Armareth's Tower

Elisha’s snore snuffed out the silence in the room. He stirred briefly, turned and muttered something before going back to sleep. David laid awake. He’d slept briefly, too worried to let himself relax. The bed was soft and the room smelled sweet, the incense burning atop a stand fixed to the wall. David closed his eyes, trying to think less, but the harder he tried, the more he felt like he should be doing something else. He’d spent the time after supper trying to increase his control of essence, but Ignis had mentioned that essence didn’t work like that.

Elisha’s muttering got louder for a couple seconds. He called to their mother in his sleep, begging for something David couldn’t hear. Then he settled, sleeping deeply. David watched him, heart breaking at the gaping emptiness that running into the Tower had created in all of them.

You should spend this time trying to learn more techniques or finding new secrets locked away within you. Ignis’ voice was lathered with contempt, but David ignored it. The dragon was sour because of the chain wrapped around his neck and wings. It shone whenever the father of dragons moved, re-establishing its hold of him.

“You felt it too?” David asked and Ignis grunted.

Like a red hot poker pushing close to my heart. Which is strange because I don’t get burnt. Not by weak flames anyway.

David frowned and quickly sat up. “So whatever it was is stronger than you?”

There is nothing stronger than me, human!

David snorted. He should have expected that. He stood up and walked slowly to the window. He stopped when the floorboard creaked, then looked to Elisha and found him still snoring. For the first time since they got their separate rooms, David was happy Chloe wasn’t around. She would have snapped up at the slightest sound. He leaned over the window, looking out at the buzzing, sprawl of Gaora. The city of riches and disease.

The Innkeeper had checked them for the disease too. Apparently they were supposed to have breaking skin in the early stage and bleeding eyes in the stage before the slumber. There had been chatter about it while they ate too. Zoey had picked up just enough from the crowd in the inn’s common room to put together a summary. Which was that no one knew what was happening, but the suspicion was spread between the outworlders and another group she couldn’t find a name for.

He turned left sharply, thinking he saw something move in the night, atop the roof tiles of the lower buildings next to the inn. It was dark up there. He watched out for it until he turned away, satisfied that there was nothing there.

“Then what was it?” David asked, continuing his conversation with the dragon.

I don’t know. It didn’t feel familiar. If I have faced it before, then the memory has vanished or is in one of my other bones. The journey is yours, anyway. You have to find out what it is, and own it before it consumes you.

“Are you worried about me?” David asked, a mocking grin spreading over his face. Then he saw it again, this time he was sure. Something was there, to the left. It was completely still now, but he swore it moved a second ago. He summoned his sword, feeling Ignis’ excitement spike as David’s gaze fell on what he was looking at.

The beast’s cold blue eyes flashed opened and its snout split open in a feral snarl. It wasn’t a cat, not a wolf either, not with those eyes. Light hanging from the inn’s roof touched its fur, splashing warm yellow on deep, sparkling black. Then it howled. And when it did, five more answered.

“Go,” someone said, and the beast lunged, its body stretching majestically. It landed on the edge of a balcony, pulled itself up and then leapt for David. Behind it, David saw the other creatures running out of the cover of the night. David moved to the side, knocking the low lamp down. The beast landed gracefully in front of David, twisted unnaturally and jumped for him, paws first.

Don’t let it touch you!

David leapt back, hitting Elisha’s bed and scrambling away from the beast. Its eyes were like balls of fiery ice. David didn’t know what it was, but Ignis had sounded like it could kill him with a touch. It snarled again, mouth opened wide to bare long, sharp fangs. Then its mouth snapped shut and it jumped back, away from Elisha’s swirling shadow.

It was too late though. It staggered, whimpering and whining as it tried to shake off Elisha’s dagger from under its neck. Its head wiggled frantically as blood poured out and froze the ground. Elisha stepped back, watching as the creature cried and struggled to its death. Then he turned to David, one hand stretched out to call his dagger back to him.

“What the hell—” Chloe’s scream tore David’s eyes from the dead beast and its bone-chilling blood. He made for the door but two more of those creatures leapt in through the window, knocking into him as he ran. He fell forward, rolled deftly to his feet and made a blind swing that slashed through one of the creatures. Its body hit the floor and David felt the bite of cold on his left hand where its blood splashed on him. Elisha killed the other one quickly too.

