King Ad Rock
Abednego
Traveler Maerwynn T'Iiosha
Location: The road to the T'Odis Gate, T'Odis
Date: Month 6, day 15
Time: Between the first hour and second hour of morning (1:30 A.M.)
It had stopped snowing a while ago.
"It's the moon, Maerwynn. See how it shines?"
As the trading caravans trudged along the white path, Maerwynn T'Iiosha couldn't help but remember the old stories her father used to tell her.
"Squinting girl. Moon and Sun aren't that different, are they?"
"Good. You'll always be able to find your way home. Just follow the moon."
She sighed, letting a small cloud dissipate out her mouth. The jostling of the wagon kept her awake, but even if the ride had been smoother - sleep was a doubtful dream. Now that she was out of the woods, the world it seemed, was covered in white.
"I am on the moon, Father."
"Whudderya talkin' bout ova dere?"
Had she been so loud? Maerwynn pulled her furs closer to her body before grunting out a curt, "Nothing". That's right, she wasn't on the moon. The caravan had picked her up just on the outskirts of the forest - she'd had to trade her own-made snowshoes to earn passage. There were three other merchants - at least she assumed they were merchants - shacked up with her for the ride, not including their driver. A small oil lamp burned merrily, illuminating small pockets of light inside. Packed in-between furs, sacks, crates, and people, Maerwynn felt that it was as warm and as comfortable as a late-night caravan ride could be. All in all, it totaled to five people to share the night with. Five people and two horses to make it out of the country before the next snow-storm hit.
She glanced back inside to see the speaker pack in tobacco in his pipe with his thumb. A flick and spark of a match later, the acrid smell of smoke filled the air and made Maerwynn sneeze.
"Whurya frum, anyhow? Tis'aint everyday we gots a little gel all by her lonesome."
"I am not a little girl."
"Aye. Eyecanna see dat, cannasee dat." He gestured at her hidden figure.
"Lil' missus all grown up unda dose furs, eyebetcha." He took another puff on his pipe before chortling.
"Aim jess jokin', Ma'am, jess jokin'. Ugly as sin, Ol' Pyper may be, but ne'er leddit anything be sed oyf my honawh."
Maerwynn raised her brows slightly but put the issue to rest. Living in the North, especially in the Frozen Forest, didn't exactly raise men with the chivalrous attitudes she so often read of in her books. No, the Northerners were crude, hearty, and rough around the edges - fun for a quick tumble perhaps, but not exactly court material.
Not that she had ever been to one, of course. Besides the fairy-tales her father had bought her- she must've read the same one over a hundred times - Maerwynn had spent most of her life stuck in the woods. The concept of leaving, admittedly, filled her with as much dread as it did anticipation.
"It does look like the moon..."
Having had enough of the silent hills, she poked her head back into the warmth of the caravan. It was a rickety old thing and it smelt too much of the goods it carried. In this case, the slightly rancid smell of deer hide filled her nostrils.
"Cawld nigh', eesn't et? Yesure dat blanket's enuf?"
Well, deer hide and the tobacco of her new-found companion. Reminded of the rest of the "Caravanners", Maerwynn turned around to observe them. Besides "Ol' Pyper", who was as stout as a beer barrel, the rest of them seemed fairly ordinary. Dressed with fur cloaks and with wind chapped faces, these were definitely the merchants that she was associated with. A slight movement in the back suddenly alerted her to a sixth companion - one whom she had missed among all the goods and the dark.
He was tall for a man, even sitting down. Maerwynn estimated him to be about 6 feet four standing up, at the very least. Draped in a cloak with a mask, she couldn't make out much more of his face besides his eyes. His deep grey eyes, speckled with bright flecks of blue, were piercing in the dark. Worst of all, it meant that he had been awake and was acutely aware of her deep scrutiny.
Maerwynn turned her head abruptly, causing a small crick! to sound through the caravan. She hadn't even seen him at first, how had she missed such a strange man? He didn't look like a merchant, save for his clothes. He seemed too well fed (or perhaps, looking at Pyper, fed just enough) to be making a living off selling wares. But then again, there were stranger things than an in-shape merchant in the North.
Much stranger things.
