#Tail and Vekta

[silavut]

Finally!

A new chapter has arrived!

What happened to Silavut and Anielle? What about Tail, Vekta, Lothiren and the Hangrolblest?

Find out what happens next!

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 76

Yay! A new chapter! Got stuck for a while, then inspiration struck once again. So here we are.

What happens to Silavut and co. this time?

Near Death

They quietly went upstairs to check on the others. Teshrial was fast asleep once again. Hoish and Lothiren were craning their necks, listening to the roaring and howling. They kept silent, both audibly and mentally, as they waited and listened.

Silavut contemplated if there was a way to escape without being detected. Though the town was crawling with magic, if they tried anything, he knew they would be discovered as their signature would be different than that of the magic in the town. He pulled out the spell book and turned page after page but nothing stood out to him. He wanted to throw the book in frustration, but knew that would attract the creatures’ attention.

He looked to the others for help. They all shook their heads. They would either have to wait to see if the beasts would eventually move on, or if they would try to sniff them out in town. There was no telling what they would do. The Hangrolblest and hunter beasts were relentless.

Silavut stowed the book and put his head in his hands.

Suddenly Teshrial woke up. “What—” she began. Nara immediately put a hand over her mouth and made a shushing gesture. Teshrial nodded and Nara pulled her hand away and put a hand to her ear in a listening gesture. Teshrial looked around and then heard it. The Hangrolblest roared and the hunter beasts howled in frustration.

Nara let silent tears fall for her fallen friends. Tail and Vekta. Could they ever be restored?

While they silently contemplated their situation, Silavut and Sehlan pulled out scraps of food they found in the old building. It wasn’t much, but they shared what they had. They ate in silence.

Silence. Just them and silence and the creatures.

Wait! thought Silavut. Silence! That’s it!!! He held up a hand excitedly to the others and pulled out the spell book again and rifled through it until he found the spell he was looking for: “Deathly Silent.”

Nara and Sehlan raised their eyebrows at him. Are you serious? their expressions said.

He showed it to Hoish and Lothiren who also looked at him incredulously.

Anielle was still fast asleep, completely oblivious to the danger.

Silavut frantically shook his finger at the page. I know it’s crazy, but what else can we do! was the intended meaning. He wasn’t sure if that’s what they got, but they acquiesced. Nara and Sehlan sighed, shrugged, and rolled their eyes while Lothiren and Hoish tilted their heads back and forth. Fine, let’s do it, then.

Teshrial didn’t know what was going on. She just watched the rest with wide eyes and curiosity. Seeing the book, she figured Silavut was up to something. Then the frantic pointing told her it was something serious.

Luckily there wasn’t much preparation. Just some silence—which they had, besides the roaring and howling—and mental clarity. Silavut closed his eyes and imagined the words in his head:

As Death guides the souls of those passed So does Silence guide the path of Death Walk with Death the Silent path Protected by the veil between But do not pass through the gate Lest your mortal soul be forever lost

Soon they all felt something, like a tingle in the air. Then they looked around and saw everything was covered in a grey haze. When Nara looked at Teshrial, though, she looked different. Teshrial looked translucent, like she was in between living and dead.

Nara tried to touch her, but her hand went right through her. Teshrial looked stunned, then started mouthing the word “No” repeatedly, and her expression changed to fear. Nara looked at Silavut and Sehlan.

Silavut dared to speak. “I… I don’t… I did everything right… I know I did.” He skimmed through the book frantically. “I can’t explain it.” He shook his head in disbelief.

“She may have been too far gone already,” Sehlan said quietly, almost a whisper.

“No, this can’t be. We can’t just leave her.” Nara was desperately trying to touch Teshrial to no avail. “My powers! Maybe I can—”

“No.” They looked down and Teshrial had a sad smile on her face. “No,” she said again, softly. “I know your healing powers, Nara. They cannot help me now.” She sat up, her form making a ghostly trail. “I was already at Death’s door when you found me. Sometimes there’s no coming back, no healing to be done. It is my time. You must go now.”

Teshrial faded away, leaving them in the now-empty house in the grey haze.

Nara started sobbing. “She can’t… It can’t be… WHY!!??” she cried out.

Sehlan embraced her and gently told her they had to go.

By this time, Anielle had woken up to see the scene before her. She watched Teshrial fade and Nara’s reaction. Then she heard the roaring and howling and needed no explanation. She knew they were in trouble. The only thing she said was, “What’s with the grey stuff?” Silavut quickly explained he had cast “Deathly Silence” to evade the beasts. She gave a terse nod and said, “Let’s go, then. I don’t want to be their lunch when the spell ends.”

Though it seemed a bit insensitive, they knew she was right. Nara leaned against Sehlan as they made their way out of the house and back to the street. They continued through the village. As they went, they saw many shimmering doorways leading to other places, but they dare not even touch one, lest they lose themselves.

The Hangrolblest could sense an odd magic but could not detect the source. The hunter beasts sniffed and howled but they could not find the scent. The spell had hidden the group’s exit.

Teshrial watched them go. She would see them again, but she had other plans.

Their brush with Death was only the beginning.

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut The Wizard, Chapter 68

What happened to Silavut and Anielle? What about Lothiren, Tail, Vekta, and the Hangrolblest? Find out here!

Closing In

“Wha—where are they?” asked Nara, her voice shaky.

Sehlan put an arm around her and shook her head. “I’m… not sure…”

Nara looked up at her. “What do you think we should do?”

Looking around, Sehlan noticed everything was still there, so they hadn’t taken off. She then figured maybe she was behind their disappearance, as has been the case in the past. Quietly, almost a whisper, Sehlan said, “We should wait.”

“What about our mission? To stop her? What about Tail and Vekta? The…” Nara shuddered. “…Hangrolblest?”

It was Sehlan’s turn to sigh. “I know… There’s nothing we can do about any of that now. Let’s just hope Silavut and Anielle can somehow find their way back to us before any of them catch us. Do you feel like talking about anything right now?”

Though she did want to discuss her feelings further, Nara didn’t feel now would be the best time. She shook her head. “No. I just hope they’re safe. Even though I know Anielle hasn’t been the best company, she also hasn’t actually killed any of us. I think she’s just been trying to figure out which side she actually belongs on. Ours or hers.

“Sure, she’s wished us dead or vanished or whatever, but she hasn’t actually made that happen, despite her efforts. Though I doubt it was her best. I think she was just trying to buy herself some time to try and figure things out and where she is in all of this.

“I also know you and Silavut said it would be dangerous, and I didn’t really listen and insisted I come along, but I didn’t think it would be like this.” Nara sagged against Sehlan who had her sit down before she fell. “I’m sorry, I’m just a mess right now.” She started sobbing.

“No, no. Sshh… Hey, it’s OK.” Sehlan comforted her once more. “Yes, it’s been tough, but we’ve come this far. There may yet be a ways to go, and more nasty encounters to face along the way, but we’ll manage. Somehow.

“I also agree about Anielle. Yes, we didn’t trust her for a while, but I think you may be right and she was just buying time, as she didn’t seem to be putting her all in trying to dispatch us. I could tell she was struggling with herself. Maybe this… whatever happened to them… made her finally decide.” She looked down at Nara. “You hungry?”

Nara nodded against her.

“All right. I’ll get something together.” She rummaged through the packs and put together a decent meal of sandwiches and dried fruits with some water to wash it down. They ate in silence. When they were done, Sehlan asked, “Better?”

Nara nodded. “Yeah, a little.” She still sounded sad.

“Good. Food always helps, at least a little.” She gave Nara a small smile. Nara smiled back.

~~~~~~~~~~

Lothiren was flying as fast as a dragon’s wings could propel such a mighty body. Again, though dragons were magical creatures, there was only so much they could do for movement. There wasn’t much time and Lothiren hoped it wasn’t too late to save the group. It was a shame about Tail and Vekta. Maybe Silavut could reverse the transformation, if they could even be caught. Would the wizard even have that ability? Is he even that powerful? Lothiren thought. What about the Hangrolblest? Only time would tell.

Without having been able to contact Nara before, Lothiren would be lost. The lands were unfamiliar and seemed farther from Umilal than originally thought. It was only due to the magical link the dragon knew which way to go.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sensing the dragon wasn’t far behind, the hunter beasts formerly Tail and Vekta kept up a steady pace, tirelessly pursuing their prey. In the backs of their minds, tucked away in a small corner of consciousness, Tail and Vekta still existed. They were trapped, prisoners of their own minds. Unable to escape, they could only mentally shake the bars of their proverbial cages. The minds that are the hunter beasts were in control.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Hangrolblest followed the magical scent and knew it wasn’t too far behind its quarry. The great beast hungered for magic, and devouring every morsel would satisfy its craving. It would not let another opportunity pass by so easily. It angered the Hangrolblest that its prey slipped away. This time, it thought, it won’t be so easy.

~~~~~~~~~~

Consciousness. That was the first thing Silavut became aware of. Floating in a void without substance, bodiless and voiceless, was the next. Confusion set in as his mind was a blank. His self was aware, but nothing more.

Anielle felt weightless. She extended her awareness and felt nothing. She started panicking and felt herself starting to lose her self, slowly fading. Then she willed herself to be and the sensation stopped, re-solidifying her self. She tried calling out but found herself without voice. Then she realized she had no body and started panicking all over again.

Then it was like lightning hit them. Suddenly memories came flooding back and their selves reeled in shock. Silavut was the first to will himself into being, his body re-forming and becoming solid. He then found he had a voice and called to Anielle.

Anielle heard Silavut call out, which helped to ground her self. She concentrated and re-formed her own being, also becoming a solid body once again. She now had a voice as well.

Though try as they might, they could not find each other. The void echoed and reverberated in such a way it was impossible to discern a direction.

Silavut reached out with his magic. Nothing. Not even a spark. He tried telepathy. Still nothing. With one last attempt, he started humming a low, quiet note. Something he hoped wouldn’t echo and reverberate.

It was working! Anielle heard the note, just enough to follow the sound. She called out to Silavut, telling him to keep it going.

He took a breath and continued humming the note.

Soon they were back together, holding on to each other so they wouldn’t lose each other again. What is this feeling? Anielle thought. Holding hands with Silavut made her feel things she had never felt before. It felt… good!

“Hold on, Anielle,” he said when he thought of, hopefully, just the right spell. “I’m going to try to get us out of here. You ready?”

Though he couldn’t see, she nodded. “Yeah. This is just too weird.”

Their voices echoed all around, as if they were everywhere yet nowhere all at once.

“Here goes.” Silavut took a deep breath and started working the spell. A small glow emanated from just above their heads.

Anielle looked up and was about to say something when she felt an odd tingling sensation, and figured she should let him concentrate lest something unpleasant befall them.

A few moments later, there was a silent explosion that engulfed them. It both felt and sounded like a quick, quiet, almost inaudible poof. They found themselves lying in the clearing when Sehlan and Nara rushed to check on them when they fell out of nowhere.

Anielle moaned with nausea and slight bruising from the sudden transportation to solid ground. Silavut was helped up by Nara. A moment later, Sehlan was helping Anielle sit up after she emptied the contents of her stomach on the ground.

“That…” she said through shallow breaths, “…was rather unpleasant.”

“Sorry,” Silavut replied. “It couldn’t be helped. It was either that or stay there forever. However long that would have been…”

“By the Powers, what happened to you two?” demanded Sehlan.

They relayed their experience with her and the void and their sudden appearance.

“How did she do that, though?”

“Well, I mean, she is a sorceress, with powers even beyond my understanding,” Silavut replied, shrugging. “At least for now.”

“Isn’t there some kind of, I don’t know, protection spell or something against her kinds of powers?”

Silavut sighed. “If there is, I haven’t found it yet. The spell book has all kinds of stuff in it, but unfortunately nothing for protection against full-on sorcery. It states sorcery is too powerful to put a ward against, unless by another sorcerer. Which I most certainly am not, nor do I wish to be. Sorcery is a wild, powerful magic that corrupts and drives the wielder insane, as you can very well see. Though there are rare exceptions, for those who have the fortitude to withstand its corruption.”

“Blast it all.” Sehlan sat down hard on a fallen log. “What are we supposed to do, then? We can’t just let her keep doing these things to us.”

“I don’t know.” Silavut sat down beside her and they leaned against each other.

Anielle and Nara were aside, listening to the conversation when Anielle spoke up. “What about the Hangrolblest, and Tail and Vekta?”

Silavut shook his head. “I don’t know,” he replied tiredly. “I don’t know how we’re supposed to do it all… Defeat her, much less the Hangrolblest, and not kill Tail and Vekta before we have a chance to try and change them back… On top of that, we don’t even know exactly where her tower is now. We thought it was in the Dead Lands, but now we know it’s not—that one was just a decoy to fool us, that she used as a temporary base—and no clue where it actually is.”

Anielle looked around suspiciously. “What do you mean, you know it’s not there but you don’t know where it is?”

“Wait,” Nara cut in, to keep Anielle’s suspicions at bay. Though she had rejected the sorceress, there were still some trust issues to work on. “We do have an idea, though. Remember when I was connected with Lothiren after escaping from her tower?”

Silavut perked up a bit. “Yeah, what about it?”

“Well, when we were communicating, I got bits and pieces of images of where her tower is and what it looks like. We don’t know the exact location, but we do have a good idea of where to start looking.”

Sehlan stood up. “Where do we go, then?”

“Well, so long as we don’t run into any trouble, we go…” Nara paused a moment, getting her bearings from the images. “…that way.” She pointed in a general easterly direction.

“That’ll take us past the Dead Lands, to who knows where, maybe even off Umilal,” Anielle pointed out.

“Maybe even to Torchikal…” Nara looked wistful. “Wonder what it’s like there…” She trailed off as she got lost in thought about it.

“Well, maybe we’ll get a chance to see.” Sehlan tapped on her shoulder. “Hey, daydreamer, do you think you might be able to contact Lothiren again?”

“Huh? Wha—? Oh, sorry. Right.” Nara snapped out of it and giggled. “Let me see…” She closed her eyes and concentrated. The mark on her shoulder glowed brightly. The anticipation was palpable. A few moments later she opened her eyes and sighed. “No, nothing. Sorry.”

“That’s OK. We’ll try again later. Silavut, what do you think?”

