Lord Zee
DracoLunaris
Frettzo
Cyclone
Vec
Torack
Sylia
&
Longsight
in
Attainment
The screams of dying beasts echoed throughout that sun-bleached place, on that too-quiet day. Not even the sands swept over the dunes, for no breeze could vanquish the stifling sun. Indeed, he who cursed would have laughed at any caught out in the heat. Even those who were dying. Especially those. Atop a dune, Longsight lay as still as death, his form half-covered in sand. His eyes were as pinprick as he scanned the wide horizons for movement.
While there was nowhere to hide on those expanding wilds, the beasts out there were quite adept at camouflaging themselves, and so it sometimes required extensive time to spot something. None saw farther than him, no eyes were so sharp - he prided himself on it. Long minutes passed in almost breathless silence. His eyes shifted this way and that, bulging as he held his breath. And then- yes, there. He released his breath in a slow, high-pitched whistle. Behind him, the sand shifted and Reaper emerged, flanked by Greatsaw, Treesbane, Galloper, and Donkeywhacker. Badboy trailed behind them, followed by the stubborn Rockpetter. She had been told repeatedly not to follow the men on hunts, but they might as well have been speaking to a brick wall.
Longsight emerged from under the sand and descended the dune at a scramble. Keeping low, they beelined for the unwary creature in the distance. The party fanned out around Longsight, though Badboy and Rockpetter stayed close, and they swiftly homed in on their prey.
While some of the Renevits had managed to bring their goats along when escaping the carnage that befell their village, the herd was far from sufficient for them all. True enough, goats were hardy creatures and quickly adapted to the harsh climate, but Reaper had quickly understood that they needed other food sources - at the very least until they were able to grow the herd. Then again, it was quite unlikely that they could ever sustain a large herd in such a barren waste.
Still staying low, Longsight tightened his grip on his spear and kept his eyes on their prize. It was a twin-horned creature with three forelegs and three hind legs. What passed for its head was indistinguishable from its chest, and it seemed largely incapable of looking in other directions except by wholly moving its heavily muscled form. It was easily bigger than the biggest bulls Longsight remembered.
The hunting band approached the creature from its blind spot, and Longsight was the first to stand up straight, take three bounding steps, and hurl his spear with force at the beast. It caught it in its hindquarters and the beast immediately let out an ugly snorting, half kicking and half running - or attempting to. The band was very soon upon it. Greatsaw and Treesbane, both lumberjacks once, tore at it with their axes. Galloper, a former horse tamer, stood back and readied his lasso and skilfully launched it so that it settled around both of the creature’s horns. Donkeywhacker, greatstaff in hand - made deadly by the nails jutting out of its head - tore into the snorting beast. Reaper, for his part, brought his great scythe across the creature’s throat (or what passed for it) and the party backed. They would leave it to bleed its poisoned blood out, as Lifedancer had commanded them.
As they watched, Badboy and Rockpetter finally caught up with them. “Argh!” He screamed, throwing his axe to the ground. “Look what you did, Rockpetter! You held me up and I missed all the fun!” He glared at the girl, and she frowned back. “Don’t shout at me!” She shouted, whacking him with her stick, at which he yelped and ducked behind Longsight. “I told you not to come with us! You just slow me down!” He insisted, barely managing to avoid another strike from her, which instead caught Galloper on the buttocks. The bigger man swore, but the girl had already disappeared after Badboy when he looked back.
Another scream broke the triumphant air. This one was farther away and yet… A second later something soared through the air. A dark blot in the clear blue sky, descending with such abandon that none had time to move as it collided with the dune next to them. A great unfurling of sand sprang up into the air and a moment of uneasy silence passed. Nothing moved from where the sand had half covered the dead thing. For it was a dead thing they saw, like a revenant from the past, a true terror that had once ruined lives. A gaping hole lay within its muscled chest. A dipped head drooled with poisoned blood but did not move.
