= Chapter Five: Surprises =
=SUBJECT TO REVISION AT ANY TIME UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE=
= Chapter Five: Surprises =
He crawled cautiously through the dark on his hands and knees, knowing it was out there, waiting for him. It called to him, a low hum pulsing outward every few moments. It became a constant buzzing in his head just before those bright red eyes and pointed white teeth, forever grinning, shone through a foggy haze of shadow. Fear held him firmly, and he began to flee, pulling himself by his arms. His legs felt as lead dragging behind him, unresponsive. He heard melodic humming, heavy footfalls, and the clanking of metal closing fast.
_ Arm over arm, frantically clawing at the ground, he crawled. Walls seemed to narrow along his path, until he was trapped in a corner. Trapped like a rat. He looked behind him to see the grinning visage bobbing as it came closer._
_ It stopped._
_ A loud thunk and chains rattling broke the momentary silence. The face dipped low, and in the glow of its eyes, he could make out a shape. He could see more; green light slowly spilled out of the up-turned box as the lid was lifted by an invisible hand. The light became tendrils, slithering toward him. They wrapped around his legs, and crawled up his body as he clawed desperately at the walls._
*****
Dream turned to reality as his eyes opened widely in panic. Instinct told him to thrash against his captor, but it was quickly overcome with reason. Wide awake, Niv's eyes began to adjust to the darkness, aided by the moonlight shining through the window. An unfamiliar silhouette crouched beside him.
"Who...?" He began to ask, squinting, but was swiftly hushed.
The scent was unmistakable. "Blitz?" Niv said sleepily, stressing the vowel so it sounded like "Bleetz" instead. Because the cheetah didn't speak common, Niv had grown accustomed to slipping into his friend's native tongue when they were together, even for something as simple as his name. He was shushed again, more softly this time. He sat up slowly, his feline eyes now fully adjusted to the low light. Black-spotted hands frantically thrashed signs and symbols. Niv waived his hand dismissively and shook his head. He was still too tired to read the sign language of the Guild, Blitz's preferred form of communication.
Niv felt the warmth of another body to his left. Stray lay beside him undisturbed, his head at the other end of the bed. He looked rather adorable, curled up on the covers like a pup. He turned back to Blitz, who seemed rather agitated.
"Why-" Niv began to whisper, before Blitz interrupted him with a halting signal. Niv raised an eyebrow, but began limbering his fingers. He hadn't needed to sign for a long time.
"[What is going on? Why are you here AND waking me up at this hour? Has something happened?]" He signed crudely. He was clearly rusty. The cheetah signed back with enviably quick and fluid motions.
"[You are not safe. Wake the wolf, we cannot afford for me to repeat myself.]" He paused, his face stern. His ear twitched, alert for any suspicious sounds. "[There is much danger, and little time.]"
Niv gently roused his friend, who didn't seem eager to wake up early. Stray rolled onto his stomach, groaning in protest. Niv shook him harder, nearly shoving him off the bed by accident. The small rush of adrenaline incurred by the potential fall worked in Niv's favor, as the wolf was now more receptive to waking up. He rolled toward the silent conversation and began to speak, but the two fingers on the tip of his nose made him reconsider. He understood as soon as he noticed an uneasy looking Blitz crouched beside the bed.
"[What's going on?]" Stray asked, his signing as fluid as Blitz's.
"[You are in danger]" the cheetah replied. "[A powerful man from the west has caught wind of your mission and aims to take for himself what you carry...]" He paused, his ear twitching a few times, "[He rides on Reffar even now. You must leave at once.]"
"[How "powerful" is this man? And how did he learn of our mission?]" Niv asked.
"[Questions must wait, time is waning.]" The urgency Blitz felt was clear, but Niv was persistent.
"[This is something we have to know, Blitz. We must know the hunter to evade his path. We must know his hounds, and weed them from our pack.]" Niv gave a stern look which conveyed the intention behind reciting the verse, 'you should know this'. "[This is unlike you, Blitz. I understand your intent, but please, be calm.]"
"[Of course, you are right. My apologies.]" He took a deep breath, becoming noticeably more relaxed. "[He is Balinor, a Duke from a nearby territory to the west. He fancies himself cunning, but this makes him reckless. I am unsure how he came to know of your mission. There may well be a mole as you have alluded to, either at the guild hall or among your company. I have already made a note to have this investigated after you are safe.]"
"A Duke?" Niv said aloud, and was once again shushed. He shot a look of concern to Stray. "[Okay, we need to leave,]" he said matter-of-factly, "[but what do you propose we do about the large caravan we're supposed to be guarding for several days yet? We can't exactly take them with us, but can we really leave them behind?]"
