INFERNUS ARC

                To clear as much ground as possible on the first day, the four of them rode the horses a little harder than necessary, but not so much that they would tire out or injure themselves.  The thudding of the hooves on the dirt road and the sound of wind whipping by his ears made him smile for some reason. He trailed behind the other three with Lestith at the lead, Grandall and Kaia side by side and they rode quickly towards the next town before night fell.

Since there was no real time to converse the first leg of the trip was quite boring for Amrin, but he did enjoy the scenery when he could. The landscape started out as mostly farmlands, filled with crop almost ready for harvest, then turned quickly to grassy plains and finally thick forests and hills. The farther they got from Arestoth the more the landscape changed to indicate they were far from civilization and the shaping of the land to suit their needs.

Hours had passed by before the four slowed their pace. Lestith veered slightly off the main road and headed down an embankment and disappeared from sight. Amrin followed suit and noticed that there was a small stream before them.

                “We shall take a small break here and let the horses rest. It would not do to push them too hard for much longer.” Lestith said as he dismounted and led his horse to the stream.

Amrin and the others followed suit. While the horses were content with taking their fill of the streams fresh water the four took the opportunity to stretch out and comfort themselves after riding so long and hard.

                “Ugh, not sure I’m going to be the same after riding for four days.” Amrin said as he rubbed his backside and cringed.

                “Oh, you’ll get used to it…eventually.” Grandall chuckled.

                “I suppose one in your position has not been able to ride a horse for quite some time.” Kaia said absentmindedly.

Lestith narrowed his eyes and titled his head in confusion at the remark and looked at Grandall, then to Kaia. Since she still had her helmet on, the expression she made was hidden. She realized too late that she said something that could cause an issue if these two are not apprised of Amrin’s situation.

                “You’re right Kaia. I’m too used to riding in carriages.” Amrin was quick to speak.

He looked right at her knowing that she made a blunder, but nothing that couldn’t easily be remedied. He noticed her eyes cast downward and away from his through the narrow slits in her helm.

                “Are you a noble?” Grandall asked curiously as he plopped down onto the grass.

Since Grandall was not present during any of the conversations or events concerning Amrin other than his initial arrest at Edgewood, he was unaware of what or who Amrin was.

                “No, not a noble. I just haven’t been able to get out much.” Amrin curled his lips down and looked at Kaia and bulged his eyes.

After noticing this, she turned away. Amrin wasn’t able to see what her reaction was and frowned because of it. He wanted to get on better terms with all of them since they would be travelling for the better part of two weeks. Any animosity or awkwardness would just make it bothersome to deal with.

                “So Lady Kaia, if you don’t mind me asking. Why do you wear your helm, even when not in battle?” Lestith questioned her while he was brushing his horse down.

She remained silent for a moment and stood still. The three men looked at her, causing her to become slightly uncomfortable at the unwanted attention.

                “Well, I’m sure she has her reasons, no?” Amrin said as he laid down on his back in the cool grass. He closed his eyes and soaked in the comforting feeling, arms and legs spread out.

                “It is as Lord Amrin says. I wear it for reasons that I wish not to discuss at this time.” Kaia said, bowing her head slightly.

Grandall and Lestith looked at each other and then shrugged in unison.

                “Well, it is what it is I suppose. No matter.” Lestith said. “Oh, is anyone feeling hungry? I realize we have been riding for hours now and haven’t stopped for food.” He began to dig into a saddle bag on his horse and produced a cloth bag.

He walked towards the other three and placed the bag down and began to take a few of the contents out. Cheeses, bread, some fruits as well a few pieces of dried and cured meats.

                “It isn’t much, but should give us the needed energy to continue until we reach the next village.” He took a grape from a cluster of vines and tossed it into his mouth. One eye wincing due to the sudden sourness he wasn’t expecting. “Oh, that was…wow.”

Grandall flipped over to all fours and crawled unceremoniously towards the pile of food before him. The sound of his armor clanking and grinding as he did so. He grabbed a few chunks of the cured meat and began to chew on them.

                “Ugh…Grandall.  A little bit of restraint please? And manners?” Lestith chided, eyes narrowed, and frowning.

