The rising star of daylight was enough to bring warmth to Laresse’s back. The black cloak that surrounded her sufficed well enough for a blanket. Despite the wheel spinning closer to midsummer, the morning’s heat was welcoming.
Laresse Doom rode at the rear with Bonnikyn Lapyr ahead, and Slania Oex at the front of the three. Slania set a moderate pace, in comparison to how hard we’ve been driving these courser creatures the past few days. Perhaps she drives them to the length the carrienx would have taken us.
Laresse lazily let the momentum of the courser carry her in her saddle. Despite the steadier pace, I’d still trade these for our carrienx any day.
It had been quite some time since they had to send the carrienx homeward and purchase new mounts. As carrienx were not well suited for terrain outside of the desert.
The Bloodwood Forest they crossed on foot, and under the cover of darkness. Once they passed ‘The Marne’ and ‘The Seine,’ the journey opened southward to the rolling hills of the Rolltan Ridge. The Rolltan carried them through rolling green hills on one side of the trail, and where the trail wound at the peaks, one could see the open plains at the bottom of the eastern slopes.
The three were veiled head to boot, covered in shrouds of black linens and cloth, and had been riding well before the break of day. For many days now, Laresse had been trying to interrogate Bonnie on the people they were looking for. Casually slipping it in during the dull moments of the ride.
Each attempt, Laresse approached slightly differently, trying to gain an upper hand on Slania’s logic for not divulging the secrets. Today’s was of her own value to the Daughters’ mission itself. “How will I know what we’re looking for?”
Bonnie glanced over her shoulder, but maintained the steady pace. Slania was first to reply, “When the time is ready you will know what to see.”
Laresse sighed, maybe the eleventh time will be the charm. She gazed over the horizon, where the waves of heat danced on lines that should have been straight under less surreal conditions.
Before letting the conversation drift back to silence, Laresse tossed in, “What if we are attacked?”
Bonnie did not bother to turn this time. “Well then you will know what to see, in the eyes of your attacker.”
Laresse puffed out her cheeks dramatically and sarcastically let the air out from her mouth so they would hear.
A few moments of silence were all it took for the conversation to die out. Laresse gave up the pursuit and Slania and Bonnie began talking amongst themselves. The serenity was worth it.
Laresse took in the scene around her, after all, it was the furthest from Arenite I’ve ever been. It was one thing to learn of other guilds and cities from the Daughters’ teachings, and another entirely to witness it all firsthand.
As the three rode over the peak of another hill, open fields of wild wheat painted the open plains below them. In the warmth of daylight, the golden hue was breathtaking, for the wheat fields graced the neck of the eastern horizon, blurring together in the light.
The steady beat of hooves, the warm rays of light resting against her back, and the serpentine bending of the trail, rising and falling in similar fashion upon the luscious green hills before them on the western front. It was a deadly combination for hindering attentiveness.
Despite the resistance, Laresse let herself close her eyes, and fall into her thoughts. Slania and Bonnie were out of earshot, but the whisper of a few words here and there would catch her attention. …Something about the cycle’s next ‘Daughters’.
~ ~ ~
…Bright orbs above the parapets brought immense light across the training grounds within the Daughters of Duharrae’s castle. However, with bright light, comes darker shadows.
A cool breeze swept over the desert night as she pressed her back to the stone of the barracks. Hidden in the night’s shadows. Holding her breath, she let two of the Daughters’ walk inside before sprinting across the openness.
The little one’s tiny footsteps grazed the sandstone as silently as she could muster. Nearly soundless, as was easier for one with a mere ten cycles.
Pressing her back against the bottom of the palisade wall, she watched one of the ‘Daughters’ practice something they called a shadow bomb.
With a deep breath she moved along the wall, crouching in the crevices where the light could not reach.
