Chapter Three

First Mission

“We’re close,” Valdora said as he walked toward the back of the line, pausing occasionally to confer with their other traveling companions. The sun was near the end of its trek in the sky, and its rays brushed the tips of the broadleaf trees with an eerie orange hue. Elivera took a moment to gather herself as he approached. Her stomach threatened to flip inside out with the nervous energy that coursed through her body. Get it together! It’s a simple extraction. There’s nothing to panic over, she thought to herself furiously. Elle’s hands clenched, her leather gloves crackling under the strain.

“Sub commander,” Valdora said in a controlled tone. Elivera nearly hit herself in the head with the force of her salute.

“Sir!”

“Ahead, with me. The rest of you, await my command.”

Elle nodded curtly and moved to leap down out of the Howdah. Valdora adjusted his stride only slightly as he led her down the road. Kaida fell in alongside them as he led them to the front of their small caravan.

“Zarl is just ahead on the ridge. I’d like you along to hear his report.”

He turned his head and gave her a reassuring nod. They continued to walk, moving in tense silence until the tree line broke. Soon Elivera found herself atop a large ridge, the road beneath them winding down multiple switchbacks to a sleepy village nestled in the trees.

Elle blamed her nerves for how much she jumped when Zarl dropped from a tree and landed almost silently beside Valdora and Kaida. Valdora already had his looking glass in hand as Zarl gave his report.

“Whole area’s ripe for ambush, Captain,” he said, “I found tracks from their preliminary riders just south of town, not over two days old at most. It’s just as ya feared. They’ve found an easy target, ’n sure as the hells they’re on their way back with more help.”

Valdora grunted as he lowered the glass again.

“It was too much to hope for otherwise.” he turned to Kaida. “You and I will take the first wagon to the north half of town. Cretin, Zarl, and Elwin will form the rest of our squad. Ensign,” he turned to Elle, “Hilda and Riza will join your family to make our second squad. You take the second wagon and evacuate the south.”

Kaida approached Elivera and bent down on one knee, producing a small object from her belt. She placed it in her hands.

“This is the distress signal. When you run into trouble, you send up this flare. We’ll have ours as well. But we won’t be split for long, and let’s hope we won't have to use it.” Kaida finished with a wink.

“I want you to send those civilians up to the ridge as soon as possible. Arm those that you can, protect those you cannot. Gods send that they’ve taken the warning messages seriously and they’re ready to go.”

Elle pocketed the flare as Valdora continued on.

“This is an evacuation, not a traveling circus. I don’t want to see wagons with anything but bodies in them. Assure them that whatever possessions they lose can be regained in Ashikaia. Now move out! We’ve no time to waste.”

***

Arv took careful breaths as they hiked back under a canopy of trees. The moon was full, its beams poking through the leafy canopy like pale, ghostly fingers. He was trying his absolute hardest not to huff and puff under the exertion of the hike. Although he wasn’t really sure why he was taking such measures for their stealth, it wasn’t like the group of townsfolk were bein’ quiet. He spared a glance for the poor folks behind him as they hiked the switchbacks back up to the rendezvous point. They looked completely terrified, and he couldn’t blame ‘em. He felt half terrified himself as his eyes continued to scan the tree line. His darkvision blessedly gave him a crisp, detailed view of what was around them. His poor sisters had to rely more on their ears instead of their eyes in this kinda lighting.

His ear twitched as he heard Neyra speaking softly behind him. She was giving words of comfort to the panicked refugees, no doubt. Arv allowed himself a small grin. For as much as she complained about being “parentified” in their youth, she had no trouble motherin’ anyone she came across! He knew that if Elivera allowed it, Neyra would be right there in the back of their wagon with the little ones instead of strapped to his back.

He felt the howdah shift slightly behind him as Elle leaned up closer to his face.

“See anythin?” She whispered.

“Nothin’ but trees and birds.”

“Good. We’ve kept our luck for now.”

Then Elivera pursed her lips and whistled twice, perfectly mimicking a bird. However, the trained ear would recognize that this particular bird only lived by the ocean. It made the perfect signal for their unit…well, unless they happened to return to the ocean, Arv supposed. Fat lot of good it would do them then.

