Shuran began to burn with anger for the betrayal, not from Bastien but from that of his adda. Shuran would find Bastien’s father and find out what the life of his son was worth to him. He laid his friend’s head down and before he could pick his body up to take it away, Land’s Guard began running toward him. They could see him though he held his shield gem.
“I am sorry Bastien but I have to leave.” Shuran left the lifeless form of his friend behind and ran.
After the Drakk Guard soldiers ran to follow Shuran, the Inquisitor stepped out from the side of a nearby building and headed toward the body left on the dirt road. He knelt down to the body and looked out toward where Shuran had run. With a gesture and a few whispered words of a spell, the Inquisitor and the body of Bastien disappeared in a shimmer of smoke.
Telalsu soon returned having lost the young man who attacked earlier. When he arrived to find the body gone along with the Inquisitor, he ordered the remaining Land’s Guard to search the area for unsanctioned weavers and find the old woman who looked after the boy. After his final order was accepted Telalsu placed his hand to the ground where the body had been and smiled.
“What are you up to?” Telalsu closed his eyes and abruptly disappeared as well, following the Essence trail left by the fleeing Inquisitor.
***
Shuran ran with all his fading strength back toward home. He would have to stop and rest and he did not want to lead any guards directly back home. He decided to go back to the cave that had become Bastien and he’s secret hideout. As Shuran approached the cave he saw a figure sitting by a small fire near the mouth of the small cave.
“Who is there? Bastien is that you son?”
Shuran recognized the voice of Bastien’s adda. As he approached the fire, Shuran forced his hands outward, palms up, to show the blood of his now dead friend. “How much was the life of your own son worth to you?”
Bastien’s father stood there, still as stone, as the realization set in.
“You told them we were coming and your boy lost his life because of it you old fool!” Shuran spat at the man who had betrayed not only him but his own blood as well.
“They only wanted you.” The man stammered. “They were going to leave my Bastien alone and take you away. Things have not been the same since you showed up. It should be you dead now, not my Bastien.” The old man was sobbing as he sunk to his knees.
“I should kill you where you are for what you have done. A man who would place his son’s life in harms way for a few gold suns…”
Shuran raised his hands before him; his rage bubbled through him. The surge of power that moved through his body set all his hair on end. Through rage he was forming balls of electrical force in the palms of his hands. He felt the energy screaming to let loose. Shuran raised his hands above his head to let forth bolts of electricity.
“Shuran! You must stop. This is not the way.” Andra grabbed Shuran’s arms and brought them down before he could loose the energy he built up. The sparks and bolts immediately left his hands and he collapsed into Andra’s arms weeping for the life of his best friend.
***
Moona and Codger were already moving to gather all they could into the wagons when Andra and Mallick arrived, leading Shuran from his confrontation with Bastien’s father. Mallick had shown Andra where the cave was after he suddenly appeared in the cabin an hour earlier. Andra had explained to them what was happening and told them to get things prepared to make their escape.
Shuran made his way to his room to grab what he needed. He was visibly upset but he knew they had to leave. They managed to get some goats and a few cattle into a large wagon built for carrying animals. The other wagon was full of foodstuffs, warm clothing and any other necessary items. They would have to get anything else they needed as they traveled but they did not yet know to where. Shuran exited the cabin carrying just a sack filled with his clothes and another satchel filled with crystals and a few books.
Mallick rode with Codger and Moona with the animals while Andra wanted to ride alone with Shuran for a while.
“This is not your fault Shuran and you must let go of the anger before it poisons you.”
Shuran just looked ahead as they rode. He was racked with emotion over what transpired earlier in the village. To find out that his best friend had died out of fear and greed at the hands of his own adda was more than Shuran could handle at the moment.
“If I had not sparked Bastien’s shi, he would still be alive,” Shuran mumbled.
“Shuran, whether you hastened his ability to the surface or not is but only a portion of what transpired. The blame truly lies with the Order of Chaos. It is they and their leader whom blame should be placed upon.” Andra was not certain that Shuran was grasping what was said.
Before any further conversation could be held, Moona and Codger pulled their wagon to an abrupt halt in front of them.
“We need to pull off, onto less traveled paths. There are men camped out ahead that look to be Land’s Guard,” Codger said as he approached the trailing wagon.
“You can bet your arse that they are looking for us!” Moona chimed in as she waddled up.
Andra thought for a moment and before he could say anything the group turned to a sound of movement off of the road to their right. The ground and vegetation was spreading apart to form a narrow path off to the North. They all turned to look at Shuran.
“I will clear a path and close it behind us. We should travel around north of the Mellamu Nanna and come back down the coast.”
Moona and Codger just stood there, mouths wide and questioning looks upon their faces.
Shuran just lifted a quartz crystal he was holding and smirked.
Mallick backed up the first wagon and once Codger and Moona climbed back on, he headed down the path Shuran was creating. As the wagons made their way down the path that parted before them, Shuran split his attention to return things back to their natural state behind.
The group went on through the woods as Shuran located and manipulated the ground into the best path they could use. At points the path was narrow and difficult but they pressed on until they finally reached a clearing near the coast north of the Mellamu Nanna.
“So much for a clear escape in spite of Shuran’s efforts,” Moona complained looking out at the large Aurderia vessel anchored not far from their destination.
“Perhaps we can use Shuran’s shielding stone to mask our approach until they hear us?” Mallick asked looking to Shuran.
“The stone no longer works after I got it back from Bastien.”
