Chapter II: When The Levee Breaks

Jayth faces opposition in all forms as he befriends the mysterious Lani and her companion Devren who is wary of him. They set out to get back to safety.

Three of the six men had fled in horror at seeing their leader being viciously dispatched by a seemingly otherworldly presence. The remaining three charged at the pair, two came at Lani, a feral grin crossed her face, a malicious glint in her eye. They swung at her, she quickly rolled to the side, dodging the oncoming swipes with an ease and grace, swerving her body in a snake-like manner, the swords merely dancing round her deft feet. The men grunted with frustration as she continued to dance around their attacks, her limber movements in contrast to their ponderous motions. She then parried with an elegant windmill swipe which clashed with one of the swords, the clangour ringed out again and again as steel clashed with steel in an almost rhythmic chorus of clangs.

Lani's bloodlust only grew with each attack, she swerved again and then put her entire body behind a low swing which cleaved both the man's legs off completely. His cries of agony deafening as his body fell to the ground in a heap, blood spouting out of his severed stumps. The other spared no thought for his fallen brother as he flailed his sword wildly at her like a man possessed by rage, she ducked and dodged, flipping acrobatically to avoid the flurry of swings, almost toying with him. She attempted another low attack, he dodged, and then backhanded her face with the full weight of his steel gauntlet sending her crashing to the ground, she writhed in pain, blood seeping from her mouth. He laughed triumphantly as he attempted to finish her off with a downward thrust, she quickly thrust her leg out, sweeping him off his feet and he too fell to the ground.

“You'll regret that.” she declared, wiping her lips as she spat out the red liquid filling her mouth.

His heavy armour clanged as he rolled, picking up his weapon and rose quickly to his feet. She too found her feet, pushing herself up and then immediately lunged at him, he charged back and the two locked blades, both pushing at one another, straining to finish the other off. Lani growled like a savage beast as she pushed harder and harder until she finally knocked his entire body back. The helpless man staggered and she breathed in before charging at full force impaling him through the stomach, ripping through his flesh as she carried his now impaled body all the way over to a nearby tree. He yelped in pain as she gave a victorious battle cry and nailed him to the tree with considerable force, his body dangling helplessly as he gurgled and spat out blood.

“I figured you needed to get....closer to nature.” she taunted him, a sly grin at the pathetic man's expense as he gripped her spear, trying painfully in vain to remove it.

She glanced over and noticed Devren still sparing with the other remaining fighter. Lani then looked upon the dying man, his bloodied face turning ashen. She reached down for her weapon still lodged in and gripped it tightly.

“I'll need this back.” she yanked it out, ripping through bark and flesh as his body gave way and collapsed heavily to the ground. Leaving a massive gaping hole through his torso and back.

The sound of splattering blood followed by a light thud then caught her attention. She looked back and saw a decapitated body fall backwards, the head rolled slightly on the ground, comically bobbing back and forth. Devren stood proudly chuckling to himself, he sheathed his sword.

“You took your time.” Lani joked, walking over to him with a stride in her step.

He smiled, “He was a tricky one, surprisingly skilled.”

“That last one landed a hit.” she wiped her mouth, her lip now slightly buckled. “Luckily, it was his fist.”

"Scars agree with you," he teased, "now the other on your cheek has company."

The pair then heard what sounded like a heavy lump of steel being dragged on the ground followed by faint groans of anguish. They shared a look before turning to discover it was the one that Lani had permanently incapacitated earlier, still dragging his legless body, very much alive, if barely.

“Well, well, you're a persistent one aren't you?” Lani said, somewhat surprised that he was still clinging to life, “Going somewhere? ”

Devren and Lani approached the helpless man, “How's that reward looking now?” he taunted, kneeling down and turning him onto his back. His face now pale as milk, spluttering and choking.

“Who told you we were here? Speak, and I may grant you a quick death.” she said bluntly, looking down at him, she almost pitied the man.

Devren shook him slightly in an attempt to get something out of him, “Was it Tharion? That devious, foul-smelling craven!”

He coughed, “...Yes.” his voice barely carrying at all.

Lani was noticeably shocked, Devren less so. She sighed, “Thank you.”

Devren then reached down and griped his neck and snapped it, the harsh crunching sound even made Lani wince slightly. The two then looked around, corpses littered the ground, bathing in puddles of red.

“What happened to Jayth?” Lani questioned, looking round puzzled. His absence only now registering after the intense action

“Probably fled with the others, I always knew he was a coward.” he scoffed, sparing no thought for the man he intensely distrusted anyway. He walked over to Ronas's body, shaking his head in disbelief, “The better question is what was that..thing?”

“...I don't know.”

