When the first shockwave had hit the ship, Talj had been taking a nap. Being used to travelling back and forth from Enyo, he was familiar with the roughness of sea travel, so he shrugged it off as a very nasty tempest. Trying to go back to the solace of slumber, he sank back into the very faint comfort of his cell's bed until the second shockwave stirred him awake for good. His instincts roused up, he immediately sensed that the shockwave was not natural at all. He couldn't put his finger on the reason, but he felt that something was wrong.
And it was the scream that echoed from the sea that anchored his fears.
He knew that scream, he remembered -his body remembered- that bestial scream adamantly. That scream he had heard during that fateful night, before haunting him in many others. His mind wandered off to the thorns of the past. A past that resurfaced only in his dreams. For a moment, his body was in the ship, frozen in place; but his mind lost itself into the unseen horizon.
He couldn't feel his heavy breathing. His eyes were shaking, as if they tried to escape their sockets. But they didn't see the inside of the ship anymore. Instead, they played before him the scene he's grown unable to forget. The mountain in flame, the blood on the ground, the sight of death at every turn... Soon his ears joined in weaving this illusion's orchestra. Horrifying screams and unorganized shouts accompanied the slaughter he was witnessing...
Until the sound of footsteps dragged his consciousness back into his body. Twisting his neck to see who the newcomers are. Two hurried soldiers entered his line of sights. The distressed expressions they wore alarmed the young blacksmith. He called out to them:
"Hey you two! What's going on here!?"
The two troops carried on without heeding him no mind.
Darn it! They're probably not even allowed to set me free!
Talj considered his options. To almost everyone on this ship, he was a prisoner, and so if even if he tried to warn the troops about the true nature of the danger lying beneath the waves, they'd probably dismiss his claims as a means to escape or as a way to create even more confusion. He considered escaping his cell and checking the situation by himself.
But if I escape now they'll even be more skeptical!
As he considered thoroughly his options, another cry echoed from outside and he could feel the ship's movement being hastened.
Oh and screw it. It's not by sitting idly by that this situation is going to be fixed!
During his training as a member of The Spear, he was taught to see the magic within one's self as a small realm made of energy stored inside the body. That realm could be tamed, shaped, tainted, corrupted or expanded. At a high level of mastery, the magical realm of a sorcerer can be used as a way to store small items, objects and even weapons to summon when the situation demands it. For many people this skill is way too complex to be achieved or takes far too much concentration and time to be considered efficient. However, a handful of elite mages that had gone through a fruitful training could easily access this invisible pocket realm.
Talj, having been a member of The Spear could easily perform such a skill with ease.
He focused a bit, stretching his arm forward and in a quiet and weak flash, a spear materialized in his hand. Its shaft was black, parkoured with dark blue runes on one of its sides. Its higher end was ornated with a piece of azure tissue that matched the color of the runes. The weapon's blade and pedals were contrasting with the somber demeanor of the shaft as they were made of a white and glimmering ore.
Talj strengthened his grip with magic, and performed a circular motion with his weapon towards the bars that instantly broke under the strike.
"Huh, they were low on budget for security?" Talj half joked to himself, but he suspected that Kinfol knew he'd easily cooperate so there was no need nor time to construct a cell that could hold him in efficiently.
He dashed towards the direction of the two soldiers as sounds of battles reached him from outside.
Well, thus it begins.
Since his arrest, Talj had expected that The Darkness would be bolder in its attacks as it now held the continent in the palm of its hand, but he didn't expect it to strike this fiercely this early.
They don't know what they're fighting!
The young smith finally caught up to the two soldiers who hurriedly carried wooden planks and tried to fix a wide hole on the ship's structure. Talj realized his feet were soaked in water. He shrugged off the sensation and analyzed the situation. The two men were too deep in focus to notice him, but it was clear their panic brought mistakes onto their actions.
Seeing their hasty work, Talj couldn't help but intervene:
"Turn the plank horizontally to cover more area. And don't hit the nails too hard."
The startled soldiers immediately turned towards his direction and drew their weapons. Talj immediately raised his hands in submission.
"Easy there," He started. "I'm here to help."
The two soldiers didn't speak, but their stone-faced expressions didn't falter.
"Look, I know you all think I'm about to unleash the end of the world but right now you'll need all the help you need. The creature you're facing... You can't defeat it on your own!"
More silence, but Talj could feel them readying an attack. Before they could throw any spells he added:
"The more time you waste with me the closer we get to sinking! Consider your best option here!" Pointing at the water snaking from the rift. He added! "I can help with this, I've worked with wood and metals my whole life."
