A Warrior's Path Read online

  Urietsin was chewing slowly, peering around. He seemed much more intent on surveying the area than eating. Something seemed unnatural to him in this clearing. His instincts pulled him to investigate. He got up to start looking around, but then his eyes fell upon the enormous log that most of the men were resting against. It suddenly became very clear to him that this trunk had not simply fallen on its own.

  The young warrior pointed to one of the ends. “Here, look at this,” he said. The men looked around curiously. “Someone, or something, has brought down this tree recently.”

  His companions gathered around him. Perhaps not quite as quickly as their leader, the men began to see evidence that the tree had indeed been forced down and cut shorter. Urietsin pointed to a long trail in the dry dirt. It looked as though something heavy had been dragged that way. “Should we follow it, sir?” asked one of the men.

  In answer the young warrior began walking in the direction of the trail. He did not get but a few steps away before he froze. There was something else. Urietsin could hear a quiet rustling in the trees ahead, and he felt as though he were being watched. The rest of the group stood a little behind him and exchanged confused glances. They knew something was amiss as well, but only because of Urietsin's change in posture. They could not hear anything apart from the wind rolling through the trees. A motion from the trees' edge in front of their commander, however, caught their full attention, and now they stood frozen as well.

  A huge creature lumbered out from the foliage. It had the mass of a bear, but its wide snout and sharp, forward reaching tusks clearly identified it as another creature. Urietsin and his men remained still, not only because of the excessive size of this beast, but also because they knew what it was. When they were children they had all heard stories of the gotori. It was said to have eaten whole hunters alive and gored others to shreds.

  It had been many years since any of the men had heard or even thought of those stories, but now, with the beast's bloodshot eyes rolling over them hungrily, every chilling detail returned to them. The gotori stepped toward the group slowly, sniffing the air as it went. Several steps short of the men, the creature pushed itself up on its hind legs and rose to its full height. The men's eyes followed the beast's head up, and they suddenly felt very small as this childhood nightmare towered over them. Unprovoked, the creature threw its great claws wide and let out a deafening roar as it charged straight for Urietsin and his men.

  Up until this point, the Swift One had not been too sure of any course. Now, as this monster's tusks thrashed inches from his body, he sprang into decided action. Rolling to the left, the young warrior narrowly missed certain death as a tusk sailed over his ducked head. The rest of the men behind him were frightened, but they were no cowards, and similarly dodged the beast's initial attack without fleeing.

  Urietsin came up from his roll just as the gotori's rear flank sailed past. He launched a kick that would have staggered a man much larger than himself. But this creature was many times larger than the largest man, and the kick only served to aggravate it. It turned quickly, blasting out another roar. Urietsin ran up, jumping right in front of the beast's face, his foot sailing toward its lower jaw. The gotori's roar stopped short as its mouth was slammed shut painfully by the Swift One's flying foot. The beast reared back to snatch the young warrior from the air, but Urietsin fell past the swatting claw back to the ground and dove through its legs. As Urietsin left his sight, the gotori's murderous glare shifted to the rest of the group, which was now advancing menacingly with spears. Instead of roaring this time, the beast let out a low, threatening growl. Behind it the Swift One stood silently, thinking that everything was now under control. Between the five of them, four with weapons, they should make short work of this creature.

  The gotori had other ideas. It sprang forward in a flash, raking two of the men with its deadly claws before they could even raise their weapons in defense. The other two men dove to either side to avoid the beast's dangerous claws and tusks. When they rolled back to their feet, they saw their two comrades being gored mercilessly by the insane thrashings of their mad foe.

  Urietsin was shocked by the speed with which the creature had finished off the two men, but he wasted no time lamenting their deaths. Not yet, when his life and the lives of the other two men were still in danger. He ran up behind the still thrashing beast and hit one of its rear legs with a low sweeping kick. The gotori's leg slid only slightly, but it stumbled low enough for the young warrior to plant his fist firmly into the thick fur of its haunches. The creature leapt forward to get out of Urietsin's reach and began to turn so that it could meet its enemy head on. The young warrior darted forward as the beast turned and jumped into the air for a flying sidekick that connected with rib thicker than his own leg. A satisfying crack echoed from the gotori's chest, and a howl of pain echoed from its throat. It finished its turn, revealing its blood-soaked tusks.

  Urietsin winced at the sight, but prepared to punish the creature without mercy. From behind he heard one of the men yell, “Aside!” The Swift One skittered right, keeping a wary eye on the beast as he went. The young warrior watched incredulously as the gotori reared back and swatted a spear out of the air. He glanced back to see the man who had thrown it wearing a similar expression. Urietsin rushed back up to engage the monster, but the creature simply swung out with the back of its claw and charged the spear thrower. The hit clipped the Swift One's head and sent him flying away from the charging beast. He landed painfully against a tree and slumped to the ground, the air knocked from his lungs. Blackness crept into the edge of his vision as he shook his head stubbornly to clear it away.