                “Ah…hahaha! Sorry, Sir. I was just quite hungry is all.” He smiled so large his eyes closed and allowed the group to see his surprisingly white teeth framed by his grizzled red beard.

Amrin sat up at the mention of food and the sudden growling of his stomach and grabbed a piece of cheese and bread. He split the bread in two and sandwiched the cheese between them. Taking a bite of the meager sandwich his eyes went wide at how soft the bread was and how much flavor the cheese had. While he was chewing he nodded his head in approval.

While the three enjoyed the food Lestith provided, Kaia remained in the same position she had taken since dismounting her horse. Amrin noticed this but after she had mentioned she wore her helmet for a reason he didn’t want to push her into taking it off so she could eat something.

                “So, what is this Scourge War that I’ve heard about?” Amrin decided to try and bring conversation into the mix, and wanted to get more information on the beast that slept at Infernus Pass.

Grandall let out a long sigh and slumped his shoulders as he sit on the grass munching on the dried meat.

                “Well, I’m not sure about anyone else but…I was actually there.” Grandall finally spoke up. He looked at the ground in front of him, plucking out a few blades of grass as he spoke. “I was only a young recruit back then though.”

The look on Grandall’s face lost all of its joviality.  He was once again silent, most likely recalling all of the events that transpired thirty years ago. The group remained silent, the only sound that was present was the lapping of water from the horses and the occasional breeze.

                “It was a nightmare. Infernus Pass. It never used to be called that, though. The city had a name. Randess. The great city of Randess.” He sat himself up straight and tried to speak in a more upbeat tone. “It was a hub city that traded between The Dominion, Arestoth and The beast-man tribes, although they didn’t come around very often.”

Kaia involuntarily fidgeted at the mention of the tribes and calling them beasts. The armor she was clad in made a faint clinking sound from her sudden movement.

                “It was filled with all manner of businesses, families, opportunities…everything really. If you wanted to find something, Randess was the place you should go to find it. It was also home to the Capital Knights headquarters due to the sheer number of people that go through it. Quite easy to recruit young ones you see.”

He looked at Amrin, the look on his face was emotionless but not harsh. Almost as if indifference had replaced any lingering negative emotions that he had due to the memory. But Grandall’s eyes told otherwise.

                “The day it happened was no different than any other day really. Bright and clear sunny day, not too hot, but then again it was still early. Not sure how nobody didn’t notice the clouds. Those damned clouds!” Grandall closed his eyes and ran his hands over his face remembering the event that caused the nightmare that turned Randess into hell.

                “They came out of nowhere, black as night and moved unnaturally against the winds. It began to rain. It was just rain. That’s what everyone thought anyway. A few went indoors to keep from getting wet, but for anyone that was touched by the liquid that was clearly not rain water…it was too late. It only took a matter of minutes. They began to scream, collapsing in pain.”

Grandall’s eyes squinted as if he was remembering that same pain.

                “Everyone that was already inside was safe. Heh….safe. No, not safe. Just not unlucky enough to be turned into those things.” He shook his head quickly to try and get the image out of his mind.

                “Things?” Amrin knitted his brow in concern, unable to take another bite of the cheese sandwich in his hands as Grandall was telling his story.

                “They weren’t monsters like you normally see, nor were they any beasts I’ve ever seen. They were…things. No two looked the same either. They were deformed and grotesque, enlarged limbs, skin sloughing off in places, the stench of the dead present on some of them as well. I think I even saw some of them have a tail or something. But I didn’t want to pay attention to it too much. It was kill or be killed at that time. But the only thing they all had in common was that they had incredible magical power and strength.” Grandall’s voice was monotone as he continued his story, once again looking down at the ground and plucking random blades of grass and tossing them to the side.

                “Some had horns…” the voice caused Amrin to turn his attention to Lestith.

                “That’s right! Horns…at least that’s what they looked like.” Grandall agreed. “But…Captain, how do you know about that?” he asked, one eyebrow raised in confusion.

                “My mother. She….she was outside when it happened. In the garden.”

                “What?! Then…then you were in Randess as well?” Grandall shouted, having just learned of this for the first time. His eyebrows raised and head reeled back slightly at the realization.

                “I was only a child at the time, still very young. But I remember it clearly. She had come into the house after the rain had started. As she started to wipe off the water she fell to the ground in pain. I couldn’t do anything. Her screams….” He clenched his eyes shut and gritted his teeth.

