Ch. 13
Earth and Water
Elder Jonah had seen many things in his long life. In his sixty-eight years on the earth, he had watched the flow of the Elon as it made its way down to the sea. He had seen a storm that brought a flood so great that for eighty days it had turned the Marga Coast into a blood-red marshland. He had watched children grow up and complain about their elders, only to follow in their forebear's footsteps and eventually bear children of their own. He had watched the stars as they made their trek through the sky, and had dreamt dreams that surpassed the oracles of prophets and seers.
What he had not seen was anything like the creatures in the cage next to him. They bore a resemblance to Mandragor, but were much larger and their chitin looked as though it was carved of black obsidian. Black, brackish ooze dripped from their maws and every few minutes they would thrash about, attempting to be free of their cages. These cages sat in front of one very large cell, which was occupied by a creature that could only be described as a demon. Shelves of stone formed a frill around its head and a ridge down its stony back. It lumbered like an ape and its flesh appeared to be carved of earth. Though it had no apparent eyes, it crept quietly about its cage and watched the humans intently.
The soldiers claimed to have found the creature in the dry river bed to the north, near the great Ancestor Tree that Jonah's people had watched over for decades. If their talk was to be believed, the Elder knew exactly what it was, though he scarcely wished to believe it. The old man turned his attention away from the evil creatures to the evil men that held him prisoner. A contingent from another garrison had arrived with orders to move prisoners from the poorly defended Marga Fortress. Jonah recognized the commanders of both forts immediately, two of General Kahyet's famous Acolytes. Kahyet had twisted ancient dervish teachings to imbue her disciples with corrupted versions of the power the gods had once bestowed upon their zealous followers. The visitor was demanding that the fort's commander bring out several other prisoners to transport, an order that the Acolyte grudgingly agreed to. Jonah sat back, fingering the signet rings in his pockets. These men had corrupted ancient and sacred knowledge… but given the opportunity Jonah could, and would, steal it back. Now if only he had a proper distraction…
"Deep Freeze!" a melodic voice shouted across the fort's assembly square.
Jonah looked up as the temperature dropped dramatically and the humidity crystallized in an instant. A wash of blue light surrounded his cell… a protection prayer to protect him from the effects of the ice magic. But who could be foolish enough to attack a Kournan garrison?
"Attaaaaaaack!" Rakiv shouted, loosing her arrow into a lazing wall top guard.
With a burst of orange energy Kydar brought fire from the skies, flames raining into the fortress onto the soldiers whose feet remained trapped in the ice. The rangers and casters among the Kournan troops wasted no time returning fire. Jonah watched as the red-haired, pale-skinned attacker sent a shaft whistling into the chest of a casting monk, the man grunting and attempting to heal himself before the woman put him down with a second arrow through his forehead. No sooner than he struck the ground, his body began to contort and twist before bursting open as a pair of bloody bone minions surged from his corpse. The minions mindlessly charged into the fray, a pair of female dervishes not far behind them. Jonah turned his attention to the Acolytes, who had recovered from their initial shock and had already begun to chant their spells.
"Stop them!" Jonah cried, jumping to his feet, pointing frantically to the Acolytes as they murmured rapidly under their breath, "Stop them now!"
The attacking archers heeded his warning, and turned their sights to the wicked dervishes. The leading ranger charged into the fort, releasing a savage shot into the first Acolyte's leg, breaking his concentration as he roared in pain. She was upon him in a trice, sliding to duck under his scythe swing and lashing out with one leg to sweep his feet from underneath him. The second Acolyte was thwarted when Nerashi let fly with a distracting shot from a greater distance, the arrow sailing over the battle and into the Acolyte's shoulder. The blow knocked the man off balance and he stumbled backwards into the bars of Jonah's cage. The elder immediately seized his opportunity, reaching through the bars and wrapping an arm around the man's torso as the other gripped the Kournan's throat. The Acolyte thrashed against Jonah's grasp. He was stronger than the old man by far but the Elder was not attempting to win a battle of strength alone.
"Though ye be alive," the elder hissed in the Kournan's ear, "You shall wither and die by thy Rotting Flesh!"
The elder released the man, who broke away from the cage screaming and thrashing about. Jonah looked away and grimaced, he did not enjoy using his necromancy, but at times there simply was no choice. The Acolyte fell to his knees, trembling for a few moments as blood oozed out of his armor, and finally thumped to the ground dead. In moments the battle was over, the remaining Kournans surrendering after watching Rakiv turn the first Acolyte into a pincushion with her arrows. The ranger slung her bow over her back, looking down critically at the troops who had thrown down their weapons and dropped to their knees. Jonah peered through the bars of his cage as the group of attackers converged at in the middle of the fort, and he caught sight of one face he recognized.
"Dunkoro?" Jonah asked, "General Dunkoro?"
The Sunspear monk turned at the sound of his name, and smiled brightly in response. Rakiv tore the keys from the belt of her kill and tossed them to the healer, who moved to unlock Jonah's cell.
"Hello old friend," Dunkoro chuckled, "We've come to break you out of this place."
"I see you remain just as reckless as you ever were," Jonah laughed with relief, "Storming a garrison with only eight people?"
"Nay, I've put my reckless days behind me Elder," Dunkoro said with a small sigh as he opened the cage door, "What you see here is bravery born of desperation."
"Excuse me," the deep and silken voice of the Zaishen dervish broke in.
Her traveling companions turned to her in surprise. In the months that they had traveled and worked with her, Anorah had never been the source of an interruption.
"You are Elder Jonah?" she asked evenly.
"That I am," the Elder replied with a nod.
"Do you know… who this is?" she asked hesitantly, golden eyes staring down at the rotted body of the second Acolyte.
Jonah strode to the woman, glancing down at the body and then back up to her. Anorah's stare remained intent, though the elder could not tell if her expression was one of outrage or horror.
"Why do you ask?" Jonah inquired.
"He…" she paused, and swallowed, "I feel blasphemy upon him. Desecration in his… his blood… I," she paused again, closing her eyes and turning away, "I can smell it."
"I see…" Jonah nodded slowly, "Well you are correct."
The elder knelt down next to the corpse and fished out a bronze signet ring from his pocket. He held it out over the corpse and the ring began to glow, drawing rivulets of golden mist up from the body. The ring slowly changed colors, from bronze, to silver, and finally to gold as the last of the mystic fog was drawn out of the corpse. Jonah rose and stared at the ring, giving a nod of satisfaction.
"He was one of the five Acolytes, trained by General Kahyet," Jonah explained, "Kahyet resurrected the ancient knowledge of the Avatar, and turned it to her own ends. This man too," the elder said as he stepped to the arrow-filled Acolyte, "Was one of her disciples."
The Elder held out another signet and pointed it at the other body, the same golden mist rising from it and siphoning into the ring. His work completed, Jonah pocketed both rings and turned to face the other cages that were filled with the defiled creatures. The stone demon sat on its haunches now, watching very closely now. Jonah tilted his head as he noticed its gaze no longer shifted from person to person, and now seemed fixed on a single individual. He turned slowly, following the demon's line of sight to one person… the red-haired, pale-skinned ranger.