Step by step, they made their way closer to the top of the ridge. As they neared the rendezvous, Arv fell back to the rear position, leaving Hilda and Riza to lead the wagon. Arv kept his face cool and collected as he looked across the small sea of townsfolk clambering up the path ahead of them. They held spears and shields in shaky hands. A young human boy turned around, his eyes wide as they met Arv’s. And for a moment Arv swore he saw a young, scared orc reflected at him instead. He saw the fear, the desperation, and above all, he saw that same stubborn determination, the very determination that he felt while fleeing danger on that cursed night those years ago.

And then, everything happened all at once.

It started as a singular howl. A solitary, piercing tone that warbled through the night. Another joined, drifting into a horrifying harmony. Then another. Then another. And then, a massive shadowy form burst from the tree line.

“Defensive positions!” Elle roared from his back, “Stay together!”

Arv heard metallic scraping as she unsheathed her sword, and then a small pop followed by fizzing as she shot their distress flare into the sky. He turned on his feet, face whipping towards the riders. More howls echoed from the direction of the village, and the wind kicked up the leaves and fronds that lay strewn on the road. They carried the scent of death to his nostrils.

“Riza! Hilda! Protect the flanks!” Elle screamed and waved her sword in challenge, “Keep these people moving! We’ll hold them off!” Arv felt the weight of the Howdah shift as she hopped out and down to the ground.

Perhaps it was the sight of his little sister leaving the safety of the Howdah, but his blood turned to ice as the reality finally set in. His hands trembled as he tightened his grip around his trident. His eyes narrowed, and he dug his feet firmly into the ground. To his right, he could hear Neyra muttering something in an unfamiliar language, and to his left came the telltale click of Shamil readying her crossbow.

Time seemed to slow, and the details around him came at odd and seemingly random intervals. There was the cry of a child, the snapping of branches, the smells of smoke and blood, the weight of his shield pulling at the straps on his arm. Arv inhaled sharply as he met the gaze of the beast that rushed towards him.

It was like two different parts of his brain were at war. He was terrified; he was enraged. His eyes held back tears of fear; they held back tears of anger and vengeance. He was exhausted; he was energized. He wanted to crouch down and hide; he wanted to rush forward and fight.

Faces flashed before his eyes. His Da, his Ma, Elle, Neyra, Barcus, Shamil; they all left their mark on him. He remembered their fear, their pain. He could smell the salty sea air mixed with blood and soot. He watched the dark mists engulf Piria, never to let it out from its clutches again. Arv could hear Elivera’s sniffles as their parents shut the lid of the crate on them. He could see the first haunted look in Neyra’s once bright eyes. He could hear the screams and cries of the children slaughtered while he sat helplessly by.

But he was helpless no more. Arv’s jaw unclenched and he stretched his mouth wide, baring his tusks in a wicked, screaming roar. The wolf’s eyes went wide and its guttural growls were replaced with a high-pitched yelp as it came sliding to a halt. The rider atop its back shouted something in a language he didn’t understand. It seemed annoyed at the beast. The rider seemed even more annoyed as Arv’s trident went straight into his guts.

Already Elle made work of the dire wolf itself, her rapier striking rapidly into the beast’s hide. He felt a small bloom of warmth from the side of his face as a streak of flame lanced from Neyra’s hands. The fire just barely missed the head of the miserable beast, making a smoldering little crater in the trunk of a tree instead. Neyra cursed.

“Arv! To your right!”

Arv saw movement from the corner of his eye and before he could react, a loud twang rang out near his ear and a bolt went flying straight into the eye of the second flanking beast. Elle was there a moment later, tackling its rider onto the ground.

“Nice shot, Shamil!”

She yelled as she drove her blade into the dark rider’s chest. Blood spurted up like a fountain, but the man merely roared and threw her off of him, slashing with his blade. The blow sent her flying into the trunk of a tree with a sickening thud. Arv snarled and charged toward the downed rider, who was quickly regaining his footing. He lunged his trident out in a crippling strike towards the knee. The prongs struck true, sinking into the gaps between the armor there.

The black-clad figure howled out in pain, a frightening imitation of the beast it once rode. Arv swung his shield in a bashing strike at his head, attempting to finish him off while he was down. There was a crunch and Arv felt warm droplets hit his face as he followed through with the rest of the swing. He was still roaring as he spun around, missing the warning shout from Shamil.

A blade swung across his field of vision, coming from yet another wolf and rider. It connected with the bracer of his trident arm, and the impact was nearly enough to send the weapon clattering from his hand. Neyra screamed and Shamil cried out in anger as Arv stepped back, taking a defensive stance.

