Obsidian Fires
Part 5
By Mieren
"I'm hungry," Kento whined loudly for the fifth time in so many minutes.
"So am I," Sehkmet seconded.
"Both of you, shut up," Cye snapped, scowling at the two idiots trailing him.
"Have pity," Kento wailed miserably. "We haven't eaten since last night."
"I don't care," Cye growled, stomping down the trail furiously. There was only so much stupidity a person could take before losing his mind, and the two following him were emitting levels of idiocy that he had never thought possible. He had been listening to their bickering and whining for hours, and he had had enough.
"Can we at least take a short break?" Sehkmet pleaded, panting softly.
Sighing loudly, Cye led them a little ways off of the trail into the trees, knowing full well that they had to rest eventually. This might even get the others to shut up for a few minutes. Kento and Sehkmet immediately began to poke around in the bushes and nearby trees, arguing which ones might be edible.
"Don't touch anything," Cye hissed angrily. "We don't know what is and isn't poisonous here."
"We at least need to find something to drink," Sehkmet said slowly, looking around. "The water should be safe at least."
Cye groaned and got to his feet. "This way," he murmured, weaving through the bushes nimbly, Sehkmet and Kento following blankly. After a few minutes of walking, he came to a small clearing in the thick trees, a pile of dull gray rocks piled almost a foot deep decorating the center of the grassy area.
Moving to the closest rock, he pulled it out of the way, and lowered his hands into the black depths slowly.
"Uh, Cye? What are you doing?" Kento asked worriedly.
Cye looked up at him with quirked eyebrows. "You said you wanted water," he mumbled, pulling up a cupped hand filled with the icy liquid. Kento and Sehkmet exchanged startled glances.
"How did you know that was there?" Sehkmet asked sweetly, eyes wide.
Making a face, Cye looked at his dripping hands thoughtfully, brows drawing down in confusion. "I don't know," he said softly, still staring at his hands. "I just knew. I could almost hear the water calling to me."
By the end of his last sentence, Cye's voice had lowered to a whisper, his eyes glazing slightly as he continued to stare blankly at his hands. Kento made a face and sat down beside him, slurping noisily at the water from within the pile of stones.
"Your element, I guess," Kento muttered. "I can control the earth, so this kind of makes sense. Doesn't it?"
Cye nodded slowly, looking up to Sehkmet. "What about you?"
"I don't think I can do anything beyond healing," he muttered, shoving Kento roughly out of the way to get at the water. Kento squawked indignantly and pegged him with a rock. A big rock. Sehkmet was about to return fire when Kento's eyes glazed over, the younger boy staring off into the trees with a slow grin building on his face.
"What is it?" Cye asked, straining his ears without success.
"Can't you smell that?" Kento drooled, eyes lighting up. "It's food."
Sehkmet sniffed the air immediately, a grin spreading across his face. "You're right," he chirped, jumping to his feet. "This way!"
Cye watched in disgust as the two bottomless pits charged off into the trees, grumbling angrily as he replaced the gray rock in the pile and darted after them, seething silently.
* * *
Ryo's eyes fluttered open weakly as someone prodded him gently, groaning as he flopped over onto his stomach and tried to rise. Gentle hands pushed him back down.
"Hold still," Cale murmured, snagging one of Ryo's arms and trying to wrap it with a piece of shredded cloth. Groaning, Ryo complied, trying not to jerk away whenever Cale hit a tender spot.
"Where are we?" he asked weakly.
Cale grimaced. "Exactly where you collapsed after fighting those weird lizard things in the trail. Dais isn't awake yet and I don't think that either of us are up to going anywhere at the moment."
"Do we have any water or food?"
Cale only shook his head, eyes closed wearily. "I wish."
Groaning again, he laid back and let his friend work on him, not having the strength to do much else at the moment. After a moment, his lips twitched with an idea.
"I think that we have some food," he murmured, catching his friend's attention.
"And what would that be?"
"How do you feel about roasted lizard?"
Cale blanched before turning greener than Sehkmet's hair, causing Ryo to chuckle softly in amusement. He sighed in resignation and scrubbed a filthy lock of hair out of his eyes.
