The Dark Priestess Part One
Since birth Bolan was destined to a warrior. He was an energetic and healthy boy all throughout his childhood.
This led to him becoming a renowned soldier who served alongside Rahad, king of the Rendaro.
His duties, however, would one day shift from the offensive to defensive sort when he was assigned to guard the Royal Palace.
He did so without question and although the job was pretty uneventful, Bolan never tired of it.
All that, unfortunately, would come to an end once the Ia betrayed their kind.
The entirety of Iana had disappeared and this left those in the palace and outskirts in shock.
Fortunately, due to Chali’s valiant efforts, everyone was gathered in the royal palace where they were offered shelter and food.
But that too would soon come to an end.
“What do you hope to find down there?” Bolan asked Chali, who had finished tending to the needs of one of the many families in the palace.
“I do not know, but anything is better than waiting here to be slaughtered. Oh- do not worry to much. The others won’t hold it against you. Your decision is yours to make.” Chali said with a gentle smile.
“You… we could all go together.” Bolan said, but Chali shook his head.
“The King had a reason for not taking all of us to that place. I will not tarnish that which he envisioned. You, on the other hand, are allowed to do as you please. We are free men now, after all.” Chali said, but Bolan bit his teeth.
“Fine-“
“If you are still so torn up about it, how about I give you one last order.” Chali said with a grin.
“I should’ve known you had something up your sleeve.” Bolan scoffed.
He then followed Chali to a certain room on the second floor of the palace.
“Mmm…” Bolan droned as Chali opened the door that led into the prince’s chamber.
Within it, on a chair by the window, sat a woman who wore a simple gown, but what stood out about her appearance was the thin black crown on her head.
“I believe it would be the height of foolishness to send all of the Remnants of our species south. Take her along with you. If we all die down there, hopefully the two of you will meet a different fate.” Chali said rather seriously.
Bolan sighed before crossing his arms.
“Alright. I’ll take her, but don’t say stuff like that. Live on, survive for as long as you can so that we can exchange interesting stories when we arrive in the heart of the Black Flame.”
A teary eyed Chali turned around to find a grinning Bolan.
Chali wiped his tears before offering Bolan his hand.
The two shook hands as the sun gently set over Rendaya.
“Goodbye.” Chali said before leaving.
Bolan walked up to the woman known as Räne.
A woman said to be suffering from an illness known as the Hollowing of the Mind.
An illness that robbed people of their memories and even basic cognitive abilities.
The woman sitting by the window was a barely functioning husk. There was no known cure for the Hollowing and all who had succumbed to it were usually put out of their misery via decapitation.
Their heads would then be sewn back onto their bodies which would be cremated shortly after.
Bolan had his work cut out for him but, to him, this was the ideal situation.
After losing both the King and Kenos, Bolan no longer had anyone to serve.
He had no purpose.
The entire reason he wanted to go west was to give himself another reason to exist other than survival.
Chali had presented to him the perfect solution for his predicament and so he left the room before making his way to the barracks where the guards kept all their equipment and as expected, his fellow guards all gave him cold looks.
He ignored them as best as he could as he gathered some supplies into a large leather bag. These included a waterskin, a change of clothes, a blanket and a fairly large pouch full of dried meats.
His body, like that of all other palace guards, was covered in dark armor which was designed by Rahad himself. A leather under armor covered in hardened plates of darkness.
He also wielded a long sword made of darkness
He left the barracks before returning to the Prince’s room where he walked up to a blank faced woman.
“Ahem! This way, if you please.” He said, but Räne simply looked at him silently.
He offered her his hand and she accepted it.
He the led her out of the palace before leading her out into the hot, sandy planes of Rendaya.
Fortunately for him and Räne, the sun was slowly sinking into the horizon.
This meant it would soon get really cold and so Bolan covered Räne in the spare jacket he’d taken.
He then gave the royal palace one last glance before walking out into the desert.
.
..
Bolan and Räne had been walking for a few hours and he could no longer see Iana when he turned around.
The sea of sand before them was dark due to the fact the night was moonless, but Bolan didn’t care.
He was far too excited by the prospects of adventure.
He glanced at Räne who silently walked by his side.
She wore a simple pair of saddles.
Those wouldn’t provide much protection against the night’s cold and so Bolan looked around before spotting a bunch of dead trees in the distance.
The two walked towards them and after placing his things down, he used his spare clothes to create a makeshift bed for Räne.
“Go on.” He said and she promptly sat down before blankly staring at him.
It’s here that Bolan realized that this journey would be rather quiet.
He rested his head against one of the dark trees before thinking back to his time in the army.
He remembered the countless battles he had fought, the countless comrades he had lost and the endless blood that had been spilt in all that time.
This made him frown.
He tried to distract himself by thinking about all the good he’d experienced.
The stories he shared and the time he spent with his comrades.
These were things that he treasured, but for some reason, after so many years, all he could see were flashes of violence and death.
Bolan’s thoughts were interrupted by Räne's yawn.
“Sleep, if you’re tired.” He said and the woman promptly laid down to sleep.
Bolan closed his eyes and tried to escape from the painfully clear visions of war, but not even sleep would offer him shelter from the storm that brewed in his mind.
.
..
Bolan’s eyes snapped open and he grabbed his sword as his heart knocked painfully on his chest.
His body was covered in sweat and his breaths were frantic.
Why was he feeling this way?
It had been so long…
He stood up and gently awoke Räne.
She silently stood up and watched as Bolan packed up all their things.
The two then resumed their journey west as the sun slowly rose.
They walked for hours on end before eventually coming across something that made Bolan’s aching heart jump with excitement.
He stopped a Lopus prowling the desert in the distance.
He wanted to dash towards it and quickly kill it, but he hesitated.
It was true that Lopa were solitary creatures that only ever interacted with each other to mate, but there was always the chance that many Lopa would be competing for territory in one spot meaning Bolan couldn’t just leave Räne’s side to kill the beast before him.
“Follow me.” He whispered as he skulked towards the beast.
The Lopus noticed Bolan and Räne, but much to the Nemen warrior’s disappointment, the beast let out a roar before running away.
“Aww.” He sounded as he stood upright.
He nose the caught a strange scent.
He turned around and saw that Räne had pissed herself, but due to he blank expression Bolan couldn’t tell if it was out of fear or her general lack of control.
He sighed before extending his hand.
“Give me the jacket.” He instructed.
The sun was rising and so she’d dry naturally, but he didn’t want her to stink up his jacket.
A moment passed as Bolan and Räne stared at each other.
“Ugh!” He sounded before gently removing the jacket for her.
He then looked out into the desert.
There was no water for kilometers and there was no way he was using the water in his bag to clean her up and so he continued west with Räne in tow and a frown on his face.
.
..
Night had fallen and the two settled down next to a rather large boulder.
Bolan noticed that Räne’s face was slightly twisted.
He wondered if she was hungry and so he offered her one of his seven strips of dried meat.
“Eat.” He growled before eating one of the strips himself.
Räne struggled to eat the tough meat, but she did eventually.
Bolan nodded to himself before leaning against the boulder.
He wondered how long they’d have to travel before reaching the place where the other Nemen went.
He wondered what that place was like.
A town or city built specifically for the Nemen.
He couldn’t even picture what that was like.
Bolan was keenly aware of the Ia and their treacherous ways.
A city without them was a city that prospered and as for the Foph… they were a chaotic and violent bunch.
That being said, they never did anything purely evil.
Bolan’s eyes widened as he spotted movement in the distance.
He jumped onto his feet and spotted a rather skinny Lopa approaching.
Bolan wasted no time in grabbing his sword and dashing towards it.
To a normal Rendaro, a Lopus was a sizable threat, but to a Nemen, it was like a mutt.
Although facing many of them could prove troublesome.
The Lopus lashes out to claw at Bolan, but he kicked it in the face before sitting on it.
He then stabbed it in the neck, cleanly separating it’s head from the rest of its body.
Unfortunately, this Lopus looked rather old and it was covered in Dark Marks meaning its flesh was inedible.
Finding and killing a younger one would’ve been preferable since those ones wouldn’t have absorbed so much darkness yet.
Bolan sighed before standing up and returning to the boulder where a sleepy Räne still sat.