Thoughts of her Father’s ill-gotten fate befell her again, and Maerwynn returned to brood in the shadows. It had been a week and a half or so since she had left her home - a feat only achievable with her beloved snow-shoes, of which lay stuffed deep amongst the other goods. She’d have to buy them back someday.
She'd never seen anything like the disease her father had succumbed to. A deadly thing which caused its victims to freeze up like blocks of ice and yet sustain them for days on what seemed to be nothing. If she didn't know better, Maerwynn would have claimed it to be magic. She touched her lips thoughtfully, still remembering how cold his forehead had felt.
“I wonder…”
She sighed, letting out another cloud of frosty air. Had she been let into the capital city, L'Aorn, this would have been so much easier. Regrettably, it seemed that it was under lock-down under some strange circumstances, and under the threat of death Maerwynn had set out to return empty-handed. It was a stroke of luck that had led the caravan to her. A stroke of luck that had given her the crazy idea of leaving the country to look for a cure – she hadn’t even checked to see if her father had frozen to death. A horrible feeling began to rise in her stomach, shadows of a selfish desire which she desperately kept at bay.
No. No. I did it for Father. I am not a coward.
Desperate for something, anything to divert her thoughts, Maerwynn resumed the conversation that Pyper had so rudely begun.
“Uhmm… you are a merchant, yes?”
Rousing from his slumber, the old man eagerly brought himself to speak (quite as if he had been waiting for this to happen, she observed).
“Oiyem, yessumm, Miss, quite right, quite right! I, why, aim be selling mayh wares for um, um, since I be a young lad meself, no dou-“
“Uhm, yes. Yes, I felt like you were going to say that.”
She used the silence used while he took another puff to carry on.
“So! You probably traveled all around the world, yes? Ha-“
“Ahhh, awcous, awcouse! Aimbeen awll ovuh, frum da mounteens o’Teeawdis to da deserts o’In… In… well, whuever ees cawled. Lemme tellyuh summin, wance I eve-“
“-sease, like it free-“
“-uwnd, lil’ gal like yaself ne’er e’er been owut en aboot, naow dee-“
“SHUT UP!”
With a start, Maerwynn and Pyper grew silent and stared at the outstretched hand. The now awoken merchant, skinny as he was, stretched out and pointed outside the caravan.
“Lookit that… the Night Eyes of T’Odis.”
Maerwynn craned her neck to see a black silhouette of a large tower contrasted against the moonlit sky. It seemed breathtaking and slightly ominous. The closer the horses got to the structure, the tighter the feeling in her chest became. For once, Pyper had shut his mouth and extinguished his pipe. As the smell of smoke faded away, the air seemed to grow much colder. The pointing man’s eyes grew wider to the point of popping before he let out a shaky breath. Whatever this “Night Eyes of T’Odis” was, Maerwynn was sure that it didn’t signal good fortune.
“What is it?” she whispered.
“The guard towers… they can see everything in the country that moves.”
“T’aint good ter pass by, lass, ‘specially annight. ‘Tis a bad omen for us merchants.”
Maerwynn shivered, though whether it was from the night air or the tower, she did not know. As they passed in relative silence, save for their heavy breathing and the nervous nickering of the horses, she saw the tower recede and grow smaller and smaller into the distance.
“Is it safe?”
“All’s waell. All’s waell. S’long as eet’s nawt on fire, all’s waell.”
“On fire?”
“S’course! ‘Ow else arryegonna usem?”
Maerwynn leant back against a particularly comfortable rucksack before letting tension she didn’t even know she had seep out of her back. Just around a week into her journey and she had already seen such amazing things. The ice mountain city of L’Aorn, and now this “Night Eyes of T’Odis” – she really was a country girl after all. She closed her eyes, trying to preserve the memory of the night.
A horse whinnied.
Then she saw them.
At first, Maerwynn assumed them to be trees in the horizon. As she squinted her eyes however, it became apparent to her that they were horsemen – rapidly arriving horsemen at that. And unless it was an urgent message, none of which she suspected would be delivered to the likes of her compatriots, they meant danger. She had seen enough bandit raids to sense malicious intent when she felt it and right now, the hairs on her neck were bristling.