"[We may have to.]" Stray said, the last person anyone would expect to suggest such a thing. ["This guy is after us, right? We can leave the others to Jota. He'll either follow us, or mess with them and have the crown come down square on his head for harassing its subjects.]"
"[If there's anyone left to tell of it...]" Niv pointed out.
"Hmm." Stray thought a moment.
"[We'll just have to ensure that he follows us. Let's go, we likely don't have much time to fill the others in.]" The two men gathered up their belongings, making sure to stow their noisy armour, and all three made for Jota's, walking the long empty streets without incident.
*****
The great bear was awake when they arrived at his home just after three in the morning, and assured them it was absurd to continue communicating through sign. Blitz wasn't entirely convinced, but knew the bear wouldn't relent without immediate necessity to do so.
Blitz recounted the information, slightly annoyed at having to repeat himself anyway. Jota absorbed the information as Niv translated, taking note of the blanks filled in by Stray regarding their mission, and thought a few moments before speaking.
"Do you know which way they're coming?" Everyone looked at him, puzzled. Jota let slip an exasperated sigh, getting up from his seat and thumbing through some rolled papers on a shelf. Finding the one he was after near the bottom, he gently slid it from the shelf and unrolled it on a table. "As you are no doubt aware, there's quite a bit of woods to the west and south of the town. Are they swinging south," He moved his index finger over the map as he spoke, "around the woods, or are they coming directly through?" It was clear by the looks on their face that none of them had even considered the possibility.
"{I... do not know.}" Blitz said, as if confessing to a failure. "{I came here as soon as I knew my friends were in danger.}" Jota, not knowing Blitz's language, clearly didn't understand what the cheetah had said, but heard clearly the tone in his voice. He placed a large, consoling hand on his shoulder. He knew a "no" when he heard one. "Don't worry, kid. You still did the right thing."
"I feel kinda stupid for not thinking of that." Niv said.
"Well," Stray replied, "You were woken in the dead of night."
Niv shrugged in concession. "Do you know which way they're more likely to come?"
"{I believe they would stay far from the sight of the Capitol's advance watch. They will likely hazard the trees to avoid unwanted attention.}" Blitz said.
"Then we probably don't have much time." Niv concluded. "Anyone have any ideas on how to proceed? We need to make sure they follow Stray and I, but short of running out to meet them I don't have a clue."
"Might have to do just that." Stray offered. "I don't see us having much other choice."
"You don't." Jota said flatly. "What you_do_ have is a job, a responsibility. I understand your concern, but it would be a mistake to take that risk. I'll take over whatever you need to walk away from, so you boys can get out of here ASAP."
"We'll have to stop and grab Rallom on our way." Niv said.
"Whatever you need to do, I'll handle things." The bear waved his hand dismissively. "Just do it fast. You need to be gone before daylight."
"We'll work it out as we go, then. We should get going." Stray said. "Rallom won't be happy about being woken up so early. Best to get his bitching out of the way as quickly as we can."
"{Shall I gather him?}" Blitz offered.
"No." Niv replied immediately, putting his hand up. "Trust me, no. I'll get him; you two should go get some horses ready for us. And grab an extra sword."
*****
Niv crept through the moonlit streets back to the inn. The night was unnervingly quiet, a fact he was quick to note. He moved silently up the stairs to Rallom's room and gently tested the door. Locked, as expected. Not a problem. Locked doors were a fairly common occurrence in his line of work. Even better, Reffar's security wasn't very sophisticated, compared to the city. Niv easily defeated the simple defense and slipped inside, padding silently across the rug-covered wood floor to the bed. It was a rather nice room, Niv noted.
Rallom lay on his side beneath the covers, facing away as Niv reached out to the young man's shoulder. A glint of steel flashed in the dim light from the window. ~ "Jesus!" Niv thought. The tiger bent his arm in a reflexive attempt to catch the attack, but it was wild and reckless, causing him to come up short. Rallom's wrist slammed into Niv's forearm, the curved dagger within an inch of biting his shoulder. It was quickly withdrawn when Rallom realized who was looming over him.
"What's the meaning of this!? What do you mean by sneaking in here in the middle of the night?" he asked angrily as Niv massaged the shock out of his wrist.
"Geez, you could have hurt me." He said. "Lucky for me, your aim needs work..."
Rallom snorted indignantly. "Did you come just to criticize me?"
"No, but I wasn't expecting to be ambushed. What's with that anyway? Didn't peg you for the 'light sleeper' type." Niv raised an eyebrow.
