Chapter 12: Tales of Ancient Ones
Xev woke up next to the tree in his underwear. Zanir sat across from him chewing on some bread from the packs.
"What happened to you last night?" asked Zanir a smile on his face.
"Don't worry about it Zanir it's not what you think." He said
Zyra was dressed in her black pants and walked over handing Xev his clothes that were dry.
"Are you sure?" joked Zanir. "What happened to your shirt Xena?"
"It was ruined by Xev trying to create fire with magic."
"Ah, is that what you're calling it then."
Zyra punched Zanir in the arm as she walked back to where Valon was sitting up right. He had regained some strength during the night. Xev clothed himself and joined them.
"Thanks for your spell last night Zyra. It helped keep me warm enough to get some rest. How are you doing Valon?" said Xev as he too grabbed what was left of the bread in one of the packs.
"I'm better thank you. We have to keep moving. Don't let me slow you down. "He chewed on some bread.
"He's right. We have to get to our rebel headquarters. Its a few days ride from here hidden deep within a forest."
"More riding, brilliant." Protested Zanir.
"Do we have enough supplies to make the journey?" questioned Xev looking around at the few packs they had taken from the soldiers days ago which were now empty aside from a few stale pieces of bread.
"We can find food from the plants and beasts on the way there. Have a big drink from the creek. It should be fine." Said Zyra. She got up and helped Valon onto his horse. Xev aided as well.
Zanir hopped up after Valon was secured, "This'll be fun."
"You follow my lead Zanir. Don't worry we won't be riding too fast at the start." Zyra said and walked over to her horse.
Xev was waiting next to it petting the side of the white horse's neck. "Beautiful horse you have by the way."
"Thank you, her name is Ahwa." She said as she mounted the horse and tied her hair into a high pony tail. Zyra gave a hand to Xev and helped pull him up so he was sitting behind her. "Hold on tight. She isn't used to having two riders. I'm surprised she didn't go nuts and try to knock your brother off."
Xev arranged his bow and quiver on his back so they were comfortable and wrapped his right arm around Zyra's waist. They began out of the meadow in the direction of the hidden rebel headquarters North East of the city Xev had seen. What lay between them and their destination was dense forest and a river that flowed from the North to the South East. It would be a three day ride.
"We'll take secret trails through the forest and avoid the main road ways." Said Zyra as her horse passed Zanir so he could follow.
"Let's hope there aren't any more ambushes set up for us." Said Xev.
"That and the many types of demons that exist here." She said smiling slightly.
"I know at least one of them that had been controlled by Vraeza and attacked my home city. Those came from here didn't they." Asked Xev
"Yes. They are spirits whose souls have been captured with complicated spells. Many of them are from the dark Fae and are forced into fighting for Vraeza. Not very many of them exist this far south."
"Do you think that was Vraeza last night on his dragon?" questioned Xev as he noticed a small glowing fairy type being whiz past them.
"Possibly, but he is not the only one that flies dragons here. Many of his top ranking shades are also trained to fly them. Recently, Vraeza has been searching for more dragons to be added to his military arsenal. Most dragons would never willingly serve him but many are forced through horrible spells hence why his dragon is ethereal."
"Do any in the rebel army fly dragons?" Xev said as he felt a tug on his back.
"Only a few, sadly." She said.
Another tug on Xev's back and he turned around to see the same fairy glowing white attempting to steal his bow. He swiped at it and shooed it away. It swirled around giggling, dodging his waving hand and yanked at his hair.
"Ouch! Get off you wretched little creature!" exclaimed Xev trying to fight it off.
Zyra whispered a spell under her breath and the tiny fairy no more than a hand in length was thrown off into woods shrieking all the while.
"Hate those. Whenever they see someone they purposely try to annoy them. They won't kill you though." Zyra said.
"Can they use magic?" asked Xev keeping a close eye on the forest as they rode through.
"Nothing too big just minor illusion spells like cloaking and teleporting. No offensive spells."
A sparkle of light in front of Xev's face and the fairy appeared then slapped him in the face with its little hand and vanished.
"Ah! Why did it hit me? I wasn't the one who tossed it into the woods." said Xev, feeling his face which stung more than he would imagine.
"Maybe it likes you?" Zyra joked.
