The Force's Shepherds
Chapter 55
Equus
Robin emerged from the hut. Each movement carefully considered as his feet sank deep into piles of loose sand. He stumbled forward a couple paces and glanced around the village.
Even less buildings stood now. A enormous majority of the sandstone huts had been consumed by the storm. Forever buried in the desert. He considered himself and his friends lucky to be able to emerge from their own shelter. Some sand still swirled around the village, but it was not life threatening anymore. More of nuisance than anything else.
He glanced back at the hut's half buried doorway.
"We're good!" He called.
Gaius poked his head out. Just as he was about to scramble out of the hut, Anna shoved her way past him. Plowing the poor thief right down into the sand.
"My cart!" She cried as she found her large wagon in rough condition.
Sand clogged the storage space in the back. The canvass roof had been torn to bits by the ferocious sandstorm. As she fretted over the ruined cart, Donnel emerged from the hut. The farm boy carefully guided Anna's horse out of the small entryway and brought her over to the frantic merchant. While she rushed about her cart, he calmly hooked the horse back up to the cart.
"Er, Miss Anna, do ya need any help?"
Anna stopped trying to dig her cart out. She took a few steps back and uttered a loud sigh of defeat.
"It's going to take forever to get it free." She mumbled despondently.
"Forget that!" Gaius barked as he pushed himself back up to his feet. He spat some sand from his mouth, "We need to find Benny and Sunshine."
Robin nodded in agreement.
"Look, Gaius," Anna sighed, "If my cart is buried, then I'm pretty sure your friends are too." Anna folded her arms, "I'm sorry to say that, but that is the truth."
Laurent poked his head out of the hut.
"Fascinating." The Scholar said, "A sandstorm's path of devastation is both so easily identifiable but at the same time, so easily blends in with the land around it." He adjusted his glassed, "I am afraid Miss Anna may be correct. The sand has built up to the point where most huts are completely buried."
"You don't know Ben like we do." Robin replied as Panne pushed her way past Laurent and began to sniff the air, "He has survived way more dire situations than this."
"Jumping off of Pegasi is not the same as taking on mother nature herself." Laurent replied.
"Gods damn it, Specs! Would you stop!" Gaius roared.
"Stop what?"
Robin placed a hand on Gaius's shoulder. Holding the thief back from rushing at the Scholar and beating him to a bloody pulp. Gaius took a shaky breath and jerked his body from Robin's hand.
"C'mon, we got a village to search."
Panne sniffed the air some more. Her ears then flicked to the northern edge of the village. A broad smile crossed her face. Before anyone could ask her what made her so happy, she bounded through the sand in the direction of an almost completely buried hut at the edge of the village.
"Whiskers! Wait up!"
"Don't go running off. Who knows what is out here." Robin called, suddenly remembering that there was an open reeking box in the hut they just exited.
The group raced after the Taguel. As they approached the buried hut, a wooden door burst open around the side. Robin's heart soared as he saw the pair emerge from it.
"Benny! Sunshine!" Gaius cried as he sprinted past the tactician over to the sand covered dark mage and swordsman.
Robin paused in his mad rush to his friends. They were alive, but they both looked a little worse for where. Ben's cloak was missing. Instead, Tharja's cape hung over his shoulders. He had a small limp to his walk. And his friend looked completely exhausted. Tharja appeared physically fine, save for a few scrapes and bruises. But the wet tear stains beneath her eyes were unmistakable.
Panne reached the pair first and nearly tackled them both to the ground. It took Tharja threatening to hex all her fur off in order to get the Taguel off of both of them. Gaius bull rushed into both and enveloped the pair in a large hug.
"How in the hell did you two manage to survive?" Gaius asked as he held onto both of them.
Tharja flicked her eyes over at Ben, "Get him off of me." She hissed.
Ben chuckled and pried Gaius's arms from around both of them. The thief jumped back as Tharja swiped at him with an open hand. A lighthearted laugh left his lips.
"You'll have to be quicker than that, Sunshine."
Tharja grumbled under her breath. She wanted to hex the man. But her hands were full at the moment. Ben could barely stand on his own. The exhaustion in his muscles grew worse by the minute.
Robin slowly approached the pair.
"Ben, Tharja," He started to laugh, "You two have to be the luckiest people I know."
"There is no such thing as luck." Ben replied dryly.
"How did you manage to survive the storm?" Laurent asked.
"We thought you both were goners." Donnel piped up.
Both Ben and Tharja glanced at each other. The dark mage could see Ben's eyes beginning to droop. She shook her head.
"Damn fool." She muttered with a small smirk on her face, "We will explain later. All you need to know is Ben is insanely powerful but he is also very drained right now."
"Let's get him over to Anna's cart." Robin nodded as he hooked one of Ben's arms over his shoulders, "I got him from here, Tharja."
The Dark Mage let out a small relieved sigh. Robin could see she was reluctant to let Ben out of her care, but her own weariness won out in the end. She let Robin shoulder the exhausted warrior and followed him as the tactician carried Ben over to Anna's cart.