“Wha-“
Before she could finish her sentence, Maerwynn saw her second greatest event of the night – the top of the tower which they had passed burst into flame. With a great whoosh and a crackle of firewood, the once black tower was crowned with light. The fire was so great that she could feel the heat on her face and she had to squint her eyes.
A sun, she thought. This is no fire. It is a sun.
“The Night Eyes! They are open!” The skinny merchant practically wailed before burying his face in the blankets.
“Ride! Ride! Git dose ‘orses a’movin’, dammit!” The distinctive voice of Pyper penetrated her ears and the incoming crack of the driver’s whip lurched the caravan ahead. Maerwynn gripped the wooden skeleton of the caravan as it made its way through the snow. If it had been a bumpy ride before, the ensuing chase had made it into a veritable earthquake. It was all she could do to not fall out and even at this breakneck speed – the mysterious horsemen were catching up.
“Oh, oh!” Maerwynn half whined, half groaned, as a crate fell on her head. “Hey! I think they’re catching up! Go faster, guys!” At this range, she could almost see the foam frothing at their steeds’ mouths.
They were tall men – impossibly tall men. The moonlight glinted off their strange armour and they carried a regal air about them. This was no bandit raid and these were no bandits. They seemed like those chess pieces she kept at home – emotionless, in sync, and unstoppable. One shouted a phrase in which she recognized as the T’Odis language – having learnt enough to communicate with customers – and the group splintered off into three assailants on each side of the caravan. Their spears were illuminated by the “Night Eyes” and were soon driven into the wooden stokes of the caravan.
“Arghh!” The caravan jostled about, almost veering off-course before the driver reined in the horses.
“Gettem off!” was his only response before he resumed his wrestle with his beasts of burden. Maerwynn grit her teeth before another jarring shock sent her tumbling around inside. Smashing into a pile of stinking hides, she spotted her crossbow jammed in a corner. The other merchants were cowering, even now unwilling to throw away their wares to delay the attackers. “What?! What?! Help me, you guys!”
Another shock.
This caravan will not last much longer, she thought grimly. “Fine, give me my crossbow!”
“Right ye’re, no prob-“
“Here, give it here, just give it!”
Snatching her weapon from someone’s – she couldn’t tell who, not in the commotion – hands, Maerwynn steadied herself by leaning against some crates. “Urgh!”
She pulled back on the heavy bowstring, using her feet and body for leverage. Struggling to fit in a bolt, she was unaware of what her comrades were doing – if they were even helping at all. Finally, impossibly, she was able to lift her crossbow up to her shoulder. She had no idea of how much time had passed but judging from the rattling of the caravan, it wouldn’t hold up for much longer. She took in a deep breath and held it, using her father’s teachings. A click of the trigger launched the steel bolt towards her assailants but another jolt caused her to fly sideways and fuck up her shot. It hit nothing but the snow.
“I can see the gates! Aren’t even closed yet!”
Amidst the gibbering praying of the merchants, the panicked whinnying of the horses, and the continuous crunching of the lances against wood, Maerwynn whooped out of triumph. By craning her neck, she could see the mountains quickly coming into view. Along with a monstrous gate, if it could even be called one. It was more of a huge chunk of rock outfitted with a great portcullis. If it wasn’t for the clearly man made turrets on top, Maerwynn would have thought it to be part of the mountains themselves.
Perhaps growing desperate by seeing that the gates were nowhere near closing, the horsemen redoubled their efforts and hacked away at the ropes connecting them to the horses. With a sudden schriiipp, Maerwynn watched as a steel blade cut through the fur clothed top and into the chest of a praying mercenary. A spurt of blood jetted out and stained her flushed face, causing her to blink.
Krakoom!
When next she opened her eyes, Maerwynn found herself slumped in the wreckage of what had been the caravan. She blearily blinked her eyes. Once. Twice. Everything hurt and there was the familiar metallic taste of blood in her mouth. A numb ringing made her deaf and every time she rolled her eyes spots of blackness threatened to extinguish her sight.
“Haaughh…” She fought to take in a breath. It felt as if Pyper, the fat merchant from earlier, had been sitting on her chest. It was also a struggle to move especially when her limbs felt like deadwood. For now, it was all she could do to catch her breath and watch the sky.