She made her way up the staircase, far from the main gates. Staring out across the open desert, Arenite nowhere to be seen. Shaking her head, she brought her attention to the sands down below the wall. Taking a few steps back, she crouched along the back side of the wall, her heartbeat running frantic.
She stared across the emptiness that lay beyond the wall. As a tear ran down her face, she ran full sprint at it. Her breaths shortened to the tempo of her feet, and she made to leap.
Her foot skidded sideways, and her hands trembled mid-step. Her essence glitched visibly in front of her own eyes for flashes of a second. Quick phases, but not enough.
Holding her hands out in front of her, she tightened them to fists, slowing the glitches to null. She made to try again. Glaring down the side of the wall, the sands gently shifted in the breeze.
Slowly falling to her knees, she pounded her fists against the cold stone while tears ran down either side of her face. With her face pressed against the stone she caught someone watching from the corner of her eye.
Standing just outside the parapet’s entrance a Daughter of Duharrae stood. In another moment the figure was walking towards her.
When her eyes blinked again, Bonnikyn Lapyr was crouching beside her. Bonnie gently took her hand, and softly spoke; “Laresse dear, what are you doing child?”
Bonnie straightened Laresse and stood her upright, wiping the tears from her face. Laresse held her gaze out to the desert, and kept her mouth tight.
After a pause, Bonnie met her gaze out to the Arkose, and let a long moment of silence pass before speaking. “You know I once tried to run away when the Daughters called upon me.”
Laresse curiously turned her face to Bonnie’s. Bonnie’s slender figure was beautiful to say the least. From the smooth skin of youth, to leaf-green eyes that danced with the coal slick eye-liner that matched the silken texture of her wavy hair. And a smile that could still calamity.
Raising her wrist for both to see clearly, Bonnie rested two fingers on the ambilos gauntlet, and the fiery orange light spun around them. Laresse watched as black clouds shrouded the castle around them till all she could see was herself and Bonnie.
The black clouds billowed around Laresse, and she instinctually brought a defensive hand to her face as it rose. With a slow blink of an eye, Bonnie was gone, and in her place… stood a little girl, surrounded by a small stone house.
The shroud dissipated enough for more of the room to form around them, from dim lit candles spread across tables, to scattered pages and papers on the surfaces.
As details painted themselves into the scene, the little girl held a small slip of thick paper in her hand, burned on the edges. In the center lay the marking of Duharrae. The ‘Daughters of Duharrae’ sigil.
The pitch-black sigil upon a blank canvas shone like embers against the candle’s orange-yellow glow. She turned to face her mother and father who each bore pain-struck faces.
Both were innately tall. The father had short cut auburn hair, leaf-green eyes, and a body lined with cycles of hard labor. The mother had raven’s black hair with hints of streaks of white creeping in at the roots. Slender, strong, the mother stood beside the father with their daughter’s fate staring them on a surreal canvas.
The father knelt and wrapped his arms around her. The mother stared absently through the both of them.
The mother slightly struggled in her words, “Think of her future.”
The father turned to face the mother with his hand pressed against the back of the little girl’s head. His eyes flickered for something to focus on, “She has yet to see ten cycles.”
The mother ran her fingers through the little girl’s hair, “The same age they took me.”
A tear ran down her face, and the black shroud began to consume the small room, and the scene itself.
The blackened clouds shrouded the scene till all fade to black. The white orbs above the parapets slowly materialized into vision, along with the castle walls, and the Arkose Desert.
The ambilos gauntlet slowed its rapid spinning and came to a halt, dissipating the orange glow and symbols that came with it. Bonnie rested both hands on Laresse’s shoulders, “By the next night they would not see their daughter again, for many cycles to come. Not until she fulfilled Duharrae’s will, and earned her sigil.”
Smiling, she continued. “It is a coming of age for all of us, you are not alone in this.” Bonnie lifted the ‘Daughters’ sigil in her hands and held it out to Laresse. “One day this will be yours, and you will bear the marking of Duharrae’s protection.”