"As you might have noticed," Jonah said, his eyes now fixed upon the ranger as well, "All is not well in Kourna."
"It may be worse than you know my friend," Dunkoro said with a sigh, "Far worse indeed. But first let us deal with the matters at hand. Ranger Maelstrom, what are we to do with these prisoners?"
Rakiv turned to look at them, violet eyes panning from face to face. She caught sight of one, a young man with an expression of abject terror etched into his features. The woman strode to him, planting one end of her bow on the ground and placing her other hand on her hip.
"You know who I am, don't you?" she arched a brow at him.
"The Red Huntress," the young man replied tremulously, "Th-They said you slew Tundoss the Destroyer, and Moteh Thundershooter. It's said you were the one who brought down Onwan, Lord of the Ntouka whom even the hunter The Great Zehtuka could not kill!"
"Why does it seem that you get more famous the more places we go?" Kydar asked, though his question was ignored.
"Then who here wants to be my next target?" she asked.
No one answered.
"Then listen very carefully," she ordered, "I want all your armor, weapons, equipment and gear in a pile right here. Then I want all of you to head north, and don't stop until you hit the Desolation. Once you see sulfur sands, you may return to your homes. Remember now that I have seen each of your faces, and if I find any of you in Kourna before the month is out, I will hunt every last one of you… and personally kill you."
To further illustrate her point, the ranger turned to the body of the Acolyte she had slain and wrenched one of her arrows from his torso, a gout of blood following the extraction. She wiped the arrowhead on the dead man's clothes and slid it back into her quiver.
"Do I make myself clear?" she asked, voice calm despite the fire in her eyes.
"Sir, yes sir!" a collective and fearful shout rose from the kneeling soldiers.
"You have till sundown to be across the horizon," she snorted, "I suggest you get moving."
The Kournan soldiers rushed to carry out her orders, tossing their equipment and scrambling to escape the fortress. The Sunspears gave them a wide berth as they passed, and watched as they took off across the red sands.
"They're a secrecy risk," Kydar grumbled, "We should have killed them all."
"No…" Jonah spoke up, "Many soldiers will force you to kill them, but it is not out of evil. Those in the Warmarshal's service joined her ranks while they believed her to be a leader worthy of the line that sired her. Most are merely men and women who wished to serve their province… though there are those who harbor darkness in their hearts," he looked down at the desiccated corpse at his feet, "Such as these."
"In the long run, this will work to our advantage," Rakiv explained to the elementalist, "Those soldiers will tell others along their way, about a band of eight marauders who took out an entire garrison and killed two of Kaheyt's Acolytes. Varesh will find out about this one way or another, but this way her people will know that there is someone who can and has opposed the Warmarshal's will… and that the days of her favorites are numbered."
Kydar grimaced slightly. He was all for mind games, and the ranger was diving headfirst into the psychological tactics of guerilla warfare… which was what their conflict was likely to devolve into. But he would have liked their presence and actions to have remained a secret… if only for a little longer.
"It is best that we return to Ronjok," Dunkoro said, "We can speak more there, and explain to the Elder our situation."
"What about these?" Melonni spoke up, staring into the cages, "I sense the strength of the earth in them… but also great darkness…"
"I have much I would tell you as well," Jonah nodded, "Though I dare not speak of such things here."
"What do we do with them?" Nerashi asked, slipping an arrow from her quiver.
"No need for that," Rakiv waved to her fellow ranger, and then turned towards the fortress exit, "Kydar. Burn them."
"With pleasure," the elementalist chuckled.
"Lonai, Nerashi," Rakiv called, "Turn out the dungeons of this place, make sure no one is left inside."
"Yes ma'am," Nerashi responded as she and her partner delved into the fort's interior.
The roar of flame and the shrieks of the tainted creatures behind them filled the air as the party made its way out of the Marga Fortress. Rakiv led the way down the road and back towards Ronjok, treading steadily across the crimson sands.
"So what brings Sunspears back to Kourna?" Elder Jonah finally asked.
"My friend," Dunkoro said with a wry chuckle, "There is much I must tell you."
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"So it is as Dreamer Hahla predicted," Elder Jonah sighed, "Nightfall is coming."
The Sunspear survivors sat in the village circle at the center of Ronjok. A stewing Chuno stood outside the ring of light cast by the bonfire, while the rest of the village had gathered around to listen to the grave tidings the Sunspears brought. The sun had just set below the horizon, leaving the sky tinged with purple and royal blue as the moon began her nightly ascent into the heavens. The people of Ronjok listened intently, mothers quieting their crying babes as they wondered what was to become of them.
"These are dark times indeed," Jonah nodded sagely, "Things have gotten worse as of late. Men have been pressed into service, taxes have been levied and food is taken from us to feed her growing armies. But looking back, I can see that Varesh has been preparing for quite some time."
"How do you mean?" Dunkoro asked, leaning forward with his hands on his knees, "This turn of events seemed quite sudden. Varesh has always been an upstanding leader… yet it seems so much has changed in Kourna in the years since I have been gone."
"Indeed old friend, much has changed," Jonah sighed, sitting back and closing his eyes, "And though I watched I was powerless to stop it. The first ill tidings came when she dammed the river Elon."
"What do you mean, 'dammed'?" Anicara asked meekly, "The Mahnkelon Waterworks have stood for almost two hundred years, and they direct the Elon's waters all through Kourna."
"No no child," Jonah chuckled lightly, "Not the Waterworks. The dam she placed was built at capital of Kourna, the fortress city of Jahai. The dam was constructed just south of the city, barring the waters of the Elon as they poured over the first Great Cataract. The Elon branch that once ran through the Bluffs and out to the Marga coast slowly dried up, and all the waters of the river now run to the south, through Arkjok Ward towards Gandara."
"I protested this action fiercely, but to no avail," Melonni sighed sadly, "The Elon river delta is the life blood of all Kourna. Without the river we are but a desert, waiting to be reclaimed by the Desolation. Those holy waters protect and nourish our land."
"And Varesh knows this," Elder Jonah said, "That dam is merely a test."
"A test for what?" Kydar asked, leaning forward with piqued curiosity.
"To see what happens to the land when the Elon is no more," Jonah nodded, still not opening his eyes, "For you see, the Elon did not always flow through Gandara. Once it only flowed westward from the Great Cataract through the Marga Coast and out to the sea. All the land to the east, from Yohlon to Hojanu was dry desert. Two centuries ago, strange earth demons began to crawl out of the desert and terrorized the people of Kourna. Unable to fight these creatures, Kunai Ossa consulted with the Water Djinn that watched over the Elon River. They guided him to Bahdok Cavern and revealed to him a great branch of the Elon that ran underground. There he was instructed to build a dam, one that would direct the underground waters out of the Caverns and into Kourna. Following this advice Kunai built the Mahnkelon Waterworks, and when he opened the floodgates the ensuing deluge washed away the earth demons and sealed them into the ground forever."