“Sleep.” He instructed and Räne complied.
Bolan then cleaned his sword before returning it to its sheath as the minutes crawled by.
He eventually rested his head against the Boulder before closing his eyes to sleep.
.
..
A few days had passed since their journey began and the last of Bolan’s supplies had finally run out.
The only reason why Räne was still able to move was because Bolan had given her the last of the meat.
They were in a place with extremely tall dunes which Räne tumbled down on many occasions.
Bolan dusted Räne off before grabbing his sword as an arrow whizzed by.
He looked around and saw that standing above the towering dunes, were people dressed in dirty looking rags.
They all wielded crude weapons and filled the air with vulgar yells and ululations.
They shot countless arrow at Bolan and Räne, but he grabbed Räne and shielded her from the volley of allows with his armored body.
He stared into her rather beautiful dark eyes before swearing to himself that he would protect her.
But he was only one man.
Protecting Räne wouldn’t be easy, but he was no ordinary man.
He was a palace guard of the once prosperous Rendaro Kingdom and so as the arrows ceased to strike his body, he tightly held his sword before looking out at his enemies.
Fifteen in total.
Fifteen targets.
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The Dark Priestess Part Two
Bolan dashed up the south-facing dune with a speed that should have been impossible considering that he was wearing armor.
He then came to face to face with five of his enemies.
Five malnourished Rendaro who were dressed in rags and strips of leather.
For trying to kill the one he swore to protect they would pay with their lives and so he swung his sword horizontally, cleaving three of them in half.
The other two trying running away, but Bolan grabbed the leftmost one before forcing him forward into his comrade.
Bolan turned his attention to the ten Rendaro who were running down the dunes to capture Räne.
He took a deep breath before dashing down the dune on which he stood.
The Rendaro noticed his descent and so they threw several Spears at him, but these weapons were no match for his armor.
One spear, however, managed to pierce the spot just above his left armpit, but it merely nicked him before falling down.
The Rendaro then tried running away, but the Nemen warrior had already gotten too close and so he grabbed the nearest one before slamming him into the ground where he stepped on his neck with so much force that it broke.
He charged towards the next one and even though the Rendaro raised his arms and begged for mercy, Bolan cleaved of his arms before stabbing him in the face.
He then looked around and saw that the others had gotten away.
It’s here that Bolan noticed that his right arm was throbbed painfully.
He quickly realized that the spear that nicked him must have been coated with poison.
He turned an infuriated eye towards the hill where he had nocked out those two Rendaro.
He walked up to them before dragging their unconscious bodies to where an blank faced Räne still stood.
He then used the lovely hanging cloth from their rags to bind them before ripping off the plates of armor from his now limp left arm before using a dagger to cut off the rest of the leather armor.
His eyes narrowed upon seeing that his arm was covered in black marks.
He then took a moment to think as the sun hung brightly above.
He walked up to one of the many Spears on the floor and picked it up to find wisps of white smoke rising from it.
“Ah…” He sounded before dropping the spear and signing.
The two Rendaro eventually awoke and they began loudly begging for their lives.
Bolan ignored them and wondered how much further the secret city was.
Perhaps his captives knew.
He walked up to his prisoners, a man and woman, and glared at their skinny selves.
Their cheeks were hollow and they had so little clothing on that their crotches were clearly visible.
“Where is the nearest city?” Bolan asked.
He knew that any information his prisoners gave him about a supposed city of Nemen would be… inaccurate at best and so he asked them for directions to somewhere he would be able to get supplies.
“The nearest city is Disahn, at the center of the Western Wilds. It’s few days west from lake Iedup.” The man said.
“And how far away is the lake?”
“A day, at most.” The man said with trembling eyes.
“And where is your home?” Bolan asked with scarily narrowed eyes.
The man’s eyes trembled further.
“Its-“
“Don’t tell him!” The woman cried.
“What if he kills us?”
“I’m not going to kill you. Just tell me where you live.”
“We live in a small village the Ratata Tatatata Valley. It’s two days to the south.” The man said, but Bolan couldn’t help but smile.
“That has got to be a lie.” He said, but the man beneath him should his head.
“It’s not! So please, spare us.”
Bolan looked his captives over.
He then eyed the other corpses and realized that they didn’t have much so there was no point posting them.
“Räne! Come.” He barked before leading Räne up the westernmost dune.
“Wait! Untie us!” The man yelled.
“You can’t leave us like this!”
Bolan ignored them as he lamented the loss of his arm.
He was careless in the previous encounter because he had forgotten that in a battle, things like honor or fair play were mete suggestions.
He’d need to be more careful.
And as for Räne…
He looked her over and saw that she was fine.
Knowing this he led her ever forward on their westward March.
.
..
Bolan’s eyes narrowed as he gazed upon what could be described as the widest lake ever.
It went on and on until it touched the horizon, but it also looked really shallow which puzzled a hungry and tired Bolan.
The lake was also lined with countless people which puzzled Bolan even further.
He glanced at Räne and saw that her once plump and pink lips were dry and cracked.
“Come.” He growled dryly before leading Räne down the last of the dunes.
They then walked towards one of the groups near the lake and saw that they were harvesting something for the lake, but before Bolan could come to any conclusion, the people of the group pointed their various weapons at him.
“Stay back! This is our spot!”
One of them snarled prompting Bolan to grab Räne’s hand.
He then led her westward along the lakes edge.
He had realized that the lake was filled with salt which the Rendaro around it were harvesting.
What puzzled him was their attitude.
The lake was gigantic.
He wondered why they weren’t more spread out.
His curiosity was answered shortly after coming across a group rather heavily armored Rendaro and they keenly watched over everyone who was harvesting self.
Bolan deduced that there was a limit on how much anyone could harvest, but he was still confused as to why the limit existed.
“Pack your shit and leave!”
One of the armored Rendaro barked while dragging a rather elderly Rendaro away from the lake.
People who Bolan assumed were the old man’s family, packed their things before walking away from the lake, but before they got very far, the guard stopped them.
“Ah-ah! I don’t believe you thanked me for my hard work.” The enforcer said with a grin.
“Oh, but we don’t have much-“
The enforcer punched the old man in the face, but this was the last straw for Bolan.
He didn’t particularly care for the old man, but he also couldn’t just watch as he was beaten.
He walked up to the old man and helped him up.
People were already given Bolan stares ever since he arrived and this drew more attention to him.
After ensuring that the old man was free of sand, Bolan turned his gaze to the wide eyed enforcer.
“Have pity on this old man, will you?” Bolan asked. His voice a thunderous growl.
The enforcer clicked his tongue before walking away.
“T-thank you, kind gentleman.”
Bolan turned around to find the old man and his two family members standing before him. One of which was a rather tall girl. She, like the others, was dressed in dirty old rags and she was the only one with a weapon. A rusty old sword.
She also had grey hair meaning she had Nemen blood in her veins-
Bolan’s eyes widened, but he remained calm.
He couldn’t just ask her to point him in the direction of other Nemen and so her gently shook the old man’s hand.
“Don’t worry. I was just helping you onto your feet.” Bolan said with a faint smile.
The old man nodded before noticing Bolan’s darkened arm.
“M-my son is a healer. If you join us on our journey west, we could find something to use to heal your arm.”
“Hoh? I assume you’re going to Disahn.”
“Yes.” The old man wheezed.
“I see. Then lead the way.”
“Ah- Pardon me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Ost and these are my children.”
Bolan introduced Räne and himself before following Ost westward.
Bolan learnt that Ost and his children were a Nomadic bunch who traded salt for goods in Disahn, which is what other people did, although they had the luxury of having homes.
Ost also mentioned that a river ran though Disahn but the river had been walled off and the parts that weren’t were guarded.
He said that this was done under the command of a man named the Aureate King.
Apparently, he controlled the distribution of water and anyone who wanted to drink water for free had to go far north, but the came with the risk of running into soldiers from Lanceberg or other humans.
Going too far south also came with its problems as powerful monsters lived down there.
“S-say, are you perhaps from the Black Citadel?” Ost asked as we walked along a much emptier section of the Iedup lake. Although a few enforcers could be seen patrolling it’s edges.
Bolan realized that Ost was talking about Iana and so he confirmed the old Rendaro’s curiosities.