And watch.
And watch.
Until Maerwynn saw a black spiral come spiraling through the night sky, so black that it stood out even in the dark. It seemed to suck in all the stars’ lights in the sky before it lazily swallowed up the moon. Suddenly, Maerwynn couldn’t tell if she had opened her eyes or closed them. She opened her mouth and screamed. An unadulterated expression of pure frustration in the situation she found herself stuck in. A rumble shook the very land before a blinding blue bolt pierced through the darkness. The light showed off the black clouds, rolling and crashing about in the sky. It was a violent storm and it reminded her of the sea.
An ocean in the sky.
Maerwynn half laughed and half cried.
“A thunderstorm. I was scared of a thunderstorm.” As pain began to sear through her legs, she only grit her teeth in a crazed grimace. At the very least, it meant that feeling had begun to come back to her limbs. She wiggled her toes to test the theory, and although the blackness barred her from seeing them move, the jolting pains announced to her that her body was ready to go. Maerwynn began to crawl forwards, occasionally feeling with her hands the remains of her traveling companions.
Another flash of light briefly illuminated the background and in front of her, she saw the strange hooded man from earlier fighting with the horsemen. Though the image had lasted for a second, it was burned into her eyes. He had skin like the snow, and he seemed even taller than before. With every lightning bolt that shot through the skies, Maerwynn could see snapshots of their battle. From her prostate form on the ground, the men seemed like giants fighting in the mountains.
What had seemed like spears to her earlier were, on second impression, just swords. Huge bladed swords that seemed too heavy to lift, let alone swing around like they were doing. Sparks flew off their metal weapons as they ground against each other, the light of the metal shards giving more precious details to Maerwynn. With a final peal of thunder, the clouds dissipated to reveal a bloodstained canvas – the stranger remained standing tall and the nine horsemen lay dead, their blood darkening the white snow.
Just like that, silence and serenity returned to the battleground. The moon shone brightly once more, although it had set down lower in the sky. Maerwynn heaved for breath before leaning back against a broken wheel. The horses were long gone. The merchants lay dead or unconscious – she didn’t care which at the moment. And the storm… she had never seen anything like it. Even the mightiest blizzards gave some sort of warning before they struck – if you knew how to look for it. They followed a pattern.
But this thunderstorm? The darkness that had just swallowed them whole? Maerwynn had never seen anything like it. Perhaps she had had her eyes closed the entire time after all. Besides, the important thing was that she was alive. That meant hope for her quest still lingered.
“We lived.” She spoke to the air. “We lived.”
She took the moment to rest up and to fully appreciate the carnage. Besides the horsemen who lay dead, the caravan had been utterly smashed to pieces. The torn up body of the skinny merchant lay nearby. That could have been me.
She crawled through the wreckage, aiming to find her crossbow and perhaps pick up any useful items. Medicine was a wishful thought but perhaps not an impossible one. By the end of her crawl, Maerwynn had gathered up her crossbow (though it had a snapped string), a blowing horn, and three of her crossbow bolts. She strapped them around her shoulders with some string before a sudden cough alerted her to the prostate man a few feet away from her.
Pyper, it seemed, had not fared for the better in the caravan crash. A long splinter of wood penetrated from his belly and yellow bubbles of fat and gore trickled slowly out his wound. Maerwynn sat still and stared at him with a tight mouth. It seemed only right to let the dying man speak out first. Unfortunately, it seemed as if that was not going to happen. The fat merchant gasped for breath, his previous witticisms reduced to a gurgling wheeze. Maerwynn sighed before starting her arduous crawl over to him, taking only a moment to stop for breath. Her ribs still hurt. “I feel like you can’t make it.”
She rested a hand on the wooden spike, but even that small movement caused him to tremble furiously.
“No. You can’t make it. Not like this.” Maerwynn sniffed before reaching in her coat to grasp the familiar bone handle of her knife. She was glad to see it had not been lost or broken in the craziness that had occurred. Upon the sight of her knife however, Pyper’s eyes began to roll in their sockets. They whizzed from side to side, as if he were shaking his head, “no, no”. He began to froth at the mouth and blood spluttered from his throat. It was a disconcerting sight – one which felt strangely familiar to Maerwynn – and she ended by plunging the knife into his chest.
