Chapter 587: Chromatic Fire

  Sev met her gaze, her eyes were tired, but there was a strength, a determination behind them. It angered him. What did it matter if Stryga wanted to spare his life, if she had condemned tens of thousands of his people to death? “Did you really attack Lunis?”

  Stryga’s expression faltered. “I did,” she replied after a long moment.

  “So it’s true what they say? You razed the city to the ground? You slaughtered tens of thousands? Women? Children?”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat, “I… I didn’t—”

  Gwyn jumped in front of Stryga and parried an arrow as it whizzed through the air. “My lady, stay behind me!”

  “Sev, get away from them!” yelled Drale from a distance. He notched another arrow and aimed at the two vampires.

  “Drale, wait!” said Sev.

  But it was too late, Gwyn came up behind him and held her fangs at his neck. “Put the bow down or I rip out your friend’s throat.”

  “Let him go,” Drale pointed the arrow straight at Gwyn’s head.

  “Drale, don’t. She’s a Gale, you can’t win. Just drop the bow,” said Sev in a panic.

  The archer frowned at Sev’s words. Drale examined Gale’s features for a moment, then the blue woman behind her. “Is that… Stryga Veres?”

  “Gwyn, stop this, we're leaving,” said Stryga quietly.

  “Should I kill them first?” she asked.

  “No. Leave them be. We are leaving.”

  “...Very well, my lady.” Gwyn leaned forward and whispered into Sev’s ear, “You are lucky, little healer.” She then shoved him forward and dashed off into the trees with Stryga before Drale could react.

  Sev stumbled and fell on the smooth stones of the riverbank.

  “Are you alright, sir mage?” The broad-shouldered goblin rushed over and helped Sev to his feet.

  “I’m fine. What are you doing here? I told you to leave.”

  “I did, sir mage. But then I got to thinking, it was odd how you urged me to just go like that. And then I realized something must have been wrong. So I rushed back and I’m glad I did. Imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t gotten here when I did.”

  “...You’re right,” Sev admitted. What had he been thinking? Talking to the Blue Rose as if she wasn’t a monster that could easily tear him apart limb from limb. They were enemies, it was only natural that she’d want to kill him.

  And yet… She hadn’t. The infamous Blue Rose hadn’t ripped the blood right out from his body or electrocuted him into a charred husk. He’d have thought she’d be bloodthirsty. If anything she seemed— sad?

  “Imagine what the captain will say? The Blue Rose is prowling through the woods. We should hurry back to the camp, sir mage.”

