A Warrior's Path Read online

  The tentacles that bound his limbs gripped tighter and forced him, painfully, to rise. Thankfully, though, the one gagging him had gone away. Every step was agony, but he dared not pause for a moment, fearing worse pain awaited him if he showed the slightest sign of resistance. The shapeshifter and the mage left the king to his thoughts as they made their way to the training grounds of the Ionotu valley. Laernus was unsure of whether or not it was safe to speak to this creature that now held him. As much as he dreaded the soldiers, he had a better chance of surviving the army than the dungeon. Well, maybe not so much 'surviving' as 'escaping'.

  “Why did you help me?” the wizard ventured.

  The shapeshifter made a hissing sound. “I said what would please my new master the most. It had little to do with helping you.”

  “Little...but something?”

  “You are a fool!” the creature scolded. It sounded oddly sympathetic. “You do not understand. When you are in the service of someone like King Orbein, you do not speak against him...not openly at least. I saved you from your own ignorance.”

  “But, why?”

  This question seemed to fluster the Fiu-Het, whose features twisted to extreme angles. “You speak too much!” And with that he shot out another tentacle, but this time it merely covered the mage's mouth. It wasn't the answer Laernus was looking for, but it did bring him a step closer to understanding.

  * * *

  Kiusu climbed over a rocky incline that led to a more wooded part of the mountain. He seemed to be searching for something specific. He studied each tree he came across with great intensity, especially those that appeared dead and rotting. Each time he discovered some sign of life within the tree, he moved on to the next. Finally, he came to a great dead hulk of a tree. The branches had long since decayed, and all that was left was a great trunk standing straight into the air. The dry roots still held the ground firmly, but in a death grip that hadn't changed for possibly decades.

  Kiusu slowly scaled the trunk knocking here and there, searching for some indication of living matter. The tree itself was completely dead. The old man could tell as soon as he touched the rough bark that the life force had left some time ago. It felt empty. But nature hardly ever let a thing like death break the cycle of life, and dead matter such as this was often home to many creatures. Of these, however, Kiusu also found no sign. There had at one time, perhaps, been several colonies of ants and other insects all over the tree, but they had gone leaving the bulk of the trunk still standing. He had also found signs of nests or holes long ago lived in, but long since abandoned.

  Satisfied that this was the perfect specimen, Kiusu lowered himself to the ground. He opened the sack he had left lying at the base of the trunk and pulled out a long black sash, which he wound tightly around his waist, tying it there securely. He then stood facing the tree, studying every rough and cracked feature. Several quiet moments passed in which Kiusu meditated on the tall trunk before him. His breathing was slow and steady, and his expression was relaxed and serene.

  With surprising swiftness, the old man sprang into action. His fists were a blur and bark flew violently in all directions. In that span of a single second he had pelted the dead trunk six times with each fist. Pausing only long enough to shift his weight to one leg, he lifted the other to the bare spot created by his devastating punches. The foot landed, and a crack rang out over the mountainside. More bark was propelled off the opposite side of the trunk, and before it landed, the old man came forward with his elbow, leaving a deep dent in the old, thick wood.

  It suddenly seemed, as he pulled away from the tree, that gravity lost its hold on him. With the barest of motions he propelled himself off the ground, easily six feet into the air. At his peak, where he hung for a seemingly unnatural span of time, he swung his other foot out, connecting with the wood with another shattering crack. The tip of the trunk wobbled, and a large crevice appeared diagonally along the middle of the dead tree's length. As the old master fell, he loosed two fierce punches that broke the dry wood fibers holding the now cracked trunk together. Some twelve hundred pounds of dead wood flew free and rolled several meters, crushing grass and bushes as it went.

  Kiusu landed and froze. Quickly he ran down the path that the huge timber had made, checking the bent plants as he went. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He had checked the trunk so meticulously to ensure nothing was hurt or killed as he practiced. Luckily there had been no animals in the path of the flying wood, but the bushes had been bent. He knew they would grow strong once more, though. Turning back to the remaining trunk he looked past it to see what lay behind. Nothing.