Maerwynn was certain that she had hit his heart, though it had been a bit more difficult due to his bulk and clothes. His body jerked and relieved itself and the blood from her knife wound matted his fur cloak. Pyper let out one last gasp before the light in his eyes dimmed and faded. Killing was a grisly business.
“Goodbye, Pyper.” She wiped off the blade on his clothes before sheathing it and stashing it in her coat again.
Just then, she heard the tinny sound of a trumpet calling. Obviously, reinforcements had arrived. Or something along those lines – they (or rather, the stranger) had just killed the men following them, after all. The grating noise of the portcullis caught her attention and she snapped her head back to look at the mountain gate to see it closing. The creaking and clinking of metal on stone sounded like her own despair.
“No, no. No.” She murmured before struggling to her feet.
Although the gate was only a few dozen feet away, with her shaky legs it felt like a million. She limped-hopped towards the gates only to have a sense of doom reach over her. There was simply no way to reach it in time. And as Maerwynn was only so certain of, once she gave up hope inside, there really was no way to succeeding. It was then she remembered the pale faced stranger and his skillful display. Surely a warrior like that would have no trouble dashing through the gate… perhaps with a certain gammy legged woman.
“Please,” she croaked out, “help me. Don't leave me! Help me!”
Ex Justice Horde Knight Vanse D'Enishora
Location: The road to the T'Odis Gate, T'Odis
Date: Month 6, Day 15
Time: Between the first and second hour of morning (1:30 A.M.)
They had to be close by now. Patches of grass were beginning to reveal themselves from under all the T'Odis snow that blanketed the area. However, the crisp night air was still unforgivably cold. Working its way down a long dirt road, a simple trade caravan was approaching the massive T'Odis Gate. This small horse drawn carriage had definitely seen better days. Made of aging wood, the withered structure cracked and creaked with every bump. It's canopy was riddled with different rips and tears. Many of which were crudely stitched and patched. A small lantern hung from one the top beams and created a warm dim glow. Boxes and bags of spices and wares filled the cabin, and crowded together six passengers were resting. Each on their way to the border.
Vanse sat silently in the back where he found a small nook to plant himself in. He wanted to try and stay as hidden as possible. He long abandoned his knights armor he once felt so much pride in. Instead traded, for an old hooded cloak and mask. Underneath, he wore a small leather chest piece and a couple of gauntlets for added protection and insulation. The other merchants sat quietly minding their own. There wasn't anything too particular about them, except for a young Kildran woman and a rather large bellied man next to her. Vanse heard her make a small whisper, which caught his and the man's attention.
"Whudderya talkin' bout ova dere?" The man had a tiny sense of whimsy to his voice as he inquired the girl. His voice pitching slightly behind his sluggish words. She simply grabbed and pulled her furs tight and responded with an abrupt,
"Nothing."
Vanse's eyes drifted from them to the night sky just viewable from the carriage's rear opening. There wasn't a single cloud in site as millions of tiny lights that decorated the heavens. A wave of sadness slowly enveloped him. This was his home, he swore to protect it, but now he was leaving and he could never go back. His gaze went from star to star trying to make out the constellations he found as a boy. Suddenly, in the vast darkness, among all the tiny specks of light, another appeared. The star gazer's eyes widened. His heart began to race as his breathing became heavier. He quickly looked over and fixated on another spot of darkness in the sky. Every second felt like an eternity at this point . The smell of burning tobacco filled his nostrils with every long deep breath. The carriage made a small turn and the canopy's flaps obstructed his view. He pushed himself up slight with his hands and found the spot again. And in it, another light appeared. This time slightly brighter and almost flickering. Vanse dropped back down into his seat and just stared ahead in space silently.
It was over. They were so close but there was no way they could make it out now. It was only a matter of moments and all they could do was wait. He looked over at his fellow passengers once more. He knew what was going to happen and feared for their safety. It was clear they were completely unaware of their impending danger. His eyes fell on the Kildran woman who was now staring back at him. She was young , maybe in her early twenties. Her dark brown hair and a rosy complexion were hard to make out in the dim lighting. She quickly turned away after he noticed her and let out a small crack in her neck. Surprisingly, she began to speak again to the large man she shrugged off just moments before.
