The Dawn of the Raven Omnibus 1: Episodes 1-5 (4 page)

“We are near
the area you described.  Will you please direct us towards our destination?”

She finally looked up and, with a skeptical air, surveyed the
woods around them. 

“We are
close.”  She finally muttered.  “Yes, very close.  Turn just slightly more
north and we will be there within the hour.”

Captain Vol considered himself to be a very astute reader of
people.  He was the greatest gambler and gamesman in the kingdom, and his
ability to tell whether a man was bluffing was one of his greatest skills, but
he could get no read off of Raveena.  Her countenance was considerably
different today than it had been the night before.  She looked uneasy.  Not
consumed by hatred or outrage like the night before, and not like someone who
anticipated a rescue or who was closing in on the consummation of a carefully
laid out plan.  He scanned carefully over her beautiful features.  No, if this
was indeed a trap, she was not giving it away at all.  As he realized that,
indeed, the look in her eyes was fear, he found his stomach becoming
unsettled.  But, of course, regardless of what lay ahead, fear for her was warranted. 
After all, he thought to himself, if there are Gekken it makes sense for her to
be afraid, since she is unarmed and in the cage, and given her woeful
underestimation of his mighty soldiers.  If it were a trap that lay ahead, on
the other hand, maybe she was beginning to sense that the Typhorians might be
overmatched by his men, and that her plan might fail.  And, if they were to
find nothing, and Gekken had been present but had moved on, she might be
fearful that they would execute her because they would call her a liar . . .

“If there
were Gekken, my lady, even if they have left, I assure you, I really do have
the greatest trackers in the realm.  We will know.”

Raveena gave him a scornful look, as if the captain’s guess
at what might be worrying her was so far off as to be insulting.

“You’re
worried I’m afraid you’ll think I’m a liar?”

The captain paused to choose his words carefully.

“A liar? 
No.  Well, I have no idea.  I want to believe you Raveena.  I’m just letting
you know, regardless of what awaits us in that clearing, we are quite competent
and will deal with it accordingly.  If it is the Gekken, as you say, we will
defeat them and the threat will be alleviated.  If it is a trap set by your
people, it will fail, and you will return back to the palace with us after we
are victorious and be given a proper execution as decreed by the king.  If
there are no Gekken and no trap, then my men will be able to ascertain the
whereabouts of the Gekken, or whomever it was that you saw, and will get to the
bottom of this.  Regardless, this matter and your fate will all be determined
this day.”  The captain then caught himself.  He reminded himself that there
was still a chance that Raveena was noble.  That she might be telling the
truth, and that, being the revered warrior that she was, if that were the case
she was due better treatment than she had received.  He changed his tone.  “My
lady, if I may say so: I don’t know what awaits us.  I don’t know whether you
really came in peace as you say, or if this is just a sinister trick.  If it
is, I can hardly blame you, considering the war between our kingdoms, and I
admire your courage.  If, on the other hand, your intentions have truly been
honorable, I apologize for the treatment you have received, though I think if
you look at it from our perspective you will see that it is truly necessary. 
My personal wish is that you will be proven true.  It may be the first step
towards peace between our kingdoms, and if so, you are truly to be commended.”

The beautiful warrior maiden leaned on the bars, and finally
made true eye contact with the captain.

“Give me a
blade.  Let me out.  When they come, you will need me.”

The captain quickly regretted his turn of compassion.  So
quickly she had taken it as a sign of weakness, and believed him a fool.

“Ha.  My
good lady, the only way you will be armed again is if my king chooses so.  It
will not happen on my watch.  I have my orders.  I will conclude what business
awaits us in the clearing and then, regardless of what manner it turns out to
be, we will return to the palace, inform the king of what has transpired, and
he will determine whether or not your sword is to be returned to you, and if
you are to be unshackled and released.”

“Then I will
die just like the rest of you” said the beauty.

Captain Vol stared her in the eyes.  They still revealed
nothing, nothing but fear.  She is good, this one, he thought to himself.  He
gave up trying to figure her game out.

“So, turn a
touch to the north and continue onward then?” asked the captain.

“Yes.”