"Why would a simple flood seal away these creatures?" Rojis asked from the back of the assembly.
"The Elon is a holy river," Tahlkora explained, "It flows from the lake in the heart of Vabbi, the Mirror of Lyss. It is said the lake was touched by Lyssa herself, and that the waters that spring from it are a blessing to all of Elona."
"So where does this test come in?" Kydar asked, attempting to steer the conversation back on topic.
"I believe Varesh wished to see what sort of demons lay sleeping beneath Kournan soil," Jonah nodded, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "Building her dam at the Cataract would cause only Marga to dry up, leaving the bulk of Kournan farming unaffected. I believe that the creature the soldiers had captured in the fortress… was one of these earth demons."
"You think she wants to recruit them?" Kydar asked.
"Anything is possible," Jonah allowed, "Though the fact that stopping the flow of holy water would likely benefit her ambition to bring darkness to these lands. Even now her disciples continue to search for new ways to eradicate every trace of light from this land."
"Begging your pardon, Elder Jonah," Anorah raised her voice, "Might these disciples include Kahyet's Acolytes?"
"Indeed they do," Jonah responded with a nod, "Kahyet spent some time recruiting in Kourna, for candidates to join her new dervish order. She selected only the very best for her training, and taught them strange and twisted philosophies. The two men you slew were the least of her five trainees, the Acolyte of Melandru and the Acolyte of Balthazar. Once, the dervishes of Elona could channel the power of the gods themselves, invoking their spirits to fight with them in battle. Kahyet found this lost knowledge and now her Acolytes channel a twisted and blasphemous form of this energy. I have spent some time seeking a means to reclaim this knowledge and return it to its original form."
"How is knowledge to be reclaimed from a corpse?" Dunkoro questioned.
"With this," Jonah explained, holding up a bronze signet ring, "This is the Signet of Capture, and with it one can draw great wisdom from the bodies of those who once possessed it. It is my hope that the arts I captured can be purified but… I am not certain how it is to be done. But the Acolytes must be stopped, for their evil will only hasten the coming of Nightfall."
"Is it… is it possible," Anorah asked slowly, "That these Acolytes were the ones who raised the demons from the earth?"
"Mmm… perhaps," Jonah replied thoughtfully, "But there is much more about the river and the earth it nourishes that we must learn. Now that you have returned Melonni, I would like you to commune with the land, to better understand what is happening here."
"I will, Elder," Melonni bowed her head slightly, "But first I wish to see that my friends are safe. We are the only ones who know what Varesh is doing… and at this point, it seems that we're the only ones who can stop her."
"Ahh yes," Jonah responded with a small sigh, "In my heart it would be my honor to offer shelter to such brave defenders. But I am an Elder, and I have the safety of my village to consider."
"We're not staying here," Rakiv spoke up, arms folded across her chest, "We've been here too long anyway, and the business at the fort will buy you enough trouble as it is."
"We can deal with the Warmarshal's inquisition," Jonah nodded confidently, "But it concerns me as to where you may find safety in these lands. To hide from Varesh' wrath you would need the protection of Melandru herself," the elder paused and chuckled, "Pray hard enough and perhaps the earth itself will swallow you up."
There were a few wry chuckles around the circle as deep sense of dejection set into the battered Sunspears. They had learned much this evening, yet they were still without a place of refuge. Suddenly Anicara perked up, blue eyes widening with revelation.
"Earth and Water!" she exclaimed.
"Earth and water?" Alendra blinked, turning to the younger officer.
"It's what we've been talking about all this time," Anicara rapidly explained her thought process, "The troubles with the earth, the flow of holy water… I can't believe I didn't think of this before!"
"Think of what before," Rakiv asked, "Out with it."
"I know where we can hide!" the mage nodded urgently, "It's perfect!"
"Can you take us there?" Rakiv asked.
"Yes, yes I can," Anicara replied, and then her shoulders slumped, "Though… I don't know if I can find my way at night."
"We're not going anywhere today anyway," Dunkoro put in, "Our wounded need rest from the march. We were running almost all day and night."
"I would gladly grant you shelter for the night," Jonah spoke, rising to his feet and brushing dirt from his pants, "We will set up tents for you and you may sleep here. My men will keep watch on the walls. Worry not my friends, we will be vigilant all through the night. You've nothing to fear in Ronjok."
"Thank you Jonah," Dunkoro responded, rising to shake his friend's hand.
"Think nothing of it old friend," the Elder chuckled, "It is the least I can do for saving my life."
With that Jonah turned to the villagers, calling out orders to bring tarps and stakes. The village square became a large campground, with brown teepee's set up all around the bonfire. The Sunspear troops were quick to retire for the night, slipping into their tents to rest for the coming day. Kydar sat outside his tent, kicking off his boots when soft footsteps reached his ears.
"Something I can do for you Ani?" he asked without looking up.
"What is it with you and the nicknames?" Anicara tilted her head, "You don't call Alendra anything like that."
"I'm working on it," he shrugged, "I'm thinking Ally, or maybe just Dra."
The water mage gave a small snort of amusement, and shook her head, brown bangs swinging across her face as she glanced at the bonfire. Kydar grunted as he pulled off his boot and then looked up at the girl, arching an eyebrow.
"Did… you need something?" he queried.
"Oh… uhm, no nothing really," the girl responded quickly, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand, "It's just… we've been so busy running and stuff and… well, I wanted to thank you."
"For what?" he asked, undoing the ties of his tunic.
"For uhm… saving my life… er, our lives," she said, and gave a small chuckle, "I really thought we were done for at Gandara."
"Heh, I'm just glad I got there in time," he chuckled in response, "But yeah sure, you're welcome."
"Thanks," she smiled, blushing a little as she looked up and then frowned slightly, "What's… what's Rakiv doing up there?"
Kydar leaned around the side of his tent, looking up at the high wall of Ronjok. The ranger stood on the watch-walk that ran across the edge of the wall. She reclined against the tall wooden timbers, staring southwards as the wind raised her hair like a fluttering crimson cape behind her. It was a rather picturesque view, though as the ranger felt eyes on her and looked back down into the village both mages quickly ducked behind the tent once more.
"She's just… being Rakiv," Kydar shrugged in response, scratching his chest with a gloved hand.
"Aren't you mad?" Anicara blinked at him.
"About…?" he returned.
"About the fact that we left you!" Anicara exclaimed, "She told Alendra and me that you'd decided to stay behind!"
"Did she now?" Kydar chuckled, "Creative."
"But… I mean," Anicara sighed, "We really could have used you! And she lied to us! And…"
The scribe raised a hand to silence her and the girl gave an exasperated sigh. Kydar chuckled and shook his head as he turned to crawl into his tent.
"We'll talk about it more once we're safe," Kydar said, "For now, get some rest kiddo. You're leading this expedition tomorrow."
"Mmm… fine," she grumbled unhappily, "G'night Kydar."
"Night Ani," he called back.
