9 Riyon: Hope's Flight

Riyon jerked awake from his dream, unbalancing him from where he was draped over, causing him to fall unceremoniously to the ground. Looking up he saw the woman the woman he had shot with the arrow but she was fine now. Her short brown hair was in disarray and muddy, and her pretty face was grey in pain, probably from the arrow wound he had accidentally saved her with. "Um, hello, but if you're going to torture me can we skip it and go right to the death part?"

The woman grimaced in pain after accidently laughing. "You have no need to be afraid. For even if you hadn't somehow saved me I still wouldn't be able to raise my weapon against the crowned prince. Leanna Hilith, of the Third Regiment of Ericstein" She bowed despite her wounds and her face turning snow white definitely meant it hurt to do so.

"Thank the Goddesses, an ally!" He exclaimed, after all he had seen Riyon definitely did not want to be alone. Now that the confusion and fear were gone the dream came back to Riyon like a slap of cold water. "We need to get to the temple and fast, the King may need our help!" Hopefully that's all it was, a dream. Leanna nodded deciding a reply wasn't necessary or worth the pain. They began walking toward the temple, as quickly as an injured soldier and a fatigued prince could go. As the pair walked past a few of the bubbling corpses Riyon thought of a question. "Leanna you wouldn't happen to remember what happened before you became... well you know?"

Leanna took a deep breath and tried her best to respond without stopping. "Before I became like them you mean?" Riyon nodded. "Well I don't remember too well, its almost as though all the color from my memory was drained. There were two? Yes two monsters more terrifying than I had ever seen before were walking down this street. I remember that a few guards and me approached them to try and buy the civilians to safety and then it was black. A fat lot of good that did though." She looked dejectedly around at all the melted dead bodies littering the road.

The dream tugged on Riyon's thoughts as something occurred to him. "Wait, you said two?" He asked stopping, holding his breath for her reply wanting to have heard wrong.

"Yeah, one seemed bigger than the other one though, maybe one was the alpha?"

"Or the father. Oh-h shite my dream was real!" He exclaimed before booking it to the temple despite his tired legs and ragged breathing. Riyon heard loud clanking following close behind and when he looked back he saw a resolved Leanna running after him. "Aren't you hurt?" He called back worried.

"Not as hurt as the ones I swore to protect. This is nothing but a flesh wound to their suffering." Riyon couldn't help but admire that she was going so far just to help him out of duty. She was right though, the screaming in his legs were more than the dead could scream so who was he to complain, especially if his father is in danger.

They reached the landing that overlooked the temple that Riyon had been to many times before. Finally reaching the temples doors they saw that the doors where already busted off their hinges as though they were torn off despite being made of thick marble. Inside there was a crossroads ahead of them. Leanna pointed down the left way, "If you go down that hall at the end you'll find a staircase going up, go to the third floor and the first door to your right should be the Head Priestesses office. Check and see if there are any survivors between here and there, I'll go check the chapel and see if anyone hid there in the carnage. Meet me there and we'll both go check the shrine at the top." Riyon nodded glad he had someone with military experience for quick problem solving.

Splitting up Riyon felt a lot less secure now that he was not only alone but there were corners everywhere that something could be lurking if he wasn't careful. Alert the whole way Riyon made it to the stairs without seeing a living soul, dead corpses on the other hand were abundant. He climbed up the stairs feeling a stone of dread sink deeper with every landing he went up before reaching the third floor. Riyon felt adrenaline pumping through his body, pulsing in his ears as he walked up to the door on his right. Drawing his bow and readying an arrow for quick fire he got ready to kick the door down. But as he took a step forward to gauge the kick the door opened reveling the last person he had expected to see here. In the doorway stood a puffy eyed, silver haired girl with a set of guard clothes that were way to big on her.

Realizing he still had his bow drawn and in reaction to the door opening he was aiming it at her face. Quickly undrawing the arrow he asked the question that had been burning in his mind since all this began, "Where is my father?" Laila's wide eyes began to tear up as she took a step back unable to say a word, just raising her hand to point where Riyon had known his father was going to be despite his hope. Seeing it in a dream and seeing it in real life were two very different things, if anything seeing the dream just made this all the worse. Taking one shaky step at a time he walked over to his father before falling to his knees before his sunken corpse.

