Ceileigh spent a few moments weighing her options. Part of her was angry and wanted revenge for the destruction of her village and the death of her friends and stepfather. Part of her was scared and overwhelmed by the power of the dragon and wondered if there was some way besides fighting to get out of this situation. Probably the strongest feelings she had right now were confusion and apprehension over what was happening to her and numbness at the unreality of it all. No matter what, she knew she had to resolve this dragon business or her life would never get back to normal.
She started getting the claustrophobic feeling of being drawn into a situation against her will, but she shook her head to clear it and looked around the room. Her first order of business was exactly as the dragon said - if she was leaving the village she'd need weapons. She didn't have any kind of combat training, but she thought she'd be most comfortable with a set of daggers since she was used to working with them as a fisherwoman. She recalled a desk drawer where Adaro had an old rusty set and grabbed them. Someone's bow was propped up near the doorway and she picked that up too as an afterthought. She had great aim with a harpoon, so maybe she could learn to use arrows with some guidance.
Ceileigh gathered all her personal belongings, tucked the daggers into either side of her belt, clutched the bow to her chest to cover her gaping shirt, and walked out the door. She didn't know how the villagers would react to her and she didn't know what to say about the whole situation anyway. She walked quickly, kept her head down, and hoped to make it to Aestella's shop without incident. Second order of business, getting clothes that aren't shredded and covered in blood, she thought wryly.
Most people were too preoccupied with their own problems to see her hurrying by. Except, apparently, for one teenage boy named Lewes who was staring open-mouthed at her chest. Smirking, she walked faster to Aestella's shop and slipped inside.
"'Ello coz!" the round woman called cheerfully. "How are ye farin'?"
"Hello. I'm…okay," Ceileigh shrugged, shaking her head. "Still trying to make sense of things, you know?"
"Glad to hear it. Inez says the dragon struck you, is it true?" Aestella asked with wide eyes.
"Yes. As you can see, it left me in quite the awkward position," she tried to joke, lowering the bow and gesturing to her torn shirt.
"Oh, of course! Here dear, take this at no charge." The shopkeeper dug around in some crates behind the counter. "This should be about your size." Ceileigh held up the loose-fitting beige shirt and thought it would probably work. She put it on and wiggled out of her old shirt underneath. She thanked Aestella and went to find Quina. She had no idea when she would see her hometown again and she wanted to say goodbye to her closest friend.
She got a little way down the village's main path when she caught sight of Inez with Chas and Barten. Those two were always after Inez and she never gave in to either one. She had a bit of a mean streak but the two men still followed her around like dogs begging for a treat. When Inez caught sight of Ceileigh she pointed at her.
"I saw what happened, Ceileigh - what you did!" she said loudly. "You commune with dragons. You called the beast upon us and gave your very soul to it!"
"We all saw it!" said Barten, gesturing between the three of them.
Ceileigh stopped in her tracks, affronted. "Why would the dragon attack me if I was in league with it?" she scoffed.
"As a ruse, perhaps? It sure seemed as if the dragon came here for you! And it destroyed half our village in the process. You've murdered your own kin!" Inez spat.
"That's not true!" Ceileigh shouted at her, one hand unconsciously gripping a dagger handle.
"Look! Look! The witch is going to kill us too!" the other lady cried shrilly. A few people were starting to stare.
Ceileigh pointedly removed her hand from the dagger and stalked past them. She didn't see Quina anywhere yet, so she went to the inn to buy a travel sack from Pablos.
"You're leaving Cassardis?" he asked in dismay. "I don't like the idea of you venturing about the countryside alone. Can't I talk you out of it?"
"I appreciate your concern, but I'm afraid not," Ceileigh said, then took a chance. "Have you heard what happened? To me I mean?"
"You took on the dragon, and for that I say you're a hero!" he proclaimed. "That harpy Inez is spreading rumors that the dragon spoke to you and you're some kind of witch, though. Knowing her, she's probably jealous that someone else is getting attention."
They laughed for a moment, then turned serious. "Pablos, the dragon did speak to me but we are enemies. It said I must face it in battle. I'm leaving to figure a way out of this mess."
"Then good luck, coz. We will miss you. And be careful, it's getting late in the day and monsters grow stronger when night falls." Pablos handed over the travel sack. Ceileigh packed her things in it, nodded to Pablos and left the inn.
A small crowd greeted her outside. Unsurprisingly, Inez was at the front with her arms folded and an unfriendly glint in her eye.