"And why should we believe you?" Said one of the Dali men in an authoritarian voice. "How do we know this isn't a ruse to gain our trust?"
"Oh good, you do know how to talk. Let me answer you with another question: Would you take the risk of everyone here sinking, bringing down two of the most important figures of the continent?"
The words landed alas. The two troops looked at each other in a brief motion before nodding slightly at Talj.
"Okay, you fix this, and you come back to your cell. But if you even do anything suspicious-"
His threat got cut off before seeing the day, as a violent shockwave crashed into them, momentarily disorienting them.
Shit! We don't have time!
Talj's thoughts fuzzed as he stepped up and took one of the planks from the soldier's arms.
"Listen, I'll show you the gist of it and you'll have to finish the work yourself. Put the wood like this, aligned with the rest of the hull, then stick the nails on each corner. Got it!?"
Still looking uncertain from this unexpected help, the two soldiers hesitated before one of them followed Talj's words. Seeing that they understood how to perform their task better, Talj unexpectedly leaped away from them and headed for .
"Huh!? Hey! Where do you think you're going!?"
The two soldiers called out to him but he did not heed. He clad himself in electrical energy to gain additional speed; just like he did on Enyo when he hurriedly crossed the island to join Xara and make sure she was safe. His main priority was to warn Kinfol and Salzeka about what danger they were facing.
As he sprinted into the sunlight, his eyes stung at the shift from obscurity to brightness. He halted in his course and spun his neck left and right. He noticed Salzeka, but not Kinfol. Assessing everyone's expressions, he noticed that all gazes were fixated on the horizon.
Following everyone's eyes, his sight met Kinfol's impressive fire spell hitting the ice prison where the monster was trapped.
Clever, Kin. Always sharp and effective in combat.
Unfortunately, he knew that it would not be enough to kill the creature. Everything then followed quickly: Kinfol landing swiftly, loud flash blinding them, accompanied by the shockwave of the general's attack and her hopeful remark, to which Talj answered:
"No. It sure did some damage but it was not enough to kill it."
Seeing everyone's befuddled expressions at his sudden appearance, a smug couldn't help but appear on the young blacksmith's face.
"Apologies for escaping my cell dear abductors, but it just seemed to me that you needed a hand."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Indri rested on the docks of Aquabjorg, sipping a warm beverage -hot cocoa with extra sugar- that soothed away the cold brought by the sea while his feet dangled over the void. His eyes were fixated on the horizon, letting them rest on the blackening sky and the tranquil sea, enjoying a rare moment of peace that he could not have for weeks.
Slowly and calmly, he said aloud:
"I know you're here."
A small sigh followed by an upbeat giggle reached from behind him.
A young woman appeared beside him and sat at his side. Her ashen hair was cut at neck's length and contrasted with her bright and crimson eyes that shone in the penumbra. She wore warm puffy clothes that matched her eyes.
"Hi Indri!" She cheerfully greeted him.
"General Jokra." Simply replied to her interlocutor.
"Oh come on, we're not at an official meeting, it's just us! No need to be formal!"
"You are still owed the bare minimum of respect." Indri answered as passively as he usually is. The general of the nation of Ramol was well known for his calm and poised demeanor. His presence didn't feel imposing but it felt strong and unmoving.
On the contrary, Jokra, the Dali general of Jaleed was famous for her overly contagious cheerfulness and whimsy attitude that let her stay positive even in the most stressful times. A complete contrast between the two, which testified the opposition between their two nations. Jaleed and Ramol were neighbors, but both countries had completely different weathers: The land of Ramol was mercilessly hot, as the sun beat down on its desert ground; whereas Jaleed is known for the constant snow that covered the ground for the entirety of the year. The only separation between the two nations was the chains of mountains known as the mountains of grief, splitting between the snow covered land and the desert of sand.
Both nations carried tension over which one should have possession of the mountains of grief for its abundance in rare resources and strategic locations.
However, Indri and Jokra did not carry this tension between them and grew a friendship over the many missions that brought them together in those same mountains that split their people, for the former was a simple minded man and the latter was too much of a sunny person to hate someone over such reasons.
Jokra stretched with a satisfying gasp.
"Came over by boat?" Asked Indri.
"Yep, my ship docked here a half an hour ago. I sensed you and decided to join you."
"Are you saying you didn't jump into the water like an impatient child and started swimming to let go of the fatigue from the voyage? What a surprise."
