hardened apart from myself. The Lluren were as vicious as I had remembered. Their energy seemed boundless and they gave no quarter. Every time we pushed one back; another would be driving forward.
Nova seemed to have found their weakness. I tried yelling out, but as the main healer of the group I needed to stay towards the back. Every time I placed a shield it was broken before I could even try to heal anyone. I felt inept and heartsick as I watched my company falling one by one. We finally overcame them, but the cost had been enormous.
The Lluren… here in Dramheim. This was unheard of. The last time they had been seen anywhere near this area was before the time of the Great Break. Why had they returned? What brought them to our broken lands? How did they breach the heavy protective wards which lined the edges of the badlands?
So many questions ran through my mind. I found it hard to focus. The survivors, just five of us now, searched the battlefield. Perhaps we had a brother or sister still clinging to life. We spread out, not too far lest more of the Lluren demons appear. We searched for any sign of life which may be lingering.
One by one we retrieved our fallen brothers and sisters, lining them up so we could prepare their bodies and bid them a final farewell. A gasp and a shout of surprise caught my attention and I spun on my heel, not believing my eyes.
I watched as one of our rangers, Nova, attacked Markus. She ripped a dagger from his waist and shoved him back. She swung it through the air, coming very close to carving into his abdomen. She very well may have succeeded if he’d not been wearing the heavy plate armor. I watched her scurry away from him. A look of terror covered her face as her heels dug furiously into the ground, pushing her backwards. What I found hardest to believe? Not ten minutes earlier I had declared her dead. She had been run clear through by that last Lluren raider, just as her own arrow had made its way through his eye and into his skull.
There’s no way I could have been mistaken. She had been dead; her left lung and heart skewered… the Lluren’s wicked sword had been removed by one of our own men. I looked down at my palms, still stained deep maroon from her blood. My hands had been holding her warm heart just minutes ago as I’d tried to coax a rhythm back, but the damage had been too great.
Gema looked like she was going to be sick. Markus had taken several steps back, he was holding his hands open with his palms up, trying to placate Nova. Then I watched as she dropped the dagger and grabbed her head with both hands. Letting out a shrill scream, she vomited and then passed out.
We looked at each other, none of us sure what to do. “Gema. I have more to check on this side. Keep your distance from her and tend to the other fallen but stay watchful and alert. Let me know immediately if there is any change here.” My hand swept out to Nova who was still, but breathing, laying on the ground. “I won’t be far.” Gema looked at me shakily but nodded.
Markus moved away to help retrieve another fallen brother. “I’m close, keep your distance should she rouse again. We don’t know how she will be.”
Gema thanked Markus and moved to continue her work.
Chapter 11 - The Return
-Skye-
THE WORLD SUDDENLY SPUN again, bucking and tossing me back onto the ground. I gasped for breath, but my lungs wouldn’t expand for me. I felt as though my chest had been stomped. Everything ached. I’d been attempting to survey my surroundings before I fell again. Every time I tried to rise; gravity pulled me back down.
Where was I? I didn’t recognize the location, yet the terrain was vaguely familiar. The dark sky above and the snowcapped cliffs surrounding me told me I was somewhere in Ustenia. Morland, perhaps? I didn’t know the country outside of where my assign
ment had taken me. It seemed like so long ago that I had volunteered to take on the foray which had brought me so deep into Morland. The mission that brought me to Mera, and the Kauri Nabaru. The task which had brought me to Lancer. The journey which had changed the trajectory of my immortal lives.
A girl stood nearby. Her side was to me and I could see by her posture that she was tense. I could feel the anxiety rolling off her skin in waves. She was wrapping a body in a white cloth. “Water….” My tongue was thick and tacky as I tried to call out the word.
She jumped briefly, turning on her heel and giving me an astonished look before moving a couple of steps away. “Why are you speaking in the old language?” She took a tentative step closer and gasped. “Nova… your eyes!”
“Water, please.” Not ready to answer anyone’s questions just yet, I merely reached a hand towards her, begging for help.