"What say you, witch?! Will you call down more monsters on us?" she shouted.
Ceileigh heard other cries from the crowd.
"How did she heal so quickly?!"
"How does she yet live with no heart?!"
"She cares nothing for her people!"
Red with anger and embarrassment, she said nothing and made quickly for the village gate. She heard a voice behind her call out and then a hand was on her shoulder. She spun around, ready with biting words before she realized it was Quina.
"Goodbye, coz," Quina said with tears in her eyes.
"You understand why I have to go?" Ceileigh asked, trying not to cry.
Her friend nodded. "I only hope this is a temporary goodbye."
"So do I," Ceileigh said, then turned and walked out of Cassardis.
The sun was now low enough in the sky that it glared straight into Ceileigh's eyes over the edge of the cliffs outside Cassardis. Where she stood, a dirt path curved left to the east and the ground to either side was covered in lush grass, boulder piles and several types of trees. To her right, the cliffs dropped off to the beach. Beyond that, water stretched as far as she could see.
Sighing, she put a hand up to shield her eyes and started off down the path. Before she got very far, a small bang-whoosh sound just over her shoulder made her yelp and she ran a few involuntary steps before turning and drawing one of the daggers. Fear rushed through her when she saw another dark yet glowing hole in the sky, exactly like the one the dragon came through except much smaller. More creatures? she wondered, awkwardly throwing her bag off her shoulder and wrangling the other dagger from her belt.
Instead of a monster, Ceileigh was surprised when a man dropped through the hole, crouching as he hit the ground. He straightened and raised his right hand. He bore a strange mark there, like three jagged rays of light, or maybe glowing scars, emanating from where his pinky finger met his palm. In his other hand he held a mage's staff.
"Who are you and where did you come from?" Ceileigh demanded, gesturing in his general direction with one rusty blade. Now that she was brandishing them at someone, she realized just how decrepit these daggers really were. That on top of the fact that she had no idea what she was doing with them. This man certainly didn't seem concerned in the least.
"I mean you no harm, Arisen," he said calmly, lowering his hand. "I am Rook of the pawn legion."
There was that name again. "The dragon called me that - Arisen. What does it mean?"
"You are our master and the chosen one," Rook stated. The hole behind him shrank and closed completely.
"Huh?" Ceileigh asked dryly. "What is a pawn? Did you come from the same place as the dragon?"
"Pawns come from the Rift, Arisen. We exist to aid your fight against Grigori," he replied.
Ceileigh raised an eyebrow. "Grigori is the dragon? He has a name?"
"Yes. Men are gathering at the encampment up the road, building forces to battle him. We should make our way there now," Rook gestured that way and took a few steps. "This way, Arisen."
Ceileigh just stood there for a few seconds, then threw her hands up and trotted after him. "Sure. Why not? I don't know where else I'm going anyway." She glanced over at Rook's unreadable face. He had unruly reddish brown hair and a droopy mustache. His blue eyes seemed flat and dull.
"So what's the Rift?" she asked.
"It is the home of the pawn legion, Arisen," he replied, keeping his eyes on the road ahead.
"You don't have to call me that every five seconds you know," said Ceileigh. Rook didn't reply.
"How did you know where to find me?" she tried again.
"You are the Arisen," was all he said.
"You're so helpful!" Ceileigh said in exasperation.
"Thank you, Arisen," Rook replied.
"Agh!" Ceileigh threw her hands up again and stomped on ahead.
As she rounded a curve in the path she heard the cries and shouts of a fight. A minute later she could see a trio of brown goblins harassing a man carrying a large burlap sack. The creatures stood about four feet tall, and were lean but wiry. The man barely blocked a blow from one of their clubs, and another used the opportunity to snatch away the sack.
"Help! Somebody help me!" the man cried, falling to his knees.
"Hey!" Ceileigh shouted angrily, throwing down her own bag again. "Leave him alone!"
The third goblin held the unfortunate man in place as the others turned their attention to her. "Stupid human!" they shrieked, waving their weapons.
"Great," Ceileigh muttered as she drew her own. Just go for it, she urged herself. Not stopping to think any further, she ran at the pair.
The two goblins charged to meet her. She swerved to avoid a rock thrown by the one closest to her, and then they crashed into each other. The goblin's arms went around her waist and she landed on her back with a thump. Between the ground underneath her and the creature's elbow digging into her gut, the breath was knocked out of her. Memories of the dragon's attack flashed through her mind. This is nothing compared to that, she told herself. Get up!