"It's none of your business. Now what do you want? If this is some asinine predator game--"
"We need to leave." Niv declared quietly with a flat tone and a slight scowl. "Gather what you need, but be quick about it. We don't have a lot of time." Rallom looked at him, clearly confused. He was, however, quite aware of the offense taken at his remark.
"What do you mean? What's going on?" He demanded, climbing out of the bed and crossing his arms. "Explain."
"Start packing and I will." Niv said defiantly, crossing his arms as well. Rallom narrowed his eyes and looked at him skeptically.
"Fine."
Things went more smoothly from there; the majority of Rallom's things were still packed, and he didn't have much to begin with, only a couple bags. Niv's condensed version of events made for a quick story, and they were soon on their way. Getting out of the building would prove a challenge, as every step Rallom took on the uncarpeted portion of the floor made a distinctive "thunk". Niv grimaced with every silent moment broken.
"Think you could walk a little more lightly?" He asked.
"I'm walking as carefully as I can." Rallom whispered indignantly. "Hooves do not lend themselves well to stealth. Sneaking around is for predators."
It occurred to Niv, at that moment, that he could easily trip his friend. But despite the small satisfaction it would bring him, he knew now was neither the time nor place to be so vindictive. Still, he could never keep such thoughts from flashing across his mind. They insisted on being heard, slipping around his mental filter through small gaps. He thanked his good fortune for not running into anyone before meeting up with Stray and Blitz. There were only three horses, and no Blitz.
"Where's...?" Niv asked, realization dawning on him almost immediately. "He's not coming..."
"He's already gone. South, at Jota's insistence." Stray said as he climbed atop his horse; a grey mare with white spots and silvery hair. The box was nestled right behind the saddle, neatly rewrapped. "Headed to the Guild." Niv just shrugged.
Rallom, feeling no investment in, nor obligation to, this particular conversation, simply went about securing his things to the nearest horse, a brown stallion with black hair. A lucky happenstance, since the third was already carrying Niv's things at the time. He climbed into the saddle and turned the steed to face the others.
"What's our plan, captain?" Stray asked playfully, ever content to ignore the seriousness of a predicament when it suited him.
"We're gonna head east. There's a dense patch of woods ten miles out. When we get there we can plan our next move." Niv spun the unusual horse around again and said over his shoulder, "And I'm not the captain" as he spurred it on; Stray and Rallom close behind him.
*****
They rode hard until the town was out of sight, slowing their pace once they felt they were a safe enough distance. Within the hour they reached the woods at the mountain's base, where they dismounted and quietly led the horses into the trees, just far enough to be concealed.
"What now, captain?" Stray said earnestly.
"First off, stop calling me that." Niv said. "Second, I don't really know. We're kinda flying by the seat of our pants at this point." He crossed his arms and looked around. "I'm open to suggestions. Otherwise we can just head south from here, I guess."
Rallom scoffed audibly. "Typical." He muttered as he began to dig into his things. "Can I get some light?" He asked, though it seemed more like a demand. Niv rolled his eyes and picked up a small stick, rolling it with his fingers to focus a small current of mana through it, setting the tip aflame. It wouldn't last long, but neither he nor Stray would have wanted it to. He did his best to obscure the light from escaping the trees while holding it for the ram to see.
"If that's all you can manage..." Rallom said, dissatisfied. He resumed his rummaging for a moment, before producing a very old looking scroll. "There is an old pilgrim's path that winds up along this side of the mountain." He said, hooking one end of the scroll to his horse's saddle, unrolling it carefully to show an ancient looking map. "We're here, yes?" he pointed, speaking as if his companions were children. "The path is around here, just a quick jaunt through these woods." He concluded, as Niv and Stray scrutinized the map as best they could in the dim light.
"Except it's not." Niv said grimly.
"I beg your pardon? I have studied this map extensively. I know full well what it says, and it's what I've just told you." The civility of Rallom's words did little to hide his frustration.
"Well I'm sorry, but it's wrong--"
"I am not wrong. It's here for you to see, plain as day." He gestured aggressively at the map. "Is your predator's night vision not sufficient, or can you not read a map?"
Niv stood to his full height, nearly a head taller than the ram, and looked down at the little man as he tossed down the now burnt out stick and rubbed it out with his foot. He took a deep breath before addressing him in a barely calm voice. "I didn't say you were wrong. But the map you're reading is. I can read it just fine, and it has to be a century or two old -"
"Three." Rallom interrupted with an aloof tone and a disinterested face that drew a scowl from the tiger.
