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Relieved that we could stick together for the foreseeable future, we first concentrated on preparing the select dozen soldiers from the Order of the Blue for their task in Chairo.

As they stood at attention to receive their orders, the bulk of my advice amounted to: “Do whatever Captain Corwin asks of you.” After catching a few wary glances between them, I added, “Remember, he's on your side. Things are different now.”

Relias handed a copy of the Turri Accords to Sir Tristan, the highest ranking of the group. “Once in Chairo, you may find yourself estranged from the brethren of both Orders and Captain Corwin. It is of utmost importance that you guard your words with prudence. Should Pravum seek counsel from you in private communion or the public square, let the words in this parchment guide your responses. Do not reveal more than what is written, for you are a guardian of its truths, not a witness to its creation. Should he ask about my whereabouts, tell him I will join all anon.”

“In order words,” Nora chuckled. “Play dumb and let the bosses confront him.”

“If he inquiries about the Chosen One,” Relias continued. “Tell him that I am steadfast in my conviction that she has been returned to us. Let him ponder my beliefs and interpret them as he will. Most likely, he will be inclined to believe that I have swayed the hearts of mere rabble to rise in a conspiracy against him.”

“Wouldn't take all that much,” I mumbled, though loud enough to elicit a snicker from the group.

As the laughter subsided, Sir Tristan cleared his throat, taking on a more somber expression. “We understand the gravity of the task before us. We shall tread carefully and follow your guidance.” After saluting, he turned on his heels, leading his squad to their horses.

“May Euphridia, in her boundless grace, watch over them...” Relias murmured.

“What's next on the list?” Nora asked, standing up on her tiptoes while swinging her arms back and forth. “We've only got about an hour until the Order's on the march again.”

“Supplies?” I asked Relias.

“Indeed,” he affirmed with a nod. “But first, let us convene with the remainder of our companions. Together, we shall select war mounts befitting our noble quest.”

“Hear that? Noble quest!” Nora giggled.

“We're not taking the wagon with us?” I asked in surprise. “I was just getting used to it...”

“I believe it would be wiser for it to remain with the Order of Silver,” Relias replied, gazing at the wagon thoughtfully. “It may serve as a strategic diversion for any of our adversaries who may be observing our movements and interactions. Mayhap, with prudent strategy, we can lead any such adversaries to believe we remain within its confines even after our departure.”

I sighed, remembering the risks of cultists and other ne'er-do-wells. “You think of everything, don't you?”

“Me?” He looked back with a humble smile. “I merely try to anticipate the possibilities. In this world, it is essential that we remain ever vigilant.”

I have to try harder to help anticipate those possibilities, too.

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All I could do was stare at the Palomino Andalusian in sheer awe. His coat was a flawless, velvety gold with no blemishes in sight save for the subtle white star on his forehead. No. Not a blemish. That was his signature mark!

“I couldn't possibly ride him...” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

“Are you sure about that?” Aleph asked. “He seems to think otherwise.”

It didn't help he had already been tacked. With his ears pricked forward, he approached me, playfully tossing his head.

“It's obvious you didn't hear what happened to my last horse,” I sighed as he nuzzled at my arm. “You should be more cautious with strangers, you know?”

“Go on!” Vernie commanded. “Get to know him. You won't be strangers then.”

As I reached out to stroke his neck, he nickered softly. “I don't even know your name.”

“It's Aurum,” Relias confirmed with a smile. “The reasons, as you might surmise, are quite apparent.”

I blinked. “You... know this horse?” What a dumb thing to ask.

“Dear Rae,” he chuckled. “Rest assured, I would not present you with an unworthy, inferior steed. You require a companion who is not only attuned to you and your sacred Purpose but also capable of protecting you.”

“Are you hearing all of this praise, Aurum?” I couldn't help but pet his muzzle as he nudged at me again. “Maybe... just one ride? See how it goes? But I warn you... I'm probably a lot more trouble than you realize.”

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

He sealed the deal by pawing expectantly at the earth. Before I knew it, we were galloping down the road as one, his hooves thudding against the ground with each powerful stride he made. He seemed to effortlessly carry me and all of my equipment. At one point, the hood of my cloak was torn off by the wind, releasing my now unkempt hair in all directions. Eventually, it whipped back out of my face as we plunged down a small hill, scattering countless birds into frantic flight.

I had lost track of time during the ride. The landscape had become a welter of colors, and I had neglected to track the sun's passage.

“Looks like it's getting late…” I mused, realizing we'd been out longer than I intended. “We should probably head back now.” I let my weight fall back down as I braced myself in the stirrups, pulling back lightly on his reins. He complied faster than I had expected, and I looked around our unfamiliar surroundings. While the road was still wide and clear, the pine trees had slowly encroached on either side, threatening to overtake us within its grand forest.

Aurum's ears flicked backward. “Don't worry,” I assured him. “I'll take the blame for our inadvertent excursion.” Then I heard muffled shouts coming from behind us, and we quickly turned to see the rest of the party in the far distance, approaching on their chosen horses. “Looks like the posse caught up to us...”