Laresse toyed with the metallic sigil in her hands, letting her fingers rest on the edges of the design. Hesitantly, “Will I ever see them again?”
“It will be many cycles, but when you return to them, you will return a Daughter of Duharrae.” Bonnie never took her eyes off Laresse, and spoke with passion, “They will be proud of all you’ve achieved.”
~ ~ ~
Laresse opened her eyes and ran a thumb across her face. Taking a deep breath as she straightened herself in the saddle. The path is not yet fulfilled.
Distracting herself with the scenery, she let her attention fall to the swaying motion of the rise and fall the trail took them upon.
In the midst of the next rise of the hills Laresse’s attention was drawn elsewhere. From the corners of her eyes she saw horsemen riding on either edge of the horizon. Slania and Bonnie had eyed each in turn before Laresse could open her mouth.
Laresse glanced over her shoulder to see two more coming up on them from the trail they had been following. “Slania!”
Three additional horsemen, two wrapped in steel and one in leather, stood on the trail ahead as they reached the peak of the nearest hill.
The man in the middle strode slightly ahead of the others, the bandit’s leader, he goes first. Slania rose a finger bringing Bonnie and Laresse to a halt at her side as the three horsemen and the Daughters approached at a walking pace.
The flanks were slowly coming in on either side and the two behind had stopped not too far off either.
The middle most of the men, the leader clearly, had darkened skin tan from too much time in the sun. A beard scruff from a fresh shave, dark hair to match the beard held back in dreads, falling well past the shoulders at its longest points. His gaze was overly confident to say the least, but he was built tall and lean. Lightweight leather versus steel. “A fine morning for a ride, is it not?”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Bonnie and Laresse merely stared expressionless, while Slania gave reply. “It was.”
The man laughed heartily, whether from his confidence, or caught off guard by theirs. “That seems an incredibly cold greeting for men of Telatis.” Unclasping a palm-sized metal fastening from his belt, he flashed a ‘Cosantaires’ sigil that marked him indeed, a man of Telatis. No better than a bandit.
The bronzed edges lined a soot black circular styled cross with intricate weavings of raised bronze in the center and cross points. At the center point of the sigil, the weavings wrapped in four square-shaped knots. Conjoining, and never-ending.
Slania brusquely replied while the captain refastened the sigil, “And what would a Cosantaire be doing on the hills of Rolltan, so far from the Voidral Sands? This is Moltaeus’ turf.”
His eyes honed on the three sharply while he rode slightly closer to Slania. “One may ask the same for three women of the Arkose. Full black cloak and armor. Cowls pulled over your heads, even in rising daylight.”
One of the horsemen behind him called out, “If I didn’t know any better captain, I’d say they were Night Witches.”
Laresse bit her tongue, tilting her head slightly and staring down the man that had spoken the slur. Slania merely smiled and leaned closer to the Cosantaire, whispering, “Lest you wish to find out, I suggest you let us pass.”
The lead man nodded with smirking contemplation. He called back to the one behind him rather than answer Slania, but kept his attention on her. “Brutus, that is no way to treat these fine women.”
He rested his hands on the pommel of his saddle, and his words were meant for Slania this time. “Especially if they are to accompany us all the way to Basaixe.”
The unwavering composure began to dissipate from Slania’s face, and her tone grew impatient. “And why would we be doing that, Cosantaire?”
It was the lead man’s turn to gather unwavering composure. He sat shoulders back, hands still casually resting on the pommel, and a genuine smile across his face. “You may call me Aidan. I am Aidan Dacus, captain of these men you see before you.” He paused dramatically. “I would ask formalities on your end, but we already know who you are.” Some of the men chuckled.
Captain Dacus continued as if they were children that needed explaining. “You see on the western end of Melacalya, it may be easy to forget the other realms exist. However, on the eastern end we strive for harmony to say the least.”
