Elyar shot up in bed. He patted his body where he had been struck. No pain anywhere. Relief washed over him. Then fear. If Rhysander is on his way to Val I have to warn it! But is it to late?
Elyar flung his blanket off him and left his tent. The moon was high above meaning that the night was still young. Jereme’s tent was luckily only a few steps away. He heard soft snoring coming from inside the tent.
He couldn’t stop himself from laughing a little before kicking the tent. “Jereme! Wake up. Wake up!”
He heard snorting come from inside as Jereme quickly got out of bed flinging the tent open. “What is it? Are we under attack?” Jereme’s hair was kind of wild just like the look on his face. He had only pants on and was holding a dagger above his head.
“You can put that down. We aren’t under attack. But Val might be.” Elyar said making sure Jereme was not about to strike him. “I just woke from another nightmare. Val is in danger. We need to get there…NOW.”
Shaking the sleep from his eyes, Jereme responded, “wait, what? You had another nightmare where you were told to go to Val because it is go-
ing to be attacked? That sounds helpful to me.”
“No, no. I was threatened again. If I did not join Lyr’s master Val and the Feud would be destroyed. He is hurting those I love to get to me.”
The weight of what Elyar was saying finally hit Jereme. He stood still for a minute before saying, “I don’t mean to sound mean, but why does he want you so bad? You are the youngest son of a small fisc. What do you have that he needs? He can easily control armies from across the world. What then?
Sighing, Elyar dropped his head a little. “I know what you mean. It is not rude of you to say it. I am a small prize. I have no prospect of a title, no land grants, no great army…I am the youngest son of a weak fisc. I don’t know why he desires me to join him. But that does not change the fact that he is burning my world to get to me. Why he focuses on me
while launching a war on Korax is beyond me. But that is where we are.”
The moonlight shone on Jereme as he placed a hand on Elyar’s head to ruffle his hair. “You are not worthless. You didn’t say it, but I can see your mind heading in that direction. Time will tell what Theos and the fates have in store for you. Mark my words, I think you are headed for greatness.”
“Get off me.” Elyar said swatting Jereme’s hand away. “But thank you. I don’t know what I have done to deserve your loyalty and friendship.”
“You have done nothing to deserve it. I have given it freely because I like you. You are the kind of man I want to be around.”
The conversation turned to how they were going to get to Val quickly. Elyar did not want to wait for what was left of the Century. They would be slow, and Frem and the Captain did not trust him very much. His hope was there were enough soldiers still at Val to defend it against Lyr’s attack. Or better yet, he hoped he could find him and def eat him before he caused any harm.
Once packed they quietly headed to Sander’s and Ruzur’s tents.
Luckily they knew where they were. They quietly woke each one up, explained what had happened, and that they were leaving. Neither had a lot to pack so soon they were standing away from prying ears discussing what their next step should be.
“How do we get to this, Val, place quickly? How far is it?” Sanders asked quietly.
“It’s a four to five day walk, or a two to three day ride.” Jereme respo nded keeping his voice low as well.
Elyar chimed in, “yes, but we have no horses. I think there are only a
few here, I doubt there are enough for all of us.”
“Actually, the Century doest find thees e-horses. Yee can find them in the stables across the village.” Ruzur quietly commented.
“What! They found our e-horses?” Jereme said slightly louder.
“Shhhh!” Elyar scolded him.
“Sorry. They found our horses?” Jereme said again much quieter.
“Aye. They are unguarded. It should not be hard to acquire them.” Ruzur assured the group.
“Perfect. I guess we know what we have to do. Steal our horses back and ride like death is behind us.” Elyar said.
“Yep. But death is most likely in front of us.” Jereme said half jokingly, half serious.
“You do know what to say, don’t you?” Elyar chuckled back. Jereme gave him his signature grin before they all started sneaking toward the stables. They kept checking for guards or anyone else that might sound the alarm. Fortunately, the guards were on the other side of the village guarding the captain and their more important supplies. Hiding in the shadows, lurking from one patch of darkness to the next. It did not take them long before they found the stables. As always, the smell hit Elyar before he could see them. It was a smell he was beginning to hate and love at the same time.
Peaking around one of the houses across from the stable, Elyar looked to see if there was anyone. He gave it a good scan, but saw no one. Which he did find a little odd. But he was glad that no one would be there to hinder their rescue. Escape? Whichever it was, he was glad.