This lead him to wondering if he knew where the other Nemen went and so he asked.
“Nemen? Unfortunately, I know not of such a people. You could ask around once we reach Disahn. I’m sure at least one person will be able to help.” Ost said and Bolan curtly nodded after digesting what he’d learnt.
.
..
Night eventually fell prompting Bolan, Räne and Ost’s group to set up camp about a kilometer north of the lake.
Ost started a fire all while Bolan made Räne a makeshift bed for her to sleep on.
Bolan sat next to her all while trying his best to stay away, but he was beyond exhausted and so he closed his eyes in an attempt to reduce the aching in his eyes.
“Is he asleep?”
Bolan heard someone asked.
“Why did you tell him that I’m a healer, old man?”
“Because he helped-“
“Ugh! What are going to do if he tells someone?”
“Calm down, Mlone. You heard what he said. He’s from the Dark Citadel, what makes you think he’ll care whether or not you’re a healer. I bet he’s running away from something.”
“Ugh! Still…” Mlone groaned.
“Well, well. What do we have here?”
Bolan opened his eyes before turning around to find a eight enforcers approaching.
“Did you honestly think you could just walk away after disrespecting me like that?”
The enforcer from the lake asked as Bolan and the others stood up.
“I am a servant of the Aureate King and disrespecting me is akin to spitting in his face. But, the King is a merciful lord. I’m sure he’d want me be fair as I deal out justice. So get on your knees.” The enforcer said with a warm smile.
“What do you want?” Bolan asked while placing his hand on his sword.
“Tsk, tsk. I offer you kindness and you question my intentions. Ah well, I should have expected such from ungrateful scum. Allow me to spell it out for you, you oversized Traeltor. Disahn is suffering from a shortage of strong, loyal warriors and so I, Synus, will allow those of you who are able, to bear our children.” Synus said with a grin.
Bolan was at a loss for words.
Were the men before him all willing to throw their lives away simply because they could not handle being stood up against?
Or was it their lust?
Bolan was confused.
“Aww, don’t worry. This will all be over soon if you just get on your knees.” Synus said while approaching Bolan, but Bolan shifted his mind towards something else.
The consequences of killing Synus were… problematic to say the least.
All he’d had to deal with in the desert were wild animals and the single encounter he had with a group of Rendaro cost him his arm.
He couldn’t guarantee Räne’s safety if he became an enemy of the Aureate King and his men.
That being said...
Bolan sighed before unearthing his sword and resting it on his shoulder.
“The next time my knees touch the ground, it will be when I die.” Bolan said while looking down at Synus who glared at him.
“Kill him.” Synus said and in that moment, Bolan’s left arm was twisted and torn apart by an unseen force.
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The Dark Priestess Part Three
“AHHH!” Bolan cried, but he bit his teeth before swinging his sword to strike Synus.
Unfortunately, his sword struck something invisible causing it to bounce back.
Synus let out a chuckle as he ran towards the seven other enforcers.
“Finish him off.” He said cheerily.
Bolan felt his chest tighten, but he long since realized that one of the enforcers was a space magician and so he quickly dove to the floor before the space where his torso once was distorted.
This move, unfortunately, allowed the enforcers to rush towards Bolan who was still on the ground.
They then began kicking him while one of them ripped of his helmet revealing that a quarter of the hair on his head, but non of them cared.
The enforcer that removed Bolan’s helmet unheated a dagger from his waist before raising.
Bolan grabbed one of the enforcers by his neck and he hurriedly broke it before pushing him towards the one who wanted to stab him.
Bolan then pushed the others away and before they could even realize that their comrade was dead, he towards the one who’s eyes had a pale white glow.
He was the space magician who took his arm and so, with an animalistic roar, Bolan tackled him to the ground before head-butting him so hard that the front of his skull shattered.
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“AH!” Bolan cried as one of enforcers stabbed him in the back via a spot his armor didn’t fully cover.
He faced the frightened Rendaro before reaching out to grab him.
He then spotted the four other enforcers charging towards him and so he threw their comrade at them, causing them all to fall over.
Bolan wasted no time in grabbing his sword and just as the enforcers stood up, he cleaved the heads of three of them.
The last two tried running away, but Bolan tackled one of them before stabbing him in the back of the head and before the other one could get very far away, Bolan threw his sword at him.
Unfortunately, the sword struck the Rendaro with its side. This sent him falling forward.
Bolan rushed towards him as he desperately tried crawling away.
The Nemen warrior then stepped on the enforcers back before grabbing his head with both of his large hands.
He tore of the Rendaro’s head before tossing it to the side.
Bolan bit his teeth before turning to face the south.
In the distance, a certain enforcer could be seen running away.
“AAAAAARRGG!” Bolan roared as he dashed towards him, but he only managed to tale a single step before falling face flat onto the ground.
His vision rapidly darkened and his thoughts were far too muddled to properly listen to any of the screams and yells he heard as he lost consciousness.
.
..
“Mmm…” Bolan groaned as he tore his eyelids open.
He saw that his head was resting on Räne’s lap and he gently embraced his head as the sun rose.
He pulled himself away from Räne before sitting up to find Ost and his family stared at him.
“What?” Bolan asked.
“H- what are you?”
One of the young Rendaro who Bolan assumed was Ost’s eldest son asked.
Bolan told them his life story and the group gasped in awe, although Bolan himself didn’t find his story particularly interesting.
“Anyway, with what happened yesterday, the enforcers will most likely be looking for us. This also means that we’ll be killed if we’re found in Disahn. That being said, my heading hasn’t changed. I’m going west. What about you?” Bolan asked while eyeing the pile of courses in the distance. They had all been turned into husks as a result if having the last of the life energy absorbed or transferred.
“What? Is that all you have to say? Thanks to you, we’re as good as dead! The least you could do is protect us as thanks!”
“Calm down, Mlone.”
“No! Our lives may not have been luxurious, but we were surviving just fine. You shouldn’t have intervened back then and now, thanks to you, our we’ll be hunted and killed!” Mlone yelled with teary eyes.
Bolan looked at his body to find that he had indeed lost his left arm, but the wound had been closed.
He also felt a faint sting in his back, but he could tell that Mlone had healed him quite well.
“Hey! Are you even listening?” Mlone asked.
“Mmm? Oh, I apologize for all the trouble I’ve caused and I thank you for tending to my wounds, but that is the extent of what I have to say.” Bolan said as he stood up. He checked and saw that he was still carrying his old leather bag.
“Asshole.” Mlone spat, but Bolan ignored him as he dusted himself off.
“Come.” He said while offering Räne his hand.
Räne accepted it, but as she and Bolan made their way west, Ost and his group began hurriedly discussing something.
From what Bolan could hear it sounded like they were considering following him.
A few minutes passed and Ost eventually called out.
“Wait for us!” He cried as his group caught up to Bolan who hadn’t stopped walking.
“We’re all gonna die horrible deaths.” Mlone groaned as he walked alongside everyone else.
“True. I suppose the question is now how long will we survive until then. I must admit, I’ve been for the longest time unsatisfied with my life. Living from day to day is far too depressing. Our current situation may be more dangerous, but it feels as though we are about to embark on a great adventure.” Ost said although Bolan could hear how nervous her was.
“Ugh, it’s like I’m talking to myself.” Mlone groaned.
“We should travel to Disahn as quickly as possible and trade our salt before that enforcer gets there. This’ll allow us to get some supplies before we continue west.” The tall grey haired girl said.
“You’re right. Also, it’ll be impossible for every enforcer to know of our crimes, so chances are we’ll be able to do our business peacefully.” Ost said.
“Why are you speaking as though it is we who killed those enforcers?” Mlone asked while glaring at an uninterested Bolan.
“That aside, what do you think Mr. Bolan?”
“I think we should do as the girl suggested.”
“My name is Fene.”
Bolan nodded before walking ever westward alongside his newfound companions.
.
..
Exactly two days had passed since Bolan met Ost and his family and they had finally reached the city of Disahn.
It was a large city made of tall stone walls and through it ran a river from far north.
A nest of buildings could be seen along the outer edge of the city and many people could be seen coming and going.