Something cryptic in his voice. “It has been the word of the day that the Daughters of Duharrae are piercing a hole in the waterskin of peace. Killing Enclave ambassadors.”
Bonnie cut him off before Slania had the chance, “You know not of what you speak, captain. I suggest you choose your next words with extreme caution.”
Captain Dacus sighed, “Regardless of the details, the reality of the situation is the Enclave wants answers, and we have been commissioned to bring the Daughters to court.” His face grew stern again, and the casual nature he just carried bled with the proceeding words. “Or to deliver justice ourselves.” This is insanity. How could he propose -
Hands went to hilts in every direction. Bonnie and Slania’s glare harrowing as they scanned each in turn.
The captain’s tone rose in hostility as he saw the looming tension grow before him. “Do not escalate this further than it needs to be. Your misjudgment causes more chaos than you care to notice.”
Slania was on her feet in the saddle now. “Our misjudgment? You forget your place, ‘captain’. You should watch your tongue else you may find yourself in a conflict you may soon regret.”
Aidan resolving, drew his sword, “It is not war with you that concerns me.”
The last words resounded in Laresse’s ears, enough for her to freeze for a split second… Enough to watch the scene unfold around us.
Unsheathed swords flung up in every direction, and two particular strung bows from saddles. An instance of stillness was all it took to change the pace of scenery. Slania faded into spectral step, and before she fully fell into the black cloud, Laresse and Bonnie followed suit.
As coursers drew inwards on all sides, Slania appeared behind the captain simultaneously bringing her mask to her face as her physical presence formed. Before he could turn and bring down an upward swing of his short sword, she faded back out into a darkened cloud leaving the bright traces of eneryia behind as the final remnants.
Laresse felt the wind carry her as she swept herself towards the two archers at the rear. Before emerging, she could see the bows being raised in slow motion.
Coming out of spectral step she swung her rod at the first archer knocking the bow and its shot upwards, and out of the assailant’s hands. Falling backwards into the inhaled motion, she emerged beside the other who had already loosed his shot, she slammed the bow down, and in another quick motion she sent the rod full force at the man’s throat, sending him gasping for breath falling forward off his horse.
The first archer dismounted quickly and swung a knife at what he thought to be Laresse, only to swipe rippling air, sending Laresse’s phantom form to ripple out and fade away. As the phantom image faded, Laresse appeared with a hungry smirk on her face, not far in front of his failed assault.
He shouted as he made chase for Laresse and she advanced on him ready to slam the rod down on his foot. As she brought the rod down with all her weight, she struck the ground beneath, and the shockwave rippled through her. Eyes wide, she watched the attacker fade through her piercing blow and dissipate through her.
The moment could not barely pass, skin prickling, she felt him reemerge behind her, blade swinging for her spine. Drawing herself forward to evade the swipe of the knife she dove forward desperately into spectral step.
Mid-step she turned to see the pursuer dive into spectral step with her. What in oblivion is this!
Pivoting a foot in the ground she used her shadowed form to spin her back towards the pursuer. With a knife in each hand now the Cosantaire and Laresse went full force at each other in spectral step.
She brought her rod at chest level horizontally, preventing his first swipe at her, she then side-stepped around him and made to take his legs out from under him, only to be met with his other knife which caught the rod before she could land the hit.
The Cosantaire let the shadows pull him backwards away from her, and Laresse gave chase swinging the rod down at him from one angle to another. Each step backwards he took brought her closer to meeting the impact she needed. Each miss brought a wider smile to the Cosantaire’s face. Enough of this.
The Cosantaire’s moment of confidence, was all she needed to push him beyond his reach. As he made to evade her next blow, she dove further through the shadows bringing herself within centimeters of his face. For a brief second, they locked eyes, Laresse’s pale white glare, and his, brown turned black wide with terror.
As he made for his next evade, Laresse was close enough to jam the rod through the center of his chest. His screams silenced in the depths of the void, she felt the rod crack his ribs as the force of the rod drove through him faster than he could fall.