The gap between their hiding spot and their destination was longer than between the houses. Elyar and the others sized the gap and he whispered, “I think we should cross one at a time. Less likely to be seen I would think.”
The other nodded in agreement and then he turned around. He did not know why, but he felt a little nervous. The made dash he was about to do would not be far. But if someone saw someone at night running toward the e-horses they might try to find out what was going on. He took a deep breath in. Quickly exhaled and quietly ran low to the ground toward the stable.
It only took a few seconds but it was exhilarating! The wind blew by his ears while he tried not holding his breath. His heartrate pounded as he looked side to side quickly scanning for trouble. Nothing ever showed. Finally, his short dash ended. To him it felt like hours. Once in the darkness of the stable Jereme followed. Then Ruzur, and lastly Sanders.
They remained still for a moment. Everyone straining their ears for any sound of footsteps or the like. Nothing. Silence crept over the village like the mist near the marshes. It was eerie. A quick shiver went down Elyar’s spine. Now came the hardest part, opening up the stable and retrieving the horses. Elyar silently tip toed toward the side door he knew would lead into the building. He hoped it would be unlocked. His hand reached out toward the latch. It was cold to the touch. Steadying himself he slowly, quietly pulled the latch down. It smoothly slid opening the door. He could hear a sigh of relief coming from behind him. As he pushed the door open he wiped a drip of sweat that had appeared on his brow. He did not realize how nervous he had been until then. There was clearly a butterfly flapping around in his gut.
Once inside they all spread out to grab a horse. There were eight horses in total, but they only needed four. Elyar stopped at Havol’s horse, a twang of sorry hitting him. But he had to push through or others might die because of him. I will not let anyone else die on my behalf. Next time… next time it is me!
The saddles were on the far wall nicely stored and cleaned. Elyar recognized the saddle blanket that belonged to his e-steed. Quickly grabbing it he flung it over his particular animal. It had been watching him since they had entered.
“Hey boy.” Elyar quietly cooed while saddling the animal. “Remember me?
It blinked. He could not tell if the horse was tired or did not care. Whatever. His e-horse was ready. Glancing around he saw that everyone else was done except for Sanders. He was having trouble with his. Elyar quickly jogged over to help finish up. Once he was sure it was ready he and Sanders joined the other two by the large door. Ruzur had opened it a crack to peek out.
“Anything?” Elyar whispered.
He shook his head. “I say thou walketh thy steed a distance from the village. Once far enough thy hooves shall not awaken the Century.
“Good thinking,” Jerome said. “You want to lead then?”
Nodding, Ruzur led the group quietly out of the stable. They passed the first set of houses. Still no one. The second group passed. Still no sound. One of the e-horses made a whinney sound. Everyone froze.
Elyar’s muscles became stone. He could not move at all. Silence filled the air. They waited a minute before moving on.
As they passed the last house on the edge of town a quiet voice rang out.
“Elyar.”
He spun around to see who had said his name. Instinctively his hand was on his sword before he realized it was Declan. The man took a step closer. “I will not stop you…” A sigh of relief washed over Elyar. But he was still talking, “I believe you are fighting something we do not understand. I am only sorry it is ending on such bad terms. Frem told me what he had done. I am sorry. You are a valiant kid. I don’t know if you did the right or wrong thing facing the Soul Weaver on your own. But I know you did what you thought was best. No one can ask more than that.”
His words brought an unexpected tear to Elyar’s eyes. Without knowing why, he dove at the giant man wrapping him with his arms. As much as he could at least. He did not care if it was weird or anything. Declan’s words meant a lot, and he would miss the man. His silent confidence had been there like a tower for Elyar. He did not know it until then.
He was about to pull away when Declan wrapped him in his arms.
Elyar felt like a child being hugged by his father. In the moment he realized Declan was the size of his father. He kind of smelled like him as well. Leather, salt, and a hint of pine. The smell brought another tear to his eyes. I hope my father is alright. He has no idea Korax is about to be invaded.
After a few more seconds they released each other. Elyar was not sure, but as he looked up at Declan he thought he saw small sparkles near his eyes. Declan turned away quietly walking back toward his tent.
The rest turned back toward the road. After a few more minutes of walking Ruzur stopped and began mounting his e-horse. Elyar and the rest followed suit. He gave one more look back. Back to Tem’s burnt
house, the rocks marking Havol’s tomb, and the place where his nightmares had become real. Quiet hoofbeats were trotting away from him. With one hand using the reins Elyar turned back and guided his horse into a trot with the others.
