Archon of Strife: Segment Two

Rashida Shadowbane simultaneously spit and scowled as she kicked the bowl of slop in her servant's face.

"You call this food!?" she demanded as the servant grimaced, his rags splattered with the gruel.

"But milady, it's all we have left! The food stores are run dry!" Rashida frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"The only thing running dry is your pathetic excuses, and soon your luck if you don’t scrounge something up!" The threat seemed hallow, and Rashida's temper flared as the servant hobbled at a somewhat casual, defiant pace from her quarters. After hearing the satisfying slice of the knife she threw finding its mark, she sighed in an irritable manner and flopped onto her pillows and fabrics.

The measly band hadn't been able to find anyone to rob for several weeks now due to apparent rumors that had spread of the thieves' residence in one of the many passes to the echo lands. The mountains were impossible to traverse themselves, so bold settlers and fortune seekers alike were forced to navigate the natural paths instead. The number of imbeciles flooding to the passes and lands beyond seemed to increase yearly, and yet not one returned. Rashida didn't care in the least what happened to them, so long as they "deposited" their valuables for safekeeping first. Rarely did she kill anyone who paid her toll though; she had morals and standards of her own. To the dismay of the marks, however, this didn't obligate her to restrain the thugs and greedy slime that took to her leadership from doing what they desired with the unfortunate travelers.

What bothered her was the fact that despite the abundance of travelers, they seemed wary of the pass she guarded. It might have just been some wolves or mudslide blocking the path a few miles up, intermingled with misfortune, if not for her scouting parties reporting that nearby passes weren't seeing any adventuring caravans either. It was almost as if someone were tipping off passerby… or protecting them.

Rashida plunged another knife she had been toying with deep into the pillow to her left.

"Bring me anyone who does not harass the targets after they pay their toll." One of the guards took a step toward the entrance of the hut, but the other seemed reluctant and confused at the same time.

"Are my orders not good enough to be followed, worm!?"

The reluctant guard hastily straightened up and spat out a panicked reply, "uh-of course n-n-not milady! It's j-just that-"

"Just that what?" Rashida probed as she arose and slowly started to pace.

"Just th-that nobody's seen a patrol in months!"

Rashida frowned slightly and gave an exasperated sigh. Flinging the dagger from the pillow through the canvas next to the sputtering guard, she responded in a growling temper,

"Then bring me the ones who stayed behind instead of pillaging when we last had regular thefts!" Her tone gradually rose to a shout as she issued the orders, causing the guard, who was making sure he hadn't been impaled anywhere, to turn his attention back to her and sputter timidly, "Y-yes milady!" The other guard quickly hurried out after him, dragging the body of the servant on his way out. Someone was going to answer for her recent streak of "bad luck."

Tarnengath kept his head high so that he was looking down at the boy; he always looked more intimidating that way, or so he was told. It was true though, because his wispy gray hair streaked his face and accentuated his red eyes. Many thought minotaur to be creatures of pure evil, but every feature of their appearance could logically be explained. Tarn tried to steady his breath and redden his eyes to strengthen his night vision. Day had faded several hours ago now, and pure darkness was setting in. With a new moon out, Tarn had every advantage over the scum he had slaughtered earlier.

"You should be thanking me, boy," The minotaur said as he sized Kael up. Instead of responding with an expected thank-you, however, Kael could only stare at the malicious red ovals. "You deaf or something? I don't want to be babysitting you all night - I have other things on my mind. But if you go crashing off into the brush again you’re bound to get captured; I’m not sure how many of those scum are out here." Kael stuttered heavily as he gathered his wits, "I I um ah…"

"Speak up!" Tarn snorted back as he peered closer.

Fist closing on a jagged rock, Kael panicked and flung it at the monster, which effortlessly flicked it to the side and rose from a sitting position to his full height. Tarn instantly realized this to be a mistake, for the boy fearfully tumbled backward through the undergrowth and darted up a pine tree with such agility that a squirrel would have been jealous. Taken somewhat aback, Tarn took several steps forward, then thought better of it and headed off in the other direction. "The problem's not mine anymore," he thought.

Huffing and clasping his hand to his chest, Kael failed to hold back tears of agony. His hand split open when he flung the rock, he was exhausted and sore, scared to death by a nine foot demon of carnage, and bleeding from scratches and bruises in more places than he could count.

"Why me, why me?"

An owl hooting in seeming response nearby threatened to send him precariously off the limb as he flinched at the sound.

"Come on Kael, calm yourself down, you can do it." His voice only seemed to draw his focus for a few seconds before another throb of pain coursed through him. He couldn't sleep up here; the tree didn't have any limbs big enough to ensure he wouldn't roll off in his sleep. Slowly stretching his neck, he debated with himself over his next move. He wasn't sure if he could make it to another tree or back to the village… he was so exhausted.

Suddenly he sat bolt upright, which threatened to make him pass out due to the rush of fatigue. His face still sweating, his hand started trembling as his thoughts came in to focus on the village. What if the monster goes to kill everyone? He had to get there first and send a warning. Kael slid down to a lower limb, and then collapsed upon it, slowly slipping as his fingers lost strength. How, why, nothing like this ever happened in Dalden… Kael tried to center his focus…but…darkness.

Fuzzy dreams clouded Kael's subconscious once again. The vision wasn’t clear enough to see the faces, but the woman was cornered by something and the man grabbed her and they ran together like always. The fear made Kael shiver in reality, and little nubs of pain grasped him and tugged him back. He put his will into staying with the two strangers, wanting to know what would happen, what was happening now. They were cornered once again, and the man lashed out towards Kael, he was looking through something's eyes; the woman almost seemed to glow, then whispers.