He pondered a moment. “Well, we’ve come this far. What’s a few more leagues? Though if we’re going, we better get moving, it’s well into midday and the weather is getting colder. We should have enough supplies to hold us over until the next town. Then we’ll have to really stock up, and make sure we have the proper mounts to get through the mountains, then past the Dead Lands.”

“What about me?” They all turned to see Anielle with an arm half raised. “I know I’ve been a burden, and you might still not trust me, but I did renounce her, rejected her, and decided to put my lot in with you all… So…?”

“We’ll make sure you’re well taken care of. We can’t have you dying on us. Especially now that you have changed loyalties. Though you will still need to earn our trust after everything you’ve done.”

She nodded solemnly. “Yeah… OK.” She picked her head up and looked at them. “Listen… I’m really sorry for deceiving you all, and what I tried to do… All of it. The explosion in Trefal, the stabby thing, the wraith… I just wanted… Well, I don’t know really.” She looked down again, dejected, tears silently falling.

Silavut looked at Sehlan and nodded. She went over to Anielle. “Well, that’s all in the past now.” She lifted Anielle’s chin. “Come on. I’m sure you’ll gain our full trust somehow. Let’s finish packing and get moving.”

Anielle nodded and helped finish packing and clearing the spot to make it look unused, like no one had been there. Once that was complete, they started the direction Nara pointed earlier.

~~~~~~~~~~

The hunter beasts were closing in on their prey. There were still leagues to go, but they were closer now, having crossed the border. Tail and Vekta mentally screamed and thrashed about, trying to regain control. Unfortunately, her powers were beyond their ability to break.

Not far behind now was Lothiren. The dragon had managed to catch a good current with a tailwind and used that to make good time, closing the distance.

From the opposite direction, the Hangrolblest was closing in on its prey. The closer it got, the stronger the urge. It couldn’t wait to devour the magnificent magical morsels. Each one a unique magical flavour.

It was now only a matter of time. Who would get there first, and what would be the outcome?

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 67

Sehlan has a talk with Nara, and Anielle makes a choice...

Alliances

Lothiren flies as fast as a dragon can. Though dragons are powerful, they can’t teleport, unfortunately. So Lothiren needs to stop every now and then to rest and recoup strength to continue flying. I hope I’m not too late, the dragon thinks. They better be OK. That Powers-damned woman… Lothiren shudders at the thought of what would happen if they were caught. Poor Tail and Vekta. Maybe the wizard can put them right again.

The beasts that were once Tail and Vekta steadily grow closer to tracking the group. They were farther ahead than Lothiren. Not by much, but enough the dragon couldn’t keep up. They had the advantage of solid ground to traverse. Sure, a dragon could use the ground, but they lumber along, getting far less distance than if they flew.

Back in her tower, she watched silently through a scrying bowl. Her scrying was currently more powerful than any other being on the planet. Even Silavut couldn’t compete. Though he was powerful, he still had a long way to go. She watched as the dragon and her creations raced to reach the group. The dragon was lagging behind, she noted, and giggled with devilish glee.

The next morning, after breaking camp, Sehlan whispered to Silavut she would try to talk to Nara. He nodded and finished readjusting his pack.

“Hey,” Sehlan greeted Nara.

Nara looked up from her packing. “Oh, hey. What’s up?”

“I… uh… wanted to talk to you, if you want. I kind of noticed you’ve been a bit… off… distant… lately. Is everything OK?”

“Yeah…” Nara sighed. “No… I don’t know.” She looked around and saw the other two a good distance away, finishing their packing. “Well…”

“It’s OK, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No! I mean, no… I do. It’s just… Hard.” Nara glanced at the other two again. “Are you sure it’s OK? I mean, with those two…?”

Sehlan looked back for a few seconds, then turned back around. “I’m sure. I told Silavut I’d talk to you. As for Anielle, well, I’m sure he’ll take care of her.”

“I see.” Nara talked a bit lower, to make sure only Sehlan could hear her.

Behind him, Silavut could hear parts of their conversation, but then it got quieter and could only hear whispers and murmuring, unable to make anything out. It was probably for the best. He finished packing and went to talk to Anielle.

Nara continued in her quieted voiced. “Well… I’m almost seventeen. I see you and him together and I start… feeling… things. Things I never felt before. I don’t know how to describe it.”

Sehlan nodded her head in understanding and helped try and explain. “It’s like even though you’re not alone, you still feel lonely.”

“Yes, exactly!” Nara hissed, excited Sehlan understood.

“I remember when I felt that way once, a long time ago. I saw people together and thought, ‘Boy, I sure would like to have that.’ Then it got complicated. Long story short, people wanted my body, not me. Until I met him.” She thumbed back at Silavut. “I… we… got lucky. He had never had anyone besides his parents and Vorin. I had everyone except myself, if that makes sense.” Nara nodded. “Then when we met because of… well, all this… I guess fate, destiny, whatever you want to call it, stepped in. Now we have each other, and you. You’re still young. You may not find what you’re looking for on this adventure, but I’m sure one day, on some magical journey, you’ll find the one.”

Nara nodded. “Yeah, OK.” She looked down solemnly as she slowly finished packing.

“I know it may not be what you wanted to hear, but there it is. At least you still have yourself, and us. I hope that’s OK for now.”

Nara sighed and shrugged. “Yeah, for now.”

“Hey, come here.” Sehlan lightly put her hands on Nara’s shoulders and gently prompted her to turn towards her. They looked at each other for a moment before Nara rushed to hug her. “You may still have these feeling for a while yet, but just know you’re our family now. We’re all in this together. Feeling better?”

“Yeah. A little.” Nara sniffled and nodded into her embrace. “Thanks, Sehlan. Thank you for understanding, and everything else.”

“Of course. Glad I could help. Any time you need to talk, we’re here. If you feel you can’t talk to Silavut, you can always talk to me. Or vice-versa. OK?”

“Yeah. OK.”

They parted and Nara wiped away tears as Sehlan turned to the other two. “Oh… Oh no…”

“What?” Nara looked around, not seeing Silavut or Anielle.

“Where’d they go?” Sehlan asked, more to herself than anyone else.

“I don’t like this,” Nara replied quietly, leaning against Sehlan.

“Me neither.” Sehlan looked around worriedly.

~~~~~~~~~~

Silavut and Anielle were in a dark place.

“Ah, the traitor and the wizard,” came a woman’s voice.

“We know it’s you,” Silavut said to thin air, looking around for the source.

“Do you, now? Well then, let’s get a bit more cozy, shall we?”

A flash. She was there, dressed in regular clothes, looking like any other commoner. They were sat around a table. It was unimpressive, just a seemingly ordinary table. Atop it was a bland centerpiece of a melted candle.

“That’s not fooling anyone. Where are we? What do you want?” Silavut asked, looking around the still-dark space save for their illuminated space.

“One thing at a time. We’re nowhere. This is just a primal void. Though we’re not really here, either.”

“How can we be nowhere but not here at the same time?” asked Anielle, puzzled at the statement.

“Tut-tut. A magician—or rather, sorceress—never reveals her secrets.”

Silavut knew exactly what she meant. Though he wouldn’t divulge it to Anielle, at least not at the moment. He might explain it to her later, if she proved useful. Instead, he said, “OK, now we know where we’re not. How about telling us what you want?”

“In due time, my poor, clueless, meddling wizard. Right now, I want you to see this.”

In the air above the center of the table appeared Sehlan and Nara, huddled together, searching for their companions, worried expressions on their faces.

“You see. Without you, they’re just scared little bunnies, waiting for the slaughter!” The last was said in a harsh voice. Then the vision changed to them lying on the ground, bloodied and torn open, as if attacked by a wild animal. No… the hunter beasts. Tail… Vekta… Silavut suddenly realized.

“No! That’s not real! You’re playing mind games again. I know those tricks,” Silavut said, waving his arm across the vision which vanished in a blur of smoke.

“Oh? How do you know? It could be a vision of the present, or the future.”

Anielle suddenly stood up, shoving her chair back. “Stop! We know it’s not real. You’ve had your fun. I know you. You raised me. Used me. You’re a cruel, vicious monster. I’ve decided… I’m no longer your puppet!” She said this with such voracious conviction, it actually took her aback, and there was a physical sensation as of a small explosion, but no actual physical effects. “My bonds to you are broken. You no longer hold sway over me. My alliance is now to them!” She pointed at Silavut. “Do to me what you will, but know that I am no longer under your power. I will no longer do your bidding.”

She laughed. “So be it, then, traitor.” She raised her arm to smite Anielle, but something stopped her. Silavut had somehow managed to sneak behind her. As she raised her arm, he grabbed it with all his might and pulled. “Let… me… go.” She tugged as hard as she could, but somehow his grip was stronger than she thought.

“No. You will not harm any of us—”

Before he could finish, another flash and she and the table were gone. They were alone in the void again. “You will never stop me,” came her disembodied voice. “As for what I want… I want all your heads on a giant, shining silver platter.”

With that, they felt like they were pushed out of existence.

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 63

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT, EVERYONE!!!

New chapter is finally here!!! Sorry for the hiatus, took longer than I thought to continue the story. Had other projects I've been working on, and just life in general happened. You know how it is. So without further ado, I give you STW CHAPTER 63.

Where Tail and Vekta meet the sorceress...

Tail and Vekta

Lothiren was loath to do it, but there was no choice but to leave Tail and Vekta with the sorceress. There was no way to get them out without being re-captured and the dragon knew it. They would either have to escape themselves or wait for rescue.

As they were blindfolded, Tail and Vekta could only imagine the worst. There was no telling what was going to happen to them. Though as the cloths were removed from their eyes and they were manhandled, being thrown into a cell, they now had a pretty good idea of where they were. They then watched their captors storm away.

“What do you think?” Vekta said, shifting to sit against the wall. “Her tower, the dungeon?”

Tail shrugged. “Sure seems that way. Still can’t believe they got the drop on us. Should’ve been paying closer attention.”

It was Vekta’s turn to shrug. “Yeah.” He had more to say, but thought better of it, and instead said, “Well, we’re here now. So now what?”

Tail was pacing now and stopped to look at Vekta. “Now… I guess we try to find some way to escape.”

Then they heard it. A roar just outside. There were no windows, so they couldn’t see, but they had an idea of what caused it.

“Must be Lothiren,” Tail said, looking up at the wall in thought, as if looking out of a window. “That crazy dragon. Wonder if Lothiren knows we’re here?”

“Who knows,” Vekta replied, picking up a piece of random debris and fidgeting with it. “Would it really matter? Could Lothiren even break us out?”

“Well, it seems Lothiren escaped, so I’m sure it would be possible, but I don’t think being re-captured is a risk Lothiren is willing to take. So we’re on our own, or we wait for rescue, which may or may not come.”

Vekta stopped fidgeting and looked up at Tail. “OK then. What’s the plan?”

“Don’t know, haven’t thought that far ahead yet. Still trying to puzzle it out.” After that, Tail continued pacing in silence while Vekta sat fidgeting with the piece he picked up.

Tail then walked to the cell door to examine it. Vekta watched with half-interest to see what he would do. Tail carefully inspected every millimetre, including the lock, though he couldn’t see the internal mechanism. Finally he spoke.

“Well, seems like our little evil sorceress knows her hardware. Unless we can somehow shimmy open the lock, I think we’re stuck here until help arrives.”

“Bah!” Vekta quickly stood up. “Let me have a look.”

Tail stepped back with a slight bow and a hand extended at the door. “Be my guest.” He sat down against the wall and with a smirk watched Vekta work.

“Agh! Blast it all! You’re right!”

“Yup.” Tail gestured for Vekta to sit. “Told ya. You’d think I know my way around a door by now, eh?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Vekta replied, slumping against the wall opposite Tail.

“So… as we have some time to kill, let’s talk about us.”

Vekta raised an eyebrow. “Us?”

Tail nodded. “Yes. Us. You. Me. What happened. Everything.”

Vekta sighed. “Fine. I guess since we have nothing better to do than just stare at each other.”

“We could always play a game…” Tail teased.

“No! No way! I know you and your games.” Vekta closed his eyes for a moment. “All right. Let’s talk, then.”

“Good. Why don’t we start at the beginning…”

So that’s what they did. While they contemplated their situation, they talked about their past and what happened. It was no surprise to either of them, really, that they were both manipulated, but were both too stubborn to realize it at the time.

“So you see, I left because I thought it for the best,” Vekta said.

“Yes, I do see. I thought it for the best I stay out of it,” Tail replied.

“Yeah, I know.”

They both sighed.

Tail looked up at Vekta. “Well, that clears things up, then. No hard feelings?”

Vekta nodded. “No hard feelings. Thanks for letting me stay. Despite being captured, it was nice working with you again.”

“Same here. So… have we figured out a way out of this mess yet? Besides waiting for rescue, which who knows if it’ll ever—”

Tail was interrupted by an odd banging sound. Then dust and pieces of stone started falling.

“What the—” Vekta began, but was interrupted by an explosion from somewhere in the tower.

They waited a moment in silence, but nothing else happened.

“Sounds like something big is happening up there,” observed Tail.

“Yeah, but what?”

Tail glanced around, then noticed a miniscule crack in the stone around the door. “Hey! Look at that! We might be able to escape after all.” He pointed at the crack, and Vekta scooted over for a closer look.

“Wow. Look at that! You’re right.”

Though as their weapons were confiscated, even all their secret ones, they had nothing to work the stone with.

“What can we use, since all our stuff’s been taken?” asked Vekta.

“Let me see here…” Tail searched around but found nothing immediately of interest.

Vekta scooted around on the floor to hunt for any shards that may have broken off but only found useless dull chunks and pebbles. After a few minutes, he sat back. “Well,” he sighed, “guess we’re not getting out of here without a way to open that crack. Or we get rescued.”

For a few moments, Tail stood unmoving, lost in thought. Then he spun around to face Vekta. “There must be something—” Before he could finish the thought, another explosion rattled through the tower.

~~~~~

In the upper rooms, the sorceress was having a fit. She went on a rampage, destroying anything in her path. The explosions Tail and Vekta felt were her raiders trying to blast Lothiren out of the sky as the dragon escaped, which Lothiren didn’t even pay attention to, being too focused on getting distance from her tower.

Despite having captured Tail and Vekta, who were stewing in the dungeon, the fact the dragon escaped made her furious. She was hoping to use the beast for leverage. Now she had practically nothing. Sure, Tail and Vekta were good for something, but the dragon could’ve proven a valuable asset. Now she was stuck with the traitors.

“Bring them to me!” she demanded of the nearest twisted creature.

“Yes, yes, of course, mistress!” the poor soul replied with a rasp and scurried away to do her bidding.

“Bah! Useless things!” she spat as it left her sight.