“So that’s Disahn… who do think the Aureate King really is?” Bolan asked while surveying the land surrounding the city.
He and his new companions were standing on one of the many dunes that overlooked the city and he spotted several enforcers patrolling the land around the city.
“No one actually knows. Especially not us nomads. Some say he is a man clad fully in gold, while others claim he’s made entirely of gold. All anyone knows for sure is that he lives in the royal palace on the northern edge of the city’s inner wall.” Ost said.
“Dad, you forgot to mention that no one is actually allowed into the inner city.” Mlone said with crossed arms.
“Why’s that?” Bolan asked.
“We don’t know. The only way to enter the city is via a heavily guarded gate and they never let anyone in and no one ever comes out.” Ost said.
“Mmm… I guess it’s safe to say that the city harbors some kind of secret. But that’s no business of ours. Let’s go.” Bolan said before leading everyone towards Disahn, the city at the center of the Western Wilds.
.
..
For a city within which countless transactions were made, it was awfully quiet.
Bolan and company had set down to rest on one of the many benches that littered the city.
They had managed to get a few supplies and were now planning their next move.
Bolan told them about his mission, but while Ost and his children were discussing whether they should continue following him, Bolan kept an open ear and overheard many things about Disahn from many of the people who passed by.
Apparently, It’s wall erected by the Aureate King shortly after the collision.
He wanted to build a home for his family and allowed those less fortunate to take shelter behind his city’s walls, but thus confused Bolan.
All this information meant that the Aureate King was more that five hundred years old.
The only people who were confirmed to be immortal were the Moon King, his son, the Dragon royal family and the Great King Rahad. Rahad lived long because it was known that he was the host of darkness, a title he shared with the other immortal beings.
Bolan then heard about a separate nation further to the west, but much to his disappointment, it was a land called Sumarenia. A land full of people who had both Rendaro and humans blood in their veins.
Bolan shuddered at the thought, but mixed race relations were not his concern.
He heard that the Sumarati were at odds with Disahn.
According to the whispers in the air, the water source in Sumarenia was slowly drying up and so they wanted to use some of the water that flowed through Disahn.
The Aureate King seemingly didn’t want them near his water and thus began a conflict.
“Have you made your decision?” Bolan asked as he stood up.
He kept a close eye on the enforcers who stood strategically next to walkways and pillars.
They watched over the countless tents and shops owned by the many merchants of the city.
“Yes. We’ve decided to follow you. Although if we end up finding a nice spot in Sumarenia, we wouldn’t mind settling down there.” Ost said.
“I thought you were nomads?” Bolan asked as he helped Räne onto her feet.
“We are but you can’t walk forever, no? Sometimes you get tired of the hot sun and cruel cold nights. Sometimes you just want to rest alongside those you care for.” The old Rendaro said with a gentle smile.
Bolan nodded before leading everyone towards the city’s western exit.
They wouldn’t have to worry about the enforcers once they entered Sumarenia, but that itself presented many new problems.
Bolan looked at the stump below his left shoulder.
Would he be able to make it to the place where the other Nemen were?
He had asked around and the merchants all said that everything beyond Sumarenia was sand.
They said that it was so dry out there, no one ever sent out anyone out of the fear that they’d just drop dead from the heat.
Bolan wondered just how far west he’d have to go before reuniting with his Nemen brethren.
.
..
Several hours had passed since they left Disahn and thanks to their steady pace, they’d made significant progress.
Bolan noticed that Ost had gotten rather tired, but this was to be expected and so he suggested that they camp up by a random flat spot.
Mlone started a fire while Bolan prepared a bed for Räne.
“Umm… what’s with… her…?” Fene struggled to ask.
“She is… a victim of horrid torture and that crown is a permanent reminder of what she had to endure. I don’t know whether this is fortunate or unfortunate, but her mind is hollow and I think that spares her from the aftereffects of enduring such trauma but her condition hasn’t been thoroughly studied, so I can’t say.”
Ost and company let out understanding hums as the minutes of the night crawled by.
“Who hurt her?” Mlone asked.
“The Black Prince.”
----------------------------------------
The Dark Priestess Part Four
A couple of days had passed since Bolan and company left Disahn.
Bolan's curiosity could no longer be contained and so he walked up to Ost.
“The girl, her mother was Nemen, no?”
“Mmm? Nemen? I can’t be sure. All I know is that she was a tall and powerful warrior from an unknown land with an unknown past. She and I survived together back when we were part of a larger group. Hlene, her name was and was the most beautiful woman in the Western Wilds-“
“That’s what you said about my mom!” Mlone cried prompting Ost to sheepishly scratch his head.
“Well, it’s true. Both Moa and Hlene were amazing women.”
“What happened to them?” Bolan asked and the old man’s face stiffened.
“Hlene left shortly after Fene’s birth. She said that there was something to the south she had quite the interest in. And as for Moa… she was killed by the Ratatamata.”
“Ratata?” Bolan asked with a tilted head.
“A bunch of savages that live in the Ratata Tatatata Valley to the far east. Surely you came across some on your way here.” Ost said.
“Now that you mention it, we did. They’re the ones who took my arm.” Bolan droned.
This conversation also made him wonder.
If the great Rendaro king had truly unified all the Rendaro after the collision, them why were there so many Rendaro scattered across Rendaya?
Why were the Nemen, Ia and Foph the only ones he gathered in Iana?
Did he realize at some point that the Rendaro could never truly be united and did that lead him to gathering those he could in attempt to gather as much power and people as possible?
Bolan shook his head.
These questions were far too complex for the mind of a simple guard to comprehend, let alone answer.
The group traveled for several more hours and it was become clear that the land further west was getting greener.
Patches of grass and small shrubs could be spotted, but before they could absorb the scenery, a strange hiss filled the air.
Bolan looked to the north and his eyes widened as the sand in front of him shifted.
He dashed backwards just as something jumped out of the sand.
“Get back!” He barked prompting Ost and the others to back away from what he knew as a Haevrul. A large lizard that fed on rocks of all things. It’s skin was covered in thick scales and it’s muscular forearms were equipped with large claws which it used to dig tunnels all over the desert.
It was also rather territorial.
Bolan looked at his sword and realized that he would not be able to pierce its scales and so he opted for the other option.
“Run west!” He yelled as the Haevrul turned its bright reptilian eyes towards him.
“What about you?” Ost asked with a panicked face.
“Don’t worry, just go!” He yelled as the beast charged towards him.
Ost ran north with Mlone, Fene and Räne in tow.
Fene held onto Räne’s hand tightly as they ran past the Haevrul, which swung its large claws towards Bolan, but since it’s attacks were slow, he managed to dodge away safely.
There was no point in attacking it and so Bolan would have to tire the damned thing out.
He teased it several times by stepping within the range its claws could reach, but just as it reached out to claw at him, he stepped back.
Bolan managed to enrage the beast even further by hacking at the scales above its right eye.
As expected, Bolan’s sword only managed to mark the scales and nothing else.
This went on for a few minutes until strange yells filled the air.
Bolan looked around to find a group of men riding atop horses approaching.
They were all clad in baggy clothes and although their eyes were dark, like those of a Rendaro, their skin varied in color. From peach to a rather dark brown.
Their yells seemingly startled the Haevrul and it dug a hole into the ground before sinking back into the underground.
The horsemen all approached Bolan and they all pointed their various weapons at his neck.
“Turn back, stranger. Unless you want to part ways with you head.”
One of the horsemen said.
Bolan dropped his sword and raised his hand.
“I can’t. I have to go west.”
“And why is that?” The man asked as his horse frantically move about.
“I’m searching for a city, the newfound homeland of my Nemen brethren.”
“And you think you’ll find it out there?” The man asked with narrowed eyes.
“Yes.”
The man nodded before looking to the west.
“Are they with you?”
Bolan looked west and saw Ost and the others “hiding” in the distance.
“Yes.”
“Mmm… well, I have no reason to stop you and you all don’t look like Disahni scum, so go ahead. Actually, I’m sure you’re all tired. Why don’t you follow us to our camp. You can rest there before continuing on your journey.” The man said.
“We would be most grateful.”
“Oh- my name is Rikenar, nice to meet you, tall one.” Rikenar said as he offered Bolan his hand.
