"Uprising" continues...
Jaspus could see that Grimas Moenia was in flames, practically burning to the ground. War had come to Azarath.
Even though Hallmek had been accustomed to the air of battle for the greater part of his life, it was still a strange sight to see a city so easily and totally besieged, destroyed. The sewer tunnel ended and they'd passed just out the side of the mountain, into the woodsy maze of countless dead trees and dark earth, a place where sun never seemed to shine. Now quite a distance away from the city, they were able to look back and see the horror that they'd escaped. Only, they'd now entered into a new one: the Fogland Wood of Urisian.
Urisian was a generally unwelcoming place—if only because it did not sit well with those liking the comfort of light and music—and was frighteningly quiet. One would not do well to be alone here. No, there weren't dangers lurking around every tall bark-wood, but the rub was that the Fogland Wood simply and greatly appeared to be: a place eternally bound to the dead of winter, as though spring would never come.
As much as Hallmek and Jaspus did not want to, they knew that it was time to turn away from Grimas Moenia and focus on more immediate concerns. Hallmek himself was always a fan of having company, even if it meant with a suspicious youth, and was especially so in these lands; it definitely paid to have someone along.
"Hopefully, the battle will not stretch beyond Grimas Moenia," Hallmek said at last. "I'm not really in the mood for more fighting."
Jaspus hesitated with his response, but then finally decreed, "We should make for the city of Dorthicos. There, you can get supplies and recuperate, and it's a place of physical, mental, and spiritual healing, something I think we both could use after what we just witnessed. Besides, my order would be very interested to learn of this sudden siege, and especially that someone survived it. This war shouldn't go unchecked."
"If you're really of the Vaserix," replied Hallmek with a distrusting yet friendly tone, "then your clan should already be aware of it, if my memory of telepathy serves me correctly."
"True, but I think they'd still want to know of the siege from an eyewitness, someone who could describe to them the opposition firsthand."
Hallmek was amazed while hearing Jaspus' words. He snorted quietly and said, "Don't tell me that was the first time you've actually seen a battle. Sure, I was a little taken aback by the suddenness of the situation, but I wasn't shocked or confused."
Jaspus frowned at Hallmek's misunderstanding, "I'm not new to violence. However, I do not come from a belligerent, warmongering clan like you, but never before have the Mortem—the shadows of former lives—taken part in any type of battle. They wandered the Deadlands of the East, scurrying about forsaken burial grounds, never attacking a city, aiding those of the Blood. This development is unprecedented."
"First, I don't appreciate being patronized. Sure, I'm the farthest thing from inner tranquility, and my clan is guilty of being a little over-aggressive, yes, but I would welcome a little tact on your part. I suppose I shouldn't have labeled your shock as naïveté, but I still think this was nothing more than some meaningless quarrel, no different than those experienced by my clan and others'."
"I take it you've seen the Mortem in some city, then?"
"No, you've got me there. I don't know why those foul deathlings were in Grimas Moenia."
"Well, that..." Jaspus paused for a moment, "I'm sorry, I never got your name."
"I'm Hallmek," he, too, hesitated, looking not sure what to say next, so said the name of his clan, "of the Rakomath."
"The Rakomath? I'm sorry again: I've never heard of them."
"It's a sect of the old Rakashas clan—I think—which was split into many and combined with others. Now that I think about it, the whole thing is quite confusing. Anyway, I remember you saying that you were of the Vaserix: that's one of the original six," he ended with some tone of delight.
Jaspus, in turn, was delighted to hear such, "Yes, few people exist today that are still a member of any original clan."
"So I was right, then? Vaserix is indeed as I said? Was that why you said those words before commanding such powers?"
Hearing this, Jaspus wasn't quite sure if he should go into it, not knowing how to explain it fully to someone who was unfamiliar to it, "Again, yes. I was taught to say Azarath, the world, followed by Metrion, the fatherly magistrate of it, and finally Vaserix, the clan of my mother. Doing that channels the power I've been given right down to my will, and I'm thus able to wield it in various ways, though I still have much to learn."