They then heard slow footsteps, which caught their attention, they turned their bodies quickly, expecting maybe a straggler to sneak up on them. To there surprise it was Jayth, staggering, clutching himself as if someone had punched him with force, he winced in pain.

“Where did you go?!” Devren barked, “Didn't fancy helping then? Not that we needed it.”

“...I did.”

Lani and Devren shared an utterly befuddled look, not quite processing what they just heard. He then slowly revealed his dagger, it was coated in blood, the small, delicate droplets falling like rubies to the ground. The two stood there as if they were frozen in place, possessed almost, the startling realisation had not come over them, utter disbelief painted across their faces.

“...You?” Lani had suddenly remembered that the ghostly entity had a distinct human shape. It was thin and tall and appeared to have long hair, very much like Jayth's. All the evidence started to come together.

“That can't be.” Devren's face a picture of bewilderment. “What is this sorcery?”

Jayth merely nodded as he groaned, a slight pang coursing through him. He started to stand upright. “I can explain.”

“There's no time now,” Lani said, still not quite believing it, “we have to get back, come on.”

They were now a reformed trio again, they ran, with Jayth still hobbling slightly but keeping up with the other two. They passed under another stone archway which finally signalled the end of the village. Now they were at the mercy of this strange world or least it was in Jayth's eyes, a sense of unease came over him but he had no choice, better with them than alone. They continued to make there way forward, a sweeping, untamed landscape as far as the eye could see in front of them. Fields appeared to stretch over the distant horizon. The unnatural, turbid haze that accompanied the darkness which was ever it's closest companion made it hard to see at very long distances. To the right they could see a wooded area in the near distance, the trees resembled black, featureless poles, the wind swung their arms ominously in there direction, it made them look as if they attacking them. Suddenly they heard blood-curdling shrieks that echoed out of the armies of tall trees off in the distance followed by unholy roars that stopped the trio in there tracks and chillingly ended the cries.

Jayth gulped, “Maybe not that way,” it was unnerving, like nothing he had ever heard.

“Sounded like an Onyx Bear, two or more perhaps.” Devren said, glancing at Lani. “Fearsome beasts, big appetites. Would not wish any unwitting traveller to cross their path, things tend to get...messy.”

“Perhaps our remaining nimble friends of the Steel Brotherhood figured they could run away safely.” she tutted shaking her head, knowing the futility of it. Lani's instincts then kicked in, her eyes scanned the surroundings, mapping out every conceivable path available to them, besides the forest. She paused for a moment. “We'll need to take a short-cut.”

Devren's face dropped, “Uh-oh, you and your short-cuts Lani.”

“Unless you want to end up as bear food,” she retorted, “personally I like my limbs where they are. We need to cut through the Kelemen Valley, it's the only way to get back quickly.”

“The Kelemen Valley? You're not serious. That's deep in the The Black Jackals' territory,” a disapproving shake of his head, “..you remember that charming lot that have the tendency to viciously kill any strangers who wander into their nest.”

“You got a better idea?” Lani yelled. “You can take the suicidal route through the woods if you want, be my guest,” she was growing impatient, “you might as well splatter yourself with blood, waltz in there unclad with an apple in your mouth shouting 'dinner time!'.”

“Please!” Jayth interjected. An urgency in his tone, growing frustrated with there petty quarrelling. “Let's just move.” he just wanted to distance himself from that awful roar, anywhere else at all other than here seemed preferable to him.

Lani and Devren shared an intense look before he finally nodded tentatively, shrugging his shoulders with feign indifference, he still didn't like it. “We'll avoid those barbarians trust me.” she snapped with a boldness.

Further growls off in the wilderness then provoked them to move quickly, Lani led the charge, she took a sharp left as the other two followed closely. They came to a series of steep, grassy mounds, each seemingly stacked on top of another, a gradual elevation in each one. Lani and Devren traversed them with relative ease while Jayth strained to keep himself upright on the unforgiving incline, he panted but knew he had to push ahead and keep up. The dissonant screech of birds that flew out of a nearby tree caught their attention. The thick darkness rendered them in a series of sinister shapes; the short wingspan, thin bodies and pointed heads made them resemble darting arrows appearing as if they were about to strike them as they swooped down and then upward. They flew high above their heads as they ran, the flapping wings and squawking giving little comfort to the unease Jayth already felt.

“Ravens, an ill omen.” Devren remarked watching them disappear into the distance, the jet black sky almost swallowing them up.

“Quiet. I think were coming up to the Diihsh River.” Lani stopped and had a quick glance in all directions. She pressed forward, confident she had her bearings. The vast, sloping fields now a welcome sight from all the uphill running. “Come on., this way.”