He could not let the past dictate his future. He would not let it define who he was. But can I stop him? That seed of doubt kept resurfacing in Elyar’s mind over the night’s ride. The only thing that kept it at bay was thinking about calligromancy. Weaving was becoming a way for him to escape his reality to think about something that did not matter.
The problem of how to break an unbreakable blade stilled plagued
him. How could the rune fracture work? The moon slowly passed over the plain as they rode. They had to ride slowly so not to accidentally hurt a e-steed. Holes and the such appeared quickly at night. Looking at the moon Elyar started wondering about it. Legends say that it was a weak fire held by a giant. Others say it was a large rock thousands of miles away that floated around Ashardrie. He did not know which was true, but he liked the first story better. A light held by a giant was more…poe tic he guessed.
Wait. If the moon needs something to shine its light on Ashardrie, then what if runes sometimes need help? My blade needs something to ignite. What if this is the same? Excitement coursed through him. Finally something to think about that did not make him sad or angry. Now all he had to do was think of what kind of catalist his stone would need. That gave him
another idea. Riding a little faster, he caught up to Ruzur who had remai ned in the lead.
“Ruzur, if you don’t mind, how does your tattoo work? The one on your back?” Elyar asked as politely as possible.
Ruzur made a face, but Elyar could not tell what it meant. The moon made a lot of dark shadows over the already dark man’s face. “It is a family rune. Mine father had it, like his father before him. It is an incantation to give me strength, speed, and endurance beyond what mine body normally contains. But it comes at a cost: blood. The more blood the runes drink, the stronger, faster, and durable mine body becomes.” Once finished Ruzur looked at Elyar for any questions. Elyar looked at him, his mind dancing frantically. He had to blink a few times because his eyes were matching his mind.
“To get your calligromancy runes to work you have to put blood on
it? Without the blood they are only tattoos?” “That be correct, young lad.”
Elyar’s head bobbed up and down like one of his nieces’ dolls. “Thank you!” He said a little louder than he intended. As his mind raced he allowed his e-horse to slow back down to resume his place near the back.
So I do need a catalyst. But what would work? Or I need to specify in the cantation? That might work better. His body bounced slightly with every trot. For my rock, I want it to shatter on impact. What if I write that on the rock? I could write something like, ‘fracture upon impact.’ But which rock wo uld that break? I guess I will have to find out.
He tried riding in silence. But his mind kept going back to the incantation. Elyar began thinking about other applications. Weaving was a complex world. There was a little regret that he did not pay as close att ention during his studies. He wished he had now.
The moon slowly slipped away but not before the first fingers of the sun started appearing. Elyar was glad to see the sun. A new day meant new choices. He liked to think that every day allowed him to recast himself into a stronger person. What it meant for him today was that they could start moving faster. They had decided the night before that they were going to ride the first night and day before stopping. That should give them enough distance from the Century to not be stopped, while also getting them as close to Val before needing to rest.
Ruzur waited a little longer before urging his horse into a faster gallop. Elyar figured he wanted a little more light to keep the horses safe. There was a caring man under the bloodserkr tattoos. Urging his horse to match Ruzur’s, Elyar had to pay attention to riding. It was a welcomed distraction. Between weaving and his nightmares his mind was starting to become crowded. Allowing himself to meld into the ride eased the tension building within.
The grass started to form into one blob of green. It flashed past him like rushing water. His concentration was on his horse. Nothing else mattered. Only the green sea before him and the steed beneath. The golden orb above slowly moved from his right to his left. They only stopped once or twice to grab a quick bite to eat and allow the horses a moment to eat and breathe. Then they were off again.
Finally the sun was setting. They stopped under a small clump of trees to sleep. Elyar was so tired he barely ate. As soon as he sat down his head started to nod. One or two bites was all he got before his head snapped up. From the laughter around the fire he had fallen asleep. Laughing with them he bid the world goodnight. He lay for no more than a few seconds before a hand was shaking him awake. Morning was dawning. It was time to leave.