                “Her screams caused my father to come running into the foyer, it was then we saw her change. It is just as Grandall mentioned. Deformed limbs, skin falling off and the smell. But what I remember the most was the horns. Her hair began to fall out and in a matter of moments two black metal like horns began to appear from her skull.” Lestith was breathing faster as each moment he retold the memory continued. The metal on his gauntlets crunching as the strain of his clenched fist caused them to grind together.

Amrin could only watch and listen to the events that transpired all those years ago. The look of concern was plain on his face. In all the time that he had been alive, he had never heard of something like this happening.

                “Captain…I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said anything. I didn’t…I didn’t know.” The worry that fell over Grandall’s face made Lestith feel guilty for how he was acting.

                “No, it’s fine Grandall. I never told anyone before. The only one that is aware is Commander Braddock.” His breathing was still fast and labored from remembering a difficult past. He closed his eyes to try and calm down even further. “Besides, it was bound to come up sooner or later anyway, we are heading there after all.”

                “What happened after they started to change?” Amrin swallowed hard and squinted slightly in hopes that he wasn’t asking too much for the story to continue.

Grandall looked at Lestith cautiously, but was given a nodding approval to continue.

                “They began to attack everyone. Friends, family…children. No one was safe. It was as if they were overtaken by something and the only thing left was hate and anger. The ones that couldn’t run fast enough were torn apart, the ones that were too far to grab, magic was used to kill them instead.”

Lestith took a seat and raised his knees to rest his arms on and listened to Grandall continue. It seemed he might be able to find out more about that day from someone that was there personally.

                “The first day was hell. Thousands died with just as many injured or missing. Which I suppose wasn’t too bad with the total population of the city totaling in the hundreds of thousands. The level of destruction and death was unlike anything before it. The Capital Knights were dispatched immediately with the orders to kill on sight. The risk of it being some form of disease or plague and be contagious was too great.” He paused. “There were some men that attempted to reason with the ones that turned…but they were killed instantly. Any sense of reasoning they once had as people was no longer there. Kill on sight. No questions. No quarter. No mercy.”

Kaia was standing the entire time Grandall was recalling the events of that day and finally decided to take a seat along with everyone else. She carefully lowered herself to the ground and bent her legs at the knees and clasped her hands around to keep them up. The three men watched her as she did this, but for no other reason than it was something that was happening.

                “Messenger falcons were released and emergency beacons were lit in each of the guard towers. But by the time help arrived, the damage had been done. Assistance from Arestoth came too late. The Knights, Chanters and civilians that were able to make it out alive did whatever they could to blockade and reinforce the exits to keep any of the turned inside the city.”

                “But…if their magic was so powerful, why did they not just destroy the walls?” Lestith asked. Even though he was there, he was only a child and didn’t know all of the details of that day.

                “We don’t know. Honestly. The only thing we figured was that those that were turned were only moving on the most basic and primal of instincts. Since there was no living beings to attack or pursue they didn’t see a need for magic? But like I said…I don’t think anyone ever really found out why. Call it a happy coincidence, call it luck, call it whatever you want, I don’t care. I call it a miracle. Because if they did indeed destroy those walls with their magic, none of us would be alive right now. I guarantee that.”

Grandall’s eyes were narrowed and lips pursed as he said it.

                “So why it is now called Infernus Pass though? From what I’ve learned, it’s a place with heavy volcanic activity and earthquakes. Not exactly compelling scenery for a bustling trade city.” Amrin said confused.

                “Ah, that? What I’ve told you up till now was what led to what is now called the Scourge Wars. It was a few weeks after the initial attack that the few of the neighboring kingdoms sent aid. The Dominion sent supplies and provisions to aid in the subjugation and reclamation of Randess. Arestoth sent the manpower, and the beast-tribes, well, they’re called the Tranquil Refuge now, sent what manpower they could spare as well.” Grandall paused and took a bite of the dried meat he was fiddling with.

                “It was a pretty meager fighting force, numbering as little as two hundred, for an enemy that we knew nothing about. Where it came from, what it was, or what the person behind it all was after. Assuming there was anyone behind it all.” Grandall said. The distress clear in his voice.