He could hear sounds of combat from seemingly all around him, but he wasn’t about to take his eyes off the one in front of him to pinpoint them.

It was as if Neyra read his mind,

“The civilians are gaining ground! Hilda and Riza just took another one down. It’s up to us to hold things back here.”

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

Arv smiled wickedly.

“We’ve got this,”

And just then, three more riders came prowling forward out of the shadows. The beasts they rode were even larger and more intimidating than the last.

“Oh, shit.”

Arv tightened his grip, and he was just about to charge when another figure came crashing through the underbrush.

Valdora’s hair streaked behind him, the silvery blue strands catching the moonlight and framing him in an otherworldly glow. The man looked like a beast of legend, his face contorted into a snarl as he charged forward. His greatspear glinted wickedly as he swung it around his head. The graceful arc of his weapon connected with the throat of the first rider, causing their blood to rain down to the ground in great ruby red droplets. Before the first drop even met the earth Valdora was moving again, dancing a dance of death as he engaged the second rider.

It may have been his imagination, but he coulda sworn that Shamil was humming in appreciation behind him. Stupid, beautiful captain man. Arv shook his head and forced himself to snap out of it. There was still shadow army scum to deal with, and it was time to get to work.

Elle had regained her footing, and she stumbled toward Arv. Shamil reached down and helped haul her back into the Howdah. She seemed a bit bloodied, but okay, thank the gods. She sheathed her sword at her hip and instead pulled out her bow, nocking an arrow and aiming straight ahead.

Arv faintly heard the sounds of Neyra’s weird incantations before a loud whistling shriek slammed against his sensitive eardrums. Fuscia colored light flashed from his right side in quick succession. He watched as three missiles of light lanced out and struck the third rider in the chest. With a snarl, he pulled his arm back and made ready his trident.

This was for his home, Piria. This was for his family, both living and dead. And most of all, this was for that scared orc boy who, all those years ago, had to hide instead of fight back.

Arv charged through the wolf’s biting range and lunged up with everything he had left. His weapon sunk deep into the chest of that final rider, cutting through the armor that was weakened by Neyra’s arcane blasts. Shamil bent over the left side of the Howdah, sending a bolt directly down into the brain of the dire wolf, then another, then another until the beast’s legs gave out beneath it. The gurgling breaths and spasms of the still dying rider made his polearm shake, but he held firm, keeping the body aloft even as the wolf fell to the ground beneath it. He snarled as he raised the enemy high, gravity causing the body to sink deeper and deeper onto the trident's gleaming prongs. With one last roar, he swung his weapon, sending the body sailing through the air and off of the main road. It landed with a wet thud.

Arv’s chest heaved as he panted. Each exhale sounded more like a snarl than a breath. Rage still boiled in his veins, and when Valdora put a hand on his shoulder, he snarled and nearly struck out at him on instinct.

“Woah! Easy, soldier.” He said as he took a step back, both palms up, “It’s over, lad. Kaida and Zarl are after the runners. We’ve won.”

Arv’s eyes refused to blink as he slowly nodded to Valdora. His breath was finally slowing, and his legs wobbled. His ears rang. He knew Valdora was talking to him, but he couldn’t for the life of him tell what the fella was sayin’.

Then, a tiny hand gently came to rest on his cheek. He took a shuddering breath as Neyra’s fingers gently caressed his face. He felt her hair tickle his ear as she bent forward to cradle his head.

“Shhh, it-it’s over. We did it, Arv. We did it,” her voice was shaking. Arv craned his neck to find Neyra’s tear-filled eyes shining back at him. Her brown irises shone with a welcome warmth in the cool moonlight. Poor girl was barely holding it together, and yet here she was. She was still there for him, like always. He set his trident down and raised the now empty hand to touch his sister’s, squeezing it softly.

“You’re damn right we did it,” Shamil said.

Arv felt her rough hand rest on his shoulder. Shamil gave him a quick, reassuring squeeze. That was about as sentimental as she got. With a start, Arv remembered Elle’s wounds.

“Elle! Elle you okay?!” He strained his neck, attempting to turn and get a glimpse of her. Neyra patted his cheek and clambered back to her proper spot in the Howdah, speaking as she went.

“She’s alright, Arv. She’s alright. Just a little banged up. Eh, sis?”