Anna managed to find a shovel in the back of her cart. The merchant worked fast. She managed to dig out two of her cart's wheels already and was starting to work on one of the front wheels when she saw Robin and the others returning.
"I don't believe it!" Anna exclaimed. The stunned merchant dropped her shovel and watched as Robin guided Ben over to the back of the cart..
Ben gave her a weak smile, "You better start then."
"Gaius, help me get him inside the cart." Robin grunted as he tried pushing Ben up inside.
Both Anna and Gaius moved to help. Anna hopped up into her cart and pulled on Ben while Gaius helped Robin lift him up. Once Ben was lying down in the cart, the others took a moment to catch their breath.
"What now?" Gaius asked Robin.
"Now," Robin sucked in a deep breath, "Now we figure out where to go next."
"This has to be the only shelter for miles." Laurent pointed out, "I wonder how this place even existed. There are no natural springs or oasis nearby." He rubbed his chin, "Perhaps a magical element was at work here?"
"Does it matter?" Gaius replied, "The sooner we leave this dust bin the better." He hopped up into the cart and took a seat on a large, soft pile of sand, "I'm ready to go when you all are."
Robin rolled his eyes, "Always on the move." He muttered before motioning for the others to pile into the cart.
Once everyone was aboard, Robin took a quick look around. Something felt off. For some reason, he felt like he was in danger. That something deadly was approaching. A gut feeling he could not explain. He furrowed his brow. Perhaps he just felt anxious. Especially now that Ben, the best fighter in the group, was out of commission for now.
No, that was not it. The sense of impending danger only grew inside of Robin. He heard a whisper in his mind. Telling him to be ready for a fight. His hand gripped the binding of his spell book tighter.
"Hey, Bubbles?" Gaius held a hand out to Robin, "You getting in or not?"
"All aboard!" Anna called with a cheerful smile.
Robin shook his head. Why did he feel so on edge right now?
Gaius flicked his gaze up from Robin to the edge of town. His eyes narrowed.
"Hey uh… Anna?"
"Yeah?"
"Why are you over there?"
Robin spun around. He could understand Gaius' sudden confusion. Sprinting towards them from the other side of town was a woman that looked exactly like Anna. She had scarlet hair bound up into a high ponytail. Wore a mottled brown and yellow outfit with a high collar. A sword hung on her hip and she had a skip in her step.
A gasp rushed from Anna's lips.
"That's my sister!"
Gaius's eyes widened, "You have a twin?"
"Technically yes." Anna replied. A frown ran over her face, "What is she doing without her cart?"
"RUN!" Anna's sister screamed over the desert, "They're about to attack! Run!"
Gaius arched an eyebrow, "About to attack?"
Robin's heart hammered in his chest. What was about to attack? The village was completely abandoned. The only people here were himself and his friends.
His heart stopped beating.
"The reeking box." He breathed.
A blast of cold shot through the desert air. A mournful moan drifted along the frozen breeze that blasted the small group of Shepherds. Goosebumps formed on Robin's skin. The mourn grew in pitch until it became an unbearable shriek. The tactician clasped his hands over his ears. Something cold pressed against his side. His eyes widened as he realized the Reeking Box in his coat felt like ice. Panic shot through his heart.
"Risen!" He called back to the others.
A loud cry rang down from the sky. Robin cast his eyes up, ignoring the glaring sun.
Twelve shape emerged in the clouds. Black wings beat against the desert air. Red eyes, both pegasi and undead, stared hatefully down at the Shepherds. Robin's breath caught in his throat.
"Anna! Get us out of here!" Gaius cried.
The thief reached down and grabbed Robin by the back of his coat. He yanked the tactician as hard as he could. Tossing the man into the cart. Once he was inside, Anna snapped the reins. Her horse let out a fearful cry and jetted off in the direction of her sister.
Donnel grabbed a hold of one of the canvas roof's struts. He leaned out of the back of the cart and positioned himself so that he could reach out to the side. The Farm Boy's eyes flicked up to the Risen diving down at them from above.
"Don't slow down!" Donnel shouted over to Anna.
Anna glanced back at him, "Don't miss!" She shouted back, understanding what the Farm Boy was trying to do.
Anna's sister sprinted towards the racing wagon. Large clouds of dust kicked up from beneath the cart's wheels as it surged through the loose sand. The loud cry of undead Pegasi erupted once again. Ringing in the Shepherd's ears.
Anna's sister sprinted up alongside the racing cart. She lunged at Donnel. The farm boy reached and grabbed her by the wrist. With a surprising amount of strength, Donnel pulled the other merchant into the cart.
An arrow whizzed towards them. Donnel recoiled and fell backwards into Gaius as the arrow embedded itself just inches away from his face.
"They are flying now." Gaius gulped as he pushed a pale Donnel off of him, "Sunshine, Bubbles, Specs, now would be a good time to return fire!"
