Ayuen
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[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/926707024362885130/1045841100604186624/Ayuen-WayX.png]
Ayuen art by Ina Koffen, @Ina_Koffen on Twitter
Casting one last glance behind her, Ayuen stepped through the gateway. The last thing she saw of the Herhor was the man taking a stance against his half-brother.
A sharp fear roiled through her veins. Would he be able to survive? Rove was one of the most capable swordsmen she’d ever seen, but Prado was no slouch himself. She wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out that the man a Tinker-forged artefact of his own. The only thing she could do for him was to get what they came for and return to treat him for any wounds he sustained during the fight. With as much haste as they could manage.
Ayuen focussed her gaze forward, narrowing her eyes as her senses were flooded by the golden light. On her chest, the Pyrn poet could feel the medallion heat up more and more until she was certain the thing would burn straight through her chest. Then, a metallic chime emanated from the trinket. It sent a shiver through her, and the heat was gone the next moment. The metal felt cold and normal.
Blinking, she thought she saw a figure standing in front of her, a silhouette drawn against the golden lighting. With a grunt, she strode forward into the unknown. After a couple of steps, a warm draft enveloped her, pleasantly caressing her folded wings and her face. Without warning, the light disappeared, letting her look around while she blinked against the now pleasant lighting. She found herself in the middle of another valley, the shape and general layout of it eerily similar to the one she just left. But here, the sun shone warmly on her face, reflecting peacefully on the small pools of water littering the valley floor.
In stark contrast with the other side, the vegetation here was lush and healthy, eagerly growing on the pieces of soil that managed to form between the rocks. Vines and tendrils crawled over the boulders and valley walls, sprouting intricate flowers with deep flowers. The colours were intense and vibrant, and she didn’t recognize even a single kind. Thirty meters away, a waterfall clattered down into a river. Its waters were crystal clear, the clattering sound softly caressing her sensitive ears. A narrow path winded through the lush underground, meandering out of sight near the waterfall. The sound of countless birds and other unseen beasts filled the air, all of them chirping, squeaking and growling.
The experience took her breath away for a moment. Behind her, she heard the same gasp that left her mouth repeated twice. The concern in her mind returned instantly, snapping her out of her momentary stupor. She suppressed the rising urge to draw this incredible environment. Now was not the time for her poetic side to surface. Ayuen turned around to her companions. Sneak was gaping at everything around him in utter disbelief while Trïeste took everything in with a more neutral expression. Her cheeks were reddened though, her eyes glimmering with emotion lurking just beneath the surface.
“Sneak, Trïeste, we need to make haste. We can’t dally and sightsee now.”
Ayuen bit her lip before she continued, glancing at the archway glimmering behind them.
“Can’t waste the time Rove is buying for us.”
With his blood...
Trïeste’s eyes snapped to Ayuen as soon as she heard her voice, nodding and pulling Sneak along. The half-Vysari gave him a quick slap in the face to yank him back to reality. The man whimpered softly but then followed the two women without further issue. With a quick pace, they made their way deeper into the valley.
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Ayuen pushed a branch from her face, forcing Trïeste to nimbly duck to avoid the branch sweeping her across the face. Their pace had slowed from the first ten minutes of walking, the vegetation having gotten increasingly dense as they progressed through the valley. The animals kept themselves hidden from all senses but their ears, although she did see a flock of strange-looking birds. Their feathers gleamed a vivid blue and they had tail feathers as long as their wings were broad. The strangest thing was the long horn-like protrusion on the top of their heads though. Yet again, Ayuen didn’t know anything about this species of bird.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
She could hear Trïeste gasp as they passed a weird plant that looked like a combination of a pitcher plant and a fly trap. A sweet scent reached their nostrils, reminiscent of both honey and cinnamon.
“By Hudol’s Glorious Beard...” She heard Trïeste mutter behind her. “This place is an alchemist’s treasure trove. I don’t know any of these herbs. Who knows what secrets these leaves and flowers hold?”