~~~~~

In their cell, Tail and Vekta heard a door some distance away, then some scrabbling coming from down the hall. They looked at each other questioningly.

“What do you think?” asked Vekta. “Death, or freedom?”

“Probably neither,” Tail replied, peeking as far down the hall as he could through the bars. Then he saw the creature loping towards them. A moment later, it was at their cell.

“Mistress,” it hissed, “would like to see you.”

“Figures,” replied Vekta. “Wouldn’t be fun if it was too easy, eh, Tail?”

“You said it. Come on, let’s see what she wants. I’m sure she’s got wards to prevent our actual escape right now, anyway.”

Vekta stood. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Ah well.” He shrugged as they followed the twisted creature.

As they passed various alcoves, they both noticed a variety of weapons. They figured they were for defence in case there was an attack, and this was an extra stash in case her cohorts needed them.

They glanced at each other, both having the same ideas. However, those ideas were dashed when Vekta tried reaching towards one of the weapons and found resistance. He raised an eyebrow at Tail who shook his head.

They continued following the poor creature up through the tower, passing numerous passages with other poor souls disfigured by her power, doing any number of chores or tasks. They both felt pity, but knew they could do nothing right now without incurring her wrath, and neither felt like taking such a risk to go head-to-head in a fight with her, knowing full well they would lose.

“What do you think she wants?” Vekta asked.

Tail shrugged. “To gloat? Who knows?”

Soon they reached her chambers.

“Ah. There you are.” She looked at the twisted being. “Be gone, runt!”

Without a word, it scampered out of sight and closed the door.

“Well, the two traitors, back together. How does it feel to know you’ve been captured by the one who’s going to end you?”

Tail kept a neutral expression and shrugged. “No different than any other day, really.”

“Oh? Is that so? What about you, maggot?”

Vekta laughed. “Is that all you’ve got? Looky here. The all powerful, mighty sorceress can’t come up with a good insult.”

Her visage became dark with anger and she raised a hand to smite Vekta. Then she thought better of it, sighed, and dropped her hand. “You will do well to remember I can destroy you with just a thought.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. You won’t, though. You need us. I can see it written all over your face. Remember, we are the best trackers, which means we can read people well too.”

Tail shot Vekta a warning glance. Vekta shrugged it off. Though they both knew she needed them alive, it didn’t mean she couldn’t harm them in other ways.

“Yes, I do need you, to get rid of that meddling wizard, his blasted barbarian girlfriend, and their little brat!”

“Um… No.” Vekta crossed his arms. “I don’t think so. Even if you do somehow make us do your bidding, I guarantee they’ll still come a-knockin’.”

Tail just glared at her.

“Very well, then. Let’s try this on for size.” She snapped her fingers and the two trackers turned into hunter beasts they encountered in the northern lands. Their minds were not their own now. “Go,” she merely commanded. Without hesitation, they obeyed.

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard Characters and Places

So for anyone interested, here are the main and supporting characters and places in the story so far. More to be added as they come up.

Main Characters:

Silavut (alias Silavut the Wizard) – real last name Thrain, which he never uses.

Gedran and Utali Thrain – Father and Mother (Names never mentioned, but now you know.)

Vorin Tremdal – Friend of Gedran and Utali, essentially godfather of Silavut and his mentor.

Sehlan Vash – His sparring opponent and new travelling partner.

Lothiren – Their new dragon friend (well, kind of).

Deltenara – Nara for short. Their new travelling companion. Has some weird power / energy thing going on from an ancient ritual.

Tail – Nara’s—and now Sehlan and Silavut’s—tracker friend. Hasn’t lost anyone yet...except for her.

Lady Anielle Pendalest – Seneschal of Trefal. Turned out to be in league with the sorceress. Thought Tail was just a myth/legend. Has now become part of the group.

Vekta – Lady Anielle's personal tracker. An old friend of Tail.

Minor / Side Characters:

Tonat (alias Tiny One) – The man Silavut met in the fighting village who helped him become accustomed to their ways.

The Old Woman – Name never mentioned. The old woman who set Sehlan and Silavut on their current path.

Gen – The bouncer at the information exchange. Unfortunately killed by the wraith destroyed by Nara.

Places:

Eldren – Silavut's home town.

Galder – A royal city; where Sehlan is originally from (working on a side story for that).

Trefal – The town with the largest library currently known with the largest currently known collection of history.

Dead Lands – The dead valley, or wastelands, beyond the mountains of Umilal. Where they can only guess the sorceress currently resides.

Umilal – The continent on which Silavut and co. currently travel.

Genat Town – aka Party Town. Where something bad is afoot.

Torchikal – Another continent they must travel to in order to defeat the sorceress. (Torchikal comes from the local tongue meaning Fire Lands.)

The Scorches – The burning lands of Torchikal. Called such because the area burns so hot, due to the natural tectonics and magma flows mixed with the constant heat of the sun beating down on it during daylight hours. One would literally burn to a crisp, soon becoming only ashes. They never learned about The Scorches because they never knew they would need to. Now they knew. Though even at night, The Scorches was dangerous.

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 65

Where they learn the partial truth, and get an unexpected message...

Revelations

As they trekked across the landscape, Silavut thought about making a truth potion to make Anielle reveal everything she knows. Whether it would be worth the trouble was another question. During their rests, he secretly made the potion.

Following their trail was the Hangrolblest. It was getting closer to their location. For a while, it lost the trail, but then picked it up again after they emerged from the tunnels. The magic scent was strong and getting stronger. There was no escape for them now.

After their third day of travelling, as Silavut passed around drinks, he was careful to make sure he gave Anielle the potion. He watched her in his peripheral vision and saw her swoon a couple times, but she just passed it off as exhaustion. Then she was stock still, staring straight ahead, unblinking. Slowly he stood and walked to her.

Nara watched him and saw where he was going. “Hey, what’s wrong with Anielle?”

He just glanced at her, then returned his attention to Anielle.

“Silavut…” Sehlan said in a warning voice, “…what have you done?”

He sighed and turned towards them to explain his plan. “I want to find out what’s really going. Where are Tail and Vekta, and Lothiren? Are we even going the right way? I want everything… So… I made a truth potion.”

“Silavut! I can’t believe you—” Sehlan started.

He held up a hand. “I know what you’re thinking, and I know your feelings on such things, but this may be the only way to get the information we need. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I know how you would have reacted…” He sighed again and hung his head. “If you want to leave, I understand. I took an oath, and if you feel I have broken it, then I’ll—”

“Stop…” Sehlan stood up and took his hands in hers. “Yes, you’re right. I would have told you no, and expressed my feelings on it. Look, I get it. You want to know what’s going on. We all do. Though is this really the right way? Yes, you also left us out of the loop, but I also had a feeling something like this would happen, so it’s not totally unexpected. I just hope you know what you’re doing. I’m not leaving.” She looked over at Nara, who nodded her head. “We’re not leaving.”

By this point, Silavut raised his head, and they looked into each other’s eyes. Silently, Sehlan released his hands and sat back down next to Nara. Anielle was still in her trance, which wouldn’t be broken until Silavut gave the command.

He stood in front of her and looked down at her before sitting down facing her. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, then opened them to begin his interrogation.

“Where are our companions?”

In a strange, dull voice, she replied, “With her.”

“Where?”

“In her tower.”

Silavut let out a quick, low growl, then continued calmly, “Where is her tower, exactly?”

“Hidden behind a veil of magic.”

He paused and took a deep breath, then had an idea. “Is it in the wastelands?”

“No.”

“Okay! Finally, a real answer. Is it past the wastelands?”

“No.”

“Ugh. Okay, fine. Can we travel to it?”

“Yes.”

“Good, good. You said it’s behind a veil of magic, but not in or past the wastelands, and we can travel to it…”

“Yes.”

He looked back at the other two, who were now watching curiously. Despite her misgivings about the truth potion, Sehlan had to admit to herself it was helping, even if only slightly.

“Okay.” He turned back to Anielle. “Is there any way to find it without running around blindly, so to speak?”

“Yes.”

“Great! Wonderful! How? How can we find her tower?”

“Travel to the wastelands. There you will find the answers you seek.”

“Well, okay then. That’s at least something. Better than what we’ve gotten before.”

Sehlan leaned over to whisper, “Are you going to snap her out of it now? I think you got all you can from her…”

He nodded and whispered back, “Yeah. So at least we know she has them and we have to go to the wastelands to get more answers.” Silavut turned his attention back to Anielle. “You will now close your eyes and return to yourself. You will remember nothing of our conversation. Once you are revived, you will only know that time has passed as if you were taking a nap.” He waved his hand in front of her and she closed her eyes.

Returning to his spot, he watched her for a moment, and soon she was revived. “What happened?” she asked.

“You fell asleep after taking your drink. You did say you were exhausted.”

“Yeah,” she said, frowning at her cup, “I guess I did. Huh.” She looked back up at them. “Well, shall we get going, then?”

“Yeah, sure, in just a bit. Let’s finish resting.”

Anielle nodded and frowned again at her cup, feeling something was amiss.

A while later, they started packing up to continue their journey. As they did so, Sehlan took Silavut aside and asked, “Do you think she knows?”

He shrugged. “Possibly. She was under her ‘care’ for a while. Plus she is a berserker. So she could have other certain abilities we’re not—nor she is—aware of.”

Sehlan nodded somberly. “Also, I’ve been thinking about that string back in the tunnels. Though I still can’t quite recall what it was, I think that string was planted. Maybe you thought you picked it up, but actually it was intentionally added in with your things when you packed up one day and you didn’t notice because it was just another inconsequential thing. I also think if you had used the whole string, we would have been in serious trouble.”

Silavut thought about this for a moment. “Hhmm… you may be right. I may have a good memory, but not everything up here”—he pointed to his head—“is always perfect.”

“That’s for sure,” she teased, grinning at him and giving him a playful shove.

“Hey,” he giggled and shoved her back. Then, though they haven’t really shown outward affection for most of their adventure, he quickly kissed her.

A bit shocked, she froze for a second, but then kissed him back. “Took you long enough,” she whispered, smiling and looking into his eyes.

They looked at each other for a moment. Their reverie was broken by Silavut clearing his throat. “Well, we should… ah… we should… get going,” he stammered.

Sehlan nodded. “Yeah, OK.”

They looked at each other a few seconds longer, then got around to finish packing.

“Hey, you two, what’s taking so long?” shouted Nara from across the way. “You having fun over there?”

They giggled and Sehlan shouted back, “Yeah, yeah, we’re coming.”

Soon they were off, continuing their journey to the wastelands.

Far away, Lothiren was trying to find them. The landscape was unrecognizable. Where was her tower at, then, if not the wastelands? Wasn’t there a trail leading there, and the raiders with their weapons…? Of course, Lothiren realized, it was a ruse, a trap! I must let the others know! Where are they? The dragon tried contacting them, but nothing was happening. Am I too weak? Are they OK? What’s happening?

A faint tingling sensation crept into Nara’s head. “What was that?” she asked quietly.

“What was what?” Sehlan asked.

“I don’t know… Something… In my head…”

“Are you feeling OK?” Silavut asked.

“Yeah, I think so… It’s just… This weird tingling in my head…” Nara shook her head, and the sensation passed. “Yeah, I’m OK. That was weird.” Then they noticed the mark on her shoulder glowing through her clothes.

“Hey, look, your mark, it’s glowing. Really strongly too,” Silavut observed.

Nara tried looking back over her shoulder, but couldn’t turn her head far enough. Though as she reached back, she could feel the power which suddenly surged through her. “What…?” she whispered, looking at her glowing self. “What… is this…?” She looked up and her entire being was glowing.

“Whoa! That’s new!” Sehlan remarked, jumping back a bit in surprise.

“Um… Help?” Nara pleaded with uncertainty.

“I… don’t know what to do…” Silavut replied, intrigued by this new development.

In the uncharted lands, Lothiren felt a strange sensation. What was that? the dragon mused. Wait… hold on… I think… Yes! It’s them! I can feel… Nara!? “Nara? Is that you?”

Suddenly, Nara could hear Lothiren in her head. “It’s Lothiren! Lothiren’s alive! Lothiren! What happened? Where are you?” She spoke out loud for the others’ benefit.

“Nara! Oh, thank the Powers! I was lured into a trap and held captive in her tower. It’s not where we thought, it’s hidden someplace else. I’m in unfamiliar territory, trying to find my way back.”

Nara relayed Lothiren’s message, then replied, “Yeah, we figured that out.” She didn’t say how, as Anielle was right there listening too, and she didn’t want to reveal Silavut’s deception.

“What about Tail and Vekta? Ask Lothiren about them,” Silavut said concernedly.

Nara nodded. “What about Tail and Vekta? Have you seen them? Do you know where they are?” she asked Lothiren.

“Yes. She captured them… Though I’m afraid I have some bad news… She’s turned them into…” Lothiren paused, wondering if telling them was a good idea.

“Turned them into what?” Nara asked, fearful of what the answer would be. She again told the others what Lothiren said, waiting for the answer.

Then the dragon laid it out. “Turned them into… hunter beasts…”

“No…” Nara gasped. “No… no-no-no-no-no…” She slumped down to the ground, head down, tears filling her eyes.

“What… What is it? What happened?” Sehlan asked soothingly, kneeling down in front of her, gently putting fingers under her chin and lifting her head.

“They… They’re…” Nara put a hand against Sehlan’s and squeezed lightly, transferring the mental link.

Sehlan got the message. She stood up, still holding Nara’s hand, who let her head fall again. “Well… Looks like we’re on our own, then. It’ll be a while, several days maybe, before Lothiren finds us. As for Tail and Vekta…” She told them what she learned from Nara and Lothiren. “I don’t think they’ll be of help now.”

“Oh… That’s… Definitely bad…” Silavut could only respond.

Anielle wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. Her loyalty was still on the fence. Was she changing sides? She was even more uncertain than before.