Tharja positioned herself at the back of the cart. Her spell book flipped open. Dark magic pooled into her body. She grit her teeth and launched a deadly Nosferatu at the flying Risen. Beside her, Laurent calmly opened his own spell book and muttered the incantation for a fire spell. The flames raced after Tharja's Nosteferatu. Both spells managed to slam into the same target. The Risen uttered a loud, pain filled cry as it's Pegasus was shot out beneath it. Gaius let out a victorious whoop as it crashed to the ground behind them.
"Keep that up! Bubbles?"
Robin was already moving. The tactician clambered over to sit beside Anna. He raised his eyes to the sky. Several of the Risen fliers were shooting out ahead of them. Trying to cut off their escape. Robin opened his spell book, gathered his magic, and shot a massive stream of fire from his open palm.
The Bolgannone spell startled the Risen above them. Three broke off from their formation. One failed to get out the way in time. The flames consumed the undead creature. Rendering it nothing but ash in the wind. Robin recoiled as the spell's after effects hit him. He failed to cast it properly. As a result, his hand felt like it was on fire. He hissed. The flesh in his palm felt exceptionally tender at the moment.
"Don't push yourself like that!" Tharja called from the back of the wagon, "You don't want a backfire!"
"We all don't want a backfire!" Laurent called over the roar of the Risen and rattle of Anna's cart, "If Bolgannone were to backfire, the flames may very well consume all of us."
"Bubbles! Stop being stupid and cast what you already know!" Gaius screeched as he held on for dear life.
"That is a simpler explanation, but yes, what the thief said." Laurent nodded in agreement.
Robin cursed under his breath. He hissed in pain as he shifted his spell book from his left hand into his right. His right hand felt like it was on fire. He dared not cast another spell with it. The pain grew in intensity as the hot leather from his spell book sat in his burnt palm. He did his best to ignore the burning sensation and instead focused on the static building up in his left hand. A massive thunder spell gathered between his fingertips. With a loud cry, Robin fired the spell up at the Risen.
A massive, yellow bolt of lightning cracked through the sky. And another Risen came plummeting down to earth.
As the flash from the lightning bolt faded, Robin saw a metallic object shrieking down at them. Before he even had time to react, a lance buried into Anna's shoulder. The merchant let out a loud scream and slumped to the side. Her horse bucked and pulled the cart erratically as it sensed it's master in pain.
"Anna!" Panne shouted.
The Taguel used her powerful arms to grab the wounded merchant and pull her into the back of the cart. Laurent broke off from firing offensive spells and immediately set to work on treating the wound. Leaving Tharja alone to handle the large number of Risen chasing after the cart.
"Sister!" Anna's sister cried as Anna's eyes began to roll in her skull.
"Here comes another!" Donnel pointed as another lance shot towards the cart.
Robin set his spell book down and grabbed the reins. He brought the horse under control and continued driving the cart faster through the sand dunes. Behind him, Tharja and Laurent were casting spell after spell. Trying to cut down the Risen attacking them from behind. An arrow whizzed past Robin's ear. He felt the iron tip open a gash along his earlobe. Hot blood leaked down the side of his head.
At this rate, we will get picked off one by one.
Robin's tactical mind raced. They needed to find cover. A way to make it difficult for any arrows or lances to be launched at them. He cursed as he struggled to find an answer. They were out in the open. There was no cover. Nowhere to hide. Just sand dunes stretching for endless miles around them.
Another arrow buried itself into the cart. This time right next to where Robin sat. The tactician grit his teeth. He could not defend himself like this. Not when he had to worry about driving the cart.
"Donnel, get up here!"
The Farm Boy did not hesitate. He rushed up to sit beside Robin. Robin handed the reins over to Donnel. With a loud, indecipherable whoop, Donnel cracked the reins. The horse snorted and stormed even faster through the sand.
Robin ducked beneath another arrow. This one flew through the canvass roof. Ripping a hole through the heavy material and just barely missing Panne.
"I'm losing her!" Laurent shouted to Robin.
Robin glanced over his shoulder. He paled at what he saw.
Laurent had removed the lance from Anna's shoulder. Blood covered the wagon floor. Ben had pushed himself up and was doing everything in his power to help stop the bleeding. Anna's sister gripped her hand tight. The wounded merchant's face had lost all of its color. Quick, shallow breaths left her lips.
"Tharja, clotting hex!" Ben called over to the dark mage.
"Who is going to defend the rear!?" Tharja shouted back.
Ben got to his feet, "I will!"
Tharja gave Ben an apprehensive look. His legs were still unsteady. His face held a sickly look to it. But there was determination in his eyes. Tharja nodded and switched places with Ben. The Dark Mage quickly muttered a dark incantation. Within a few moments, the bleeding from Anna's wound stopped.
"How is she!?" Robin called back.
"Alive, for now." Tharja replied before ordering Laurent to start wrapping the wound.
Robin turned his attention to Ben. A flurry of arrows came flying at their rear. Robin's eyes widened in terror. They were going to hit Ben!
