Part three is UP. mrgreen I finally finished it. Now to work on part four. It should take a while, but it will DEFINATELY be shorter. sweatdrop enjoy reading a story in itself. 3nodding
A King of Lowly Stature
Part III: Desperate Quest
Zevach chuckled softly to himself, which gradually turning into a laugh; again, an evil laugh.
“Those Eyes! I remember those! But you’re too late,” Zevach exclaimed, still laughing to himself. He raised his hand and thrust it forward. Nothing happened to Vence, but…
Another scream, layered in fear. Vence whirled around, only in time to see Alysia, and the two Nitemares holding her, disappear into a dark hole, which faded from view. Vence stood where he was, stunned, but only for a moment. His expression changed from shock to rage. Unable to control himself, he vanished from view, reappearing behind Zevach, sword drawn and ready to strike. Zevach was already ready for him, and the two collided, and held as several sparks flew from the impact.
“Where is she?!” Vence shouted, furious. Breaking the connection, he immediately began to deal blow after blow, such that even a berserker would fall under his assailment. It was all to no avail, as Zevach, with a bored expression, casually swept aside each attack, with no apparent difficulty.
“Relax kid, she’s perfectly safe. Right now… she should be locked away in a cell, along with some various others. If you want her back, you’ll have to find my hideout.” Zevach casually dodged an attack, and with a wave of his hand, sent Vence flying backward several feet.
“Listen up, kid, I’m practically giving you the information about where you can find me. It won’t be easy, though, if you don’t want to give up now.” Zevach pulled out a small roll of parchment, and tossed it to Vence.
“Good luck solving that. Should be easy for you,” He finished, before fading away into the shadows.” Vence pulled himself up, sword still in hand.
“Damn it,” he said, struggling to keep himself calm. First half a city wiped out, then, as soon as he makes a promise to himself to protect Alysia, he loses her to one of the vilest murderers in history to ever exist. This Zevach was an Elvin mad man, one of the Forsaken of the races.
Zevach had one in more than one way, Vence knew. He fell to his knees, only now feeling the pain of loss and suffering. This had been Zevach’s plan all along; to break Vence, and in turn somehow kill him off early, so Zevach would benefit in some way.
Tears began to slowly fall, as he sat there, unable to do anything.
~~~
Once again, the red sun, sunset, was what brought Vence back to reality. He had stopped crying hours ago, but the pain still lingered. He looked up, and saw the scroll, still there in the dirt and dust. He took hold of it and opened the small piece of parchment.
Two oceans shall thee cross
And land afar thou must across
The north, chill, be thy destination
Make what thou will of my information
“Damn riddles,” He said, tossing it aside. He forced him self up to his feet, before shuffling over to where his bag was. He pulled out his carving knife and a potato, and peeled it before eating it raw. That was it for the night. With no second thoughts, he threw together everything he had in his bag, threw it over his shoulder, and began walking. There was no point staying here. Before he left though, he grabbed the paper with the riddle on it, shoving it into his pocket.
The night was chill, outside the city walls. While they had been mostly destroyed, they had still offered some protection against the outside. Outside the walls is a different story, Vence thought to himself, as he slowly walked along the side of the dirt road that stretched on across the Plains. He knew why the breeze was cool. Not far up ahead, a large lake lay, dead in the middle of Medean. That was where he was headed. One he got there, he would either wait for the ferry, or if it was already there, pay to ride across. After that, he had two options. Follow the river northward to Medean’s prime trading city, Catapeke, and catch a ride there, or continue walking east until he reached Altyrys. Either way, both cities he could get a ride on a ship.
Much to Vence’s convenience, the ferry was still docked, and the ferry-man was still out. When he saw him, he stood up from the barrel he had been sitting on, up against the small cottage, and limped over to the boat. The man was older than most around here, in his mid sixties. Years ago, he had been bitten in the leg by one of the water lizards that lived around this lake, which had torn his leg apart. Hence the limp the man walked with.
“Ho there, is the ferry still ready to set sail?” Vence asked, his voice layered with a hint of depression.
“Indeed it is. May I assume you also be from the now dead Sreael?” Vence blinked surprised. “It be no secret, young man. I be getting civilin’s like you all day,” He explained, before Vence could ask. He nodded.
“Unfortunately, yes. I assume then you know where I am headed.”