  Through the haze, Urietsin could see the fast moving form of the gotori crashing into a human shape. The whole scene was shifting in and out of focus, but the young warrior knew well enough that another of his companions had fallen. The situation was hopeless, that much was clear. Urietsin only hoped that the last man would be able to flee to safety. He pulled in a deep breath of air, his first, he realized, since being hit by the creature. The world came back into full focus with shattering intensity. The Swift One put his feet under him and attempted to rise. Balance, however, was still something of a challenge. His side hurt whenever he inhaled, and the entire left side of his head was numb where the creature had hit him.

  The creature.

  In trying to stand, Urietsin had somehow forgotten about the gotori. His head was still spinning and he felt almost giddy. The young warrior tried to blink his thoughts back into order. He looked up to see the beast several feet away staring back at him. For several moments all was completely silent as the two foes stared into each other's eyes. Then the gotori began to stalk its prey. The Swift One knew he was not in a position to defend himself. His vision was beginning to fade again, and his legs pleaded with him to sit down or a rest. He slumped against the tree and slid to the ground.

  Gazing forward, Urietsin thought he saw something drop down behind the gotori. He disregarded the blur as the hazy fog that was reentering his vision. He now defocused, relaxing his eyes to stare at some nonexistent point far away from his present location. He could still see the gotori in his peripheral vision, low to the ground, getting ready to jump. A sudden quick motion from that direction made Urietsin close his eyes in defeat. This was the last second of his life.

  As the thought dissipated throughout his body with a sad acceptance, he became painfully aware of how interminably long this second was lasting. Fate, it seemed, had a cruel way of manifesting itself. As the Swift One sat there, eyes shut, pondering the last moment before his vital flame was extinguished, it seemed ironic to him that this moment was very enlightening. A great understanding came to him all at once, but was lost as the swirling thoughts and harsh wounds dragged the young warrior mercifully into numbing unconsciousness.

  * * *

  Agucho stepped out onto the hard-packed earth of the Ionotu training field. Soldiers were everywhere, practicing their macabre skills with v
arious edged weapons. They would have been quite a frightening sight to an innocent onlooker, but the shapeshifter had lived much too long to still be innocent. In fact, his own appearance on this field of mock battle and real blood caused the soldiers to pause in their tasks. The sight of this thing of childhood nightmares, the Fiu-Het, sent chills down the powerful backs of Ionotu's soldiers. They had seen him only once before, when he brought the seer to train with them. Now, as before, the men parted from his path as he headed straight for the same man he had brought with him during his previous visit.

  The mage was encircled by a group of soldiers who had been 'sparring' with him. The circle of men opened as Agucho approached, and the shapeshifter could immediately see the cruel fun that the Ionotu army had been having with their newest recruit. Several old and fresh slash marks crossed his once smooth face. Bruises and welts covered almost every inch of exposed skin. He stood among the broken circle of soldiers weakly holding a longsword. Even if not for the obvious severity of his beatings, it was clear from the way the seer held the blade that he was not an experienced fighter. The Fiu-Het almost pitied the poor human.

  “You,” Agucho pointed a crooked finger at the mage, “come with me.”

  Relief softened the hard squint in Laernus's eyes, which had grown accustomed to flinching over the past week. The seer stumbled forward and dropped his heavy sword, almost cutting himself as he tripped over it. Not unexpectedly, one of the nearby soldiers sniggered derisively at the sight, drawing a threatening hiss from the shapeshifter. Just to further unnerve the now cowering soldier, Agucho sent his long sticky tongue out to twist over each bulging eye, staring at the man all the while. A visible shudder ran through the coward's body, and he turned away.

  “Shouldn't you all be training?” the Fiu-Het gurgled.

  Were general Vethisir there whipping them all with a spiked scourge he could not have motivated the soldiers more effectively. The men fell over each other trying to look hard at work for the creature who might sup on the unenthused. At least, that's the image that popped into most of their heads. Agucho grinned as only one of his race could, and fortunate were the men who were not looking, for that grin would not visit them tonight in their nightmares. The shapeshifter plodded away with Laernus in tow, leaving the soldiers to their own devices.

  “Why have you come for me?” the seer asked after they had left the field behind. He drew a shaky breath. “Has the king...”

  Agucho spun on his shadow. “You should know better than to ask that. The king has no interest in your well-being. I'm sure he believes you to be dead already. My business with you is my own.”

  The two walked a bit longer in silence before Laernus asked, “What, then, is your business? Shall I be free to go when it is done?”

  A guttural chuckle issued from the Fiu-Het. “You shall be free to go on one condition...that you survive.”

  The mage stopped and watched the shapeshifter as he trudged on. “Survive what?” he asked.

  Agucho stopped as well and turned to walk back to the seer. “I seek knowledge. Knowledge only you can provide to me. There is much that I am sure your skills can tell me, and I have an intuition that I will need the help. I will reward you for any assistance you give me, but do not mistake this...if you cross me, you will beg for your death long before I am finished with you.”

  “Very well. What would you have me do? I will do anything you ask if you take me away from those fiends!” Laernus looked over his shoulder, back the way they had come, back to the training field.

  “You will do anything I ask anyways. You have no choice. But I will not take you from your training,” the Fiu-Het responded assertively.

  A look of terror washed over the seer's face, and he fell to his knees. “Oh, please do not send me back!” he pleaded, gripping his new master's cloak. “I will surely die!”