A blue bar of light ignited in Ben's hands. With speed and precision that boggled the mind, Ben slashed through every single arrow fired at the cart. The blue light hummed as it slashed through the air. The swordsman created an impenetrable wall of deadly blue light behind them. Not a single arrow would be allowed to pass through.
Robin's gaped at Ben when the swordsman lowered his weapon and thrusted an open hand at the Risen fliers. He watched as one of the undead Pegasi was cast down to the ground by the Force. Robin gulped. He could feel the power radiating from Ben in that moment. It swirled around the wagon like a violent wind. And it was incredible to behold.
"Oasis ahead!" Donnel shouted over the cries of Risen.
Robin returned his focus to what was in front of him. Donnel was correct. A small grove of palm trees and thin brush sprouted from the ground in the distance. Which meant there was water there. And cover from the damn Risen and their arrows.
The cart raced towards the oasis. Towards shelter and a small measure of safety. There, Robin could execute a proper defense. The brush would force the Risen fliers to attack in low swoops. Opening them up for counters from Ben and Gaius's blades. Making it easier for spells to hit them. They just had to get there first.
Robin felt a sigh of relief rush from his lungs when the cart entered the shady oasis. He patted Donnel on the shoulder, telling him to stop the cart. The Farm Boy yanked back on the reins. The cart skidded to a halt.
Robin hopped out of the cart along with Ben, Gaius, and Panne. The tactician glanced at Ben's weapon. A glowing blue blade emitted from a strange silver hilt. Robin's mouth fell open. The blade was the same as the weapons Maul and Kage used. The only difference being the color the hilt produced. Maul and Kage's blades had been blood red. Sinister and terrifying. The aqua blue color from Ben's looked deadly, but it did not appear intimidating. Instead, if filled Robin with confidence. With a weapon like that in Ben's hands, nothing could stand against them.
He held his breath as the remaining Risen fliers landed on the edge of the Oasis. Red eyes stared through hideous black masks. Robin could feel the evil in the air as the creatures leveled lances and prepared to charge at the four Shepherds.
Panne transformed into her beast form. Gaius unsheathed his shortsword and readied himself for the charge. Robin charged another thunder spell in his hand. And Ben twirled the strange blade in his grip.
Robin let out a furious cry. He cast his spell. To his surprise, blue lightning jumped from his hand instead of yellow. And instead of a single bolt, a continuous branch of lightning raced at the charging Risen. The power that coursed through his veins in that moment felt intoxicating. So much power. He could hardly contain it. It was exhilarating.
Ben surged at the riders, forcing Robin to reel back in his lighting. His lightning had a devastating effect on the Risen. Three were instantly vaporized and another two lay on the ground in static filled heaps. Robin's eyes widened. Ben did not want him to use that blue lightning? Why? It had worked so well against the enemy? Why not tap into this power?
Gaius and Panne charged next. The enemy had been caught off guard by Robin's spell. Add in Ben's stunning efficiency with his strange weapon, and the Risen stood no chance. The trio made short work of what remained of the enemy riders. Soon, nothing remained of the Risen but small piles of black ash in the hot desert sand.
As the last Risen crumbled to ash, Ben took a deep breath and deactivated his weapon. The blue bar of light shrank back into the silver hilt in his grip. He swayed where he stood then dropped to a knee.
"Too close." Gaius muttered as he took a rag and wiped ash from his blade, "Right Benny?"
The swordsman let out a dry laugh, "When isn't it?" He took another deep breath and rose back to his feet. His gaze turned to Robin. There wasn't a smile on Ben's face. Instead, he looked a little concerned.
"It just kinda happened." Robin said with a shrug, "I meant to cast a normal thunder spell and then all that blue stuff just came shooting out."
Ben nodded, "I noticed." He patted the tactician on the shoulder, "You lack control." He gave Robin a small smirk, "I guess, in order to avoid any mistakes like that again, you will need some proper instruction."
Robin gave Ben a surprised look. An excited smile rushed over Robin's face, "I look forward to it."
Both Ben and Robin turned to look back at the cart. Tharja emerged from the back and stretched her arms high over her head. She tilted her head to the side and allowed a knot in her neck to pop. A satisfied sigh left her lips as the tension escaped her body.
"My work is done." Tharja breathed, "Anna will live."
"Thank Naga." Robin breathed as Anna's sister emerged from the cart along with Laurent.
"As for you." Tharja jabbed a finger into Ben's chest, "You need to go lie down already before you pass out from exhaustion."
Robin arched an eyebrow as Ben gave Tharja a sheepish look.
"I did just save your life."
"No, Donnel did by finding the oasis." Tharja replied with a smirk, "You just helped out. Now go lie down already." She ordered.
"Why is it that I must always be the one to thank you when you save my life, but you never thank me when I save yours?" Ben teased
"Don't make me hex you to sleep!" Tharja barked, "I promise you I can. And if I do, you won't wake up for several days."
"You'd miss my company." Ben laughed back as he lay back in the shade of one of the Oasis' large palm trees.