“We will worry about that later. I have an idea, Shuran may I have the use of one of your crystals; I assume you have more?” Andra looked at Shuran knowing the answer.
Shuran reached in his bag and produced a few shards. “I have found certain shards are better for different things. What have you got in mind?”
Shuran and Andra discussed options in private for a moment before turning to the group. After the five travelers conferred on the plan, they set it into action.
***
The guards were huddled around a small fire drinking from a jug of wine and sharing stories of what they have been doing since the breaking of the balance. As the jug was passed from one guard to the next, it was dropped as a man stood and pointed north of their position.
A wagon came barreling toward them covered in flames. It took more than a few moments of panic before the guards even noticed that there were no horses leading the wagon. As the men scattered to avoid the flaming wagon, they did not see the group of travelers sneaking up to the odd vessel they had been camped near. It was not until one of the men saw the wagon pass through the area they just abandoned that suspicion grew. The blazing wagon passed without disturbing the camp; he called the alarm.
“It is an illusion! There are people boarding that vessel. Stop them!”
And the guards quickly caught their wits and ran toward the Mellamu Nanna swords drawn and spells ready to cast. As the first guard threw his ball of fire an opposite force of water immediately met it.
Shuran stood at the foot of the gangplank ready to hold off attack as the others boarded the Mellamu Nanna.
“Keep them off as long as you can Shuran!” Mallick yelled as he and Andra worked hard to load all they could on the ship.
Moona and Codger were already on the vessel taking what they could secure, readying to leave quickly. Codger left Moona to continue stowing things as he headed to the pilot deck to fire the boiler.
Shuran was holding his own with the attacks from the guards to the South when he heard a call of alarm from Mallick.
“More guards approach from the North where we came from. They must have followed us somehow!”
Shuran turned to look at the closing threat and missed an approaching fireball from the southern attack. The flames took immediately on the ground near the first wagon and spread quickly, spooking the horses and cattle still waiting to be led aboard the ship.
“Andra I need you to take over here while I see what our newest guests have to offer as threat.” Shuran switched places with Andra who was still holding the clear crystal shard Shuran had given him earlier.
Shuran noticed that the guards approaching from the North were wearing black leathers.
They stopped and seamed to simply be observing what was transpiring.
Shuran did not stop to consider what they were planning before he reached deep within his lessons to recall the spells for levitation. With the added strength from his crystals he lifted the remaining livestock off the ground and onto the Mellamu Nanna.
There was no room for the wagons to be brought aboard so Shuran used them as a weapon. He quickly lifted them high in the air and hurtled them toward the southern assault that had positioned themselves about fifty paces from the ship.
As the guards saw the oncoming aerial threat they scattered and lost focus on the escapees.
Shuran and Andra quickly joined the others aboard the Mellamu Nanna and pulled up the plank.
“Get us moving Codge, we ain’ got all night!” Moona yelled.
As they inched away from the shore, Shuran noticed the black clad guards were still holding position and not interfering with their escape. He decided he would worry about this later.
The Land’s Guard had regrouped and were sending fireballs and lightening toward them.
“Andra now would be a good time for you to put that crystal to good use. I am going to see Codger on the pilot deck,” Shuran exclaimed as he ran off to see the old man.
Andra nodded and held out his hands, one holding the clear crystal that he had taken from Shuran. As he spoke the words of the ancient tongue, a solid yet invisible shield formed around the Mellamu Nanna.
“LILBAL BALEMUKU ZALAGBAD!” Andra said the words to transform the air around them into a clear wall shield. With the power of Shuran’s Essence filled crystal, Andra was able to create a bubble of protection around them that would last until the power of the crystal ran out. Andra guessed that would not be anytime soon, sensing the power within.
Shuran ran up to Codger in the pilot’s deck, “Here use this and get us out of here!” Shuran pushed Codger’s crystal shard toward him. Seeing Codger’s confused look Shuran explained quickly, “I have spent weeks recharging it. We can discuss it later once you have lifted this vessels laden arse out of the water and get us away!”
Without another word, Codger placed the shard in its spot on the controls and smiled as it glowed. He then shifted the control lever into position. As the Mellamu Nanna lifted from the water, the side sails unfurled into great wings to each side of the vessel and flapped once as the ship was hoisted over one hundred paces into the air.
The Drakk Elite Guard just looked on, stone faced, as Shuran and his friends made their escape.
This did not go unnoticed to Shuran, but he was not done. In order to hide the direction they would take, Shuran set the air above the water to near fire temperature. Immediately, a thick misty fog arose all around the area and the Mellamu Nanna was lost to the onlookers ashore.
The Land’s Guard continued throwing assaults of fire and energy at an unseen target.
The Drakk Elite backed away from the view of the Land’s Guard so their captain could make his report to Fallon and awaits orders.
An eerie shriek filled the night as a gangly red-eyed bird lifted from the branches of a nearby tree and flew off into the night.
The travelers busied themselves leading the animals and supplies below into the cargo holds of the Mellamu Nanna. Codger kept himself to the pilot’s deck marveling at the ease of which the ship moved under a fully charged crystal.
Shuran arrived sometime later with wine, bread and cheese. “Moona said she thought you might need feeding.” Shuran saw the look of delight on Codger’s face, “Of course she said it in the same breath as tending to the cattle, horses, and goats!” Shuran laughed watching Codger’s expression sour. “Where are we heading?” Shuran asked now that they were clear of the heavy fog he had created to mask their direction of escape.