"I guess it could be worse," Cale muttered slowly.
"Yea. You could be cooking."
"Gee, thanks."
Ryo smirked at him around the pain clawing at his body. "I'll start a fire if you grab one of those things."
"Why should I have to chop it up?" he wailed.
"Because you're in better shape than I am and Dais isn't conscious."
Cale grumbled something that Ryo was sure he didn't want to hear, returning after a few minutes with an enormous leg hanging from his arms. "One of these things should be more than enough," he grumped as he limped back, glaring at Ryo. "And where is the fire?"
For an answer, Ryo pointed to the bare ground in front of him. "Just secure it above the ground somewhere around there and move back." Growling something that made Ryo choke with laughter, he tied a piece of heavy wire around its leg and hung it from a tree limb, dropping to the ground in pain and exhaustion.
"Where did you get that?"
Cale blinked. "The wire? I stole it from one of your little elfin friends out there while you were unconscious. They had a bunch of neat stuff, but I was afraid to mess with most of it. I refuse to touch something that I don't know what is."
"No wonder you're still a virgin," Ryo muttered, looking around innocently when Cale glared at him.
"Oh har har. Cook the damn meat," Cale grumped.
Ryo grinned and complied, not bothering to summon true flames for fear that the light and smoke might give away their location. Instead, he called on their essence of burning heat, watching in satisfaction as the meat began to drip with juices and browned slowly as the minutes ticked on. He was about to announce that it was done when something crashed through the trees, nearly crushing him as it darted over to where the leg was roasting.
"Kento!" Ryo gaped, jaw hanging slack. Sehkmet heard his cry and barely managed to clear him in a desperate jump before creaming him. The two immediately began fighting over the meat, swearing and growling when they burned their hands several times. Cye wandered into the camp more slowly, eyes wide.
"Was this a signal intended to gather those two? Because if it was, it was pure genius," Cye muttered, grinning at Ryo hesitantly. "You don't look so good. Let me guess, the lizards and elves on the path?"
Ryo nodded, grinning weakly. "Are the others with you?"
Cye shook his head. "I was hoping that you knew where they were."
"Hey Sehkmet," Cale snapped irritably. "Do you mind?"
"Wha?" he grunted around a mouthful of burning meat.
"You know that all of us are hurt, right?" Cale asked sweetly, grinding his teeth.
Grimacing contritely, he stuffed a fistful of smoking meat in his mouth and began his rounds, looking over to the smoldering leg hanging from the tree longingly as he worked. It took nearly half an hour for Sehkmet to finish healing them with his diminished abilities, Ryo taking the longest of the three.
Dais groaned as he rose, making faces at the others. "Where are we? What happened? And what in the hell are you guys eating?"
Cale grinned at his friend, eyebrows shooting towards his hairline. "Well, let me see. To answer those in order, I don't know, you dropped in the first few minutes of battle with the dark elves like the pansy you are, and you don't want to know."
Dais made a face. "Who cooked it?"
"I did, kind of," Ryo snickered.
"Well, then I guess it's safe as long as Cale didn't go near it."
"Thanks a lot," he muttered, making a face.
"What is there to drink," Dais asked slowly, looking around.
"There's a spring a few miles that way," Kento said, pointing roughly behind him.
Ryo grimaced. "Great."
Cye snorted wryly at the others, staring at the ground expectantly. Ryo and Cale moved over to him and peered over his shoulder while they ate, occasionally prodding him to ask what he thought he was looking at. Holding one hand out in front of him, he concentrated fiercely, delicate wisps of sea blue flames licking his fingers for a moment as he studied the ground.
The soft earth opened slightly, water gurgling up to the surface in a small spring, much to the shock of the others.
"Hey, Cye," Kento said slowly, eyes narrowing. "Didn't you say that your powers weren't working?"
"They aren't," he scoffed, settling back comfortably. "This is elemental manipulation. You've been doing the same thing with the earth and I'm betting that's how Ryo was able to cook that lizard leg."
Dais choked and spit out the mouthful of meat he had been chewing on, looking up to them in horror. "Lizard?!" he wailed, blanching and hacking in a fury.