"It was a long time ago that I saw such wonders like that, Jaspus. Seeing them up close was almost too real for me."
"You could stay at Dorthicos and learn to harness your own power. I'm sure my teachers would not reject you for learning."
Hallmek's expression was suddenly crestfallen. One, he was not even sure if such learning was even possible for him: his family had long forgotten the ways of old and his clan was no longer a part of the original Rakashas, if that was the actual clan he came from. Two, he'd become too accustomed to relying on weapons and equipment than some "inner soul projection." Three, it would be difficult to turn down Jaspus, since the offer was certainly meant well.
However, Jaspus had sensed Hallmek's conflict within and had thus decided to take their conversation back to where it first was. It was then that Hallmek gained a new appreciation for those with telepathy and gained a small but definite trust in Jaspus for understanding.
"Anyway," Jaspus had said, "as we were saying before, Hallmek, the undiscovered reason for the Mortem's presence outside their lands is what disturbs me the most. Never before have the Mortem joined forces with the Blood, the soon-to-be Mortem of today. How, then, would the Church of Blood get them to engage in such an attack?"
"I see what you mean, Jaspus. The massing of Mortem in the East makes for one hell of a fighting force, yet none paid heed because of their utter mindlessness. Somehow, they were able to be controlled."
"Who in the Church of Blood has that kind of power? And why, for that matter, would the Church of Blood decide to wage war against the peaceful people of Azarath? Our differences in religion have led to conflict, sure, but have never been reason for war."
Hallmek held back a snicker, instead taking a deep breath, "I suppose if your kind wasn't so damned pacifistic, you might actually think you can survive an assault like that. Seriously, Jaspus, why didn't you take up arms at Grimas Moenia? Your life was clearly in danger."
"I don't believe in fighting, for whatever reason," responded Jaspus with a hint of frustration at Hallmek's insensitive words. However, still trying to compose himself, Jaspus went on, "Considering how short life in this world actually is, and that there's no good reason to end it, I see absolutely no point in taking up arms against anyone. I'm a healer: that's where the majority of my power lies."
For a minute, Jaspus knelt down next to a small, withered plant, a dead flower. He moved his hand over it once or twice and, when a faint purple light began to glow from his palm, the plant began to sway and then wiggle with life. Soon, its color was completely restored, and it looked like the tiny hope of spring in a seemingly endless winter. Jaspus hummed a short, soothing tune to himself and then continued speaking, "I do not wish to bring pain into life, only to remove it as best I can, for peace is best attained without pain."
Hearing Jaspus' words, Hallmek sighed, "True, but the world is full of pain. Aren't we supposed to stand against it, with courage and valor?"
"Courage and valor, yes," Jaspus said, turning to him, "but to stand above it, Hallmek."
---
Dawn had finally come, but it was not well-received by the fog-infested Wood of Urisian, disallowing the two to have a shining source to light their path and guide their way. Nevertheless, without the darkness to impede their vision, Jaspus and Hallmek knew that they would soon be out of this maze of dead trees and leafless branches.
Having walked a great distance, the pair decided to spare a moment to rest. While Hallmek cleaned his sword as best he could with the sleeve of his leather vambrace, Jaspus sat in the lotus position—where the legs were crossed and the hands were folded at his stomach—and began murmuring his three-worded mantra, "Azarath, Metrion, Vaserix," repeatedly. Soon, Jaspus had also begun to levitate and hover a few feet off the ground, prompting Hallmek to cease his vigorous scrubbing and gaze up at Jaspus.
"What are you doing?" he asked Jaspus circumspectly. At the sound of this interruption, Jaspus twitched, his concentration clearly broken. He opened one eye and looked at Hallmek, who was still waiting for an answer. Jaspus exhaled, said, "I'm meditating," and closed his eye.
This response was clearly not enough to satisfy Hallmek, so he leaned forward, speaking in a very slow and loud tone, "Why?"
