Broken Blades Don't Sing (Tales of Ashkar Book One) (7 page)

"And she's going to help us why?" bellowed
Raxxil. He seemed annoyed, as if he took offense for not knowing
every little detail.

Serraemas paused and took a deep breath,
apparently contemplating his words, but then chose to say
nothing.

"Come on!" whined Raxxil. “Stop being Serraemas,
Serraemas!”

"She will help because her kind hates others
that meddle with demons callously", Serraemas finally replied.

Raxxil shook his head. “For a second I thought I
was not going to get a vague answer. Then I remembered who I was
talking to.”

“Whose fault is that?” asked Serraemas.

The hammer-wielder shrugged. “Let’s not rest too
long. I don’t want to stay
there
more than I have to.
Neither do you, Serraemas.”

Serraemas nodded thoughtfully.

“There?” asked Erendil. “Where is there?”

“The place where your mind goes to rot”,
explained Raxxil in the most ambiguous manner possible. “Hopefully
you never have to go there.”

Erendil looked to Serraemas for an answer, but
found none other than the latter’s dismissing hand waving in the
air.

“Don’t riddle yourself with it”, said Serraemas,
though Erendil could not tell if it was a warning or simply
advice.

"What do you mean when you spoke of demons?"
asked Erendil, understanding that his previous curiosity would not
be satisfied. He wasn’t about to pursue it, either.

"The target we're after has found a way to use
demonic magic, and as far as we know it is in an unnatural way",
Serraemas said. "My initial impression was that demons were
involved. Witches and warlocks, among other unholy factions, are
not fond of others who try to mimic them."

Raxxil nodded in agreement, bringing his hand to
his chin and scratching it in pensive thought.

Erendil sat back and pondered what Serraemas had
said. Demons were unfamiliar to him, but he did know that that they
existed somewhere that wasn't Ashkar. He raised a hand slowly to
his face and scratched his chin, mimicking Raxxil’s gesture. He
looked over at Raxxil, expecting the hammer-wielder to yell an
obscenity at him or strike him for copying the movement. To
Erendil’s surprise, he found a man quieter than Serraemas.

Raxxil gazed up at the night sky, seemingly
absorbed in himself. He held a solemn expression, as if
recollecting a particularly sorrowful memory. The hothead loosed a
melancholic sigh, but otherwise continued stargazing in
solitude.

"Be sure to get some rest", Serraemas whispered
softly to Erendil. “I know this is all new to you, but Ashkar and
all its… wonders… can wait. What’s important is the quest.” The
latter turned his head, attempting to read the former’s expression
and ascertain the meaning of the words, but Erendil was not able
to. Just like that place he knew not of which they spoke, he wasn't
going to push this curiosity either.

Serraemas picked up his staff and stood up
silently before turning away. His cloak fluttered as he walked away
from the campfire toward his makeshift bed. Before lying down, he
turned back to Erendil and the now quiet hammer-wielder. "Be
prepared for whatever may come tomorrow.”

Erendil glanced once more at Raxxil, who was
still entranced in thought. Erendil’s lips curled up in a smile. He
sat there for a moment, then stood up and grabbed his bow. He
looked around, attempting to find a suitable area to rest. He
noticed a slight depression in the ground that spanned several
feet, and made his way toward it. Erendil inspected it more
closely, and after being satisfied with the area, placed his bow on
the ground next to it and slumped into the hole.

Erendil’s eyelids drooped as he drifted
in-and-out of consciousness. Slowly, his world faded to black, and
the last thing he saw was the dancing fire flickering in Raxxil's
melancholic eyes.

He could have sworn he saw a tear run down the
man’s face.