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Morning came to the sound of Dunkoro calling the troops to attention. The clouds had cleared over Ronjok, leaving blue skies to slowly warm with the yellow and gold of the rising sun. As the Sunspears gathered what few belongings they had with them, Jonah and Bahsi approached the group of officers, each carrying a large wooden crate.
"If we had food or water to spare my friends, we would gladly send them with you," Jonah said with a small sigh, "Instead all I have to offer you is knowledge. In this crate I have included maps of Kourna and her many regions. I have also packed many of the books detailing the ancient martial arts of these lands. Some are very powerful, though require much skill to effectively master. It is my hope that with sharpened abilities you may stand a better chance of defeating the Warmarshal."
Dunkoro gratefully accepted the first crate and nodding for Kydar to take the other. The scribe stepped forward and took the second box from Bahsi, hefting the crate up onto his shoulder.
"This one contains the Signets of Capture I have carved so far," he said, pointing to the crate Kydar held, "For there are many ancient arts that only the creatures of this land can remember. It is my hope that some of these will be used to reclaim the mystic skills from Kahyet's Acolytes, but perhaps you can use them to gain great knowledge from other sources as well. Inside I have enclosed the names of some of the mightiest creatures known to our people, and the places where they are most often seen."
"Thanks," Kydar smiled at the old man.
"Think nothing of it," Jonah chuckled, "I wish I could do more. But please remember that you will always have friends in Ronjok. I bid you safe travel, Sunspears."
"Safety and peace to you as well Jonah," Dunkoro replied.
"We should move," Rakiv suggested quietly.
"Agreed," Dunkoro nodded, and turned to face their soldiers, "All troops! Move out!"
"Ah, just a moment," Jonah interrupted, "Melonni, and uhm… miss Zaishen dervish, might I take a moment of your time?"
The group of Sunspears made their way towards the southern end of the village while the two dervishes stayed behind. Melonni and Anorah stepped to the elder, who produced a pair of golden signet rings from his pocket.
"These are the energies that I reclaimed from the Acolytes," Jonah explained, handing one ring to each woman, "Be wary, for the knowledge within remains corrupt and unbalanced. I fear it will be up to you to understand and purify it."
"Thank you Elder Jonah," Melonni responded as Anorah bowed to the man.
"Godspeed Sunspears," he smiled to them, shooing them on their way.
The woman turned to follow the rest of their party, making their way south from the village square. The Sunspears had stopped to check their equipment and some to bind their injuries tighter. As the women rejoined the group, the brigade was ready to move out and make their way across the Kournan plains.
"Anicara take point," Rakiv was saying, as she nudged the young elementalist, "Let's find this spot of yours."
"I'll do my best," she responded, taking a deep breath and adjusting her grip on her staff as she strode out of Ronjok's south gate.
With parting well wishes the Sunspears took to the road once more. With the forces at the Marga Fortress gone, resistance along the road was virtually nonexistent. Anicara strode as confidently as she could, leading the Sunspears south at a steady march and then turning east as the road forked. For the most part they walked in silence, forgoing usual marching songs to avoid drawing unwanted attention. Anicara led them to a rocky pass, the northern end of the natural stone wall that ran south to Yohlon Haven. The water mage pressed on, guiding the small platoon forward as the rocks lost rosy hue as they stepped from the path into Arkjok Ward.
One of the many areas that had once been a sandy desert, Arkjok Ward had become one of the more prosperous farming regions of Kourna. The redirection of the Elon had brought life to this area, giving rise to great trees and greener shrubs that grew in dense clumps in the sandy soil. Population was limited largely to the river bank, where the seasonal flooding and receding of the Elon kept the earth fertile and productive. Kournan forces had erected a garrison in the middle of the river, a presence maintained to prevent corsairs from sailing up the river to prey upon the peaceful farmers.
It was this presence that Anicara sought to avoid, and she immediately turned their march northward. The young woman followed the rock formations as they made their way north towards the stark and impassible badlands that separated southern Kourna from its northern regions. Wildlife in this area was more plentiful than on the Coast, and the contingent was repeatedly waylaid by Mandragor gangs, Ntouka herds, and indignant plantlife. But these obstacles were easily overcome and the group soon found themselves marching to the sound of rushing water. Anicara smiled a little, reassured of her direction and picked up the pace as they made their way off of white sand and onto green grasses.
A natural spring bubbled up from the ground, forming a small oasis in the middle of the desert. Trees, grass, shrubs and reeds grew in abundance here, and the life giving waters had attracted a great deal of wildlife as well. Anicara skirted the small lake and led them to where the oasis waters drained northward on a downhill slope, turning into a babbling brook that rushed into a large rock alcove.
"We're here," she announced rather proudly.
"Alright set up camp," Dunkoro called, "Draw water from the brook and…"
"No, no," Anicara shook her head, "Not here. This is just the entrance."
"What's wrong with here?" Melonni asked, "It has water, shade, plenty of food to hunt."
"It's not very closed off but… I didn't see any tracks coming in and we're pretty well hidden by the vegetation it looks like," Alendra commented, taking stock of their surroundings.
"This isn't it," Anicara said, "The place I'm talking about is secret and safe. Look the way in is over here."
The officers fell in behind the girl as she followed the brook towards the mountainous wall where the stream's gentle babble rose to an echoing roar. Anicara stopped before a broad cave entrance, big enough for maybe two men to pass through shoulder-to-shoulder. The water ran into the cave mouth and dropped, the rapids turning white and roaring as they sped down into darkness.
"You gotta be kidding me," Alendra blanched.
"Not at all," Anicara shook her head, "We'll get a little wet but that's really it."
"You want us to just… walk into a dark waterfall cave?" Kydar asked, "We got no idea what's down there."
"Will you just trust me?" Anicara stomped her foot, "It's not like I'm going to try and get you guys killed!"
There was hesitation and murmurs of apprehension all around. Rakiv gave a groan and a roll of her eyes, pushing her way to the front of the group and tightening her straps around her body. Butter waddled forward to dip a claw into the water experimentally and looked up at his mistress with a curious stare.
"Strap down whatever you wanna keep on you," Rakiv said, "Wait ten seconds and then follow me in."
No one questioned the ranger as she stepped to the water's edge, staring down into the darkness of the cave. The red-haired woman growled under her breath, she hated jumping into the unknown. Still, it was the only way to find out what was really down there, and whether or not Anicara's plan would work. With a deep breath Rakiv jumped, splashing into the raging waters and vanishing into the cave beyond. Butter was not far behind, slipping down into the flow and casually swimming into the cave mouth.
"This is insane…" Melonni muttered.
"Can't be any worse than diving off a cliff right?" Kydar grinned, putting down his crate.
