We got lost on our first day walking in Lakar and ended up back outside the treeline we entered from at least five times before we gave up and set our camp on the border of it with hope we could find someone to guide us through it to Bailey the next day.
And so this was how we found ourselves trying to find some semblance of civilization or just a village of either Áes Sídhe or people who knew them.
Marching around the outskirts of the Lakar was about as boring as it got in this life, the scenery was nice and the day was warm, but other than that it was pure nothingness. Maybe if Lappe and I had more to talk about as we did it, but we’d run out of topics a day ago when we kept getting turned around in the woods.
So I was left to my thoughts and contemplating all that had happened recently, from the attack by the painted men the other morning, the trading company in Atohl and the dreams I’d started having as a result of Tiamat’s influence over me. The Hydra’s influence was… well it was noticeable, completely different to how Zäna or I guess Mushmamu’s blessing worked where I couldn’t feel it or I thought I couldn’t until it was gone and I felt lighter per se.
But, Tiamat’s was like an intense warmth constantly embracing me by comparison and I’d noticed my senses were far clearer and more concise, and honestly it felt like myself again.
It had been a lifetime since I could call myself… well me again- if that makes sense?
The best way I could describe it is like a fog of the mind that clouded all my actions and thoughts into nothing but instinctual movement, it was like a dream. An analogy I kind of like is that I’d finally found the door that took me out of the dreamworld I’d been trapped in until now.
You might even say I’d finally finished chasing butterflies in a summer haze and started living in the real world I’d been stripped of being a part of for so long.
Heh
It feels good to be myself again.
Breathing a sigh my thoughts turned to something else.
That something else was far worse for my mind though, it was Minerva, she returned to my thoughts and honestly I felt so disgusted with how I responded to her death. I already regretted not trying to speak with her at the Umbra festival, and then there was leaving the village before it woke after the celebrations so that Aodh would stay with his people. Now that I was out here with Lappe I wished he was here with us and for that matter Blair, the woman seemed like she would make the adventure a deal more exciting simply from just being around.
When I see him again I’ll apologise and ask if he still wants to join me…
‘Aye I understand how ye’ feel but- dat was yer’ only chance to make amends wit’ her.’ Bruce’s words came to me.
He was right and I deeply regretted it, like I regretted not making a bigger fuss about the twins in Logos, they might have been changelings but they seemed so genuine and like they meant what they said- that they really did just want to be free of their contract.
But I guess they always say hindsight is 20/20.
And in a way it's not like I was really… checked in? I was in a daze for so long.
I can almost hear Alex yelling at me about needing a stronger backbone and being more willful so I could have broken free sooner, but I don’t think that would have worked. For all that was clear to me at this point, it was Zäna’s blessing that kept me like that or maybe it feels like that’s the answer, it could be something else.
For what it was worth I was pretty convinced Alex would cheer me on from the sidelines given half a chance when it came to the women I’d slept with since coming here. Probably say something about how great it was, I finally found enough strength to ask a woman to bed instead of waiting for them to push me down when I got home from work.
I’m getting distracted-
I was pulled from my thoughts as the skies above us darkened unnaturally as clouds consumed them and the air became tense and visceral.
My eyes darted around and I had to do a double take as a massive tiger sized black cat, with bright ivory eyes and a large white spot over its chest where its heart was, emerged from the plains. Then my eyes spotted another shadowy creature with a wispy shape as it emerged from the woods, this was a hound, easily as large as a lion or a cow, its fur black as night and eyes gleaming fiery green.
“What are those?” I asked as I pulled my sword out, keeping my eyes on the hound and moving myself so my back was to Lappe.
“I- I don’t know” The grey haired man’s voice trembled with fear, I didn’t have to see his face to know he was deathly scared of what we were being surrounded by.
The Black Cat and Black Dog began circling us counter clockwise, it was when the tiger sized cat that was facing me that they both suddenly rushed forward without a sound crossing the hundred or so metre distance within a few seconds throwing themselves into the air and attacking us.
I held out my sword hoping to try and block the attack but pulled back to the right letting it fly past me, a large claw dragging across my face as I barely got it out of the way in time to reorient myself. Without letting up the cat charged my midsection and I brought my sword down missing its body and just barely cutting the tip of its tail off, crashing into me I felt excruciating pain as its enormous claws sank into my hips and its jaw clamped around my waist-
“Grrraaah!” A gasp fled my lungs as I drove my sword down into its side visceral blue blood spilled from the wound causing the monster to let go long enough for me to grip one of its hind legs after dropping my sword and snapping the part of the limb I held before slinging it back and throwing it as far as I could across the clearing.