The girl opened the cap from a water skin and approached me hesitantly, helping it to my lips. She was skittish and looked as though she would bolt at any moment. I took small sips, swallowing carefully as to not choke. It was as if I needed to remember how to swallow properly, and the soothing liquid dribbled from the corners of my mouth, falling from my chin and onto the dirt below. I didn’t care how much it dripped; I craved the water in every way possible. I noticed the girl waving frantically to get the attention of a man nearby.
The wind was blowing forcefully through the canyon, driving small bits of dirt and snow into my eyes. I found myself trying to turn away from the driving cold and the dust which was causing my eyes to sting. The man had reached me now and was peering down into my eyes with a concerned look. Fear and apprehension masked his face and his blood red eyes shone down upon me. He looked up to the girl. “Gema, be careful. Has there been any change? I thought this one was lost to us.”
The girl, Gema, had stepped back several paces now. She was smeared with a motley combination of dirt and blood, and her face was streaked from what I could only assume was tears as she nodded to the man. “Yes, Ruaa. Clarissa confirmed it herself not even ten minutes ago. Nova was completely skewered by that demon! There was no saving her.” The words were spat from Gema’s lips as she pointed to the Lluren sword which lay on the ground not far from me. “Look for yourself!” Then her clawed hand pointed to my chainmail and leather tunic, which had been torn and was covered in a soggy blend of blood, dirt, and debris. “I was getting ready to prepare her body for the return to her family. Markus had been helping to move her when she attacked him.” she pointed at me again, “It was as if she didn’t recognize us, she vomited and screamed, and then she passed out.”
Oh gods. My hands reached up to find the cold clotted blood on my tunic and mail. I held my bloodied hand up to see for myself. What was happening? “Where am I?” My voice was hoarse as I spoke the words.
I tried to sit up, but the man’s hands were on my shoulders, not letting me rise. I reached for the dagger, trying to squirm from his grip and moaning—I was remembering the pain of my wings having been ripped from my body where his hands now lay. “No! Please, no.” I begged him to give me distance. “Mera, I need Mera,” I croaked, my voice still scratchy and weak. “Do you know Mera? Can you help me to her?”
They both looked at me incredulously, with hard expressions on their faces. Ruaa stepped forward aggressively. He bent down, looking me in the eyes. “The witch?” His angry reaction told me that Mera might not be the best one to seek out. “Did she cause this?” His black hair seemed to stand on end and his glowing eyes lit the space between us with a fierce anger.
“No, no. She has done nothing….” I was flustered. What can I do? “How about General Lancer, can a message be delivered to him?” I was begging now. “I need to talk to him. He can help me.”
I was in pain and frustrated, and I hadn’t yet gotten over the shock that just… how long ago did it happen? I had just been killed. My wings had been ripped from my back while I was still alive. I ran a clawed hand over the blood slicked tunic again, feeling my chest through the wet bloody hole. My skin was intact. Then my hands slid up and over my shoulders to my back, reaching and caressing the spots from where I had been mutilated, as my wings had been hacked and torn from my body. The same place where I was currently feeling phantom pains.
Splitting pain filled my ears and I smashed my hands against my head as Ruaa whistled loudly. Moments later another whistle was heard in response. “Wait here, Clarissa is returning now. Stay down, please.”
“Where am I?” I asked again. The man turned his back to me without answering. I ignored his request, taking the opportunity to try and sit up. My head spun and the earth around me seemed to shake violently for a moment or two. A drum was beating in my skull. I pushed my hands over my ears once more, squinting my eyes shut—trying to quell the nausea which had started to rage in my gut.
“You’re in Dramheim.” The voice was melodic and calm, and I turned my head to see who had spoken. The world spun wildly once again, and I slid back to the ground, seeking solace. A moment later a face was peering down into mine. Her skin was like a dusky olive. And the deepest ruby eyes I had ever seen were searching my body. She met my eyes. “Do you remember me? I’m Clarissa.” She tilted her head slightly, inspecting me closer, “Your eyes….” Her voice was smooth and even.