“Where else, but the shore yonder? I would normally be asking for profit, but not today. The news of Sreael is not for profiting.” The man stepped into the boat. Vence untied the rope keeping the boat to the dock, before hopping in himself.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Please, call me Nate. It be short for Nathanyell. Mind the spelling too.”
“I’ll be sure to,” Vence replied, smiling momentarily. Several minutes passed with no sound but the boat cutting through the waves, before Nathanyell spoke again.
“Pardon my saying this, and I mean not to intrude, but you seem to be distraught. If it be any right for one to know, what is this pestilence that intrudes your mind?”
“You know, for a ferry man, nothing seems to escape you.”
“Aye, I has a keen eye, and it sees both the body and the heart.” Vence grinned at this too momentarily. The man was right though. He didn’t have to tell, but sometimes, it was worth telling people things.
“Well, I was in Sreael the morning the attack happened…” Vence spent the next half hour telling Nathanyell his story. The man seemed particularly interested when he mentioned Zevach. When Vence had finished telling the tale, the man nodded, seemingly deep in thought.
“I see. Of the stories I have heard throughout my life, I have never heard a story quite like yours. Except for one, when I met a man that I’m sure you have heard of; his plight was much like yours. His name was Arcturis.”
Vence jerked his head up to face the man, Nathanyell. Arcturis. He practically knew the man’s entire being; the memories were more than enough to prove that. But, how did this man know him? He would have to be centuries old.
“So you know of him. I can tell only too easily… your eyes are exactly like his; golden, almost like fire.”
“I think you might be mistaken, for my eyes are blue, Nathanyell.”
“Then you need to check again. Here, a mirror,” He said, pulling one out of his bag. He handed it to Vence, who took it and glanced at himself. He let out a gasp in surprise, almost dropping the mirror. The man was right; his eyes were no longer blue, but a golden red…like fire.
Fire; it was one of the six base elements, and the element that he controlled. All of a sudden, in three days time, it seemed to be everything about him. He was a different person, now. Even his physical features were changing. What was happening to him; to his life?
“So, the time has come yet again, hasn’t it?”
“For what?”
“For destiny to run it’s course. Young man, I will tell you this, and I hope you hear well these words I speak: Your search for this Zevach, and your girl, will not be in vain. If you truly believe you can find them, and you have a clear conscience and a kind heart, then you will not fail. But, a warning: if you become tainted with the shadows of this world, you will be destined to fall into the hands of Death.”
Vence stared at the man for several minutes, trying to puzzle him out. This was no ordinary man, for him to be saying things he was saying. He spoke as if he had come across this situation many times. And the thing with meeting Arcturis, the one and only Arcturis that had lived almost a century and a half ago, was physically impossible. So, two choices were in front of him. Either this guy was mad, or this guy was telling the truth, and was some sort of sorcerer, who somehow extended his life.
“Well, Here we are; the other side of this here lake,” The man suddenly said. Vence looked outside of the boat, and sure enough, the docks were in sight. When they were close enough, Vence jumped out, and tied the ferry up next to the pier. He grabbed his shoulder bag, and was almost ready to leave when the man spoke up again.
“Young man, might I give some advice to you?”
“Sure, I guess.”
“I suggest, once you leave Altyrys, that you make a stop in Topvla. You’ll find yourself a helpful comrade there.” Vence simply looked at the man, now questioning his sanity. The guy seemed smart enough, but he just made no sense.
“I’m not quite sure I understand.”
“Good, you’re not supposed to…yet.” The man smiled, and snapped his fingers. Vence covered his eyes as a burst of light flashed before him. When he uncovered his eyes, the man was nowhere to be seen. Vence looked around him, and saw no one. Everything was still, as if no disturbance had taken place at all.
“Weird,” Vence muttered to him self, and turned to walk east. The man made no sense, that was true, but for some reason, his gut feeling told him to follow his advice.
~~~
As the sun’s first rays of light crept up, Altyrys’ gates slowly opened. The new day had begun already on the inside of the walls. Now that the gates were open, travelers and trade caravans began passing in and out, while the sea ports became bustling with activity as ships were loaded and emptied.
Vence had travelled all night, stopping only to fill his stomach with a half a loaf of bread. He had arrived just as the gates were opened, and had gladly walked in. For the next half an hour, he went searching for an inexpensive inn to stay in or the day. Of course, in a city like this, an inexpensive inn was hard to come by. In the end, he had to bargain for a room on the shore, in an inn about to go out of business. After paying twenty gold pieces, from the original sixty, he went straight to the room and plopped down on the bed, caring little for anything in particular. Within minutes, he was asleep.
