Chronicles of Den'dra: A Land Torn: Ancient Powers Awaken (19 page)

“
Just a dream. It had to be. Urake would never leave the village in the Garoche.” Cero spoke aloud just to hear the sound of his own voice. Laying back down with his head cushioned of the still damp pack Cero tried to return to sleep.

*****

“I swear he was here. I felt him like I can sense you.” Emeck been tending the fire idly with a stick when he had suddenly sat up straight and announced that they were being observed. Urake had looked up at that moment but hadn’t been able to detect any impact on his mental defenses that would indicate someone was trying to observe him. Emeck had stood up at that point and was concentrating on a spot directly to Urake’s left when he further announced that it was Skeln. After a minute of intense concentration he collapsed and declared that Skeln was gone.

“
I caught a glimpse through his eyes for a moment before he left. It was like he was just standing there watching us. For some reason he was fixated on Ice Heart. It was glowing the way he saw it. I have never felt anything like it before. He was like, here but not in person and it was like he was just doing it without trying. Like he had no control but when I connected with him he just brushed me off and disappeared.” Emeck rambled about the experience for a minute. Urake knew that Emeck was talented though not on the same level as Brest had been. Emeck’s talents were nothing to scoff at so when Skeln had somehow causally appeared and resisted Emeck’s attempts to communicate, it was odd to say the least.

“
Did you get any idea where he is?” Urake waited for Emeck to calm down before he asked.

“
Somewhere a long ways south. By a river. That was all I was able to get before he was gone again. It was almost like he was dreaming. I got the distinct impression he didn’t think what he saw was real.” Emeck paused his rant only long enough to convey the location.

Urake began thinking about the implications the information could have. The important piece of information was that Skeln was alive. The rest of the information was puzzling. Trackers could only connect with a mind at a distance. Urake didn’t understand the particulars of how they were able to sense locations once they made the link. Brest had occasionally been able to give detailed descriptions of the target’s surroundings and Emeck could describe major details and give accurate direction and distance. Urake had never heard of people simply projecting their consciousness and observing as if in person without even forming a link. The description of Ice Heart as glowing didn’t make sense either. What Urake did know was that Skeln was unique and that his powers were awakening.

“Should we go tonight?” Emeck’s voice broke into Urake’s contemplation.

“
What?” Urake had only registered that there had been a question not what the question was.

“
I asked if we should leave tonight.” Emeck already had his pack half full and stood waiting for an answer.

“
Oh, no, I don’t think so. We can leave in the morning. There is only half of one moon out tonight so there isn’t enough light to travel by.” Urake smiled at Emeck’s enthusiasm. The lad was a natural born tracker and enjoyed the hunt.

“
Oh.” The disappointment was clearly evident in that one syllable. Emeck looked up at the moon and squinted at the half circle of light as if willing it to get brighter. Urake shared Emeck’s impatience to get started but had to surrender to the circumstances.

The last few days of searching had been trying their patients. Four days ago Emeck had warned that there were people nearby. A small gully full of brush had obscured them from the eyes of a small company of soldiers who passed by a few minutes later. Urake had to guess that they were either looking for him or for Skeln. Either way it wasn’t good. Brounn had supposedly misdirected the bulk of the searching troops more than a week ago but there were still search parties scouring the wilderness. Something else that was frustrating was that no sign of Skeln had been found whatsoever. Urake felt confident that if he couldn’t find anything it was unlikely that a bunch of soldiers untrained in tracking would have had any better luck.

The next day they had stumbled across the soldiers again but all dead by the same hand as the trackers that Urake had first come across. Last night they had been by the fire when a mysterious shadow had appeared and gazed into the fire for a minute before drifting around the motionless Urake and petrified Emeck. Strangely the apparition had appeared to search the campsite and had left without finding the two of them. Ice Heart had been laying at Urake’s side during the encounter and had drawn the revenant’s attention momentarily before its departure.