They road for what seemed to be a full day which was hard to tell in a world that was always black as night. Xev had noticed that there was more than one moon in the sky, one slightly larger than the other which gave off the most light. This moon kept it from being pitch black and cast just enough light to make most things visible. It was similar to a full moon on a cloudless sky back in the human world. This was the moon that was closest to the South and the smaller moon in the North hence the light Fae's territory in the South and the dark Fae's the opposite.
It was time to make camp before moving on so they found an enclosed area next to a large tree with its massive roots raised out of the ground creating a half circle before they submerged into the soil. It was just large enough to fit them all inside the half circle that acted as an effective shield behind them. If anything dared to attack it would be forced to engage from the front.
Both horses entered the resting area and the group dismounted setting Valon up again the back of the tree.
"Finally some rest." Said Zanir. He took a seat next to Valon with his legs outstretched. He found a stone and began sharping his sword.
"We should stay here for a while and let Valon regain more strength." Zyra said and again lite a violet fire in the center of the half circle.
Xev sat next to her warming his hand by the fire as it cast a purple colour on them all. He looked up through the leafless trees to see dark clouds moving in from the North.
"Is it always this cold here? There's no sun." asked Xev.
"Yes it is colder than the world you grew up in but some areas are kept warmer with ancient spells." Zyra said while sitting cross legged her back perfectly straight and her eyes closed.
"I've given Valon some more energy but he doesn't seem to be reacting to it. I fear he has been placed under some sort of protection ward and will take very skilled magicians to unlock the spell." Zyra said. "He must have done it just after killing one of the shades so as to protect the amulet and any information on the rebels from Vraeza."
"I've seen him do this before when we had got captured back in Arinstall, although he did not need to be brought out by magic." Explained Xev.
"This must have been a last resort knowing that he could not take four shades alone in his current condition. There are magicians at the rebel camp that can help bring him out of the state." Zyra said and opened her eyes quickly like a cat eyeing its prey.
A clang came from within the forest ahead and a second later a whistle sounded through the air. Zyra moved her head to the side and nasty looking spiked arrow with black feathers embedded itself in the tree behind them. Two more quickly followed missing their targets.
"Goblins!" yelled Zyra, "Find cover now and protect Valon at all costs." She summoned a violet shield in front of them that absorbed some of the arrows.
"I can't see them!" Xev said with his bow ready and an arrow drawn.
A few shadows jumped around in the foggy forest and he released an arrow into the darkness the sky now darker than before from the clouds. A shriek echoed out from the trees.
"Keep firing your arrows. Zanir stand your ground if they chose to advance on us. They may have realized they stumbled upon the wrong group to mess with." Zyra said while summoning her shield.
One of the spiked arrows came from the forest glowing green and it went straight through Zyra's shield headed for Zanir. Before it was about to hit its target Zyra froze the arrow in front of Zanir and it dropped to the ground.
"They have a wizard with them. Stay alert I'm not sure how skilled it is."
A series of chants sounded and about twenty goblins ran out from the trees some of them surrounded by green spell shields others weren't showing the level of skill their wizard had. More of the magic arrows rained in from the forest, Zyra freezing most of them.
Xev only had twelve arrows left and he was without a sword so he chose his targets carefully as they ran towards them. They were no more than half his size but clad in chainmail and leather armor. Xev took aim at one of the goblins with a green shield and sent an arrow flying towards its head but it was absorbed before the shield broke leaving the goblin unharmed.
He decided not to waste any more arrows on the ones with shields and instead took aim at another releasing the arrow and the target went down. He fired again and missed the intended target striking one behind in the leg and it doubled over. They were about fifteen yards away from their defensive position yelling and making strange sounds. Xev dropped three more in quick succession.
Zanir prepared to cleave down the enemies. Zyra grabbed her two smaller daggers and sent them towards the charging creatures hitting two in the throat and they fell tumbling forward in a spray of blood. Xev fired two more arrows killing them instantly with shots through the eyes.
The wave of enemies collided with Zanir and Zyra with loud clangs of weapons and armor being hit. Zanir charged a few knocking them backwards and he dispatched two with slices to the throat. He punched a third in the face breaking its pointed nose. Zyra shadow stepped between the goblins with precise jabs killing them effortlessly.
Xev noticed they had basically destroyed the entire band of goblins and he decided to keep his remaining four arrows in case the magician revealed itself. Zyra and Zanir finished off the remaining goblins a few trying to run away but Zyra flashed behind them and backstabbed them. Echoes of the shrieking goblins in the forest faded away.
"Why did they even try? What fools." Said Zanir cleaning his bloodied sword on the leather of a dead goblin.