"Because if I didn't," Jaspus replied curtly, "you'd be flattened by a large boulder."
The youth opened his eye again and saw that Hallmek was wide-eyed and promptly about to lose his temper, so Jaspus sighed and apologized, deciding that the soldier deserved some course of explanation, though Jaspus rarely felt the need to talk about things he found to be absolutely rote. Now with both eyes calmly opened, he stated, "Sorry, I never thought I'd need to explain meditation, but that's probably because I grew up knowing it from top to bottom, and it's really hard to describe, Hallmek.
"The simplest way I can explain it," Jaspus continued, "is that it's a procedure that allows me to access the very power of my soul and materialize it outside my body for physical, mental, or even spiritual tasks. Meditation is just preparation for the three-worded mantra, the three words you heard me use before. To answer your question, I need to meditate to keep a peaceful mind. A peaceful mind equals a pure soul, but there's only so much I'm capable of. You see—" Hallmek suddenly put a hand, indicating that Jaspus should be silent.
Standing up, Hallmek took hold of his sword and looked about the area. Presently Jaspus was disturbed by some approaching force. He discontinued his levitation, set himself back on the ground, and whispered, "Someone's coming. We'd better get moving."
Hallmek, in response, disagreed, "No, I hear hoof beats."
Jaspus could then see that it was Hallmek's intention to take the horse for his own, hoping to make his journey with Jaspus speedier. Hallmek scrambled to find something he could use as a javelin, despite Jaspus' protests. The soldier finally settled on a long tree branch—just in time, too—since he caught sight of the cause of the incoming hoof beats.
It was a rider on a crimson-colored horse. He was clearly a man, grey-skinned with very long but tied-back black hair, with sharp facial features like high cheekbones and a pointed jaw. In his hand was a long pike, signifying that he was most likely a scout or patrol for the Church of Blood. His battered appearance gave the impression that he'd participated in the siege of Grimas Moenia.
Hallmek threw the javelin but missed the horseman completely. However, this horseman more than noticed the projectile and thus had become aware of their presence. Within seconds, he'd leapt between two trees, now facing Jaspus and Hallmek.
"Fugitives of Grimas Moenia, there is no escape!" he shouted at them, "We've run down all but the last of you fleeing scum and I, Gryphus, intend to see your destruction through to the end!"
"Well, I was going to offer you the chance to live if you surrendered your horse," Hallmek sneered, brandishing his sword, "but if you want a fight, you've got one!"
Kicking the sides of the crimson horse, the scout calling himself Gryphus charged forward, holding his pike high. Hallmek was more than ready for it, deflecting the point with the shield on his left and then smacking it down into the ground with a vertical strike from his sword. Gryphus was pole-vaulted off his own horse, over Hallmek, and sent tumbling a few yards away.
Hallmek was on him in an instant. Lying on his back, Gryphus saw as Hallmek leapt at him and aimed the blade for his heart, but Hallmek's attack was made too hastily, and Gryphus was able to shift his torso an inch to the left, forcing Hallmek to miss and the blade to go into the ground. Gryphus brought up his leg and lashed his foot at Hallmek's face, kicking him so hard that a tooth was knocked out.
Stunned, staggering back, and seeing that his vision had gone blurry, Hallmek struggled to regain his focus, bleeding from the mouth. Gryphus, however, would present Hallmek with the same courtesy he himself was given, striking instantly. Putting up a hand with curled-forward fingers, Gryphus muttered three words which were very different from those of Jaspus: "Necronom, Hezbarek, Mortyx!" A large white orb appeared and hovered in front of his hand before being discharged, launched head-on at an unsuspecting Hallmek.
However, Hallmek was not so unsuspecting, for even though his vision had not cleared, he still sensed an impending attack and put forward his shield in an attempt to block whatever was coming. With an eerily loud crash, the orb struck the shield and utterly shattered it into pieces. The force of such a blast had knocked Hallmek off his feet.
All Hallmek could do was roll onto his stomach before he felt completely paralyzed.
TO BE CONTINUED