Niv let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright, look; I know it's dark, and you can't see, but those mountains are at least ten miles away." He fully extended his arms towards the deeper woods for emphasis. "I've lived out here for the last year and have been all over this area, right up to the very mountains in question. The fact that this map is as old as it is gives me enough reason to doubt its accuracy, but in this particular aspect I know it to be indisputably wrong." Niv's hands were a flurry of gestures as he spoke, emotion getting the better of him. "And yes, I know what the fuck 'indisputably' means, you--" Stray stepped between them, knowing things were about to go even further downhill, and quickly.
"Whoa-kay children, playtime's over." The wolf said, trying to break the tension. He pushed gently on Niv's chest and the tiger obliged him, taking a step back. "Niv has a point," he said, looking to Rallom, "you've read it well, there's no doubt, but this map no longer knows the land. Still," he turned his attention back to Niv, "it may be worth our time to look. It's not far out of our way, and it'll be good to stay out of sight for as long as possible. If nothing else, it could be fun." He finished with a toothy smile, the kind that was often a herald of mischief.
"I'm fine with that. It's not like we're in much of a hurry anymore." Niv said, letting go of the heated moment as best he could. "Though..." he looked around.
"I have no objection, considering it was my idea in the first place." Rallom said coolly.
"Good. I think heading straight for the path is our best option. That'll take us southeast, still well within the forest. Somewhere along the way we can make camp and gear up for the journey proper." Niv was less enthusiastic, but nodded in agreement. Stray simply smiled again. "Cheer up stripes, tigers are supposed to love the trees, right?"
The trek was long and quiet. The deep black of the night sky above them gradually transitioned into dark hues of blue, the pinpricks of starlight fading away as the sun filled the heavens with its light on the other side of the nearby mountains. Not that the trio could truly appreciate the sight through the dense canopy that shielded them. Little of the fledgling light could filter through. Though Rallom wouldn't have noticed anyway; his face was buried in his work, doodling and taking notes atop his horse as Niv led it, his own horse seeming to follow of its own accord behind them. Navigating the thick tree trunks and cutting through dense brush did them no sight-seeing favors either. If the trees started to get any closer to each other, they'd have to abandon the horses.
"How the hell is this forest so dense? We've been walking for two hours and haven't found a single clearing." Stray said.
"I'm really not sure." Niv replied, with a puzzled look. "It wasn't this bad the last time I was out here. I mean, it's been a while, yeah, but not long enough for this." He stepped over a large root before continuing. "Truth be told, I'm kinda glad we haven't had a chance to stop yet. I'd hate to be doing this in full gear. My clothes are snagging enough as it is."
"If I didn't know any better," Stray started before struggling his for a moment, "I'd say this brush is almost making a path. But there's no pattern I can see in it, and no beaten trail. It's almost like a tiny labyrinth."
"Do you have anything rolled up that could help us here?" Niv asked, referring to the scrolls Stray often carried.
"No luck, friend. Just a sharp shiny, like yourself." Stray said with a shrug, and thumb over the shoulder to his sword, tied to his horse's saddle. "Could always blaze a new trail." He suggested.
"That would be a gross misuse of that and you know it." Niv protested with a subtly exaggerated tone, knowing full well what Stray meant.
"Since when has that stopped you?" Stray said. "In fact, I've known you to do it for _precisely_that reason."
"Since never. I just don't want to burn the whole forest down." Niv explained as if it were obvious. "And certainly not with us still in it."
"Oi, fair point. Guess you'll just have to deal, eh?" Stray concluded with a smirk.
Niv lazily waved him off, making a sound one might hear from a grumpy old man. They pressed on a few hours more; the foliage becoming more troublesome as the ground began to incline, marking their approach to the mountain's base. The trees here were more spread out, causing breaks in the canopy, the late morning light pouring in. Through these openings they would catch glimpses of the cliffs ahead, and the precipice at which they would seek refuge.
The ground soon became rocky and uneven, and they could nearly make out the edge of the trees toward the south.
"Alright, where is this path?" Niv asked no one in particular, looking around.
"How should I know? The map is wrong." Rallom replied, his tone acerbic. Niv sighed and rolled his eyes.
"_Mountains_don't move." He said matter-of-factly over his shoulder. "The map may be outdated regarding the forest, but I'm pretty sure the colossal mass of stone is more or less as it was two or three centuries ago." He said, gesturing in the general direction of the mountain. "It's not like there've been any significant events around here in that time. I mean, anything significant enough to re-face a cliff would be well known even today, right?"
"Hard to say, Stripes. Some stuff just seems to vanish from the world shortly after it goes down. Whole towns gone; landscapes shaped anew. Lot of political hush-hush nonsense." Stray said, squinting as he too surveyed the area.