~~~
When Vence opened his eyes, it was towards evening. He had slept all day, having not slept the previous night. Stifling a yawn, he slumped himself out of the bed, and took a few moments to stretch, waking himself up. When that was done, he headed down-stairs and out the door, intending to go to the docks. He had to hitch a ride on a ship to Topvla; yes, he was taking the man’s advice. He didn’t know if he would be able to though. Not a normal passenger ship, that is. Those didn’t come into Altyrys too often. Merchandise, supplies and foodstuff was what came through here; trade was the name of the game. If he were to get on a ship, he would have to sneak on or something, or pay a hefty price to board.
The docks were quieter than in the afternoon. Ships were docking for the night, and crewmen and workers were wrapping it up for the day. Vence talked to a few of them, trying to learn about what ships were which going where. This, of course, only ended up confusing him. Some commotion got his attention though, not far away from him.
“Please, ya gotta believe me! This guy in black came outta nowhere and tried to kill me! I swear!” The sound of laughter overrode anything else the voice was saying. But it had gotten his attention.
A man in black…Zevach? Vence thought to himself, heading over to the crowd, curious.
“C’mon, people, ya gotta believe…have none o’ ya ever seen a man like that?” More laughter. Vence made his way to the front of the crowd at this point, and finally saw who was speaking. A young man, looking much like him, but his hair was a lighter brown, with equally brown eyes. He was taller than himself, as well, with a stronger build; he was bare-chested, and was obviously a port worker.
“Who’s gunna’ believe you, kid? You’re makin’ a fairy tale,” one of the crowd said, and everyone laughed.
“I believe him,” Vence said, raising his voice over the crowd. The laughter died away, everyone now looking at him. Vence’s expression remained calm, glancing at every person there.
“I believe him. I met this man in black armor as well, and fought him. The city of Sreael was destroyed, and it was by that man’s power.” Murmurs and whispering could be heard in the crowd that was laughing before. Everyone had heard about the destruction of Sreael.
“See? I told ya’ I was tellin’ the truth!” The kid said, looking a little more pleased now that someone was supporting him. The group of people gave up, walking away silently. The kid turned to Vence.
“Dude, thanks man. Is that really true? You actually met the guy?”
“Yeah,” Vence said, sounding grim. “And he took away all I had. A family, a place to live, and…someone close to me,” Vence finished, forcing it out. The kid nodded, his face also growing solemn.
“I know what ya’ mean. He did the same to me,” The kid said, which surprised Vence.
“My famly’s dead, my home, a farm not far down the ways from this here city, is no longer there, and my girl was taken by these…things. Real scary things, these were. Big, in black-“
“Nitemares,” Vence said automatically. “They’re a lesser form of death.”
“That’s what there called? Huh, I’s a good name for ‘em. I ran for it though. You say you actually picked a fight with that guy? You crazy or sumthin’?”
“I fought him and three of those things. I took out the Nitemares, but…the guy, Zevach was his name-“
“Yeah, he mentioned that name.”
“- he was too strong for me. I did the best I could, but…”
“You did good, though. Most people wouldn’t last a second against that guy, I reckon.”
“You’d be right in assuming that, too…umm, do you have a name?” Vence asked, realizing he didn’t know the kid’s name. Right after that thought, he realized he hadn’t told his either.
“My name’s Vence,” he added, before anything else could be said. The kid nodded, holding out a hand.
“Nice to meet ya’, Vence. Like the name; sounds cool. Mine’s Wells; Theodore Wells, People call me Theo for short.”
Vence took Theo’s hand and shook, both of them having a smile. It seemed the two had something in common, and most likely had more than that.
“So, whatcha’ here for, Vence? Lookin’ to buy somethin’, which I’m guessin’ not, or looking for a boat off to somewhere?”
“The second option; I need a ship to Topvla.”
“Topvla? That little island? ...Well, I can’t really see why, but oh well…”
“I was told to go there by a guy named Nathanyell. Have you heard his name lately too?” Vence asked. Theo looked at Vence, his expression unreadable, then looked ahead again.
“Actually…yeah, I have heard that name. Some old Geezer that was tellin’ me to wait at the docks here to find a…companion on a quest?” Theo looked at Vence again.
“You on a quest, Vence?”
“You gotta believe what that guy says,” Vence said, smiling at the irony of it all. “Yes, I am on quest, I guess you could say. I have an idea where Zevach is, along with…umm, our-”
“You grew up being a nice kid, huh? Our girls, you’re tryin’ to say. And how do you know?”