That day looked just like the last. Green sea, galloping, and the sun slowly moving from right to left. The rhythmic riding put Elyar in a trance. His mind had become one with the ride. Elyar did not exist. Only the ride did. But eventually it was time to sleep. The sun was setting, and the horses needed a long break. Elyar snapped out of his trance, blinking a few times as he tried to become himself again. He felt less tired this time as his body became more accustomed to riding. There was more conversation as the second full day of riding ended. Elyar was not as tired as the night before. Definitely still exhausted, but not unable to stay awake.
They all chatted around the fire for a little while. Sanders was able to tell a story that he had remembered earlier that day. It was about a time he tried to haggle for a new plow. The blacksmith was a jerk and Sanders was able to pull one over on him. By the time the man realized he had been swindled, it was too late. It was not as funny as some of Jerome’s girl stories, but it was still a good story.
The night was beginning to become too old. Yawning, Elyar bid everyone goodnight. They said their farewells also each heading to his tent except for Jerome. He pulled the first watch. Elyar had pulled the third watch. His least favorite one.
Like before, a hand shook him awake. Stumbling out of his tent he saw Ruzur diving into his. The cool breeze helped wake him up. Smelling the earth and grass also helped clear his mind. After a little while of sitting and watching the horizons Elyar decided to take his opportunity to mess with calligromancy. He quietly grabbed the stones from his bag along with a thin charcoal pen he had made awhile back.
Tip toeing back to his spot he set everything down.
Eyeing the horizon again he set everything into three piles. He had his unbreakable rocks in one pile, the stone that was supposed to do the breaking in another, and his pen he set by his right hand. Positioning himself in a cross legged sitting position he looked at his stuff. I need another rock. Quickly feeling around for one he found a small, smooth stone near his seat. Taking his charcoal pen he used the light of the moon to
write out his incantation. ‘That which meets shall fracture.’ As he wrote the words he opened himself up to the weave. As he poured his soul into the stream he felt something odd. It was a life force high above him. He finished his writing and then focused on the new sensation. More energy than normal sapped from Elyar as the weave around the rock ended. That made him curious, but his focus was on whatever was circling high above them. Closing his eyes, Elyar pushed his soul toward the source. There it was. He could almost feel it. A warm sensation slowly washed over Elyar. He heard wind pass over his ears, but did not feel it. Opening his eyes to see where the wind was coming from he was suddenly a hundred feet above the ground flying in circles. Panic overcame him and he closed himself to the weave. After blinking a few times the plains stood in front of him. He looked behind him to see the fire still crackling. What was that?!
It was not something he wanted to do again that night. Maybe… maybe he would try again some other time. He had a different problem to solve. Looking back at his rocks, then at the horizon again, then finally at his rocks he picked up his newly blessed rock along with his first rock. He did not want to disturb anyone, so he only tapped the rocks together. A quiet crack sound came from the rock. He had to quell his excitement until he made sure something had actually happened. Lifting up the rock higher to allow the moon to shine on it better, he looked for any fracture threads. Low and behold, thine lines spread from a central cracking point. It was not much, but it was more than any attempt before. Now he let the excitement grow. So an incantation can change the outcome of a blessing. But it looks like there are other factors in play. I barely tapped the stones together and it only slightly broke the rock. Now, what would happen if I smash them together. If it shatters, does that mean force also plays a part?
He put his items back and for the rest of his watch he contemplated his discovery. Eventually dawn broke and the others began stirring. Once Jerome was awake Elyar showed him the slightly broken rock. Jerome was still half asleep so he waved him away. Elyar decided he would wait until he had finished some breakfast. After Jerome was more awake he showed him the rock again.
“Elyar, why do you keep showing me this rock? Yes, cool! Rock!”
Jerome said sarcastically.
“No, this is the rock we were trying to break. Remember?” Elyar said ignoring the sarcastic response.
He gave the rock another glance. Then his eyes widened a little.
“Wait. This is the unbreakable rock? How did you get it to crack?”
“Ruzur’s tattoo gave me the idea. It needed a catalyst. So I wrote that when something meets this rock it will fracture. I did not hit them very hard last night, so as not to wake you all, so it only broke a little. I was going to try again harder to see what happens.”
“Go ahead. I want to see.”
“Now?”
“Yeah! Now!” Jerome waved for Elyar to go get the other rock.
“Oh, ok!” Then Elyar dashed over to his bag, pulled out the other
rock, and then went back to Jerome. “Here it goes.”
He positioned the rocks in his hands, steadied himself like before, then smashed them together as hard as he could. A yell of pain ripped from Elyar as his left hand was ripped by the stone as it exploded.