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                “The main forces that were gathered and prepared to enter the main gate of the city were prepared for anything. Or at least we thought anything. The second the barricade of the main gate was dismantled, the main force charged forward. Cutting down any and all that were not normal. Having a moderate amount of surprise allowed us to push into the middle of the city where we fortified ourselves.” Grandall paused for a moment and licked his lips.

                “Any of the abominations that attempted to move close were taken out by the Chanters versed in fire or water. Shooting them from afar with bolts of fire or spears of ice. The Earth chanters summoned walls of stone to help fortify the center of town. It was only after a few hours did we hear the oncoming threat the likes of which we were not prepared for.”

                “The Demon of Randess.” Kaia chimed in suddenly.

                “Y-yes…that’s right.” Grandall said, surprised someone knew of it. “I’m surprised you’ve heard of it?  Well, needless to say it caused us no end of trouble or dwindling of our ranks. It was a massive deformed monstrosity that didn’t look anything like a human, High Elf, Dwarf or Demi-human. It was truly a demon. The only thing I can really compare it too is an enormous wolf mixed with a bull and a lizard of some kind.”

                “A wolf, bull and…lizard?” Amrin asked, confused and surprised.

                “Aye. Two large, black as pitch, horns atop its head, and eyes the likes of which could look into your very soul. Walking on all fours. In the places that didn’t have skin, it looked like hard scales, and a matching long serpent tail. A snout with razor sharp and blood soaked teeth. The sheer size of it was daunting and terrifying to look upon.”

Recalling the image made Grandall shudder slightly at remembering its horrible visage. Lestith was listening intently, hanging on every word that he was saying. It was an aspect of that horrible time he knew nothing of. After the first day he and his household were transported to Arestoth.  Kaia sat silently, her eyes which were the only noticeable features that one could make out behind her helm, didn’t indicate any emotion.

                “Nothing we threw at it, no manner of attack could strike a decisive blow. Every sword blow, spear strike or elemental damage that was inflicted upon its deformed hide was immediately healed as if it never happened or bounced off like it was child’s play. And the magic it cast, while slow, was devastating. We were fortunate that it wasn’t capable of Swift tier chanting, or we wouldn’t have stood a chance. It took every ounce of power, skill and raw brute force we could muster to keep the demon at bay. For two days.” Grandall paused for a moment and tilted his head upwards with a smile.

                “Wait…it could cast magic?” Lestith asked surprised.

                “It could. Unfortunately we found out the hard way. It didn’t sound as if it was speaking, but whatever language it was chanting, it was unlike any I’ve ever heard. Honestly we thought it was babbling incoherently…until it unleashed its first barrage.” Grandall replied somberly.

                “Also, there was one man, well, demi-human, that I will not forget for a second during those two days! He was a monster in his own rights! Ahh…remembering the way he fought, the ferocity and skill in which he would engage the Demon and any that would dare come close…any man that was worth a damn was still alive after the first day, mind you.” He said while looking at the three others in the group.

                “Every man that was alive at the time that saw him fight will tell you the same thing! If not for him, the forward command would have been lost. We called him something that summed up just what he was.  Beast King.”

                “Cassus Mardax?” Kaia once again chimed in, but this time surprise in her voice. “I...I’m sorry, but…I heard that it was given to him out of spite and more of a jeer than anything.”

                “What?! Absolutely not! The man was a legend! Aw, to fight by his side was an honor in and of itself! Anyone that was even thinking about calling himself a soldier, knight or fighter would be proud to admit having fought by his side! He was unstoppable!” Grandall’s voice was filled with awe and respect.

                “But…how did you know?” Grandall asked Kaia, looking at her, his thick eyebrows lowered in confusion.

Without saying a word Kaia grasped both sides of her helm and lifted it gently off of her head and placed it next to her. Once again Amrin could catch the faint whiff of lavender and jasmine wafting from her hair as it fell out of the helm. Atop her black blue hair was two soft pointed ears that flicked around quickly as if they had a mind of their own. The only one taken by surprise was Lestith. His eyes went wide and mouth opened slightly in surprise.

Amrin and Grandall didn’t change their expression much other than a slight smile indicating that they were glad she had finally removed her helm.