"Uhmm… you are a merchant, yes?" The merchant, falling asleep, stirred and quickly propped himself up when she spoke.
"Oiyem, yessumm, Miss, quite right, quite right! I, why, aim be selling mayh wares for um, um, since I be a young lad meself, no dou-"
"Uhm, yes. Yes, I felt like you were going to say that."
He took a long drag from his pipe before she continued. "So! You probably traveled all around the world, yes? Ha-"
"Ahhh, awcous, awcouse! Aimbeen awll ovuh, frum da mounteens o’Teeawdis to da deserts o’In… In… well, whuever ees cawled. Lemme tellyuh summin, wance I eve-"
"-sease, like it free-"
"-uwnd, lil’ gal like yaself ne’er e’er been owut en aboot, naow dee-"
"SHUT UP!" Another merchant Vanse thought was sleeping suddenly jumped up and held a skinny arm up at the two to silence them. He then used his other arm to point outside. "Lookit that… the Night Eyes of T’Odis." Vanse was already well aware of the 100 foot structure they were approaching.
"What is it?" The girl whispered.
"The guard towers… they can see everything in the country that moves." He wasn't completely wrong. Each tower was equipped with a massive bonfire ready to be burned at a moments notice. When lit they light up the night and allow one to easily see for miles. With dozens of them lining the eastern and western borders to the lawless lands, there was no way anyone could pass without being seen right away. That's why the gate was his best bet. He had to get as far from T'Odis as possible. It was his only chance of survival.
"T’aint good ter pass by, lass, ‘specially annight. ‘Tis a bad omen for us merchants." This is especially true, since Vanse already saw two towers light up in the far distance. The cabin grew silent as they trudged passed the ominous construct. After a few eternal minutes you could feel the tension lift as it slowly began to fade off into the night.
"Is it safe?" She asked.
"All’s waell. All’s waell. S’long as eet’s nawt on fire, all’s waell."
"On fire?"
"S’course! ‘Ow else arryegonna usem?" He's right it wasn't on fire yet. Maybe they still had a chance. The tower's fires were also used as signals. When L'Aorn needs to close the gate in an emergency they light a giant tower in the capitol. From there the first border towers to see the flame are to light their towers. After which each tower begins lighting their fires in a dominoe effect down the borderlines until the T'Odis Gate guards see it and know to close the gate.
There was a brief moment of peace. Everyone began to settle down as the carriage continued its stride. But then, not far off, loud neighing broke the silence. Vanse almost jumped to his feet as every head turned to look outside. Somehow a horde tracked him down, and coming at them, at a breakneck pace, were nine horsemen. Each horse was a monster of a beast, twice the size of the two regular steeds that pulled them. They were specially breed for their riders, and like them, were fully decorated in glistening armor. Suddenly, the tower they had just passed burst into flames, and light filled almost everything in sight.
"The Night Eyes! They are open!" Yelled the man who pointed the tower out.
"Ride! Ride! Git dose ‘orses a’movin’, dammit!" Demanded the fat man, finally speaking some sense. The driver cracked his whip and the caravan burst forth with speed. Everyone held on as tight as they could to keep from falling out. Vanse was standing in the back. His left hand held firmly on one the canopy's support beams and his right on a nearby shelf.
"Hey! I think they’re catching up! Go faster, guys!" Yelled the girl. Boxes and wares were flying everywhere while the merchants held down what they could. Despite the scared cries of the passengers, the crashing and banging of the wagon, and all the flying merchandise. Vanse heard almost perfectly the horde captain yell out in T'Odis,
"Kyhh glan ehh (Kill them all)." Their pursuers, like a pack of organized wolves, divided into three groups of three. Two groups rode up to the caravan from both sides, while the third closed in from the rear. He didn't understand. These people were innocent, he was the one they were after. So why kill them also? Normally a horde should be trying to stop the carriage so they can arrest him. Not attack it and everyone in it. They began stabbing at the speeding structure in almost perfect synchronicity . Wooden splinters were flying everywhere while blade after blade pierced the carriage. One managing to nick ex-knight's shoulder before he could dodge it in time.
