For the benefit of several readers – My Pawns' Story
1
Desperately Seeking Salvation
Mala-Shae eagerly awaited her arisen, Surdana. Clouds of mist formed over the black bubbling pools of poison near the Greatwall. In the distance she could see large Hobgoblins giggling insanely as the poison affected their senses. She stretched out her hands and checked her quiver for arrows. Surdana was in the rift looking for pawns and Mala-Shae was bored. A short walk away direwolves hunted in the leafless forest of Barta Crags. Maybe she would bag a few before her Arisen returned. The ancient writing on the rift stone glowed a deep blue and out of it came Surdana and a male pawn. There was something about him that struck Mala-Shae straight away. He was a strider, good-looking but then most of the male pawns were, and had a quiet unassuming confidence that reminded Mala-Shae of her Arisen.
"Salvation have taken the Great wall." Surdana told them. "They've taken prisoners and are going to kill them if we don't do something.
"Finally! Action!" Mala-Shae grinned and elbowed the male pawn.
"We'll show them!"
"We shouldn't just rush in. The chances are they are expecting you arisen and will have set traps."
"Urgh!" Mala-Shae said impatiently. "Just how will being cautious circumvent these traps?"
"We should go in first." The male pawn answered.
"Well that's...not a bad idea actually!" Mala-Shae said cheerfully.
"We'll go in together." Surdana said. "I know they'll have prepared a welcome committee."
Mala-Shae and Trystan put arrows to their bows in preparation. Surdana drew her daggers. They passed through the main gate to the stronghold. Ahead were two Salvation. Mala-Shae loosed an arrow in their direction and they ran through the further gate.
"Let's get..."
"Wait!" Trystan shouted. Seconds later two huge armoured Cyclops entered the courtyard. Their one eye shining red against the sun. They roared, foaming at the mouth such was their fury.
But that wasn't all. Soon they heard the sweet calling of Snowharpies, their song lulling the unwary to sleep.
"OK. First the Snow harpies, then you can play with the Cyclopses." Surdana told them Mala-Shae grinned.
"Now here comes the fun part!" Mala-Shae started firing at the snowharpies. Trystan used his downpour volley to strike them from above. A cyclops roared and smashed it's club to the ground and headed straight for them.
"Urrgh!" Trystan grunted as he dodged the Cyclops club. He brought his bow to bare and shot it in the eye. But the arrow clanged of his helmet. Then he heard a screech. Not even looking he rolled sideways and in one smooth movement got to his feet. He loosed a well aimed arrow and the harpy fell to the ground. He turned.
"Watch out!" He cried. Mala-Shae was shooting down more harpies, a veritable cloud of them had formed around her. But she had missed the cyclops who was raising his club.
A quick five fold flurry and the giant dropped his club. Mala finished off the last of the snow harpies. Then Trystan saw Surdana who was steadily climbing the back of the cyclops. The dagger flashed in her hand. Then she was hacking away at the back of the cyclops head.
"Watch it!" Mala called, Trystan didn't need to look around. As he fell into a forward roll Mala aimed an arrow. The Revenant Wail sung in her hand. The arrow hit the approaching cyclops dead in the eye. This time the helmet broke. Trystan joined Mala-Shae's side and whilst he prepared a devastating downpour volley, Mala-Shae shot ten arrows straight into the cyclops' eye. The ground shook as it fell. They turned their attention to Surdana. Her cyclops was also falling. She rode it to the ground and jumped off it.
"Well that was fun. Let's see what else they have for us shall we?"
Mala-Shae clapped Trystan on the back. "Not bad. For a strider."
"Not bad..." He sounded insulted.
"Yeah. I mean downpour volley is alright, but it's no match for the tenfold flurry!"
"Oh is that so? We'll see." He marched off ahead.
"I thought you liked striders?" Surdana asked her quietly.
"Oh! I was only teasing!" Mala-Shae complained. Surdana smiled at her pawn. Mala-Shae was becoming more and more human. In fact the more human she became, the more she reminded Surdana of someone.
A guard ran to meet them in the next courtyard.