Tharja grumbled under her breath in response. Which usually meant that Ben won the argument. The swordsman laughed to himself as he lounged back in the shade. Robin and the others eventually joined him. The adrenaline in all their veins finally started to die down. And exhaustion took its place.
Anna's sister glanced over at the cart where her wounded sister slumbered.
"She's going to alright?"
Robin, "Tharja may be a dark mage, but she is a damn good healer in a pinch."
A light blush of embarrassment tinted Tharja's pale cheeks. She did not reply. Instead, she laid back in the shade and uttered a content sigh. Ben cracked an eye open and glanced over at Anna's sister.
"Wait a minute." He sat upright and stared hard at Anna's sister, "You're her sister?"
The other red head nodded, "Yup! I know, we hardly resemble each other. She is maybe a half inch taller than me after all."
Ben blinked, "You-you look exactly alike."
"Well of course. She's my sister. Why wouldn't we look alike?" The Merchant snapped her fingers, "Oh! Where are my manners! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is also Anna."
Ben gave her a dead stare as she smiled at all of the other puzzle Shepherds.
"It makes it easier for people to identify us as Secret Sellers." Anna number two explained.
Ben shook his head and lay back down.
"Tharja?"
"Hm?"
"Am I seeing things or is she really?"
"Oh." Tharja snickered darkly, "You are not seeing things. The world is just that crazy."
Ben ran a hand over his face.
"Now there are two of them?"
"More actually." Ben's eyes widened as Anna number two answered him, "But we're normally pretty spread out. I'm amazed you all were able to find me. Then again, my sisters have a sixth sense when it comes to finding all the others. Helps us keep track of each other and avoid accidentally setting up shop in the same place. We can't have competition like that after all."
Robin chuckled, "Family competition. How terrifying."
"It is! We are all vicious merchants. Profits before all else. So we make sure to keep our distant. Occasionally we run into each other on the road. But those are always happy little accidents. Sometimes we trade when that happens too." Anna number two sat up from where she rested, "Speaking of trade, I believe I owe you all something for saving not only my life, but my sister's too."
"Do you have any candy?" Gaius asked.
"Stop it, Gaius!" Robin snapped, "We're actually in need of some information. Your sister said you could probably help."
Anna number two put a finger to her chin, "I might be able to. Depends on the information."
"We are looking for two people. One is a baby-"
"Don't know any babies." Robin noticed Ben's crestfallen look, "So I can't help you there."
"Well, the other is a woman named Marth." Robin noticed Anna's brow furrow as she thought about the name, "Blue hair. One arm."
Anna shook her head, "I haven't run into anyone like that. In fact, the only traveler I've met in the past few months has been some blonde haired kid. Really creepy looking kid too. The yellow eyes scared the willies out of me."
Ben shot upright.
"Yellow eyes!?"
"Blonde kid!?" Robin asked.
Anna number two gave both men a puzzled look, "Uh… yeah. He didn't tell me his name. But he did buy some provisions off of me. Said he was heading for Port Ferox." She saw Ben and Robin give each other nervous glances, "Why do you ask? Do you know him or something?"
"Kage is in Port Ferox?" Robin breathed, "And if he is there, I am willing to bet Marth followed him."
Ben appeared a little more uncertain. He rubbed his beard and hummed to himself.
"We cannot be absolutely sure of that."
"There is only one way to find out." Gaius pointed out, "And I hope we are right. Cause I really want to stab that bastard for tricking me so easily!"
Anna number two puckered her lips, "I take it the blonde kid is not a friend then."
Robin shook his head, "Kage is an enemy. And a wanted criminal in Ylisse. He assisted in causing the death of Exalt Emmeryn. He also helped cause hundreds of deaths during the war by infiltrating our forces and providing our plans to the enemy." Robin gulped, "Marth has a personal vendetta against him. She'll pursue him until he has nowhere to run or hide."
"Or until she gets herself killed." Ben muttered, "She was in no condition for a fight him when she left." He nodded to himself, "We need to get to Port Ferox as fast as possible."
"It's a bit of a journey from here." Anna number two pointed out, "The desert is going to slow us down. And when we reach the Longfort, the ice will be bad. It could take us several weeks to make our way up the coast until we reach the city."
Ben let out a long sigh, "Then we will have to hope she hasn't done anything rash."
Robin nodded, "Should we load up and get going."
Ben agreed, "The sooner we find her the better. If she dies…" Ben trailed off, "I won't be able to forgive myself if Kage kills her."
"A chance to go kill Kage. And we get out of the desert for a change!" A broad smile rushed over Gaius's lips, "Count me in!"
….
Say'ri glared at him from her saddle. This man, Luke; he was an enigma that frustrated her to no end. As a Princess of Chon'sin, she liked to think she was decent at understanding people. She had to rule over an entire nation after all. Even if that nation was under the thumb of a tyrant, she was still in charge of making sure Chon'sin did not fall into absolute anarchy. Such a job required interacting with many different Lords and Ladies. Balancing opposing political viewpoints in order to fit her's and the Valm Empire's agendas. Which required understanding on what made people tick. What motivated them. What they liked and disliked. Their many vices and virtues.