“Here, take a look,” Vence said, pulling out the crumpled piece of parchment and handing it to Theo. He read over a couple times before speaking.
“Damn riddles. Ok, umm…two oceans…I guess that’s the Kenkar and Trenalrin. As for “chill north,” I’d say that’s the Deadlands. It’s a desert, but it’s cold. Why he’d be there, I have no clue.”
“You got to the same conclusion I did.”
“Good. You’re smarter than me, which means I got it right, which means you’re right, which means we can get this done easy-peasy.”
“That made no sense, Theo.”
“I know, now let’s find ourselves a ship to Topvla.”
“Who came up with that name anyway? The silent “P” always confuses me.”
“I have no clue, Vence. You’re the smart one.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You speak properly. I till gotta’ learn how to do that. And read properly.”
“You can’t read?”
The continued their conversation as they stopped by each ship, pausing their conversation for Theo to find out all the info. He understood the system more than Vence did, which prompted him to say Theo was smarter in that sense. After a short while, the two did find a ship, which was to set sail for Topvla the next day. Vence pulled out a few gold coins, and handed them to the ship’s captain, paying their way onto the ship.
“See? I told ya’ that you’re smarter. You know business.”
“I lived learning business, to an extent.”
“More business than I got in my head.”
~~~
The sun wasn’t even up yet, and already the port was busy as could ever be. Shouting could be heard between people, and orders by captains were being barked out constantly. The sea looked to be calm enough, which was a good thing: for Vence, being out in open water on a boat wasn’t all that comforting to him.
Vence shifted the bag on his shoulder, before walking up the plank and onto the ship he had paid to ride on, for both him and Theo, who was at his side with his own baggage…
“Seriously, Theo? How much stuff do you have on you anyway?” Vence asked, looking at the several bags surrounding Theo.
“Well, I got myself some clothes, mostly…You don’t expect me to wear the same clothes the entire trip, do ya’? Smellin’ like sea salt and all.
“It’s just some water, you can bring one set of clothes and change into those on our next stop, while getting those washed and dried…it’s a good thing you brought that though.”
“Why you think so?”
“We can sell what you don’t need and get some gold pieces, or at least silver. We’ll need the money later on, I can guess.” Theo looked at him like he was crazy. Apparently, he didn’t like the idea of selling off his stuff.
“Seriously? You’re joking, right?”
“No joke, Theo. “
“Well…fine, I guess that works…hey, what about you? You only got that set on you, right?”
“Unfortunately yes; I was planning on spending what I have left when we stop and get myself a change of clothes. I never have gone shopping before, to be honest, so it should be interesting.”
“Never shopped before, ‘ey? Well, I’ll just have to tag along, help you with the ropes… but you’re a pretty smart fella’, so I bet you can figure it out pretty good real quick.”
“Thanks, Theo,” Vence said, looking out to the sea. The sun first rays were coming up over the horizon, so Vence could finally see the difference between the sea and the sky. He heard the captain shout out some orders, and soon could feel the ship begin to move, slowly yet gradually faster.
“Here we go,” Vence said, not feeling so confident. At least he never had the problem of being sea sick before.
“Hey, c’mon Vence, it’s only for two days.” Theo said, leaning against the railing casually. Vence rolled his eyes, not comforted by that fact.
~~~
The first day passed smoothly; the weather was good, the wind was constant, and With Theo on board to chat with, things were easier. The two talked more, learning different things about each other, and, though it wasn’t apparent to either, deepening their friendship, which would soon in time prove valuable.
The night, however, for Vence was terrible. Try as he might, sleep would not come. The ship’s movements along with apprehensive thoughts denied him the right to sleep, and when morning came, Vence was relieved to have some breakfast to quell his aching stomach and revive his self.
Theo came around later, having slept in late and quite soundly. Unlike Vence, who was yawning every other minute and too tired to talk much, Theo was in a cheery mood, and he showed it.
“Mornin’ Vence. Have a nice sleep? I know I did,” he said, placing himself cross-legged on a barrel that happened to be on deck. Vence shrugged, stifling a yawn.
“Not really, no,” Vence said, half mumbling. “The night was…too mobile for me.”
“Ah, got no sleep, did ya’? Yeah, the sea’ll do that to ya’ until you get used to it.”