The strained tone of her voice betrayed Neyra. She was just as worried as he was.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine,” she groaned, “It’s nothin’ a little field medicine can’t fix.”

At that remark, Arv finally shifted his focus to the road ahead of them. During the fight, the refugees had managed to rush the rest of the way up to the ridge, and he could see where two wagons now stood surrounded by the frightened villagers. He broke into a jog and made it there quickly, or at least as quickly as he could without jostling the Howdah too much.

Riza was crouched by their wagon, the nearby villagers giving her a wide berth as she checked the wheels. Arv turned as he heard the sound of fabric ripping. Hilda was sitting on a fallen tree near the side of the road. She had a bandage gripped tight in her teeth and with a final jerk of her head, she broke free the length she needed. She wrapped her arm with the practiced expertise of a seasoned soldier, not even bothering to look down as she did.

“Ah! Arv, how’d ye fare? Looks like you got a couple.”

She jerked her head towards his trident. The three prongs still dripped with rancid blood.

“Yeah,” he said, sparing a weak glance down at his weapon. He must’ve let more show on his face than intended, because she continued,

“Ye get used to it eventually, lad…the killin’, that is.”

The normally jovial quality of her face seemed to lessen as she spoke. Her brows furrowed into a look of concern. “You never forget your first kill. Never.”

“I sure won’t.” Shamil spat from his back, “Gonna hire someone to write a bloody song about it is what I’m gonna do. I never wanna forget.”

Hilda chuckled as she got back up on her feet.

“Whatever ye say, lass. Whatever ye say.” Her boots crunched loudly on the road as she walked away, waving her uninjured arm at Cretin, who approached with Valdora and the rest of the squad. Kaida and Zarl were already back, their faces red and chests heaving. They must’ve just barely returned. Blood covered the front of Kaida’s tabard, and Zarl’s now-unkempt hair dripped with mud and gods knew what else. He was furiously trying to wipe it off when Arv approached, just mere steps behind Hilda.

“All present? Ah, yes. Good, good…” Valdora muttered, his eyes scanning their small huddle, “Ensign?”

“Sir!” Elle called weakly as Neyra and Shamil assisted her down and out of the Howdah. “A bit banged up, but all accounted for.”

Valdora nodded curtly and turned to Kaida. She rushed forward to tend to Elivera. The Howdah felt much too light with all the girls on the ground. Neyra knelt on the cold dirt road, holding Elivera’s head in her lap as Kaida worked on her wounds. Shamil stood firmly at attention, her crossbow cradled in her arms like a child. Arv’s eyes narrowed in brotherly concern as he watched Kaida work.

“Right,” Valdora said, “I’ve set the village council to ‌leading this caravan. Their heads seem level enough, and the people will be more apt to follow familiar faces in a situation like this. According to their high judge, we got everyone out. All are present in our wagons or on the ground. That leaves us a group of about five thousand to escort back to the walled city. I intend for every one of those five thousand to make it back in one piece. Our task is now primarily protection and escort. Understood?”

There was a chorus of agreement and salutes. Valdora turned to each of them one by one, giving more orders as he went.

“Hilda! Riza! Cretin! I want you at the head of the caravan. Keep a close watch on our eastern flank. If anything sneaks through, it’ll be there. Elwin, I need you with Lieutenant Kaida to man the center.”

“Now as for you.” He said as he crouched down to Elle’s level. Kaida was just finishing up the last sutures as he spoke, “I need you and your family guarding our rear. Shamil and Zarl will assist. Understood?”

Elle winced in pain as Kaida dressed the wound, but she nodded curtly,

“Yes, sir. I’ll be fine.” And, to prove that fact, she scrambled to her feet.

“Good. We’ll head out as soon as we take account of the bodies. Specialist Neyra!”

Neyra yelped softly and turned to look at Valdora, staring at him for a moment before she gave her clumsy salute. She had terrible form. Arv needed to help her practice.

“You’re needed. Come with me.”

***

Neyra gulped, her face paling as she looked at the sight before her. Cretin and Elwin were working together to haul the bodies of the dead riders and their beasts. This was the pile of those who attacked her group. Evidently, Riza and Hilda were making a similar pile further up the line.

Both groups of the squad were attacked, and both flares had gone up at nearly the same time. It was fortunate that Valdora came to help them at all; the other team made much quicker work of their lot, she supposed. And now she looked at the fruits of their labors. Blood still leaked from beneath plates of black armor. The stench was horrific.