The sorrow washed over him like a flash flood releasing his tears as he held his father. The memories of him crashing into him like a fresh lick of pain, drowning him as he struggled for air. Why did he fall asleep leaving his father to come here by himself? Why did he have to watch his father die? And why am I still alive through it all? "Why is this happening to me?" He asked hoping anyone could give him an answer.

A voice whispered from behind him "I- I don't know." Riyon had all but forgotten Laila as he was so absorbed by his grief. Turning his head to look at her, knowing that her mother had just died to maybe they could lean on each other. As though responding to his thoughts Laila whispered again "That's my mother" she raised her hand to point at her mom but halfway she went limp as her eyes began to glow before turning into an intense light. Sitting back up the light seemed to capture Riyon's gaze as he stared deep into its brilliance.

Laila opened her mouth and began to speak with what sounded like two voices at the same time, hers and another's. "I do not have much time for whatever brought this destruction gathers more divine energy near my shrine, aiming to cut off my connection with you mortals."

"Alzyr?" Riyon whispered, hushed with awe.

"Indeed so heed my words; learn of your past and find who plots our downfall. The stability of all existence relies on it." And with those final words the light in Laila's eyes faded as she slumped back to the ground.

Without a second look back he took off down the stairs, back down the hall to the front door. "Divinity? The primordial magic of the Gods, that Divinity?" He ranted as he ran, following the signs telling him the stairs to the shrine were a bit farther down the right corridor. Finally reaching the stairs he took a deep breath that he knew more than likely was going to be one of his last before going up.

But noise to his right caused him to hide behind the wall to check what was going on. Riyon heard the clanking sound of a pacing knight which was probably Leanna waiting for him. He slowly took a step up the stairs hoping to not make a sound. As his foot hit the step the reality of what he was doing seeped in as the fresh memories of his father whom is twice the man he is didn't even stand a chance against that thing. Then the image of Laila passed out on the third floor of an empty temple in a dead city, followed by the explosion of darkness he had seen from the window. Laila's voice echoed in his head "Well hero if you want my advice, I'd think less and get a lot stronger. That or die an ignorant fool." Ugh fuck it, what's the point of all this if I die? We need to leave, quickly.

Riyon ran down the stairs toward the sound of Leanna's pacing and sure enough the knight was waiting on him, but she took off her chest plate to tend to her arrow wound while she waited. "No survivors?" Riyon asked before catching his breath.

"None over here, you?" She replied gravely.

"I found one, a girl in the office but she's passed out next to her mothers corpse." Riyon ground his teeth together thinking about the image, still unsure about his decision.

"Her mother? Was there anyone else in there, dead or alive?" She asked closing her eyes as though already knowing the answer.

"Well... The King was also in there. Dead." Riyon looked down as he forced the word out, a foul taste filled his mouth. Riyon looked up as a hand grabbed his shoulder, her brown eyes steeled with purpose staring into his.

"I know this might sound insensitive but if what you're saying is true, we need to get you and that girl to safety. Those would have been the King's first orders." Those words kick started something back to life within Riyon as he stared back with new resolve.

"I agree." He said with a nod. Without wasting a second more they started to run to the office as fast as they could, rejuvenated by the light of his fathers will. Reaching the door, Riyon needed a second to catch his breath, for his vision was beginning to turn black. Besides he wasn't sure that if he went back in that room he could bring himself to leave. After a few moments Leanna came back, Laila thrown over her good shoulder as he was not long before. Without a word they quickly descended the stairs and returned the way the came in. As they exited the Riyon looked up at the landing, the castle barely visible over all the buildings knowing this was going to be the last time he was going to see it for a while. Sorry Faylen but our reunion will have to wait.

Riyon turned back to Leanna and followed her down the path that lead to the gates. Stopping only now and then to make sure the coast was clear they continued down the path until the gates were in sight. Leanna then took a right down a road, Riyon followed quietly despite his confusion not wanting to make a sound until they were safely out of the city. After a few more moments a stable came into view. Thanking the Goddesses once more for the gift that was Leanna he followed her inside. There were a couple horses left behind in the panic which didn't bode well, less horses, less supplies, less survivors.

