Brayzial
The sign read "Trespassers will be Prosecuted," but Jeod continued on determined not to be called a coward again. This time the dare was more dangerous than before, he remembered Nick's words clearly, "I dare you to climb to the dragon's cave and steal something valuable." He could picture the sneers and scoffs on the rest of the groups' faces, and seeing that gave him the determination to fulfil this dare. Jumping the broken barbed wire fence, careful not to tear his already ragged overalls, Jeod continued to make his way up the narrow goat track that wound its way up the mountain side. Turning slightly Jeod peered down upon the distant village. His stomach lurched as he realised how high he had reached. Only a little bit further, then I can show Nick and the boys that I'm no coward, thought Jeod quietly to himself. Using a spindly tree with thorns as large as his thumb he pulled himself up the last few steps that separated him from reaching the ledge on which the dragons cave stood. Standing in front of the dragons cave was the most daunting and frightening thing that Jeod had ever encountered. His stomach twisted as he embraced his fears and stepped inside the cave. The sunlight dazzled off the scales of a dragon, and illuminated the entire cave. The horror that shook through Jeod at seeing it, made his legs quake with terror. Moving quietly and dangerously close to the dragon, Jeod searched the cave of anything of value. "CAWW! CAWW!" cried a crow that was sitting on the branch just outside the cave entrance. The sound of the bird echoed around the cave, like a bell being struck over and over. Looking out the entrance of the cave Jeod was pleased to see that the bird had flown away. A gust of a warm summer's breeze ruffled through Jeod's hair, turning around he soon realised it wasn't a warm summer's breeze at all. Jeod came face to face with his biggest nightmare, staring into the generously large golden eye of a dragon. He could feel the cool surface of the jagged rock against his back, nowhere to run, nowhere to escape.
"I'll just be going," stated Jeod, his heart was pounding a million miles a second, and his stomach felt like it was in the back of his throat.
Now having full view of the dragon, Jeod's hopes of showing the boys he was worthy of joining the gang instantly sank. The beast was at least two storeys high, smoke billowing out its nostrils, and a brilliant shade of green were its gleaming scales. Its teeth frightened Jeod the most, they where each at least two times larger than the sabre-toothed tiger one that hung around his neck.
"Please, let me live, it was just a misunderstanding," stated Jeod, his eyes wide with fright.
"Why are you scared little one?" said a demanding but hidden voice inside his head.
Jeod squinted at the dragon, and then he shrank to his knees.
"Stop messing with my head! I'm sorry, I'm sorry," wept Jeod.
"Why are you sorry? You have not done anything to be sorry for, if anything a favour. Stand up boy," said the Green dragon. "My name is Emraydelle; the favour I insist upon you is an important one. I am injured, slowly dying day by day. I would like you to take care of the last thing of value I have."
The dragon uncurled its tail, and revealed a red dragon's egg. Jeod could not take his eyes off the egg; it was so beautiful and had a mystic sense about it. Unable to speak from the shock, Jeod shook his head; he would be banished from the village, hunted down, or killed. The people in his village believe that dragons are demons, trapped in the body of a dragon, and the only way to dispose of the demon is to destroy the dragon's soul.
"You must," said Emraydelle, speaking now in a tongue that Jeod was unfamiliar with.
Surprisingly enough the dragon gestured to Jeod to take the egg.
"I giet un vieft oaf un draegon tonget te veas boy."
Still standing with his back against the cave wall Jeod was unsure what the dragon had just said.
"Come again?" asked Jeod with a cheeky smirk, now seeing that the dragon meant him no harm.
"I gave you the gift of speaking and understanding the dragons tongue."
Now being able to understand what the dragon was saying outside of his head became much clearer. "I bind you boy to the protection and well-being of this young dragon."
The egg rolled its way over to Jeod. Having no option but to take it, Jeod walked over and picked up the brilliant bright red egg.
"Take care of her Brightstar..." said Emraydelle.
"I will."
Walking out of the cave, Jeod could see that dusk was just about to fall. Turning so the last of the suns golden rays where on his back Jeod started his descent back down the narrow goat track. The feeling of warmth came to Jeod when he realised that he had completed the dare, and now he can be part of Nick's gang. Finally reaching the bottom of the treacherous mountain, Jeod gazed at his home village to the left, Terium. Jeod thought, this is where I belong. Now swinging his gaze to the right he could see the Broad River and its majestic waterfall; it was simply breath taking. Spotting the boys skipping stones at the edge of the river Jeod strolled casually over.
"Oh, the cowards returned," sneered Nick, "What'd you bring back? A rock you painted red, and what? You expect us to believe it's a ruby?"
The rest of the group chuckled quietly between themselves. Pulling the egg out of the satchel Jeod couldn't help but examine it to make sure there were no scratches or any harm caused to the egg.
"It's an egg," said Jeod simply, "a dragon's egg."
