Chapter Three

He stood behind the wooden palisades of this armed camp, growing more and more impatient. Upon arrival, he had requested an audience with the healer he sought. Instead, he was forced to deal with some over-inflated "Battle-Leader." She had asked incessant questions about what he ran into out in the wilds. Finally, he could take no more of her questioning and demanded an audience. His demand was met with a number of glowing arrows pointed in his direction and a brush-off by this so-called "Battle-Leader."

Waiting was not something he did well, especially with the urgency of his mission burning in his heart. He chafed at the passage of time, fearing the death of yet another of his tribe as each minute passed. He decided to take a more aggressive posture and make his way to this healer. She would have to listen to him. The urgency was too great. He must not fail!

His first step away from the palisade was met with the eerie creak of a dozen bows being drawn tighter. His second was met with a warning. "Not one more step outlander." The voice was as cold as the glacial melt he relished in the warm days of the time of the eagle. There was no joy in his heart, even from such a fond memory for he knew the threat behind the voice was not casual. He stopped, but he refused to give up.

"I am the Emissary of the Tribe of the Stunned Bear. I must speak with the healer, and I must speak with her now." He strained, trying to will them into understanding. They cared not. But, he did see someone coming that was dressed differently than the rest. Could this woman be whom he sought?

"Stand aside warriors. I will speak with this outlander now." Her voice was gentle, yet held the authority of someone who not only expected her orders to be followed, but implicitly knew that they would be. She had to be the one.

"Now, outlander," she spoke as she passed through the warriors and drew near to him, "What is it that you could not wait to speak with me about?"

"Are you the healer?" Gra-Tuke asked, suddenly unsure of himself. He felt as if all his anger, aggression, and urgency had fled to be replaced with calm and peace.

"I am Akara, High-Priestess of the Sisters of the Sightless Eye, and yes, I am the healer of my people." Her eyes drilled into Gra-Tuke, taking measure of his soul, his very being. For the first time since he left his village, he actually felt fear. Fear of this woman who somehow held the balance of his entire existence in her hands. He could not explain the feeling, and as he tried to do so, it faded.

Her eyes released him and he felt like himself again. He shook his head to clear it and immediately started. "Healer, you must come to my village. So many of us have been stricken by this horrible plague that we can barely defend ourselves against the demons and fell beasts that now roam the plains."

She frowned and Gra-Tuke's spirits plummeted as she declined. "I'm sorry, young barbarian, but I am needed here. Without my healing arts, the warriors and refugees coming here would all perish. I will give you some healing potions to take back to your villiage—"

"Healing potions! You offer healing potions! My people lie dying of an unnatural disease and all you offer is healing potions! You were supposed to be a great and powerful healer!" Arrows were drawn tightly all around him as his ire grew. He cared not. "Do you think we are a backwards people, worthy of your distain? We can make our own healing potions. They avail us not. You are not the great healer I came to find.. This whole ordeal was worthless!"

Two dozen eyes focused intently on the barbarian trembling with rage. Only three paces separated him from their high priest – a dangerously close distance. There was a collective gasp as the high priest did the unthinkable. She calmly and quietly walked up to the barbarian.

"Gra-Tuke, please calm yourself," She addressed him placing a small hand on his tremendous, quivering arm. "I truly wish I could offer more aid, but this is the best that I can offer since we have been driven from our home."

Gra-Tuke did not understand what was happening to himself, but he was feeling calmer, his anger fading away as if drained from him by her touch. He pulled away from her violently, fearing what she was doing to him.

With the sound of a whip-crack, a single arrow responded to his sudden movement. From such close range, it struck with such power that it pierced his arm and pinned it to his side. He roared in pain and drew forth his axe with his other. In the span of two heartbeats, he had closed the distance to the rogue who had fired the arrow and swung his axe at her midsection.

The blow never landed. Both he and the rogue were blasted from their feet by a searing white light. All present were nearly blinded, save for the source of the light, Akara.

"Kashya, come collect our errant sister immediately!" Akara's voice rang throughout the camp with such authority that even the throng of onlookers decided it was time to find something else to do. Wordlessly, the rogues surrounding the pair slipped away, under Akara's hot glare, even dragging their dazed sister with them.


Gra-Tuke's senses had barely returned to him when he noticed that he no longer felt any pain from his arm and side. He was on his back with Akara leaning over him.

"Good, you're awake. Now, before you do anything rash, listen to what I have to say, emissary." The word was spoken almost as a curse. It pained Gra-Tuke to hear his title spoken in such a manner, but he was still too weak to do anything about it.

"I sympathize with you and your people. I really do." Akara's voice had returned to pure sweetness. "But, the plight of your tribe is small in comparison to what has transpired outside your walls. The hundred or so of your tribesmen are dying. That brings me sorrow, indeed. And I truly wish I could help them, but I cannot."