Sure, the two trackers were out of the way, but were now hunting them instead of her. On the one hand, she should be glad they were taken care of, but on the other, now they were the prey. Not that they weren’t before, but those hunter beasts are nothing to shake a stick at.

Even though they had Nara who could destroy things with a simple thought and flick of the wrist, so to speak, hunter beasts could be rather cunning given the right circumstances. The ones they encountered before, in the northern lands, were easy targets, with nowhere to run and hide. Now that they were back in the green lands, they could be extremely dangerous, with places to hide and hunt from.

“So what do we do now?” Anielle asked.

“We do what we do best. Keep going and fight if we have to.”

Just then, they heard the screeching roar of the Hangrolblest.

“It’s getting closer.” Sehlan looked up but couldn’t see anything. “Who knows when it’ll be on us again.”

“Right. For now, we’ll just have to keep moving. Can’t stay in one spot, lest it catch us unaware. Everyone, be on alert. Let’s go.” Silavut gathered his pack and started walking. The others followed suit, Sehlan and Nara still holding hands, with Nara trudging along solemnly.

Leagues away still, Lothiren now knew which direction to head, having caught their presence with Nara’s power surge. It would be at least several days before the dragon could meet them. However, there was something else nagging in the back of Lothiren’s mind. Connecting with Nara also gave a glimpse of the dreaded beast that hunts and destroys magic of all forms. The dragon shuddered just thinking about the Hangrolblest. Hopefully Lothiren wouldn’t be too late to help them.

[silavut]

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

SILAVUT THE WIZARD CHAPTER 63 IS FINALLY HERE!!!

Where Tail and Vekta meet the sorceress.

Read on to see what happens next!!!

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 59

Where Sehlan and Nara’s pasts are explored.

The Past

Nara’s Story

Fractured Memories

A dark alley. People whispering. Sounds of a scuffle. A muffled scream. Fleeing shadows. A dark figure slithering away. A child left alone.

A wandering child, lost. Parents disappeared. Being carried in big, strong arms. A name being whispered amongst the people. A survivor of a brutal attack. Talk of ‘the mark’.

Nara was only a child when it happened. She and her parents were making their way down an alley when they were attacked. It was late at night, so there was very little light. Even the lamp posts couldn’t fully penetrate the darkened alley. She couldn’t see much, but heard everything.

It started with whispering voices. She asked her parents who they were. They told her it was nobody and not to worry, some people just talked to themselves. She wasn’t completely convinced and was still anxious as they continued. The voices got louder, though she still couldn’t make out what they were saying. It sounded like another language, which to her young mind, it could very well have been.

Then she was suddenly knocked down, landing on her rear. More startled than hurt, she teared up, then it all happened. It was only a few moments, but it felt like forever.

The voices were now right there, and her parents were talking to them in hushed, angry tones. She started to get up and saw a dark figure just outside the light. Man or woman she couldn’t tell. Then her parents lunged forward. Now scared, Nara quietly called out to her parents. No answer.

Then she heard a scuffle and muffled voices. Her parents! They were being hurt! What could she do? She was just a child. What could she do? Unable to move, petrified with fear, she could only watch the dancing shadows and listen to the scuffling and muffled voices.

Suddenly there was a muffled scream. Her mother! That got her moving. She rushed over to find her parents… Dead. She looked around to see fleeing shadows and a dark figure slithering away. Now in shock, she didn’t cry, just wandered away, becoming unseeing, not knowing where she was going.

She wandered the city all night in a daze, unable to process what happened.

The next day, someone found the bodies of her parents and informed the authorities who put out a request for any information leading to their deaths and the whereabouts of their child.

That’s when Gen found her. She was wandering near the information exchange, a blank, listless look. He bent down and gently asked what her name was. She automatically replied, “Deltenara, but I prefer Nara.” He then asked where her parents were. The trauma of what happened hadn’t processed yet, and she could only shrug and say, “Gone.”

Gen picked her up and she held onto him. As he carried her through the information exchange, there were whispers of her name. Of a brutal attack. Many had heard of her, though she didn’t know why. There was also talk of a mark. The mark on her shoulder? She didn’t know what it meant. Not then, at least.

As Gen carried her, everything suddenly hit her like lightning and she started bawling into Gen’s shirt. He let her cry it out, having figured she experienced something extremely traumatic. It was a few days later, once she was able to process what she could at the time, she told Gen what happened. He held her as she cried some more. Gen cried with her.

The authorities never did find the lost child, as they never actually knew her name. Her family wasn’t well-known enough to have their names broadcast all over the city. Only a few people knew them, but fewer people knew Nara.

Thus she was raised amongst the people at the information exchange, learning the trade and all their secrets. That’s how she came to learn about her mark, why the people whispered her name, and what it implied.

Besides Gen, Tail was the second-most important person in her life. He started teaching her the ways of tracking when she was older. Then came Vekta. They had a falling-out and Nara was never quite sure why until later when Tail revealed the truth.