"There are prisoners trapped below! Please you must help them!"
"We'll do what we can!" Surdana assured him. They approached the main castle building. Ahead was a corridor that lead to a small barred door. To their left they heard the familiar groaning sounds of the undead. They were about to investigate further but Skeletons suddenly rose from the floor. One swung a sword and knocked Mala-Shae off her feet. A Skeleton warrior hefted a huge sword aiming for her head. Then behind it Trystan vaulted into the air and brought his daggers down on the Skeleton's head. It shattered. Mala-Shae grinned and jumped to her feet. Trystan raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Drawing her daggers Mala-Shae scythed through the remaking Skeletons.
They heard a cry. Mala-Shae was suddenly filled with panic.
"Arisen!". They were in time to see Surdana fall from a tall spire of ice.
"I hate sorcerers." Mala-Shae grumbled reading her bow. Trystan did the same.
"Shall I tell Evelyn?" Trystan asked and shot a member of Salvation through the head. Mala-Shae narrowed her eyes and shot another Salvation in his rear end.
"I hate sorcerer's who aren't on our side." She fired, skewering two with one arrow.
"Evelyn is my friend! So don't you dare!" Trystan grinned this time and fired another arrow, he'd aimed it at the backside of another Salvation not wanting to be outdone by Mala-Shae. Unfortunately for the Salvation, he turned around.
"Owwww." Mala and Trystan said together.
"If you two have quite finished?" Surdana said impatiently. "We have a wall to blow up."
"My Arisen problem is that she's no fun."
"I saw an explosive barrel outside Arisen, I'll fetch it."
As Trystan left, Surdana narrowed her eyes at Mala-Shae.
"You see? He's helpful."
Mala-Shae pulled a face and went over to the barred door. She fired arrows into the room. The undead waiting for them fell.
"That's helpful. Now we don't have to deal with them after Trystan makes a mess of the wall."
Trystan threw the barrel at the wall which crumbled. They entered the room. Screaming was coming from below. Running down the stairs they skidded to a halt at the scene that met their eyes. Whatever the chamber had been used for wasn't wholesome. There were ropes hanging from frames and stocks. Gran Soren men had been disarmed and were being attacked by the undead. Mala-Shae and Trystan quickly scythed through them. The cowering guards approached Surdana thanking her for her help before running as fast as they could to get away.
"Thanks for the help guys!" Mala-Shae said sarcastically. "Next time, don't even bother!"
"You can't blame them, this is much more than they've ever faced." Surdana said.
Quickly they made their way back up the stairs to where another guard met them.
"There's a back way! I'll open it up for you!" He sprinted ahead, Surdana, Mala-Shae and Trystan ran to keep up. The Greatwall had many passageways and rooms. Passing through these they came to a larger chamber stacked with many crates. This however was not it's defining feature. A large chimera was jumping at the iron gate that lead from the room. The guard behind it was more than glad to keep it between him and the chimera. Surdana tried to creep up on it and take it by surprise. But whether it smelled them or heard them it turned and charged, leaving smashed crates in it's wake. Mala-Shae and Trystan rolled in opposite direction in a hope of distracting it. But it seemed only interested in Surdana who dodged out of the way only just in time. Mala-Shae fired a tenfold flurry at the snakes head. Trystan came up behind it and vaulted onto it's back. He hacked away at the snake. Mala-Shae fired another tenfold flurry.
"The Snake's head is done!" She shouted and turned her attention to the goats head.
The goats head was trying to heal. Trystan crawled up it's back and started hacking away with his daggers. Mala-Shae jumped up to join him. Surdana fired a five fold flurry at the Lions head.
Mala-Shae and Trystans hacked away at the goats head. It gave a pitiful bleat before lolling from side to side, tongue hanging out and blood oozing everywhere.
"And that's the Goat!" Trystan said. Then they were both thrown off as the lion, now in sole charge of the body, went wild. It jumped about flailed madly. It would stop just long enough to roar.
"Rrgh!" Mala-Shae growled and readied an arrow. She fired it at the lion which turned and charged at her. Before it charged her, Trystan fired a hailstorm of arrows at the lions head. It staggered. Mala-Shae readied a ten fold flurry and fired. The lion was still.