Luckily Riyon went riding with his father every couple of weeks so he was accustomed to fitting the horse with her saddle strapping it on in relatively quick speeds. Thinking he did well he turned to check on Leanna's progress to find her already on her horse with Laila held up in front of her. Embarrassed Riyon turned to mount his horse when the doors of the stables burst open. Turning around he saw Leanna and Hedric both with their swords drawn as though they were enemies.

"Hedric it's fine she's with us..."

"Shut up Riyon! You don't understand what's going on so zip it, let the adults talk." Riyon raised his hands in defeat, knowing there was no talking to him like this. "What are you doing here with the Sun Maiden and the Prince, Leanna? You know the guard is supposed to be helping evacuate in moments of extreme distress so how is it I find you with the two most important people in the Kingdom?"

"The same thing could be said to you Hedric, at least I'm protecting the two national treasures but what are you doing running around on your lonesome in these times of crisis?"

"Touché, Riyon will you please tell her that I was looking for my best mate whom I defended from a Giant Prairie Hound that just so happens to be the Prince which takes precedence."

"Riyon will you please tell your muscle brained friend that you turned me from one of those zombie things back to normal so I couldn't help with the evacuation effort and I was with the Prince whom takes precedence."

Riyon didn't say a word but watched humorously as they both sheathed their weapons anyway. "Well we're trying to escape so if that's all, after you big boy." Riyon said patting the saddle.

"Alright if we don't have time to saddle up another horse" he said as he climbed on. Riyon, elated with his fight less victory started moving for the back of the horse. "But you've got front." Hedric said with a smirk as he reached over and grabbed Riyon easier than a bag of potatoes, slinging him in front of him.

"I wanted one thing..." Riyon grumbled.

"Yeah and I wanted today to be a normal peaceful day. Guess we're both not getting what we wanted." Hedric joked before spurring the horse out of the stables, followed closely by Leanna racing down the street, then out the gate into the wilderness. "So where are we headed?" Hedric called out after we were a safe distance from Ericstein. Silence followed his question for none of them knew the answer. The only noise for a few moments was the clopping of the horses hooves and their paced breaths.

Leanna finally spoke up after some deliberation, "The girl has a family to the south, we should go and regroup there. Maybe we'll find more soldiers and survivors. I was part of the girls escort, I know the way to the town."

Hedric responded "Is that a good idea? If the king really is dead we should get you as far away from the Ericstein as possible, we could flee to Rylan we'd be safe there."

"If there's a chance we can get Laila back to her family then we should. Wouldn't you want us to if it were you?" Riyon retorted.

At first Riyon thought he might not have caught his response but after a few moments of riding in silence Hedric replied, "Of course."

"Then there's nothing to discuss. Leanna, lead the way." Leanna responded by speeding up, taking a left on the forked trail.

A minute into riding Riyon felt like something was trying to suck him back toward the city. Looking back Riyon saw the black wave that washed over the town before, begin to come back as though the first time was the first of many pulses. The darkness once again was being pulled toward the top of the Temple of Alzyr. "Um, Guys! The temple..." Before Riyon could finish his sentence the wave of darkness converged on the temple. For a moment everything seemed fine, but as Riyon was about to question what he had seen, a beam of darkness exploded straight up into the night sky, turning the world around it gray even from a distance, before slowly fading away leaving a crater where the temple once was.

"IT'S GONE!" Hedric and Leanna both slowed to a stop to see what was happening, joining Riyon in staring at where the roof of the Temple of Alzyr used to be visible over the walls. Riyon's first thought was of his fathers body, but he would be lying if he said he had been sad in that moment, but no matter how dirty it made him feel, Riyon felt relief wash over him as he realized how close he was to being killed in that explosion.

How in the world was he supposed to stop that monster? That demon not only killed his father, a man he had never seen so much a cut on, with ease, but he also completely erased a temple in an instant in a sea of torment and misery. Riyon felt someone shaking his shoulder, he looked up to see a panicked Hedric saying something but Riyon couldn't hear anything over a low rumbling in the distance. Riyon stared at him trying to figure out what he had said, realizing his mouth read "Hold on!"

But as Riyon began to move to grab hold of the horse, the low rumbling turned out to be a huge gust of wind coming from the explosion and it had reached them. Without anything but tall grass around them, they didn't realize it was coming until it was already almost on them, catching them with their pants down. And none more so than Riyon as he was thrown into the open air, flailing, struggling to find purchase on the already distant saddle. Luckily Hedric foresaw that the lightweight would be trouble quickly grabbed onto Riyon's leg before he could fly away to Rylan with the wind. After a moment the wind died down and Riyon rejoined with gravity and fell toward the ground landing face first.