“My name is Bolan and the pleasure is all mine.”
Rikenar curtly nodded before following Bolan to where Ost and the others were.
“Judging from your dark armor and height, I assume you’re a Nemen as well.” Rikenar asked as he and his men accompanied Bolan and his group west.
“I am. Might you know where I can find more of my kind?”
“Unfortunately, no. Your people are almost as elusive as water nowadays.” Rikenar said with a sigh.
“Oh? I guess it has something to do with the Aureate King hoarding all the water.”
“Partly. You see, there is a shrine at the center of Sumarenia called the Well of Life. It is, for the longest time, given life to Sumarenia, but… the well has run dry. We tried asking the selfish king for some water from the river, but he has denied our every request.” Rikenar explained.
“I see.”
.
..
Rikenar and company eventually arrived at a certain encampment. It was made of a handful of tents that encircled a small campfire.
Rikenar gestured that Bolan and his group sit by the camp’s center and although Rikenar’s men had all dismounted their horses, they still has their hands tightly wrapped around their weapons.
Bolan kept note of this as Ost and the others caught their breath.
Rikenar eventually exited one of the larger tents with two large gourds in hand.
“Here. Some refreshments.” He said while offering Bolan the gourds.
Bolan raised a single brow before accepting the gourds which were filled with a semi clear liquid which smelled quite citrus-like.
“Its Succan, a Sumarenian delicacy. It’s made from extracting the juice from the fruits of the bulbous Succat plant. Try it. It’s quite good.” Rikenar said as he plopped down next to Bolan.
Bolan nodded before handing one of the gourds to a narrow eyed Mlone.
He then tool a sip of the faintly sweet juice.
His eyes widened as the liquid parched his thirst almost instantly.
“Good, right?” Rikenar asked with a proud smile.
“Quite so.” Bolan admitted before handing the gourd over to Räne. He then instructed that she drink up and she did so without restraint.
She even ended up spilling some all over herself, prompting Bolan to take the half empty gourd back.
“Haha! She is quite the amusing one. Say, is that woman perhaps your wife?” Rikenar asked while eyeing Räne who stared back at him.
“No. She is… a friend of mine. Unfortunately, she suffers from an illness that has robbed her of her mind. That is all I will say.”
“I see… mmm… your journey west will be a dangerous and most likely tragic one. Why not leave her here? I may be a simple cavalryman, but I feel like I could provide her a good home.”
“Is that why you brought us here?” Bolan asked after drinking the last of the Succan.
“Perhaps.” Rikenar said.
“The Western Wilds are a cruel and mostly desolate place. Sumarenia is the last stretch of land where life can exist without the hands of death relentlessly tugging at it. You look like a man on a journey and although I wish you much luck, it would be a shame if both you and the woman were to be taken by the same sands that have taken so many lives before.” Rikenar added.
Bolan nodded before looking up in thought.
Rikenar was probably right about one thing. Bolan thought.
The Western Wilds were a harsh place, but that wasn’t enough to deter him.
That being said, was it fair to drag Räne along on this journey?
If Rikenar could truly provide her home, wouldn’t that be for the best?
Bolan’s eyes narrowed.
He knew that Rikenar’s actions were driven by nothing but lust.
He was the captain of a group of men who were stationed in the desert.
Bolan sighed before checking to see that Ost and the others were well rested.
“Your offer is very kind, but I’ll have to decline.”
“I see… then I’m afraid you’ve left me no choice but to make the same request with a little more… force.” Rikenar said while still gently smiling.
His men then surrounded Bolan and company, but all Bolan did was tightly clutch his sword’s hilt.
“May I ask why you even want Räne? Why are you willing to risk the lives of your men for a her?” Bolan asked.
This question also aimed to sate his curiosity from all that time before.
Räne looked just like any other woman to Bolan and so he wondered why so many were drawn to her.
“Is it not obvious?” Rikenar asked as his face twisted into a grin.
“She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen! Of course I want her to be mine! I sure you’re the same! Actually- I’m sure you’ve bedded her countless times before!” Rikenar yelled as he stood up.
He then unsheathed his sword before pointing it an a narrow eyed Bolan.
“It would be foolish- no, blasphemous to Zahanash Kitari himself if we did not allow that woman to birth as many children as possible!” Rikenar yelled before quickly composing himself.
“Now, I will ask again. Hand her over and I’ll let you leave this place with your heads.”
Bolan sighed before taking several deep breaths.
He then hopped onto his feet before dashing towards and grabbing Rikenar’s head in the time it took to blink.
He slammed the Sumarati’s head into the ground before turning to face the nine other cavalrymen.
They all raised their swords while rushing towards him, but Bolan had gotten some rest and had been ready for battle ever since the Sumarati introduced themselves and so he swung his sword and struck the swords of three Sumarati with so much force, they shattered.
He then dashed towards before swinging his sword downward, cleaving off the arms of the three men.
The other six charged towards Bolan, but he quickly sheathed his sword and dashed backwards before grabbing Rikenar’s sword.
He then three the sword at one of his six attackers and the blue forced itself into the man’s skull and before his could hit the ground, Bolan unsheathed his sword and cleaved apart the five remaining men.
Their body parts fell to the ground one by one until nothing was left.
“HAAAAA.” Bolan exhaled as his body hung eerily in the darkness of the evening.
He turned his eyes towards Ost and the others to find them quivering by the campfire.
He sighed before walking up to a wheezing Rikenar, who was bleeding from his nose, mouth and ears.
“My… country men will… hunt you… and they will… kill you…” He wheezed.
“They will try.” Bolan said before stomping on Rikenar’s neck.
Bolan sighed before walking up to Ost and company.
“Alright, can any of you ride a horse?” He asked with crossed arms, but everyone shook their heads.
“Mmm… then we’ll have to use them as pack mules. Search the tents for supplies, we need to move.” Bolan said and although they were a bit shaken at first, Ost and his children eventually helped him in looting the tents and after placing their findings on three chosen horses, they resumed their journey west.
----------------------------------------
The Dark Priestess Part Five
Several days had passed since the encounter with Rikenar.
Bolan and company steadily made their way west and the strange coolness of the air in Sumarenia made it far easier for them to walk during the day.
Bolan wondered if this was somehow a phenomenon brought about by the god Rikenar spoke of.
Sumarenia was indeed a strange place especially considering that it was in the center of a desert.
It was peppered with grass and trees that offered valuable shade.
Bolan and company had come across many Sumarati on their way west and they all believed the fake story he came up with.
Accruing to Bolan, Ost was a merchant headed west in search of the unknown treasures of the west. Bolan was his bodyguard and Räne, Mlone and Fene were his servants.
“Hey, is that an Oasis?” Mlone asked while pointing at cluster of trees.
Bolan’s eyes narrowed as he noticed something shimmering at the center of the strangely broken and bent trees.
The group approached the supposed Oasis to find that the shimmering they saw was caused by a small body of water that seemingly came from deep underground.
Bolan wondered why more people weren’t around the spring, but he quickly received his answer after noticed that the ground around the spring was littered with footprints that belonged to a large creature.
“Fill up the gourds. We’ll clean ourselves and our equipment after, but we need to be quick.”
“Why?” Mlone asked while Bolan grabbed some empty gourds.
“Look around.” He instructed before kneeling by the spring.
“Mmm… those are a lot of footprints. Do you think that some Haevrul are nearby?” Mlone asked as he helped Bolan fill the gourds.
“No, not yet. They’ll probably return as the sun sets to drink. My guess is that this is like a nesting grown for them, hence the lack of people.” Bolan said to which Mlone nodded.
All gourds were eventually filled and Bolan began undressing after returning the gourds to the horses.
“W-what are you doing?” Mlone asked with a flustered face.
“We all need to get cleaned. Getting cut while dirty could lead to infection-“
“That’s not the point! Shouldn’t we take turns or something?” Mlone asked while Bolan removed his pants revealing his scarred legs.
“We do not have time.” Bolan said as he removed his jacket.
He then undressed Räne before helping her into the spring.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t swim and so he had to hold her as well as help her wash up.
This allowed him to get a closer look at her thorny crown.
A strange pain filled his chest as he looked at the dark thing.