“Oh, the joy of the moment when that time comes,” Vence said sarcastically, raising his hands in the air with mock praise. “If that ever happens, let’s throw a party.”
“Hah, I’ll be sure to remind ya’ about that,” Theo said, trying to hold himself back from laughing, having found Vence’s performance amusing.
And once again, the two talked for the day, until they both heard one man shout out that land was in sight. Land meaning Topvla. The two looked out on the water. Sure enough, an island could be seen on the horizon, growing larger by the minute.
“Finally, a decent sleep tonight,” Vence said, a smile creeping in on his face.
“You really don’t like the sea, do ya’?” Theo asked, grinning as he went about helping the sailors in any way he could. Theo did have quite a bit of experience in sailing, as it were, and was quickly engrossed in the task of preparing to raise the sails. Vence, of course, was left out on the work, and was content to watch the isle draw nearer. When the time came, Vence went below deck to grab his one bag, and left Theo’s bags. If Theo wanted to bring that stuff, he would be the one to drag them around. When Theo finally appeared as Vence waited on the docks, he didn’t seem too concerned about carrying all his bags.
“Well, you got your wish, Vence; we’re on land. Now what?” Theo asked, glancing around at their surroundings. Vence took a little time to do the same. Much like the port at Altyrys, except it had a more tropical look to it, and it felt it, too. The air was heavy, and humid, and the sun only made it worse.
“It’s not even summer yet,” Vence muttered, shifted his bag and wiping some sweat from his brow. “Anyway, we need to find a place to stay for a while…and a shop to barter with,” Vence finished, glancing at Theo’s bags before looking at Theo himself.
“You still don’t think I’ll let you carry those around everywhere, do you? Seriously, Theo, you only need a few sets, not an entire dresser.”
Theo also glanced down at his bags, taking a look at each before shrugging, looking back up.
“Oh, ok, fine. You have a good point, too, I guess. Travel light and all that.”
“Exactly,” Vence replied, as the two started walking to find a place to stay for the night. Most of the inns and taverns they stopped by were too expensive…some they didn’t even enter before being able to tell it was a no, the looks gave it away. After some walking, and some stops for a drink of water, Vence and Theo found a decent inn; a little farther into the city than would have hoped, but it would have to do.
“What’s the name of this city anyway?” Vence asked, dropping his bag onto a bed in one of the rooms. Theo placed his bags on the bed across the room, and sat on the bed.
“Umm, if I remember correctly… I think this city’s called Eldreaddes.”
“Really now? What a strange name,” Vence said, staring out the window. “Remind me never to come here again. This heat is near unbearable fore me.”
“Seriously? Dude, I find this just fine.”
“Hey, I’ve never had to deal with it this hot before, so give me some credit for getting this far without complaining,” Vence replied, standing up, turning away from the window. “Now, let’s get to work around here. You got to get that stuff off your hands.”
“Yeah, I noticed someplace down the street where we can do that. It had some sort of cheesy name… ‘Trade in shade,’ or somethin’ like that.”
“I like the mentioning of shade. Let’s try that first.”
“Yep,” Theo simply said, standing up as well and grabbing all of his bags but one; it was empty save fro one set of clothes, as planned. After a short walk down the street, Theo pointed out the shop, and the two walked in.
“Definitely a place to trade, Vence said, looking around the shop. Theo simply nodded, looking as well. Despite the outside appearance of somewhat shabby, inside was completely different. It was clean and well organized, items in one half of the story, categorized by use, and clothes in another half of the store, neatly folded, hung, wrapped, displayed; the perfect small shop.
A man came out from a back room somewhere, and noticed the two. He was a thin man, but not completely devoid of physical mass. He looked to be in his mid thirties or so. Dressed in khaki slacks and a light, sky blue-colored dress shirt, he looked professional and casual at the same time.
“Welcome, both of you. Tourists, I presume, seeing as you don’t look to be from around here,” The man said, in an unfamiliar accent.
“I guess you could say that. We’re stopping by here on a trip over east,” Vence said, returning the enthusiasm the man had.
“Ah, planning on getting souvenirs then?” the man asked.
“Well, we noticed your sign, ‘Trade in Shade,’ so we figured it might be possible to trade some clothe articles for some new ones?”
“Of course! It’s a quite popular feature, these days, though I’ve had it for years,” The man explained, stepping behind the counter, motioning for them to follow. “People still buy too, naturally, and sometimes people don’t have money but do have clothes they no longer wear. Instead of throwing them out, they can trade them for anything of equal value in the store, or trade in for cash.”