Rallom, already bored with the conversation, slid off his horse and began meandering, map squarely blocking his vision. The rough terrain didn't seem to bother him at all, as he nimbly traversed a nearby clearing. He walked from tree to tree, circling each and pausing a few moments before moving on. The two warriors watched as the young man went about his work, picking up rocks and dirt, running his hands on the bark of the trees.
"Well, at least he gets his hands dirty." Niv said positively. "More than I can say for most of our pencil pushers."
"Oi, you callin' me lazy, Stripes?" The wolf teased, nudging his friend with an elbow. "Poems and stories are hard work ya know! Lots of dirt involved. Someone has to entertain the children!" He exaggerated.
"Oh hush, you." Niv smirked, lazily hitting Stray's with the back of his hand. Stray put on his best wolfish grin. He turned back to where Rallom was still wandering and cupped his hands to his mouth, to carry his voice as he shouted. "Oi, goat, what'cha lookin' for?" Niv jabbed him hard in the ribs with his elbow. Rallom lifted his head a moment as if he might reply, but turned back to his self-appointed task.
Only moments later and his search was done. A stone with what might have otherwise been an innocuous formation, was actually the bearer of a key. To those that knew, as Rallom did from his devoted study, this simple engraving told one where to stand to find their way. From this spot, three trees could be seen bearing equal parts of a carving; an ancient symbol for wayward pilgrims.
"This." Rallom called out. "Gentlemen." He kept his eyes locked on something they couldn't see, walking toward it. Niv and Stray followed, trying to find what he was looking at. Neither of them saw the marks on the trees, though they didn't need to.
As the group moved into rockier and rockier areas at Rallom's lead, a path slowly became evident, eventually leading to a winding path concealed in the rock face. A high wall on the outside hid those who might walk its length. The width of it was surprising at first, until Stray pointed out that pilgrims often make their journey on horseback. At mentioning horses, the wolf volunteered to go back for theirs before they decided to wander away, with the suggestion that they scout the path ahead.
For their part, there was little to do until Stray returned. No one had been this far along the path, up or down, in a very long time. Perhaps not even in their lifetime. Niv took point, Stray the rear, with Rallom leading the horses between them. As calm as it seemed, the tiger was anxious, keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword as his eyes carefully scanned back and forth.
The sun was high in the sky now, the occasional puff of cloud passing across its face. It only took another hour for them to reach the top of the path, the walls widening into a great open space. It was a truly magnificent sight, this undisturbed holy place of ages past. They secured the horses and wandered cautiously into the open space, exploring it for hidden danger as much as for their curiosity.
It was like a massive stone balcony. Everything was carved from the mountain's stone; walls, benches, pedestals, everything. It was all one piece, a grand sculpture. Rallom moved to the rear wall, the rough stone of the untouched mountain. Niv roamed to the center, crossing one of two bridges that spanned a ten foot artificial river that sprang from the rough mountain wall, the perfect lines of its bed shown through the clear water. Stray ventured to the front, drawn by the most eye-catching element of the entire structure; the enormous statue far to the right that stood with its back to the world, sheer cliffs only yards behind it.
Niv tried not to stare at it, though it was difficult. The finer details were harder to make out from where he stood, but enough could be seen to entice most any onlooker. A faceless woman with feathery wings, holding aloft a large marbled egg, the nature of which was likely hinted at by the second figure, a large snake-like dragon poised in a helix around the woman. The river ran directly beneath it, cascading over the cliff beyond.
From his elevated perch, Niv was in a unique position to notice a peculiar aspect of this pilgrim's sanctuary.
"It's symmetrical." He said out loud, though the others were too far to hear his precise words. He finished exploring the other side and, finding no dangers lurking among the stone features, joined Stray at the statue.
"It's symmetrical." He said.
"What?" The wolf asked.
"The whole thing. It's perfectly mirrored on either side of the river." Rallom joined them without a word. "This place is not natural." Niv continued.
"Don't be stupid, of course it's not." Rallom remarked snidely.
"Stuff it, green horn." Niv retorted. The ram seemed particularly irritated. "That's not what I meant and you know it. You should, anyway. This place is not normal. There are no seams on anything, no cracks or chips. There is magic in this place." He lightly ran his hand across the smooth face of the stone beneath them, feeling the low pulse of energy humming through it. He looked up at the statue, noticing all the little things that had eluded him before. Most notably the bands all over her, with script not unlike that on his inhibitors. "What kind of pilgrims did you say came here?"
"I didn't." Rallom said flatly. "I only said that it was a path of pilgrimage centuries ago." He seemed annoyed at having to point out that fact. "The map doesn't say any more than that."