Chapter
5

346th Dawn of the 4999th Age of Rimas

Chilling rain pours down from the crying sky

Two figures standing apart

A gaping chasm in my cold, dark heart

Don't give up, don't let it die

Arms outstretched, but now you’re gone forever

Powerless, hopeless

There is nothing left; all of this is meaningless

Take my hand and we will transcend together

Serraemas awoke abruptly, lurching forward as he
placed his palms on the ground. He panted heavily, and realized
that he was sweating quite profusely despite the temperate weather
around him. It never became any easier, and the nightmares were
always recurring.

Time is supposed to heal all wounds.
Right?

Lost in thought, Serraemas hadn't noticed the
looming shadow over him. He looked up and was greeted by an
outstretched hand. Looking further up, his gaze fell upon Raxxil's
warm, reassuring eyes.

Serraemas took his partner's hand and stood up.
Looking around, he discovered that both Raxxil and Erendil had
already packed their things.

"Yup, this time I beat you to it!" Raxxil
proudly exclaimed from behind.

Serraemas did not have to turn around to know
that his larger counterpart stood triumphantly with a smug look. He
scoffed, shook his head, and then moved to gather his things. Once
he finished, he looked at his companions again. They waited with
patience and expectant visages. With an affirming nod, he took
point and headed toward the dark, twisted trees. Erendil followed,
with Raxxil behind him wresting with their mounts and struggling to
get them to enter the vile woods. Despite their protest, however,
Raxxil proved far superior in strength, and the questing group
plunged into darkness.

At once, Serraemas felt the atmosphere change
drastically as he stepped onto the desecrated ground. There was
hardly any sunlight; the treetops were dozens of feet high,
creating a canopy and blocking out the majority of the sky. The
only light came from the strange flora and fauna of several colors
that permeated the forest with glowing, dark auras. The vegetation
surrounded them forebodingly, though he did not detect anything
that posed a threat.

At least, not yet.

"This place hasn't changed at all", sang Zaranet
from within.

Serraemas looked down as they continued walking
and noticed several small creatures that resembled lizards.
Splotches on their backs glowed purple, but a yellow glow emanated
from their underbellies. The odd animals were curious at the new
arrivals, though quickly scurried off when Serraemas neared
them.

"Hey look, your cousins!" Raxxil mocked,
laughing heartily at the towrth that accompanied them.

Serraemas heard Erendil sigh and place his palm
on his forehead with a loud thud, but, surprisingly, heard a soft
chuckle make its way into the still air shortly after.

"Keep your guard up", reminded Serraemas,
shooting his allies a cursory glance over his shoulder.

They continued to wade through the dark woods in
silence for several hours, constantly wary at anything that moved
or emitted a strange sound. There seemed to be no end to the odd
creatures and plants, but to their fortune they had yet to
encounter anything that sought human flesh. He noticed flying
insects buzzing about that emanated a bright blue light from their
tails, among other things. He knew most of them were harmless, but
nevertheless
she
would have something lying in wait.

Something dangerous and unfriendly.

Serraemas stopped and looked around, attempting
to ascertain where exactly they were and which direction they
needed to go. He glanced over his shoulder at his companions.
Erendil studied the twisted environment keenly every chance he had.
Raxxil, on the other hand, seemed to be bored. The fiery
elementalist stared back with an incredulous look, but had decided
to hold his tongue while they were moving. An incredible feat,
really.

"Don't tell me we're lost", Raxxil remarked
cynically as he rolled his eyes, breaking his long silence.

Serraemas looked around again. "We're not lost.
Let's stop here for a while."

Erendil gladly obeyed with an expression of
glee, and immediately jumped to explore every nook and cranny in a
wide radius.

"Don't get lost now, lizard-man!" yelled Raxxil
provocatively. He strode to where Serraemas stood and crossed his
arms on his chest. "I don't suppose you’ve got a map for this?"

Serraemas shifted his weight onto his left leg
and wrapped his thumb and pointer on his chin, still thinking
pensively about their location. To his dismay, however, there
seemed to be no indicators around them that would offer some
reprieve.

You’re always quite the trickster when it
comes to playing games.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Raxxil. In
inconspicuous impatience, he tapped his plated foot repeatedly.