The group stopped and looked at Jeod, then roared with laughter. Misery and an overwhelming sadness clung to Jeod like a rainy day, as he realised that the boys didn't believe him. Looking down at the majestical egg again he realised that the dragon inside was moving about. Shaking in Jeods hands and moving as if it was trying to escape from the confined space of the eggshell. Putting it on the ground unsure of what to do, Jeod stepped away from the egg.
"What have you done!" shouted his brother Colin.
He was also part of Nick's crew.
"Nothing," said Jeod calmly.
"You just wait till I tell the village about this! There's a demon inside Jeod, and he betrayed our laws! We hunt dragons not PROTECT them," exclaimed Nick. "Boys throw him in the river, and make sure that THING goes with him," pointing at the egg.
"No! You can't do that! I fulfilled the dare!" shouted Jeod.
"Get him and the egg in the river now!" growled Nick.
The dragon egg was shoved roughly under Jeod's arm. Two boys whose names Jeod didn't know, grabbed him and dragged him along the rocky ground to the riverbank.
"Throw him in boys," said Colin.
Jeod reached out and grabbed Colin's arm. Spinning around now facing him, Jeod could see the tears glittering in his eyes. In an instant Jeod knew he was never going to see Colin or anyone from Terium again. His eyes widened in shock and tears spilled from his eyes. Colin pulled away from Jeod's tear stricken face.
"You can't do this!" screamed Jeod, "You can't do..." he felt warm blood fill his mouth; he tried to talk but choked on the liquid that filled his mouth.
Opening his eyes he saw one of the other boys tighten the grip on his shoulders, too late. The pain that ripped through his nose and eye socket was extreme; it was too overwhelming for Jeod. He heard someone shout something that sounded like, "Get him in now!" but he became unconscious a few seconds later.
The stench of musk filled Jeod's nostrils. Opening his eyes he saw leaves and small clumps of grass, they looked damp from a morning's dew, like in the Benshire Forest. Sitting up, Jeod soon realised that he was a long way from home. The Benshire Forest was a little over 3hours away from Terium, but that was on horseback. Remembering the dragon's egg Jeod looked around, his satchel was gone. Panic struck Jeod, he felt his stomach tighten and twist. He couldn't concentrate on the bright coloured birds that cheeped and chirped high above his head.
"Oh you're awake," said a male voice from behind him.
Jumping up quickly made Jeod feel nauseous but spinning around made him sick. The man had startled him so much that Jeod had to clench his chest in pain.
"Hey, hey, hey, new shoes, watch out for my shoes," said the boy, flicking and shaking his feet trying to get any bits of sick off that had landed on them. "Oh dear I am sorry, I didn't mean to startle you so much as to well..." said the boy that looked no older than himself. "I have a place further up stream and deeper into the forest, but it's where you can rest. I just couldn't drag you any further, you where lucky that I was down filling up my water skins, otherwise..."
Recovered from shock, Jeod muttered a thank you to the boy.
"Oh my gosh, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Blaine; I've lived in this forest for well as long as I can remember."
Realising that Blaine was waiting for an answer Jeod explained how he got to be in the river.
"You have a nasty gash above your left eye and your lip is busted," said Blaine.
Licking his lips Jeod could taste the acidic taste of the Broad River's water. He ran his fingers along the gash above his eye, the blood had dried in its place, and the gash was much bigger than what he had first presumed.
"I'm Jeod. Um...have you seen a satchel and an egg like object, cause you know I'm missing them!?" said Jeod with a sense of urgency and suspicion in his voice.
"Yes actually, but that egg shaped thing isn't yours; it's a dragon's egg. And it doesn't belong to you. Unless you have a pretty good reason as to why something so precious to a dragon is in your hands, I might consider giving it back," answered Blaine in an arrogant tone.
"Fine," growled Jeod, sick of all the drama and tension that this egg was causing already. "But, when we get back to where you are taking me."
The trek to this mysterious place where Blaine lived must have taken over an hour to get there. The gorgeous wildflowers that bloomed along the edges of the trail smelled like Jeod's mothers perfume. Mother, thought Jeod, What would she be like right now, at him breaking the laws of the village? No doubt she would be laughing and wishing him well, she always thought some of the rules of the village where ridiculous. No doubt Nick had made up some dramatic story of how Jeod wanted to prove himself, but didn't listen to the warnings that they had given him.
"We're here," stated Blaine, "Home, sweet, home." Looking around Jeod could see no sign of any form of a building. "Have you got us lost?" said Jeod, "because it looks like we're in the middle of nowhere..."
"Look up," said Blaine.
Looking upwards, Jeod saw a wondrous sight. There were about three different trees linked together accessed by walking across a rickety looking bridge. At each end there was a cottage-like building, each had a thatched roof with oak tree wooden walls.
"Coming?" called Blaine, who was halfway up a ladder that ran up the side of the thickest of trees.
Looking down from half-way up the tree was a mistake. He had never been very good with heights. Suddenly feeling queasy at being so high up from the ground, Jeod lost grip on the mould covered rungs of the ladder. His eyes rolled to the back of their sockets and he felt his stomach lurch as he lost his final ounce of strength. His stomach churned as he started falling backwards. A strong grip took hold of his wrist, and lifted him all the way up to the tree house.
Jeod woke up sprawled on the floor of one of the tree houses. Gathering strength to heave his body up of the splintered wood of the floor boards, Jeod glanced around looking for Blaine. Catching a glance of movement coming towards him on the west bridge, Jeod presumed it was Blaine. As the figure came closer,
Jeod realised he had been correct, the grin on Blaine's face was tremendous, "I see you are awake. It seems like every time I see you, you have just woken up from fainting," said Blaine, "I have food prepared over in the other hut, and there you can speak to me about how that dragon egg came to be in your hands."
Nodding his head Jeod, followed Blaine over to the cottage.
"Sit, its rabbit and vegetables," said Blaine, pulling up a chair.
Through mouthfuls of food Jeod told the story of how the dragon's egg got into his hands.
"...and she called me Brightstar? I was confused at why a dragon would call someone that?" said Jeod finishing the story.
Choking on a mouthful of food, from shock, Blaine got himself some water.
"I'm sorry did I hear you correctly?" said Blaine, "did you say this dragon, and Emraydelle called you Brightstar?" glancing at Jeod with new found interest.
"Yeah, but I don't see what's so important about that, gosh its probably just some stupid name from a old dragon that was going insane or something," Replied Jeod to Blaine's questionable look. Blaine stood up, and walked briskly across to the south hut.
"Blaine! Blaine! Did I say something wrong?" shouted Jeod after Blaine.
"Don't say anything else just follow me," called Blaine in a breathless hurried voice.
Throwing a backpack over his shoulder, Blaine hurried about trying to find something.
"Well, don't just stand there looking at me, your satchel is over there," said Blaine pointing over to the corner.
The tree house was quite small; it was acquainted with a single bed against the wall, and a desk which was covered in papers and old fragile books. Checking inside his satchel Jeod caught site of the egg's glimmering red shell.
"Hurry up! We need to be quick the 'Nightwalkers' will be out soon, and then we have no hope of leaving here tonight," said Blaine.
His breathing was rushed and Jeod could tell he wasn't very fit by the way that he was breathing, the gasps for air, and his chest heaving as he ran along the damp green track in the forest. He was lying face down on the cool wet ground of forest. His arm was bent unnaturally underneath his stomach, and his cheek bone stung.
"Come on! Get up, we have to hurry!" said Blaine offering a helping hand, "and stop going off with the fairies."
They ran for another ten minutes or so, when they reached this massive Oak tree, it was the biggest Jeod had ever seen. Its branches reached out to the sky like arms and its branches where thick enough for three people to walk across with some extra room. It trunk was enormous; the diameter Jeod worked out would have been about 3 metres by 3 metres. In other words huge.
"Quick over here," there was a small low broken branch that was low enough to reach, wondering how it was broken, Jeod reached up, surprisingly the branch grinded and slide down.
Jeod heard a click, and a Robin popped out of hole in the tree further up.
"You found the lever, phew, I haven't used this since I was yay big to a grasshopper," said Blaine finding use of his humour again, "Now why hasn't the gate opened?" said Blaine half talking to himself.
The chirping of a red robin made both of the boys gaze upwards.
"Peter, I don't know the password and you know that!" Blaine explained to the bird.
Jeod was astonished as to why Blaine was talking to a robin, like seriously did he think it was going to say something back!?
"Chirp, Chirp, NighhhhtWalkkers approoooach," screeched the robin supposedly called Peter.
"PETER, it's an emergency!" said Blaine with a worried look on his face, "I have Brightstar, Brightstar, something has stirred the Nightwalkers for them to be out this early, and I don't want to be here when it finds us."
The robin hoped up onto the little ledge where he popped out of.
"Brrighhhttstaaarr, has returrrned all is well, all is well," screeched the Robin.
The robin chirped a sweet little tune that sounded like a child's nursery rhyme tune. One branch slid aside to reveal a black ditch; Judging by the size of its edges Jeod guessed it was quite deep.
"Quickly get in NOW, the Nightwalkers are upon us,"
Jeod turned around to see, black beasts that lumbered on four legs, the front to where shorter than the back ones. Come smashing through the tree's towards Blaine and him. It had no eyes, and black sticky liquid dripped from its fangs. There were bones that protruded out of its body in weird places, making the creature look disfigured and only half created. If anything Jeod felt sorry for the poor creature. A strong grip, grabbed Jeod's shoulder. Jeod turned and jumped down the hole, the small amount of light let in from the entrance disappeared as soon as he jumped in, so they were left in the darkness of the dropping tunnel.
His stomach churned as he plunged towards an almost certain death. He was flipping over and over, his head dizzy and spinning. The nauseousness takes over, and he was about to be sick, but he couldn't something was preventing him, which resorted him to dry retching. A sudden twist in the hole caught Jeod's breath and now he was struggling for a breath. Snap.
Lying face down on a cold stone floor, layered with a thick layer of dust, the most Jeod could come to was that the hole was all an illusion, trickery, but the unease in his stomach and a wicked head-ache left Jeod trying to figure out what just happened. A rough grip jerked Jeod upwards into a standing position. The people that stood in front of him were certainly not like any he had seen before. Their clothes where completely different and he spotted that they wear make-up on their faces, like the ochre that they use to paint their faces with back home but different again, and they all had funny little accents that Jeod thought where hilarious, but he thought otherwise about laughing at them in case they had a bad temper. To the left of him Blaine was held by another man by the scruff of his neck.
"Why are you here Blaine," said the man that was holding him he had a very deep, but yet powerful voice, "You were banished when you ran away from the Military." Blaine's face sunk and his eye's diverted to looking at the ground.
"Look, I know I have no right to be here again, but I have found Brightstar, truly" said Blaine half lifting his head to show his facial expressions.
"I highly doubt that," laughed the same man that asked the question, "I admit the Shadow is growing more restless and more powerful, but it will be centuries before he can overthrow us once more."
"Enough!" Shouts a stern voice from the back of the crowd that had gathered around us, there is a pathway made and everybody kneels at once.
"Your majesty, you banished Blaine two years ago and now he returns and claims he has Brightstar." Blaine shrinks even further down; his eyes avoid looking at anyone, especially the King.
"I am well aware of what I did, thankyou General, but as my son I will hear the story elsewhere. Release them," said the King with such power in his words.
Instantly the tight grip around Jeod's neck releases and he staggers over to Blaine. They are taken back to the King's Palace, which is a huge building carved out of marble and towers above all the other buildings in the city. It was simply the most beautiful and rich thing he had ever laid eyes on. The giant wooden oak doors swung open as we reached the top step, the inside was breath taking, its rich fabrics that decorated the floors and the tall strong pillars that stood to the ceiling.
A tall irregular shaped window caught Blaine's attention, and he wandered over. The view from here is spectacular; the mansion is on the top of a hill and a valley with a waterfall is at the bottom, then there was the sunset, the golden glimmers of the suns last rays of light as its dips below the rims of the mountains in the distance. The sky had a warm orange and pale pink colour as the sun's rays finally fade away. It was beautiful.
"Since you have returned, and are still eligible for military training, you are to return to training immediately after we have decided whether he is the real Brightstar," said the King, gesturing towards Jeod.
"But father, that's the reason I left in the first place. I...I didn't want to disappoint you if I lost..." said Blaine, carefully picking the words that fell out of his mouth.
"Don't call me father, you are a disgrace to your own city and world, it will take a fair amount of work and effort to convince the people of Throe that you are worthy of becoming the King," spat out the King with force and humiliation in his words.
"Yes, your majesty," mumbled Blaine. A servant girl hurried out from a door across the room and whispered something in the King's ears.
"I trust you will remember where your quarters are?" asked the King.
"Upstairs, turn left at the end of the corridor and my room is on the right hand side, but what about Jeod?" said Blaine. The king had already turned his back and taken a few steps.
"The guest room next to yours, perhaps." And at that the King turned his back once more and walked away.
We rounded the end of the corridor and found ourselves staring into the deep blue eyes of the servant girl.
"Your quarters are ready sir, and your friend's is ready as well," said the girl, "If you wish I could escort him to his room?"
"Yes, that would be lovely Eleanor,"
The next few days where quiet and went by quickly. Most days they would go for walks in the overfilled garden out the back of the house, there where blackberries that grew along some of the paths edges, and buttercups that grew in every season. Even the polleybells where flowering. Polleybells look like tiny silver bells that droop down, they chime together, quiet and sweet.
"Blaine, Blaine!" called the blue-eyed servant girl called Eleanor.
Blaine led the way as we hurried back along the path that led us here.
"The King wishes to see you, both of you," she spoke with precision and held her chin high when she spoke.
The doors to the meeting room where open. Unsure of whether to go in, Blaine knocks politely on the oversized wooden door.
"Come," the King's voice boomed out from the meeting room and filled Jeod's eardrums with the word over and over again. "After much discussion the best way to prove whether your friend Jeod here really is the one we call Brightstar, he shall be put through the last three months of military training and then you him and another will set off for the long lost sword of Brayzial. If he really is Brightstar he will make it back before the clock strikes three times, on the final dawn, on the last day of the Fire Festival, with Brayzial. If he doesn't succeed you will be banished for ten more years Blaine, and Jeod will be sentenced with you."
"But, Jeod barely has the training to journey on a quest so dangerous! Many of our finest warriors have left upon this quest and none have returned from the horrors of what the journey brings" stated Blaine, without a quake in his voice.
"Blaine, its okay, if what Emraydelle said was right than I must do this and if I don't succeed then at least I no longer have the weight upon my shoulders of being Brightstar." Blaine just stood there and gaped at the King as if he couldn't believe what was happening.
"I believe if help is to be given, ask the wisest man in the village, if you know who this is help will be certain, if not I send you my best."
Walking was certainly a mistake as Jeod trudged his was up the sloping hill on the outskirts of the village. Blaine was just as tired and to make it worse he doubted whether this wise person could be of assistance. The sound of wind chimes made Jeod and Blaine look up, and there on the top of the hill was the man they were seeking.
"Aye, I thought I was expecting visitors tis' fine afternoon. A quest you might be venturing on I believe, you want my help, Bah. Come inside," said the man, who was dressed in a long robe with huge sleeves and a hood that left his face in its shadow.
"We seek your assistance in a quest we must venture upon; we are to depart in three months time in search of..."
"...Brayzial," completed the wise man for Jeod. He stood up from the table, and went into another room in the small house that was overfilled with junk and certainly a lot of paper.
"Come on Jeod let's get out of here, he's gone loopy, he'll have nothing for us," whispered Blaine to Jeod. The old man shuffled back into the room, and both the boys looked up surprised that the man had returned. "This scroll belonged to the last person to venture on this quest and retrieve the sword, it was made by if I am correct Jeod your great-grandfather..." the old man extended the scroll out towards Jeod. Unravelling the scroll careful not to tear the soft material, Jeod's eyes widened.
"What?! What is it Jeod?" asked Blaine curiously.
"It's a map."
"Oh, that's not just any map. No sir, It will only reveal the true location of the sword when you have earnt the trust of the three different tribes. The Elves, the dwarves, and the mighty dragons, one member from each of the tribes must be with you when you find out the location of the sword," Finished the man.
Focus Jeod, Focus, deep breaths, careful now. Twang. The arrow landed with a soft thud in the target getting a five.
"Not a bad shot for a beginner," Said Jeod's trainer for today, Nate.
"Yes, but I need to be better," said Jeod releasing another arrow. He turned back to Nate,
"I need to be better if I am to face the unknown dangers on this journey."
"Well, maybe archery ain't your strength," replied Nate, "maybe you'd be better at swords, or even magic, but we don't got no magician to teach you ere'."
The peoples name's around here where so strange and weird compared to the normal ones back home. Home, where he had lived his entire life with his mother and brother, where he thought he would live and die there. His father he never knew, he never remembered his face. Only one thing he remembered was a small tattoo on the underside of his father's wrist it was a strange symbol he had never seen it on any other man's wrist in Terium. Thud, the arrow had buried itself deep into the dull yellow of a seven.
"Well, maybe with a bit more practice we could make an archer out of ya," spoke Nate from behind him.
Jeod pulled out of his thoughts from home he needed to focus fully in the next three months if he was to venture on the quest and succeed. At nights he poured over the map the old man had given him, planning with Blaine which route they should take first, which tribe to try and gain trust with first, and lastly the quickest and less dangerous route to take them there. The dragon egg was the least of his worries at the moment and was mentally pushed aside.
The suns ray's produced a harsh humidity for the day, draining everyone's strength in the barracks training grounds. Jeod's limbs where heavy and the sweat that lay in a sheet on his brow had long ago turned sour. His muscles felt jarred from the constant parrying and blocking of Nate's sword that swung ever so close to his soft skin. They were only working with blunt ended swords, but they were hard enough to leave you with many a darkened bruise where the wooden weapon snuck through his defences.
The training sessions stretched on for what seemed for hours, one of Jeod's main sessions was the trekking one. They were taught how to move throughout the forests without making a sound. Jeod's feet were noisy. As hard as he tried to focus on moving with care his feet seemed to make the most noise anyhow. Blaine could be lethal if an ambush was to be performed; his feet were noiseless on the untrodden ground, no one could hear him move.
"Just think and believe that you are one with the forest, you feel its hurt when a branch is broken underfoot, and you hear the intruders noisily making their way through the forest." Blaine said it as if you did it without thinking.
Jeod's heart pounded in his chest, his thoughts scattered and disconnected, he knew he was still himself, but he felt disconnected with himself, he could feel the forests energy from within and the hurt it felt when an untrained boot trod on its earth. Jeod walked steadily towards the route they were supposed to take, no sound was heard. He broke into a light jog, treading carefully, aware of everything around him. Off to the distance he could hear some of the other troopers moving noisily through the forest as if they wanted the whole world to hear them.
He made good ground over the next couple of hours, and ended up back at the start of the trail before most of the other troopers. Blaine was already there along with the troop leader and a couple of the others.
"It seems you have finally got the hang of it young Jeod," stated the troop's leader, Devin.
"He still needs to work on his breathing volume, its heavy and even a half trained warrior in tracking could hear it, and respond accordingly," said Blaine.
A couple of other troopers had just returned from their trek, breathing heavily and coated in sweat and grime.
"He is doing just fine for a beginner with hardly any training or experience in trekking before," stated Devin directly to Blaine.
They waited around for another two hours for the other troopers to return, the sun was almost set when they set foot back into base. It was in turmoil. People where running everywhere frantically, preparing for something or so it looked like. Blaine grabbed a passer-by and asked why everyone was in such a panic.
"It's the shadows army; they've struck their first on us. Nightwalkers stalk the once safe streets of Crotowa. Flames are licking the streets hungry, starving -" said the passer-by with a shudder.
"If this is to be true we must go and help the city, defend our home against the evilness that has enclosed its terror onto our streets," shouted Jeod's troop's leader over the roar of the base.
Jeod's troop didn't make it far before the King himself appeared breathless and unharmed. The King gestured at Blaine and Jeod to move quickly away from the other troopers and talk to him.
"Yes, fath- Your majesty?" said Blaine, quickly covering his error.
"It seems that we were wrong, the Shadow grows restless each passing day, and I fear that he has gained knowledge of Jeod's existence and believes that he is the saviour of our people. He seeks to destroy the one known as Brightstar and anyone who helps or conceals him. You must leave at once, I have horses being prepared now with packages of food, clothing, water skins, and a range of weapons," the King nodded to Jeod and Blaine to check if they were following on. "Along with that you will also have another companion to travel with. She has been picked because of her skills and high achievements in her trainings. She-"
"She!?" stated Blaine and Jeod together.
"Yes, she," stated the King back, "She is highly advanced in sword fighting skills, and is trained slightly in the magic of healing. Now you must leave immediately, the horses and Ruby are waiting on the outskirts of the forest east of here from there you're on your own. We wish you well." He handed us our rucksacks from our stations and hurried off into the distance where the shouts and cries were emanating from.
Jeod and Blaine turned their backs from the shouts in the near distance and broke into a light jog, the shouts of terror slowly fading until they were no more, only the horrible orange glow of the fires could be seen. Reaching the outskirts of the eastern forest they found the horses tied to a tree and on one the girl named Ruby.
"Hi boys, I'm Ruby and yes that's because of my fiery red hair before questions are asked. Names?"
"I'm Jeod,"
"And I'm Blaine."
"Pleasure. We should set off, travel as far away as possible tonight I shouldn't wish to be caught by those brutes they call Nightwalkers." Said Ruby, and with that she turned her horse and trotted away.
"Well that was friendly," said Blaine in a sarcastic manner.
The nights ride was agonisingly long, and painful. They certainly didn't make the saddles comfortable. Jeod's eyes were starting to close every now and then, and Blaine was trying to stifle yawning every ten seconds.
"We'll make camp here. It's a couple of hours from morning, I suggest we get some sleep," said Ruby, startling Jeod so much from his doze that he almost fell off the horse. Blaine was laughing silently eyes squinted with the largest of grins of his face at Jeod's reaction. Jeod shot Blaine a glare.
"Am I speaking to myself? Or are one of you going to speak today," said Ruby turning back to look at them.
"Oh, yes definitely, we should make camp here. Um, looks nice and…soft. Yeah soft," stated Jeod. Blaine's face was trying to hold back smiling and laughing silently at Jeod's reply
"Great, I'm travelling with a pair of idiots that joke around. Looks like we're going to be dead sooner than I thought," stated Ruby half talking to herself.
"She's the one to be careful of Jeod, she's already goin' mad, talking to herself an' all," hissed Blaine to Jeod who was trying desperately not burst out laughing at Blaine's humour.
Ruby seemed to not hear them, luckily enough.
The night was peaceful and as much as Jeod disagreed they each took a turn at being on watch at some point of the night in case they hadn't covered their tracks well enough. He found himself easily drifting off to sleep after his shift, his eye lids felt heavy and slowly he let the hands of sleep enclose upon him.
As peaceful as the night seemed, far off back in the city of Throe buildings burned and shuddered their wood splintering, breaking apart. Mass ruins could be seen all around the city; people walked through the rubble searching for loved ones, children cried not understanding the terrors that took their home away, which destroyed it, that tore their families apart like bread. The nightwalkers had retreated at least for now, but the city was in mourning, devastation there had never been an attack like this, not since the days that the shadow was at large. It started like this last time everything was peaceful, the main threats where thieves that stole your handbag in the street. But then came the surprise attack one night, the shadow leading it with a wild grin half driven insane. Then the nightwalkers came lurking in the shadows, that time was different though he had the black asp's king in alliance. People screamed, dead everywhere, there was nowhere safe to turn to, the city was burnt to the ground, but the King swore to the people that nothing like this would ever happen again not under his rule.
Time has a thing with repeating itself.
Jeod awoke with a start, as Ruby noisily strode back into their camp with a handful of freshly caught rabbits.
"Breakfast," she called whilst she grabbed a pot from her pack.
"Ever heard of a sleep in…" stated Blaine's muffled voice from inside his swag.
"You either get up now, or you get no breakfast," snapped Ruby clearly annoyed by the two boy's laziness already.
As they sat around eating rabbit with grease running down their chins, Jeod took out the map to examine the path that they were originally going to take, deciding whether that was now a good option.
"Look all I'm saying is that there is the Unigwa Tribe that populate and control that forest, we are not going to be able to short cut. They have a forest magician for heaven's sake!" stated Blaine starting to raise his voice above talking level.
"Yes, I know but with the tracking skills, and out silent feet movements we should be fine," stated Ruby back to Blaine.
"He's hardly had any training!" shouted Blaine pointing a finger directly at Jeod, "Are you trying to kill us, because to me we are walking straight into a death trap."
"If it means anything I think if there is a quicker way we should take it. You saw what the nightwalkers did to the city, if this goes on for much longer I don't think there'll be much left of this land by the time we get back. Forest magician or not, I vote the shortcut." Spoke Jeod quickly, cutting in before Blaine could start an argument with Ruby.
Ruby raised an eyebrow knowingly at Blaine.
"I guess I have no choice then, but don't say I didn't warn you," snapped Blaine.
The trees loomed taller than ever each almost shuddering in the wind, they grew thickly and cast the whole forest floor in a dark shadow with speckles of sunlight appearing here and there. Not many flowers grew on the floor of the forest, the few that did didn't look very colourful anyhow. Wild mushrooms seemed to thrive, clumps of them scattered everywhere the travellers could look.
"We are getting close to the border line between our part of the forest and the Unigwa tribes part. Start to scatter your thoughts, silence them. Be one with the forest; change your step so you're not hurting it, for if they do have a forest magician hopefully we will have the element of surprise," Spoke Ruby in a hushed whisper.
"Hopefully we don't run into them, they aren't the friendliest of tribes you know. Skinning their prisoners alive, and then. Cannibalism," muttered Jeod under his breath.
Jeod shook at the thought, his legs felt weak as he realised he didn't know much about this foreign land, not much at all. Concentrating as hard as his could, thoughts drifting away from the horrid Unigwa tribe he focused on the forest, the movement, the shapes, the smell, his mind was clear. He fell in step with the rhythm of the forest; the travellers have the element of surprise on their side.
As the travellers moved ever closer to the border between the two very different clans their movements grew quieter, and their ears pricked up like dogs listening for the slightest unnatural sound.
"The border starts just there." Pointed out Ruby in the smallest voice possible, "I really dislike going through borders, its smart, but it's a distraction and the tribe will have the upper hand."
What she had pointed too was an actual barrier which looked like a glass panel going as far as the eye could see in a horizontal line.
"You know when you said 'boarder' I thought maybe a line dividing the two regions or maybe just a sign saying that we are now crossing into the Unigwa tribes region, but a glass panel? I'm so confused, and in awe at this land of yours," stated Jeod a little bit louder than a whisper.
He received a stone glare from Ruby whose eyebrows were bending down almost touching her eyelashes, she didn't say anything she just put her finger to her lips and spoke in a whisper, "It may look like glass but it's still like nothings there, they can hear everything like the glass doesn't even exist. The panel of glass prevents the Unigwa tribe from coming into this region to prevent their cannibalism from spreading. It was built many years ago by our ancestors the o'great ones for our protection and for theirs I guess. This barrier also prevents the average person from going through it. To be able to pass through you need to have one of these."
Ruby pulled out a necklace from under her shirt; it looked like a dog tag with coding inscribed on it. She then pulled out two more from her backpack.
"You might want to put these on," she said again in a whisper, "These are special 'entry' passes if you would like to call them that. They are encoded with an entry code to the barrier allowing us to pass through it both ways. They're from the king himself."
Cautiously the trio made their way closer and closer to the barrier until they were no more than a metre away from it.
"Right I'll go first, and check if there is any guards stationed close to this point, hopefully there will only be a patrol, we should be able to slip past with no problems then. You boys wait here; if I don't come back camp near here for two days if I'm not back by then you must leave and go the way Blaine suggested. No exceptions, no arguments, do not try a rescue mission. That's a direct order." Ruby stated this as if she was going to die straight away.
Jeod and Blaine both nodded with complete understanding that the whole quest just got serious, that this was real.
At that Ruby nodded, took a deep breath and without looking back stepped through the barrier.
The boys kept their eyes fixed in the same position where Ruby had vanished for no longer than ten seconds when they heard a piercing scream and Ruby's arm come partway out of the barrier trying to reach something, before she was dragged away from it.
Straight away the two boys leapt into action grabbing their packs and diving through the barrier.
It was water? Jeod was soaked through to the skin, pushing deeper through the barrier, he felt limited to his movement and his breath was quickly running out. With one final push from an unknown force from within the barrier he landed face down on the Unigwa tribe's side of the barrier.
The wetness was gone, and he turned his hand so it could touch the fabric of his top, it was dry. Another illusion was all Jeod could come to. He was suddenly jabbed sharply in the side by some roughly sharpened object.
"Ouch!" yelped Jeod jumping to his feet in an instant, eyes alight and aware.
The sight that he saw reminded him of the dreamtime stories that Mother used to tell him. A rugged group of Unigwa people surrounded him and Blaine. Their wild and straggly hair was pulled into tight braids even the men. Some had white lines painted in various ways across their face; others had it painted down their arms. Their eyes were hungry, searching over us like were where nothing like they'd ever seen before. They each had a form of ripped and ragged singlets and a piece of cloth around their waist. Holding a hand carved wooden spear in one hand, the largest of them all stepped forward.