Having seen the creature Urake remembered having heard long ago about strange ghosts or revenants that haunted the swamps appearing only at night. He had never heard of these creatures doing anyone harm. When Urake had passed through there hadn’t been any encounters. The locals were of the belief that these apparitions were revenants spirits of the dead lost in the Draeld Swamps. Urake had been unable to find the source of the apparitions and had dismissed it as stories told by superstitious people.

When morning dawned the sun was bright and clear but a fog bank hung over the Draeld Swamps proper to the south. Breakfast was a few cold pieces of roasted snake choked down after the packs were loaded. The information that Emeck had learned about Skeln’s position led Urake to believe that he was at the lower limits of the swamps where the stagnant water drained into one of two rivers. Emeck believed that it was sort of southeast of their position making Urake think that it was the eastern most of these rivers that Skeln had found.

It was a wonder Skeln had managed to make it that far as it was. Urake had traversed the swamps several times in his old life and had learned of safer routes than others but still a watchful eye was needed. One never knew when any manner or monster might appear out of the murky waters. They still faced at least three full days of travel through the dangerous territory.

Chapter Sixteen

“
I don’t like this one bit.” Torroth smoldered in a poor attempt to disguise his annoyance.

“
What? That the east midlands are swarming with soldiers or that they don’t respect you?” Inadar joked lightly.

“
What? No no, not that. If they knew who I was then we would be in a lot of trouble. No one deserts the army without a price being put on his head. Preferably without the rest of him in company. Easier to transport that way.” Torroth began mumbling to himself.

“
That is always good to know. I’m a Dragon Lord that would be hunted if anyone found out and you are a fugitive on the run. Relax, no one recognized us back there. They were looking for two guys. Not a guy and a girl.” Inadar tried to reassure Torroth.

“
If they had been asking more questions we might have been in trouble. As it was they only let us go because the guy that brought us in didn’t really know who he was looking for.” Torroth shot Inadar a scowl.

“
Whatever. He wouldn’t have been a problem if he hadn’t had all his friends with him. It really is astonishing who they let in the army these days.” Torroth scowled again and shushed Inadar as they rounded a corner and nearly walked into a whole squad of soldiers.

“
Will you be quiet? You never know if one of them is behind a bush emptying his bladder.” Torroth whispered after the soldiers had moved past them hardly sparing a glance in their direction.

“
It was informative being to their camp wasn’t it?” Inadar continued the conversation in a conspiratorial whisper that was sure to raise eyebrows if overheard let alone observed.

“
How so?” Torroth tried to hold onto his bad mood and feigned boredom however the corners of his mouth had begun twitching ominously towards his usual smile.

“
Well for one, we know that they aren’t looking for us. Another thing is that you never have been able to stay upset for long.” Inadar smirked up at Torroth who couldn’t help a little laugh.

“
How was the last part informative? I already deduced that they had no idea who we are from the fact we aren’t manacled.” Torroth failed his rebuking scowl and only succeeded in making Inadar laugh.

“
I suppose that part wasn’t new. You did look like you wanted to fight the world for no good reason and I was worried that someone might oblige you.” Torroth rolled his eyes dramatically at Inadar’s comment.

“
It could have gone a lot worse for us. We could have been separated and questioned. We haven’t agreed upon a story yet and would have betrayed ourselves.” Torroth admonished Inadar but didn't manage to dampen her good spirits.

“
Fine. If anyone asks then we can say that you are my father and we are going to visit your elderly mother in Cercha.” Inadar offered.

“
Father? I'm not that old. I would have been an early teenager when...” Torroth stopped talking as a shade of red crept up his neck

“
I didn’t mean to make you feel old but now that you mention it.” Inadar smirked mischievously.

“
You can be my younger sister. Another question that might be asked is why we were down this far south if our mother is so elderly.”

“
Because... we... were... I got nothing. What about you?”

“
Hmm. Me neither. Perhaps if we removed the elderly part altogether it would be better. Another thing is we don’t want to give our real destination away. Maintain continuity but adjust it as we continue. For example, this is a main road and would be used by anyone from the south going to Cercha. At this point it is also the main road to Warton. If we say we are going to Warton then if anyone figures out who we are then they won’t be going to Cercha.” Torroth explained.