"Aha." Jokra sarcastically laughed at his remark. "Although I won't deny the idea did come to me. What can I say, I couldn't go enjoy myself while my dearest friend, general stoic, is alone looking at the sea with depression!" She smiled, a hint of mockery in her expression.
"I think the term you're looking for is relaxing, but I guess when you're homeschooled you tend to have some intellectual lacunas."
"Hey! Are you calling me stupid?" His friend pouted at him.
As an answer, a small smile drew on Indri's face. Jokra couldn't help but giggle again and playfully hit his shoulder.
He offered a sip of his drink, which she gladly accepted.
"So, why are you here, Indri? You know Aquabjorg isn't in the way from Ramol to Rolmea. Did you have to make a detour?"
"I arrived at Rolmea a week ago. I thought it was in our best interest if one of us made it in advance to assess the situation. The Tower is one of the most important facilities in the continent, I had to make sure no traitors infested it until it greeted our... Host. After that, I decided to come here to rest my mind and ponder. I always liked the sound of the waves."
Indri took another sip from his cocoa before continuing:
"Although, it has been difficult to find even the slightest of solace."
"Yeah... I understand you. One day you're enjoying a break and the next morning you get a letter from Kroll saying he's a traitor and giving away instructions to capture a child. And if we don't comply not only will a lot of people suffer but..."
"But it may cause the end of everything for unknown reasons." Finished Indri.
"Yes..." Jokra looked down at the docks with a gloomy face.
A moment of silence passed, letting reality slowly remind them of the awaiting crisis, until it was broken by Indri offering a change of subject:
"I came on foot, through the forest."
"Oh?"
"The Harsha forest."
"Took a stroll in the woods?"
"I figured I'd get rid of a monster or two. Apart from the main road, there aren't many safe places between those trees. So I thought I'd be a bit of service."
"That's kind of you. It's not everyday a Dali general themselves is nearby. I suppose fighting monsters that are weak for your caliber gave you a bit of fresh air?"
"Actually, it was the opposite."
"Huh?"
Indri frowned and took a final sip from his cup before offering the rest to Jokra.
"The forest was quiet, too quiet. Not the kind of quiet that seems peaceful, but the kind of quiet that comes with fear. As if a danger lurked nearby and waited for anything to show up to prey upon it."
"Maybe they just sensed you? Your power can be scary when unleashed, especially for common fauna."
"I don't think that was the case, I was concealing most of my magical energy during my trip. And the very few monsters that I came across didn't run away from me."
"Hopefully they just took a vacation for a while and got lost on the way back."
"Always the optimistic one, huh?"
"Hehe, you know me!"
Indri allowed himself to chuckle before going on.
"On my two last days in the forest, however, I saw something unusual."
"What was it?"
"There was... An eagle... Or at least it seemed like an eagle to me, but it was too small to be one and its eyes seemed to glow. Not to mention that it was dark blue."
"That doesn't seem like an eagle, you're sure it wasn't a monster you're not used to seeing?"
"I dismissed it as that at first, but then that flying creature, whatever it is, tailed me."
"Huh?"
"To get here, I took a convoluted path into the forest, one where I could be concealed by caves and trees. But that eagle always seemed to find me, no matter where I went."
"Are you sure you're not being paranoid? Maybe it was just flying in the same direction you took."
"Maybe... But when I got here, I stopped by the agora of Aquabjorg and I overheard a conversation between a bard and a traveler. The bard was asking for ideas to write about in his songs. The traveler replied that where he came from a local legend started to get popular."
"And does it have a correlation with your blue bird chasing away monsters?"
"See for yourself: The legend says that 'There is an eagle of blue feathers and glowing eyes that watches over the woods and hills, and wherever it flies, death to monsters and brigands would follow.'"
Jokra raised an eyebrow before smiling at her friend.
"Too specific to be a coincidence for you, ey?"
"Yes... I can't help but think about it. A forest known for its dangerous monsters is suddenly too quiet, a creature we have no records of shows up and follows me around and I hear right after that people are starting to associate said creatures with a peaceful day in the woods."
Indri sighed.
"I know it may sound mad to you-"
Jokra interrupted him:
"It does. But then, your madness has proved you right multiple times. We're all apprehending what's to come. So all signs of changes come with a share of stress. You're not crazy for overthinking this. Just make sure you don't actually go crazy from overthinking this."
Jokra smiled fondly at her friend, finishing the drink he had given her. He returned her smile, holding her gaze for the first time since she arrived.