  The old man took off running. Ten feet before reaching the tree, he launched himself back into the air. Leading with his right foot, he slammed into what was left of the tree. A reverberating pop issued from the ground and dead wood groaned under a rising cloud of dust. The air eventually stilled and silence fell. Sand and dirt particles headed slowly back to the ground. When the dust finally cleared, Kiusu was standing triumphantly upon the rest of the uprooted trunk barely out of breath.

  He could have continued to chop this wood into kindling with his bare hands, but the work was mentally tiring. It took incredible concentration to do what he had just done. Fortunately, Kiusu found that such things were coming easier to him as he practiced day by day. Besides, he had a hatchet in his sack that would do nicely. It would be another day or two before he could clear the area entirely of the trunk while he saw to other tasks as well, but this kindling added to his current store would last him well through the winter.

  * * *

  Geilo awoke that morning with a great sense of purpose. The decisions he made today would determine the future of his people. He sent a message for Etrusin to meet him in the field behind the palace and made his way to the stable. He spent a lot of time while waiting for his military advisor to arrive thinking about the time before the empire when Reisothin briefly rule this land by terror. He recalled how he united his people to fight against the dragon. Hope seemed bleak then, and the emperor hoped to draw some insight from those times. When Etrusin finally galloped up beside him on the field, Geilo felt somewhat reassured by his time alone. They rode together in silence for a while.

  The emperor barely pulled on his reign, bringing his horse to a stop. He smiled at the Uchilin. “I am glad you are here, my old friend.”

  The greeting caught the military advisor off guard. “I am glad to be of service, emperor.”

  “Please, Etrusin, time has made us forget the past. We were once good friends, you and I,” the emperor said quietly. He seemed almost sad.

  Etrusin wasn’t sure how to react to this. It was true; they had once been close friends. They had fought side by side against Reisothin and the general had been at Geilo's right hand during the formation of the empire. Time had changed things, though. His friend had become his emperor, and ever after things had been different. It filled Etrusin with hope that Geilo remembered their old friendship. “Yes...yes, we were. And I should like to think that we still are...but, you are emperor.”

  Geilo waved the thought away. “A poor excuse for forgetting those who stood by me during such trials as we saw. And time is not kind, for I fear it is all too soon that we face those trials again.”

  The general's eyes widened. “What do you know?”

  Geilo's horse suddenly began to shuffle as it felt his change in posture. “Come. Let us go back to the palace,” the emperor said, taking off across the field before Etrusin could answer.

  When they got to the throne room, the emperor composed himself briefly before proceeding. “Etrusin, my friend,” he began, “I fear that war is upon us. Please! Do not speak! I must tell you everything.” With that he explained all that had happened in the past month, from his first visions of a demonic army, to the message that Minotros had given him.

  The entire time Etrusin watched silent, but wide-eyed. A realization dawned upon him. “That is why you gave orders to rebuild our force
s.”

  Geilo nodded. “Yes, I had done it in the hope that, should anything happen, we would be ready. I only hope we are not too late.”

  “We will be ready,” Etrusin assured him. “Since you commanded me to train new soldiers, I have amassed a force!”

  Geilo looked pleadingly at his general, hoping against hope that his last statement was true. “Is it enough to defeat an army?”

  Etrusin thought about this for a moment. “I will not mislead you, sire. I don't know if we are quite ready for a war, but the ranks increase daily. Many strong young men and women add themselves to our number, bringing us closer every day. It will not be long now.”

  “I hope it will not be too late,” the emperor repeated. He sighed deeply, exhaling all the negativity he had built up since recounting his story to Etrusin. He had to bring back his earlier confidence. Just then a knock issued from the chamber doors. “Enter,” Geilo called.

  The doors opened and the guards escorted in the high priest. Shiu Hi walked in and bowed low before the emperor. “Sire...General,” he nodded to Etrusin in acknowledgement.