It was then, several years later, when she would hear the legends about Lord Silavut and Lady Sehlan, and her dreams of joining them became reality.

~~~~~

Sehlan’s Story

Fractured Memories

A scream. A flash. The sound of explosion. People running, trampling each other. A child crying. Fire and smoke. A soothing voice.

Hushed voices and careful footsteps. A comfortable bed. The smell and taste of delicious, fresh food. A carriage ride across country. A new home. Unfamiliar people. Running away.

Sehlan was born in the royal capital city of Galder, on the other side of the world from Eldren—Silavut’s home town.

Her parents were humble folk, only taking and using what they needed. Any extra they would donate to whatever cause was the next popular thing.

Though it was a nice city, it did have its flaws. On the surface, Galder was a wonderful, bustling, rich city. Underneath the gleam and glam, however, it had a dark heart. The underbelly was a dark and cruel world.

What Sehlan didn't know was that her parents were part of a plot of a coup against the royal family.

It was a bright, warm day when her parents went out to do their business. However, things soon turned dark.

As they approached the royal building, there came a scream from within. They rushed in to find the king dead on his throne. The queen staring in shock and horror at the gruesome scene.

Sehlan had followed them, curious as to what they were doing. When she saw them go to the royal building, she stopped, not sure if she should follow them in. Then she heard the scream and saw her parents rush in. She started running after them. Then suddenly there was an explosion.

The royal building and the surrounding area had been destroyed.

People ran amok, screaming and crying and trampling each other in the panic.

Sehlan started crying, trying to get past the throng to her parents, but it was too chaotic.

There was fire and smoke everywhere. The city had become a smouldering ruin. Galder was destroyed.

Then Sehlan heard a soothing voice as someone picked her up. She was too shocked to actually hear what was being said, it just sounded nice. Worn out from crying and trying to keep from being trampled, she soon fell asleep listening to the voice and with the gentle rocking motion of being carried.

A while later, she was lightly awakened by hushed voices outside an unfamiliar room. Careful footsteps tread past.

Looking around to gain her bearings, she noticed she was in a lavish bedroom. The bed was large and soft, the most comfortable she’d ever slept on.

Getting up, she then smelled the most wonderful food. She carefully pulled open the door and peeked into the hallway. The voices stopped and several people turned their heads to look at the strange new little girl. She sheepishly smiled.

A quick rush of footsteps and someone swooped in to grab her up. She laughed with the sudden rush of being lifted. The people went back to their business, some still curious about the girl. The soothing voice from before filled her ears.

She looked to see who it was and saw it was a young woman. Looking at each other, the young woman told Sehlan about what had happened and where she was now. She asked about her parents. The woman shook her head. Sehlan started crying.

The woman held her as Sehlan cried it out. That was all the comfort she could give the grieving girl. Though the woman had lost her own parents and knew how it felt, there was nothing she could say to soothe the broken heart.

Eventually Sehlan calmed down enough for the woman to help her get dressed and take her down to the dining hall. It was the most amazing food she’d ever seen, smelled and tasted. It didn’t ease the pain any, but she did feel better for having eaten.

After a few days of being pampered, she was told she was going to a new home with good people. Sehlan didn’t want to go, but the woman said she had to.

A while later, she was on a carriage, looking back at the temporary home she wished could be hers forever. The ride lasted several days, stopping here and there to resupply and use the facilities. When they arrived, she anxiously got out to see her new home.

The people came out to meet her, but she didn’t like the way they looked. Sure, they seemed nice enough, except she could tell something was off about them. She didn’t like these new, unfamiliar people.

They took good care of her, sure, but it wasn’t the same as before with the woman. They were cold, distant, unloving, uncaring. As if it was their duty to care for a little girl, nothing more.

One day a few years later, she had enough, and when they were asleep, gathered her few belongings and ran away. They didn’t even try searching for her, she discovered later.

That was when she came across a kind, older couple. They took Sehlan in and treated her like the daughter they always wanted. When Sehlan asked about that one day, they told her about their inability to have children. It was sad, but they said the Powers sent her to them to answer their prayers. That was a nice sentiment, and Sehlan said no more.

The couple were of the old ways and taught her everything they could. Sehlan reveled in the attention, though she knew the couple would never really truly replace her parents, they were as close as she would ever get.

The lady was the one who taught her the songs she knew, other than the ones her mother taught her before the tragedy.

Then one day, they were gone. She had come back from town with supplies and they had passed away. She gave them a proper burial, as they wanted, grieved in her own way, then said her goodbyes and moved on. She traveled for a while, becoming a drifter, moving from town to town. Then she ended up in the fighting village. That’s where she met the old seer woman and started really hearing about the rumors of the sorceress. The rest, as they say, is history.

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 57

It’s here! It’s finally here! Where the currently remaining four fight off the earthen army, but then a bigger threat looms...

Battle at Genat

The four were now ready for the coming battle. The streets were nearly cleared, the throng dissipated, with the occasional straggler trying to find shelter. Silavut had his spells ready, Sehlan and Nara had a quick training spar, and Anielle… well… she just stood there, not really sure what to do. The others didn’t really care at this point, so long as she didn’t get in the way.

“By the way,” Silavut started, turning towards Anielle, “do you know where they would’ve taken Tail and Vekta?”

She looked at him blankly and shrugged indifferently.

He sighed. “All right. Well, when we’re done here, you will tell us.” Silavut had prepared his own special blend of truth juice. Whether it worked or not…? He would just have to wait to find out.

Sehlan rested her sword on her shoulder and turned to him. “You ready?”

He looked at her with determination. “Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess. Still not as good as Vorin was, but I hope to be someday.”

“You’ll do fine, I know it. I believe in you.” He thanked her for the support. “Nara? You sure you’re up for this?” she asked, turning to see Nara looking out the window. She could tell Nara was nervous, even more than when they first met.

“Not really, but I’ll have to be.”

“I know you’re scared, we all are.” She moved over to Nara, put a hand on her shoulder, and gently turned her around. “Look at me. Listen. We told you it would be dangerous when you wanted to join us. You’ve done well so far, fighting the brutes…” She paused, remembering how they nearly lost her because of Anielle’s berserker mode. “Despite nearly losing you. Then against the marauders and the raiders. This is a whole new danger, though. It’s an earthen army sent by… her…” Sehlan couldn’t quite bring herself to say her name. Not yet. “We don’t know exactly what they’re capable of, how many there are, or, well… anything, really. It’s a whole new game here. We wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to sit this one out.”

Nara looked up at Sehlan. “I have to do this. For Gen, for my family…” She glanced around at the others, then settled on Anielle’s gaze. “Even you, Anielle. I know it may be hard to understand—” Anielle cut her off.

“No, I understand,” she said coolly, yet not completely cold-hearted. She still had trouble figuring out who she really was, which side she was on, where her loyalties actually lie. The sorceress took her in and raised her, but she wasn’t really a mother, just someone who took care of her. She thought that meant she should do whatever was wanted of her. Service for care. Though now she was second-guessing that mentality, questioning everything she ever knew. “I’m sorry,” she simply said with no further explanation, and went to sit in the corner to think.

“OK, then,” Sehlan said, taking a deep breath. “So… You really think you’re ready for this?”

“Yes,” Nara said with more certainty. “Yes, I am. There’s no turning back now. I will do what I have to. That woman needs to learn her lesson.”

“That’s my girl.” They hugged and went over to Silavut.

“Well, I double-checked everything, and I’m sure it’s all ready.”

“Good.” They heard a commotion and looked out the window. The earthen army was now beginning to surround them. “They’re here.”

“Let’s get to it, then.” Silavut picked up his list of spells and began to recite them while Sehlan and Nara stepped outside to meet the army head-on.

“Here we go,” Sehlan said under her breath, and took her swordfighting stance. Nara followed suit, using her own stance. Their swords were held at the ready. Nara’s sword was lightly glowing with power, as was her mark. She felt electrified. A tingle spread all over her body and she grinned. Sehlan felt the power and looked over to see Nara glowing. She grinned as well. She’s definitely ready, she thought.

They could feel the energy in the air as Silavut spun his spells. They weren’t sure exactly what his spells would do, but they trusted him.

Then it began. The earthen army swarmed them. Quick as a flash, the two women dashed and slashed at the nearest ones. There was scraping and clanging. Looking at the figures, they saw there was barely a mark. They looked at each other and nodded. It was Nara’s time to really see what she could do while Sehlan kept them busy.

Nara swiftly made her way to the roof. The nearest ones tried attacking her, but Sehlan slashed at them to keep them away. Though her sword barely scraped their stone skin, they were still startled by her attack and backed off a bit. This gave Nara enough room to finish her climb. Once on the roof, she took a comfortable stance and concentrated, holding her hands out towards the army.

It seemed endless as they kept coming. Could they really defeat them all? Even with their skills and abilities?

Sehlan was quickly being surrounded with seemingly no way out. Her sword was doing little damage, hardly making a mark.

Nara suddenly jumped down with her sword swinging wildly. Though after a moment, Sehlan saw it wasn’t random, but a chaotic, controlled pattern. Where did she learn that? I certainly didn’t teach her that! Nara’s sword was now cutting through the figures like they were nothing. Each one disintegrated as her sword sliced through them. Then Sehlan noticed the sword seemed to be pulsing with a blue-green aura, while Nara herself was glowing with power.

Though she had only a brief moment to take in the scene as she was attacked from all sides. The figures tried punching her and grabbing her limbs, nearly disarming her. Somehow, she still kept hold of her sword and broke from their onslaught. She was sore from where they pummeled and grabbed her, but she was otherwise unharmed.

Back in the shop, Silavut was weaving his spells with Anielle watching blankly from the corner, lost in her own thoughts. He could hear the clanging and slashing of the women’s swords against the figures, and then caught sight of Sehlan being swarmed and barely escaping. Now! It has to work now! he thought. He recited one final spell and it all finally came together.

There was a sound like a soft, distant crack, but somehow loud at the same time. Then the air shimmered. The shimmer expanded, becoming a giant bubble that kept growing. He hoped whatever it was would work the way he intended it would. If not, well, then they were in real trouble.

As he and Anielle, who was now fascinated by this new development, watched, the bubble suddenly collapsed, imploding, then exploded with no sound. There was no physical force, but there was a tingling sensation that passed through them. Silavut turned his attention to the window. What was that? Did it work? Was it supposed to do that? Still struggling with his powers, it was sometimes hard to tell if something worked the way it was supposed to or how it worked. In this case, his intent was to cause the earthen army, at least some of them, to be destroyed.

Anielle joined him at the window and they watched as Nara became a whirling force of destruction. “That was… not… what I expected,” Silavut said, carefully opening the door. Anielle grabbed him out of reflex and he paused to look back at her. “I think we’ll be OK,” he told her. Anielle nodded and they stepped outside, ready to dart back in if anything went amiss.

Sehlan was halfheartedly working to keep the figures at bay while Nara tore through them. However, as their numbers dwindled with this new threat, they started concentrating their attacks at Nara. Though this didn’t seem to faze her as she just kept slicing and dicing, turning them to dust. Fewer were now attacking Sehlan as the majority were now concentrated on trying to take down Nara.

Silavut watched wide-eyed. “Did… did I do that?” he asked himself.

Anielle, still standing next to him with a death grip on his arm, replied, “I’m not sure…”

He looked over at her and gently pried her fingers off his arm. “Ow.”

She looked down as she vaguely felt him unwrap her fingers. “Oh, sorry.” Looking at him, she gave him a sheepish grin. “Didn’t realize I was doing that.”

“It’s OK. Wow, look at her go…” Silavut wasn’t sure what to do now; he could only stand idly by and see what happened next.

Sehlan was still nicking and scratching the figures that were still coming at her, but their fight was becoming less energetic as they realized what was happening. She then saw Silavut and Anielle standing at the shop’s door. Silavut caught her gaze. She raised her eyebrows as if to say, “Did you do that?” He could only shrug and awkwardly nod, replying, “Eh… maybe?”

The numbers were finally dwindling enough they could see the end of them. Several had started running away, which they didn’t even bother trying to chase. They figured, let them go, she’ll deal with their failure.

The last few stood their ground, but then froze, indecisive on their next move. Nara was breathing heavy, covered in sweat, but glowing like a blazing blue-green fire. She was in her fighting stance, ready to finish them off. Seeing her determination, the rest of the figures fled back to the wastelands. As they ran away, Nara’s glow faded and then vanished. Then before anyone could react, she collapsed where she stood. The three ran over to her. Sehlan checked her vitals. Breath. Heartbeat. She’ll live, she determined.

“How is she?” Anielle asked, genuinely worried.

“She’ll live.” Then standing up, she turned to Silavut. “What the hell was that!?” she nearly screamed.

Silavut stood up as well. “What was what?? I just did some wizard stuff, cast my spell, and then… that…” He gestured to Nara passed out on the ground. “I didn’t know it would do that. I just wanted those things gone!”

“Well, it certainly worked, and look what it did!”

“I didn’t…! Gah!” Silavut threw his hands up in frustration, then put his face in his hands to calm down. After a moment, he looked up and said, “Look, I’m sorry. It wasn’t meant to do that. I didn’t know what it would do, but I did not expect it to affect her! Hell, for all anyone knew, it could have affected you, too! Not sure how it would have, but it could have. Then I don’t know… I just don’t know…” He sat down on the ground hard with his head bowed.

Sehlan sighed. “OK, fine, so you didn’t know, but did you think to maybe, I don’t know, direct it somewhere instead of just letting it go?”

His voice muffled with his head hanging, he said, “No. I didn’t think about that, I just wanted those things gone.”

“OK, well—”

They were interrupted by a pounding sound and a rumbling, thunderous roar.

“Oh, by the Powers, what is that?” Anielle pointed towards the source and they could see a brute larger than any other they had encountered.

“Oh no… no no no no… that can’t be…” Sehlan said.

Silavut looked up and his jaw dropped and eyes went wide. “Oh, holy mother! That is not good!”

“What? What is it?” Anielle asked anxiously.

“That is the combined form of all the stone army that ran away. She must have imbued them with the power to merge. I don’t know if we can beat that this time,” Silavut replied solemnly.

They all heard a groan and looked toward Nara. She was struggling to get up. Sehlan ran over and helped her sit up. “Ssshhh… You’re OK,” she said, soothingly stroking her hair. “Water, now!” she called. Silavut shot up, grabbed a waterskin from their packs, and rushed over to them. He held it as Nara drank from it. “Slowly, sip it,” Sehlan said gently. “Don’t make yourself sick.” Nara followed her instructions, knowing she was right.

After a few more sips, she looked up at Sehlan. “What happened?”

“Well, short version, we—or rather, you I should say—defeated most of them.”

“Yay for us,” Nara replied weakly and grinned.

“Well, kind of. You see, they were given the power to combine their forms, and, well… Look.” Sehlan helped Nara to turn so she could see the monstrosity lumbering towards them.

“Oh… Well, I think I’m tapped out. I’ll have to sit this one out. Sorry.”

“Not your fault.” Sehlan pointedly glared at Silavut who could only shrug defensively.

Nara noticed their looks and became determined to find out what happened later. For now, she needed to rest and recuperate.

“Help me get her inside,” Sehlan said.

They helped Sehlan get Nara into the shop and out of the thick clothes. She was dressed down to the thinnest layers with a light blanket draped over her.

“Now you rest while we deal with this thing.”

Nara nodded, and before she finished, she was already asleep.

Silavut stood up and took charge. “OK, listen up. Anielle, you know we still don’t fully trust you, but we do need your help on this one. I’ve seen what you can do, what you’re capable of. Whether you’re on our side or not, it doesn’t matter right now. What matters is taking down that stone bastard out there, because if we don’t, we’re all goners… including you. Sehlan, do you think you can wield Nara’s sword? Will it have power you can use?”

“I don’t know, I can try. I’ve used it before, but I don’t know if I can wield its powers like Nara can.”

“Well, we don’t have much of a choice. See what you can do. Anielle, I need to you go to into berserker mode and knock as many chunks off that thing as you can. We need to take this thing down. Fast and hard. I know it’s only the three of us, but if we work together, I know we can do it.”

Sehlan looked at him with a newfound respect. “I knew I fell for you for a reason. Though I’m still upset at your misdirected spell—which we will discuss later—it’s wonderful seeing you take charge when it counts.” She gave him a quick peck. “Now let’s get out there and destroy this thing! Make her really feel it and let her know we won’t give up easy.”

Silavut could only stand there shocked for a moment. After the moment passed, though, they started making plans how to take down the stone brute.

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 55

