The party started early the next day, and Umbren instantly noticed the change in atmosphere. Everyone was doing almost the exact same thing that they were doing the previous day, but everyone’s mood was definitely different, it could be described as a mix of alertness and consideration. Umbren also noticed weird interactions amongst the group. For one Morta and Mortis barely spoke and no one went near them, not even Alsarie who hung to the very back of the group like their silence was a pestilence. Umbren caught the Hands eyeing the Bluecloaks with suspicion and even resentment at some points. For what reason he had no idea, but it seemed like the Bluecloaks shared none of that hostility-well except for the women of course.
Umbren himself kept his distance from Mortis. He thought that giving him advice now, so soon after the altercation, would do him no good. Somehow Umbren found himself riding next to Relam who kept complaining about a certain girl in the Bluecloak group, but Umbren didn’t pay too much attention to that, he was too busy thinking about his conversation with Morta.
“Hey Relam?” Umbren asked, surprising himself and Relam who had gotten used to the one-sided conversation.
“Yeah…what is it?”
“Do you have faith in Mortis?”
“Hmm of course. Why wouldn’t I?”
Umbren couldn’t say he was surprised by Relam’s response based on how he talked about Sangai, but he was disappointed that he didn’t get any validation from him.
“Why do you?” Umbren didn’t have any reason to trust Mortis, but Relam had been around him longer, so maybe there was an event where Mortis gained his trust.
Relam searched the sky as if it were his own memory, “Well he’s done a lot for me, I guess. I mean he still doesn’t trust me though which actually hurts quite a lot. Sometimes I think he even knows that, but he still doesn’t let me even lead. Really why do I even have faith in him if he doesn’t in…hey are you even listening, or are you gonna keep looking at that girl!”
Umbren had never looked at Relam during their conversation, instead towards the group of Hands in front of them where Thestra was.
“You were with them when you came to the meeting the other night. Just go up and talk to them again. You also wear the black.” Umbren was surprised by Mordrin’s voice, but it didn’t make him jump because Umbren sensed his presence when he got close. If it was Kagi he knew he wouldn’t have.
“I couldn’t. I’m not one of them. Vale or Sadine would probably be fine with it, but the others would harangue me if I even got close. I mean one Hand did that to me when I went into their house.”
Mordrin gave a brief whistle, “You went into their house? No outside member can even get in a thirty-meter radius of the thing let alone get inside. And I’m not well versed in these things, but if you have approval of the leaders then everything should be fine.”
“She doesn’t even look like a part of the group. Look at how she’s aloof from the others, and why are they looking at her like that? Are you sure you want to get involved with someone like that, Umbren?” Relam added.
Umbren had to know what about her had caused Mortis to explode like that. If he didn’t then how would he prevent it from happening again? He knew from Sadine that Thestra was Shelta’s apprentice, which explains a lot, but how would that enrage Mortis? Shouldn’t he have the opposite reaction?
Still there was another factor that motivated Umbren, “I owe her my life Relam,”
Relam gave a reluctant nod at that, “If that’s the case go for it, but just so you know I still think she’s not someone to get involved with. I certainly won’t.”
Umbren smiled a bit at that. Thestra had saved his life on two separate occasions, it was the least he could do to spare her from Mortis’ wrath or try to at least, and he wouldn’t know how to do that unless he spoke to Thestra herself.
With that Umbren road to her. When he arrived at the group, he was greeted with less than welcoming scowls. The only outliers being Sadine with her amused grin, Vale with an inquisitive raise of a brow, and Kagi with her mouth agape when she saw him pull up beside Thestra. The other Hands viewed him with cautious consideration when he did this, but he didn’t know why.
Thestra had matured some since Umbren last saw her, but the biggest difference was that her hair was drawn back into a tight bun, revealing her whole face including her eyepatch. She didn’t react to Umbren’s arrival, keeping her eyes focused on the horizon with a rigid posture. Umbren couldn’t say he wasn’t off-putted by the fact that she didn’t even spare him a glance, but what else did he expect?
“I tried to find you after Sangai, but you disappeared.” Umbren said.
Thestra made no comment and still acted like he wasn’t there.
Umbren went on despite her silence, “I meant to thank you for what you did that night and in Lucel.”
After a moment of more silence Umbren was about to awkwardly continue, but Thestra spoke in an unchanging voice, “I don’t need your gratitude. I was tracking that luxcian general, helping you was a bonus. Nothing I did was for you, so I don’t need your gratitude.”
“Well, you’ll still have it.”
Thestra once again went silent about the matter.
Umbren took a deep breath as if to summon courage for what he was about to say, “Mistress Thestra about last night.”
Thestra gave a small twitch to that, “What about it?”
“I’ve never seen Mortis like that angry, what did you do? I’m sure just following the party couldn’t have had that effect. I mean he seemed happy when he found you.”
“I don’t know what makes the lord happy, or what makes him angry. For all I know it could have been anything.” Her voice now betrayed a hint of irritation.
Umbren never faltered. To him, not knowing what made Mortis act the way he did, was a liability. If he didn’t know that, how would he stop him from doing anything?
“I know you were Madame Shelta’s apprentice, could that…” Umbren was silenced by a cold sharp sensation on his neck.
He was speechless. He had never seen her hand move, or even the blade reflecting on the sunlight. It was as if it appeared out of thin air.
As Thestra held her kukri to Umbren’s throat her glare could have matched Alsarie’s, “Who told you that?” She held a deadly quiet tone, and, Conveniently, Mistress Sadine had disappeared from Umbren’s vision.
Blaming Sadine would get Umbren nowhere in this instance, “Mistress I just wanted to know what made Mortis tick. I don’t want another Sangai, and there won’t be one if I can help it,” something in Umbren made him match Thestra’s glare, “I won’t be as careless as I was that night.” Both of them knew he wasn’t speaking about Sangai, and simultaneously images of golden tents came to their mind.
Thestra’s expression wavered and her grip on her kukri loosened as her face became gentle, “Just don’t mention her name so carelessly again.”
Thestra, using her his own words against him, shot Umbren through the heart like an arrow. He bowed his head deeply, “I’m sorry I didn’t realize that it was a sore subject for you.”
Thestra sheathed her kukri with a reassuring smile, “It's fine, just don’t do it again. I’m also sorry, I’m still not used to some of the Hands knowing I’m connected to her.”
Umbren was giving a nod of understanding, when Faldrid placed a hand on his shoulder, “Do me a favor and entertain the fulgcere. I can only talk for so long.”
“Oh, sure,” Umbren was surprised by the request, but rode back towards the fulgcere without question.
As he rode back, he saw Faldrid speaking to Thestra with a familiar face while Thestra’s gentle one hardened a bit, but was still softer than the one she initially gave Umbren. Though what filled Umbren’s mind was confusion as to why Morta’s face from last night popped back into his head when he thought about the gentle expression that Thestra gave him.
The party rode hard for the coming hours. Faldrid stayed with Thestra, struggling to keep up a conversation, but his efforts seemed to be bearing some fruit. Umbren stayed with Caekeve, and the fulgcere told him fantastical myths of old about wars and the disciples’ past deeds. Umbren grew to like the man, which only exacerbated his feeling of guilt. Even now Umbren could see how the once young sprightly fulgcere now stooped down in his saddle by what was the weight of age in the hunch of his back. However, it was funny how as Caekeve told the stories his trapezoidal pupils gleamed with excitement as if he was a boy.
Umbren meant to say something to Mortis about the situation, and he definitely would, but his role was to stop Mortis before he went too far, and he had failed in this instance. Hopefully Morta taught him a lesson though.
Things continued with the only obstacle being a river. Morta summoned a bridge of darkness with night, so that the party may cross peacefully. Many accepted this course of action, but the Bluecloaks shortly withdrew their agreement when faced with Mortis’ glare. For everyone else Mortis parted the river with purple energy. As each group crossed, the disciples stared each other down with unknown animosity.
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However, the real obstacle came after the river. Almost immediately the grey hue that the grass took on consumed it started to crunch under the hooves of the attokas. All of the tenebrage went deadly quiet, but the fulgcere didn’t know why such a change had taken place.
“Sorry, but what’s going on? I can’t seem to get my head around it.”
It was Umbren’s turn to tell the fulgcere something, “There’s a reason why the border towns were abandoned-”
Caekeve cut him off to supplement information of his own. “Isn’t that just because the luxcians took control over them at the beginning of the war.”
“I don’t know much about that. All I know is who controls it right now.” A trace of fear could be seen on Umbren’s face.
“And who may that be? Maybe the desert people that I’ve heard stories about.”
“Decai.” Umbren’s mouth went dry. A childhood nightmare came to life. There was nothing a tenebrage feared more than the other nasty vile creature their god gave birth to.
Caekeve gave an awkward life, “You’re joking. You tenebrage cross this area to get to Lysets all the time.”
Umbren shook his head in disappointment, a part of him wanted what the fulgcere said to be true, “In spring and summer they aren’t that active, but in autumn and winter…”
The autumn chill that filled the air became more noticeable to both of them after that.
Caekeve’s eyes popped open at a realization from Umbren’s words, “You aren’t saying that we’re just going to walk in them.”
Umbren gave a brief nod.
Caekeve covered his eyes in terror just at imagining it. Umbren was a bit surprised that fulgcere knew enough about decai to truly fear them.
“Don’t worry they don’t interfere with Mortis’ actions.” Umbren said, trying to reassure the man.
“What? Why?”
“Since they are creatures of Tenebrage it's only natural that they respect their disciple. Though I don’t think those things are capable of respect.”
Caekeve gave a loud sigh of relief and took out a quill and paper. At Umbren’s questioning glance he gave a prideful smile, “Lord Taldry will want a firsthand account of the beast. I surely can’t let him down.
Umbren nodded with uncertainty and looked forwards, maybe the fulgcere hadn’t fully known what the monsters actually were.
The party trotted on in silence, with only whispers of what was to come rising into the air, but then suppressed by some innate force inside of those who spoke.
Finally, they came upon them, and a tangle of terror welled up in Umbren’s throat preventing him from even gasping at the sight before him, the Field of Sardon.
Grey figures littered the field, but calling them that was an insult to people. These figures held no unanimous shape or form, only that they could be called vaguely humanoid. Though what brought terror to those that glanced upon them was the how evident it was that Luxcian had never looked upon them. These things were not alive. They moved and convulsed sporadically, their limbs were twisted and broken. Their legs turned to ash as they walked, and reformed only to fall to ash again. The land they inhabited was barren with no sign of life as like a virus, anything they touched died and rot. Yes, they were a virus. Not alive, but not inanimate, a virus.
Mortis never wavered, and pressed on towards the monsters. Umbren had a mind to stop, but pushed forward as Caekeve practically held onto him, putting them both at risk of falling off their mounts.
“Calm down, we're fine. You're gonna make us both fall if you don’t guide your attoka.”
Caekeve’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of their sockets and his knuckles were pale, “you’re telling me that even when you see those things! Besides I can’t even drive this stupid thing. I’m just along for the ride.”
Umbren looked down at the attoka Caekeve rode. It seemed irritated by his behavior as if he was some type of nuisance. Umbren didn’t know why he hadn’t thought about whether fulgcere were trained to ride attoka, but he guessed not. Though if that was the case what did they ride in Canalith?”
Caekeve trembled as they pressed on, giving the most extreme reaction of the party. The Hands followed along obediently with Kagi being practically dragged by Sadine at the beginning, but after looking down at her attoka, Thendle, she was fine. The Bluecloaks hesitated a little after the sight, but followed shortly.
However, when they drew nearer to the decai, Umbren saw Thestra real over, clasping a hand to her mouth. Faldrid placed a hand on her back, and seemingly whispered words of encouragement to her. Umbren was shocked by such a reaction coming from Thestra of all people, but he had little time to think on the matter as the party plunged into the swarm of Decai.
Umbren immediately clenched his fingers over his nose as the stench from the ash rising around him was too much. It was a rotting vile stench of death that not even a thousand battlefields could match. Umbren couldn’t fight the temptation to look at the decai around him and he instantly recoiled. Their faces were completely devoid of anything, so much so that it felt as if he was looking into the void himself when he saw them.
Everyone else’s reaction seemed to match Umbren’s, even Mortis didn’t look at the things for too long. However, some strange instances started to occur that Mortis couldn’t ignore. Things started to look at them. Not just a glance, a stare.
Mortis looked to be a bit uneasy as Morta whispered to him in concern, but he shortly shook his head dismissing her fears. Though then the decai started walking towards them. It was slow at first, almost unnoticeable, but then they sped up.
Mortis gave a tense frown and started looking around with caution, and Morta followed suit, “Mortis?”
“I don’t know. This hasn’t happened before.”
At this point Caekeve’s grip felt like it was going to break Umbren’s arm, and Thestra took on a green hue.
Suddenly, the ash around them took shape and formed more Decai, and the party found themselves surrounded with no room to escape. Then they started to sprint.
The decai started to run soundlessly at the part, and darkness and soul slashed through the air, leaving only ash. However, new decai rose shortly after the disciples’ attack and continued their pursuit.
Morta and Morta started circling the group, and the brave tenebrage started to unsheathe their weapons.
Mortis yelled out, rankled by their efforts, “No you fool, your weapons are useless against them. They would rust and turn to Ashe with the first strike.
Morta yelled out in an encouraging tone, “Focus on calming your attoka, we can’t break formation!”
Morta’s words were wise as the attoka had started to dance around with anxiety. Purple balls of energy appeared in the palms of all the riders’ hands, except for Thestra and Caekeve.
Caekeve was now screaming at the top of his lungs in terror and his nails were digging into Umbren’s flesh. Umbren didn’t have time to concern himself with the fulgcere as he focused on easing Grimel, but luckily the attoka had a steel heart and didn’t need much help.
Morta and Mortis now rode around the party using their blessings to ward off the monsters. Blasts of souls from Mortis ripped apart decai for miles, and Morta’s cloud of darkness tore through decai as far as the eye could see, but the decai appeared as fast as they fell. In a few short moments the ground was no longer visible, and now the decai had to crawl over themselves in order to move.
Mortis glanced back at the group with irritation, “Fulgcere, start doing something or my next attack will come right for your throat.”
Caekeve’s mouth instantly shut and he released Umbren’s arm, and he cupped his hands together and closed his eyes, “Why Lord Taldry did you leave me here to suffer like this.”
Blue sparks came up from his hands, “I fulfilled my role my lord. What else must I do? So, if you don’t assist me, then I’ll hope that Lady Cere is looking at me with you.”
Blue bolts of lightning spewed forth from the fulgcere’s hands into the midst of the decai, “And I pray for your protection my lady!”
Morta called back with annoyance, “Watch where you're aiming that stuff!”
Caekeve ignored her and kept on talking, and Umbren had inched away from him after the lightning appeared, “Lord Taldry I know you are looking upon me, and I’m grateful that I have been able to entertain you…” Caekeve held back tears as sweat dripped down his brow, and the lighting intensified, “But please whisk me away from this horrible place! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!”
Caekeve kept going on about his suffering and new found age, but Umbren stopped listening as he found something curious.
The tenebrage had come to a full halt because the sheer number of decai prevented them from moving forward, and now a small spot of blue with a pink circumference appeared in the near him, and it was…spreading? It grew larger and larger until Umbren thought that he could see something that resembled clouds in the pool.
Umbren frantically looked around to see if anyone else had noticed, but they were all busy with their attoka. In desperation he called out to Faldrid to see what to do. Luckily, Faldrid was tending to Thestra and was aware of his surroundings enough to hear Umbren.
Faldrid looked to where Umbren pointed to the spreading pool. Faldrid’s eyes popped open with eagerness. The pool was now wide enough for someone to pass through, and Faldrid seized Thestra and threw them both from their attoka. He then jostled past the rest of the attoka and jumped with Thestra through the pool.
Umbren almost couldn’t believe his eyes, but before he could say anything else, Relam came out of nowhere, diving into the pool from his attoka. Umbren no longer had time to talk as the pool was getting big enough to threaten him and Caekeve.
The fulgcere was starting to heave from the effort it took to summon his blessing, so he was starting to mumble to himself.
“Caekeve we have to move now!”
The fulgcere sluggishly looked back at Umbren, and glanced at where Umbren nodded. Unexpectedly, A look of untamed joy and thankfulness popped into the fulgcere’s expression, “Thank you my lord, I will forever serve you to the end of my days. I swear to you I am your loyal servant!” He almost belted, right before he tumbled off of his attoka into the pool.
The attoka that Caekeve rode now backed up in terror of the pool, which was now the size of the attoka, and would shortly catch other members of the party.
Umbren looked up towards the disciple’s efforts, and now the decai were now piled stories high in order to reach the group. But after Mortis cleared a wall of them, Umbren thought he saw some of the monsters wandering away.
Grimel looked up at Umbren for guidance, though Umbren saw that he was not backing away from the pool, “I guess we're going to fall into it anyway might as well go willingly.”
Umbren held his breath as Grimel gave a triumphant yell and charged into the pool.
The effect was instantaneous as if the pool was actually a door. Suddenly Grimel found a railing in front of him and came to an instant stop, sending Umbren flying over it with a yell.
Umbren was able to partially save himself by rolling into his fall, but he hadn’t placed it right and it sent a tearing pain through his shoulder.
He tried to catch his breath as he looked around the new room he was in. It had a high ceiling, but was narrow. Trinkets and books littered the room, and four white pillars were placed in the corners of the room. All the walls were covered by massive bookcases that held more knowledge than the house of the Hands could possibly imagine.
Umbren looked to his sides and spotted Thestra coughing over a pool of bile with Faldrid treating her with something he had in a satchel he also had time to bring apparently. Caekeve was praying and whispering incoherently in a corner.
“Oh, my a Dorcha Attoka. I haven’t seen one of these in well…three hundred and fifty years. In person at least. They are majestic creatures, aren’t they? And the juxtaposition against their Loinir variant is fascinating.”
The voice came from behind Umbren. There were two staircases in the middle of the room that led up to the balcony where Umbren had been sent flying. On the balcony the building opened up to the outside revealing clouds and a blue sky with what seemed like an amalgamation of mechanical parts blocking it.
In front of that, receiving a glare from Grimel, was an old man with a severely hunched back, a long grey beard, and a knowing smile, “Welcome to Canalith my dear Hound.” An inquisitive spark lit up his pink trapezoidal eye.