We started to canter towards them, but Aurum abruptly tensed beneath me, a nervous snort escaping him as he raised his head.

“What's—”

A dark tendril of miasma slithered upwards between two trees to our right before disappearing completely. I yanked the reins, turning him sharply as my gaze darted among the trees. Almost immediately, the silence was broken by a cacophony of growls and howls, revealing a disheveled, mangy pack of wolves materializing from the dark forest floor.

Can normal animals succumb to animus overload?

It was clear they were acting strange. Predators wouldn’t typically give away their position so quickly if they had been simply hunting us. Instead, these wolves seemed conflicted, pausing and shaking their heads before proceeding a few more steps. One wolf came too close to another, causing the other to rip at its neck with its sharp teeth.

“Kekekekekeke!” a high-pitched voice resounded from the treetops like a giant, hysterical monkey.

Aurum and I made a wordless, joint decision to flee, seeing the situation was quickly escalating. Though I wasn’t sure of our chances of escaping, I hoped our sudden actions would indicate to the others that something was amiss.

As we fled, the deranged voice behind us screamed, “Tear them apart! Peel their flesh from their bones and make them howl in agony! Drink their blood and snap up their entrails!” The words were punctuated by maniacal laughter, which would have sent chills down my spine had they not been so clichéd. The fact that the wolves seemed to understand and be more than willing to comply was enough for me to summon my aura as we galloped along the wooded trail, trying to reunite with our party.

They gained on us rapidly, launching themselves one by one at Aurum's hindquarters. Aurum, however, kept turning his head this way and that, catching a few of the more aggressive ones with a furious backward kick. Clumsily, I fumbled to free my bo staff from my backside, intending to fend them off at our sides.

Suddenly, an unseen force slammed into me, ejecting me from the saddle and sending me tumbling across the forest floor. My aura softened the impact, though I did bounce a few times for good measure.

“No, no, no!” the manic voice screeched. “You're not doing this right! You need to separate the rider from the horse! Understand now, my subordinates?”

The wolves, foaming from their mouths, slowly encircled me as I stood, poising my bo staff.

Crack! I glanced to the side to see Aurum mercilessly stomp on one wolf, crushing its ribcage.

“You're not allowed to do that! No, no, no!” the voice screamed at Aurum before its demonic body materialized with a loud buzz. Hulking and towering at seven feet tall, the figure a few feet before him resembled a grotesquely twisted werewolf. Its body was coated in a putrid and foulsmelling grey slime that dripped slowly to the ground. The creature's face was a monstrous display of malformed features, lacking any sense of symmetry. Fangs jutted out at odd angles from its gaping maw, while one eye bulged unnaturally from its socket, the other sunken and barely visible.

“Only I'm allowed to punish my subordinates!” it shouted as it grabbed a nearby wolf with gnarled hands, twisting it until its spine shattered and its shrieks ceased. “See. See? See! Only me!” He hurled its corpse at Aurum, who deftly side-stepped.

“You're insane!” I shouted, swinging my staff in wide arcs to keep the wretched wolves around me at bay.

How much longer until the party reaches us?

He translocated a few feet before me with a loud cackle, sending the wolves scattering. “Insane. Insane? Insane!” he cried out, his eyes wild with excitement. “Yes! You understand me! Become my subordinate!”

The stench of rotting garlic threatened to overwhelm my senses. “No way,” I grimaced, pulling back from him.

“You must, you must, you must!” He twitched with every repetition. “Wait. No. You look just like her. Just like her? Just like her!”

As long as we talk, he doesn't seem to attack. How much longer could I delay him? “I don't know who you're talking about. Explain yourself!”

“You can't join me. You have to die. Die? Die!” The words flew from his mouth in a frantic staccato, each syllable getting more desperate as the claws on his hands grew, shedding a black, sticky ichor. “So I can become the King. Please? Please. Please!” he pleaded, clawing in a feverish frenzy at his face.

“Um...” I hesitated, thinking about how to keep him talking gibberish for a little longer. “What would your progenitor say about all this?”

“Aziza? Aziza! Aziza... No! She hates me now! Not my master anymore! I killed so many? So many. So many!”

“So many, what?” I asked with a level of curiosity that belied the tense situation. “What did you kill so many of?” I kept my staff rotating, making a threatening swing here and there whenever a wolf got too close.

“Mortals,” he confirmed. “To get stronger, to serve better! A plague. A plague? A plague! But it went too far. Too far? Too far!”

Is... that what I'm smelling? The rot and stench of plague?

Relias and the others were closing in now, their horses kicking up dust as they raced to our aid. Despite one wolf viciously trying to tear at his golden hide, Aurum remained composed and held his own. What a well-trained warhorse!

“You hate me too!” he shrieked. “You won't even look at me. Look at me! Look at me?”

I drew myself up, willing my body to prepare for our inevitable fight. “I'm looking. I'm looking at someone with no remorse for their actions, is that right?”

“Remorse? For killing? Why? Killing mortals makes me stronger, stronger, stronger! Enough talk. You die now. Die now? Die now!” With his final declaration, the entire area around us plunged into the darkest midnight, cutting us off from the rest of the world.

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