He wrapped his large arm around her and gently hugged her, but he quickly pushed her away after noticing that she was reached for his penis.
All palace guards knew very well what the dark price had done to her and those before her.
Bolan frowned intensely as he cursed those who allowed themselves to be consumed by lust.
He quickly bathed both himself and Räne before helping her out of the spring while Fene helped her father bath.
He then dried both himself and Räne before helping her into her dress.
Ost and his children eventually finished bathing, but just as they finished wearing their clothes, the ground in front of Bolan shook.
“Everyone, go!” He yelled prompting everyone to run westward toward a nearby hill.
Bolan looked back and saw that lumbering towards them was a certain Haevrul and-
It was the same one he’d encountered before!
“Keep going!” Bolan yelled as he ran towards his companions.
Fortunately for them, the beast was very fast and so Bolan joined the other atop the hill, but his eyes widened upon seeing a storm in the distance.
He grabbed the reigns of two of the three horses before leading everyone down the hill.
“Everyone, cover your faces!” He barked and everyone complied.
Well, everyone but Räne.
Bolan wrapped her head entirely in a strip of cloth before giving her hand to Fene, who had agreed to guide Räne when he couldn’t.
The wind quickly grew more turbulent as the group moved west and it wasn’t long until they were engulfed in the storm.
.
..
Night had fallen but the storm had yet to weaken.
The group marched ever westward, but Bolan noticed that everyone had gotten rather tired and so he instructed that they erect a pseudo tent that would be shielded from the winds by the horses.
Ost and his children quickly erected a small tent which they snuck into a the winds loudly basted across the desert.
Bolan decided to stay outside since he was far too big.
“Bolan! Here!” Mlone said while sticking his hand out of the tent.
Bolan accepted the piece of bread in Mlone’s hand before taking a greedy bite out of the pastry.
The one difference between bread from Rendaya and Sumarenia was that the Sumarati like putting raisins in their bread and Bolan absolutely loved it.
If it wasn’t for his battle ready state, he would have smile or even cried as he ate the bread.
These joyful thoughts, however quickly vanished as he noticed a plume of dark smoke gathering at his feet.
He quickly dashed out of the way just as a bed of black spikes shot out of the ground.
“AAAHHH!” Bolan’s heart sank as he heard screams coming from the tent but before he could run to check on the others, a Lopus lashed out at him.
Bolan easily cleaved off its forearms with his sword, but before its body fell to the ground, another emerged from the sandstorm.
It clawed at the spot behind Bolan’s knee which wasn’t covered in amour but before it’s dagger like claws could rip of all the flesh from his leg, he stabbed the dark creature in its head.
Bolan stumbled towards the tent once but stopped as the air was filled with countless roars and snarls.
He dashed towards the tent and dragged a horse down with him just as a Lopa charged towards him with its teeth bared.
The Lopus bit into the horse’s neck and this allowed Bolan to stab it in the forehead.
Several more Lopa jumped out from the deep within storm and they lashed out at Bolan who, at this point, was covered blood and guts.
He cleaved off the heads of all the Lopa before climbing out of the mound of corpses.
He then rushed toward the tent before ripping it open to find that Ost and Mlone had been torn to shreds by a bed of spikes.
He turned his eyes to the side of the tent to find Räne and Fene sitting on the far edge of the tent.
Although Fene’s right leg had been turned to mince by countless spikes.
She awkwardly convulsed while laying next to an untouched Räne.
Mlone loudly coughed before facing Bolan who quickly knelt by his side.
“What should I do? Should I pick you up take you to the horses so that you absorb their life forces? Tell me!” Bolan cried as he watched Mlone’s blood pour out of his many wounds.
Mlone mouthed some words that Bolan couldn’t hear and so he leaned closer to him only to get grabbed by the collar.
“Th-this is your fault!” Mlone spat with bloody teeth.
“If it wasn’t for you, dad would still be alive-“
“But we can still save you-“
“LOOK AT ME!” Mlone yelled before violently choking on his own blood.
Bolan glanced at the countless thin, but long spikes that impaled various parts of his body.
He then glanced at Ost’s mangled corpse. It sat right at the center of the bed of spikes and was splayed open in the center in a flowerlike mess of ribs, flesh and blood.
Bolan returned his eyes to Mlone who glared at him.
Wisps of green light then began rising from Mlone’s body and his back hair slowly started turning white.
Those wisps poured into Fene, but before Bolan could react to what was happening, he felt the ground tremble.
He peeped out of the tent and saw that several more Lopa had indeed appeared but they were all being trampled by a herd of Haevrul.
“LOOK AT ME, ASSHOLE!” Mlone yelled prompting a shaken Bolan to look at him once more.
“This is your f-fault! You’re no Nemen. Fene’s- our mother was the embodiment of a Nemen warrior. Powerful, proud and protective in nature. You… you’re just a drifter. So, since you are obviously no good on your own, I'll have to give you a clear and single instruction.” Mlone said while biting his bloody teeth.
“P-please… keep my sister safe. Don’t sleep or eat until she is in safe hands… can you do that for me?” Mlone asked as torrents of green light rushed into Fene’s body. Her leg quickly returned to its normal state and she let out a pained cry before pulling her leg out of the bed of spikes.
“O-ok-“
Mlone punched Bolan in the face before grabbing his neck weakly.
“SWEAR IT TO ME!” Mlone screamed although it was more like a whisper.
“I SWEAR I WILL PROTECT HER!” Bolan yelled through gnashed teeth.
“Good… now go.”
Mlone’s words entered Bolan’s ear and almost instantly after, he jumped out of the tent.
Being outside of tent allowed him to see that the life force he was being fed was coming from the corpses all around the camp.
Bolan then turned his eyes to the blood bath that was occurring a few meters in front of him.
He watched as countless Lopa emerged from the shadows.
They created an ocean of spikes which the Haevrul trampled thanks to their thick scales and sharp claws.
Bolan would need to wait for the opportune moment to strike.
He’d need to wait until the battle chose its Victor.
Only then would he take action and so he observed as the two groups of animals fought.
It became clear to him that the Lopa had actually stepped into Haevrul territory in an attempt at killing and eating him and his companions.
This obviously had dire consequences.
He looked down at his own body and although his left arm was still gone, he felt a surge of vitality and energy coursing through him.
He’d felt this sensation before. After getting wounded on the battlefield as a soldier, his wounds would be tended to by a healer who pour life energy into him.
He looked back at the tent and saw that Mlone was seeding thin wisps of life into him.
Bolan saw that the battle was nearing its end and the Haevrul were the clear victors.
They had lost quite a few of their own, but those that were left were wounded.
Bolan nodded to himself before dashing towards the nearest lumbering beast.
It had large chunks of flesh hanging from various places.
Bolan rushed toward its head and shoved his sword into its eye.
The beast cried out in pain briefly as Bolan’s sword tore through its brain.
He pulled out his sword just as another Haevrul charged towards him.
He nodded to himself before tightly squeezing his sword in preparation for the coming slaughter.
.
..
“Haa!” Bolan sounded as he stood atop a pile of corpses.
The Storm had long since died and the morning sun slowly rose, bathing the land in its pale light.
He stumbled towards the tent where and knelt in front of it as Fene loudly wept within.
He didn’t want her to have to look at his blood covered self while she grieved and so he knelt all while Mlone’s words rung loudly in his head.
He would protect Räne and Fene.
Armed with the strength Mlone had given him, he would take then to the place where his Nemen brethren went.
Although he decided he would no longer call himself one.
Bolan decided that he was simply a man bound by newly found duty.
----------------------------------------
The Dark Priestess Part Six
Bolan gasped a little as Fene stumbled out of the tent.
She then slowly walked towards him while holding her old rusty sword in a trembling hand.
She stopped just in front of him as she stared blankly at the sand.
“F-“ Bolan tried calling out but his throat painfully tightened, stopping him from speaking.
“HAAAAA!” Fene wildly screamed as she raised her sword to stab Bolan.
Bolan deflected the attack by pushing her to the side, causing her to stumble and fall over to the side.
She quickly crawled onto her feet before trying to stab Bolan again.
Bolan stood up and dodged all of her attacks, all while the blood on his body dried.
“HAAAAAA!” Fene screamed while swinging her sword.