"It doesn't taste bad, does it?" Kento countered, taking a huge bite in front of the greening man. "Delicious."
The Warlord only looked at them pitifully, mouth twisting in disgust. He scooted over the small spring Cye had brought up, pausing as he reached towards it.
"There aren't any surprises with the water that I should know about, are there?"
Ryo shook his head and grinned wearily. "No. But I suggest that we get moving as soon as possible. We still need to find Sage, Kayura, and Rowen."
Everyone except Dais, who refused to touch the meat, finished eating in silence. Allowing themselves a few minutes to rest, they started moving again, trying futilely to ignore the exhaustion tearing at their minds and bodies as they started down the trails once more.
* * *
A silent hidden figure slid down the sides of the trails, careful to remain hidden in the shadows. Eyes shining a furious blood red from beneath a dark greenish brown cowl, he slipped to an observatory position, grinning viciously as several figures passed below him. Leaping out of hiding, he punched through armor and chest alike of the nearest dark elf, smiling in satisfaction at the blood running down his heavily muscled arm. Moving onto the next, he casually snagged his arms and tore him in half, chortling to himself as the others scattered.
Not willing to let any of the elves escape his fury, he slammed into the nearest fleeing elf, laughing wildly as his bluish black locks of hair fell in his face incessantly. Throwing his head back to avoid the dark elf's frantic swing with something that resembled a knife with the handle in the center, he casually tore its throat out with jagged teeth. He resented the fact that the five-foot elf was so much shorter than he in his eight-foot towering form, forcing him to bend over at an awkward angle. He reveled in the taste of the blood as his crimson eyes shifted to the deepest black, both irises and whites vanishing in the obsidian depths.
Pulling back with a grin, he replaced his hood and trotted back to the shadows, allowing the inky flames shooting around his shrinking form to die out as he began his hunt for the dark elves who thought they had escaped.
* * *
Ryo and Cale pulled up short in trotting down the trail, paling fiercely at the slight that greeted them. Dark elf corpses were scattered in the clearing. One had been torn in half messily and another's throat had been ripped out by something rather large. A third was dragging himself feebly away from them, a hole passing cleanly through the right side of his armor and chest alike. Cye edged over towards him slowly.
"What happened?" he whispered to the dying dark elf.
"Looking for an ally, light elf?" he sneered, scowling fiercely.
"I might save you in exchange for information," Cye offered. The dark elf looked up at him in utter shock at the offer, eyes narrowing in consideration and desperation.
"Something attacked us. I'm not sure what it was, but it was big. It makes your friends look tiny. Had muscles like a demon, but a human-like form. Using the dark magics and unheard of strength against us. He had sharp teeth and red eyes that turned black. Came from the shadows and reveled in killing and bloodshed. This is all I know, light elf."
Cye nodded slowly and motioned for Sehkmet to come over. "Heal him."
Sehkmet's mouth dropped. "You're joking, right? He's with the enemy."
"I promised him that if he told me what happened, we would spare him."
"No way. He'll attack us."
Sighing, he turned to the dying elf again. "You have to swear not to attack us. Some of the others are a bit edgy about reviving you."
"Heh. What choice do I have? I swear that I will leave the battlefields of this war and go home if you revive me. I will not attack you, your friends, or your kind."
Cye nodded. "He promised not to do anything. Heal him." Sehkmet made a face before complying, laying his hands delicately over the enormous hole in the ebony shin.
"How long ago was this, dark cousin?"
"Only a few minutes. I think he went after the others when they scattered, so he could be anywhere at the moment."
"Ah shit," Cye muttered. "The thing that got them is no more than a few minutes from us at the very most." Sehkmet looked up at him in horror but continued to work, swallowing nervously as he began eyeing the surrounding trees. Cye proceeded to repeat all of the information that he had learned while the others listened in horror.
"Light cousin," the dark elf called softly, face pensive. "I recognize the language you spout. Tell me that you are not the elfin armor bearer called Cye Mouri."
"Sorry. I can't deny that one."