"Fair enough." Niv conceded, preferring not to let Rallom's tone provoke him. "We should get a fire going. It may be calm now, but it won't last. The winds are strong this high up, we'll need the warmth." They moved to the rough rear wall, Stray grabbing the horses as he passed them. "Don't use the pits here. And don't touch the water, for that matter." Niv peered back at the statue. "I don't trust this place."
They made a small camp in one of the rear corners, keeping everything as close to them as they could. They would stay only a few hours to eat and nap, then be on their way. No one felt like talking as they sat around their small fire, until Stray piped up with a question.
"You sure about the water? I mean, this seems like a kinda holy place, doesn't it? Like, legit holy?" He asked.
"So was the Kirizar temple," Niv replied, "and their water was damn near poison to anyone not 'blessed' by their god."
"Fair point, stripes." Stray said as he began looking out at the horizon, reminiscent thoughts clearly on his mind. "Man, that feels like ages ago. We met a god that day." He chuckled, fond of the memory.
"How do you forget meeting a god?" Rallom interjected. "And how do you know it even was a god?"
"Does the sparrow know if we are gods?" Stray replied. "When we hunt it and trap it and keep it in a cage? When we pluck its feathers for our own beauty? Does it know? Does it care?"
"You're doing it again." Niv said.
"And I didn't forget, I just didn't remember." Stray with a grin.
Niv nodded. "Old details get lost in the moment. Especially if you're Stray."
"Oi." The wolf feigned offense.
"It _was_a long time ago, though." Niv took his turn to reminisce. "We had just come from the centennial festival at Hus'Rala, only a year out of training." A faint smile crept across Niv's face as the memories played in his head. "We met the Queen of Ergalelle that day, and the legendary Rala'Rhirim, her elite warriors." He said excitedly.
"Anyone that says women are the weaker sex has never seen them in action." Stray said. "A few of them fancied you. Even a couple of the men." He teased.
"Ugh, what a horrifying idea." Niv grimaced. "Could you imagine such a relationship?" Stray simply laughed.
"It wouldn't be that bad." He said.
"Yes it would. Could you imagine being in a relationship with a 'Rhirim warrior? Think of how much there is to measure up to. They are among the bravest and most skilled fighters of the last hundred years. You know they expect their partners to be able to keep up with them, in more than one way. They may not say it outright, but you just know. Not to mention the near-constant worry they might never come home that comes with their job. I don't think I could handle that. I worry enough about you when you're gone, I don't need to add to that."
"Pfft, sure." Stray said. "It's not like you've ever saved loads of people and done incredible things that would make most of your peers worried sick."
"I hadn't done any of that at the time. Sure, if I were in that position _now_I might consider it. Hell, I might have actually noticed the looks I got. But that's years of difference."
"Whatever you say, Tiger." Stray dismissed him with a grin, clearly not referring to Niv's feline qualities.
"If I can't handle them on the field, I probably can't handle them in bed." Niv said conclusively, a statement which made the wolf laugh in earnest.
"All you ever think about is sex." Stray said with a chuckle. "You'd think you'd never had any." The sarcastic irony in his tone was enough for even Rallom to understand, though he said nothing of it. He was in fact growing tired of the conversation's direction.
"Are we going to talk about this for long?" He made his irritation obvious as he wrote in a small leather bound book. "Surely we could better spend our time planning for tomorrow." He didn't take his eyes of the page as he spoke.
"Aw, there's nothing wrong with sex, or talking about it, Horns.' Stray tried to coax his friend into the conversation.
"Don't call me that. And I'm not a goat either." He put away his things and tucked himself into his bedroll. "I'm going to catch up on the rest that was stolen from me this morning. I might suggest you two do the same." The two just shrugged at each other, leaving the matter be.
"I'll take first watch." Niv offered, despite his weariness. It wasn't apparent, but the wolf knew him well enough to see it tugging at his eyelids.
"You sure, stripes? You've been awake the longest..." Stray said with concern.
"Yes." Niv reassured him. "It'll be fine; I'll wake you in a couple hours and take my cat nap then."
"Heheh heh, cat nap." Stray chuckled. "Alright man, but wake me if you feel yourself slippin' off. Even if it's ten minutes from now."
"Yes, mother." Niv said sarcastically. "Go to sleep." He said with more authority. Stray obliged, curling up and dozing off in a matter of minutes, leaving Niv effectively alone with his thoughts. The statue bothered and intrigued him, both for the same reason. He didn't know what it was nor what it meant. It couldn't be good. Nothing involving dragons ever was. Granted, they weren't all strictly bad, but they always had a strong instinct for hoarding and power, and even those with the best intent were not individuals to associate with lightly. Danger was an unwelcome friend to them and only a cult would build a shrine to that.