But with Luke, she felt completely in the dark. For one, the power he commanded was beyond foreign to her. The strange magic he used both terrified and intrigued her. She had never seen anything like it before. The way he moved and grabbed enemies like rag dolls by doing nothing more than look at them; it was so deadly and dark that it made her shudder. And it blended so well with his impressive swordsmanship. He practiced a vicious style of combat. An unrelenting offense. Hardly any defense. The aim to inflict as much damage as possible in the quickest amount of time. She had to admire him for that. Clearly the young man spent many hours of his life training in order to perfect such terrifying gifts.
But his motivations were a total mystery to her. Why did he agree to help rescue her little brother? Sure, her brother technically hired him to find Kage. But a simple sellsword did not treat his employers with such callous indifference. He shared no opinion about Yen'fay. And he actively sought to antagonize and even offend her. The only reason Say'ri even tolerated it was because of the raw power he commanded in combat. She had a feeling that if she wanted to punish him for his actions and words, he would not care. Hell, he would probably kill her himself.
She knew nothing about him other than his name. Well, there was his friend. If she could even call the young girl with the blue pig-tails a friend of his. He certainly berated her a lot. Cursed her. Say'ri felt some pity for the former bandit turned ally named Cynthia. No one deserved to be treated the way Luke treated her. But she did not take offense to it. Instead, Cynthia let all of his insults, rage filled comments, and utter indifference roll off of her like water off of a duck's back. She was either very confident, or very, very naive. The more Say'ri was around the young Pegasus rider, the more she was convinced that Cynthia was the latter.
"So, Lukie." Cynthia smiled. The little nickname made Luke hang his head and sigh as he rode on his horse, "How much further?"
"You have been asking that question for the past three hours, you royal pain." Luke spat back, "And I will give you the same exact answer every time. Shut up!" He rubbed his temple, "Immortal gods of the Sith, spare me and seal her mouth closed."
"Hm… I don't know of any god called Sith." Cynthia remarked innocently. She glanced over at Say'ri, "You ever heard of the guy?"
Say'ri arched an eyebrow but said nothing. How on earth did this girl survive with a bandit gang? Maybe she was that skilled in combat? Her innocence made Say'ri doubt that quite a bit.
The Chon'sin princess rubbed her bruised jaw then glanced up. The sun would set in a few hours. They were only halfway to Fort Stieger at this point. Even with the hard pace they had set, they were still so far away from where Luke thought her little brother might be.
That was another thing that irked the Princess. Luke seemed so certain that Kage was held in Fort Stieger. But there was absolutely no evidence to support such a belief. Why would the Valm military capture her little brother? Her older brother, Yen'fay, was one of the Conqueror's best generals. Most loyal generals for that matter, much to her own disgust. General Pheros, the commander at Fort Stieger, held no ill will towards her people or family. If there was one general in the Valm military that Say'ri could actually stand to be around it was her. As governor of Chon'sin, she followed every order the Imperial Palace gave her. Reluctantly of course. Often she would try to tweak a minor detail or two in order to make any of their plans go awry. But they never noticed. Or had they?
Say'ri gulped. Was she the reason her little brother was kidnapped? Did someone in the Empire discover her more covert activities? Gods she hoped not.
Luke yanked on the reins of his horse. The beast let out a loud whine and stomped the earth. His companions came to a halt as well.
The beast appeared crazed. Terrified even. Luke hissed under his breath and gave the horse a gentle pat on its neck. But nothing appeared to calm the animal down. It snorted and bucked a little. Taking several fearful paces back down the way they came.
Luke narrowed his eyes. Those yellow eyes flicked all over the road. They were in the middle of a dense forest right now. Anything could be lurking in the trees. A hungry predator could be stalking them. Or perhaps another bandit gang. Say'ri let her hand drift to her sword. Whatever it was, it would not survive an encounter with her. Nothing would stop her from saving her little brother.
"Hey Luke?" Cynthia trembled beside Say'ri. For the first time since she met the girl, Say'ri saw her bright smile run away from her face, "Why does it feel so cold?"
Say'ri felt a chill crawl up her spine. Cynthia was right. The air went from humid to freezing in a split second. The cold brought a sudden dread to Say'ri. A sense of impending doom that made the hairs on her neck stand on end. Her own horse snorted and took several nervous steps back.
Luke's unnatural yellow eyes narrowed as he peered down the road. Say'ri followed his gaze. An old man appeared just a little ways down the road. His gray hair closely cropped and neatly cut. Beard trimmed to a perfect length. For someone that looked so elderly, he walked with purpose. Posture perfect. Steps completely even. Head held high and proud.
Another blast of cold. Say'ri's eyes widened as the old man stopped moving and stared at the three of them.
Cynthia gulped beside her. Her pegasus was the only steed that did not appear afraid. She whispered some quiet words into the animal's ear before looking up at Luke.
"L-Luke, it feels really dark all of a sudden."