  Agucho pushed the groveling human away in disgust. “You will not die, fool. If you do as I say, I will ensure your protection. The soldiers of Ionotu will not treat you as they have, but that does not mean you shouldn't train while you are with them. I want you to learn how to wield that weapon you were holding when I arrived today. You should make sure you are strong enough to wield it. Although you are the seer, I have a premonition of my own. I predict it will not be long before you are called upon to test your skills with that blade.”

  “Am I to go with the soldiers on their mission of expansion, then?” Laernus asked, picking himself up off the ground.

  “Yes,” replied the shapeshifter with an absent stare. “In fact, I think many of us will be joining you.”

  “Many of us? What do you mean?” the seer asked.

  The Fiu-Het shook his head. “Nothing. Well, perhaps nothing. This is why I need you. You must use your gifts to advise me. I must keep one step ahead of Orbein. Many lives may depend upon it, for my people as well as yours. Follow me; we must leave the road for a more secret place. We don't want to arouse any more suspicions than we may have already.”

  * * *

  General Vethisir stood just beyond the edge of the training field. He watched the unlikely duo step off the road and into the woods nearby. He was certain this was not Orbein's doing. He would be even more certain later when The Fiu-Het returned to send Laernus back into the ranks. Regardless, the moment the general had spied the king's new assistant on the field, retrieving the seer no more than a week after his induction, he knew something was amiss. And a secret meeting away from the castle? Orbein was bound to find this interesting. Vethisir chuckled as he imagined the shapeshifter's expression when the king administered his retribution upon the conspirators.

  11. Lament

  Komeris stared through the fire at the dark silhouette of the mountain against the starry night sky. The anxiety grew within him as the hour drew near midnight of the second day, and still no sign of the small scouting party could be seen. He had expected them back earlier this evening at the latest and thought that if they were on their way down, he would at least see a torchlight or two slowly descending. There was nothing, though, and the veteran soldier was seriously considering going up to look for them himself. He stood with this in mind and stepped around the fire, away from the rest of the soldiers. Many of them looked up at their captain, knowing the thoughts that creased his worried brow.

  Out beyond the flickering light of the campfire, a noise issued forth from the darkness. Komeris crouched low and drew his sword quickly at the sound, ready for whatever might reveal itself. The rest of the warriors tensed, their hands going toward the closest available weapon. All held their breath as they peered into the darkness for the origin of the sound. Again it was heard, a sort of thump on the dirt ground. Immediately the other soldiers were standing, weapons drawn.

  A shadow swayed just beyond the camp perimeter, catching the eyes of all the startled onlookers. “Show yourself!” Komeris called into the darkness. Shadows drew back as several figures stepped into the light.

  Six figures, five men supporting one other, stumbled toward the campfire. It was Reniu and half of the party that had scaled the mountain. At first Komeris was relieved to see the men, until he realized that no more than these six had been approaching in the night. “Where are the others?” the captain asked sternly.

  Reniu shook his head. “Don’t know, sir. We found this man crawlin' down the mountain and mutterin' gibberish. He seems to have been beat somethin' terrible,” he answered.

  The captain walked up to the bruised warrior and tried to catch the attention of his wandering eyes. “What happened up there?” he demanded of the seemingly oblivious man.

  Several such inquiries were made before the man began to tremble visibly. Finally, he shouted, “Gotori! The gotori lives...it killed them. It is real...I must flee!” He shrieked incoherently and struggled briefly with the soldiers who were helping him stand, then went limp and slouched to the ground, apparently unconscious.

  Ominous whispers of the word gotori rippled through the crowd of warrior
s in the camp. Half-remembered childhood legends stirred up old fears in them, and many knuckles shone white as their grips tightened over their weapons.

  Komeris's jaw twitched in frustration as he thought about those victims, if that was indeed what they were. He wasn't sure if he entirely believed in the gotori, though he didn't doubt that they had been attacked by something. He wouldn't give up hope on his four lost warriors until he found irrevocable evidence that they were dead. By daylight tomorrow he would lead a larger group to search for the wounded man's companions. He had an intuition that there may be at least one other who could have escaped the clutches of the mysterious attacker, even if it was the dreaded gotori.

  The large Reniu had a scowl for every occasion, and he now wore one of perplexed unease. “Don't worry, sir, we'll be ready to find 'em when the sun's first ray splits the night sky,” he said as if he had read his captain's mind.

  True to his word, Reniu was awake to see the morning's sleepy yellow eye peek over the horizon. Beside him stood Komeris, who was grateful to see the beginnings of this sunrise but was not about to waste time admiring it. The two gave each other a hopeful look and set about waking the other tired warriors. It had not been a restful night for many of them as they tossed and turned thinking of their lost comrades and their probable fate in the claws of the gotori.

  Komeris carefully, but quickly, selected the group that would follow him up the mountainside. There were nine strong men, four of whom had followed Reniu two days before, one woman whose skill with a blade was yet unmatched in the empire, and Reniu and Komeris made twelve. Twelve warriors set out from the camp that morning, heavily armed, to journey up the mountain and find the men who had not returned.