“
What if we are orphans and I'm going with you because you can’t find blacksmith work in... wherever it is we came from.” Inadar offered an idea.

“
That might work. They might ask why we aren’t going to try The Forks because that city is far closer than Cercha. Unless... If we said we were from The Forks then that would explain that.”

“
How do we explain not having a wagon load of possessions with us?” Inadar pointed out a flaw that she saw in the story.

“
We are too poor to have anything. Either that or we sold everything before leaving The Forks.” Torroth patched the flaw.

“
If we go with second option then we won’t have to explain our new clothes.” Inadar pondered the picture of their past that they were painting.

“
I hadn’t thought about that. We would have to at least buy or trade an old cloak from a beggar each in order to look the part. If we say we sold everything before leaving then we can say that we used some of the proceeds to outfit ourselves. That is actually a pretty good idea.” Torroth rubbed his chin as he thought.

“
We are only going to be in Cercha for a little while. Why don’t we say that we are just wanderers passing through?” Inadar proposed a new idea.

“
Na, I used to help hunt people like us. You always want to be able to give a definite destination. If you don’t then they start to suspect that you aren’t who you say that you are.”

“
Ok. So we will have to pick a new destination once we get to Cercha.” Inadar was getting into the process.

“
Not right off the top. For a little while we can get by saying that we are checking out the prospects of work and housing. We can keep that up for a week or two tops. By then we might be able to figure out if who or what we are looking for is there. By the way, how are we going to find one person in a city if we don’t even know what he looks like?”

“
How should I know? I am hoping that I can sense him like I can sense the dragons. As far as the soul forged weapons go, the dragons don’t even know what they look like. How we are supposed to find them is beyond me.” Inadar scowled at Torroth when he began muttering something about a fool’s errand.

*****

Reigns pondered the stacks of opened and read letters in front of him. The news was not encouraging. Nothing was going as planned. A few days after the discovery that the Asgare was in the Draeld a letter had been received that indicated the man had been seen heading north on the west side of the midlands. From past experiences Reigns knew that the Asgare was a difficult man to find in the best of circumstances. The last time had only been through trickery and subterfuge. The Asgare was not likely to fall for the same trick twice though.

Reigns had flinched in apprehension when he had first read the dispatch indicating the northern route. The Asgare was sure to have found out Reign’s hand in the whole fiasco and likely wanted revenge of some sort. The fact that never had an assassination been carried out within the walls of Shienhin was reassuring. Guards of Reign’s own selection patrolled continuously and wanted posters adorned most free spaces in the city now. One could never be too careful when dealing with the legendary Shadow Reaper. The fact that the enigmatic man wielded the coveted dwarven blade only made him all the more dangerous.

It was not only the whispered prophesies that mentioned the part that these blades play in the return of the dragon Lords that angered Reigns. There was also the fact that humans were capable of accessing the ancient powers the weapons wield. Relinquished to humans but hid from Reign’s elven blood. It irked the man to think that mere humans of the short lives were capable of more than he.

Reigns picked up one of the documents and scanned it again. It was the report concerning the sighting of the Asgare. He pondered the possibilities associated with the document. Received more than a week ago Reigns had reacted to the Intel and sent revised orders. He had not dismissed the possibility that the sighting could have been a mistake. Careful scrutiny had not uncovered anything amiss about the message. At first Reigns had thought it a fraud because it had been written in advance of the news that the Asgare roamed the lands. Reigns had been attempting to control that information as best as he could. He had finally decided that the message never mentioned the Asgare specifically but only gave details that could have been given only by someone who had seen the pair being searched for. In fact it had details that Reigns was sure only he knew about the assassin.

Reigns was a suspicious man by nature. Not entirely trusting the document he had only ordered the majority of the men stationed in The Forks north. Still a large number of men combed the Draeld searching for signs of life. This had proven an exercise in futility. Close to three dozen men were simply missing and another dozen had been found lying in their campsites dead. The reports said that not a mark was on them but blood was observed having leaked from eyes, nose, mouth and ears. There were reports of venomous reptiles having claimed the lives of ten men and a couple reports that giant snakes had hidden in swamps and seized passing soldiers crushing them in the vile creature’s coils and sinking back into the ponds before any attempt of rescue could be initiated. One of the reports had been from a distraught captain who had exited the swamps with only two of the ten men he had lead in.