The wretched hiss of pain that came from the monster as it slammed into the dirt skidding across it, this gave me time to look back over my shoulder to see how Lappe was doing-
“H-HELP PLEAS-” It was as though I’d tuned the world out and his crying screams pleading for help broke me from a stupor.
He was beyond terrified and I felt powerless as I watched the hound dragging him away with writhing sparks of green lighting arching out from it as it ripped and growl viciously whipping the armoured man around by his leg. I didn’t even get time to call out to him as while he cried as the black cat smashed back into me knocking me down onto my back.
I could feel the cold breath of the monster as it snapped its mouth trying to bite down on my neck as I held it back with my forearm, using my tail I whipped out sideways and smashed it into the ribs of the monster kicking it off me so I could stand again grabbing my sword in the process.
Lappe’s screams filled the air in the moments I had before I continued fighting the cat monster.
Blood poured from the broken and punctured form of the beast as its white eyes glared at me with an intense ferocity. Falling back on its broken hind and waning as it stood I rushed forward as fast as I could and ripped the sword across it cleaving through its head killing the cat almost the moment my sword came out the other side.
Taking in a long breath I turned away from it and was filled with the realisation that Lappe was still in danger-
There was no screaming any more, and I saw a man kneeling by the bonze armoured man as he laid on the ground. Nearby the corpse of the black hound was turning to flakes of ash being wisped away by the wind as the sky lost its clouding and brightened back up.
The man stood up and parted his hair with his right hand revealing a mark seared into his flesh.
He was easily a head and shoulders taller than Lappe, his skin was a cool blue tone, his ears long and pointed at almost two feet long pointing outward from his head, his hair was muddy silver in colour with eyes that reminded me immediately of Grizel. His physique was strong and well defined unlike the warriors I’d seen until now, even Lappe, it was like the statue of Hercules’. Lastly the mark branded on the right side of his face over his forehead, eye, cheek and chin.
As well he wore a knee length skirt of black cloth with splits over his thighs and a cowl around his neck.
Something about the man radiated an aura of regalness and the urge to kneel before him sprung into my head and I had to fight it off before I approached him.
The blue-grey skinned man began speaking “Your friend is going to need a healer of some kind, Barghest wounds sap the vigour from a man until they wither away- you were trying to enter Lakar, what for?” He asked.
His voice was smooth like honey and a deep baritone.
“Bailey, a friend of mine said her people lived in Lakar and I’m looking for a lead on someone I lost.” My replied earned a nod from the man as his purple eyes scanned me before landing on the symbol that was on my chest.
“You are branded as well?” He asked curiously with a raised brow.
“Branded?” I couldn’t help but say back and he pointed at Tiamats mark.
“Your seven headed dragon brand, is it not some form of Exiling or slavery?” He questioned and while I didn’t mind the conversation my eyes flickered to my unconscious friend on the ground.
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“No? Can we continue this later? You said I needed to get Lappe to a healer- you’re an Áes Sídhe right? Can you help us get to Bailey then?”
He at least managed to look apologetic before replying “Right let's get him to help, you’re fine to carry him then?”
I nodded and sheathed my sword before leaning down and lifting Lappe onto my shoulder picking up his weapon that was now broken in two parts. After a moment of making sure he was safely in my grasp the white haired man introduced himself.
“I am Theodoric, you said his name was Lappe, what is yours?” I’d barely even noticed the man wasn’t speaking Auran but some other language I had to assume was the Áes Sídhe tongue.
“Marduk” I replied.
We entered the forest and without any issues we pursued a path Theodoric carved into the woods.
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Following a few metres back from the Áes Sídhe I couldn’t un-notice how- well powerful he was, it’s hard to put to words a feeling, but it was like standing in front of the five headed Hydra Monarch I stumbled across when leaving Ahkula.
His presence was just that palpable and I couldn’t figure out why.
“Theodoric you asked if my mark was a brand, does that mean you were exiled?” I questioned and he turned his head just enough that I caught his eye.
A small silence passed before he turned back toward what was in front of him. “I am. It won’t cause you issue if you are wondering. M- The people of Bailey will let you in regardless, just refrain from mentioning me.”
“Who are you looking for?” He asked back changing the topic.
“...” I didn’t answer immediately despite wanting to, it was like a soft natural charm that made me want to listen to him.
But I’d had enough of charms controlling me since that day in the Harpy’s store.
“A woman,” I answered after a moment.
“Your lover or a friend?” He questioned and I wasn’t sure what to say.
The answer was ‘yes’ in a manner of speaking, but I didn’t even know if she would remember me with memories of our past life or if she would just pick up where we left off.
I have the feeling even if we both looked nothing like how we used to, Alexandra would act as if nothing had happened and it was just another day in our lives. Though I also know if she does have her memories same as me, I’m going to be getting grilled for every waking detail of this life up until our meeting.