Her eyes were wide and saliva poured out of her mouth as though she was a mad dog.
This was too pitiful a sight for Bolan and so he grabbed her arms and held her still, but the woman didn’t stop trying to attack him.
She kicked him in the leg several times, but this only ended up hurting her since his legs were covered in armour.
“Stop it!” Bolan said before gently placing Fene on the ground.
He then pressed his foot on Fene’s legs, stopping her from moving.
“DIE!” She screamed while frantically moving her head as though she wanted to bite him.
“I…” Bolan tried speaking but like before, no more words left his mouth.
He looked up at the rising sun before looking around to find that they were at the centre of a field of corpses.
He sighed before allowing Fene to tire herself out.
She eventually stopping trying to bite him and so he let her go only for Fene to throw a bunch of sand in his eyes.
She then crawled onto her feet before running south.
“Hey! Where are you going?” He asked while chasing after her, but she ignored him.
Bolan followed her for several minutes before realizing that she didn’t intend to stop.
They were deep into Sumarenia and he didn’t even want to imagine what would happen if they ran into another group of Sumarati and so he grabbed her arm.
“Where are you going?” Bolan asked softly.
“LET ME GO!” Fene wheezed. Her voice hoarse.
“You’ll most likely die if you go any further south!”
“Says the man who cursed me to this fate.” Fene hissed. Her eyes red and swollen.
Bolan opened his mouth to speak, but again, he didn’t know what to say.
A thought then came to Bolan.
He was never the best with words or such.
He also remembered that he had sworn to protect Fene.
It didn’t matter if he could express it to her clearly or not and so he dragged her back to the camp.
“Let go!” Fene wheezed, but Bolan ignored her.
The two eventually returned to the camp where he bound her hands in a long strip of cloth.
“What? Untie me! Is this any way you protect someone?” Fene asked with a pained expression. Speaking was clearly causing her pain, but Bolan ignored her.
He then helped Räne of the tent and its here that it finally registered to him that the two remaining horses had fled.
He looked beneath the corpse of the other horse and saw a bag full of supplies.
He inspected the bag and saw that the two gourds full of Succan had been broken.
Fortunately, the waterskin was still intact and full.
He nodded to himself before picking up the bag a walking up to Fene who still glared at him furiously.
He knelt down to face her before deeply sighing.
“Should we bury them?”
Fene spat in Bolan’s face prompting him to sigh.
He then dug two graves and he gently placed Ost and his son in them.
It was customary for Rendaro of all tribes to burn their dead, but Bolan wasn’t a heat magician, nor did he have the necessary tools for a natural cremation and so he simply buried the father and son.
He then stood silently as Fene stared at the two graves.
She had long since run out of tears to cry, but her body still convulsed from time to time.
The sun began setting and so Bolan grabbed Fene and pulled her onto her feet, but the woman plopped onto the ground in defiance.
Bolan frowned at this.
He couldn’t carry her because that’d occupy his only arm.
He sighed before turning to a sleepy looking Räne.
“Come on.” He said before leading her west while dragging Fene.
“Let go!” She yelled as the walked out towards a region of land that marked the last place where grass grew.
.
..
Night had fallen and the three Rendaro set up camp by a single dead tree that stood like a small, dark tower in the desert.
Fene had stopped struggling and much to Bolan’s relief, she accepted food when offered.
The three sat around a small campfire as the night hung darkly above.
Nothing was said.
No one locked eyes and the windless night meant that the air was eerily still.
.
..
Bolan had lost count of how many days they’d spent in what seemed like an ocean of sand.
They had run out of water, but they still had quite a bit of dried meat.
Bolan narrowed his eyes as he saw a distant Haevrul munching on some rocks.
He led Räne and Fene down a path that would not disturb the creature.
They eventually walked some distance away from the Haevrul, but Bolan stayed alert as the marched across the desert.
.
..
They had finally run out of food.
The three Rendaro dragged their feet through the sand as the sun scorched their already dry and dirty bodies.
But no matter how hungry or thirsty Bolan was, he protected Räne and Fene.
Although, it had become more of an instinct at this point.
His tired, aching muscles simply moved in to kill whatever attacked them.
That being said, none of what they encountered was ever kind enough to die.
The Haevrul he managed to injured simply sank back into the earth and eating Lopus meat was the same as forfeiting one’s own life.
Bolan sighed as he walked with a lowered head.
He had long since untied her hands, but she hadn’t spoke to him in what felt like weeks-
“Ha…”
He looked back and saw a hollow cheeked Fene pointing at something.
He looked to the north and saw what looked like a town.
“Haha.” Bolan chuckled softy.
He assumed he was hallucinating and that the town would disappear as soon as he blinked but a few moments passed and the small group of buildings were still there.
“HAHA! Let’s go!” Bolan wheezed before leading Räne and Fene towards the town.
It took a while, but the three arrived at the isolated town and Bolan almost jumped with joy after seeing the distinct architecture that belonged to the Nemen people.
Tall doorways and almost comically high guardrails and stairs.
The three walked into the town and saw what looked like mining equipment.
This, plus the obvious lack of Rendaro meant that the town was the home to a mine which had long since been abandoned.
Bolan sighed, but this was good.
The Nemen were out there somewhere and this town proved that they were working on something.
Bolan nodded to himself before leading Räne and Fene into one of the empty houses.
As expected, the house was empty and the only supplies t be found helped Bolan make a fire for his two companions as the sun fell.
All the hope in Bolan’s heart, however, would no be able to take away the pain in his stomach.
He looked at both Räne and Fene and saw that they too were in pain.
“Stay here. I’ll be back soon.” Bolan wheezed.
Neither of his companions responded prompting Bolan to exit the house.
He then made his way to the house across the street and after clearing some dust off the dining table, he removed his chest plate before removing his under armour. He placed his things on the table before sitting on a rather well made chair.
He nervously tapped his foot while tightly gripping his sword.
He raised it before using his old shirt to wipe some of the dirt off the blade.
He then placed the sword tip above the spot where the stub that was once his left arm connected to his shoulder.
His tapping grew more frantic as he though back to his life as a royal guard, his journey in the Western Wilds and his promise to Mlone.
He then bit his teeth before using every ounce of strength in forcing the blade through his shoulder and since it was a blade made of darkness, it had barely lost any of its sharpness since he got it.
“AAHHHHHHHHHH!” Bolan screamed as he fell over.
He bit his teeth before shoving the rest of his sword into the hole he’d made and what was left of his left arm fell off.
Bolan then cried like he had never before.
He’d been injured countless times before in battle, but for some reason, this injury hurt the most, but he couldn’t just sit there and die, so he grabbed a long dirty strip of cloth before tightly pressing it above his newly made wound.
He painfully wheezed out his breaths before noticing that Fene was standing by the doorway.
Their eyes met and the two stared at each other for a moment as the night hung.
She then looked at the large piece of flesh that sat next to him before slowly walking towards him.
Bolan lowered his eyes as a deep, familiar guilt filled his heart, but just as his chin met his chest, Fene offered him her hand.
Bolan looked up with a pain and perplexed expression, but Fene didn’t speak.
He nodded before accepting her hand and lifting his large body up.
He then looked into Fene’s dark eyes for a bit before picking up his left arm.
He then offered it to Fene and to his surprise, she accepted it immediately, but not before weakly holding it with him.
“Y…” She wheezed.
“You’re not going to eat with us… are you?”
Bolan shook his head.
Fene nodded before grabbing Bolan’s things and she accompanied him back to the house where a sleepy Räne still sat.
She then helped properly bind Bolan’s wound before placing Bolan’s arm over a grill she had gotten in the kitchen.
“M-m-Make sure to share some w-with her.” Bolan stuttered as he awkwardly convulsed in pain.
He was laying on the floor in the corner while Fene and Räne made use of the blankets they’d gotten back in Sumarenia.
Bolan watch was the two ate and for some reason, he felt a little bit more at ease and so he closed his eyes.
A few moments passed and Bolan opened his eyes after feeling something move over him.
He saw that Fene had rested by his side and covered both herself and him in a blanket while Räne slept soundly in hers.
Bolan wanted to ask what she was doing but he teeth were locked shut from pain.