“Very well,
my lady.”

As the troops regained their formation and marched onward,
Kiella noticed that Raveena’s behavior had changed considerably.  Now, her head
was on a swivel, sweeping around them in the forest at all times.  Kiella’s focus
was back on the captain and the men before her when she suddenly realized she
was being summoned from the cage.

“
You! 
Girl!  Kiella!  Was that your name?  Kiella?”

Kiella turned and saw Raveena staring right at her, her beautiful
dark eyes now big as saucers.  Her voice was frantic as she urgently whispered.

“
Please! 
You’ve got to release me!  You’ve got to give me a weapon!  I will protect
you!”

The guard in front of Kiella heard the whispering and turned
back to give a dirty look.  Kiella kept her gaze straight forward, and once the
guard had turned back away from her, whispered back.

“
There’s
no way I can go against the orders of the captain or my king!”

“
Then you
will die!  All of us will die!”

Kiella grew outraged.

“Why? 
Are you admitting it?  A trap?  You’ve set a trap?  You’re offering to spare me
if I sell out my own people and arm you and release you?  What kind of person
do you take me for?”

“Damn
it!!!” 
The gorgeous
warrior maiden finally gave up her attempt.  She sat back down and stared out
the back of the cage.  Kiella watched her carefully, searching for any sign
that Raveena might be signaling any cohorts hidden in the woods, but she saw
nothing.  Nothing but contempt and apprehension in the fearsome warrior’s eyes.

As the party reached the edge of the forest, Captain Vol
motioned for them to stop.  Feeling more and more certain that a trap was the
most likely scenario, he sent his three best scouts ahead to try and get a view
into the clearing, and to check the perimeter.  He knew that his men were up to
any challenge, but it made no sense to purposefully march them right into an
open ambush.  He valued every one of his men; had fought and won many battles
with each of them.  He knew they were the best and the brightest his kingdom
had to offer, and just as each were loyal to him, he would be loyal to them,
ensuring that no man’s life was spent foolishly because of poor strategy or
bravado on his part.  The rest of the party waited patiently for the scouts,
with several men stationed around them, swords drawn and at the ready, just in
case an attack were to come early.  The captain approached Raveena once more to
see if she would give him any clues as to what truly lay ahead.

“If this is
a trap, this is your last chance to save your people.  I can assure you, I am
taking all precautions.  We will not be taken unaware.  Your people will not be
victorious.  They will be slaughtered.”

The gorgeous warrior did not change her tone.   Her eyes held
so much menace that the captain felt his spirit waver in their gape. 

“No,
captain.  This is your last chance” spoke the warrior maiden coldly.  “Your
last chance to save us all.  You’re a fool.  We are lambs to the slaughter, all
of us, due to your recklessness.  Due to your foolish king’s plan.  I came to
warn you to guard the gate, not to have you lead us all right to the enemy.  We
need more men.  We don’t stand a chance.  Please, for the last time, unshackle
me.  Let me out, let me fight.  At least unshackle me and give me a weapon
here, in the cage, so that I can defend myself when they come.”

The captain gave up trying to reason with her.  The Gekken
being here made no sense.  She was like a child telling ghost stories.  The
only thing that made sense was a trap.  He knew that his scouts were the best. 
They would discover the treacherous plans of the Typhorians, and would come
back undetected.  Then, the captain and his men could plan a perfect attack to
defeat them.  It would be a great day for the Raganeans.  He and his men would
drink of the finest mead with the fairest maids at the king’s behest when they
returned triumphant.  He could hardly wait.  He went to Kiella and checked in
with his assistant.

“How are you
holding up?” he asked her.

“I’m fine,
captain” she responded.  He smiled at her and patted her on the back.   

His scouts were slower in returning than Captain Vol had
expected, but when they did, it was with surprising news.  They had found
nothing.  Nothing at all.  No Typhorian trap.  No Gekken.  No sign of either. 
The captain was puzzled.  Assured by his men that there was no threat ahead, he
pushed his men forward and into the clearing.  It spanned a good hundred meters
from edge to edge, and there was no sign that anything had camped there
anywhere within, human or otherwise.  His men examined the whole area
carefully, but found absolutely nothing.  Finally, the captain took rest on an
old fallen limb that served as a perfect bench in the center.  He breathed
easily and let out a hearty laugh, aimed squarely at the caged Typhorian
warrior.