In another instant, they both emerged from spectral step. Laresse pulled her rod back towards her, bits of blood dripping from the tip. And the Cosantaire emerging from the shadows only to fall lifeless on the ground. Eyes as wide as they were when she struck him.
Panting she turned to find the other archer still unconscious from her surprise attack. Drawn back to the lifeless body in front of her, she shivered. Death is only the beginning. With another breath, she turned to assess the rest of the scene.
From the corner of her vision she could see a man falling with a dagger in his throat, Bonnie rapidly bursting side to side, once to throw, once to retrieve her dagger before the body fell. Blood still mid-air as she moved. Bodies of the fallen littered the field around her.
Further off ahead where the conflict started, Slania and the captain side-stepped each other as she toyed with him in her physical form. They met clash for clash with short swords. Rotating around each other in a dance of death. Every three steps Slania would spectral step to the captain’s flank and reverse him, but he moves far quicker than the rest of these men.
Each counter came quicker and quicker, till he was all but upon Slania. At the moment she emerged from the shadows, a sinister grin fell upon his face and he took a step backwards and fell into the shadows himself.
Slania spun in circles, searching for the emergence. Laresse dove forward with a deep inhale and let the shadows pull her forward into the void. Mid-step she could see Bonnie on the same path. Side by side Bonnie and Laresse emerged at Slania’s flank, the three steadfast in triangular formation.
The blackened sphere of emergence from the void flowed like a rolling storm cloud at Slania’s forefront, but without reemerging…
Slania braced for impact as the sphere hovered in front of her, only to fade back out to nothingness. In the same moment the spectral form reappeared in front of Bonnie to the same outcome as before. Laresse steadied herself white knuckling the rod in her hand, do it you coward.
The spectral form emerged the same as it had the first two times, Laresse waited for the chance to strike while the spectral form hovered in front of her.
In a flash of white light, the captain emerged from spectral form in front of Laresse, as she brought her rod at him in a full-strength uppercut swing, the rod rippled through the captain, and the phantom form faded away.
Immediately Laresse turned to see the captain standing before Bonnie, and Slania. Three forms.
In the center of the form in front of Slania, the captain faded back into spectral step, leaving an orb growing parabolically in succession with a purple glow, electric-like, oh Duharrae no…
Before Laresse could fully freeze from horror, Slania threw Laresse aside, full force, sending her face to the hardened dirt. In the same movement she formed the purple glow of her own in front of her –
Bonnie to her side emerging from spectral step with the vibrance of the shadow bomb with her as well. In the peak of the moment, Laresse felt her heartbeat rampant, the last thing she saw before her face hit the ground was the captain’s other phantom fade from Bonnie’s position.
Bonnie’s shadow bomb exploded first, with the chain reaction of the captain’s, then Slania’s, sending both Bonnie and Slania tossed on their backs further from where Slania had shoved Laresse.
The light was blinding, and a loud ringing echoed in Laresse’s ears. Dizzying she brought her gaze to where the three shadow bombs conjoined. Burnt grass swept the area, and barren dirt lay at the center point where the three shadow bombs exploded. Leaving three decent sized craters in the ground below. The horizon itself swept side to side like a ship weathering the harsh sea.
Laresse had to close her eyes and let herself fall back to the dirt she lay upon. After numerous deep breaths, she tried again.
As vision returned to a standstill, Laresse saw three of the captain’s men taking flight off the trail ahead. Oh no you don’t. Laresse struck her rod in the ground violently in an attempt to stand, and fell into spectral step letting the air of an inhaled breath seep through gritted teeth.
Before she fully dissipated, a tight grip pulled her back by the wrist, catching her in physical form. Eyes darting to the source, she was met with the blank stare of Slania’s mask. With the lines of bright blue pulsing on her armor, she stood holding Laresse’s wrist with a firm grasp.