Anorah stepped in front of him, removing her hood to bind the cloth around her scythe blade. Balling up the end of her skirts in one fist she silently hopped from the riverbank, her tall form immediately carried away in the rush. Kydar was next, giving a wild whoop to boost his courage as he dove in headfirst. The remaining members remained hesitant, and Anicara grinned as she kicked off her shoes and caught Alendra by the arm. The paragon resisted with a whine, but finally gave into her fellow officer's tugging and secured her weapons across her back. Using her shield as a sort of surfboard the Castellan hopped into the water, and gave a high pitched squeal as she rode the torrent down. Anicara laughed and jumped in after her, relishing the rushing waters as they shot her forward and downward.
Rakiv gave a cry of alarm as she rushed through the darkness, howling wind soaring through the tunnel as the water splashed about her. She rode down a smooth slide of stone, the stream having had years to carve its path through the tunnels. The brook took a sharp right turn and she gave a small shriek as she was washed up into the wall and then dragged onwards with the roaring water. The increase in rushing wind and a sinking feeling in her stomach told her the ride was coming to an end, and she sucked in a deep breath as she flew down. With jarring suddenness she struck water, splashing down into the bottom of a shallow pool. She broke the surface with a gasp, finding that the water only just came up to her neck. The ranger waded forwards, feeling her way through the dark in search of the water's edge. A splash behind her alerted her to Butter's presence as the crocodile swam silently past her and splashed out onto the shore. She followed her companion's wake, grunting as she pulled herself from the pool and rolled out onto hard rock. Another splash told her that someone else had come down the slide, though she didn't bother to find out whom.
The ranger pushed herself to her feet, throwing wet hair back over her shoulder and shaking water from her limbs. Her eyes were growing accustomed to the dark and her widening pupils detected the faintest hint of illumination, hinting at a light source somewhere in the caves. A distinctly male wail preceded the scribe by several seconds, his cry ending in a shout of surprise as he shot out of the tunnel and into the pond. Rakiv felt her way to a rock wall and followed it as it curved around towards the source of the light. Rounding the corner she found that she could only stare in mild awe at the sprawling cavern before her.
"Guys!" she called back, "You gotta come see this."
With much sloshing and splashing the crew stepped up behind the ranger one by one. A hush fell over them as they took in the view below. They stood at the top of a ramp of stone, staring down into a broad cavern through which calm waters slowly flowed. Islands of rock formed the cavern floor, connected by sturdy wooden bridges to allow passage to all ends of the cave. Individual shafts of light jetted down through wide holes in the cave's ceiling, each beam of sunlight illuminating five tall shrines. The shrines were built of white stone, each guarding a shallow alabaster basin that collected the water from the rain.
"It's the perfect hiding place," Anicara broke the silence, her voice echoing through the cavern, "Nice and spacious, plenty of water and even sunlight gets down here. Beyond this room there are tunnels that connect to all sorts of places. I once followed one all the way out to the middle of the Jahai Bluffs."
"What is all… this?" Alendra asked, waving a hand at the shrines and their collection basins.
"I was told that it used to be a shrine to Melandru," Anicara replied, "I don't know who used to worship here, but it was built underground to be closer to the Earth Mother."
Splashes in the pool behind them alerted the group that more brave souls had taken the ride down. Kydar stepped away from the girls and made his way to the water's edge to help the others out onto dry land. Rakiv raised her eyes to the ceiling and tilted her head as she took notice of large scaffolds that had been built against the wall.
"What's with the scaffolding?" the ranger asked, pointing up and around the cavern.
"Might be left over from when the Kournan's tried to use this as a collection chamber for the Elon," Anicara shrugged, "The project was pretty much a bust, cause the Elon didn't flow through here so when they left they just sealed their entrance off and abandoned it."
"Huh…" Rakiv responded, "We're gonna need to find where that entry point was… make sure it's properly closed and all that."
"Of course," Anicara nodded in agreement and then smiled a little, "But it's good right?"
"It's… perfect," Rakiv nodded slowly, and then wrinkled her nose, "If it wasn't for the smell."
"Mmph…" Alendra grunted, the scent hitting her as well, "What is that?"
"Mnn, smells like the water was fouled by something," Anicara whined, clamping a hand over her nose, "We might have to clean it out…"
"No need for that," Melonni spoke from behind them, wringing water from her skirts, "I can perform a simple purification ritual. If this place was dedicated to Melandru, then she will hear our prayers here. I will need some help though. Anorah, Tahlkora, will you assist me?"
"Of course," Tahlkora smiled, while Anorah gave only a nod of agreement.
The trio of ascetics made their way down the smooth stone slope though Tahlkora tripped on a few loose rocks at the bottom of the incline. At the healers' request Kydar conjured an orb of flame and lifted it high to provide the cave with more light. As the flickers from his flame spread across the cavern rapid scuttling alerted them to the escape of many insects. Anorah lifted her scythe in preparation for a fight, but the bugs paid the humans no heed and dashed along into darker recesses of the cave. Melonni led the way across a bridge towards the center shrine, where the largest shaft of light fell. Giving a look down into the stagnant water, the dervish very nearly retched from the smell and took a few steps back to catch her breath.
"Good gods…" she choked, fanning her face with one hand, "Ugh… let's get this done quickly."
The Kournan woman pinched her nose shut and strode to the pool's edge again, dipping the end of her scythe into the water. Anorah and Tahlkora took up positions on either side of the shrine, sliding the ends of their weapons into the murky pond. Melonni motioned for them to bow their heads and brought one hand up to her face, holding her palm flat and facing the earth as she began to pray.
"Melandru, Great Goddess of Living Earth, we beseech thee," the dervish began, "Grant us sanctuary in these ancient hollows. We are defenders and soldiers of righteousness, facing a great evil that would consume us all. We ask that as we do thy will, to protect this good earth, that you would draw us into the safety of your bosom to hide us from the eyes of wicked men and shelter us from the designs of the evil one."
Dunkoro nudged Kydar, who in turn nudged Anicara, who continued the bump by lightly elbowing Nerashi who passed the touch on to Lonai. The Sunspear General frowned at the youngsters, motioning for them to bow their heads too and all four quickly complied. With an audible snort, Rakiv turned away, striding past the group of officers and heading deeper into the caves, ignoring the confused and disapproving glare Dunkoro leveled at her.
"Dwanya, Winged Goddess of Blessed Light," Tahlkora started, her fingers curled with her index pointing to the sky, "We seek your blessings in these hallowed halls. Grant us thy healing light as we seek to preserve the life of these lands. Give us restoration, healing and rest in this place as we seek to do thy will."
Rakiv retreated further into the tunnels, looking around at the walls and ceilings of the caves. The formations were natural, with small stalactites hanging from the stone roof above. The floors of the tunnels had been smoothed by man-made tools, providing easy passage through the subterranean labyrinth. Digging into her pack she extracted a length of parchment and a charcoal and began quickly scribbling as she moved along.
"Balthazar, Mighty God of Holy Fire," Anorah spoke, her voice barely echoing through the chamber as she balled her fingers into a tight fist, "We come to you as humble servants, mortal blades to do your will. We stand as a flame flickering in the darkness, and ask that you would give us the strength to drive back these shadows. Defend us with your mighty power, and grant us courage for the task before us."