Valdora got right in there, seemingly unphased by the gore. He picked one rider up under its arms and dragged it unceremoniously from its brethren.

“Here.”

He deposited the corpse right at her feet. He bent down and peeled off layers of armor from the rider, exposing the left shoulder blade. Neyra crouched down, her intense curiosity stopping the tide of bile that was in her throat. Upon the shoulder of the wolf rider was a brand. Its edges glowed with a latent arcane power, visible only to a trained eye. Neyra fumbled at her side for one of her notebooks, and her eyes never left the symbol as she began sketching the design. That glow was fading, and fading fast.

“Anything of note, Specialist?”

Neyra almost didn’t hear him. She was muttering to herself like she always did when she was deep in thought. Her brain felt like it was running through hundreds of distinct possibilities, each with their own path of research. She needed more information. She held the sketch up to the brand on the body, comparing for accuracy.

“Are they all marked like this?”

“Yes. Every monster, beast, and soldier that comes from this shadow has this brand. Ever since the beginning,”

Valdora bent down further to examine the brand, letting his fingers run across the scarred tissue. It resembled a winged serpent in flight. A dragon, if her eyes didn’t deceive her.

“Fascinating…” Neyra murmured. She held her breath and reached out with her arcane senses. It had a residual energy about it, though it was fading fast. She couldn’t quite pinpoint the nature of the enchantment. Whatever it was, it just felt…wrong.

“I wish I could tell you more Captain, but this is beyond my capacity,” she turned to him, grimacing.

“I didn’t expect you to,” he said with a small smile, “Not a person in the Light’s forces has made any sense of it yet. Not even your master, Mistress Irene.”

Neyra’s brows rose at that comment.

“Then why even ask me at all?”

“You needed to know,” he replied simply, “Sometimes a fresh perspective is exactly what’s needed. Neyra, consider this your special assignment. Every enemy we dispose of needs to be examined. I want a log of all brands or markings we might come across.”

“Of course, sir. You can count on me.” Neyra pocketed her notebook again and stepped back from the body.

“I knew I could. Besides,” he stepped back with her and they walked back to the main caravan formation, “From what Elivera tells me, you never turn down an academic challenge.”

He was right, of course.

***

Elivera took a breath, still wincing slightly at the pain from her wound, and tried to rub the drowsiness from her eyes. They had been on the move for about ten hours now, and the sun was finally above the horizon. It illuminated the sad sight ahead of her.

The refugees moved with heavy steps. There were occasional shouts, calls, and murmurs from the people, but not nearly what she would expect from a caravan this large. They were exhausted, but Valdora never slowed their pace. The one stop they took last night was all they dared afford. Elivera was only given a few extra hours of sleep due to her wounds…and maybe due to the fact that she was riding on her brother’s back. She was extremely grateful to be closer to the city limits now. They all could do with a proper rest, the poor townsfolk most of all.

“How you holdin’ up there, Elle?” Shamil asked. Elivera’s eyebrows rose in surprise. Shamil’s ears must have caught the sounds of Elle’s groaning, because her eyes never left the sights of her crossbow. She didn’t even so much as turn as she spoke. Her visual attention rested completely on their rear flank, “Have any sweet dreams?”

“Yes. In fact, I dreamed that Arv bathed. It was wonderful.”

“Hey! I heard that!”

“No offense meant big guy. We all stink.”

“Oh! I can fix that,” Neyra mused from beside Elle, and within a couple of moments the smells of dirt, blood, and body odor disappeared, replaced by honey and vanilla. Elle turned to her sister incredulously.

“You mean you could do that this whole time?!”

“Hey! I’m tired too. And while prestidigitations are relatively simple castings, a wizard must…” Neyra drifted into a full-winded explanation of some sort of magic nonsense, which Elle promptly tuned out, “...you can’t expect me to keep everyone fresh as daisies all the time, can you? Elle?”

“Huh? Ah! Yes, I suppose I can’t,”

“Our big sister…makin’ magic smells,” Arv mused with a soft chuckle. He was interrupted by sudden whoops and cheers from the crowd ahead.

“The wall must be in sight now.” Neyra said with a grateful sigh. The Howdah dipped noticeably as Arv’s shoulders relaxed. Elle closed her eyes and smiled. They had made it back home.