Akara paused, wiping a tear from her eye. Her voice became rushed and she could not stop herself from unloading it all upon the poor fool. "What you do not know is this, barbarian. Fully one thousand of my sisters lay dead or worse. We have been driven from our home, and our few remaining scouts have informed us that there are armies of demons and corrupted creatures massing outside the very gates we once defended. They are all coming here. They are coming to wipe us out once and for all. And, as if we needed anything to become worse, our reinforcements from Kurast and beyond are trapped in the mountain pass, being slaughtered by the very beasts we will soon face. My great alchemical and mystical libraries are in the hands of these demons. Any help I could have possibly have found for your tribe is in those libraries. I'm sorry, but your cause is hopeless."

Gra-Tuke was chilled to his bones by these words. He heard the terrible things she spoke of, but in his heart, he also found a glimmer of hope. The libraries held the knowledge that could save his tribe. He must get this woman to her libraries.

Sitting up, his eyes still blurred, he looked at Akara, wondering how such a small woman could pack such a large punch. No time for such thoughts. He shook his head, clearing it. "If you need those libraries to save my people, then you shall have those libraries if I have to carry you on my back the entire way."

Akara chuckled at that image. "No, barbarian, you shall not carry me on your back. It is not just a simple matter of getting me to my libraries. I needto research and study countless tomes. For that, I would need time, and with the demons controlling the monastery, there is no chance for me to get such time. That is why this is a hopeless quest."

Gra-Tuke refused to be dissuaded so easily and began to say so, but was interrupted by the "Battle-Leader" as she approached. "Mistress Akara, Jenna has brought us terrible news." Not pausing for a response, she continued. "The demons have cut off Flavie and her sisters. They are massing in the darkness of a nearby cavern. I fear they will strike us at dusk. We have too few left here to defend the walls if they come at us in strength. We must leave now."

"And go where?" Akara responded with a weary voice. "There is nowhere left for us to run. We are exhausted, have too many who cannot fight, and have no means of transporting the wounded. We stay here and defend this spot to the end. Is that clear?"

Kashya bowed her head in acquiescence. She could not override Akara's orders. Cursing the gods that had placed them in such a plight, she left Akara's tent to prepare for the Sister's last stand.

"It seems you have come to us at the wrong time, Gra-Tuke. Since we are all to die here this night, might I ask that you lend your axe in our defense?" Akara knew it was selfish to ask the barbarian to join the fight, especially since she knew that she could not help him and his tribe. She asked nonetheless, knowing that he would not refuse.

Finally, fully regaining his senses, Gra-Tuke swung his legs over the edge of the cot he had been placed on and stood. He picked up his axe and prepared to answer the challenge when something odd happened. He found himself thinking of an alternate path in this chaos. He spoke without forethought or truly without even fully realizing what he was saying.

"No, I will not join your last stand here, for I shall go to this cavern and take the fight to the demons. We of the Tribe of the Stunned Bear do not wait for our enemies to come to us. No, indeed, we take the battle to them!"


He was halfway to the palisade gates when he noticed someone following him. He glanced over his shoulder to see a slight woman hurrying to catch him. He stopped, mildly interested in what she would have to say.

"Hey, big guy. You going after the baddies all by your lonesome?" She smiled as she asked her question.

"If none have the courage to follow me into battle, then yes, I will destroy these demons with my fists if need be. Do not try to oppose me."

"Oppose you?" She chuckled. "No, I mean to join you." As she spoke, her hair began to lift from her head, standing straight on end and crackling with energy. She offered him a hand in greeting. "I am Elisha, Initiate of the First Circle. And, quite frankly, I'm bored of sitting around here waiting for something to happen. You going to make something happen, then I want to be there. Deal?"

She had an infectious grin and Gra-Tuke found himself unable to say no. After all, he could use someone to watch his back as he chopped the demons to pieces. He reached forward to shake her hand and was greeted by a sharp shock, jarring his arm into numbness.

He pulled his hand back, growling at the odd sensation and drawing his axe into striking position. "I warned you not to oppose me, waif."

"Oh, no, wait. You don't get it. See. Look at your hand. It's now marked with my spark." She smiled involuntarily at his reaction. There were easier and, well, less painful ways to mark a friend, but they were less fun.

Gra-Tuke stared at his hand and saw that indeed, a lightning bolt had been burned into his palm.

"See, now my sparks won't hurt you anymore, silly." She quickly demonstrated, sending lightning crawling across the field around them.

Gra-Tuke marveled as the lightning crawled over his boots but he felt little more than a slight tingle as it passed. In stark contrast, a rogue standing watch nearby cried out in pain and nearly collapsed as a spark merely grazed her. she raised her bow with shaky arms, taking aim at the young sorceress.

Seeing the rogue's now angry reaction, Elisha quickly hurried along, practically dragging Gra-Tuke with her. "Come on. Come on. You think the baddies are gonna wait all day? Let's get going."

Gra-Tuke shrugged and started off after the odd girl. He hoped she would be more useful in battle than she seemed to be socially. But then again, what did he know about socialization anyway?