“You have no idea how much I hate you…” Fene wheezed.
“So from now on, I’m going to do everything in my power to ensure that you don’t die before me.”
----------------------------------------
The Dark Priestess Part Seven
“I… is that? A city?” Bolan asked with a stutter. He had long since grown weak and frequently trembled, but the sight before him made all the pain seem so insignificant.
“My goodness.” Fene wheezed while standing next to Bolan. She tightly held Räne’s hand since they were standing on the edge of a steep cliff.
Bolan narrowed his eyes and saw that the enormous distant city was sitting on the edge of a body of water that went on for as far as the eye could see.
Unfortunately, they were still too far too see any details, but this was enough for Bolan.
He turned to Fene before weakly smiling.
She faintly smiled back before accompanying Bolan along the edge of the cliff.
In order to get to the bottom, they’d have to walk all the way across the cliff’s edge before walking down onto the plane where the city sat and that they did as the sun burnt brightly above.
They even found a small cave to settle in while the sun moved across the sky.
Bolan sat against a rock and winced as the throbbed pain around his shoulder intensified.
Fene and Räne sat next to him and they all watch idly as the sand blew by.
The sun eventually fell signalling that they begin their walk to the city but one look was all Fene needed to know that Bolan would never walk again.
She also saw that he was smiling.
Fene helped a sleepy Räne onto her side before joining Bolan where he slept.
She covered both she and him in their old smelly blanket although most of the smell came from the cloth that covered his shoulder.
Fene gently rested her head on Bolan’s chest and listened closely to his wheezy breath, not that she was doing any better.
Both Bolan and Fene’s eyes widened as strange little green lights filled the cave.
Some of those lights landed on Bolan and company and both Bolan and Fene weakly gasped upon seeing that the lights were actually really small insects.
Some of the insects landed on Fene and she gasped even further upon seeing thin wisps of green light leaving her body and entering the insect.
This prompted Fene to cover Räne entirely in her blanket before returning to Bolan’s side.
The two then sat as the cave was filled with the glowing insects.
“Why… why are you smiling?” Fene asked.
“Because I found it.”
“But where have yet to even reach the city gates.”
“I know. But… sometimes all a man needs is affirmation. I know now, without a doubt, that the city full of Nemen exists.”
“How can you be sure that the city is full of them? What if it’s just another city in the Western Wilds?”
“Mmm…” Bolan groaned as his and Fene's bodies were covered in the light of countless insects.
Strangely enough, they provided him with a cold comfort.
One that took away his pain.
“Hey, don’t die! Not before me!” Fene yelled.
“Ok.” Bolan said with a painful giggle.
“Now, continue what you were saying.”
“Ah… I still stand by what I said. Affirmation is the sweet nectar of life. Soldiers will fight for whatever reason so long as they are ultimately told that their actions were justified. King and country, warring clans, the remains hardly matter. No one ever wants to think that they’re living for nothing. It’s too… sad.”
Fene looked out into the desert before deeply sighing.
“Then I suppose my entire life has been quite sad. Since birth, I roamed the desert planes. What need is there for affirmation when all you can think about is when you’ll next eat.” Fene said.
“My father used to say that every living thing is an unwilling contestant in a cursed game with no winner.” She added.
“Pardon me for disagreeing, but I think whoever accomplishes their dreams counts as a winner, no?” Bolan whispered.
“Perhaps. I wonder what I dream of sometimes. I dream, yes, but when awake, those thoughts and visions seem so distant. Even my own desires get lost in those oh so distant places as I scrape away in this reality.”
Bolan didn’t respond.
“Tell me, was coming here your only desire?”
A moment passed in the silence of the cave.
“B-Bolan?” Fene called painfully as tears welled in her eyes, but just as the first tear fell, Bolan wiped it away with his dirty thumb.
“I honestly don’t know. Where I come from, it wad a big mystery. Where did the noble Nemen families go? Why did they leave us to die? I wanted to be the one who found them and that’s why I started this journey.”
“I see. And I suppose we’ll never truly know what Räne desired, huh?”
“True. Although I wonder sometimes.” Bolan said.
A few moments passed as the lights in the cave grew their brightest.
Something Bolan didn’t notice.
“Resting in your arms I see now that I should have lived my life like my mother. Although I don’t think she ever sought affirmation.” Fene said.
“A worrioress who lived as she pleased. But who knows… maybe she wasn’t so different from you or me. Maybe she chased some grand dream but met an unfortunate fate. Or maybe she never had a dream. Maybe I misjudged her bright and outgoing nature. Maybe she went out into the desert with no clear goal in mind but… like you said, living for nothing is awfully sad. Right?” She asked.
“Right?” She asked again, but Bolan didn’t respond.
Fene weakly nodded to herself before weakly holding his hand.
She the closed her eyes and allowed herself to sink into a deep darkness.
.
..
The next day arrived coldly as winters winds blew by.
Two beings, clad in heavy steel armour which had helmets that were fashioned to look like the scaly heads of a dragon, walked up to the small rocky cave and the knelt by its entrance only to be assaulted by a nauseating smell.
“Whew! What do we have here?”
One of them asked.
“Do you think they’re all dead?”
The second asked.
“Let’s check, but I believe there is only enough space for one of us. Move aside.” The first said before crawling into the cave.
“One of them is alive, but just barely and- oh my goodness!”
“What?”
The second asked.
“She has a strange dark crown on her head.”
The first explained.
“Bring her out!”
The first did as instructed and the two tall beings inspected Räne’s body. They focus their attention on her forehead.
“Does this mean what I think it means?”
The first asked.
“I… don’t know.”
“Should we take her back with us?”
“I think so. Let’s hurry because it doesn’t seem like she’s got much time left.”
“Damn... to think that we have possibly found the Dark Priestess. She who will tend to the Black Flame itself. Anyway, enough talking. Let’s hurry back.”
The first said before gently picking her up and taking her west with his companion in tow.
While they grew more distant from the cave, the winds carried whispers that spoke of a war that had begun between Disahn and Sumarenia.
Apparently, the tensions between the two counties increased exponentially after a certain group of enforcers were blamed for the deaths of an entire squad of cavalrymen in an outpost by the border.
No one knows for sure why those enforcers were spotted in that outpost although word was they were headed west in order to sate their bloodlust.
Unfortunately, no one would ever know the full story since they were executed, marking the beginning of the Muddy War.
.
..
Meanwhile, several hundreds of kilometres to the south east in the heart of a snowy mountain range.
Countless Rendaro were gathered and they were all engaged in a rather heated argument over who would lead the Rendaro. Those who had survived, at least.
The handful of Foph present argued that it should be they who rule because the Nemen and Ia were untrustworthy.
The Ia remained mostly silent as a deep shame hung over them.
The Nemen, on the other hand, were divided.
Some wanted some sort of council to be formed while others wanted power for themselves and their families.
Chali sighed at all this.
Sitting next to him was Laïnne, who’s face was twisted in a permanent scowl.
She had also acquired quite a few scars since they left the royal palace.
“What do you think?” Chali asked with crossed arms.
He and Laïnne were seated on some of the many chairs that were carved into the floor of a large circular chamber.
“Power struggles and politics… even now.” Laïnne muttered.
“Mmm?” Chali sounded but she dismissively waved her hand before sighing.
“What we need is a decisive leader.” Laïnne said clearly and loudly enough that some of the people turned to face her while she glared at the chamber’s empty centre.
“Then why not take on that role yourself?” Chali asked with a raised brow.
“You did a pretty good job ensuring everyone didn’t kill each other up to this point.”
“Yes, but that was only because we had no choice. We had to survive. And besides, you and your men did far more work than anyone else here. You should become the so called leader of this place.” Laïnne suggested, but Chali shook his head.
“I have my reasons for not wanting to lead. Also, think of this as a mere extension of what we’ve already been doing and don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you the entire time to pick you up, should you ever fall.” Chali said as he offered Laïnne his large scarred hand.
“I… I see. Then I hope that our work will ensure a safe future for the generations that succeed us.” Laïnne said as she stood alongside Chali.
“So do I. Now, claim the title and lead us into that safe future.”
Laïnne nodded before looking out into the crowd which had fallen silent since she stood.
“I would like to assume the role of leader.”