Ceileigh held her left arm against the goblin's throat to escape its teeth and pushed against its chest with the other hand. The creature was a full foot and a half shorter than her but it had an iron grip and the drive of an animal. Gnashing teeth drew closer and closer to her face and she felt her arm giving out. She wriggled her right arm from between their bodies, drew back and stabbed the goblin's side repeatedly until it rolled away from her.
She sat up just in time to see the other goblin reach her side only to be knocked back by a line of fireballs that missed her head by a mere foot. The goblin holding the traveler down was killed with the same attack. The one that knocked her down was still writhing face down on the ground. Before it had a chance to get up, Ceileigh straddled it and drove both daggers into the base of its skull, showering her arms and chest in red-black blood. Slowly she rolled onto her rear beside the body. Again she had that unreal numb feeling and now she was starting to shake.
"Strength in numbers, Arisen," said Rook from beside her. She looked up at him, panting, with a pleading look on her face. He was holding his hand out to help her up.
"I've never killed anyone before," she said, clearly upset as she got to her feet.
"Those aren't anyone, they're anything," said the man in a high, fussy voice. He had dark, slicked back hair and a big nose.
"I guess you're right," Ceileigh said, eyeing the bodies doubtfully.
"You're quite the fighter, eh?" the man said, retrieving his pack. "I'm Reynard, a traveling peddler. You saved my life!"
"Uh - ," Ceileigh started, not sure what to say.
"Here!" Reynard exclaimed, digging in his bag. "You don't seem to have much protection. Take this cloak as a token of my thanks. Now, I'm getting off this damnable road and into Cassardis, which is where I was headed in the first place!"
Ceileigh felt a lurch in her chest. "Thank you. Wish I was going with you," she said.
"Perhaps we'll meet again one day," said Reynard cheerfully, waving goodbye as he walked away.
She took a deep breath and turned back to the direction of the encampment. Rook stood there looking at her with no expression, seemingly unfazed by any of what just happened.
Ceileigh shook her head and said, "Let's go."
The encampment wasn't much farther down the road, and soon Ceileigh saw the points of its wooden walls poking up above the trees. She and Rook walked in silence now, all of Ceileigh's questions suppressed for the moment as she thought over her fight with the goblins. She'd glanced over her shoulder as they'd walked away and saw all three bodies bubbling and collapsing. Within seconds they'd dissolved into thick brown puddles of goo, which was fairly disturbing.
Night fell just as they reached the gate. As they went through, Ceileigh turned to Rook. "So what's the plan? I need new clothes - again - some kind of armor and better weap - ,"she began, cutting off abruptly as a new voice boomed inside her head. It actually sounded like many voices all at once, rushing at her from far away.
"WELL MET, ARISEN. CAN YOU HEAR OUR VOICE?"
"What the hell, am I doomed to hear voices for the rest of my life now or what?!" Ceileigh exclaimed. A soldier walking by raised an eyebrow at her. Rook, of course, just stared.
"Seek out the riftstone, Arisen," he said blandly.
"Give me a minute to get my bearings," she replied, rubbing her forehead. Hearing voices inside her head didn't exactly hurt, but it vibrated her skull and took a little bit out of her somehow. She looked around at the encampment layout. To her left were tents and storage crates, to her right was more of the same and the door to a training ground. In front of her was an open gateway to bigger tents and lookout towers. Royal soldiers, peddlers, smiths and other workers were milling about everywhere even though it was night time.
"Let's check out that tent in the other courtyard," Ceileigh said, pointing to one with a big blue, white and red flag in front of it. "It looks like there might be a shop inside."
The Duke's soldiers were all over the inner area, along with other armed people who Ceileigh assumed must be mercenaries. They didn't wear royal uniforms and looked to be from all walks of life and fighting styles. She felt like a lot of them were staring at her, but surely it was her imagination. She was feeling fairly self-conscious after all. Barging into the middle of their preparations, covered in goblin blood and being followed by THIS weirdo, she thought, shooting an irritated glance over her shoulder at Rook.
Ceileigh noticed a woman with short, dark hair, tan skin and a beautiful white and silver uniform standing outside the tent. She was talking to a couple soldiers and had a foreign accent Ceileigh couldn't place. The other woman nodded curtly to her as she passed into the first room of the tent. Sure enough, it was lined with shelves holding barrels and crates of goods.