  Geilo bade him rise and dismissed the guards. “Welcome, Shiu Hi. I was just informing Etrusin of the situation.”

  “I see. What, exactly, is the situation?” the priest asked calmly, curious about what the emperor learned from his communion with God.

  “Minotros has confirmed my fears. We are in danger. We must be ready to defend ourselves,” Geilo explained.

  Shiu Hi nodded. “What are our plans?” he asked.

  “If I may,” answered Etrusin. Geilo gestured for him to speak. “I believe our best option may be to move some of our forces away from the empire.”

  “And leave it unprotected?” asked Shiu Hi.

  “No...not completely. We would leave enough men here for defense and to take on more for training. But I believe we should set up our main barracks away from the empire, beyond the forest. Emperor, you said you saw the army marching from the mountains. If that is where they will come from, then we would be ready for them as they approached,” the general explained.

  “And if they come from the sea?” the emperor asked, though he knew that was unlikely.

  Etrusin's brow furrowed. “I don't know. I’ve only just learned all that is happening and will need more time to plan out the finer details. Though the reefs surrounding the eastern shores and the cliffs on the southern shores are likely to give us all the protection we’ll need, perhaps we can set up sentries to keep watch,” he paused, sighing. “I hope the scouting parties send word soon. They might have information that would help our plans.”

  Geilo nodded. “Indeed, the mountains have played a prominent role in my visions. I think it might be best for you to set up a barracks closer to them. Not too close, though. If the enemy is empowered as I have foreseen, the high ground will give them a distinct advantage.”

  “The enemy will not be the only one who is empowered,” commented Shiu Hi significantly.

  “Ah yes!” Etrusin cried suddenly, a different light in his eyes. “The emperor mentioned that you would be able to assist us with...magic?”

  Shiu Hi nodded solemnly. “We would indeed. If you could gather all your men's weapons, we could bless them with a sharpness that would smite the enemies of Minotros.” The light in Etrusin's eyes glinted as the priest continued. “We also have a weapon. A device carved from the remains of our slain enemy, Reisothin. With a bit more practice, the men of our order may learn to wield it with deadly consequences to our foes.”

  “Magic,” Etrusin repeated in a fascinated whisper.

  “Great care must be exercised, however,” Shiu Hi went on. “Only those who are strong of will and true of purpose must wield such power. For it can control forces of nature for both good and evil. Because it comes from a wicked creature, it has a maleficent will of its own. A weak will might falter and use it for ill deeds.”

  “That is why priests will be on hand to manipulate this magic,” explained the emperor.

  Etrusin nodded. “A wise decision.”

  “If Emperor Geilo has seen correctly, this power will be of utmost importance to us,” said Shiu Hi.

  Geilo nodded. “With the ability to control nature...they may be able to alter the clouds that rain fire that I have seen in my visions.”

  “So, how shall we proceed?” asked the general.

  “It may be too soon to tell...or too late to act,” Geilo said.

  Etrusin nodded. “I will send a messenger to the scouting party. Surely they should be through the forest by the time anyone can catch up with them, and hopefully they have not yet split up. If we send out a rider to meet them, we can have them set up a permanent camp in preparation for our arrival. This will give us some time to plan, if it is, indeed, not too late.”

  Geilo slapped Etrusin's back, pleased with his suggestion. “Very well. Go now and send out the rider. Shiu Hi and I have some things yet to discuss.”

  Etrusin bowed to Geilo, and although he had done it many times before, this time it was as much as an old friend as it was a loyal subject.

  9. Ill Omens

  The sun was near its zenith as the scouting party approached the edge of the forest. Tilon and Marui stood just beyond the line of trees watching the mountains and conversing in their native tongue. Komeris and Urietsin were the first to arrive, followed closely by the diplomats of Kesitul. Urietsin knew that the elves had long since detected their approach, but their focus was now held by something else.