Luke jumped down from his horse and reached into his black robes. Say'ri expected him to draw the sword her brother gave him. Instead, he drew a strange, cylindrical object. It looked so utilitarian. Nothing flashy about it save for the curious metal it was made of. She noticed Cynthia's eyes widen at the sight of the weapon.
"Ka-Ka-," The girl caught herself, "Luke?"
"Say'ri," The blonde haired boy said, his voice even and unnervingly calm, "Get off your horse and onto Cynthia's pegasus."
Say'ri furrowed her brow. She was about to protest when she saw his grip on the strange cylinder tighten. Luke expected a fight. Unlike the battle with the bandits, he was not looking forward to this one. He did not have a delighted smile on his face. His eyes did not shine with anticipation. He was hyper focused on the old man blocking the road. Grim faced and uncertain.
"Y-you heard him." Cynthia stammered out.
Say'ri's own unease surged when she saw the terrified look on Cynthia's face. She was normally so cheerful. Who was this old man? Why did he strike so much fear into the girl?
"If you plan on fighting, I will assist you." Say'ri replied, doing her best to appear unafraid.
But she could not help it. The crack in her voice gave away just how terrified she actually felt. There was something in the air. An aura the old man gave off that made her want to crawl away and hide in a hole in the ground. Pray to the gods that she was never found by this man.
"Don't delude yourself." Luke said gruffly, "You'd be useless in this fight. Now do as I say."
Say'ri gulped as Luke took a few steps towards the old man. She glanced over at Cytnhia. The young Pegasus Knight patted the small space behind her. Say'ri calmly jumped off her horse and set the loyal beast free. As her horse galloped away, she hopped onto Cynthia's pegasus.
Cynthia dug her spurs into her mount. Her pegasus's angelic wings beat against the air. Faster than an arrow, they shot into the sky.
"We're leaving him!?" Say'ri cried as they soared higher and higher.
Cynthia gulped, "That is not our fight. We would die if we stayed."
"How do you know that?" Say'ri cried back, "It was just an old man!"
Cynthia shook her head, "I know a bad feeling when it hits me. It took me a second, but I recognized it. The badness is unmistakable." She swallowed hard, "We will stay circling above."
Say'ri gaped at the Pegasus Knight. All of her endless confidence and energy were gone.
"You don't think he can win, do you?" Say'ri asked her.
Cynthia took a deep breath, "If he doesn't," She cradled her lance in the crook of her arm, "I will make the enemy pay."
Luke glared down the dirt road at his opponent. And his opponents brown eyes glared back at him.
"Drop the disguise." Luke snarled, "I already know what you are."
The monster in front of him smirked, "Perceptive, aren't you?" The eyes flickered from brown to blood red, "My master is right to worry about you."
They started to circle each other. Luke kept a firm grip on his lightsaber. This power he felt was so controlled. Unlike anything he ever felt before. Only Maul made him this hesitant to fight. It took a surge of hatred so enormous it made his power explode in order to kill his old Master. He did not have that to tap into here. He faced a monster of a different level now. One that was similar to his late Master. But at the same, the old man could not be anymore different.
"I assume you are the one known as, Kage." The old man said, his voice slipping through the air like sweet venom.
"I go by a lot of names." Luke replied.
The old man chuckled, "Well, I go by one." He bowed to the boy, "Equus."
Luke narrowed his eyes, "Oh, I remember you. Although, last time we met, Deadlord, you were not so human-like."
Equus chuckled, "Perhaps it was a different incarnation that you faced in the future. Regardless, my master saw fit to summon me in order to find you."
"To kill me you mean." Luke glared.
"Kill you? I received no such order." Equus stopped circling the boy, "My master simply wishes to have a friendly conversation."
"If that was his wish he could have come personally." Luke retorted.
Equus chuckled, "And there is the simple mind of youth rearing its ignorant head. You of all people should understand why my Master is so hesitant to show his face."
Luke chuckled, "I'm not the one hiding behind servants."
"But you are hiding behind very flimsy confidence." Equus remarked, making Luke's blood boil ever so slightly, "You think you can challenge me alone. The arrogance on display is amazing."
Luke ignited his lightsaber. The old blue blade burst to life in his hands. Equus narrowed his red eyes.
"I-" Equus frowned as he observed the weapon in Luke's hands, "I recognize that blade from somewhere."
"Suffering from some dementia, old man?" Luke taunted as he twirled the blade.
He stepped around the still Equus. Circling the fool like a predator circled wounded prey. But for some reason, he could not shake the feeling that he was facing a being far above him in both power and ability.
"Amnesia is the proper term, brat." Equus snarled back, "And I have a feeling it will be cured when I bring you before my master." He sighed, "And I now see that you will not come willingly."
"I never do."
Equus snorted, "How charming. And inconvenient. My master did want you brought to him unharmed, but it was not a requirement. A missing limb or two will put you in your place."
"Is that a threat?" Luke snarled behind bared teeth.
"No."
Luke's heart pounded in his chest when the old man ignited a red lightsaber. Just who was this old guy?
