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The Kingdom of Zaniah

The never-before told tale of a lost kingdom and an adventure that could change three souls forever.

Jabrid · ファンタジー
レビュー数が足りません
48 Chs

Unexpected Strangers

"Jex!" Ray called. "He can hear me," she thought to herself. She paced about the campsite minding the fire burning on the ground that caused small billows of smoke to drift in the air.

Nimer walked the perimeter of the trees, his cutlass drawn in each hand. "He could not have gone far," he stated. The feeling of watchful eyes kept him at the campsite. Out in the wood, it was often that they were not alone. With Jex gone as long as he had been something could be terribly wrong.

Heavy hooves from the horses thudded the ground nervously as each one's ears rotated trying to locate sounds from the surrounding. Loud caws from a crow a way out sounded like a bell alarm one would hear in a village that would warn villagers of an oncoming volley. The large black bird could be seen fleeing from the trees moments afterward.

Ray had begun to take off into the thick wood when Nimer held up a sword blocking her path. "No…" he paused. "Go dowse the fire and we shall search the wood together. We should not leave a trace that we are here. That fire is a dead giveaway."

"You dowse the fire then," Ray said and pushed Nimer's sword out of the way, parading into the woods and began to call again. "Jex! Are you out there?"

Nimer made haste to the fire mumbling curses under his breath as his hands dove into the soft dirt about the campsite and piled in a mound over the fire pit dowsing the fire instantly. Brushing his hands off and letting the dirt fall to the ground he bounded across the campsite towards the tree line after Ray.

"Jex!" Ray called again only to have her mouth covered by Nimer's hand.

"I believe you do not understand the dire situation. There may be something or someone out there. You calling loudly will give us away," the guide spat harshly. "Cease and desist, I beg you."

Ray pushed his hand away, "Fine."

Both their nerves were put on edge as a twig, fifty feet away, snapped and both scrambled for cover behind an evergreen. Nimer leaned out surveying the area. From what he could see there was nothing. Ray with a hand on her bow leaned out and got near the ground, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"Let's keep moving," he whispered and walked out from behind the tree. He drew both swords as he pursued forward stepping lightly across the dirt and twigs on the ground. The trees around them were still, too still in the cold air. In the light of the late afternoon, the air was becoming increasingly brisk.

"Breathe slowly," he warned. "Large clouds of breath may be a dead giveaway...stay near the trees."

"I think you talking is a dead giveaway," Ray stated.

Another loud crack resounded through the area, Nimer catching sight of something black moving not more than two hundred feet away and disappearing behind a tree. His hands gripped tighter around the chilled metal of his swords as he raised and pointed it towards the evergreen with his blade.

"Get back!" he hissed as the two ran for cover. Before Ray could say a word, Nimer placed a finger to his lips and nodded towards the group of trees a way out. "Over there…" he whispered.

Ray leaned out, scouting the trees for movement. Her green-blue orbs widened as a tall, black hooded figure leaned out from behind the tree, dagger in hand. A black scarf concealed the figure's mouth and only its dark eyes bore straight through her. Ray fumbled around before grabbing an arrow from her quiver, lightly stroking the hawk feathers at its top.

"We have to do something!" she said in a harsh whisper.

Nimer stroked his beard, "Perhaps...try and hit him, but stay concealed."

Nimer moved out of the way as Ray readied her bow, her hands shaking. It was the first time she had fired an arrow at another living being. The strain on the bow caused the wood to creak as she pulled back, aiming through the limbs of the evergreen. Drawing a deep breath, she moved the tip towards the bandit and released. The arrow whizzed through the air, just missing the hooded figure as it collided with the tree next to him. The bandit was on edge, turning his head back and forth before his eyes settled on the evergreen.

"I think he saw us," Ray stuttered.

As the bandit snuck forward, taking cover behind trees along the way, Nimer nodded in agreement. "Run…" he said, then began to push Ray. Nimer's eyes shot wide as a glowing purple light consolidated in the palm of the bandit's hand. "RUN!" he yelled louder.

The two began to run, dodging rocks and trees as they went.

"Where are we running to?!" Ray yelled to him.