"Gettem off!" Yelled the driver as he jerked and pulled his reigns. The Kildran girl tumbled into some furs and called out to the terrified passengers.
"What?! What?! Help me, you guys!" Vanse tried to reach out a hand, but the carriage started to tilt on two wheels, and quickly slammed back down. Knocking everyone around once more. "Fine, give me my crossbow!" She called out again.
"Right ye’re, no prob-"
"Here, give it here, just give it!" With all their swords finally gone the horde must have pulled back on their assault, but Vanse was still worried about what they would do next. He watched the fat old merchant struggled to hand the girl her weapon. So he quickly grabbed the bow and passed it to her. He then watched, actually slightly impressed, as she managed to prop herself up and load it. She pulled it up to her shoulder and took aim. But, right when she pulled the trigger, a sudden shock knocked her over and sent the bolt flying way off course.
"I can see the gates! Aren’t even closed yet!" The driver cried out. The girl hollard proudly, but Vanse looked out of a tear and saw a knight advance to the front of the carriage. He knew what was coming next, and he quickly braced himself. A blade sunk into the canopy, killing a passenger before-
schwip
Like he predicted, they cut the carriages ties to the horses and they lost control. Veering off the road, they ran up a small hill and lifted into the air. Crashing straight into ground. The rickety caravan was no more. Wood, wares, and bodys were thrown everywhere. Vanse found himself hitting the ground at an angle, sliding across the snow. He tried picking himself back up, but a horseman bolted over, grabbed him by his hood, and dragged him across the ground. He was suddenly released and he tumbled to a stop. Battered and bruised, the Ex-knight somehow found the strength to slowly get to his feet. He looked around at the 9 horseman who Surrounded him, some getting off their horses and drawing their swords. His eyes quickly found the captain who stood ahead of him proudly mounted on his steed. His helmet hid most of his features, but Vanse recognized that crooked smile anywhere.
"Riktor A'sari," He muttered weakly between breathes. The captain's smile grew, as if gaining pleasure from hearing his name. He opened his mouth and began speaking in T'Odis.
"Vanse D'enishora," His voice was deep and raspy. He spoke his prey's name slow and condescendingly. As if he was about to give him a scolding. He looked over at the collossal gate, now almost halfway closed and laughed.
"Iuo ehnusg neba yg uug. Yg's e slena, dog pa puuhb lefa tuma uug uun vuumb iuo afamgoehhi. (You almost made it out. It's a shame, but we would have gone out and found you eventually.)" He drew his sword, the tip aimed at Vanse.
"Weym ym ni ess, gleg puohb da, ekoehhi, weym ym ni ess iuo eheis daam. Drymt iuo ym ehyfa, Y pes glymkymt. Dog kyhhymt iuo, pyhh segysvi na. (And that would have been a real pain in my ass. Come to think of it, you've always been a pain in my ass. I was thinking about turning you in alive, maybe get myself a nice promotion, but killing you would be so much more satisfying.)" Vanse drew his sword and shouted back.
"Peyg! Y banemb e kundeg gryeh! (Wait! I demand a trial by combat!)" Riktor burst out in laughter.
"Vyrsg, iuor rohas pa bumg whei. Y bumg kmup lup iuo kyhhab Xhane M'lam uun uglar kmytlgs.(First of all, we don't play by your rules. I don't know how you did it, but you killed Xhane M’Iam and your entire horde.)" Black ominous clouds began to fill the sky, and suddenly a darkness almost like no other creeped across the landscape. The captain continued, "pli puohb pa klemsa uma eteymsg uma? (What makes you think we would take any chances fighting you one on one?)" The darkness finally reached them and Riktor gave one last command before being overtaken by it.
"Eggekk, afariuma!(Everyone, attack!)"