The dark elf's face went blank as he looked to the others, swallowing nervously. He bounded to his feet when Sehkmet drew back, looking as though he wanted to flee as he neared the others, eyes wide.
"Are you here to stop the war, light cousin?"
Cye nodded slowly, unsure exactly how their temporary captive would respond. He only bobbed his head and looked around carefully, snowy hair falling around his shoulders in matted locks.
Turning to Cye suddenly, he extended his hand. "I am Siellon Naymura of the Dark Waters Sept."
Jumping in shock at the greeting, Cye hesitantly grasped the outstretched hand. Siellon smiled at him slowly, looking to the others uncertainly.
"Unless I am mistaken, you are a master of water. Your friends are masters of fire, earth, darkness, poison, and illusion. Yes?"
"How did you know that?"
"I have studied various arts. I can recognize a master of something when I see him. It's not too hard if you know what to look for. I assume these skills were bonuses that came with your lineage and armors."
"Hey, Cye. What's he saying?" Ryo asked slowly. Swallowing, Cye repeated the conversation. The group looked at the dark elf incredulously, who began to squirm uncomfortably under their level gazes.
"What should we do with him?" Kento asked slowly, eyeing the dark elf uncertainly. Noticing his look, Siellon looked to Cye.
"The earth master wants to know what is to be done with me, am I right?" Cye nodded slowly, amazed that he was catching on so quickly. "I would ask to come with you, light cousin. I owe you a blood debt for my life."
Eyeing the ebony-skinned elf uncertainly, Cye repeated the request to the others. Siellon squirmed under the six dumbfounded gazes regarding him, hesitantly slinging his short bow over his shoulder and sheathing his two short swords.
"Maybe we can use him for directions for awhile," Dais suggested, looking around uncertainly at the others.
Cye rolled his eyes. "Do you know where Mieren could be found?"
Siellon nearly jumped out of his skin, backing away with wide eyes. "That one? I do not wish to find her!"
"We do."
"You're out of your mind if you wish to go to the main battleground where she is, but I will show you the way if you so request it." Cye nodded sharply and he sighed.
Sehkmet was chewing on his lower lip thoughtfully. "He called me a master of poison, didn't he? Well, if you idiots can do things without your armor, then I should be able to as well," he murmured carefully, looking around. "Hey Kento, can you make me a hollow sphere of stone that will shatter about like an egg would?"
Kento jumped at the request and blinked uncertainly. "I think so," he muttered, looking at the ground in careful concentration.
"Leave a hole in one end."
Nodding without looking up, he reached down and picked up the requested item, handing it blankly to Sehkmet. The Warlord walked over to the nearest tree, placing his hand on the side gently. A limb lowered slowly to his call, sap running thickly out of a hole in the bark. Sehkmet grinned and filled the small sphere with the sap and handed it back to Kento, who held it at arm length and paled slightly.
"I haven't done anything to it yet. It's just tree sap," he chortled. "I just need you to seal the hole in the end."
Obeying quickly, Kento handed the thing back to him, glancing in confusion at the others, who were watching him in a mixture of fascination and curiosity. Sehkmet winked at them and palmed the small sphere, smiling crookedly.
"Let's see how this works," he murmured, chunking the thing at the nearest tree.
Everyone present jumped back as the thing shattered, thick greenish ooze running thickly down the side of the tree. There was a soft hissing for an instant before the tree began to turn gray and melt, wilting to the ground in a matter of seconds. All that remained after ten seconds was a mass of bubbling slime on the ground that continued to smoke slightly. Sehkmet crowed triumphantly as he turned to the others.
"If you make those things, you are going to carry them," Ryo muttered, eyes trying to bulge out of his head. No one else was responding much better to display with the exception of Siellon, who seemed extremely impressed.
They conceded to wait for a few minutes as Sehkmet made a large collection of the things, storing them in a huge pouch he fashioned out of his cloak. Grinning at the protected feeling that the poisonous bulbs gave him, he followed the dark elf as he led the way down the trail.
To Be Continued…
Okay then. I'm tired of fighting the format for today. I'll tackle the other parts later when I'm not half asleep. R&R!