"Calm down”, replied Serraemas. “We just need to
look for hints. She wouldn't pass up a chance to toy with… us."

Raxxil ran his fingers through his brown hair
and scratched his head. He furrowed his brow, as if solving a
complex conundrum. Finally, he looked back at Serraemas with a
smirk. "Hold on there, big guy. You two’ve got a history
together?"

"We are… acquaintances," replied Serraemas
simply, careful in his choice of wording.

"Right", jeered Raxxil. Instead of pressing
further, he meandered about in search for clues, and Serraemas did
the same.

Several minutes passed, but his attempts to
garner any information that might be of use were in vain. He sighed
and turned around, finding Raxxil perched atop a high branch. The
fiery elementalist sat gripping his large hammer with a grin from
ear-to-ear that Serraemas recognized all too well.

Serraemas quickly darted over the unsteady
ground to where Raxxil gazed.

"Looks like the lizard-man is in trouble!" he
heard Raxxil yell from above.

As Serraemas rounded the large tree he witnessed
a pack of rabid hounds closing in on Erendil. Well, to say that
they were just rabid hounds was an understatement. These creatures
were much larger, with powerful paws and hulking torsos. While
their fur was black, they radiated an unnatural fire from their
bodies. Their maws were lined with sharp fangs that could easily
sink into flesh and tear off chunks, maybe even an arm or a leg.
Most striking, however, were the pairs of crimson red eyes that
glowed with malicious intent. He counted five beast in total.

"Finally!" Raxxil yelled again with glee.

Serraemas knew his companion barely held himself
back from erupting. He waved a hand at Raxxil commandingly. "No.
Let's see what Erendil is capable of."

"I'm sure Vrand is going out of his mind right
now", rang Zaranet.

Snarling, the beasts circled Erendil, who was
crouching in a defensive stance. He reached for his quiver, and in
quick succession, loosed a barrage of arrows. To Erendil’s dismay,
they bounced off the beasts' unnatural hides harmlessly. One-by-one
the beasts lunged, attempting to bite or latch onto the
green-skinned archer. Erendil proved to be quite agile and was able
to dodge each attack, albeit with slight difficulty.

One of the beasts charged again, yet Erendil
somersaulted over it acrobatically, letting loose three arrows
before landing on his feet. He wheeled around just in time to catch
another hound lunging for his throat. He dashed to the side,
narrowly evading the attack. Two more creatures aimed for his leg
and arm, attempting to pin him down. Again Erendil leapt out of the
way, and the beasts crashed into each other. Before the towrth
could stop his momentum and react, however, the fifth hound took
advantage and lunged on top of the towrth. It pinned him down and
attempted to bite his throat—

He threw up his right arm reflexively, blocking
the attack. The beast's powerful maw clamped down, tearing flesh
and spilling blood. It thrashed, yet Erendil kept firm. Sora had
taught him well, but he still had much to go.

The pack proved relentless, and it was clear
that they would eventually overpower the stoic towrth; still
pinned, the towrth could do nothing as other hounds inched closer
to him.

Erendil had great potential, but there seemed to
be something missing. During their time on the ship across the
Gavarian Ocean, Erendil had mentioned that Sora did not spend much
time teaching elementalism, which was strange to Serraemas. Did
Erendil not even know how to use his elemental? He wasn’t going to
wait and find out, lest he return to Sora with a dead towrth.

Serraemas looked up at Raxxil, who was nearly
shaking in excitement. The hammer-wielding warrior looked back down
at him, awaiting approval. Serraemas nodded at his eager
partner.

With an ear-piercing war cry, Raxxil leapt from
atop his vantage point straight down into the fray. He brought his
hulking hammer downward as he landed on top of one of the beasts. A
loud crack followed by a yelp reverberated throughout the woods as
the hound's torso was crushed under the blow, and the hammer struck
the ground with such force that the area shook with tremors.