And almost instantly Vanse and the other knights were swallowed by the darkness right as they began to charge at him. Using the storm to his advantage, he managed to duck past two of his attackers and quickly pierced a third in the chest. After kicking him away and pulling his sword out lightning struck and revealed two other knights he wasn't aware of simultaneously striking down at him. He lifted his sword at the last second and caught both blades. Their swords crossed against his, and sparks lit their faces as he struggled to hold them both back. He quickly pulled back, and rolled between the two. He then flipped his weapon upside down and stabbed backwards. Catching deep into the side of the man to his left. Pulling his blade out and spinning around, he swung down hard on the shoulder of his other attacker. Then, hearing footsteps rushing up from behind, the swordsman turned and swung upwards, feeling his metal connecting with jawbone. There was nothing but a loud gargle as he heard a body tumble pass him to the ground. Lightning struck again, revealing everyone's positions. Vanse grabbed an oblivious knight in front of him from behind and thrust his sword into his back. As he collapsed to the ground, a third strike showed the final four staring directly as him. They stood almost one behind the other with Riktor farthest to the back. At once they all charged at Vanse, and blackness returned. He kicked one knight back and swung his sword horizontally to cut her throat. Then slashed another's legs after ducking a swing. Still crouched, he rolled backwards, barely dodging another incoming strike. The sword hit the ground only a few inches in front of him, as he sprung to his feet, jumped forward, and cut down his semi-final opponent.
A final strike of lightning confirmed Riktor and Vanse to be the last one's standing. they lunged at each other and with incredible speed, sparks flew everywhere as their weapons repeatedly connected and knocked away. When he found the perfect chance, Vanse swung at the last second to the captain's elbow and cut off his arm mid swing. He screamed and stumbled backwards. His sword and ass hit the ground as he grabbed at his bloody stump, and without hesitating, Vanse ran forward and stabbed down into his chest.
The storm began to fade as quickly as it started. It was unlike anything Vanse had ever seen. The moon light shown off the wet crimson snow, revealing the bloody scene. He stood silently in a moment of shock. He wiped blood from his forehead and looked at it on his hand. Not knowing if it was his or theirs. The nine armored bodies were too hauntingly familiar. He began to remember his old horde and the night they tried to kill him, but trumpets in the distance snapped him back to the present. Reinforcements were coming. He turned to the gate and saw it was only three quarters closed. If he ran, he could possibly make it through. He took a step forward, but heard a voice.
"Please," it groaned, "help me. Don't leave me! Help me!" The Ex-knight looked over and saw the Kildran girl laying among the wreckage still alive. He ran over and noticed her holding her chest. She probably broke a rib, he thought. He knelt down in front of her and pulled her arms around his shoulders.
"Hold on!" He called back to her. She gripped him tightly as he grabbed her legs and sprinted forward to the gate. He ran as fast as he could, each step more desperate than the last. At this point the gate was almost completely closed. He ducked down as much as he could, ran underneath it and leapt, just barely clearing the massive gate before it slammed closed behind them. They did it. They actually made it out of T'Odis. Vanse was on his back trying to catch his breath, while the girl lay a few feet from him holding her ribs. He slowly got up, walked over to her, took a knee, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?" She weakly nodded.
"I think so." She managed to utter. A horse whinnied, and both of their heads shot forward. In front of them, to their surprise, eating some grass only about ten feet away, was one of the caravan horses. They heard another trumpet, this time much closer.
"Kuna um. (Come on.)" Vanse whispered as he helped her back up and brought her to the horse. He put her on the back, climbed on himself, and they took off.
~~~
Back on the other side of the gate. Not too long after their escape. A second justice horde arrived and were instantly shocked by the destruction around them. Their captain removed her helmet and revealed herself to be a beautiful young woman. Her long white hair pulled back tightly, her frost white complexion complimented her cold and emotionless face.
"Kewgeym! (Captain!)" A female knight called out. She rode up next to her leader.
"symtha sag uv grekks Y vuomb, glai haeb gu tega. Y en surri askewa la nosg. (I found a single set of tracks leading to the gate. I'm sorry to say he must of escaped.)" The captain grit her teeth, and squeezed her reigns tightly.
"I pemg iuo gu qouasgyum toerbs. Vymb pleh lewwamab lara axekghi. (I want you to question the guards. Find out exactly what happened here.)" She ordered. "Uun sunauma tag gu guw uv tega. Tag glys benm tega uund tag glys uwam mup! (And someone get to the top of that gate and get this damn thing open now!)"
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