“Cool,” Theo said, glancing around the story, apparently interested in getting something.
“Very,” The man said, “So, what would you like to trade in?”
“Well, my friend Theo here didn’t quite think about travelling issues when he brought along a few bags of clothes, so we figured we trade them or sell them.”
“Very smart thinking, young man. Well, let’s see what I can get you for these,” The man said, as Theo pulled out the clothes and placed them on one side of the counter and placed the bags on the other.
“The bags we can trade too, I guess, we don’t really need them anymore,” Theo explained, both to the man and to Vence.
“Of course, of course,” the man said, inspecting the shirts currently. After a few short minutes, he spoke again.
“Well, this is worth a bit of money actually. These are hand made, and very well made, I might add. I’d price them all together around….three-hundred silver pieces. That’s close to a hundred gold pieces.”
“You’re kidding!” Theo said, shocked. The man shook his head.
“No, I’m not. You could buy anything in this store.” Vence looked around the shop, particularly at the clothes section. He needed a new set of clothes, since the only on he had was what he was wearing. That was the other reason why they were here.
“We’ll take the silver, please,” Vence said, and the man nodded, taking the clothes and the bags into the back room. When he came back, he held a fairly decent sized pouch, tied neatly, and handed it over.
“Three-hundred silver pieces, counted. So, are you going to buy anything here, or elsewhere? I can give you some names if you’d like; I don’t try to keep customers from valuable time.”
“A good policy,” Vence commented. “I think we’ll see what’s here before moving on.”
“Well, you’re welcome to look at our assortment…well, currently, mine. My daughter has gone running off somewhere, and it’s troubling me. She’s been very grim lately.”
“Really now?” Vence asked, curious as he inspected a decent looking leather vest, dyed a nice blue. The man nodded.
“Yes. I think it may have something to do with her relationship. She’s seventeen, so she was dating this one man, very decent I might add, I met him see, but, a couple days ago she was crying, saying how he was gone or something. I don’t know anything about it, but I personally think that maybe that kid wasn’t as good as I thought he was.”
“Maybe somethin’s came up,” Theo suggested, looking at Vence. Vence nodded his expression blank. They both had guessed the same thing. Another victim.
“Hmm, perhaps you’re right,” the man said, shaking his head. “It still concerns me though. I don’t know where she is, but…she’s old enough to fend for herself, so there’s nothing I can do.”
Vence nodded, comparing his worn boots with a new, near identical pair. He nodded, as if confirming some unknown fact, and placed the boots in his other hand, whose arm also held a pair of leather baggy pants, a new shirt, the blue-dyed vest, and a new belt. He headed to the counter, and placed the items up, pulling out the new pouch of coins.
“Well, you certainly have a keen eye for style, young man. Let’s see…priced around…eighty-seven silver pieces. With tax, make it ninety-five.” Vence nodded, pulling out the required money. The man grabbed a cheap cotton bag out from under the counter, and handed it to Vence, the clothes inside.
“Thank you for stopping buy. If you’re ever around town, feel free to drop by,” The man said, smiling.
“We’ll be sure to,” Vence said, Theo nodding in agreement, when they left the store, Theo spoke up.
“Here too, huh?” He asked, not having to mention what he was talking about.
“Yeah. We should find out where she is, and hear her story.”
The two went to their room in the inn first, to drop off their stuff, before heading out. To be honest, they had no idea where to look in the first place, but they asked around, and heard rumors. Just southeast of the city, there was a small tropical forest, and it was rumored that was where she was. People who heard her before she disappeared said she was almost insane, crying and babbling about losing her loved one, mainly, but some had heard her mention a man in black armor, and evil creatures. Vence and Theo’s suspicions were confirmed on hearing that, and they set out (with canteens filled with water) to find her.
~~~
“Jeez, how do people live here?” Vence asked, wiping the sleeve of his shirt across his forehead as he trudged through the forest. Tall palm trees, various bushes and plants lying around, and the heat and bugs did not help at all, as well as the sun beating down, as the palms did nothing to provide much shade. Theo, beside him, Shrugged, not overly concerned about the climate change at all. How he did it was beyond him.
“Some people don’t mind it. Like me.”