"Anywhere but camp. We can't risk supplies if we get out of this alive!" Nimer yelled back as he gracefully dodged a rock. He glanced behind them as heavy breaths tumbled from his mouth. The bandit was nowhere to be found. "We've lost him. Keep running!" he commanded.

"Wait a second, why are we running? Can't you call upon a god to help you?" Ray called to him.

"There's no time for that now!" Nimer growled.

"So there was a time in a pack of lycans but not with one measly bandit, is that it?" Ray asked as she slowed to a stop.

Nimer slowed down, his boots digging into the dirt. He glared at her. "Now is not the time to be suspicious! Where there is one bandit, there is bound to be more. And if it did not occur to you, he was wielding magic!"

"Magic? What kind of magic?" Ray insisted.

Nimer growled, running a hand over his face, "Dark energy of some sort. The glow was the color of amethyst. It can't be anything else!"

"So you do know about magic," Ray said, crossing her arms.

"We don't have time for this!" Nimer groaned.

Only feet away the sound of running footsteps tore through the underbrush. A bright violet light struck a tree not feet from Ray setting it ablaze with purple flame. She let out a shrill yelp and jumped at Nimer in fright. Nimer moved back instantly, grabbing hold of Ray's hand and pulling her into another long sprint.

"As I was saying! We don't have time for this!" Nimer yelled to her.

Ray yanked her hand away from Nimer's strong hold on her hand. "Fine! What is your plan?"

Nimer glanced about in a frantic manner. "There is bound to be more of them," he thought. Trees appeared to speed by as Nimer began to lead them both to the left. "I have a plan. Just keep-"

His words were cut short as an arrow engulfed by lightning shot through the air, headed straight for Ray. Nimer's knees twisted as his body turned fully around. The guide hurdled himself at the girl pushing her far out of the way as the arrow struck him squarely in the right shoulder. Nimer let out a loud, piercing yell as his body convulsed. Discharge spewed from his mouth as he tightly clutched his arm.

"Run… Get… get out of here, now!... RUN!" Nimer struggled to talk as he yelled at Ray.

Ray's expression was horrified, her hands over her mouth as she scrambled to her feet. Her moccasins dug into the dirt as she managed to stand and start running. Her heart thundered in her chest a panic drove her mad through the forest. Her mouth ran dry as she almost felt the need to cry, almost tripping on a root. Her hands flailed as she tried to keep her balance. She dared not look back for 'run' was all she needed this time not to stop.

The depleting light of the nearing evening made it difficult to navigate the terrain as she weaved through the forest. Heavy breaths spilled from her mouth and nostrils. Her wide green-blue eyes were wet with tears as she reached a large evergreen, placing her hands upon its jagged surface. Her rose kissed cheeks were moistened by streams of tears as she pressed against the trunk of the tree.

"I-I just want to go home…" she muttered.

The crack of a twig caused her to whirl around as fear strangled her insides. She almost called out into the dim light of the forest. She had no idea where she was going or her location. Shuffling around the tree she glanced around trying to find the source of the sound. She swallowed the bit of spit in her mouth as she peered around the tree. Fifty feet out, Ray could see another figure emerge from the brush, a dagger in one hand and a rag in the other. Their hood was over their head and they appeared just like the other bandits that she had seen.

Ray sheltered herself behind the tree once more, covering her mouth as the need to scream breached her lips. Biting them, she began to move across the ground with slow, attentive movements. She watched the ground taking cover behind bushes and other trees, being mindful of her steps. She glanced towards the sky as the light faded behind the mountains, a weary look strone across her face. Cloud cover left no light for her to see with. Ray lowered to her hands and knees as she crawled under a bush to hide. She flinched as its branches scratched against her skin and caught the edges of her clothes. Bringing her legs to her chest, she buried her face in the fabric of her pants, clawing into them with her fingernails.

"We never should have come out here," she thought as she sobbed lightly. "Why didn't he listen to me?"