More screams followed from the way of its flight and, suddenly, they were not so alone on that hunt. Several of the same demons were rushing towards them across the dunes. Their gaits became more unnatural and long with every powerful stride. Galloper’s jaw slackened at the sight, and the rope fell from his hand. About him, all the others hefted their weapons and stared in shock and despair at the approaching beasts. “It’s…” Rockpetter whimpered, “it’s the monsters!” Immediately, Galloper’s arm was about her waist as he unceremoniously picked her up and sprinted away, the others all soon on his heels. Reaper and Donkeywhacker formed up the rear, glancing back every few moments to see how close the monsters were.
They noticed then, the brilliant light upon the monster’s heels. Shining like a jewel, so blinding to their eyes if they lingered upon it. It did not just chase the monsters, it was there and then not there. Appearing and disappearing like the stars overhead. Each time it reappeared, black blood stained the sands. Where monsters ran, they fell in heaps for the carrion birds. Until all that remained was the light itself before it vanished once more. There were no more screams. Just carnage upon the dunes.
Then the light was before them, before Galloper and Rockpetter, in such blinding radiance. In one swift stroke, for any to see that braved the light, Galloper was disentangled from Rockpetter and cast aside. The girl was then lifted and held in the air on a phantom wind, the light ever silent as it flared. Galloper grunted as he fell, but before he could turn his head or return to his feet, Badboy had leapt over him. “Oi!” He shouted, swinging his axe above his head, his face twisted in rage, “oi!” Rockpetter, oddly calm, managed to look down at him. She blinked, and suddenly a smile parted her lips. “Hey! What the hell! What the bloody hell! Let her go! I’mma whack you! I’mma crack your head I swear! Let her down!” He flailed his axe about at nothing in particular, in the general vicinity of the almost-blinding light, “you idiot Rockpetter! I told you to stay home, look what you’ve done now!” He shouted. The smile disappeared from the girl’s mouth and she glared down at him.
“Sharrup, idiot!” She screamed, throwing her stick down at him. It hit him right on the head and he yelped and ducked down, dropping his axe and holding his head. Behind him, Galloper had gotten to his feet and had been joined by all the others, who stared quizzically and fearfully at the manner Rockpetter was suspended in the air. It was Reaper who stepped forth at last, scythe raised before him in surrender. “Whatever you are, please,” he said, placing the scythe before him on the rocky earth and descending to his knees, “I beg of you, don’t hurt her.” Behind him, Donkeywhacker gulped and did the same, and slowly all but Longsight and Badboy had descended to their knees. Longsight frowned, though looked downward for a lack of ability to stare into the glaring light. Badboy, recovered from Rockpetter’s attack, returned towards the light and flailed his axe, screaming to let her go.
His axe turned to dust in his hand. His jaw slackened in shock. “I almost mistook you,” A rich voice began, “For those that came from beyond. Even now that filth lingers in your systems but,” Rockpetter was lowered to the sands, “Your kind were created here. For what purpose?” As the question rang out, the radiance of the light subsided just a fraction. Enough to look at it and not be blinded completely. Rockpetter, still oddly unperturbed, looked at the odd light and smiled. Then, with purpose, she walked up to the yet-shocked Badboy and wrapped her arms around him adoringly. He flinched, drawn from his reverie, harrumphed, and attempted with futility to release himself from her.
Reaper looked upon the creature of light. Though no longer blinding, nothing much could be distinguished of it but pure light. “We are not from here, no. But we have been here a long time - many years, I’d guess. We come from Renev, a village in the shielding of Lord Quickblade of Fort Skybreak. We… lost our way, I think. Though how, I don’t understand. It makes no sense.” He gulped, cleared his throat, and looked more closely at the creature, “We did not mean to trespass, and we only ate of those because we had to. F-forgive us if we have erred.” He lowered his head to the earth, prostrating himself in apology, and the other men did the same.
The light shimmered once and then the intensity faded altogether, revealing the tall figure of a naked woman, yet not quite so. She was made entirely of some sort of shimmering silver that flowed and rippled about her muscular form. Everything about her was perfectly symmetrical, almost unnervingly so and there was something else. Not just the piercing eyes that looked over them but a strange energy. One that sent their senses to alertness.