"To the Five True Gods," Melonni took over once more, "We beseech you; Purify this place."
With these words all three women tapped their staves against the carved alabaster of the pool's bottom. As the weapons touched stone a flash of light spread from the shrine, rushing rapidly throughout the cavern. With groans of stone the openings in the roof overhead widened, allowing sunlight to pour in and fully illuminate the caves. As the light traveled through the cave it pushed the dark and foul smelling substance before it, purging the waters and leaving them clear and sparkling. All across the cavern flames sprung up as ancient torches were suddenly relit and flickered in the darkest reaches of the cave. The women looked down at the pool in front of them as it spit and sputtered until the bottom finally broke open and a laughing spring of water bubbled up from the deeps. Melonni gave a sigh and a smile of relief as she closed her eyes and drew a gods circle across her chest. The other women did the same, bowing their heads one final time.
"Ama ehn," all three finished.
"Now that's what I call a miracle!" Kydar called from the top of the cave.
"I have to agree," Dunkoro chuckled, folding his arms and nodding slowly, "This will suit us perfectly. Nerashi, find a way back up there and have the soldiers start coming down here. We'll set up in that large dry area over there. Lonai, you're in charge of organization, keep an eye on the set-ups and take an inventory of all the things we'll need to acquire. I'm going to explore these caves some more, find out how far they reach and what things we may need to take care of. Oh and Commander Nyrin, job well done," he commended.
"Thank you sir," Anicara smiled, curtsying slightly.
"Well, I'm going to find us a campsite," Kydar decided.
"Anyone see where Rakiv went?" Alendra asked, turning around and finding no sign of the ranger.
"She's down here somewhere," the scribe shrugged, making his way down the slope, "I mean, how many places could she be?"
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By the time Rakiv returned, the Sunspears had already set up the main cavern. One large area housed a number of tents, while another contained a make-shift mess hall constructed out of the nearby stones. Lonai stood next to a monolithic pillar near the southern area of the cave, calling out orders and reminding men to be wary of the scaffolds. Dunkoro leaned against a wall next to the necromancer, having been forced to abandon his underground explorations for fear of losing his way. The ranger approached the general, who gave her a curious glance as she offered him a rolled parchment.
"Mapped the immediate area," she explained with a small shrug, "It's not comprehensive but it's a start. The tunnels go on for miles it looks like, might take a proper exploration team to find out exactly where they go. Good thing is the tunnels are narrow, so even if this place is big, it'll be pretty easily defended."
"Good job Ranger," Dunkoro responded, nodding as he examined her map, "This at least gives us something to go on. I'll have a team formed up at once and we'll figure out where we are."
"Thanks," Rakiv nodded, turning away from him and striding into the bustle of the cavern.
Though many were wounded, and there were only a handful of them, every Sunspear did his best to contribute to the ongoing efforts. Rakiv placed her hands on her hips, watching the men and women mill about, staking down tents and setting up work areas all across the chamber. The woman looked up as a call from the opposite side of the cavern drew her attention towards a tunnel that led back towards a solitary shrine at the western end of the cave.
"Raki!" Alendra cried out gleefully, "Come and see! Come and see!"
A sigh slipped from the woman's lips as she strode westward to do as she was bidden. Her party had set up a secluded area at in the western corner of the chamber, setting up their tents behind a shrine spring they had claimed for themselves. Kydar had started a small fire and set up large stones around it to provide temporary seating. The fire pit was in the middle of a half-circle of tents, tents that had been constructed in a fairly odd fashion. Anorah was busily pinning together the large beige tarps of their tents as Kydar approached their ranger commander.
"Sweet set-up huh?" he smiled, "I think it works."
"What's with these tents?" Rakiv asked, waving at the cloth constructs.
"Oh, that's how Zaishen put their tents together," Kydar explained, "See instead of big cones, they make them square so you have room to stand up and move around in. It's like a box, see?"
"Nifty," the ranger agreed with a nod, "Nice spot you picked."
"Thanks," the scribe nodded, looking up and around, "I like it."
With the tenting finished, Anorah sat down near the fire, unwrapping her scythe blade and smoothing the fabric over her lap. Alendra gratefully shucked off the load of her weapons and shield inside her tent and joined the dervish at the fire as she unstrapped her heeled sandals. One by one the seven members of the party migrated to the fire circle, giving grunts and groans as they soothed their aches and pains. The weary warriors sat in solemn silence, until finally Alendra couldn't take it anymore.
"Okay," the paragon spoke up, "What happened back there?"
The question was met with blank stares all around, as no one was quite sure what part of their ordeal she was referring to.
"At Gandara!" Alendra exclaimed, "What happened back there!? I thought… I thought we were supposed to win! We're the good guys right… we're supposed to win! And… and instead here we are… hiding in a hole in the ground. And this," she threw a hand out, gesturing to the thirty inhabitants of the cave, "This is all that's left of us!"
Silence again greeted her, though this time her party members found themselves at a loss for words. There was little that could be said for the demoralizing defeat they had suffered.
"Not always does good triumph over evil," Anorah put in, her seldom heard voice somehow soothing to the group, "In battle the wicked man may prevail, but his victory is short lived. In spite of his evil triumphs, it is righteousness that wins the war."
"I think she's right," Tahlkora nodded in agreement, "I know it was terrible… I saw what had happened, and I couldn't help but feel that if only we'd been there I could have saved some of those men. But this isn't a simple invasion anymore… this is a war, and even if we lose the battles… we cannot lose this war."
"It wouldn't have mattered if we'd been there," Kydar comforted the young healer, "We'd have been trapped in that plaza the same as them."
"Which brings up another question!" Alendra said, pointing a finger at Rakiv, "You lied to us!"
"That's not really a question," Rakiv replied casually.
"Don't change the subject!" the paragon snapped, "You told us that they weren't coming! That they'd decided to stay behind! And then you ditched us on the boat and went off like some freakin' commando. I mean… what the hell?"
"Thought you said we were a team," Anicara muttered under her breath.
"Yeah!" Alendra cried out, waving a finger at Anicara, "What she said. What happened to being a team?"
Rakiv arched one crimson eyebrow but said nothing. The paragon continued on, her rant unchecked and fueled by outrage.
"What are we just dead weight to you?" Alendra demanded, "Cause I thought we were all working pretty darn well together. You don't want us slowing you down or cramping your style? It's not like Kormir recruited us for nothing you know! We could have helped you! I mean…"
"Alendra," Kydar interrupted, waving a hand placatingly at her, "It's okay… calm down."
"And you!" Alendra spun her focus to the scribe, pointing a rigid digit at him, "How can you just be so calm about this? You too Tahlkora! Why aren't you mad?"
Kydar glanced to Tahlkora, who sighed and fiddled with her thumbs before answering.
"I… I think that if I'd been there sooner… we could have helped," Tahlkora said slowly, "But after seeing what… what happened in that plaza, I don't think we would have made much difference. So… so I think it was kind of a good thing after all, that we got there when we did. Cause if we hadn't, we might not have been able to save anyone at all."