Jayth took in his surroundings, as he headed downward he noticed a plume of smoke off to the right in the distance across the other field, a tree partially obscured his view. He then saw a small camp-fire, it's orange flames licking the timber, two distinct triangular shaped huts circled it. He smiled faintly for the first time, it gave a refreshingly warm colour palette to the encroaching black canvas he was cast against.

“Ah, hunters most probably,” it caught Devren's eye too, “don't worry, there mostly friendly folk, that is until you steal their kills or you declare that you don't drink beer.”

Lani and Jayth chuckled, “You remember that drinking game you had with those two hunters in the Medeina Forest? What were their names again?” she said. Her run was now more of a brisk walk.

“You expect me to remember their names after how much I drank? I don't know even know how I got back.” he laughed. He rubbed his head, like he was reliving that feeling again.

“Me and Ranna had to physically carry you back. You demanded to stay there with them,” she giggled as she remembered it, “they would have let you if you hadn't of performed a truly painful rendition of the 'The Hunter's Calling' in a voice befitting of a shrieking beldam who had no regard for hearing.”

Devren howled with laughter, “Ah yes, well it wasn't that bad. Granted I could have tuned down on the slightly higher notes.”

“Tuned down? Your voice probably drove the most ferocious savageries of the wild out and over the nearest cliff, to spare them the torture.”

“Well, we got back unscathed so maybe that was my intention.” he replied with a playful smugness.

Jayth sniggered. Their banter was a welcome distraction from the world around him. “Is that one of your group?” he said speaking of Ranna in an attempt to show interest, a name he was not familiar with.

“Yes. She's quite the character, best hands with a bow I've seen, you will probably meet her back at The Den.”

Devren shook his head and sighed but remained quiet not wanting to provoke her again, he still did not fully trust this man who he felt Lani was being far too trusting. If his words from earlier on were to be believed and he truly was the ghostly killer of Ronas, then who knows what they could be dealing with. He knew his concerns would fall on deaf ears, Lani always had her way, always knew better, which always bothered him but his undying respect for her often outweighed her negative traits like her sometimes brash demeanour.

“Wait.” she stopped suddenly.

The other two also halted. They heard the faint gushing of water off in the distance, it was calming, providing a certain serenity like the wonders of nature often do. Lani smiled, “Looks like were on the right track,” she peered into the distance and noticed an embankment, “over the river and beyond that small ridge and then we will be in the Kelemen Valley.”

“...Great.” a sardonic undercurrent in Devren's voice, “Maybe The Black Jackals will greet us with a welcome party. I do hope they've got a nice, shiny axe for my head, would hate to be flayed alive, I like being in my skin.”

Lani scowled at him, her eyes narrowing, “I'm considering handing you over to them if you keep this up.”

Jayth's mouth was agape in shock, he didn't know whether they were serious or not, he couldn't tell. They seemed to be laughing with each other one minute and wrangling fiercely the next.

“She's joking.” a wry smile painted across his face.

She shook her head. An awkward silence transpired before the trio then made there way down more fields, accompanied by the occasional tranquillising noises of nature's sweet chorus. Its smaller denizens filling the air with a symphony of sounds. They finally came to the embankment, the shallow river rippled and glided over the jagged rocks. They could see a steep ridge in the near distance, what was beyond that only Lani and Devren knew.

Jayth breathed in and gazed out past the ridge, almost looking right through it. A duelling sense of anticipation and trepidation came over him like a wave. It was a bombardment of the unknowns to him, but he was glad he stumbled upon these two when he did. Escaping his own homeland was a harrowing ordeal in itself, an ordeal he faced alone but now he had company. He continued to focus intently, until he saw a series of rocky spires in the very far distance, bending up and down. A flash of memories then flooded back to him. He closed his eyes.

[Flashback]

A grand castle stood nestled amid a vast circle of steep rocky crags. Their pointed spires carved so sharply they resembled spear tips. Violent bursts of lightning lit up the blood red, cloudless sky. Jayth walked out onto the balcony and gazed out at the vast, advancing army that approached from afar. Minute white shapes marched towards him, their shimmering colour all the more prominent against the arid landscape.

"Looks like they found us." a voice uttered from behind him, a regret in his tone.

Jayth did not turn away. A mournful look etched across his face as he watched them approach. He closed his eyes.

[End of Flashback]

"Jayth!" Lani shouted.

He snapped out of his recollection. He shook his head in a slight daze.

"Sorry." he breathed a little heavily. "Let's go."

Author's Note

The changing perspectives is a little jarring to me, just trying to give a sense of each character hope you enjoy. Also my first ever attempt at a flashback, would appreciate any criticism or comments.