A few breaths of confusion kept Laresse frozen in place. Slania still heavily breathing herself, let go of Laresse, “A blind chase lays way to another trap.”
She tossed her mask aside and wiped the lines of blood on the sides of her face. Chest still heavily breathing Slania turned as Bonnie walked up behind the both of them.
Before Slania could ask, Bonnie replied, “We have time, the Enclave have yet to step foot in the realm.”
Nodding approvingly, Slania stared the route where the Cosantaires had taken off to. “Then we will get to the bottom of this.”
Laresse stood up finally, with most of her breath back, “Starting with what in oblivion were they doing with Duharrae’s path of eneryia.”
Slania nodded to Bonnie, which drew Laresse’s eyebrows in even further with frustration. They knew?! “The Cosantaires of Telatis follow a similar teaching in the way they harness eneryia. Telatis and Duharrae are brother and sister wisps.”
Bonnie more empathetically, “They take hold in the Voidral Sands, and the city of Basaixe. They can spectral step just as any Daughter can, and as well with other similarities in the teachings. This was not an encounter foreseen or anticipated on our journey.”
Slania added, “Why they are here however, is another question entirely.”
Laresse eyed them both in turn, “I want to know more.”
As if she did not hear Laresse, Slania went on, “If they are the ones aiding the Enclave, we need to know now, lest we find ourselves unaware at a critical moment.”
Bonnie rested a hand on Laresse’s shoulder, “You will learn all we know as we continue, Laresse.”
Slania paused as she took a glance from Bonnie. “I will gather the coursers. Be quick.”
Laresse scanned the area, those coursers are long gone.
Bonnie went on, “There are questions of our own regarding the Cosantaires. It will be best to wait till we intercept. However, in the meantime, you are to keep an eye for the Terros Enclave group we are looking for.”
Laresse listened with intent. “There is a unique aura around this party. At the centermost part of it resides a child. She cannot be more than twelve cycles. Pale skinned and freckled, her hair is straight and long, shaded red as the leaves of Samhain. A female soldier resides close to the child. She wears the swamp green cloak that many of the others do, and underneath; lightweight steel.
There are two more prominent figures close to the child as well. Hardened soldier types, one wears bronzed metal with tanned leathers wrapped about and underneath. For the other bears solemn blackened leathers. Let it be clear that neither of these two are to be trifled with. They are more than likely captains or highly ranked within the Terros Enclave.”
Laresse nodded passively while Bonnie waited for the acknowledgement before continuing. “There are specialists with the officers as well. A hunter bearing thick steel and a greatsword, much older than the officers. Another soldier bears little armor of steel variety, but is incredibly well built and carries distinct tattoos that will stick out like a sore finger in our realm.”
She went on, “Where the Enclave lacks in eneryia they make up for in engineering. There is an alchemist of sorts with them bound in leathers, and a specially made crossbow slung over his back. If the need for conflict arises do not underestimate any of them. They may have renounced the eneryia the wisps offered them long ago, but they have compensated in other ways. For one, the Enclave moves about their armor as well as the Andescion Legions do.”
Certainly, they cannot move agilely with pure steel without the aid of eneryia. Laresse held back her retort, and Bonnie seemed to ignore the change in Laresse’s face. “There is one more factor to consider while we search for this group. The child’s presence is an oddity in itself, however there is something stranger still concerning the final party member.”
Bonnie’s voice held nothing but precision, “In the vision there was a shadow of a figure I could not see.”
Another one that can move through spectral step? “What does that mean?”
Bonnie’s glance caught Slania returning with the coursers before she gave reply. “It could mean a multitude of scenarios, which is why it is imperative that we find them before they find whatever or whomever it is they are looking for.”
Slania was walking towards them from the outskirts of the tree line nearby. Bonnie and Laresse began to make their way to meet her.
Whether it be the Cosantaires aiding the Enclave this time or not. There will be no more surprises.