“Neither do I. If we had more time, I would’ve loved to stay here.” The poet admitted. Her mind was saving as many of the sights as she could. If she could just draw them into her book when they came back, maybe take a sample or two in passing...
Sneak wasn’t as interested in their surroundings as the two women were. He had retreated into his shell, constantly looking around into the brush and staying close to the two of them. At least he was not counting the leaves or something silly like that.
“Mistress Ayuen, is Sneak almost where Sneak needs to be?” Sneak asked for the fourth time. Ayuen sighed deeply, annoyance creeping into her tone.
“For the last time, Sneak. I don’t know how long the road ahead of us is. We will arrive when this road decides we will.”
The vegetation, although beautiful, was starting to get on even Ayuen’s nerves. Add to that Sneak’s impatience and her fear for Rove’s safety and you had a recipe for stress. By now, Rove probably was either dying, bleeding or waiting. More likely a combination of the three. By the Arals, she hoped he wasn’t dying, but if the Herhor’s battle on the bridge with his half-brother was any indication... Damn it.
As they rounded a corner, the vegetation suddenly shifted, as if it responded to her worried thoughts. Before her the valley widened into a bowl-like shape around three hundred meters across, the edges of it rising high above them. The whole area was covered with golden grass that reached her hips. In the middle of the field, a small circle of trees stood next to a small fen filled with crystal-clear water.
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Immediately, Ayuen’s ears twitched as she got a foreboding feeling. And after a moment, she realized why: all the sounds of animals and rustling leaves had vanished. Only the barely audible whisper of the warm wind blowing past was left. It didn’t feel too eery silent, but it still made her heart skip a beat.
She felt watched. Like the beasts and plants were watching silently and waiting for their next move.
“Well…” She whispered, her voice just loud enough for Trïeste and Sneak to hear. “Guess we’ve arrived at our destination. Do not touch anything. Allow me to take a look at it first. Let go.”
As the other two nodded silently in confirmation, they slowly walked forward. Ayuen unholstered Floryshia while Trïeste and Sneak equipped themselves with a dagger in each hand. What bullet did she load again? A quick peer was enough. Yellow and black. One of the stronger rounds. She was painfully aware that the exact effects of the round were a total mystery to her. As far as she knew, the thing could very well heal an opponent's wounds or grant them the power of a large elephant. Then again, shooting herself or one of her allies with it would be an even worse option.
The group approached the group of trees, their leaves waving softly in the wind, strangely welcoming. They couldn’t see anything that was inside the circle due to the grass. Then, out of nowhere, her sensitive ears picked up a soft rustle coming from behind one of the trees. Normally, she wouldn’t have paid it, but the absence of animals here had put her on high alert. With a smooth motion, she aimed Floryshia at the tree in question, her companions readying daggers to let fly at the first unfortunate creature that would step into their line of sight.
‘Easy now’, she told herself. Calm down and aim. Steady your breathing. Focus on your goal. Do what Rove would do.
The tension was broken when a deep and rumbling chuckle came from behind that tree instead of a vicious roar. Ayuen’s face twisted into an expression of confusion, blinking at the source of the sound. It didn’t sound vicious or threatening. It sounded... merry.
She shot another glance at her companions, both of which were frowning in the direction of the sound. Sneak had tilted his head like a dog not comprehending what it was hearing.
“Now. Now.” A calm voice said. It was undoubtedly a male voice, deep, stern yet friendly. An old man’s voice. The whole impression she got was that of a friendly grandfather or uncle.
“There is no need for such hostilities. I mean you no harm, as long as you don’t mean any harm to me.”
Not wishing to lower her weapon Ayuen narrowed her eyes. No way she was going to be that naïve.
“My apologies, sir. But we’ve been through too much in the past weeks to take your words at face value. You will have my word that no harm will come to you, as long as you come out and reveal yourself.”
Another chuckle. “That sounds fair. Very well then, I’m coming out. Don’t shoot me if you’d please. I’d hate for this to escalate.”
[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/876104022833127448/1106550626067943495/johannes-plenio-1vzLW-ihJaM-unsplash2.jpg]
By Johannes Plenio, Unsplash, Unsplash Licence