But it was also old. So very old. Older than the map suggested, even. The bands on the woman's body were proof enough of that. And that was what confused him and compelled him to wonder most. What connection did the Old Kingdom have to this place? Why would this statue bear symbols of their magic? He pressed a hand to the stone floor, feeling the hum of magic once more. He took a deep breath as these thoughts flew around in his head. "Nope, stop it." He told himself, trying to calm his mind. It was all speculation and he knew as much.
He leaned against the wall behind him and looked up at the sky. It was much too bright, causing him to close his eyes and look away. And that was all it took.
*****
Atop a great mountain he stood, looking out over vast fields of green grass. Cold winds blew around him as vibrations emanated from the stone. It felt alive beneath his feet. The feeling became a sound, a hum in his ears. The hum found a voice. Many voices. Strong voices, singing a chorus of smooth words. The peak of the mountain flattened into a grand plateau, robed figures seemingly rose from the floor as it lowered. They were grey as the stone, their hands in the sleeves and their heads bowed. They sang and they chanted as they stood in a circle before him.
_ They knelt to the ground, their hands flat against the stone. The chorus increased in volume, and the stone stirred in their midst. It rippled like water, the subtle waves expanding out toward the edges of the plateau before calming again. Objects began to break through the surface, rising up fully formed. Altars, benches, fire pits; all intricately designed with patterns of magic and lore._
_ From the center rose an oblong shape. As it climbed out of the stone, it was gripped by delicate fingers. Hands followed, then arms, raising the object high. The figure of a woman towered over the robed figures, her featureless face pointed upward. A long, serpentine dragon sprang from the stone at the woman's feet, encircling her as it clawed its way upward. It stopped with its nose pointed downward at the object_
_ He marveled at what had just happened before him, awestruck. The woman's head slowly turned its blank face to him, small chunks chipping off as stone scraped against stone. It exuded judgment. Motion came once more to the dragon, its eyes fixed on him as it began to bear down._
_ He turned and ran._
_ He leapt over the edge out of instinct. Out of desperation. Thin mountain air rushed passed his body. His heart raced. The ground was so far away. No matter how fast he fell, it would come no closer. He panicked, his eyes darting all around. The instinct to escape battled furiously with the rationality of fate._
_ The muscles on his back began to ache and then burn. They convulsed, causing his body to contort. He twisted his arms to clutch at the pain, but could not reach. The flesh began to rend as new bones stabbed from beneath, growing outward. The exposed nerves were assaulted by the cold rush of wind, adding to his agony. Only moments later it was done and large leathery wings spread out, catching the air. He could fly instead of fall, but it was too little too late. He spun to face his serpentine pursuer, and received a face-full of fire._
*****
Niv woke with a start, lying flat on his stomach. His eyes adjusted to the light of the cloud-covered sky. "Fuck." He cursed at himself as he shifted to a sitting position. Stray and Rallom were awake, though not for long by the look of them.
"He lives." Stray announced as Niv's stirring caught his eye.
"Some watch you are." Rallom scoffed.
"Hey," Stray raised his hand to Rallom, then pointed to Niv, "He's got keener eyes in his sleep than you do on a clear day, horns. Saved me more than once from a dead snore, this one."
"He doesn't seem so confident about it." Rallom rolled his eyes and then busied himself with unpacking his work.
"Fuck." Niv said louder. He held his head in his hands, taking a few deep breaths. Stray shuffled over to him without getting up.
"Dreams?" He asked quietly. "You were tossing quite a bit until you woke up."
"Don't worry about it." The tiger said. "I'll be fine."
Stray's expression said he wasn't so sure. "We need to find someone to help with that."
"We need_to stop spending so much time around such strong magic. _That's what we need." Niv looked over his shoulder at the statue, a motion not lost on Stray.
"Don't be ridiculous." Rallom sneered. "There's no evidence that magical energy has any direct effects on the subconscious. And if you aren't a Seer, you're dreams are practically meaningless." He spoke without looking away from the lines he was scribbling, as was his habit.
"Have you ever used magic?" Niv questioned.
"I've spent countless hours studying powerful artifacts that-" Niv cut him off mid-sentence.
"But have you used magic? On another person?" Niv pressed on.
"...No." Rallom admitted begrudgingly.