Alendra twisted her mouth unhappily. The monk had a point, the element of surprise was what had given them the chance to get away. But the paragon still felt betrayed by the ranger, and frowned at the red-haired woman.
"Heh, if it hadn't been for Anorah, we might not have made it there at all," Kydar chuckled.
"What do you mean?" Anicara looked up, "I thought she had just been assigned to one of the other divisions…"
"General Yurukaro assigned me a different task," Acolyte Basilisk explained softly, "I was to return to Kamadan and await the arrival of Scribe Raelesin and Monk Tahlkora. Dervish Melonni arrived when they did, and accompanied us on a Zaishen ship the general had left for us."
"Karo did that, huh?" Rakiv asked, feeling slightly annoyed at her sister's actions.
"She did," Anorah replied, "And she told me that when the time was right I was to give you a message."
"Aw great," Rakiv sighed, running a hand through her hair, "A long distance lecture. Alright, what'd she have to say?"
"She said, 'Forsaken you have been sister, but not forgotten. Do not be deceived, for you are not alone.'," Anorah related crisply.
"That's it?" Rakiv blinked.
"That was all she said," Anorah nodded, and then paused, "Although… she did add that you might not understand it at first."
"Of course," the ranger rolled her eyes with a sigh.
"Hehe, looks like I wasn't the only one who saw you comin'," Kydar grinned broadly.
"What do you mean by that?" Alendra broke in again, her eyes darting from elementalist to ranger and then back again.
"I knew she was going to leave us," Kydar shrugged simply.
"Oh really?" Rakiv snorted, turning to frown at the scribe, "You knew what I was going to do?"
"It was kind of obvious," Kydar chuckled, shifting to sit on the ground and lean his back against his rock, "You've been withdrawing from us ever since we got out of that bog."
Rakiv ground her teeth but did not speak. Ever since seeing him at the Gandara gates she'd known this was coming. The big speech where he explained how he'd plotted her every move… or something similarly cheesy. But still she said nothing, and only raised a quizzical eyebrow at the scribe.
"I don't think you think we're dead weight, or that we slow you down. You're not that cocky," he chuckled, staring down the fire, "Quite the opposite actually. I think you're afraid."
All eyes turned to the scribe, his bold accusation hanging in the air. Rakiv's eyes narrowed slightly, and the girls prepared for an explosion.
"Afraid?" Rakiv inquired slowly, "And what would I have to be afraid of?"
"Not afraid of," he said, raising a finger in correction, "Afraid for, Rakiv. You aren't afraid of anything, apparently not even death."
"Fine, what am I afraid for?" she snorted.
"You're afraid for us," Kydar stated simply, turning to face her.
The ranger began to object, but the words died on her lips. The eyes of the party turned to the ranger as it became the scribe's turn to stare holes into her skull.
"We've all got our dark little secrets Rakiv," Kydar spoke firmly, his gaze never wavering from her, "Anorah's a 'sinner', Anicara's a psycho, and me? Well I'm something of a sadist."
"Heeey…" Anicara objected, though her whine was ignored.
"And you've got one too," Kydar nodded, "I don't know how, but somehow you're connected to all this mess. And you're afraid that if we keep following you, we'll get caught up in this war of soldiers and heretics and demons and one of us will get hurt."
"But that's what makes us work. That's what makes this work," he waved around at the circle, "We cover each other's weaknesses with our strengths. Watch each other's backs, and defend one another. Sure one of us might lose control, but the whole point of being in a team is that when you're in trouble your teammates can save you… not just from the enemy, but from yourself!"
The scribe got to his feet, striding to the seated ranger who stared back up at him in an attempt to match his stare. For the first time she saw wrath in his eyes, anger directed specifically at her and the intensity was almost more than she could bear. Still the woman's pride would not let her back down, and she set her jaw as she stared back at him.
"And that doesn't just go for us, we who don't have achievements and titles and songs written about us," Kydar snapped, "That goes for you too. If we're going to do this, if we're going to even have a chance of stopping the Warmarshal's madness… we cannot afford to repeat our mistakes. If we learn anything from Gandara, it's that we can't do this alone. None of us can! The Sunspears alone were not enough, and no one of us will be either. Not even you."
The elementalist turned away from her, his tunic ruffling with the motion as he strode towards the mouth of the chamber. As he set foot into the short tunnel beyond the elementalist paused and then half-turned his head.
"I just hope Nightfall doesn't get here," he grumbled back to them, "Before you figure that out."
Stupified silence filled the cave as the elementalist departed, the girls scarcely believing their ears. As one, their eyes turned back to Rakiv, blinking at the ranger who simply watched the scribe retreat. Long after he had passed out of sight she finally turned back to the group and regarded them for a short moment.
"Talk to Dunkoro," she ordered, "Have him organize a hunt, so we can get these troops fed. I'll… be back."
The ranger rose from her seat and strode away, heading off in the opposite direction. As she passed the shrine pond a croak from the water drew her attention to the water where Butter sat sunbathing. The crocodile looked up at her, and gave a small snort to his mistress. The communication between them was not in words, but Rakiv understood the animal all the same. With a sigh of surrender she shook her head and walked away, leaving Butter to lumber back into the sparkling waters of the pool.
As she entered the main cavern, Rakiv immediately turned her path south, taking long strides and grumbling darkly under her breath. The man was right… and then he also was wrong. She could have done it alone… should have done it alone. But when the moment came, she had failed. It was that failure that brought on the wholesale slaughter of entire divisions of brave men and women. They were deaths that she felt directly upon her shoulders and though the hunter in her said that such deaths were necessary in war… the woman within was weeping inconsolably. Her path took her into one of the few tunnels that climbed upwards, the scribe's trail remaining easy to follow. The tunnel continued upwards, curving back over itself before it broke back into the main chamber, connecting to a sort of catwalk of stone that ran up into the cavern's ceiling. She followed the precarious stone road as it led her up and towards the light.
The scribe's point was getting through though. Her failure, her inability to take one life to save so many others… it was proof that she couldn't do it alone. Yet still the woman could not bring herself to willingly involve others… not with the kinds of forces she was dealing with. But had it not been for her teammates, all would have been lost. She would have died there… as Kormir did, and Varesh would march on to victory unchallenged. The fact was not ignorable, she was here because she had not been alone… and she had a second chance to complete her mission.
The stone path led up and out of the caves, taking her up the side of a spiral of rock that jutted up sharply out of the ground. She could see for miles up here and the view improved as she climbed. They were in the badlands, or beneath them rather, a veritable forest giant rock spires that grew so closely together that they defied all passage through them. Upon reaching the top she found that the cap of the spire contained a bowled depression, forming a small circle in which maybe four people could sit comfortably. Jagged walls of rock rimmed the edge of the cleft and offered her a magnificent view of the outlying lands. To the west the crimson shades of the Marga Coast ran towards the sea. To the south the trees of Arkjok Ward swayed in the gentle breezes. The great stone formations barred her view to the north, but if she squinted she found she could just barely make out the rocky ridges of the Jahai Bluffs to the east.