                “Y-you’re…a D-Demi-human?” Lestith said, stuttering like a fool.

                “Yes. Is that a problem?” Kaia replied looking directly at him. Her brilliant orange eyes narrowed as she asked the question.

                “No! No, of…of course not. I…I was just…” Lestith continued to stutter. “I’m sorry.”

                “So? You never answered my question.” Grandall said to Kaia, who was still staring down Lestith.

Hearing his voice she turned her attention to him, waiting for any indication that he was surprised, afraid or disgusted at her race. But instead she got nothing other than the same confused look she noticed the first time he asked the question.

                “You are not surprised that I am a from a beast tribe?” she asked sternly.

                “Ah, I meant no ill will in using that term. My apologies. But, no. I knew it all along. There aren’t very many races that can have eyes like yours, Lady Kaia.”

His quick and simple reply took her by surprise. Her once narrowed eyes returned to their normal open state and shined with brilliance.

                “I was also one to fight alongside the one you call Beast King. Although I simply call him King Cassus Mardax.” She aid succinctly.

                “Really? But…you don’t look any older than Adalyn. How young were you during the war?” Amrin said, one eyebrow raised in confusion.

                “Much has changed with our race in your time…away. Demi-humans do not age the same way humans do. I assure you I am much older than the young Adalyn Sindell.”

                “Gahahaha! A war veteran and a beauty no less!” Grandall shouted and laughed in surprise. “I remember you alright. I thought the name was familiar. Kaia…Kaia Belsaryn! I believe the men also had a name for you back then as well. You’ll have to forgive me but…based on your short and to-the-point response to everything, midnight sky hair, and eyes bright enough to pierce the darkness…you must be the Shadow Princess!” he said.

                “Shadow….Princess?” she frowned and flinched slightly at the name. “What…what does that mean?”

                “Ah, well, fighting with a one handed longsword, Darkness element allowing her to disappear and reappear, as if a shadow, moving faster than humanly possible. And in the blink of an eye, cutting down those foolish enough to catch her attention! Her black hair dancing in the wind as she worked. The last thing you see was the glow of her eyes! If not for the heavy armor she wore, you would be certain she was an assassin by trade.” 

Amrin curled his mouth down and raised his eyebrows in surprise, and looked at Kaia in a whole new light.

                “Well, are you capable of moving through shadows like that?” he asked.

                “Y…yes. I suppose that was indeed me.” She admitted shyly. Not sure whether to be flattered or not by the ridiculous name they had given her.

                “This is brilliant! The Shadow Princess! Can you believe it, Captain!? Gahahahaha!” Grandall’s laugh echoed in the air. “Not only will I be going back to the place that confirmed my decision to stay a Knight, but I also get to go back with the Shadow Princess no less! Today is a good day!”

Lestith didn’t quite know how to react to all of this. Grandall was present at the worst time of his life, as was Kaia, someone he had never met before today, and who was also a Demi-human. And if what Grandall says is true, she was a formidable fighter.  

                “But…if you were such a capable fighter, why do you not serve the Bea…King Mardax?” Lestith asked cautiously.

Kaia looked at him, the normal anger or concern for being looked down upon not present in her expression.

                “I was never in the service of King Mardax. He was also not King at the time. But needless to say, I was defeated.” She said simply. “I became too conceited and received an injury that caused me to flee from the front lines. After which much had happened, thus leading to me serving my current master.”

Amrin couldn’t help but smile at it all. It was quite the coincidence that not one or two people, but three, people would unite to head back to a place that marked a turning point in their life. He smiled slightly, but was also concerned about what exactly these abominations were, what created them and who the mastermind behind it all was.  Let alone what he or she was after.

                “Ah, so that’s what it was. Well it was a good thing you got out before the higher-ups decided on their next move.” Grandall said somberly.

Taking what was left of the dried meat he held in his hand and tossing it into his mouth, Grandall chewed on it for a short while until he was able to continue once more.

                “It was decided that after two days of keeping the Demon of Randess at bay, that the city was just a lost cause. So the next course of action was to destroy everything and anything in the city in one fell swoop.”

                “One fell swoop? What does that mean?” Lestith asked, confused.

                “Any chanter that was capable of fifth tier fire or earth magic was required to invoke Cataclysm….at the same time.” 