Cringing, I tried to pull away from her strong clawed fingers as she checked my pulses.
“You, my friend…” she offered me a gentle smile as she spoke, “you were quite dead not even ten minutes ago.”
She spoke a spell and a small white ball of bright light floated just up above me. The woman inclined her head and apologized. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, but as the healer, I need to see for myself.”
She didn’t wait for permission. Her long hands gently grasped the hem of the mud and blood encrusted leather and chain tunic which covered me and moved it up, baring my chest. She sucked in her breath and cursed lightly as she saw where the wound had been. Where an open meaty mass of blood and viscera had been just minutes ago, there was now the light indigo grey of new skin. The area remained covered in blood, dirt, and detritus. Gently, she placed a palm on my abdomen, palpating the area lightly. “Does this hurt any?”
I tried to shake my head but stopped when the sharp pain and spinning hit me again.
“No.” I squeaked.
The healer leaned back onto her heels. “Curious.…” She pushed herself up and stood, pacing the ground before me. After moving back and forth for a few moments she asked, “How are you feeling now?”
“Other than a headache? I ache everywhere and the world spins every time I move. I feel like I’m gonna puke.”
“Can you tell me your name?” Her eyes remained cool and she had a gentle calming tone to her voice. The others had moved in closer so they could hear.
“I… I’m not sure….” I lied to her, not knowing what to say or who to trust. “I know the names Mera and General Lancer. I seem to remember something about a rose. I don’t know if that means anything. I believe they can help me. That’s all I seem to remember.” I tried to be as believable as possible.
“Markus?” Clarissa called out to the man. “I cannot recommend teleportation for this one, not in her state. It would be far too risky. How long would the trip to Morland be, if we were to take her by litter?”
I remembered trying to attack him earlier and I forced my eyes to the ground. My head was spinning as I tried to put together the events. How was I here? Now? Like this?
Gema called out, answering for the warrior and pulling me from my thoughts. “We can make it to Morland Fortress in less than two days if I am chanting. This is what I have been told by my trainer.” She still watched me warily. “Nova, do you not remember anything at all?”
I rolled the name around in my head… Nova. I looked at her and shrugged. “I’m sorry.” I tried to shake my head but ended up grasping it with both hands as once again the world swung wildly. “Gods….” My voice was a low moan of pain.
Two hands covered my shoulders gently and the sound of Clarissa’s melodic voice called gently into my ear, sweeping around me and gently lulling me back into unconsciousness. The last thing I remember was hearing Markus calling for messages to immediately be sent to both General Lancer and Mera… and the magus, Ruaa, volunteering to go.
Chapter 12 - A Summons
~Lancer~
I HAD JUST MADE it onto my bed and was adjusting the pillow under my head when a loud and persistent pounding began to sound on my door.
“General! Sir!” The unknown voice was as insistent as the knock was loud.
Turning my head, I groaned into my pillow. I squeezed my eyelids together hard for several long moments, wishing I could ignore this.
But the knocking came again, dogging me until I responded. “General, Sir!”
“One moment!” I roared my response as I sat up in bed. I pushed the heels of my hands into my eyes, trying to clear away my exhaustion. Taking two deep breaths, I stood and pulled on my pants, then crossed the room. “This had better be good.” I tried, not very successfully, to keep the frustration from my voice as I pulled the door open and gazed at an unknown bloodied Ustenian sentinel. “Soldier? Explain why you needed to come to me instead of one of the captains on duty.”
“I have been requested to you directly.” The young man fumbled over the words. “Requested to bring you… to the house of Mera.”
I ran an exhausted hand over my face. What more could possibly go wrong? “And why… am I needed… at the house… of a witch?” I drew the sentence out to exaggerate my annoyance.
The young fledgling squirmed under my implied reprimand. Maybe my reputation was a bit harsher than I remembered. “I… I don’t know sir. Mera was just as confused as you.” He was stumbling again, clearly shook up. “It was all she would say.”