"Are you at least aware of the more obscure schools? There are _at least_two that deal with the mind directly," Niv held up his fingers, "and that's excluding Scrying and Telepathy. You'll only learn so much from a book, and even then you don't know anything until you've tested it in the field." Niv began to raise his voice slightly, carried away by making his point. "There are things out there that completely defy everything you've been taught, boy. I can tell you for a fact that powerful and ancient magic can and _does_affect your mind at any and all levels. Some are almost impossible to defend against, but are luckily all but lost to time. There are still dangerous ones floating around, though."
Niv stood up and stretched. "Speaking of dangerous things, get up." He walked over to the horses and began untying the spare sword. Rallom initially ignored him, until Stray insisted he get on his feet. Niv tossed the sword to the younger man, who caught it awkwardly with both arms obviously unprepared.
"If it's just going to be the three of us running around the countryside, you're gonna have to learn to fight." He declared. Rallom tossed the sword back defiantly to Niv, who deftly caught it.
"No. I'm a pacifist." He declared, crossing his arms. Niv's expression was incredulous.
"And were you a pacifist this morning when you nearly stabbed me?" Niv asked with an accusatory tone. Stray was surprised by this.
"He what? What happened and why am I just hearing about it?" He asked, upset.
"It was when I came to get him. I'm not worried about it, since he missed." Niv's tone was dismissive, to Stray's annoyance. "But I do wonder what kind of pacifist sleeps that lightly and with a knife under their pillow." He stared at Rallom as if waiting for an explanation.
"I refuse to fight." Rallom left it at that.
Niv thought a moment, and stifled the urge to shout all the reasons that made it a bad idea. "Fine. But you will carry it. If nothing else, it's one less thing the horse has to worry about." He handed the sword back hilt first. He had a feeling the young man was more familiar with such a weapon than he let on. Rallom took it roughly.
"Fine, if it means you'll leave me alone about it." He grumbled. He sat down and took up where he left off, setting the sword beside him.
"We should leave soon then." Niv said seriously, staring out toward the cliff. "But not before eating." He sounded more like a kid this time, and his expression changed to match.
"Already on it." Stray piped up, a small pan already over the fire they'd made. "You wanna cut some potatoes for me real quick?" He said, offering up the bag to Niv.
"Sure." He said as he took the bag. He went over to the horses and dug around his shoulder bag, eventually producing a small knife. He sat as close as he could to the fire and began cutting into the starchy vegetables. Stray poured a little cooking oil into the now heated pan, which would then sizzle whenever Niv tossed in a fully diced potato. Stray, ever the cook, sprinkled spices and seasoning over the pan with each new spud.
All throughout, Niv occasionally glanced at Rallom, even while they ate. The young man had concealed the weapon beside him with books, keeping true to his stated disinterest in it. His brow furrowed as he considered what it might take to bring Rallom around. He smirked mischievously as an idea occurred to him.
After eating, Niv went back his shoulder bag and pulled out a fancy-looking book. It was bound in red leather, with gold lettering that read "Mastering the Craft: Combat Philosophies.". It was a collection of teachings from history's greatest masters. It was an antique, though it looked to be in good condition for its age. Rallom saw only the violence in carrying such a weapon, something for which Niv could not blame him. But perhaps he could appeal the young man's academic and bibliographical interests. And possibly his desire to stay alive. He walked over and held the book out.
"Here, you might find this useful." Rallom looked up, annoyed, but couldn't hide his surprise.
"You own a book?" He said, looking from the book to Niv and raising an eyebrow. Niv knew what he would have liked to say, but wouldn't since they both knew the guild had a rather strict policy on literacy.
"And why wouldn't I?" Niv asked with a baiting tone. "Just be careful with it, it's an antique and was a gift." He said, handing it over.
"Of course..." Rallom said to himself after reading the title. "I should have known."
"What's that supposed to mean?" It was clear that Niv meant for him to answer this time. Rallom avoided eye contact, obviously uncomfortable.
"It's just... typical of someone like you, that's all." His cool tone did little to hide his nervousness. He quickly regained his composure, speaking with his typical condescension. "Your kind is always focused on violence, even in the few books you have."
"We're gonna talk about that, you and I." Niv said with venom. "Soon. But for now, we have to get ready to leave. Read the book anyway. You'd be surprised what you can learn." Stray moved close to Rallom as Niv walked away to cool off.
"A word of advice, kid;" he whispered, "don't piss of the guy that has no qualms about punching bigots in the face if he can get away with it." Stray gave him a "know what I mean?" look. Rallom seemed confused and offended by the implication. "'Cause I won't stop him."
Stray ventured off to a grassy area to relieve himself before Rallom could think of how to respond. He just shook his head, aggravated, and focused on his books once more.
=SUBJECT TO REVISION AT ANY TIME UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE=