Chapter One
The Promise
"Get out of here!"
"No! I wont leave you!"
"There's no time! Mei Arr!" Darkness swallowed his voice. The blood splattered and gurgled against the beasts. "Yudo, take Mei Arr and get back to the caravan!"
"No! Teo, we can fight! I can't leave you!"
An ethereal arm encompassed about her waist.
"No!" She screamed, fighting against Yudo's pull.
The final darkness shattered the protection of the chalice; the sword of Teo lifted high into the air as his life was sapped away. He wouldn't be the plaything of the monsters.
Mei Arr sobbed in agony as Teo's weapon fell down upon his chest, his life force snuffed out against the pale light of the miasma as he took his own life.
The monsters let out triumphant yowls, their gizzards tossed into the air to let out a collective, bone chilling howl. The echoes of their victory shivered into the very bones of the two survivors as they labored away.
EC
The first morning.
That thought pervaded all others. This was his first morning of being a part of something bigger than himself, of being part of the collective force for good. This was the first step in his long trek of life. This was his first morning as a caravanner.
The dawn pulled over the trees guarding the serene borders of Nefthassal, the multicolored lights yawning into the quieted courtyard as the first breaths of the new day eased into the hearts of all the inhabitants. Birds chirped at the sudden awakening of the world, their calls adding to the normally silent dawn, sending fourth a crescendo of harmonized notes flitting into the air.
"This is it." He whispered to himself. The young Clavat glanced behind him to the sleeping smithy, towards his family still blissfully unaware in their dreams. It was better this way, he told himself. This way, they wouldn't have to say goodbye. He cringed slightly as he thought of the kind of reception he'd receive in a year's time due to his untimely departure, but that didn't matter now. What mattered was the journey.
With a sigh and a shrug to re-position the pack on his back, the young Clavat ran a hand through his unkempt brown hair, his uneasiness from the weeks before slowly rising to a simmering boil. He swallowed hard to steady himself. Now wasn't the time for second guesses.
The town didn't notice the single passerby in their tired delirium, their motions purely methodical as they went about the cycle of awakening. He passed by house after house with no interruptions; and he preferred it that way. He was afraid of losing his nerve if anyone happened along.
The distant sounds of the rumbling river were a welcome accord, causing the young Clavat to quicken his pace. He crawled up the hill that marked the end of civilization until the fabled town of Marr's Pass, his eyes widening with the surge of adventure filling his veins. The bridge leading to the outskirts of town, to the wide world beyond, suddenly appeared at the crest of the final hill, his future companions waiting patiently with the caravan already packed for the road. His sword rattled loudly against his shield as he hurried, further announcing his presence to the two figures standing alone.
The shorter of the two glanced towards the hurried Clavat. The Selkie eyed him with a narrowed gaze, contempt splashed across her fair features without even a hint of excitement. She folded her arms across her chest in impatience, her magnificent bow ticking across her back as her foot tapped lightly on the ground.
The Yuke, noticing his counterparts motions, also turned his gaze to the rapidly approaching Clavat. His metal mask hinted not at what emotions stirred in his depths, but his posture wasn't threatening. The giant bird-armor thing opened his arms in welcome, motioning to the caravan beyond as he did so. "Ah, young Quin," He said serenely, his melodic voice echoing somewhat strangely in the crevices of his dented helmet. The Yuke coughed as though to clear his throat, repositioning his helmet atop his 'head' as he did so. "It was Quin, was it?"
Quin nodded as he came to a stop, his breath coming in quickened gasps at the combination of running and excitement. "Yeah. Quin Batereir, at your service."
"You reek of soot." The Selkie growled, tossing her thick mane of silver-blue hair behind her back as though to accentuate the point. "I don't suppose a final bath crossed your mind before you left this morning?"
Quin eyed her curiously, unused to such venom aimed his way. "I, well-"
"Ignore her, please," The Yuke sighed. "Mei Arr never was a morning person."
Mei Arr? Quin paused for a moment. He could have sworn he'd heard that name before.
"My name is Yudo, young warrior." The Yuke continued, ignoring the glare shot his way by the annoyed Selkie. "Head of Nefthassal's eighth caravan."
Quin gave the Yuke a slight bow in honor of his station, holding back a relieve sigh that the irritating Selkie wasn't the leader.
"You must know, young Clavat, that the station of caravanner cannot be taken lightly. We are out here to keep the village alive. Whatever happens out there effects the safety and future of the entire peninsula of Nefthassal. And, as such, we must always put one desire above all others." Yudo paused for only a slight moment, Quin catching an odd significance passing between the Yuke and Selkie. But it passed, allowing the regal Yuke to continue his speech. "No matter the costs, we are to return to Nefthassal."
A chill seemed to creep into the air at his words. Quin shuddered involuntarily as he felt the wind inching up his spine.
Mei Arr simply rolled her eyes at the unnatural chill. "Enough of that, Yudo." She sighed, her earlier venom replaced by a sudden weight. With a final glare cast Quin's way, the Selkie deftly moved to the head of the caravan, her hands brushing the fur of the gigantic beast that pulled their wagon. "We can swap 'riveting' tales on the road. I don't want to waste anymore time here than I have to."
Yudo bowed apologetically at the Selkie. "My apologies." He called serenely, not at all perturbed by his companions shifting demeanor. With a swishing hand in the air, Yudo beckoned Quin forward. "Shall we?"
Quin nodded eagerly, shouldering his pack even higher, his earlier excitement returning a hundred fold.
Several hours out from the protection of Nefthassal's crystal, Quin found himself traveling rather close to the swaying wagon. The small circle of their chalice's protection kept unwanted monsters at bay, he knew, but that didn't stop their voices from reaching the perceptive ears of the young Clavat. He placed his pack reverently on the back of the caravan, replacing his sword and shield onto a more comfortable position as he did so, his eyes never leaving the vast expanse of the plains of Nefthassal.
Yudo, noticing the young warrior's unease, slowed his pace to match the Clavat's, his steel gaze turned ever forwards. "You have nothing to fear, Quin." He stated calmly. "No monsters would dare attack a caravan along the road."
Quin let out a relieved chuckle, but the uneasiness behind his facade remained.
Yudo smiled, if a beak made from unmoving metal could smile, and came to a sudden stop. "Mei Arr, if you would."
The Selkie didn't show that she heard the request, but her hands tightened on the reigns. The caravan slowed to an uneasy stop.
"Uhm, Yudo?" Quin whispered, suddenly very aware of the various snorts and growls coming from every direction. Yellow eyes peaked over the rims of the tall grasses, goblinoid ears perking higher along the horizon. "Yudo, why've we stopped?" His uneasy voice shook with fear now.
Yudo patted the shivering Clavat on the arm reassuringly. "I'm just reminding those out there who's road this is."
The Yuke held perfectly still, Quin suddenly fearing that the caravanner had been turned to stone. But, with the serene calm to well known to his race, Yudo lifted his right hand to the heavens. His metal face followed suit, the holes on the helmet suddenly gleaming with an inner silver flame. Yudo's palm opened wide, his feathered fingers splayed out. The Yuke took in a final gasp of air, before he shouted "Firaga!" at the top of his lungs.
A sudden, agonizing burst of heat erupted from his palm. The fire exploded from the source, its greedy fingers angrily consuming everything outside the chalice's benign influence. Tongues of flame licked the heads and shoulders of the monsters beyond, causing the monsters to let out horrified squeals of pain. They rose as a collective force, all thirty of them, dashing back away from the deadly barrage of condemning fire as their flesh was literally cooked atop their bones.
Quin watched in horrified amazement as the spell died down, leaving a perfect circle of destruction around the caravan. "Woah." He stammered.
Yudo chuckled once more.
Mei Arr, understanding the demonstration over, clicked once with her tongue, snapping the reigns forward to accentuate her point, causing the caravan to move forward once more.
The two hurried to match the pace sent by the Selkie. "That was amazing!" Quin cried, punching his fist into the air in imitation of the spell. "You just, FWOOSH, melted every last one of them!"
Yudo laughed. "It was nothing, really. All of them will survive the fire- though most will live without eyebrows for a few weeks. I was only scaring them away."
Quin joined the laughter. "But, still! I've never seen such a powerful spell coming from one caster! Back in Nefthassal, the most my friend Jenna could ever get was a spark. It took three mages to get a fira!"
Yudo shrugged his wispy shoulders. "Most don't have combat training, I suppose. Out here, you don't exactly have the time for parlor tricks and light shows."
Quin nodded his consent. "Yeah, I guess."
The three traveled in silence for a time, the only sound coming from the creaking of the wooden wheels. After a few more hours, Yudo finally called a halt.
"This is far enough." The Yuke called, drawing a most grateful sigh from the exhausted Quin.
With a gentle fire crackling in the center of their makeshift camp, the three caravaners rested. Their bedspreads were rolled in a circular fashion around the fire, their positions equally sharing the heat with all without them being in too close proximity.
Quin scraped a thin stick along the edge of the fire, his eyes dancing with the technicolored flames. Magical fire offered quite the spectacle to his young gaze, time ticking away unnoticed as he simply sat there, enthralled.
Yudo was the first to draw the young Clavat's attention away. The Yuke tossed a ration from across the fire to the others, waking Quin from his reverie with a 'thwap' atop his head.
Quin lifted the piece of dried meat into the air in thanks, than immediately proceeded to tear into the salted portion. His mirth was stopped, however, as he noticed the actions of his two companions. Both sat with their heads bowed for just a moment, their eyes closed in reverence. The moment passed, and both readily tore into their respective portions.
Yudo, noticing the curious glance of the young Clavat, shrugged almost noncommittally at the searching gaze.
Mei Arr answered for him. "When you've been out as long as we have, boy, you tend to take nothing for granted."
When her response did nothing to quell the curiosity in the Clavat's eyes, Mei Arr sighed. "So, wait," Quin inquired, not wanting to let the matter drop. "How long have you two been out here?"
Mei Arr moodily tossed what remained of her meal into the fire. "A lifetime." She murmured.
Yudo cautiously raised a hand into the air to silence the both of them. "Maybe some other time we can recall our past battles." He commented lightly. "Right now, however, we have other things to take care of." His words drew the attention of Quin immediately. "Quin," Yudo continued, with a half-glance towards Mei Arr. "First we need to decide what you can do. From the recommendations given to us by Nefthassal's mayor, you're proficient with the sword, are you not?"
The young Clavat, never one excelling at the art of humility, puffed out his chest. "Well, I don't mean to brag or anything, but I'm ranked as the village's champion. No one in town can defeat me in battle."
Yudo's helmet tipped back slightly, almost looking like he was raising a sarcastic eyebrow. "Oh, really?"
"Yeah!" Quin continued, fed by their apparent lack of rebuttals. "The guys and I would fight all the time- not even Lyall could beat me, and he's a Lilty!"
"Is that so?" Yudo commented, his voice slightly muffled, as though he was holding back laughter.
But Quin didn't notice. "They mayor must've been watching us, or something." He stated. "He must've been really impressed to have sent me along with the caravan!"
"I'll be the judge of that."
Quin hardly had time to raise his shield to block the sudden fury of Mei Arr's curved sword, sparks flying wildly as the two metals rang with a clear note into the night sky. The Selkie jumped back across the fire, her fur-covered green clothes dancing wildly in her haste. Her hair pulled back lightly, Mei Arr once again curled downwards, as though she meant to leap.
Quin raised his shield again against the suspected attack, his vision cut off from the rim of his blocking device. But, instead of the frontal assault, Quin felt a sudden thump against the base of his skull. The Clavat swerved around, unnerved at how quickly the Selkie maneuvered the flat of her blade around his defenses. He clutched his sword tightly in his right hand, noticing that Mei Arr held her own blade in her left.
The Selkie darted back around, her swift form curling around the line of sight offered by the shield. Quin struggled to match her pace, his shield swinging around wildly to defeat any attacks from the side. His swirling momentum was difficult to stop, and it came as a frustrating surprise as he saw Mei Arr calmly waiting for the opening in his defenses. The flat of her blade slapped his forearm, following by a sudden jerking that landed the blade three hits on his unprotected face.
The barrage of attacks continued, interrupted for several long minutes. Quin couldn't hope to break the speed of his Selkie opponent, his inexperience with a seasoned fighter causing him dozens on hits with the flat of her blade.
Finally, mercifully, Yudo called for them to stop.
Mei Arr immediately sheathed her weapon, her stance shifting from threatening to casual in the blink of an eye. She eyed the blade with some contempt.
"Well done, Quin." Yudo praised. "Though Mei Arr prefers the bow, you held up well to her attacks."
Quin smiled at the Yuke's praise, but his pride was immediately deflated by the snide comment offered by the now seated Mei Arr.
"Yes. He'd last an amazing total of two minutes against a real monster."
Yudo sighed in resignation to her words. "You're just untrained, Quin." He commented lightly. "A few weeks of traveling, and we'll have you in top shape in no time."
Quin smiled at Yudo's words, but he harbored doubts that he'd enjoy more fighting sessions with the intrepid Mei Arr.
The next three days passed uneventfully. The countryside rolled by, hardly changing, as the caravan continued its slow progress north. Today Quin sat at the head of the wagon, his hands easily grasping the reigns as he watched the scenery pass. Mei Arr took the position of rearguard, leaving Yudo to walk alongside the head of the caravan.
Quin found he preferred these kind of arrangements, where Mei Arr was out of immediate earshot to deliver any snide comments, and he could talk to the calm Yudo without interference. "Hey, Yudo." He said lightly after a long lapse in silence. "What's Mei Arr's problem?" The Yuke resolutely stared ahead, giving the Clavat the impression he'd misunderstood. "I mean, ever since I've come along, she's been nothing but rude and spiteful. I don't know what I've done wrong."
Yudo took his time is responding. "Mei Arr can be, erm, difficult around strangers. It's not that she's normally a rude person. Just, certain, well, circumstances have caused her to behave in the way she does. Just give her a few weeks. She'll come around."
Quin glanced over his shoulder to stare at the far shape of his third companion, his mind racing with questions. "What happened?" He whispered.
Yudo shook his head. "It's not my place. If Mei Arr wishes, it will be she who tells you."
And that was the end of the discussion. Quin occasionally glanced behind his shoulder to watch the Selkie as they traveled, noticing that she would often stare upwards, towards the heavens above, for several long minutes, her lips moving in silent words.
But, despite her strange behavior, he garnered nothing.
That night, after a long session of humiliating battles, Quin lay sprawled across his bedspread. His eyes trailed along the miasma choked sky, the young Clavat suddenly found his attention drawn by a hushed conversation issuing from the other side of the wagon. He lifted his head curiously, glancing around to see if the others had heard what was transpiring. Neither of them were in their beds.
Quin slowly rose into a crouch, stealthily crawling over to the opposite side of the wagon. He placed himself next to the closest wheel, using the shadows from the dieing fire and the distorted shapes of the spokes to hide his identity.
"Please, Yudo, I'm so close!"
Quin cocked his head at the unusual tone in Mei Arr's voice. She was pleading, painfully so.
"No, Mei Arr." Yudo stated resolutely. "This obsession has gone on long enough. We have another caravanner now. Our duties are first and foremost to Nefthassal, and Nefthassal only."
"You don't understand!" Mei Arr cried, her voice ringing loudly in the quieted camp. The Selkie immediately quieted, her hushed voice causing Quin to strain to hear her. "I'm so close, Yudo. I'm so close. I can almost hear his voice again-"
"No. I refuse to let this continue. This has become unhealthy, for you and everyone around you. It's been seventy years, Mei Arr. If we have not found the answer now, we never will."
"Just one more journey to Shella! Please! I know someone who can help!"
"Shella? Are you mad, Mei Arr? That trip is five months in the making! We can't wander that far northward with a new recruit. The monsters up there are too strong for him to handle!"
"To the miasmic abyss with that boy!" Mei Arr spat. "I wont let anyone come in between-"
"That's enough, Mei Arr!" Yudo stated, his voice ringing with such finality that the Selkie had no choice but to stop. "We have a job to do. The past is gone and done! Why can you not accept what has come to pass and move on with your life?"
"Because he would do the same for me."
Mei Arr's whisper cut deeply into the night. Quin shuddered with the gravity of her words. Unwilling to be caught eavesdropping, the young Clavat slipped back to his beadspread, his mind whirling. Who were they talking about? And for eighty years they had been searching! Mei Arr looked no older than twenty, and Yudo... Well. It was hard to tell with the Yuke. But eighty! Out of pure curiosity, Quin desperately wondered what was at Shella that Mei Arr would risk everything for. An artifact? A mage? A long lost friend?
His mind whirling with the possibilities, he hardly registered when the other came back to the fire, each taking their respective places in their beds. Mei Arr rolled as she lay down, her back to the other two.
Yudo glanced to the Selkie with a sigh. He shook his head in exasperation, before angling his glance towards Quin. "Well, Quin, tomorrow we'll be in sight of the River Belle. We wont tackle the river this year; the caravan from Alfitaria has already harvested the myrrh. But we'll stay on the outskirts to give you a glimpse of what we're up against."
"Alright." Quin agreed, his heart not in his response. His hazel eyes continued to bore into Mei Arr's back, wishing he could understand.
What was in Shella?