"You make good feast. Chief will be happy. Three! Tonatiuh has blessed us." He stated as if he couldn't think of the words, like a broken text.
The traveller's hands were tied together with a piece of cloth, and they were shoved forwards along a wide well-trodden path. The whole way back to the Unigwa tribe's village the Unigwa people chanted Tonatiuh's name over and over never ending. As they rounded the bend, the camp came into full view, a roughly made fence made out of sharpened wooden poles made a circumference around the whole camp. The smell was putrid as the travellers stepped foot inside the village. It smelt a mixture of rotting bones and faeces. Children ran out of the mud slapped homes, dirt ridden faces with hands pointing and staring. Others started to line the edges of the worn track into the village centre, eagerly awaiting the execution of the captives.
The trio where slammed knee first down in front of what must be the Leader of the tribe, he wore a large golden sun head rest on the top of his head, and had painted lines covering the whole of his face. He was a large man with bulging eyes, and an even larger belly that jiggled up and down when he laughed.
"Tonatiuh! Blessed we are. The God is among us. The God is pleased. We have a big feast tomorrow!' bellowed the Leader out to the Unigwa people, "TONATIUH! TONATIUH!
The leader had started the chant again, but this time the whole village had joined in, their voices echoing long into the night. The three prisoners where shoved roughly into a small wooden made cage in the centre of the village, with guards posted on either side of the small entrance gate at the front of the cage.
"They think they are smart, by stationing the guards here, but they didn't take our possessions off us-"started Blaine.
"We'll be out in no time," finished Jeod.
"Yes, but I don't think three of us could handle a whole village full of cannibals, we'll have to get out another way," said Ruby.
Some of the Unigwa tribe brought them cooked rabbit, and some sort of vegetation plant as supper.
"Must be fat for feast tomorrow," said one patting his stomach as he spoke.
Jeod's stomach churned, feeling queasy from the remark that the man had made. He took his mind off the disgust by taking the dragons egg out of his rucksack and sitting it on the ground examining the shell that the dragon was encased in.
What type of dragon was it? He'd heard rumours that dragons had magical powers, he wondered if this one did. What colour was it? How do you even take care of a baby dragon? So many questions maybe Blaine knew something more about them. Jeod's thoughts lingered on the dragon's egg for what seemed somewhat forever, though his thoughts were disrupted when a piecing hysterical scream rang out from one of the guards. The guard stood facing Jeod hand pointing shakily at the egg mouth agape in terror. The Unigwa tribe's leader and many others ran out from their homes wanting to see what the commotion was about. More screams emanated around the captives as more of the brutes joined the guards.
Jeod cast a look at Ruby and Blaine who looked just as stunned and confused as he was. As If hearing Jeod's thoughts Ruby turned to him and said, "What are they gawping at? It's as if suddenly we've become horrific."
"LEAVE!" The Unigwa leader boomed, "You, brought presence of evil into village, Tonatiuh forgive us, we must rid village of the evil and the things that brought it."
The gate of the captive's cage was swung open and everyone standing outside spread apart like parting waves. They stood far back eying the prisoners with new found hatred and disgust. One man was sitting on the ground murmuring over and over, "Unclean, we are all Unclean."
The trio without hesitation strode out of the cage and walked out the gates of the tribes Village unharmed, and still carrying all their possessions.
"That was close. Too close. We were lucky that they are highly superstitious and believe evil lurks in anything they find mysterious or close to magical," said Ruby pointing at Jeod's rucksack gesturing to the dragon's egg inside.
"I suggest we continue our first plan before that event happened," piped up Blaine quickly as soon as we were out of sight of the Unigwa's village, "If we don't run into much more trouble be should reach the dwarves settlement in almost a week, if we had the horses we could've been there sooner, but fate has its way."
Jeod's feet were blistering; his boots were not meant for all this walking. His eyes drooped in their sockets as his bones started to ache and moan with every step he took, but he continued on determined to keep up with the other two. They stopped to rest as the sun's rays broadcasted the new day to the world.
"I say we rest for a few hours, we need to try and stick to the cooler parts of the day the summer is heating up and we will make slow progress if we try and push through during the middle of the day in the heat," said Ruby slowing her feet until they were at a stop.
They decided to make camp under a dense area of trees that lined the gently inclining track between the two mountains that stood before the trio. Sleep came easy to Jeod; he let its warm hands enclosed around him with ease. Ruby sat up and took the first watch, perching on a tree branch with clear view of their surroundings, the night was peaceful nothing stirred. She later changed with Jeod, who then later changed with Blaine, nothing bothered the slumber of the travellers tonight, and all felt well for once.
"So from this map, the dwarves live deep into the Kaomon Mountains, which means that the pass should be clear at this time of the season. However, we will have to watch out for the northern wolves their numbers are quite large at this time of the year," said Blaine gazing off towards the distant twisting peaks of the so called Kaomon Mountains.
The day was clear and sunny, sweat clung to the three traveller's skins as they journeyed deeper through the mountains through the treacherous terrain.