"Thank you. I'm glad you're my friend." He said with calm sincerity, before adding. "Even if you're not usually this wise with words."
"Oh come on! Did you have to ruin the moment! Mind you I can be very wise!"
Indri chuckled before getting up and offering his hand to her before replying:
"You do love to pout like a brat for someone so wise!"
"Why you-"
As they both continued their conversation, their backs turned to the sea, none of them noticed the small, blue-feathered eagle perched on high.
Watching them closely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How the heck did you get here!?" Salzeka asked Talj.
"I walked."
"What-"
"Do you know what that thing is?" Kinfol interrupted
Talj's expression darkened. He nodded slowly."
"Yes. The Devourer. One of the reasons The Spear failed to escape the attack from The Darkness."
"And... You know how to defeat it, right?"
"Yes, but it will be difficult."
Kinfol looked away into the direction of the monster. It shouted in rage and pain and started moving again.
"Okay, what do we have to do?" She urged Talj, but Salzeka interjected:
"Hold on, are we seriously going to allow him-"
"Listen Salzeka, he is already out of his cell and clearly we are at a disadvantage facing that thing. So here is the choice we have: We fight him and that Devourer gets us all, or we work hand in hand until this immediate threat is vanquished."
Salzeka took a small moment to think before nodding to Talj.
"Okay, kiddo. What's your plan?"
"I have no plan. I just know that The Devourer is weak against light."
"Light... As in, Light Magic?" Asked Kinfol.
"No, I mean literal light. It usually lives in The Darkness's most obscure pools. Light harms its body."
"Why would it attack in the morning then?" Asked a soldier. "Wouldn't it be advantageous to come for us at night?"
"That's a good question, to which I don't have an answer yet. But we don't have time to ask ourselves about its schedule. We need to act fast, the ship won't hold much longer, even if its enhanced defenses are powered by everyone's magic. Does anyone here-"
"It's coming!" Warned Salzeka.
The Devourer darted in their direction again.
"Light Mages! Buy us time! Distract it!" Ordered Kinfol.
Every mage on dock got to work, as the two generals turned towards Talj.
"If it's light you need, I don't think I'll be able to help much I think." Salzeka announced.
Talj looked at the rapidly approaching beast, eager to finish what it didn't expect to be a struggling task.
"Kin, can you trap him again!?"
"You have an idea?"
"Yes. If I can shoot a lightning spell at it while being submerged and expose it to him for a long period of time it might do enough damage. The attack itself could penetrate its skin if sustained long enough while the light weakens its resistance."
"You'll have to fuel the spell while actively trying to harm it, requiring an immense amount of both focus and power. That'll overwhelm you."
"The 'trying to harm it' part is easily taken care of." Talj summoned his spear. "I forged this little thing to carry my will through my spells without having to constantly order them to perform an action."
"That's... Impressive."
"Can I get one of those?" Asked Salzeka.
"Yeah, it'll cost you just-"
"Let's focus for now." Demanded Kinfol. "Are you sure your idea will work?"
Talj looked uncertain at the beast that was getting dangerously closer to the ship.
"One way to find out."
Kinfol didn't need any more confirmation. She leaped off her feet again and urged the water to push The Devourer back before repeating the exact ice spell she had previously used to trap it; leaving a small opening for Talj to attack.
Talj, being also adept in wind magic, took an astronomical jump. Electrical energy started to gather around him, as zaps and cracks slowly formed the roar of a thunder clap. As lightning sprinted from and around his body, Talj redirected all that energy into his spear before he threw it at the monster. A loud thunderbolt exploded, aiming at The Devourer. This last croaked a painful scream, muffled by the sound of the miniature thunderstorm that stinged him from all sides.
The excess of light in his prison started melting his already weakened skin by Kinfol's previous attack, and the lightning stinged and burned him while also paralyzing him in place as the spear slowly followed the main bolt's trajectory from Talj's extended arm on high towards the beast. The weapon slowly crept inside, breaking the flesh of The Devourer and burning it with lethal haste from within.
As Talj shot his spell, his body and mind fully focused on keeping the miniature storm strong while pushing his bolt through his spear toward the creature's heart, he felt that the Elemental Particles of the Enyo sea were starting to gather and strengthen his spells.
Water conducts electricity of course.
He stayed in this position for several minutes, the ice prison shattered in a loud bang from the temperature shift. Talj didn't break focus, he fueled his spell and urged his spear to continue doing damage. However, the beast was now free of its shackles and tried to move away towards the ship. Albeit slower than usual, it was still enough to cause a threat to the vessel.