The elementalist leaned over one wall, his arms folded on the rock ledge as he stared into the sunset over the coast. Rakiv stepped up next to him, putting her back to the barrier and gazing eastward to watch the sky change colors in the fading light.
"I was only a kid at the time," she spoke up after several long moments of silence, "Maybe nine or ten by then, but I'll never forget the day he came back for me. Eidolon hadn't come looking for a recruit on that trip, and he told me that he had to explain some things to some people before I could come with him. So… I waited. It was only a couple of days but… they were the longest days of my life. And I was so… happy when I finally spotted him coming through the marsh. It was the jingle of the charms on his staff that made me notice, you could hear them wherever he went… they were almost like a song."
She paused and sighed softly, tilting her head back to stare directly upwards at the great vault of the sky. Kydar didn't respond and so she decided to continue.
"He came with another man," she spoke slowly with recollection, "A man with very dark skin and dressed in red robes. The man in red inspected me, and said that I was too young… but Eidolon insisted that I was exactly what they were looking for. So the man in red asked me the same question Eidolon had, if I'd like to come with them to a temple and learn more about what the gods had in store for me. Eager little thing that I was, I couldn't stop saying yes."
The ranger chuckled slightly as she slid to the ground, draping her arms over her knees as she leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes as she dove into her memories.
"On the boat ride they explained to me what I was… and what I was to become," she continued, "In this world there are those who are attuned to the supernatural, to things not of this world. Even rarer are people attuned to the gods, who can intimately sense their divine will. People like these are born with blessings, gifted with attributes given by the god who chose them. And people like these can become very powerful, capable of… incredible things. There weren't many like us… but it was the job of people like Eidolon to find us."
"That was how I joined the Khel Varr Sisterhood," Rakiv sighed, running a hand through crimson tresses, "Or the 'Khel Varr Order', or just 'The Khel Varr'… however you want to say it. We were maidens, chosen and blessed by our respective gods, selected from all over the world. Our goal, I was told, was to further develop our attunement and grow closer to our chosen deities, to become their champions on earth. The man in red told me that if I did well and studied hard then one day maybe I could be a hero…" the ranger paused and tilted her head curiously.
Kydar glanced down at her from the corner of his eye, though he remained careful not to turn in her direction. Rakiv's brow furrowed in recollection and she gave a small chuckle.
"Huh… and I remember now that Eidolon corrected him," she said, "He put his hand on my shoulder and said, 'No, Whisper, she will be.'."
The scribe arched an eyebrow though he did not respond and turned his gaze back to the horizon where the disk of the sun shimmered as it sank slowly into the ocean. Rakiv shook her head and exhaled as she continued.
"Anyway… they took me to Gandara, back then it was still called the Moon Temple," the red-head went on, "It was the biggest building I'd ever seen and they told me that this would be my new home now. I was really too awestruck to do anything but hold onto Eidolon's belt as we walked away from the docks. We went through all kinds of hallways and eventually we came to a room with lots of other girls my age, and two women who sat at a table. There was a lot of… talking. They asked us questions, inspected us and when it was over some of the girls were taken away. Then the man in red came in and asked the rest of us if we really wanted to do this, because after this there would be no going back. I didn't have anywhere else to go… so I was the first one to say yes. Some of the other girls were scared though, and decided they wanted to go home. Only five of us stayed that day, and we were congratulated for officially joining the Order."
The woman opened her eyes slowly, pretty violets looking up at a sky that matched her eyes. It was almost dark now. The sun had finally passed below the seas, leaving the light to slowly fade from the heavens. Tiny pinpoints of light poked through the blanket of navy blue as the first stars of the evening began their nightly song.
"Eidolon told me to go with the women, because he had to go but he'd see me again," Rakiv sighed deeply, "So I went with them and they took me to another room with a bunch of bunk beds and a few girls, most of them older than me. They showed me which bunk was mine and then… just left me there. I just stood there, no idea what to do… and then another girl walked up to me and asked me if I needed any help."
Rakiv stopped, listening to the sounds of the earth as night fell over Kourna. Kydar too remained silent, harkening to the symphony of crickets that played their evening ballads in Arkjok Ward. With a grunt the ranger pushed herself to her feet and dusted her hands on her trousers.
"That was how I first met Kormir," she said with finality, and turned to walk away.
As her boots crunched against the flat stone the elementalist contemplated the story, and then turned around in confusion.
"What was that for?" he asked curiously.
The ranger stopped at the edge of the ramp that led back down into the caves. Her hand rested on the rim of the stone wall and she glanced back over her shoulder at the elementalist.
"For saving my life," she shrugged nonchalantly.
The scribe nodded slowly, and looked up at the sky. The moon was rising now, joining the heavenly chorus of silver light that played over the badlands, throwing long shadows from the great stone spires.
"It's nice here," he commented, "We finally found refuge… a sanctuary."
"Mmm…. Yeah, it is," Rakiv agreed.
Another long moment of silence passed before the ranger finally sighed and turned to face the scribe.
"If… you knew I was going to leave you behind…" she began slowly, "Why didn't you stop me? Or show up early or something?"
"Had to let you leave," Kydar chuckled, not taking his eyes from the stars, "I can't make you take me with you Raki, but I will keep following you… at least until this thing is through," the scribe looked down at her and gave her a lopsided grin, "Maybe I can prove to you that we aren't just another burden for you to carry."
Rakiv returned his smile with one of her own, though there was neither joy nor amusement in her eyes. The ranger turned from him and made her way down the ramp… and something scuffled down the path ahead of her. Rakiv picked up her pace just in time to catch Acolyte Basilisk standing at the tunnel entrance as the retreating forms of Alendra and Anicara disappeared into the cave. Anorah turned back to Rakiv and bowed her head to the other woman.
"Apologies, Ranger Maelstrom," she said, voice laden with shame.
"Don't worry about it," Rakiv chuckled, patting the dervish's shoulder, "It's good that you girls know a thing or two about me too. Maybe we'll get to hear your story someday."
"Perhaps…" Anorah responded softly, "Perhaps."
"C'mon, let's go see about that dinner," Rakiv smiled as she stepped down in tunnel, "But first, I've got an elementalist and a paragon to catch. Care to help me?"
"As you wish… R-Rakiv," Anorah nodded, making a rather awkward attempt at informality.
"Awesome," Rakiv laughed lightly, "Let's go."
Kydar laughed as he listened to the women depart, shaking his head as he relaxed against the wall. After days of turmoil, they had found a momentary peace. The path ahead of them would be a difficult one, but for now they had finally found a safe haven. The elementalist closed his eyes, breathing softly as he listened to the song of heaven.
"Lyssa, Beloved Goddesses of Illusion and Chaos," Kydar prayed softly, "Guide us on thine unseen path, grant us your wisdom and protection. Extend to us your divine graces… and bless us in this, our Sunspear Sanctuary."