"Hello, ser," said a man behind a small counter. "I am Ecbal. I can find storage for your belongings, and have items for sale. You can also sleep here for the night if you wish." Next to him, an opening lead to the main part of the tent but it was dark and Ceileigh couldn't make out what was inside beyond more shelves and some benches.
"Good, thank you! I need a new shirt, a good set of daggers, and some kind of armor. Light armor." She looked down. "And new boots that won't wear out on the road. Oh, and arrows for this bow. And a heavier cloak, it's getting pretty cold now that it's dark." Her stomach rumbled and she realized she hadn't eaten a thing since waking up after the dragon attack. She sighed resignedly and dug in her travel sack.
"Okay, just give me a clean shirt and direct me to the nearest food source," she said flatly, slapping her near-empty coin pouch onto the counter.
A few minutes later she and Rook were sitting on a log bench outside, eating rabbit stew by the light of his lantern. She was careful not to spill any on her new shirt. Even though it was cheap for those outside the village, it was still the fanciest shirt she'd ever owned. She'd opted for a long sleeved shirt of thick white material that almost looked quilted. Although she couldn't afford everything she needed, the rest of her coin had gone farther than she thought. She'd replaced her old daggers with ones that were shorter and thinner but in much better shape. She was also able to buy a very small, thin breastplate that really only covered the left side of her chest. There's nothing left there to protect, she thought. She wondered what would happen if she was stabbed where her heart used to be.
"You must seek out the riftstone, Arisen," Rook urged as she finished her last bite of stew.
"Will it tell me more about the pawn legion, then?" Ceileigh asked.
"Yes, Arisen," he replied.
"Fine, where is it?" she asked, annoyed by him constantly calling her "Arisen" again.
"In the tent where we just were," said Rook. Ceileigh looked at him sideways, amazed that that was the end of his sentence. He remained stoic.
They re-entered the tent and Rook gestured to the back room. Inside, a large stone on a small pedestal stood almost as tall as Ceileigh herself. It looked to be cut cleanly in half and the smooth face was covered with archaic writing that had been chiseled in a spiral pattern. As soon as she approached it, a shiny red ripple like a ring of embers flowed outward over the surface and the writing glowed blue. The voices rushed into her head again.
"WELL MET, ARISEN. WE SPEAK TO YOU FROM ACROSS A GREAT DISTANCE. THE PAWN LEGION HAS AWAITED YOU!"
Ceileigh took a step back and went down on one knee. She closed her eyes and held her head, trying to concentrate past the volume and vibration. Both were much stronger here.
"PRAY, FORGIVE THIS STRANGE AND IMPERSONAL GREETING. THIS RIFTSTONE SERVES AS A GATE. IT CONNECTS OUR KIND TO YOUR WORLD. IT OPENS TO THE ARISEN, FOR THEY POSSESS A WILL POWERFUL ENOUGH TO GUIDE THE LEGION. IF YOU WOULD CLAIM TO BE AMONG THE ARISEN, PROVE THE STRENGTH OF YOUR RESOLVE."
"What do I have to do?" Ceileigh managed to say, though she could barely feel her mouth moving or hear her own voice.
"WE SHALL GUIDE YOU IN YOUR TRIAL. IF YOU ARE AN ARISEN IN TRUTH, THIS HUMBLE TASK WILL PROVE NO OBSTACLE. THE ARISEN MUST POSSESS THE VALOR TO STAND AGAINST ALL THREATS AND THE POWER TO QUELL THEM. A TIRELESS SPIRIT OF SELF-IMPROVEMENT GRANTS THE STRENGTH TO LEAD THE LEGION. PRAY, SHOW IT NOW."
The rushing subsided and the voices were gone. The world seemed dim and so quiet after that. Ceileigh turned to sit on the ground, breathing heavily with her eyes shut tight as her senses returned to normal. After a few moments she stood up and saw Rook sitting on one of the benches.
"Well what the hell did that mean? How am I supposed to know what this trial is? Could you people be any more vague?" she asked him.
"Perhaps you will know it when you see it, Arisen," Rook stated, rising.
Ceileigh took a deep breath to keep from snapping at him. Why can't things just be straightforward and clear?
"Let's just…try to get some sleep, okay?" she said, brushing past him to the outer room. She started to ask Ecbal about a cot for the night when a handful of royal soldiers ran past, swords in hand.
"Cyclops!" they shouted. "To arms! Cyclops outside the west gate! Anyone with a weapon, join us!"
Ceileigh stared after them for a minute, then turned to Rook. "I think I just saw it."