Where things start getting a little hairy and crazy.

Shadows

On the far edges of the city, shadows grew longer and darker. Light started fading, slowly and steadily. At first it was subtle and barely noticeable, but it became more distinct and gradually slinked in. The party here wound down and became a show of the macabre.

It was now inching across the city, working its way to the center.

The people on the outer edges became uneasy and frightened. Some took to committing crimes against fellow citizens, which was unheard of in Genat Town. As the darkness crept in, more people fled to the city proper, while many stayed behind in the shadows. Unbeknownst to the council, some brought the darkness with them.

Here, on the edge of town, is where Vekta and Tail now found themselves, hunting for the truth. The scenes they’ve witnessed would be too horrific to tell the others when they returned. They decided it would be best to water them down and skimp on the details to keep it as brief as possible. Now, they were up against time itself. They had to figure out what was going on and try to stop it before it was too late.

Back in the town proper, Silavut and Sehlan, along with Nara, were doing their own investigating. Nara was tracking down this Heshinsa person, though they had all suspected that wasn’t their real name. Sehlan was gathering clues as to what the poison could have been so they could hopefully cure Anielle. Silavut was in search of more information about the happenings around town so they could collaborate on their findings and see if there was a common connection.

However, they didn’t realize their time was running shorter than originally anticipated. Nothing could prepare them for what was to come.

As Anielle lay unconscious from the poison, she has a vision. The sorceress has come to her. She tells Anielle to hasten their plan to capture the wizard and his dragon witch, and dispatch their adopted bastard. Tail and Vekta are to be treated as traitors and captured, but not killed, and separated from the others. She wanted them all to suffer. The vision fades and Anielle’s rest is fitful, haunted by her.

By now, the shadows have grown longer and the light faded more. Tail and Vekta noticed this and figured they should get back now that they had something to go off of.

With everything going on, little did they know that the sorceress’ army was approaching the town. It took several days for them to track the group, but now they knew where the pests were, it was easy work to get there. It was as they approached the town that things really started going out of control.

Back in the town proper, Silavut had a shiver. “Something’s wrong,” he said distractedly. Sehlan looked at him and cocked her head in question. “I don’t just mean here. There’s something else going on. Out there.” He pointed beyond the city limits towards the forest.

“Maybe we should check it out,” Sehlan replied.

“No, no time. They’re already here.” He stood taller and faced the forest. Then he just stared at it, unmoving, unblinking. He had entered a trance. No amount of attention-getting would snap him out of it.

Sehlan’s actions slowed, stopped, and she went into a trance herself.

In their trance, both Silavut and Sehlan had a shared vision in which both the entity Silavut freed from the tree and Vorin came to them with dire warnings. They showed them the army the sorceress had sent after them and what her plans were for the group. This only lasted moments, but it felt like ages.

Once it was over and they snapped back, they looked at each other gravely and nodded, knowing what each was thinking without speaking.

Nara was out on her own, still trying to determine the poison used to get the antidote. She was able to discover the sorceress had agents in the town, one of which was the one that poisoned Anielle. So her being poisoned had nothing to do with the other events. She had to relay this to the others. Other than the news of Anielle’s current state, she was unaware of the others’ situations. Suddenly there was commotion and panic all around her.

Shadows had descended upon the town. Whether from the forces taking over or something else, she wasn’t sure. All she knew was she had to find the others. Sehlan and Silavut told her where they’d be if she needed to find them. Tail and Vekta were still working their way back from the edge of town. Could they get to each other in time? She wasn’t sure.

She tried to contact Lothiren, but there was no answer. Maybe the others could try and reach the dragon. Only she had to get to them first. Through the panic, she wended her way to where Sehlan and Silavut said they would be. Sure enough, there they were, but they were just standing there. Then suddenly they turned and nodded to each other.

“Lord Silavut, Lady Sehlan!” she called above the noise.

They turned and saw her rushing towards them. They were nearly overrun by the panicked citizens. Sehlan opened her arms wide and shoved several away. Silavut followed suit. They had a small clearing, just enough for Nara to squeeze into. Sehlan quickly wrapped her arms around her, and Silavut grabbed them both, directing them away from the trampling crowd.

“I can’t get through to Lothiren! Have you tried?” Nara still nearly had to shout.

Sehlan shook her head. “No! We haven’t.”

Silavut was finally able to get them to a safe area in a small, unoccupied dwelling. “What’s this about Lothiren?”

Nara extricated herself from Sehlan’s protective embrace. “I tried contacting Lothiren when the panic started, but I couldn’t…” She shook her head as it lowered. “Nothing,” she said softly.

Sehlan looked at Silavut with worry. “Do you think…?” She didn’t need to finish.

Silavut shook his head. “No. Lothiren is too hardy. Let me try.” Silavut called for Lothiren in his mind, but felt nothing. He shook his head again and sighed. “Nothing.”

“I also have some other news,” Nara said, lifting her head. “I found out why Anielle was poisoned.” She told them about her discovery and the sorceress’ agents.

“Figures,” Sehlan replied, rolling her eyes. “Is there any place that damned woman can’t touch?” she asked with rhetoric vehemence.

“We should go find Tail and Vekta,” Silavut cut in. “See if we can figure out how to get rid of whatever’s coming, whatever’s here, and her agents.”

“That’s a lot,” Nara said.

Silavut could only nod and sigh. “Yeah, it is.”

Tail and Vekta were headed back to meet the others when they were suddenly nabbed from behind. They gasped in shock and surprise. There was no way they could have been followed without them knowing. Right? Yet somehow their captors did it.

As they were pulled away, their mouths were immediately covered to prevent them from crying out for help. Then their eyes were covered so they couldn’t see who their captors were or where they were going. The crowd around them was in such a panic, no one noticed two random strangers get dragged away.

The other three frantically searched for the two trackers with no luck. They knew where Tail and Vekta were headed and the path they took, yet there was no trace of them. Silavut sighed in frustration, and Sehlan groaned. Nara made a guttural growl.

“Well, now what?” Silavut asked. “Tail and Vekta are gone, we can’t contact Lothiren, and Anielle is still out of commission due to the bastard that poisoned her. Not that I really trust her, but she’s still under our care. Now the force is here in the main part of town, and her army is nearly here. That’s all a bit overwhelming right now.”

Sehlan looked at him, took his hands in hers, and gave him a hard, intense look. “I don’t know what we’re going to do, or how we’re going to do it, but we’re going to do something. Nara has a power I have never known before. It’s not limitless, but it’s certainly useful. You are a wizard, you have a spell book and items I’d never imagined in my wildest dreams. You can do things no one else can. I’m a fighter. With our skills combined, I know we can get through this. We have to. Unless we want the universe to be destroyed.” She dropped his hands and crossed her arms in front of her. “So. What’s it going to be, wizard?”

His look became determined. “Right!” He pounded a fist into the palm of his other. “We’re going to face this head-on and make sure we save the universe! Whatever it takes!”

“That’s the spirit. So what do we do?”

He thought for a moment. “Nara, do you still have that sword?”

She nodded. “I think so. It should still be with the packs.”

“Good. Go get it. We’ll definitely need it. Sehlan, go get your sword as well. I’ll find a place to set up and work. We’ll meet back here in, say, thirty minutes? That should give us enough time to get ourselves together.”

Sehlan nodded. “Sounds good. Come on, Nara, let’s go get ready to kick some elemental butt!”

Nara had the biggest smile. “Yeah! All right!” She skipped away behind Sehlan.

Silavut started working on finding a place to set up his work space. As he looked around, he noticed the city becoming darker and the crowd thinning out. The panic had led the people to seek shelter, either in their own homes or wherever they could without imposing in other spaces. He finally found an abandoned shop with a perfect workspace. He kept the location in mind as he went back to the spot they were supposed to reconvene.

No sooner had he arrived than he saw the other two with Anielle in tow.

“Wait, how—”

“Long story short: Nara touched Anielle, she was imbued with power, and she suddenly woke up. It seems Nara has some hidden talents, including healing. Who knew?”

Nara was grinning like a kid who found a new favorite toy. “I can heal! How cool is that? I never knew! Though I’m not sure how strong it is yet. Like, if someone’s been cut, or near death…” She stopped, remembering Gen, and her smile faded.

“It’s OK. We don’t have to know right away. Come on.” Sehlan hugged her. She turned to Silavut. “Did you find a place we can work?”

He looked at Nara for a moment before answering. “I did.” He led the way to the shop he found.

“Oh, this is perfect!” Sehlan said, closing and barring the door.

Nara sniffled, a tear running down her cheek. “I can’t believe… I wish I knew…”

“I know.” Sehlan hugged her again. “Let’s talk about something else. How about what we’re going to do about… everything.”

Nara nodded. “Yeah, OK.”

Silavut got to work setting up, making sure he had everything. The only thing missing was the fire vessel. He still wasn’t sure if he could make another one.

Soon they were ready.

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 54

Something happens to Anielle, and the others start their investigation with some interesting ideas. What’s really going on?

Poisoned

Anielle trudged into the bar and took the nearest empty seat. The bar was abuzz with the partygoers. This really didn’t help her mood, but at least she could get a drink to help with her head, though temporarily. Looking around, she finally spotted a server who was slowly making his way towards her.

Overly jovial, she thought, he asked, “Never seen you here before. What can we do ya for, madam?”

She sighed and just said, “Mead.”

She thought she saw a flash of concern in his eyes but kept his smile as he nodded and went to get her order. She looked around some more, solemnly taking in the festive scene. It almost made her sick how they could be so merry despite the darkness slowly enveloping them. She barely noticed when the server brought her drink and set it in front of her. He left without further acknowledgement.

Taking a swig, Anielle thought it tasted off. Maybe it’s just me, she figured. Then she looked over to see the server watching her, with that huge stupid grin. Suddenly she felt lightheaded and dizzy. She tried standing up, but fell to the floor. It’s here, was her last thought before blacking out.

Back in their rooms, the others were debating what it could be and how to suss out the dark presence. Tail and Vekta still thought they may be able to track it back to its origin by following the trail back to the first incident. Silavut and Sehlan agreed. Nara was lost in her own thoughts on how she might be able to help and was about to ask when there was a knock.

“Enter,” Silavut called.

“Lords, Ladies. Apologies,” the messenger said between breaths. He had run to their rooms to deliver the message. They waited while he caught his breath. “It seems the Lady Anielle has fallen ill.”

“Fallen ill? How?” Sehlan asked.

“No one knows. She went to a bar—”

Sehlan and Silavut quickly glanced at each other. Vekta and Tail raised their eyebrows. “Which bar?” Silavut asked. “What happened? Tell us exactly.”

“It’s called The Shining Sea. She ordered a drink, just mead. A server named Heshinsa took her order and served her. After taking a drink, she stood up, then immediately fell—”

“Poison,” Nara blurted out.

They all turned towards her. “What?” the messenger asked.

“Poison. Of some kind. That’s the only explanation. One doesn’t just suddenly fall ill like that.” They all looked at her with mixed shock, awe, and disbelief. “Sorry, old habit. Something I learned while…” She trailed off.

Tail picked up the thread. “It’s an old trick. A false sense of security, a quick slip into food or drink, and that’s it.”

Vekta agreed. “It sounds like the poison has come to the heart of the city.”

Sehlan turned back to the messenger. “Can you find out what kind of poison she was given?”

He scratched his head. “I’m… not sure… I think the council would need to be consulted.”

“Then that’s what we shall do.”

“I don’t think… Wait… Let me…”

“No, no stalling. We go now.” Sehlan stepped past the messenger and the other followed in suit, a single file line marching down the hall to the council room.

There, the council sat completely still and silent. “Are they asleep?” Nara whispered.

“No, child. We are not asleep,” came one of their telepathic voices. “We merely meditate until we are needed.”

“Then how do you—”

“We have no need for sleep, at least not as you know it. We do still need sustenance. Though all this is not your concern. Why have you come?”

“We believe the influence of the dark entity—the poison—has come to the heart of your precious town,” Silavut answered.

“Why do you say that?”

“I guess word doesn’t travel that fast around here. One of our own has been poisoned by a bar server. We would request an investigation and determine the poison used and an antidote provided.”

“We are sorry, but as previously made clear, we cannot interfere. We can only advise.”

“Why? Why can’t you intervene? What is preventing you from doing so? What makes you all so special you can’t do anything but ask others to do your bidding? We agreed to help, but we cannot stand by as one of our own falls and nothing is done. If you cannot help us, then we cannot help you.”

The room was silent for several moments as the council silently debated amongst themselves. While they debated, the others quietly gave Silavut praise for standing up to them. Sehlan especially was impressed. She had never seen him so impassioned.

Finally, the silence was broken. “So be it. We will have the situation investigated, the type of poison used, and an antidote administered. However, this is the only request you may make of us to assist. Any further requests for assistance will be denied and you may be escorted out and banned from Genat Town.”

“Thank you,” was all Silavut would provide despite wanting to say more, but knew it would probably not go down well.

They filed out of the council room. Back in the hallway, Silavut let out a huge sigh, glad to be over with that.

“You did well, love,” Sehlan said.

“Thanks.” He gave her a weak smile. “I thought I was going to pass out in there.”

“Whatever you did, I’m glad you didn’t. That would have been rather embarrassing for us. Then they may not have agreed to assist us.”

“Yeah, that was great,” Nara said with a huge grin.

“Well done, wizard,” Tail added.

Vekta just patted him on the shoulder and nodded.

“Thanks, guys. I couldn’t have done it without your support. Hopefully it won’t take long to get to the bottom of this.”

“Agreed. Let’s go back and try to figure out how to track and stop this… whatever you want to call it… while we wait for the results about the investigation and Anielle’s recovery.”

“Yes, let’s.”

They went back to their rooms and discussed more about the situation.

Nara suddenly had an idea. “Hey, I think I got it!”

They all looked her with curiosity.

“Okay, so… Tail and Vekta can track back the origins of whatever’s been happening. As they’re doing that, we can investigate the newest activity and follow the trail to each new incident to see if it’s just one person doing these things, or multiple people. Once we tie the two together, we can figure out the next step.”

They all mumbled incoherent approval. Then Sehlan spoke up. “Well done, Nara. That just may work. Your time with the information exchange really does come in handy.” She suddenly stopped when she saw Nara’s expression. “Oh no. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“It’s OK. I know. It’s just… Still hard…”

“Yeah.” Sehlan took a deep breath. “All right, let’s go see what we can find out while we wait for news about Anielle.”

They split up and started their work.

Back in the city, things were afoot. As the party continued and the group followed their own leads, the darkness crept around every corner. Nowhere, no one, was safe.

People in the town were oblivious to the situation at hand, save for the increasing criminal activities. They pretended nothing was happening by continuing their festivities, hoping whatever was happening would somehow magically stop and everything would go back to normal. How little did they realize nothing would be normal until things were resolved.

They found where the most recent incident occurred. Tail and Vekta started tracing back the incidents to where it all originally started. From there, Silavut, Sehlan and Nara kept eyes and ears out for any new activity regarding what the council described.

It wasn’t too long after they started that word got around about what happened to Anielle. Apparently word about the council’s investigation got out. Word certainly traveled fast, except when it came to the council’s concern about outsiders.

“You know what?” Silavut mused to the other two.

“What?” Sehlan replied.

“I think the council is behind this. Maybe it’s the council that’s the poison.”

“I think you might be right. They didn’t seem too concerned about Anielle until you gave them an ultimatum. Even then, they were hesitant.”

“Yet, what gets me,” Nara interjected, “is why they would ask anyone to investigate these things if they were behind it.”

“Hhmm…” Sehlan mulled this over. “It’s rather more convoluted than we originally anticipated.”

“Quite. Do you think Tail and Vekta will figure anything out?”

Nara nodded. “Oh, they will. Believe me. They’re the best.”

While the three went forward, Tail and Vekta worked their way backward, tracking each previous incident with efficiency. The more they went back, the more the pieces fit together. With each previous incident, the activity pointed more towards something to do with the council. Though they wondered the same thing the others did. Why would the council request someone to investigate their own doings? Unless there was something else going on?

At this point, only time would tell as they dig further.

Suddenly, they all got news of Anielle.

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 53

They find a fancy town, not quite like Trefal, and it’s a constant party. But what’s really going on?

Genat Town

“Lothiren,” Silavut sent.

“Yes, wizard?”

“Would you be so kind as to scout ahead for the nearest town?”

“It would be my pleasure,” the dragon replied with genuine delight, and shot off across the sky.