"Need a hand?" Kinfol's voice reached out from next to him.
Too concentrated to reply, Talj could only take a quick look to see Kinfol summoning all of her strength and -To everyone's astonishment- a massive amount of flames surged around her, slowly gaining a consistent form and drawing the silhouette of a massive bright red dragon.
"You said it distasted the light? Then let's bring some light into its life."
The dragon opened its jaw and a torrent of flames stormed from it towards The Devourer. The monster stopped in its course and started twisting in anguish from the new source of light and heat. Pouring all their energy into their attacks, Kinfol and Talj's spells moved in harmony and strengthened each other before exhaustion overcame them.
The dragon dissipated in a smokey cloud and the two mages flew back to the ship. They were panting, faces pale and sweat dripping from their foreheads.
"This... Can't be!" Kinfol's face was one of utter defeat.
The Devourer's skin was completely melted, huge traces of profound burns were seen in its body. Blood dripped from multiple injuries and missing limbs... But it was still alive.
Talj's fear resurfaced again, his breath grew short and his vision started to shake. That terrible night, where they failed despite everyone's effort. Maybe this was his fate, despite all his pushes... Maybe death is his fate, or it should have been seven years ago when the traitors gave away-
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
A loud war cry stirred him from his thoughts as Salzeka jumped impressively high, axe in hand and an orange aura grew around the blade. Upon impact with the creature's head, a loud crash deafened everyone, momentarily shaking their balance. When Talj came to be, the creature's head was sliced open. Cleaved by Salzeka's attack on its weakened and enfeebled body.
The Devourer moaned quietly, and its eyes shut down.
Forever.
"PHEW!" Salzeka called out with a cheeky grin. "ALL IN A DAY'S WORK."
An absurd silence followed that statement before a chuckle broke behind Talj, followed by a giggle then the Dali-Including Kinfol- and their savior prisoner laughed wholeheartedly. All were weary, but alive. They had survived The Devourer.
Salzeka leaped back onto the ship and punched Talj's bicep with a loud laugh.
"If only all prisoners could be like you, that'd make all our lives easier. Hahaha! A thunderstorm! The kid actually summoned a thunderstorm!"
"A small one-" Wanted to correct Talj but Salzeka went on:
"It's a shame for your spear though! It looked fancy."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about it."
Talj lazily raised his arm and waited for a bit. After a few seconds, a swooshing sound could be heard approaching. His spear flew up from the ocean to his palm before it disappeared into his magical realm.
The young smith tapped Salzeka's shoulder before quipping:
"I'll make something fancy for you these days. If I don't die."
"What's up with everyone shoving their weapons in and out of their arses lately?"
"Huh? Oh that! A trick I learnt as a kid. I taught it to Kin some time ago."
"Talj, one moment please."
Kinfol called out from the helm. Talj walked up to the helm. Kinfol's expression was serious when she whispered:
"There's a traitor on board."
Talj nodded briefly. His expression darkened as he made sure no one was listening before saying in a low:
"You noticed too."
"I found an alteration in the stealth spell cast upon the ship. I assume it's a tracking spell, hence how the beast found us."
"Aye... And maybe your fog blurred the magical signal, hence why it found us in the morning -Later than it intended."
"That's a plausible theory. Have you seen anything?"
Talj turned slowly towards the crew. Salzeka was giving orders to repair what could be repaired and to get the ship on the move again. He pointed with the chin towards one of the crew. His back was turned to them.
"That guy was not laughing when everyone hurrayed at our victory. And his magic resources seem too full to believe he just stepped out of battle."
"Yes. I believe I saw him stand behind when everyone was fighting. I shrugged it off during the battle but now that I recall it..." Kinfol shrugged. "Well, will you let me handle this part? I considered everyone on this ship trustworthy, but it seemed that my judgement was poor."
"Or The Darkness had more advance on us than we originally had thought.
Kinfold nodded slowly.
"Well, I'll let you handle this then. If I grow anymore into their hearts by fishing a traitor they'll start questioning their mission."
"And the last thing we need is soldiers questioning orders. I appreciate your comprehension. I shall escort you to your cell and see how to handle this situation."
Talj gazed one last time into the sea before sighing loudly. He didn't expect to miss his very uncomfortable bed but he was tired enough to make even that seem like a piece of furniture worthy of a king.
"Good luck, Kin."
That marked the end of their exchange.