The guard behind the door gushed his praises. But only after Surdana prompted him did he open the door. They continued their journey upwards. There were more rooms and narrow corridors. The whole place seemed to be a rabbit warren. Mala-Shae strode head purposefully, while Surdana kept out her daggers and was more wary. Trystan also kept looking around. Mala-Shae walking through an opening, moments later they heard her shout. Trystan ran forwards and nocked an arrow. Ahead was a flight of stairs, at the top Skeleton warriors with large swords, and Skeleton sorcerers. To the side a Gran Soren guard was screaming, undead warriors surrounded him. Mala-Shae had been knocked over by a spell. Trystan fired arrows at the sorcerers. Surdana tackled the undead surrounding the guard. Mala-Shae got to her feet and sheared through the remaining sorcerers with her daggers.
When the last sorcerer fell, Mala-Shae grinned at Trystan.
"It was almost too easy!"
"You were laying down on the job!" He teased.
"Huh! Was not!" She folded her arms and turned away mocking taking offence.
Surdana dusted the shaken guard down.
"There's a back way! I'll open it for you!" The guard hurried to unlock!the door.
"Too late buster! We've already taken them out!" Mala-Shae said exasperated. Trystan laughed.
They took the back way, though as Mala-Shae pointed out more than once, the main stairs would have been quicker. Another room was ahead of them and they saw the guard. As they entered, there was a sound like rattling rocks.
"Skeleton Lord!" Mala-Shae shouted. It was a Skeleton, but in full armour, with a large shield. It held a sword menacingly, and charged them.
"Thanks for the spotters guide!" Surdana said as she rolled behind the Skeleton and took it out with her daggers.
"It...was for his benefit." Mala-Shae said quickly. It was Trystan's turn to take offence.
"Thank you!" He said sarcastically.
"This is it." Surdana said quietly and headed for the door. She hesitated before opening it. They were outside facing the main keep of the castle. Ahead of them and in front of the door was the Elysion and two of his servants. They jumped before him protectively.
"Oh. It squinty features." Mala-Shae said unimpressed. Surdana had walked ahead of the two pawns to face the Elysion.
"Squinty...?" Trystan queried. Mala-Shae folded her arms, her expression dark.
"I don't like him. He called pawns 'equivocal husks'."
"'equivocal'" Trystan said slowly. "So we're 'hazy' husks?" Mala-Shae frowned.
"'Ambiguous husks?" She tried.
"Unsure husks?"
"Cryptic husks?"
"Indecisive husks?"
"Well, when we're first created we might be." Mala-Shae frowned. "What did he mean?"
"You can ask him." Trystan nodded towards the Elysion who was monologging.
"Please sir! What did you mean sir?!" Mala-Shae whispered mockingly. Trystan snorted.
"That word, I don't think it means what you think it means!" Trystan retorted. Mala-Shae gasped.
"What?! Inconceivable!"
"Ok! Time to wrap it up you two! We have Wights!" Surdana was preparing arrows. Mala-Shae loosed a ten fold flurry at one Wight, which flew up to avoid them.
"And undead!" Trystan shouted the warning just in time. An undead warrior had lifted it's hammer and was about to bring it down on Surdana head. She rolled out of the way. Trystan shot it between the eyes. Mala-Shae was rapidly becoming exhausted. She was shooting arrows at the Wights who kept drifting out of her line of fire.
"The undead first!" Surdana shouted. "They have to come to the ground to resurrect them!" Mala-Shae nodded and drawing her daggers quickly scythed through the undead. One Wight drifted closer to the ground. The other Wight was casting.
"Oh no! Not that spell! Anything but that spell!" Surdana sounded panicked. She had changed targets and was shooting the Wight who was further away.
"Uh oh! I know that one!" Mala-Shae looked at Trystan.
"Maelstrom!" They said together.
"Go after that one! I'll deal with this one!" Trystan said. Mala-Shae nodded and ran towards Surdana. Trystan finished off the first Wight with a well placed skull splitter.