Sehlan watched the dragon until it became a speck. “Where’s Lothiren going?”

Silavut looked at her. “To scout ahead for the nearest town. I want to take these scoundrels”—he gestured at the carriage with the marauders—“to the people and let them decide their fate.”

“I see.”

“Sehlan, you know there’s nothing we can conscionably do to them ourselves. We rescued Nara, that was our goal, nothing more.” He looked back at Nara with concern and adoration, then back to Sehlan. “They were just a nuisance we had to neutralize.”

“I know, I just… I don’t know… I wish things were less complicated. By the way, have you noticed anything… different… about Nara lately, since we left the cave after the storm?”

“Now that you mention it, I have noticed she seems a bit off. What do you think it is?”

Sehlan “hmmed” and her brow furrowed in thought. “I’m not quite sure.” She looked back at Nara briefly, then turned forward again. “I think I’ll talk to her later, in private. Maybe I can coax something out of her.”

“Sounds good.”

Lothiren interrupted them. “Wizard, Lady… I have found the town. It’s just up the road a way. It’s quite impressive. Not Trefal impressive, but close.”

“Thank you, Lothiren,” Sehlan replied. “How far away is it? I want us to get there before nightfall if possible.”

“By my reckoning, with your current speed, you will reach it by dusk.”

“Just a few hours, then. Thank you, Lothiren. Keep watch for any undesirable obstacles.”

“Of course, Lady.”

They cut the connection. Sehlan sighed. She hoped to be there sooner than dusk. Even with an increase in speed, it wouldn’t be much, they wouldn’t reach the town much sooner than that. She settled with dusk.

“What are you thinking?” Sehlan asked, seeing her lost in thought.

“Just figuring our travel time. If we sped up, we could reach it just before dusk, but not by much. At this pace, it’s steady and easy, dusk is just right.”

“All right, then. Dusk it is.”

The rest of the trip went by in silence, everyone lost in their own thoughts. A few hours later, the town came into view.

“There it is,” Silavut commented.

“Great. Let’s go see where we can put this group and find ourselves a place for the night.”

“Sounds good.”

The rest became more lively as they passed into the town. Passing the gates, they noticed the name: Genat Town.

“Hmm… fancy,” Sehlan mused. “Wonder what it means. Never heard or seen that word before.”

Silavut shrugged. “Dunno. Could be—” He was cut off as they came into the town proper. “Oh! Well, that’s… um…”

It was like a giant party where the whole town was invited.

Sehlan laughed. “Now I get it! Genat roughly translates to Party! It’s Party Town!”

Silavut looked lost. “Party for what, or who? What’s the occasion?”

“Don’t you get it?” she asked, looking at him with a grin. “It doesn’t matter. It’s just one giant party for fun!”

Silavut shrugged, and had a slight scowl on his face. “No, I don’t get it, but OK.”

“Oh, come on, party pooper. Have some fun! Let’s go see if we can find out where to stash these things.” She thumbed back at the carriage. “Then get ourselves settled.”

“Sounds good.”

It took a while to get anyone’s attention, given the festivities happening. When they finally did, the lady who they flagged over asked jovially who they were. They gave the story about them being travelers and they caught these marauders kidnapping one of their group.

The lady looked at them sideways, then her eyes really lit up as she exclaimed and clapped. “Oh! I know who you are! You’re Lord Silavut and Lady Sehlan! That must be the lass Nara! Then the odd one Anielle. Oh! Those must be the lads Tail and Vekta!”

“Whoa! Wait! How do you—” Silavut started.

“Because she’s a seer,” Sehlan interrupted, dismounting. “I know a seer when I see one. The old woman at my village was a seer.”

“Oh,” was all Silavut could muster.

“Come,” the lady said. “By the way, my name is Enar, short for Enaraneta. Come on, follow me.” She started walking away when Sehlan halted her.

“Wait! Were you expecting us?”

“Expecting…? Oh! No… well… sort of. We knew you were coming this direction, but we didn’t expect you to actually be here.”

“Who’s ‘we’?”

“I’ll show you. Come. We can put those criminals away, then we’ll get you settled.”

Enar led the way to the central building. It wasn’t quite as impressive as Trefal’s capitol building, but it was certainly nice. The group waited outside as Enar went to talk to someone. A few minutes later, a beaming official-looking woman strode up to them.

“Hi! You must be the ones I’ve heard so much about! I’m Galyn, the steward here. We are so glad you could make it. Come, let’s get your captives into a proper holding area and get you settled. We’ll have your horses well taken care of.” She turned to Enar. “Enar, make sure they have the best accommodations, and don’t skimp on anything.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

There was suddenly a bustling entourage as they were surrounded by attendants taking care of everything all at once. The carriage with the marauders was taken somewhere out of sight, their horses were taken to the stables, their packs were unloaded, and they were taken to their rooms. Sehlan, Silavut and Nara got one large suite, while the others got single rooms, though certainly equally lavish.

Once everything was put away, Enar and the attendants led them to the council room. There sat a regal group. “Here we are. These are the council, they are the rest of the ‘we’ I mentioned. They will tell you everything.” She turned to the council and bowed. “Your graces, these are the—”

“Yes, we know who they are. As was foretold. You may leave us,” said one.

“Very well. I leave them in your care.” Enar bowed out, leaving the group with the council.

None spoke. They were all both in awe and nervous, fearing speaking would break some kind of unknown rule.

“Enar has foretold of your coming,” the original member said.

“Yes, we have been waiting for you. Though we did not expect a direct audience,” another said.

Silavut and Sehlan looked at each other, realizing they only heard the voices, unable to tell which member was actually speaking as it appeared their lips never moved. Were they able to communicate telepathically like they could with Lothiren?

“Yes, Lothiren the dragon. A befitting name. The last of its kind. How wonderful to see there is one left.”

Their eyes went wide. So they do use telepathy.

“We the council of the town of Genat recognize Lady Sehlan the Fighter, Lord Silavut the Wizard and Lady Nara the Powerful along with their companions. You have come far and have faced many trials. There is a task here in Genat we ask you to complete. As council, we cannot interfere, only advise. Would you assist us?”

Silavut spoke up. “What is this task you ask of us? Without proper information, we cannot act upon a decision.”

There was silence for a few moments, as if they were deliberating amongst themselves. Then, “There is an evil presence here that we cannot weed out. It permeates the town, but it is a slow-acting poison. There have been reports of dark acts in our good town.”

Nara tapped Sehlan on the shoulder and whispered, “Wraiths?”

Sehlan could only shrug. “What can you tell us about these dark acts?” she asked the council.

The council went on about thieving, killings, vandalism. It started on the outer edges of town and has been slowly working its way to the inner city. People were getting scared, and festivities were becoming less enjoyable. So far, only the innermost part, Genat proper, was left untouched. Though they feared it would soon infect them as well. They only keep up the festivities as a front, to keep up appearances, so as not to seem frightened by what’s happening and appear to have it under control.

“Not wraiths,” Sehlan whispered back to Nara.

“Here’s another question. Why do you not have people that can do this?”

“It is beyond our ken. We do not have anyone with the experience or knowledge required to face such a problem. You are our only hope. We fear if we cannot exorcise this darkness from our town, nothing of it will be left, and it will spread through the region, then the planet. Then nothing will be left save for the darkness.”

Silavut nodded in thought. He turned to Sehlan, then the rest, with a questioning look. They all nodded in agreement. “We will do this task. Hopefully we are not too late.”

They were escorted back to their rooms. Sehlan and Silavut discussed the situation, trying to think of what it could be. It wasn’t wraiths, it wasn’t her work, so what could it be? Without knowing anything about it, it was impossible to tell. They would definitely have to investigate.

Nara pondered on it herself. It was a good distraction from her other thoughts that have been invading lately. She would deal with that stuff later. She half-listened as she tried to work out what it was. Then she had an idea.

“Hey, Silavut…?”

Their conversation stopped as he looked over at her. “Yes?”

“I just had an idea. You’re a wizard, right?”

He looked sideways at Sehlan, who shrugged indicating she didn’t tell her.

“Yeah…?”

“Well, why can’t you just… I don’t know… do a wizard thing to dispel it, or something?”

“That would be great idea, if I knew what it was. Without knowing what the thing is, it can’t be just gotten rid of just like that. That’s one major thing I’ve learned. Without knowledge of something, it can’t be changed.”

“Oh.” Nara looked down, disappointed.

“We’ll think of something. However, I have a feeling there’s something dark hidden in the heart of this town. Why have such a council if it’s supposed to be such a good place?”

“I had the same feeling,” Sehlan said.

In the next room over, Tail and Vekta were discussing how to track the path of this poisonous infection, making people crazy. The council said it started at the edge of town, and started working its way inward. Maybe if they start where the last incident occurred, and work backwards, they could trace its origin. Though, what if another incident occurred while they were gone? Vekta reminded Tail the others could take care of themselves. It didn’t seem like anything they couldn’t handle without them. After a moment of thought, Tail agreed.

Across the hall, Anielle seethed. She couldn’t figure out who or what she was any more. Was she the sorceress’ pawn? Was she her own person? Why did she even come with them? Is she turning to their side now? She was so torn and confused and angry. Where did she even belong? Too many variables tumbling through her thoughts, she could barely think straight. Pacing around her room didn’t help calm her, she needed something to distract her. She went out to the nearest bar, unbeknownst to the rest.

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 52

And here it is, finally... The next chapter! Where they rescue Nara from some crazy marauders!

Nara’s Rescue

The company was finally able to catch up to the carriage, with the help of Lothiren’s directions. They held back as they followed so as not to alert Nara’s captors. Just a group casually travelling the same road. Following them casually was harder done than said. Though they were pulling it off, just barely. Ahead, the carriage slowed, and they almost didn’t notice until it was nearly too late. Tail looked ahead and quickly and quietly alerted the others. They slowed to a snail’s pace, trying not to seem too obvious. Hopefully it was working.

Lothiren kept close watch in case there was any trouble. The dragon alerted the group to Nara’s presence and relayed that she was OK. They acknowledged the information and set about making a plan to rescue her now that they were caught up. Anielle, not being very good at subterfuge, suggested they just approach them and go for it. Everyone looked at her disgustedly.

“What? Did I say something wrong?” she asked, oblivious.

“Anielle, you don’t just walk up to someone and go, ‘Hey, that’s our friend, can we have her back?’ or just start attacking. If we do that, they just might as well have killed her already,” Vekta explained.

“Not only that,” Tail cut in, “it could end in disaster for all involved, not just them. Anielle, you may be a berserker, but that doesn’t help when we’re trying to be stealthy.”

She sighed. “All right, then. What do we do?”

Silavut had an idea. “What if we have Lothiren land on the path somewhere ahead…?”

Sehlan was the sensible one. “We can’t do that. If they see the dragon, they may panic and cause Nara harm in their panic. We’ll have to be more direct. Though as Vekta said, we can’t just straight up walk up to them.”

They quietly discussed their options. Finally, Tail had a solution. They would stop, wait for them to get ahead. Anielle would be their bait by “falling” on the ground, becoming “hurt.” One would approach them and try to get them to stop by saying that one of their group was hurt and would travel better in the carriage, while the others would hide in the trees. Then once in place, they would ambush Nara’s captors, creating as little trouble as possible.

If that didn’t work, then Plan B was to have Lothiren swoop down, grab the carriage, and hope Nara would be safe. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. Of course, Anielle voiced her opinion that’s what they should do to begin with. However, Tail once again reminded her they wanted to do this as quickly and quietly as possible with minimal damage. If the dragon came down, there would be chaos, which would be messy for them. Anielle rolled her eyes and sighed in acquiescence.

A bit more discussion and it was decided Sehlan would be the one to approach. This was it. They stopped, causing one of Nara’s captors to look back, wondering what they were doing. Shrugging, he looked forward again. Perfect.

A few more moments and the three men hid in the woods. Then Anielle “fell.” Finally, Sehlan quickly approached them, yelling for them to halt, they had an injured member. The group came to a slow stop. A few of them had turned to check out the commotion.

“Oh, thank you!” Sehlan said preemptively, hoping it would quell any thoughts of attack. “Thank you for stopping. I know you’re probably busy, doing… whatever it is you’re doing… but my companion fell and is hurt badly. She can’t ride her horse and you have this wonderful carriage. We could really use your help. If we could just let her ride in your carriage to the next town, that would be wonderful—”

One of the group, the leader Sehlan guessed, held up his hand for her to stop. There was complete silence from everyone for a beat. “You presume to ask for our help? Do you know who we are?”

“I—well… No. That doesn’t—”

“We,” he cut into her stuttering, “are the outland marauders. We do not take weaklings.”

“Please,” Sehlan practically begged. “She’s seriously hurt, and—”

“Enough!” He turned back around. “You should kill her, then,” he said, quieter.

In the carriage, Nara could hear everything that was happening. They’re here, they found me! she thought as she listened. Then she heard what the marauder said. No… They can’t. I don’t care if it’s Anielle, it’s not right… Then she suddenly realized it was supposed to be a ploy.

“Move on!” the marauder leader called, and the carriage started moving again.

Nara’s heart started beating faster. No! Sehlan, please! Don’t let them— Her thoughts were interrupted by Sehlan’s bellow.

“Now!” Sehlan yelled. It wasn’t exactly how they planned it, but it was the best shot they had.

The three men leapt from the woods, blades wielded before them, ready to pierce anything in their way.

Vekta struck first, his blade piercing the shoulder of the man near the back of the carriage. Nearly simultaneously, Tail and Silavut bowled over two others standing next to the carriage.

Inside, Nara heard the commotion and felt the jarring thuds against it.

The carriage driver yelled and jumped down from his perch, striking Tail, who was nearest the driver’s seat. Tail cried out and tried to roll away, but the driver pinned him.

The leader leapt from his position on the other side and attacked Vekta, who had pulled his blade from his man’s shoulder and tried striking him. The leader was quick and grabbed Vekta’s arm before he could strike again.

Sehlan rushed in with her own sword drawn, having untied it from her horse before the encounter just in case. She struck the leader in the side as he twisted away when he saw her charging. This made him release Vekta, who had swiftly got to his feet. The man he stabbed was now staggering, clutching his wounded shoulder.

Silavut had pummeled his man senseless, having been untouched so far. However, as he moved to stand, the man Tail originally dropped had moved around behind him and kicked him in the side, rolling him over. Silavut groaned in mild pain and shock.

Sehlan was now in combat with the leader while the wounded man held back as Vekta guarded him.

The carriage driver was now on top of Tail, who was defending himself as best he could from his current position on the ground next to the carriage.

With the fight raging on outside, Nara tried to get herself free of her bonds. Unfortunately, the one who tied her up did too well a job. Then she had an idea, one that she was surprised she didn’t think of before. She concentrated, as best she could under the circumstances, and willed her energy to tear apart the bonds. She could feel it building up, but without a visible target, for some reason, it just wouldn’t release. After a moment, she stilled her mind and visualized the bonds as best she could without having actually seen the handiwork. Then she concentrated and in her mind’s eye visualized the energy tearing them apart. The energy built up, pulsing, and then crackle-pop-fizz-hiss! She was free!

Nara quickly pulled off her blindfold and looked out the carriage windows to assess the situation.

Sehlan was fighting the leader.

Silavut was struggling with another marauder.

Tail was being pummeled by the driver.

Vekta was guarding the wounded one, testing him.

Where was Anielle? That little— She stopped her thoughts before getting too crude. Looking back out the window, she could see Anielle just sitting in the middle of the path watching the action. She could go and help, but she decided to stay and watch. After all, why should she help them? What was in it for her?

Suddenly a nearly ear-piercing scream and gust of wind hit them. The fighting stopped and they all covered their ears and cowered down against the gust. As Nara was in the carriage, she covered her ears and ducked down between the seats.

Lothiren had come down. As the dragon landed, the scream and gust stopped.

“What are you doing?” Sehlan asked as she stood and faced the dragon, perturbed. “You were only supposed to come down if we gave the signal!”

“My apologies, chosen one. You seemed to be having trouble with these thugs—”

“That doesn’t matter, you—by the Powers, never mind. You’re here now. Just let us handle the rest. If we need your help, we’ll let you know. All right?”

“Very well.” Lothiren cut the connection and kept vigil where it landed.

Everyone else had gotten back up. Stunned by the sudden turn of events, the fight had gone out of them all.

The marauders surrendered, seeing the dragon hadn’t eaten anyone, figuring it was with their attackers who—the marauders not knowing about the telepathic link—somehow controlled it and called it down.

Once they were rounded up, Sehlan opened the carriage—ready to throw them in—and saw Nara hunched down, ready to attack. When she saw Sehlan, she practically flew into her, nearly knocking them both down. Sehlan caught her and steadied them and wrapped her arms around the now sobbing girl. As they stood there in their embrace, Sehlan gestured for the now tied up marauders to be thrown into the carriage.