“Yeah, well…hold it,” Vence said, now suddenly aware of his surrounding, forgetting the fact he was sick of this place. Theo stopped short as well, glancing around him. Not far from them, a clearing was visible. It would have been nice, if not for the fact that it was made up of broken trees and the ground being turned up a million times over. A river, fairly wide, ran past it, only now could it be heard. Beside it, sitting on a rock, sat a young woman, who seemed to be crying.
“Vence glanced at Theo, and nodded. This was who they were looking for. Vence crept carefully forward, trying not to make any nose. Theo didn’t seem too keen on doing the same. Something bugged him about that girl; he could sense something about her.
“Hey, Vence, somethin’s not right. Maybe you should try another way.” Vence glanced back, suspicion on his face.
“What do you mean by that?” Vence whispered back.
“Waddaya’ mean? You can’t sense anything abnormal?”
“… Nope, should I?” He replied, taking another step forward. A twig snapped under him. He cringed at the sound, unaware of how the woman had looked up at the sound, and had seen him in the trees.
“Get down, Vence,” Theo whispered harshly, but it was too late. Then something happened that neither could expect. Out of nowhere, as Vence ducked, a disk of water, spinning wildly, cut right through the tree Vence had been hiding behind.
s**t, she can use water? Vence thought to himself. He looked over to Theo, who was hidden completely from view almost. That’s what he meant huh? He could sense her magic. How come I couldn’t?
“Who are you?!” A voice demanded; the girl, obviously. She spoke with the same accent as her father, the owner of that shop. “Show yourself!”
Vence sighed, and slowly stood up, hands in the air. A face to face view now with the young woman, it was now quite clear she was distraught; Red in the face, her eyes almost bloodshot and glazed, like she had been crying far too long. She was shorter than he was, and like many girls, looked, other than her facial appearance, well kept.
Girls; always about physical appearances.
“You caught me. I can assure you, though, that I’m not your enemy.” Vence said, staying calm. If it came to it, he could face her. Fire and water were opposing elements, though. If it came to a fight, it could last very long time.
“Then what about him?” she asked pointing past Vence, he glanced back, and saw Theo in mid crawl, smiling with a “sorry about that” look. Vence sighed, rolling his eyes.
“How did I ever meet you…”A jet of water shot past Vence nearly knocking him off his balance. The Hell! Theo! Vence shouted in his mind, and was about to act…and watched as Theo saved himself. Without even having to move, Vence watched as a short wall of rock sprouted from the ground, Theo smiling the entire time. The jet hit the rock, and it merely splashed everywhere.
The jet went out as soon as it had come, and the wall fell away, Theo standing up, brushing himself off.
“Sorry girl, you’ll have to do better than that.”
“Don’t provoke her Theo! And since when could you use earth? You never told me that,” Vence said, and back flipped his way away from a second spinning disk. Ice. She froze it in this heat? Damn, she’s powerful.
“Yeah, pretty cool huh?” Theo said, creating a shield in one hand and a spear in the other, deflecting a third disk. “Bet’chu can’t beat that,” He commented, throwing the spear. The girl dodged it, and encased it in mid flight in water, stopping it. The water froze almost instantly and let it fall; it shattered, along with the spear inside.
“I think I can,” Vence said grinning. “I never told you this, but...” Vence dashed forward, dodging the disks and jets of water thrown at him. When he was still several feet away, and a particularly powerful jet of water was coming at him, he stopped and watched as it came. He raised his hand, which began to glow.
“Not yet…not yet…not…yet…NOW!” Vence shouted, letting loose the energy he had been building up. A wave of white-hot fire erupted from his hand, coming into contact with the water and creating a thick fog, forcing the water back. He heard a scream of surprise, and maybe a hint of fear, and he cut his energy flow, letting the fire die down. No jets of water coming at him.
“Dude…” a voice echoed, which he recognized as Theo’s. A few whistles, all of which he heard a clang as the ice disks slid of Theo’s shield, still intact. “That...was…awesome. You never told me you could use fire.”
Vence was largely unaffected by the steam; it had resulted from his magic, in part, so it wouldn’t effect him the same way it would anyone else.
“We don’t want to hurt you. We just wanted to ask you something.” Vence ducked as a disk came flying at him. Dang, she has good hearing…I’m surrounded by water. She can use that to her advantage.
“Then why’d you try to sneak up on me?” Another disk; Vence dodged. He knew what she was trying to do. She wanted him to reveal his exact location, to reveal himself. It wouldn’t work though. Man, this is pathetic though…a fight over nothing.
“I don’t know, honestly. Theo...the shield man was against it though. We wanted to ask you about something that we know happened to you. We can relate, because...that man in black armor came to us, too.”