The color in Lestith’s face disappeared.

                “Cataclysm?” he said surprise filling his voice. “That…that would make sense. It would be exactly why Randess is now Infernus Pass.”

Grandall nodded his head in acknowledgement. It was the only time he saw an attack and spell on that scale. Cataclysm on its own was devastating. A group-wide invocation of it was, as Randess was testament to, capable of changing the very scenery of the world itself.

                “Cataclysm? Fifth tier magic?” Amrin asked, unaware of what they were talking about.

                “Oh umm....there are seven tiers of magic. The higher the tier the more potent the spell. But only those that are Swift Chanters and very rarely Mid-Chanters are able to perform them.” Grandall explained it in the most simplistic way he could think of.

                “As for Cataclysm, it is a high level incantation that summons forth the very essence of the earth and fire. It causes them to erupt from the ground with such tremendous power that it destroys everything in its vicinity. Swallowing everything into the earth’s fiery depths. Very few are capable of invoking it. But the ones that are, are forbidden to do so now, after the events of Infernus Pass.” Kaia took the liberty of explaining it.

Amrin wasn’t aware of any fancy name for such a spell but he knew of what they meant. Although, he couldn’t help but think that it may have been overkill for a simple demon they didn’t know how to handle. Although he would hold his reservation until he saw the city itself, and possibly, the demon in question.

                “And so the group effort Cataclysm, is what turned Randess into the Infernus Pass we know today?” Lestith asked.

                “Aye. That’s right.” Grandall replied.

                “But…why pass? Is it really a pass to someplace?” Amrin was next to voice his concern.

                “Ah, well yes. Randess was a city nested near the opening of a canyon to another kingdom. So, it was a pass through city. And since it is nothing more than a smoldering wasteland, it is simply referred to as Infernus Pass.” Amrin nodded his head in understanding.

                “Well I think that’s enough banter for now don’t you?” Lestith said quickly. “I think the horses have had their fill of water and have had enough time to rest. If anyone would like to finish what is left of the food, they are free to do so.”

Kaia took the liberty to take a few bits of cheese and dried meat from the cloth laid before her and began to munch on them. The only reason she didn’t partake before was her helm would have made it awkward.

                “But before we head out. Lady Kaia, I would like to take the time to thank you.” Lestith said.

Not sure what he meant by that, she furrowed her brow in confusion and looked at him apprehensively.

                “I’m not sure what you are thanking me for though.” She said cautiously.

                “For trusting us enough to remove your helm. Now knowing that you are a demi-human, it makes sense that you would not wish to remove it in the presence of those you do not trust.”

                “I see. Rest assured I did not do so for your benefit, or to give you the impression that I trust you. I did so because I was hungry, and the helmet would have been an inconvenience. Nothing more.” She said firmly.

Collecting her hair with her hands into a tail, she wrapped it around the back of her head a few times and held it in place. Then using her free hand, she lifted her helm and placed over the mound of hair and slid it over her head, enclosing the hair and her face once more. The only thing visible from the slits in the face plate were her brilliant orange eyes.

Amrin stood up, tossing the last bit of his cheese sandwich into his mouth and began brushing his pants off from the grass. The other two doing the same. Each of them retrieved their horses and led them up the embankment gently then lifted themselves into their saddles.

                “Well, that was a longer stop than I had anticipated. But I feel it was worth it.” Lestith said.

                “I agree. Thank you for telling me about the events that transpired. I’m sure it wasn’t a pleasant memory.” Amrin looked to Grandall.

                “Ah, don’t worry about it. It’s only a memory, and one that has made me the man I am today. But if you want to know more…there is still plenty I can tell you. The Scourge Wars are more than just what happened at Randess.”

                “I’m afraid I’ll have to look at you in a new light Grandall.” Lestith said with a slight smirk on his face.

                “Gahaha. You flatter me Captain.” Grandall said loudly.

                “I believe we have wasted enough time with idle banter. Perhaps we should at least proceed at a moderate pace as we discuss things further.” Kaia said sternly.

The three men turned to look at her, but she was already slowly moving away from them towards the next village. Looking at each other in turn, the three men smiled, and quickly urged their own horses to catch up to her.