“It’s OK. You’re safe now,” Sehlan softly said, stroking the girl’s hair. “You’re OK. We’re all OK. Come on, let’s get you out of here.” Her voice picked up as she led Nara away. “You all go on ahead, Nara and I will catch up. As for Anielle… I don’t care what you do with her at this point.” She said this last part loud enough specifically for Anielle to hear.

She led Nara to their horses and told her to stay there a moment while she fetched Nara’s horse. Sehlan was glad the marauders hadn’t harmed the creature. She figured they were going to use it for their own purposes. A good riding or work horse was hard to find. Nonetheless, it was good they still had it. After tying them up and a thorough search, they also found Nara’s pack still miraculously intact and untouched.

Upon returning to the spot where she left Nara, she could see Anielle had joined her.

“You know,” Sehlan started, “you could have come to help.”

“Yes, I could have…” Anielle left the rest unsaid.

Sehlan sighed. “You know what I said back there was only to scare you, right? Even though you’ve been playing double agent, and we’ve been wary of you because we know you’ve been working for her—and yes, I’ll say it straight out, we still don’t trust you—we’ve done everything we can to keep you safe. Even though you didn’t have to, you could have just stood back and watched, you helped us take down the brute. That’s gotta mean something. You could just walk away from us at any time and go to her. Despite that, you haven’t. It makes me wonder: are you considering changing sides? To actually help us? Or are you doing it for your own benefit?” Sehaln raised an eyebrow at her.

“Well, I—I mean—”

“That’s what I thought. Come on, Nara, let’s get your horse tacked up.”

They busied themselves with adjusting straps and making sure everything was attached correctly. Anielle just stood aside silently mulling over Sehlan’s words.

A few minutes later, the others re-joined them.

“Are we ready, fellas?” Sehlan asked.

“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Silavut replied.

“The prisoners secure?”

“Secure as can be, given the circumstances,” Vekta said.

“Everyone’s stuff secure?”

They all nodded.

“Then let’s be on our way. Nara, stay close this time. We’ll talk about things later.”

The girl nodded solemnly and guided her horse with the rest.

Silavut sat still for a moment, lost in thought. Finally he spoke. “On to our next adventure.”

They guided their horses to the carriage, took the reins of those horses and tied them to their own. Then they were off, the marauders sulking in the carriage.

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 51

Where the group goes in search of their lost companion.

The Search for Nara

“Halt!” Silavut called.

Everyone immediately stopped.

He and Sehlan looked at each other with concern. Silavut changed his expression to a questioning one. ‘Know where she could be?’ it said. Sehlan solemnly shook her head with a frown. ‘Not a clue,’ it indicated.

Silavut turned his horse to address the others. “Nara has disappeared. Just barely a moment ago. There was no sound indicating where she could have gone. We must split up and search. Tail and Vekta, you take Anielle, keep a close watch and search the woods behind us. Sehlan and I will go the other way.”

Tail and Vekta nodded once, acknowledging their task.

Before they could execute his command, Anielle huffed. “Hey, you’re a wizard,” she pointed out. “Can’t you use your powers to find her? What’s it called…? Scry?”

Silavut sighed and calmly explained, “Yes, that is true, I probably could. However, if it fails, that just means wasting time while she may be in danger, giving us less time to save her. Even if it did work, it doesn’t always reveal location or direction, just a general surrounding, which would still mean searching anyway.”

He then beckoned her forward and she came closer. Lowering his voice and leaning over, he said, “Besides, you don’t seem too keen on her safety. Whether those tears were real after you stabbed her during your berserker rage is still questionable, especially after that look you gave when we saved her life. So I would suggest either you help or go rot somewhere.”

Anielle gave an incredulous look and hissed, “How dare you—”

“No,” Silavut hissed back. “How dare you. You used to work with her…and how do we know you still don’t? Maybe you’re still her pawn. You haven’t liked Nara since day one, and have tried killing her before. Now, help, or go away, or I will make you go away…if you know what I mean.” He sat back up, giving her a look that he meant business.

She grumbled and turned to go with Tail and Vekta.

Sehlan was slightly surprised. Normally she was the tactician, taking charge of their operations. For Silavut to do so was a nice change of pace.

They went their separate ways to search. Once out of earshot of the others, Sehlan said quietly, “You surprise me. It seems you still a few more tricks up your sleeve. Well done taking charge back there. I also heard what you said to Anielle. Hope she gets the message.”

“Thank you. I know normally that’s your area of expertise, but Nara is our family now, and I couldn’t very well back down when family is in danger. I also know we discussed confronting our issue with Anielle together, but I had to say something. I couldn’t let her get away with—”

“I’m proud of you.” Sehlan interrupted and smiled fondly at him.

“Thanks. Again. Let’s see if we can find her.” He smiled back.

“Lothiren,” Silavut sent.

“Yes, wizard?”

“You want my trust? Then do something for me.”

“Of course. Please, tell me how I can assist.”

“Nara has disappeared, as I’m sure you already noticed. I’m requesting your assistance to locate her. We have no idea which direction she could have gone, or been taken.”

“I will gladly assist a chosen one. Where shall I begin?”

Silavut ignored the ‘chosen one’ comment; he still wasn’t comfortable with that. He thought for a moment, then, “See if you can locate any tracks that may indicate which way she may have gone. Horse or otherwise.”

“As you wish.” The dragon flew off, climbing higher into the sky, to start the search.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nara was in a dark place—no, wait… She was blindfolded. As her mind started working, her senses awoke. She could feel the wind, a bouncing sensation, and hear noises around her. Horses, slowly clopping along. The ground crunching under turning wheels, a quiet squeak as they turned. A carriage bouncing as it was pulled along. Unfamiliar voices conversing in an unfamiliar language.

Then nothing again.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Silavut! We have something!” Vekta’s voice called from some distance away.

Silavut and Sehlan prodded their horses to a gallop and quickly reached the others’ location.

“What did you find?” Silavut asked.

Tail pointed. “Tracks. Faint.”

Silavut looked closer, and sure enough there were faint tracks leading away on a hidden trail.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Sehlan nearly whispered.

“I’m going to let Lothiren know. I’ve requested Lothiren’s assistance to locate her. Maybe those dragon eyes can see where they went,” Silavut said.

“Good idea. Eyes in the sky are what we really need right now.”

Silavut told Lothiren what they found and asked the dragon to follow the trail. Lothiren acknowledged the request and swooped by them above the canopy.

As Lothiren followed the trail, the others kept a lookout for any other signs of passage. Unfortunately, nothing caught their attention. Solemn silence passed as they searched.

In the rear of the group, Anielle was starting to have mixed feelings about everything. Did she really want to keep working with her; keeping being her pawn? Or should she abandon everything and ally with the others? She was lost in contemplation when she nearly ran into Vekta. The party had stopped.

In front, Tail was on the ground inspecting the area.

Sehlan went up to him. “What—” she started, but he held up his hand to interrupt her.

Tail shook his head and held a finger to his lips to indicate they should be quiet. He pointed to a large patch of ground that had been cleared. Leaning over, he whispered almost inaudibly, “It’s still fresh. Either they were just here, or it’s just hours old, maybe early morning. Which means they could still be here.”

Sehlan nodded and re-mounted her horse.

Carefully, they urged their mounts forward, slowly and quietly following the path and passing the clearing. Vekta stopped to check something, signaling for the others to move on, he would catch up.

Anielle held back, stuck between wanting to follow and stay with Vekta. Then she dismounted. Walking up to Vekta, she watched as he studied the area. She couldn’t see anything that would be of interest and now wished she would have followed the others.

Vekta glanced up at her, barely acknowledging her presence, intent on what he found. Almost exactly in the center of the clearing was Nara’s power mark, barely visible save for those who knew what they were looking for. He then motioned for her to mount up and move on as he did so himself.

They caught up to the others and Vekta relayed to Tail what he had found.

“Well done, Vekta. That means they were just there. Though I wonder how her mark got there.” He pondered on this as they continued. Then he had it. “She was surprised, and in her surprise, she must have had a surge of panic, leaving the mark. What do you think, wizard?”

Silavut thought on it and agreed. “It’s definitely possible. It’s not unheard of for those in distress to leave some kind of sign they’re in trouble, leaving it only for those who can see it. With her power, that makes sense. Surprise and panic could certainly cause her to produce a surge, leaving the mark.”

“Hopefully that means they’re not too far,” Sehlan said. “Tail, now that we know they’ve gone, can we pick up the pace and tail them?”

“It’s possible, though without knowing exactly where they are yet, it’s hard to say. It’s possible they may—”

“I have something,” the dragon interrupted.

“Go ahead, Lothiren,” Silavut sent.

“They are in a carriage.” The dragon sent them images of the carriage, horses, and area they were traveling.

“Thanks, Lothiren. Well done,” Sehlan sent.

“My pleasure. I hope this means you can trust me now, wizard.”

“We’ll see,” Silavut replied. “Thank you. Keep us informed if anything changes, we are on our way.”

The dragon acknowledged that and cut the connection.

“Let’s move,” Silavut said. “Tail, you take the lead. Vekta, make sure we’re not being followed.”

“You’re becoming a true leader,” Sehlan said. “I like that.” She winked with a mischievous smile.

Silavut blushed and turned away so the others wouldn’t see.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nara came to again. Still blindfolded. Still bouncing. Then she heard it, just barely above the squeaking wheels and breeze. The flap of giant, heavy wings. Being blindfolded, it appeared her hearing became more acute. It seemed none of her captors noticed, else they would probably be panicking and trying to escape. Either that, or they noticed but didn’t want to alert the dragon.

“Lothiren,” she sent.

“I’m here, little one. Do not worry, the others are on their way. Vekta found your mark and Tail found the trail. I followed until I spotted the carriage. Do not let on you know anything. Are you injured?”

“Thank you. No, I’m OK. I hope they catch up soon.”

“They will. Be still for now. You will know when they are here.”

“Thanks, Lothiren. We should stop for now, lest they catch on something is wrong.”

“Agreed. Be well.”

Nara cut the connection and pretended she was still passed out.

[silavut-the-wizard]

Silavut the Wizard, Chapter 50

Nara struggles with her feelings.

Nara’s Ordeal

Other than the storm, the night continued without incident. After Nara turned in, the rest stayed up half the night talking, telling stories, and laughing, eventually turning in one by one.

Nara lay awake, back turned to the rest, hearing them but not listening, her thoughts drowning them out to become just background noise.

She thought back to her childhood, becoming an orphan, growing up in the information exchange business, and how lonely she still felt. Sure, she was provided for, raised well, surrounded by good people who cared for and protected her, and given a good education for what it was worth—especially having access to the library, that was the best.

Over the years, certain urges began to manifest, but growing up in the business and having little privacy, she didn’t have time for those things. One of the main cravings she had was for a partner, a companion. The loneliness gnawed at her throughout the years. It got worse as she got older. Now that she was practically an adult, nearly seventeen, her loneliness felt like it had reached its peak. Despite being on the adventure with everyone, she felt alone.

Anielle was single, but it seemed like she preferred that. She also still didn’t trust her.

There were Vekta and Tail. Though they weren’t exactly ‘together’, they were still friends and companions.

Then of course, Lady Sehlan and Lord Silavut, who were already a couple before they met her. As much as she loved the fact they had essentially adopted her and taken her under their care, it wasn’t quite the same, and she started having feelings she wasn’t sure how to deal with.

Should she tell them? How would they react? Tears of frustration and loneliness fell to the bundle she used as a pillow. She silently cried herself to sleep.

She dreamed. She dreamed of fancy parties and finding love. Flights of fancy. Then she lost it and couldn’t get it back, it was beyond her reach. Then it changed. She was left alone in the dark, being chased by her own desires. She couldn’t seem to run fast enough.

People could never run fast enough in dreams, it seemed, no matter what they do. It’s like running in slow-motion, through water, molasses, syrup, mud…take your pick.

Soon her desires caught up and enveloped her, drowning her in their dark embrace.

She woke with a start, sitting straight up, breathing hard. It took a moment to get her bearings and remember where she was. Looking around, she saw everyone was asleep and the fire had died down, becoming just a smoking pit with glowing embers.

Sighing with sad relief, knowing she was safe but without a companion, she laid back down and lay awake for a while, reflecting internally on her feelings, contemplating how to move forward. Eventually sleep took hold again, and she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next morning, she felt herself being shaken awake. At first, she thought it was maybe a quake, but after coming to, she realized it was one of their group. Groggily, she turned over. “Hmm…what is it…?” Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she finally focused and saw it was Anielle. Suddenly her mind was fully alert. She nearly jumped up away from her, but held her position. As she looked at her, Nara could see Anielle had a disdainful look. After a moment of staring at each other, Anielle spoke.

“Time to go…” Her voice became a whisper. “…you little brat…” She gave Nara another nasty, spiteful, murderous look as she moved away to pack up.

Nara cautiously rose to pack her own things, keeping Anielle in sight. She would definitely have to talk to the others about her. Maybe about her other problems, too; she hadn’t decided yet.

After packing up and joining the others outside, she saw it was still cloudy, but at least the rain had stopped.

“How’d you sleep?” Sehlan asked.

“OK, I guess,” she said, shrugging. She looked away and fixed up her pack and tack.

Sehlan noticed something was off. “Are you all right?” she asked quietly, out of earshot of the others.

“Yeah, I’m OK,” Nara replied unconvincingly.

“No…I don’t think so. No you’re not.” Sehlan shook her head. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No… Yes… I don’t know…” Nara was conflicted and huffed in frustration. She knew she could trust Sehlan above all else—Silavut coming next; then of course Tail since she knew him the longest, but he was never good with personal stuff—but could she unload on her without her being too critical? Could she include Silavut since it involved him, too? She didn’t know what to do.

Sehlan nodded. “Well, when you’re ready to, just know I’m here. Silavut, too.”

“Yeah.” Nara turned to Sehlan and smiled meekly. “Thanks.”

They finished adjusting their packs and tack and mounted the horses. A moment later they were on the move. She lagged behind a bit, wanting to be alone with her thoughts. Tail and Vekta stayed back to keep an eye on her, just in case.

After a little while, something got into her head. “What is wrong, little one?” the dragon’s voice came.

“Lothiren? How did…what…?” She surreptitiously looked around and spotted the creature gliding just above the treetops, then dropped her head again.

“I am a dragon, I can sense your distress. As a dragon, I can also control who I communicate with. Now please, what is wrong?”

Nara thought about it for a moment. She had never really considered a dragon to be a confidant. However, the mental communication was private, and she didn’t have to say anything out loud unless she wanted to. She sighed and went for it, telling Lothiren everything.

“Oh my. I see. That is a rather perplexing conundrum. As a dragon, I can’t begin to even pretend to know how you feel as a human. Have you talked to them about it yet?”

“No. I can’t…not yet. It just doesn’t feel right.”

“Hmm…well…would you like me to portray your desires to them?”

“NO!” Her head jerked up and she gasped reflexively. Thankfully no one noticed. She quickly lowered her head again. “Er…I mean… No. Sorry. It’s my problem, I’ll have to tell them sooner or later.”

“As you wish, Nara. If you need assistance, I would gladly provide it.”

“Thanks, Lothiren.”

“You’re welcome, child.” With that, Lothiren cut the connection, leaving Nara to her thoughts again.

Tail and Vekta felt something was up and slowed their horses to hang back with Nara.

Vekta spoke first. “You OK? You seem a bit distracted.”

She looked up and saw they were on either side; she was sandwiched between them. “Yeah, I’m OK. Or, I will be. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Yet worry we shall, dear one,” Tail replied with a playful smile.

There he goes again. She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Well, there is one thing.” She decided to tell them about that morning. Her voice lowered. “Have you noticed anything off about Anielle? This morning, she woke me up…” She told them about their encounter.

“That is rather troublesome,” Tail said, frowning. “You know, now that you mention it, I have noticed she has seemed a bit shifty ever since we left the castle.”

“Right. Did you notice her look after the battle, too? When we realized Nara was still alive and she was healed?” Vekta pointed out. “It was like…she didn’t want it to happen.”

“Yes. We should definitely discuss this with Sehlan and Silavut.”

Nara nodded. “I thought the same thing.” She wasn’t, however, ready to explore and confront her other issues, not just yet. She wanted time to sort herself out, make sure what she wanted to say came out right, as much as it could.

The two men rode forward and left Nara to her thoughts.

As they rode on, Sehlan and Silavut kept surreptitiously glancing back at Nara, wondering what was going on in that head of hers. Sehlan knew something was up, but didn’t want to alienate the poor girl, and Silavut coaxed it out of her so he wondered if there was anything he could do. They decided they would have to wait for Nara to tell them in her own time.

Then they looked back one more time, and Nara had disappeared.