"It is a promise."
Luke roared. He charged at Equus. Lightsaber raised overhead. The old man just smirked at him. With surprising grace and agility, Equus sidestepped Luke and nudged him with a small Force push.
"Really? That is your first move. Consider me baffled. I could have gutted you five different ways." Equus tsked.
"I'll only need one way to gut you, Deadlord." Luke snarled.
He set himself in his stance. Then he lunged at Equus. Aiming the tip of his blade at the undead monster's heart. Equus smirked and deflected the attack with a simple flick of his wrist.
Then he countered. And the counter nearly caused Luke to fall flat on his back. The red blade lashed out at him so quick and precise. Luke had to bend all the way back to avoid the tip slashing into his chest.
He righted himself and swung a devastating chop at Equus's head. The Deadlord parried again then spun Luke's blade to the side with a deft movement. Luke jumped to the side as he narrowly avoided the blade biting into his shoulder.
He was stunned. This Deadlord was different. So powerful and precise. He could feel the dark side of the force radiating from the monster. But unlike Maul, it felt controlled. Subdued even. It flashed every time the monster made an attack. Then retreated when he fell back on the defensive. It was not a rampaging demon. It was a precise instrument. A reflection of the way this monster fought.
As Luke hacked and slashed, Equus weaved and flicked his wrist. Small, deft adjustments and movements. Elegant and refined. As if he was dancing with a clumsy child. His red lightsaber moved like a scalpel in the hands of a master surgeon. No wasted movements. No wasted energy. Only deadly precision and efficiency.
Luke sucked in a heavy breath as he pulled away from a blade lock. He stared down at his opponent. Frustration filled him. How? How was this happening? He killed Maul. The most powerful force user on the planet at the time. Why was this undead slave of Grima giving him so much trouble!?
Equus clicked his tongue, "I think I have seen enough."
He deactivated his own lightsaber. Luke felt some rage build up in him. What was he saying? Did Equus think he was that inferior? Oh… he was going to learn today.
"Your application of Juyo is rudimentary at best." Luke's eyes widened. How did this undead being know that term, "You rely too much on your own natural talent. As a result, you have let your skill remain raw and unrefined. And that is such a shame. There is great potential in you. Too bad you do not have the discipline or temperament to unlock it."
"You know nothing about me!" Luke roared.
He charged… straight into a torrent of blue lighting. Luke screamed as the bolts pierced his skin and dropped him to his knees. His lightsaber deactivated and fell from his hands into the dirt.
"You have no patience." Equus frowned, "No restraint. No elegance or foresight. You fight on pure instinct. Not a bad thing to do against an opponent of inferior skill. And while your own raw power may be more than my own, it is also your undoing."
Luke tried to get back to his feet. Another blast of lighting hit him. Shoving him back down into the dirt. He let out a long, pain filled groan.
"Seeing you this way reminds me of someone." Equus muttered. He resembled the young man from the fragment of a memory he had. The one who ended his life before Grima raised him up once again, "Have I had you at my mercy before?"
"Go to hell." Luke grimaced as he tried to get to his feet.
The force grabbed Luke and hoisted him in the air. His arms and legs felt like they were bound by invisible chains. An invisible hand wrapped around his neck and squeezed every so slightly.
"That tongue of yours could get you killed." Equus snarled, "Has no one ever told you to respect your elders?"
Luke let out a loud cough as he struggled to breathe.
"Such a disappointment." Equus sighed, "I was hoping to be entertained at least a little bit. But sadly, you, like so many other life forms, are weak compared to me. And now, we shall both return to my Master."
"SNEAK ATTACK!"
Equus flew through the air as a pair of hooves slammed into his back and sent him careening into a nearby tree.
The Force lost its grip on Kage. He fell into a heap on the ground. As he blinked spots from his vision, he saw Say'ri rush up and grab him beneath his arms.
"Get up!" Say'ri cried "You know where my brother is. So you will not die today."
Kage gave her a fear filled stare. He looked past her at Cynthia.
"How much of an idiot are you!?" He snarled.
"Enough of an idiot to actually give a damn about you!" Cynthia spat back, shocking the young Sith, "Get on, Say'ri!"
Say'ri flung Kage onto the Pegasus. She then hopped on as well. Just as Equus rose to his feet, Cynthia dug her spurs in and sent them all soaring into the air.
Equus watched as they made their little escape. He smirked. Let them have this temporary respite. There was no escape from him. He could feel the boy's presence. Rage filled and chaotic. No matter where they ran, he would find them.
He plotted the path they flew. North still. They were heading for Fort Steiger. Likely in order to rescue the kidnapped Prince.
Equus smirked, turned around, and started walking.
And chapter! We finish up with the second part of the sandstorm chapter! Ben and company have found Anna's sister and are racing to Port Ferox thinking they are going to find Kage there. Meanwhile, Kage is actually in Valm and just got his ass handed to him by one of Grima's Deadlords. That was a fun little fight to write. There will be more, I assure you. Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!