“Both” I said and the man huffed a noise of approval.
“I understand that feeling, they’re a frightful thing those women we love, aren’t they?” He turned around enough to give me a warm smile.
“Yea...” my response faded into the ambience of the forest as we walked through the woods.
It was hard not to notice that every tree was the same type, it was an entire forest of old ash creating a lot of spotty streams of light through the canopies with almost no large openings or groves. It became clear to me why Augustus and Theodoric were grey skinned resembling the different shades of bark throughout the forest.
As we walked I noticed the man was very wary of our surroundings like he was constantly waiting for something or someone to jump out at him. I was so distracted by his own wariness that I almost forgot to ask him about the monsters that attacked us.
“You called that hound a Barghest? What are they? And the cat monster as well for that matter?” The question made him stop and start for a moment.
If I had eyebrows I would have raised them.
“Malformed souls, the Barghest were once faeries or Áes Sídhe in some cases who were corrupted and became those monsters as a result, they sustain themselves by draining the life from any they can get ahold of.” He kept his face forward as he explained the monsters.
I could tell he wasn’t very fond of them, the air around him changed for a moment to a visceral disgust and hate.
“The Cat-sìth are also malignant spirits, but they come about from the world rejecting a witch's attempt to use their magic for disgusting evils that violate the nature of the world or people.”
“That’s awful.” My reply wasn’t even half of what I felt hearing that.
The idea that people acted so so depraved that the world would literally turn its back on them and curse them was something else that’s for sure.
A sigh came from the man. “They are in constant suffering and wish to die however, so they often attack those who seem strong enough to put them out of their misery- for what reason the one you fought worked with the Barghest I cannot say, but I might wager it was simply coincidence they attacked at the same time.”
“I am truly sorry your image of our land has started with such a ghastly experience.” He stopped fully this time to lower his head and wore a grim expression.
Coming to a stop as well I shook my head and lowered it to him as well, if there were any customs of the Saurians I liked it was the trust and respect and I wanted to give this man mine after he’d saved us and was now helping.
“Don’t worry about it, I’m grateful you showed up in time to help us and are willing to take us to Bailey.” When I raised my head the man stared at me with a baffled expression.
Though there was a hint of disappointment in his eyes that I could tell wasn’t for me, but for himself.
“Ah- right it was no problem, and do not thank me yet, we are still almost five day's travel from the city.” With his reply he turned and began walking again and I followed behind him.
He didn’t seem worried about Lappe’s state, so I only hoped nothing permanent would be done to him in that time before we got him to a healer.
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I’d thought, hoped even, that our journey to Bailey would be without any more issues now that we’d gotten into the forest proper. But as the sun set and the forest was covered in a dark shadow we were attacked-
“Fuck-” I spat in surprise as man made of wood slammed his fist into my chest sending me flying into and through at least two trees.
There were three of these wooden men, at first they appeared as short bark armoured stone headed figures that questioned us before seeing Theodoric’s brand. Then they freaked out and quadrupled in size to easily twice my height and had limbs literally the width of the tree trunks around us.
Now we were fighting and I’d lost sight of Lappe’s body.
An indiscernible voice bellowed a dark curse at us in a language I couldn’t comprehend as the enormous tree monster stormed toward me with a thundering sound following its footfalls.
Managing to get up in time I leapt out of the way just as it crashed through where I’d been tossed to, narrowly managing to get my sword out in front of me as the creature turned around and thrust its huge fist toward me-
Ducking under the attack I lashed out and used all my strength to cut through the right leg of it only for my sword to get stuck half way through it-
“Ack!” saliva flew from my mouth as I smacked away again feeling something crack as I was sent through another tree and it dropped on my left shoulder.
Scrambling out of the way I caught sight of the blue-grey skinned Áes Sídhe as his battle with two of these things raged on and he was winning. He fought using mostly his elbows, knees and feet only using his hands to reposition himself or a strike heading toward him.
My attention turned back to my attacker as the tree man smashed the ground with both his arms blowing apart of the earth between us sending dirt and foliage flying, as he recovered from the attack I rushed forward as fast as I could and caught the handle of my sword and dragged it the rest of the way through his leg amputating it and causing it to fall to the ground as I slid to a stop some metres away from it.
Standing I reoriented myself waiting for its next attack.
Shit I feel really slow and my shoulder hurts, I don’t think I’m going to be able to do this, I’m too tired.
A sinking feeling rose in me as the tree monster ripped across the space between us and I tried to jump over onto its head as I dodged a swipe of its arms, my sword grazed its head before my tail was suddenly yanked backward and over its head into the ground-
“Augh!” The air fled my lungs as my chest hit the ground and the last thing I saw before my vision drowned into darkness was a collection of men who looked like Augustus but without the red eyes.