“Gone I was, from these lands, fighting the Great War.” The woman spoke, her imperious gaze never faltering. “Such as it is, I am unfamiliar with what you seek but these wastes are not for the faint of heart. Go that way,” She pointed, “And you will find greener pastures. The threat of the incursion is over and the creatures it brought are swept away. Save for those that yet needed hunting. Soon these deserts will become wholly unwelcoming, until at last they are changed.”
Longsight glanced in the direction the strange woman of metal pointed, and the men did the same. The boy looked back at the stranger. “Who are you?” Longsight asked, “and if you are so familiar with this place, and so mighty too, how is it that you don’t know of Fort Skybreak? We wish to go there, there’s no doubt that any family we have went there for shelter!” The boy took a step forth even as the men raised themselves to their knees and grunted in agreement. Before he could speak more, however, Reaper caught him by the hand and got up. “Forgive the boy if he speaks passionately, my lady. But… he speaks truthfully. We seek after our people, and there is no doubt that any who survived are at the fort. We would be eternally grateful to you if you were able to show us the way - we want nothing more than to be reunited with our families and loved ones.”
The woman tilted her head as she looked at Longsight. “You see much but are blind, child.” Her unblinking gaze moved away from him and back to Reaper. “Passion is often akin to discovery. I have discovered tolerance. Yet I can extend it only so far. If any speak out of turn again, they will lose their voice. I shall not talk with children.” She looked over them again. “Remember this name, for I am Sylia. Goddess of the earth, its metals, and the tools that work them. I have given to you an act of kindness, in saving your lives from the demons. To give more would be to take something from you. What would you give to one such as me? What is the price of your love and happiness?”
Reaper swallowed uneasily and glanced at the others. “We are grateful, g-great goddess. We have tilled the earth and sung your name to the heavens harvest after harvest for endless aeons. Lowly peasants such as we have nothing to give but our gratefulness - we cannot presume to have anything our goddess needs that we should give it… and were we to have such a thing we would give it freely, out of love, and ask only great Sylia’s pleasure. Glory is yours, lady of the soil, we kiss the earth that is you!” And so saying, he brought his head low again, his lips to the ground, and the others did the same.
Longsight remained stubbornly upright until Reaper’s hand brought him crashing into the earth. Seeing this, both Badboy and Rockpetter - who were closest to the goddess - descended to their knees and gazed at the great being in fear and suppliance. “In times gone, my lady, these tools - the very tools you taught our distant ancestors to craft - were made to kiss the soil. My heart weeps, great goddess, for we have profaned them with adulterated blood.” Reaper’s lip trembled against the rock and sand, “we have made profane what you granted us pure. We are shamed before you and disgraced, and still you protect us.” Tears wet the sand, and behind him Donkeywhacker’s body heaved as tears gushed from his eyes too. “FORGIVE US!” The big man wailed, pressing his face into the sand.
“My realm is not of the harvest.” She chided in a softer voice. “Nor do I ever remember teaching your kind. How great lies are weaved through the webs of time. In fact, you have never even heard of my name until this very moment, yet still you prostrate before me?” A mocking laugh escaped her lips, “Tell me true, for this is what I shall take from you, is it fear that compels your action at this very moment or have you been so misguided that you do indeed believe yourselves needing forgiveness?”
Reaper raised his head, eyebrows furrowed, and the others did the same. Longsight took the opportunity to leap to his feet. “See! It’s no goddess! It’s nothing but an imposter! Get to your feet! We’re peasants no more and the lady of the earth has long abandoned us in any case - I’ll not grovel to some demon! I’ll die and not grovel! Get up Badboy, you’re no groveller!” Longsight grabbed Reaper’s scythe before the bigger man could stop him and hurled himself at the silver lady. Though visibly fearful, Badboy leapt to his feet likewise and took up Rockpetter’s stick. “To shit with monsters!” Badboy cried and swung with all his strength even as Longsight arced the scythe for the monster-woman’s torso. Behind him, the men shouted a mixture of profanities at the two boys and implorations that the goddess forgive them.
A sad smile crossed her lips and as the two weapons struck the demon, there came a blinding flash of light. When the light faded, one moment they had been there and the next, they were gone.