Kael's eyes shot open and he painfully brought in a huge gasp of air. It seemed as if he had been holding his breath for several minutes, and he blinked his eyes and massaged them as the new light flashed dots and lines and figures into them. After checking to see that he was alright, he groaned and rolled over, flailing at the air as he tumbled through ten more feet of branches and limbs, forgetting where he was. He rubbed new scratches as he moaned at the foot of the tree. "Considering last night, I'm lucky to be alive," he thought. "I must've fallen at least three times and been stopped by a lower branch. It's a wonder I didn't even wake up."

Mist covered the forest completely, almost giving it an eerie effect. Twigs snapped and branches were pushed around as Kael clumsily staggered toward the path to the village. He stepped in a pothole, momentarily losing his balance. He was almost to the outskirts of town, and exhaustion threatened to assault him from the previous night. In spite of this, everything seemed peaceful around him. Now that he could think clearly, he wondered what he had been struggling to defend. He regained some of his composure as he started passing thatched huts and small houses. Did he really want to tell anyone? Kael doubted they'd believe him unless someone else had seen the monster too – which didn’t seem to be the case. All he had to show for the night before was his bruises and scratches. Somehow he had also hit his throat on something, most likely a branch, which would most likely leave him raspy until the swelling went down. At the moment it felt like someone had a large hand clutching his throat every time he swallowed or took a breath, but everyone else would probably think he wanted attention if he started to talk about bull-men in the forest and that he was faking being hurt. Kael once again started to feel contempt for the town he had had so much concern for earlier. He continued for about ten minutes onward to the village while trying to wake up, wary of every turn and shadow. When he finally returned, everything seemed normal and he loped to the town well to sit down and relax at the thought of stretching and cleaning himself.

The first drops of cool, refreshing liquid touched his lips from the pool cupped in his hands as sunlight filtered over the nearby mountains. It was hardly believable that something that monstrous had been wandering around the forest. Kael drew up the bucket again, and tipped it over his head. The water had just splashed over his body, sending shivers everywhere, when a jolt and loud ‘thunk’ met his senses. He quickly wiped the water from his eyes, only to find himself staring at a feathered shaft protruding from the bucket which had just shielded his face.

Kael made up for his sluggish realization several seconds later by plunging to the ground, in the process narrowly avoiding another hissing arrow. He racked his brain for what could possibly be happening – he hadn't seen any missile weapons on the beast, but he was not so dubious as to assume that the monster couldn't easily draw even the heaviest bow. Kael considered diving into the well, but thought better of it when he laid eyes upon the town bell. Presently, the only thing protecting him was the three-foot stone cylinder making up the well's surface opening. He scrambled to the side he thought opposite the archer, judging by where the arrow came from. The arrows had stopped, meaning that either the archer was coming for him or possibly waiting.

Thoughts still on the bell, Kael contemplated his next action. Just one ring of the bell would result in the town bustling about to discover the commotion, and surely his assailant would flee when confronted with everyone awakening. Hesitating a few more moments, Kael pulled his legs under himself and prepared to make a bound. He drew his arms back, only to have them grabbed and pulled in opposite directions across his back. A man’s voice issued a preemptive question behind him, responded to within the moment.

"What ya think eh’s doin up so early?"

"Hah! Prob’ly worked ‘imself alf ta death last night an’ hopin for a day off by teh looks of it." A man carrying a longbow came trotting up as Kael felt his hands being bound from behind. He attempted to struggle free, but succeeded only in being thrust face-first into the dirt. "Kill him now! Tamika will have our hides if we have half the village roaming around before the area is secured!" The archer’s face was disgruntled, as if he had a lot to worry about, or was in a bad way with some not-so-good "friends."

"Ahh com’ off it! We’ve got annuner two hours o sittin around," a second voice challenged, also from behind Kael. He swiveled his head as he was pulled up from the ground, and saw the second man surveying the town square. "There! Put ‘im on theh' bell." The archer contorted his face over being undermined and angrily hissed, "Kill him now before he screams and wakes anyone else!" Kael attempted to do just this at that moment, but could only manage a hoarse moan. The man restraining him had had his hand ready to stifle Kael’s cry, but relaxed and laughed. "Har har! Eh’ really ‘as worked ‘imself ta deaf! Get it, deaf?" The archer trudged off angrily, muttering to himself about the difference between deaf and mute under the laughs of the other two. Kael futilely wriggled as the large first man secured him to the bell, and accidentally kicked the bell before his legs were tied. His hopes, however, shot back down within the same second they arose, for all that issued was a very muffled knell that reverberated through him, due to his body cushioning the bell.

"Why are you here? What are you doing?" Kael’s voice was just loud enough to reach the second man some twenty feet away, who turned before the first man could even consider Kael’s plea for answers. "Shut it! You’re in no posit’n ta askin’ questions!" He quickly pulled a dart of some sort from a pouch and threw it at Kael, managing to pin his codall to part of the wooden bell support. Horror welled up inside Kael as he realized what they were planning as a pastime – a game of darts… and he was the dartboard.

"At leas that snob is off to get ‘er mighty’ness huh?" the first man said as he walked toward the other.

"Yeh, always thinkin’ eh’s smart n’ stuff 'cause he speaks all proper, wish eh’d go stab ‘imself wiv ‘is knife." The second man paused a moment, then continued on to discuss figures with the first. They argued over numbers for a bit, seeming more like they were randomly reciting them than actually betting to Kael, which didn’t seem too far-fetched from the education he guessed they had.

"Soun’ good?" The first man considered their final bidding for a few seconds before responding, "Alrigh’ deal." They shook and turned to their prey.