{CHAPTER TWO: Old Fiends, New Foes?}
...
Wander snapped his head towards the voice. Two heavily armored men were riding up to meet him on cream-colored horses, approaching from the Shrine side of the bridge. They were clad in identical tunics of white and royal blue, with heavy-plated silver armor, adorned with what looked like ancient rune patterns etched into the metal. Their helmets were made of the same silver and came down past their ears, with a royal blue cloth covering the mouth and nose area so that Wander could see only their eyes. Both men clutched a battle spear in one hand, and had longswords sheathed at their sides.
Wander halted Agro and gaped at them. How was it possible that there were people here? He hadn't seen a single soul in the entire time he'd been here – gods knew how long that was, he'd lost track of time in this place – and he was certain that these lands were uninhabited. The grounds were cursed.
He rubbed his eyes and even pinched his arm, but no – he was not dreaming. The men were not a result of delirium, as they did not disappear nor shiver like a mirage.
"Speak!" Wander jumped as the man on the left barked at him. "You are not wearing Tribe hues or dressings. Your horse is of a foreign color. You cannot be from here. How did you get past the Gatekeeper?"
Wander opened his mouth to respond, but all that came out was a confused, hoarse gasp.
The soldier on the right pressed, "What is your name? Where have you come from?"
"Wa—" the warrior cleared his throat, as his voice was raspy from lack of use. "Wander. And… I… I don't know." He supposed this was the truth. He had yet to tie up any loose ends as to what was going on.
The men exchanged slow glances. The one on the right urged his horse forward, and removed a thin rope from his saddlebag. He draped it loosely over Agro's neck, and the other soldier did the same with another rope. Wander's faithful mare snorted in protest.
The man on the left met Wander's gaze; he had piercing green eyes that stood out from under the shadow of his helmet. "As you are unfamiliar with the laws of our land, and you have violated several already, we must take you to the leader of our Tribe as a trespasser. He will deal with you accordingly."
As the armored men came up on either side of Agro, the one who had just spoken leaned forward and swiftly plucked Wander's sword from its sheath, then wrestled his bow and quiver from his back. Wander could do nothing but sit limply atop his saddle and allow it. The man nodded to the other and they spurred their horses forward. Tied to them, Agro had no choice but to match their gait. The three steeds cantered in the direction of the Shrine of Worship.
A heavy silence fell over the trio. Wander was at the mercy of these strange men. Unarmed and thoroughly confused, he felt vulnerable and afraid. Tribe? Their land? This land belonged to no one but Dormin and the Colossi, didn't they know that? But his tongue felt tied; he had not the words to properly voice his helplessness.
Distractedly, Wander's gaze fell to the Shrine as they came past it, the building that had been his sanctuary. Something was different about it. He squinted his eyes and tried to place this uncertainty. It seemed brighter. The sand-colored stone was shining like it was flecked with gold. No longer was it the decrepit and moss-covered building that he knew; it was as if it had been rebuilt. More than that, the stone was reflecting bright sunlight. The sky was a lively blue and flecked with only a few puffy white clouds. It was not the perpetual cloud cover that he was used to, and the wind was not howling, and it was warm. Wander realized that under his clothes he was sweating.
A burst of color caught Wander's eye and as they rode past the Shrine, he saw four large, horizontal flags lining the front of it. The first was black, with the white outline of a fierce wolf's head sewn into it. Second came a flag that was the same blue that the soldiers wore on their tunics, with the brown silhouette of a hawk in flight. The next flag was a deep emerald green, embroidered with the white, abstract outline of a lizard's body. Lastly came a white flag, and on it was the black profile of the head of a doe.
Tribe sigils, perhaps? Fascinated, Wander desired a better look at the majestic Shrine, but they didn't go inside. They continued forward, to the east, the men saying nothing and focusing their eyes straight ahead.
If they were passing the Shrine, then where were they going? The soldiers steered their horses into the shadow of a mountain pass, and soon the path narrowed with a cliff drop-off to their left and the mountainside to their right. The horses slowed and carefully picked their way along the winding path.
With a jolt, Wander recognized this trail. It was exactly the route that had taken him to the fifth Colossus. The prey-bird of stone. Dormin had called it Avion.
They rounded the corner to approach the grassy clearing that came just before the entrance to Avion's lair. But as they did, Wander was again taken aback. The clearing was exploding with life. There were quaint huts scattered along the mountainside, smoke drifting from their small chimneys. People milled about, dressed in white and brown tunics, with various dressings of royal blue. Curious glances and whispers were tossed his way as he was led by the soldiers through the bustle. A ways away from the cluster of huts was a large wooden structure, a stable, with dozens upon dozens of stalls that were filled with horses of the same cream-colored hide.
They approached the mountain opening that was the beginning of the stone path to Avion's lair and the lake that filled it. Two soldiers, dressed identical to the ones that had taken him but not as heavily armored, policed the entranceway. As he was elevated above them on Agro, Wander craned his neck to see the lake better, but it was largely shrouded in shadow from the mountain.
"We are taking him to see Skystone," the soldier on his right told the guards, causing Wander to look over to him. Wander glanced to the guards for their reaction, trying to figure out what was about to happen, but all the men were expressionless.
One of the guards simply nodded and the soldiers on either side of Wander dismounted their horses. As the ropes were taken off of Agro, they were tossed gently onto him and he was pulled none too gently from his saddle. The guards led the steeds away, and Wander glanced back helplessly at his mare, a jet-black target among the cream horses. He couldn't look for long, as he was shoved forward by the soldiers who were now holding his arms.
Wander felt anxiety well up in his chest. Avion's lair - a place that was once so familiar - now held only secrets to him. Whatever this place was, it was not the Forbidden Lands that he once knew, and he was its prisoner. Wander was completely and utterly lost.
AN; Wander's got himself in hot water again... I want to thank those of you who have followed and reviewed this story; it's appreciated! Keep the feedback coming. I promise you guys are in for a ride (: - Monica