“Ha!  Well,
did you enjoy your little jest?” asked the captain.  “Sent us out here on a
wild goose chase?   Is this fun for you?  Worth the risk you’ve taken?”

The Typhorian, however, did not seem to be basking in the
delight of any tricks.  Her beautiful eyes scanned suspiciously all around the
perimeter of the clearing.  The captain continued.

“Oh, looking
for your people?”  The captain seethed.  His patience had quickly run out.  He
was growing angrier and angrier by the moment.  “They let you down?  Didn’t
show up?  Perhaps they weren’t expecting such an intimidating force to come? 
They must have seen us from afar and abandoned your cause.  Now, you’re left
alone, in our clutches.”  Suddenly, the captain’s smug demeanor turned to
caution as a chilling thought took hold.  “Wait . . . of course . . .  This is
your plan.  This was your plan all along . . .  You have led the king’s best
men out far from the kingdom . . .  You traded yourself to get us away, so we
can’t protect it . . .  Your people, are they attacking the kingdom right now,
as we speak?  And we are so far from our post?”  Captain Vol raged.  He rushed
to the cage, grabbed hold of the bars, and shook it with all his might. 
“Speak, Typhorian murderer!  Was this your plan?  You have tricked us?  Our
kingdom lacks our protection so your people can launch their assault?  Was this
all your evil design?!” His eyes flamed with bloodlust, but the warrior inside
the cage still ignored him.  She paid him no mind whatsoever.  With her body
pressed to the far side of the cage, just out of his reach, she still scanned
the edge of the clearing, carefully searching as best she could through every
tree, every branch.  The captain was angered that she wouldn’t respond, but he
was aware of the intensity of her gaze, and he turned to look to figure out
what it was that she could still be searching for.  “What?  What is it?  You
still think they’re coming for you?  Your people are coming back?  If they do,
we will slaughter them.  Every one of them.”

The captain’s best scout, Garen, was still carefully scanning
the perimeter.  It felt odd to him that there was nothing.  The clearing was a
perfect stop for poachers or hunters to take a break.  It didn’t feel right
that there were no signs that anyone had been there whatsoever.  He continued
his search, when finally he found something.  Right towards the clearing’s far
edge, he noticed the tip of a footprint.  Just a tiny mark, but it was clear. 
It could have passed easily for an imprint from a rock or a hoof to most, but
his eye was keen.  He was quite sure, yes, it was the remnant of a foot-print,
and probably fresh.  Someone had gone to great lengths to hide their tracks,
but this one piece of evidence remained.  He turned to report this information
at once.

“Sir!” 
Garen shouted across the clearing.  Captain Vol motioned for all of his other
men to be silent.  “Sir, there is a track!  Great care was taken to disguise
it, but they missed one edge!  Someone was here.”

“How many? 
When?  Which way did they go” the captain shouted back.

“I can’t
say.  There is only this one mark, and it is just the edge.  But I think it was
recent.  And, I believe, they must have exited the clearing . . . here . . .”

As he said this, Garen paced out towards the edge.  He pointed
down towards the forest floor. 

It happened so fast, it didn’t seem real.  It felt like a
dream.  Like a hallucination.  The captain watched his man motion below a tree,
and then the tree began to shake.  The leaves, just above Garen, began to shake
as if a giant animal were perched in it.  Then, something jumped down, and it
grabbed Garen up, and with only a quick, short scream, which died as soon as he
was ripped back out of view into the forest, Garen was gone.  The thing . . . 
the thing that had grabbed him . . . it had been large.  And disgusting.  It
looked dead.  Its arms, and legs, so long.  Its flesh looked rotten.  Its skin
taught, barely covering the sinews and muscles, like it had been starving.  And
it’s eyes, dark and soulless.  Yet, it was powerful, and strong, and so fast. 
It had grabbed up Garen like he was a pup . . .