  Tilon gestured to the mountains and spoke quickly in Shionen while Marui gazed west toward the closest peak. Urietsin looked west also and saw the distant mountain, its base still at most two day's walk away. It was a crystal clear day, and the young warrior’s eyes easily scanned up to the lightly snowy cap when he noticed a thin trail of smoke coming, apparently, from somewhere on the opposite face. This appeared to be the source of Tilon's excitement as his continued gestures followed the trail of smoke up into the sky.

  Finally, Marui interrupted her companion, putting a hand against his chest to calm him. “Good day, friends,” she said to the party. “Please, give us a moment.” She then turned her attention back to Tilon and spoke to him calmly for a few moments.

  Komeris waved and nodded, pleased to give the remainder of the party a chance to catch up and rest. Noting the keen look on Urietsin's face, he moved closer and whispered, “What do you see?”

  Urietsin pointed to the mountain. “Smoke,” he replied, “as do they. It seems to be worrying our friend here.” He gestured toward Tilon.

  “Indeed, young warrior,” Marui said, startling Komeris and Urietsin who thought their conversation private. “Forgive me. We have very keen hearing.” She indicated her ears.

  Komeris nodded in comprehension. “I see...” he said, although with regard to the thin tendril of distant smoke, he really couldn't see. “Why is this smoke so distressing?”

  “It is an omen!” cried Tilon. “A bad omen!”

  Marui admonished her companion in Shionen and turned her attention back to Komeris. Her expression was apologetic. “It seems that the meeting of our peoples has come at a time that seems more than coincidental. We have many stories that tell us of signs, some subtle, others less so, that presage certain events. Recently we have seen much, subtle and otherwise, which foretells of bad fortune for our people. Such portents have not been so strong or pressing in many years. Until several days ago, we were not quite sure what the warnings were about. Since your party somehow managed to enter the forest, there has been much speculation...”

  As her voice trailed, Komeris smiled reassuringly. “I understand. Our emperor too can see signs of the future. As for the speculation you speak of, I don't blame your people. You don’t know us, and so you are being cautious. But let me assure you, we mean you no harm. Indeed, we wish to work with you in peace, or leave you in peace if that is your wish.”

  For the first time since they had met him, Tilon seemed pleased. “Belie
ve me when I say that we would be happy with either situation. You must understand, however, that your arrival is an omen in itself, and for our race, which has had little contact with the outside for centuries, it is seen by many as a bad one. In our last dealings with humans, long ago, our friendship was spurned and our home here, almost lost. Until you entered our forest, the way was blocked to all of your race, a step that had been intended for the protection of both our peoples.”

  Komeris was taken aback at the sudden tact that was employed by the elf. Urietsin spoke before the silence became uncomfortable.

  “Perhaps our coming is a good omen,” suggested the Swift One. “Perhaps we can help you with the trouble that lies ahead.”

  Komeris interjected, “Yes! We have come to investigate the lands beyond the forest. That peak seems as good a place as any to start. We will send some scouts up there to see if they can find the source of the smoke.”

  “And what if they do?” asked Tilon. “What if they climb over and find only a scorched tree, what then?”

  Komeris shrugged. “Even if they do not find some unnatural source of the fire, it is exploration for my party. It will be no waste of our time. If we do find something, it may be for the better of all of us.”

  Tilon simply stared off thoughtfully.

  With that they all agreed to send some men to meet the elves at the same location once they had finished their exploration of the mountain. With little fanfare, they left the edge of the forest behind them. The warriors and diplomats all headed for the foundation of the first peak.

  * * *

  Gayossha stood before the blaze, enticed by the flames that licked hungrily at the dry wood hut. He hadn't intended to burn the old man's home, but now that the fire consumed the tiny cabin, he watched with glee. The Fiu-Het had been investigating the area where he had seen the human before and found the kettle steaming over some hot embers out in front. He had only wanted to have a little fun...but now it seemed as though he was going to have lots. He stood cackling while he watched the devouring flames of the fire.