The chill of the night and the ever nearing footsteps caused her to be silent as a mouse spite mucus and tears soiling her trousers. She lifted her head only to peek behind her for oncoming danger. In the dim light, the silhouette of the bandit creeping low to the ground was all she could make out not sixty feet away. Ray's mind was distracted by the beats of her heart fluttering in her chest as she took a deep breath and uncurled. She fiddled with her bow trying to get it uncaught as she crawled across the ground and rose to her feet, tip toeing behind a large oak. Looking up to the lowest hanging branch, she tested its sturdiness with hard pulls using her own weight. It ruled out in the girl's favor as she began to climb the tree.

Her moccasins scraped against the bark as she scrambled into the tree, clearing the first bare branches with minimal effort. With the last of the light, she found a perch twenty feet from the ground in a knick between two vertical branches. She slid her custom bow off her shoulders, hands shaking in fear and from the bitter cold. With two fingers, she reached around behind her, stroking the hawk feathers of her arrow as she drew it from the quiver and knocked it, drawing back. She squinted trying to find the shape of the prowling bandit in the minimal light. She was silent and on high alert as she leaned against the tree.

"Maybe they can't see me," she thought. "It is night after all." She sounded hopeful spite her growing anxiety.

The sound of movement caused her to be on edge once again as she tried to breathe through her nose to minimize the sound. She searched the darkness, the silhouette from earlier being swallowed by the shadows of the night. All she could do was wait for him to pass.

"Oh gods," she whispered. "Where are you now?"

***

Nimer struggled, for his shoulder was burning as he clutched it tighter. He lay low to the ground as he searched the tree line for movement. Pain welled in his chest as his body felt weak. Grasping one of his swords, he slowly rose to his feet, wavering in his spot. His ears rang and his body tingled. He only had a moment to steady himself as dark streaks of lightning struck a tree near him, violet flame smothering it. Nimer quickly broke off the arrow in his arm and tossed the feathered half towards the ground before he sprint away from the oncoming danger.

His vision blurred as he glanced above at the fading light of the day and then behind him at the bandit nearing him on foot. With a brilliant slow and blur of the world, Nimer lept from the ground as his boots carried him upside the trunk of a tree, his body flipping backward through thin air. The bandit ran under him while suspended and Nimer landed behind him. He thrust forward after drawing his second sword. The runes engraved in the blades began to glow bright cyan as he slashed at the bandit, carving into his back as specks of blood flew to the ground. Nimer's eyes were wild and illuminated.

The bandit turned, his dark eyes now lit with purple irises. Dark lightning engulfed his dagger as he swiped at Nimer, the guide just dodging before lightning struck where his feet at been. Nimer spun fiercely as he attempted to slash the man only to meet metal to metal with the sharp edge of the bandit's dagger. The magic sporadically festered, traveling up Nimer's blade and into his arm. Nimer let out another exasperated cry as he fell to his knees, tremors flooding his body.

"You seem to conduct my magic," the bandit stated as he walked up to Nimer and pulled his handkerchief from his mouth and knelt beside him, and grabbed Nimer by the neck. Both locked eyes with each other as he asked "Where is the girl?"

"Like hell… if I… know…" Nimer struggled to talk through clenched teeth. Nimer let out another shrill cry as the man let the magic flow from his hand into Nimer's body, scorching his neck. "What… do you want with her…?" he could barely whisper.

"I believe she may be in possession of an artifact I have been seeking," the man said.

"You...must be mistaken…" Nimer grimaced.

"I believe that to be false," the man said, pulling back his hood. It fell to his shoulders revealing long dark brown hair pulled out of his face matching his angled features. His ears were long and slender like those of an elf.

Nimer tried to struggle, barely holding onto his swords and clawing away at the elf's hand with his own spite of his shaking. "What is… a cult like yours… doing this far out in the wood?"

The elven man's hand squeezed Nimer's neck tighter, the guide gasping for breath as he was pushed to the ground. "Just doing business, as always."

Tremors caused Nimer's body to shake violently as he swallowed the last bits of air before white spots flooded his vision. The man released another large shock through his body as his hands slipped from the handles of his swords letting them clink to the ground. With the last of his consciousness, Nimer could hear the last of the man's words being whispered into his ear.

"It's good to see you on the road again, Nimer."

The world was swallowed in black as the elven man stood and picked up both of Nimer's swords and tied them to his belt as he left the guide laying lifeless in the dirt.