The fog lifted, and the girl stood not far from him, her expression torn between interest and suspicion.
“Are you playing with me? Or are you being serious?”
“If I was joking, I would be smiling. I’m terrible at faking.”
Interest was starting to win her over. She lowered her defensive stance, but remained cautious, as she took a step forward. Theo came around and stood a few feet from Vence.
“I need proof.”
“Does a description work?” Theo suddenly spoke up. The girl and Vence looked at him. “You’re doin’ whatever, and out of nowhere a man appear; tall, large, and in black armor, carryin’ a sword and a scythe strapped to his back. He starts talkin’, sayin’ how pathetic this world is. Then he tries to take somethin’ from you. And he does so successfully, with little interference. He bids you farewell, and laughs as he vanishes into the shadows, leavin’ only you and the destruction around ya’. The man’s name is Zevach, and he can use black magic.” Theo glanced over to Vence. He shrugged.
“I gotta’ have a say once in a while, ey?”
“Yeah, anyways… Does that sound right?” Vence asked the girl. She nodded, her head starting to lower.
“He took…”
“Your boyfriend, we know,” Theo said.
“We spoke with your father, a good shopkeeper, I might add, and he’s worried sick about you. We lost the same thing you lost. We both had people close to us, and he took them from us,” Vence continued.
“And Vence knows where this guy might be.”
“He gave me a note, for whatever reason. The riddle on it suggests the Deadlands in the north on the eastern shore, above Trenalle.”
“So me and Vence are goin’ after this guy and are gonna’ get some payback.”
“Exactly what he said,” Vence finished. The girl looked between the two, as if trying to decide something. After a few seconds, she sighed.
“I have no choice but to believe you, I guess…My name is Alexis, but most people call me Alex.”
“Pleasure to meet you, Alexis.”
“Nice meetin’ ya’, Alex.”
“So, Trenalle huh?” Alexis asked.
“Above it, the Deadlands,” Vence answered. She nodded.
“Alright…you have room for one more?” Vence blinked, and Theo nodded.
“Yeah, we got room-“
“Wait, Theo. You sure about that, Alexis? I mean, this is dangerous, and you have family still…we don’t. That’s why we’re doing this. We have nothing else to do,” Vence explained. Not only that, but in his mind, he didn’t think it would be a good idea for a girl to be coming along and possibly getting hurt. She shook her head, a small smile appearing.
“I know what I’m asking, kid…Vence, is it? I’m old enough to be on my own, and my dad knows that. I can do what I want, and I want to get Derrik back.”
“Oh, so this mystery man finally has a name,” Theo interjected. Vence gave him a look, and he shrugged apologetically.
“Well, it’s your choice…but we leave tomorrow, so if you want to come, meet us at the docks as soon as the first rays of dawn appear.”
“Got it. And, you too…thanks,” Alexis said, as she gave a short bow. Theo also gave a short bow back, while Vence looked at him, confused.
“It’s a custom among these people. Didn’t ya’ ever read about other cultures?” Theo whispered
“I thought you said you didn’t read,” Vence whispered back, giving a short bow as well. Theo snickered.
“I lied,” he finally said, when Vence came back up. Vence rolled his eyes.
“You’re welcome,” Vence said to Alexis, as he turned to walk back to the city. It was starting to get late, which he could tell by the lack of heat and humidity, and the sky darkening. Theo followed beside.
“Well, I guess that went well,” He said.
“Yeah, excluding the fact we were mistakenly attacked…and I still can’t believe you never mention you could use earth.”
“You never mentioned your fire,” Theo countered, and the continued to talk as they walked through the forest back to the city.
~~~
Alexis watched the two as they left, and sighed, she returned to where she had been sitting previously, watching as the river flowed by. Though she had said she would go, she wasn’t sure, to be honest. That boy had been right; Vence. It would be dangerous. Though she had her water, Derrik had nature at his disposal, all around her, in this clearing…and he had lost trying to protect her, and then he had been taken.
She shut her eyes, tightly, trying to hold back tears as the memories came again. After a few moments, she opened her eyes again, this time, a different look in them; both emotional and in appearance. While before, they had been a green color, now, they were a vivid blue. And she was determined. She had made her decision.
She stood up, and followed after them. She had some things to gather…and people to see.
 b10n1cl3k1n6 · Sat Jun 20, 2009 @ 11:44pm · 0 Comments |