  Sev grimaced at the thought.

~~~

  “Why didn’t you let me kill them?” asked Gwyn with a twist of her lips.

  “The healer didn’t tell his comrades about our presence within the forest,” answered Stryga.

  “And do you think that archer will share the sentiment? He clearly wanted to shoot us.”

  “I am aware,” Stryga sighed.

  “Then why?”

  “Because the healer did not deserve to die, neither of them did.”

  “But the archer—”

  “Was only trying to protect his comrade, a mage at that. Last I recalled, soldiers are supposed to protect their mages from unknown threats.”

  Gwyn bowed her head, “...I will adhere to your commands, my lady.”

  “Good.”

  “So long as they don’t put your life at risk. Your survival is my top priority.”

  Stryga shook her head, the Gales were all the same. She really hoped Gian didn’t grow up like the rest of them. He was a Veres, just as much as she was.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “Clarice, wait up!” a faint voice echoed in the distance.

  “Did you hear that?” Stryga paused.

  “No, my lady? Were we followed?” Gwyn drew her sword and went back to back with Stryga.

  “No… I don’t think so. Follow me,” Stryga dashed off into the woods and Gwyn hurried after her.

  They both channeled Orange and cast an agility spell, lessening their weight and amplifying their speed. They ran through the woods, vaulting over bushes and underbrush, and landing with soft steps.

  After a minute Stryga led Gwyn to hide behind a pair of trees. A small party of goblins were making their way through the ashen woods. From the looks of it, they had been coming from the same direction as the healer and archer.

  “Clarice, come on, we can’t keep up!” a goblin wheezed between breaths.

  A goblin, far in the lead, turned around and marched back to the others with a scowl on her face. “Shh. Don’t speak so loud, we don’t know what’s out there. And that’s lieutenant to you, Will.”

  The goblin in question raised his hand in a salute, his shoulders heaving with every breath. “Sorry, Lieutenant. It’s just, not all of us were part of the rangers. We’re not used to traveling through these woods. If we could just slow down a bit, then—”

  Clarice held her hand up for silence. “I understand you’re all tired. It’s the third time we’re going out today. We haven’t found any food yet, but if we don’t bring anything back, sooner or later we’ll run out of food. We have to do our part, do you understand, soldier?”

  Will nodded reluctantly, “Understood, lieutenant.”

  “Good. I’ll try to take it slower.” Clarice waved everyone forward, “Come on. None of the hunting parties have gone this way yet. Hopefully, we’ll find some tracks at least.”

  Gwyn and Stryga shared a look and the former urged her lady to leave, but Stryga shook her head and followed after the goblins instead.

  If this Clarice really was a ranger then perhaps she could lead them to Evenfall. The difficult part would be trying to convince the ranger to help them. Perhaps if Stryga hunted down plenty of deer and other fauna then she could trade the food for the woman’s guidance through the woods.

  Maybe she could even get the healer to act as a mediator and broker the deal, he at least seemed willing to speak with Gwyn and her. Though, his questions about her attack on Lunis made her doubt such a hope. The healer undoubtedly had family back in Lunis. If they were dead, then… Stryga wouldn’t fault him if he wanted to see her head mounted on a spike.

  “Deer tracks!” Clarice said excitedly and crouched down on the floor. “There are lots of them.” She pointed to a large disarray of tracks on the crushed grass and mud.

  “Which way did they go?” asked one of the hunters.

  “They were running from something.”

  “Something? Like a predator?”

  Clarice nodded. “I can’t find any clear footprints, the deers’ tracks stomped over everything. But a bear or wolf if I had to guess, anything larger would have left too big of a mark.”

  “Should we go find some help, lieutenant? If it’s like the bear Captain Nalindor found then—”

  “We’re fine. Whatever beast was after these deer found its prey. Let’s move, there should still be other deer in the area,” Clarice stood up and kept walking.

  Stryga kept an eye on them from a distance. Following them while dampening her own footsteps with magic. Gwyn had somewhat calmed down. The thought of eating venison tonight no doubt had put her in a better mood or so Stryga hoped.

  After another half an hour of walking, the hunting party came across a large clearing. Where there had once been ashen trees now there was nothing but scorched black dirt. Charred skeletons of deer were scattered haphazardly over the ground. A lone naked woman lay curled in a fetal position at the center of the clearing.

  “What in bloody Bellum happened here?” whispered Gwyn.

  “I’m not sure…” Stryga narrowed her eyes and watched from the treeline as the hunters cautiously approached.

  Clarice led the group, her bow in hand, arrow notched, ready to be pulled at a moment’s notice. The others followed behind her, their expressions darkening as they walked through the clearing.

  The lone woman stirred and slowly sat up at their approach. She wore no clothes and her pale skin was covered in patches of soot. She furrowed her brow and scrambled to her feet.

  “It’s okay,” Clarice said quickly. “We’re not here to hurt you. I just want to know what happened in this place.”

  “You’re… goblins?” she mumbled.

  Clarice nodded. “Yes, we’re soldiers from Lunis. Are you— human?”

  “Human?” The girl frowned and stared at her own hands. “Ah, right…”

  “What happened here?” Clarice asked again.

  “You can get me out of here? Just you five?” the woman asked skeptically.

  “There are more of us. I promise we can help, okay? You have nothing to worry about, just tell us what happened here.”

  The woman’s lips formed a thin disapproving line. “Why are you still pointing your bow at me?”

  Clarice forced a smile, “Why are you all alone in a forest of monsters?”

  “My, you are cheeky—”

  Clarice pulled her bowstring and fired before the woman could finish her sentence. But she caught the arrow in mid-flight just as it was about to pierce her neck.

  “Retreat!” Clarice yelled and fired arrow after arrow.

  The strange woman swatted each projectile with little effort, while the rest of the goblin party ran back to the treeline. The woman suddenly burst into bright green flames, her body melting away into the fire as it grew into an inferno. The blaze died out just as quickly as it had appeared, and from the smoke emerged a black dragon.

  The dragon’s rib cage swelled as she ignited her own chromatic mana. She breathed out flames of all colors, devouring Clarice, before aiming her open maw forward. The flames burned a path through the clearing, catching all the fleeing goblins in one fell swoop.

  Without a second thought, Gwyn threw Stryga to the ground and cast a Green flora spell. The underbrush quickly covered the two of them while Stryga scribbled a few concealment wards over the leaves and roots.

  The black dragon pulled her lips back in what Stryga could only assume was a sneer, revealing a row of sharp fangs. Smoke drifted out of her nostrils and she roared in anger and dominance. Her wings stretched outwards and she took to the sky with a powerful wingbeat.

  “Now I know why there aren’t any animals around here,” Gwyn chuckled nervously. “Dragon territory.”

  Stryga sat up. “That thing was flying towards the Lunisian camp.”

  “Then may the gods have mercy on them. My lady? My lady, where are you going?”

  “We have to warn them.”

  “Pfft, are you serious? We won’t make it on time!”

  “We have to try.”

  “It’s a fucking dragon. What are we supposed to try and do exactly?”

  “What I should have done back at Lunis. Save lives.” Stryga sprinted away without another word.