Surdana and Mala-Shae were firing at the Wight. They had managed to interrupt it's spell. They kept firing until it too was defeated.
In the confusion the Elysion had slipped inside the main keep and was now speaking from the top of the castle.
"Does not shut up does he?!" Mala-Shae said looking up at him.
"He certainly seems to like the sound of his own voice." Trystan agreed.
"See how the very air dances around us?!" Elysion called from the top of the castle. "This is absolute truth! This is Salva..."
Behind the Elysion, the dragon came cutting through the sky like a swallow. In a way it was quite beautiful, the Dragon's scales glinted in the light, the Dragon's eyes were two pools of flame. It crushed the castle completely, the Elysion crushed beneath him.
Behind her Mala-Shae laughed.
"Well that shut him up!"
"The rantings of an up-jumped Zealot make for tedious listening." The Dragon's voice was a low rumble, like the sound of thunder.
"If you would see me, seek me out and I shall allow it. Until then I will hold your little keepsake safe. Your dragonforged will speak for my diligence in that." The dragon flapped once, the shockwave it made with it's wings caused the floor the shake. The two pawns and Arisen glanced at each other.
"Time to go!" Mala-Shae shouted as she ran. "Last one out is a pancake!"
Surdana ran as fast as she could, but the floor was crumbling beneath her. Soon she was falling, grasping at thin air. The ground was rising fast, tucking herself into a ball, she hit the ground and rolled out. Quickly she glanced around. Trystan was helping Mala-Shae up, as soon as she was up, she slapped away his hand. Surdana smiled briefly. Looking up, she saw the dragon flying high, and something glinting in the air. It tumbled and spun out of control, landing on the ground with a slight tinkling sound. Surdana moved forward as though hypnotised. She reached down and picked up the object. It was a ring. Mala-Shae and Trystan joined her.
"The dragon has taken Julien." Surdana said simply.
In the pawn guild in Gran Soren, raucous laughter could be heard. Barnaby shook his head disapprovingly but did nothing to stop it. Down the stairs, before the entrance to the Everfall, pawns gathered round tables. They had moved two so they made one long table around which they could all sit. Flasks of Curious wine, various herb ale selections, spring water, red and white wines had accumulated on the surface, along with a lot of festival pies.
"This is Salva..." Mala-Shae mimicked. "Splat!" She brought her hand down hard on the table. Several bottles wobbled precariously. A few of the pawns laughed.
A tall pawn with her bright red hair in pigtails asked.
"Excuse me, I may be being stupid but what does 'equivocal' mean?"
"We've been through that already Myschala." Trystan answered.
"Ambiguous."
"Indefinite."
"Non-comital."
"Vague."
"Inexact."
"What?" Myschala sounded confused.
"Precisely." Mala-Shae said.
"It can also mean 'of doubtful nature or character'." Apollo joined them, he had many scars, a testament to his many adventures. Yet despite this he remained handsome. It was a disappointment to the many female pawns he remained steadfastly loyal to his wife Éclair, around whose waist he had casually draped his arm.
"He was trying to imply we have no characters, no personality, no will of our own." Apollo continued.
"B'ah!" Lumen said. "Idiot!"
"A flat idiot, now." Mala-Shae added.
Trystan left them and wandered back up the stairs. He nodded to Barnaby as he passed and headed to the Gran Soren Union Inn. Asalam looked at him suspiciously but said nothing. Surdana was sitting by herself at a table, a mug of ale untouched. In her hands she had the Arisen's bond and was turning it over slowly.
"Arisen?" Trystan asked cautiously. Surdana smiled as she saw him.
"Not with your friends?" She asked.
"I thought I'd see how you are?" Trystan said. "Mala-Shae should be with you..."
"Mala-Shae is where she should be. Doing what she should be and proving the Elysion wrong." Surdana said.
"You mean 'squinty features'?" Trystan said with a smile.
"She reminds me so much of my sister Deryn. I wouldn't have her any other way."
Trystan looked at curiously.
"That's interesting."
"What?"
"My Arisen. Her name is Deryn."