"I'm not sure. Usually goblin bands do not venture this far south. They might be mercenaries." Zyra said while kicking over a body to see if it had any mercenary markings on them. "It seems we may have a bounty on our heads. I'm flattered." She joked.
Zyra went to retrieve her two knives Xev did the same for his arrows which refilled his quiver back to twelve.
"Is there anything else that what's to try and kill us tonight?" said Xev as he returned to camp.
"Who's on first watch? I sure as hell won't be." Grumbled Zanir sitting down again.
"I'll take it." Said Zyra and sat next to Xev in her perfect posture.
"It's not a surprise that we have mercenaries after us. Who knows the riches Vraeza has offered others for our death or capture. He'll take any advantage he can. Maybe he fears us? He should. Once Valon has been woken up and you begin some proper magic training Vraeza will be outmatched surely." Whispered Zyra with her eyes closed.
"Do you really think that I'll become a great magician and assassin like you? I can't even beat you in a duel."
"Don't be so down on yourself. I've seen you fight and I know with my training you will become more powerful than Valon and I together." She assured him. "You have a natural skill that not many have, only those great warriors of the past possess it. You managed to summon flame without saying the words with only a few weeks of training from Valon. We need you. Both worlds need you if we are to defeat Vraeza."
"Thank you Xena, I'll try to keep my focus." Said Xev staring out at the dead goblins laying in the fog that began to roll in.
"Those bodies are going to attract predators. We can't stay here anymore can we." Said Xev
"We can if we do not bother any of the things that may come to feast. If they feel threatened then I guess we'll have to kill them." Whispered Zyra.
"Wake me up if anything crazy happens." said Zanir as he rolled up on his side back against the tree.
Xev didn't feel tired now that he was in the Fae world. His body felt more alive now and he thought it was strange that his brother was not experiencing the changing effects as quickly. He looked back at where the dead goblins lay and noticed a few were missing. Something had snatched them away silently. He sat very still and watched the fog move slowly across the forest floor about knees height. A few minutes past by until he saw movement in the fog, something black and furry but he couldn't make out what it was. It dragged one of the goblins away into the darkness.
Xev was thinking of the possibilities that had caused his parents to raise him in the human world. His father hadn't talked much about his mom except that she had left when he was very little. Every time he would bring the subject up it was all that his father would tell him. He did say that she loved them dearly which bothered Xev because he could only remember vivid memories about her when he was a small child. He wasn't sure where she had gone although now he believed she was probably here in the Fae world somewhere because since he has Fae blood it must mean that she is also Fae.
"Do you know by any chance who my mother is? If she's Fae then I assume she would be here. She must have hid me in the human world in fear of unrest in this world." Said Xev as he continued to look for any dangers.
"No I'm sorry I do not know who you mother is. If she is part of the rebel forces I could check with the leaders and see if her name is in the logs. What is her name?" asked Zyra.
"Her name is Alenka. Or at least that is the name she used when I was young. Do you think she may have changed it? He asked.
"Her name doesn't ring any bells but I can still look it up once we arrive at the rebel headquarters. She could have changed her name in hopes of protecting your family. Over the last few decades in human time scales, there have been many horrific battles between the light and dark Fae. Ten human years here feels like fifty years to us. Time exists but is very slow." She said. "Many Fae tried to flee the cities and towns that were overrun with bloodshed and cross the border into the human world but they were not granted passage by the Guardians in fear that the Fae species would be discovered. We only exist to them as old stories and folklore. Those that have seen a Fae are usually thought of as crazy and deranged."
Xev wondered how his mother would have managed to sneak him passed the guardians and into the human world. Maybe the guardians new that he would be needed in the future to help win the war against Vraeza. Vraeza had spent around seven years in the Fae world which would have been much longer here.
"Practice your mediation Xev," whispered Zyra. "Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Open your consciousness to the environment surrounding you. Keep your senses in focus."
He was feeling far too restless to effectively mediate but he tried any ways. Xena began to sing softly and he lost himself in her voice which he thought was some sort of relaxation spell she had but he felt too ecstatic to really notice. They both continued to mediate and keep watch during their stay next to the ancient tree roots a violet glow from the fire illuminating them softly. A few strange beasts came and went without any trouble. They were only staying for a few hours while their horses rested. Xena's horse was not as tired as the other because it was enchanted with Fae spells of stamina. Xev thought back to the other two horses that had helped them escape to the Fae world and hoped they were safe and free.