There came a sudden lurch in time. One moment they had been in a blinding desert, the next, in the cold dark. Not a sound was heard. Longsight stood still, his eyes wide and attempting to adapt to the all-too-sudden darkness. He swallowed, gripping the scythe tightly, his ears straining for any sound. He heard nothing, however, and struggled to maintain his balance as the entire world shifted and lurched about him. “If you’re going to kill me, demon, then be done with it. I’m not your plaything.” After a moment, a response came. “Longsight?” Badboy’s voice came from not too far away. Longsight unsteadily made for the sound. “Badboy? I’m here.” He scrambled in the darkness until his hand found the other’s forearm. “Bloody hell,” Badboy said, “I think we’re in the shit.”
Longsight kept his hand on the other in the darkness and nervously hefted the heavy scythe, his heart pounding. “You could say that again.” He whispered morosely.
A light flickered to life in the distance and then the world lurched and they were falling towards the light. Faster and faster until all at once the world came to stop and the light was everywhere. So too was the demon. She stood before them, feet planted in the very air before the ledge their own two feet were. The air bled away into a distant blob of crimson. Rust and decay washed over the two, the smell permeating the very essence of the air.
“I shall give you,” The demon woman began, “one chance.” She folded her arms behind her back. “To attack a divine is paramount to death. I am not beyond mercy, however. Apologise, and I shall send you back to your family. You can see what awaits you if you do not.” The two boys retched at the smell and keeled over as though on the receiving end of a body blow. An attempt to take a deep breath, to clear their lungs of the stench, only worsened it and they coughed compulsively. Longsight, who was usually silent, found his tongue first - and his anger.
“You- you attacked us. We were fine without you. You were never there when we needed you! We fended for ourselves and protected ourselves! We never needed you. You will get no thanks from me and no apology. But if you wish, you can apologise. You are strong aren’t you - mighty and great, fighting all your great wars. Nothing great enough in Renev for you to save right?” His eyes teared up at the corners, but he did not cry - there was some pride in him, the harshness of the desert had given him more backbone than a peasant would normally need. Perhaps too much. “The wastes you so kindly wish to see us from are my home now. If all you see in us are faint hearts then you should see better - no one’s blind here but you.” There was bitterness in his voice, hatred, anger - he was weak, he could do nothing against this demon, goddess, whatever it was. But he had a tongue, he had spite, he could hurt it if it was the last thing he did.
The Goddess tilted her head. “One day you shall see, Longsight of Renev and when you do, you will understand.” She straightened herself and turned her back to them. With an outstretched hand, she explained, “This prison shall now be your own. A sentence I give in lieu of death. For five summers your only prerogative is thus- Survive. Oh and lest I forget…” She snapped her fingers. “I shall return your voices when you are free. Goodbye.”
The Goddess vanished before them and so too did that ledge. They fell and fell unable to scream as they plummeted into the depths of the prison. When the ground neared their descent abruptly halted and they were cast upon a beach of black sand. Behind them stood hell itself and before them… Two shining weapons. The one before Badboy was a great elaborate club-sword, beaten to flatness and with sharpened black blades jutting viciously from its edges. Badboy looked at it in wonder and was very quick to heft it. It was big for his form, and yet he swung it as easily as if it were a Rockpetter’s stick. Longsight glanced at Badboy, and then more cautiously at the remaining weapon. It was a great metallic war hammer, the hammer large and flat on one side and elongating into a sharp pick-like spike on the other. He approached and hefted it, and was immediately surprised - as Badboy had been before him - but the lightness. So surprised was he, in fact, that he dropped it. It landed on the ground with a heavy thud, sinking into the black sand. He was quick to pick it up again, eyebrows furrowed at the strange daemonic magicks that no doubt permeated the weapon, causing it to be so heavy when falling yet so light in his hands.
He looked from the black shore and its red waters away into the distance, where an equally black wall rose to the heavens. Hefting his war hammer, he snapped a finger at Badboy - who was still awed by his sword-club - and both boys got to walking. Five years. Five years of walking. Longsight swallowed uneasily. If anything, it would teach him to shut the bloody hell up.