Reigns considered rescinding the order to search the swamps but decided that it could wait. Right now Reigns needed to attend to matters of more importance. He lifted himself out of his chair and drew his robes a little tighter around him. It may be spring but still the occasional spell of cold weather would drift down from the silent sea and blanket the north under a clammy fog. The stone halls of Shienhin seemed to radiate the chill and no amount of fire in the hearth could banish the dampness.

The door to Reign’s study opened soundlessly and the guard on duty snapped to attention as the Chancellor passed through. With a wave of his hand the guard remained at his post and Reigns moved off through the castle. His destination was on the far side of the ancient structure so he walked quickly. The servants that saw him passing through made way for him. On entering the east wing of the castle Reigns no longer saw any servants. The few individuals that walked these vacant halls were loyal to Reigns. All accept one that is.

On seeing Reigns approach the two guards dressed in the King’s personal guard uniforms snapped to attention. Reigns was mildly irritated that the guards were never ready for his appearance. Their constant inattention was uncalled for. Perhaps, thought Reigns, he would have a word with the captain of the guard about the matter. Entering the door Reigns observed that the chamber was warm and comfortable. A fire burned brightly in the hearth and one could almost forget the inclement climate if they avoided looking out the window at the fog obscured landscape. On a clear day you could almost see the silent sea from here. It was that silvery grey-blue thread where the sky met the land. Today you could hardly see the ground ten stories below. The outer courtyard wall was but a dim ghostly shape.

Reigns himself would have taken this room for his own long ago. A cool sea breeze blew in the windows when they were open and the view was inspiring in the summer. Fields dotted with cottages extended as far as the eye could see. On top of that the room was cool in the summer but could be warmed adequately in the winter as now was an example. The reason Reigns hadn’t taken the room was that the castle smithy was located in the courtyard below. Normally this room was reserved for lesser nobles who stayed at the castle on occasion. Smaller than most rooms but with the amenities that nobles demanded. Turning from the window Reign’s eyes narrowed as he spied the slight form seated on the edge of the bed.

She was no longer the child that Reigns remembered. Em'risi was now a thin girl with her mother’s soft brown eyes and auburn curls. The princess glanced toward the Chancellor as if she felt his eyes on her. The face that he saw was that of a young woman. The annoying thing was that with her cultured smile, purplish eyes and flawless skin Em'risi betrayed nothing of what was in her mind on her face. It had been months since he had last seen more than her skirts disappearing around a corner. Despite living in the same castle she could always manage to avoid him.

“Princess Em'risi, you are radiant today. Perhaps that is what has driven the chill from this chamber.”

“
Lord High Chancellor, it is kind of you to visit my father today. The inclement weather is wearing heavily on his soul.” Em’risi smiled graciously and ignored Reign's compliment.

“
Aye, it is true. The fog is a burden to us all but fear not, summer is almost here. Perhaps with its return the King will also regain his health.” Reigns chafed at the charade of civility. Em'risi was one of the few people that he had to maintain the veneer with. Most knew that he could have their heads cut off and acted accordingly. Only the King and the princess seemed to think themselves above his authority and so the charade was played.

“
Perhaps then I will be well enough to go boar hunting again. I haven’t had a chance to teach my daughter that glorious sport.” Reigns chuckled at the image of the fair skinned princess riding a charger through the woods with her auburn hair flying in the wind. He doubted that she would concede to such an undignified spectacle.

“
Perhaps she would also enjoy a few horse races.” Reigns stepped sideways enough to see the King laying in the bed. He maintained his smiling mask when he saw the white and drawn visage of the King. He was going to have to require the chamberlain reduce the dosage if the King was to survive to see the summer. Heretofore only four drops a meal had been enough to keep the King quiet abed but now half that amount would be enough to do the trick.