Riyon pulled himself up off the ground surprised that the fall didn't hurt more, but he chalked it up to the wind slowing down his fall before disappearing completely. Hedric helped him back up onto the horse and with one last dumbfounded look toward the city they continued on to Laila's home village.

After riding for a couple of hours they could see lights from the direction of the village so taking it as a sign they were close they stopped and set up camp to wait for Laila to wake up and for day to break. It would look kinda strange if three bloodied strangers came to your home in the middle of the night holding your passed out daughter with a crazy story to follow. So they were just going to rest and let sleeping dogs lie for now.

"Alright, Leanna would you mind helping me secure firewood for the night? Riyon can watch over the girl with that fancy new bow of his."

"Yeah it wouldn't do to catch our death now after everything because of some cold. We'll be right back Riyon, if you need anything whistle, you can whistle can't you?" Leanna asked. Riyon whistled a quick melody in response. "Good now just hope you don't have cause to use it." And with that nugget of joy they left, leaving Riyon alone with a sleeping Laila. "Yeah I could use the sleep too girl." Before finding a nice spot on the ground he collected enough grass to make two blankets, and by blankets I mean piles of grass to stay warm, and made sure Laila was good for the time being and went to sleep himself.

Riyon woke up in a jolt as though energy coursed throughout his body, reinvigorating more than a full nights rest could ever hope to accomplish. He quickly looked around and noticed that Leanna and Laila were missing. Without dropping a beat he woke Hedric up to go search for them.

"Hyuh?" Hedric moaned confused as Riyon shook him awake. But quickly reading the situation he got up and looked around. "There's two missing, why?"

"That's what we're going to go find out, hopefully." Hoping onto their horse they rode toward where they thought they saw the village hours ago. Riyon couldn't help but picture Leanna with the clouds billowing from her mouth with a dead Laila beneath her. As they neared the village it quickly became evident that what they had seen hours ago was not lights but a forest fire at least there was evidence left by charred trees but no flame to be seen. Quickening the pace they neared the destroyed gate to the village.

Upon entering the town, Riyon immediately released all of his bowels as he looked around at the carnage surrounding him. "This is far worse than the city, what on earth happened here?"

"I don't know but we really shouldn't stick around to find out." Hedric responded white faced. "I don't see them do you?"

"No, but I remember Laila saying something about her father being the lord here. We should go check the manor first, its just around this corner." Riyon replied. As they rounded the corner and neared the gate, Riyon perked up upon seeing the other horse that Leanna had been riding. But as the gate stopped obscuring their view Riyon felt really sorry for Laila as he looked in horror at the heads of a man and two young boys mounted above a wide open door. Quickly unmounting the horse Riyon ran inside quickly scanning the first floor before moving up the second.

His search quickened even more as he reached the stairs with caked with dried blood. Stepping over a small puddle of blood he opened the first door on the right to find a completely empty room. He was hoping that she would be in there since no blood went toward that room but following the dried blood toward the last door on the left. This door was also wide open so he thought he would have heard her but as he neared it he noticed a bundle of silver hair on the floor of the room.

Rushing in he was relieved to find her safe but was a little concerned by the man asleep beneath her. Smiling he looked around the room and immediately felt like the biggest idiot for even thinking to be happy in this morbid situation. Stooping down to pick Laila up he thought she seemed a lot lighter than she looked and began to carry her back down the hall. Hedric was waiting by the stairs, smiling, seeing that I had her. Riyon shook his head and motioned back toward the room with his head. "I think there's someone else, grab them, but just warning you its a disturbing sight in there." As he carried her down the stairs his arms began to ache from the strain but he refused to drop her. Finally getting out of the demented side show of a house, Riyon hoisted Laila onto the horse but since he didn't trust himself as much as Leanna so he tied her arms around the horses neck to make sure she didn't fall off.

Riyon had just finished when he looked over to see Hedric hogtieing the guy before placing him on the back of his horse. "We don't know this guy's deal. Don't want him waking up trying to kill us." Riyon shrugged and spurred the horse to get him out of this hell hole as quickly as possible.