“Don’t let the blood touch you,” David said as he pulled the door open and jumped back, away from the large fist that almost slammed into his chest. The broad-chested man walked in, his face grim and his beard covered in blood. His shirt was torn in some places and burnt in others and behind him David heard the chorus of battle.

The bald man grinned, teeth yellowed and matching manic eyes to give David a full realization of who and what was standing in front of him.

“Elisha,” David called. “Be careful, they are like us.”

“Wrong,” the broad chest said. “We are better. “ Then he attacked. David blocked his fist with his sword, hoping to slash through, but the man’s skin was hard as steel and the force pushed David back some steps. He crouched under the next punch and tried to plunge his sword into the man’s chest and found that he was invulnerable. David cursed and moved his head left just before the man’s left fist would claim it.

“What do they want?” Elisha asked as he slid under a pouncing beast, this one dark furred but with long hooves and horns like that of a bull. His blade opened its underside, killing it before it could even scream. His shadow covered him, protecting him from the hissing frost that poured out of the dead beast.

“The window!” David screamed, turning sharply. Elisha leapt out, his knee connecting with a dog-like beast and throwing it off the balcony. He watched it hit the ground, turned right to find Chloe screaming as a man stretched to hold her. He groaned as he realized his shadow couldn’t take him there because of the gap between balconies. Then he sighed when Hanna cut through the man from behind and pulled Chloe back inside.

David joined him just as he took two steps back and then ran for a jump. David gasped, then took a step back as the bald man broke through both window and wall, shattering the base of the balcony. David lost his footing, staggered back to find that the balcony railings were gone. He was going to fall. It wasn’t a long drop, but he would be hurt. Or die if he fell on his head. He cursed, wishing he could fly and then he was jerked back by his throat.

The large man grinned as he hoisted him up and back into the room, slamming David down so hard his sword fell.

“I wonder why Galan wants you, or any of the other masters. You are weak. The equivalent of dead wood. What is so speci—” he stopped as the room was illuminated by the flying Vjognir behind him. Its fur glowed so beautifully and bright David had to squint.

Now!

David stood, his sword blazing. He couldn’t recall calling the spell, but he felt essence wrap around the sword. The Vjognir’s light dimmed and when the bald man’s arm uncovered his eyes, David’s sword sliced through his torso. He tried to move forward, hand stretched out to hold David, but his top half slid off the bottom, splashing the floor in red.

The Vjognir led David outside, down the steps that led to the kitchen. There he found two cooks dead. In the common room Hanna was fighting against a swordsman. David’s sword cut in abruptly, shocking the man. Before he could readjust to David’s presence, David thrust his sword through the man and then slashed him open. The man’s hand moved frantically to gather his spilling guts as he died.

Hanna turned away and threw up. She shook her head at David when she was done and they both followed the Vjognir outside the inn.

David’s heart thudded as he saw the faces in front of him. They were about ten of them, dressed like mercenaries. Leather armor with blades that glinted in the night. Crossbows poised and ready to snap. David looked from one excited and scarred face to the other. He walked closer to Zoey, Elisha and Chloe. Chloe’s lute was in her hand, her fingers on the strings. The Vjognir was gone and with it the brilliant glow.

A reedy-built woman walked out of the crescent of people blocking them. Her hair was held up behind her head, her face severe and calm. The hilt of a longsword peeked from her back and when she folded her arms, her gauntlets clanged softly.

“You will do well to come quietly, newbies,” She said, no sign of mockery in her voice. “Galan takes to new comers like children to treats. You obey, you get taken care of. You have killed Kilan and many of Abe’s monsters that he bred himself. All that will be forgiven.”

“And if we don’t?” David growled, walking forward to stand in front of his family. The woman signed. She didn’t seem bothered, not even in the way she positioned herself. From David’s years of learning to fight with his father and Specter, he’d learned the difference between pride and confidence, and he could tell the woman in front of him would snap him in two if he moved stupidly.

She nodded. “The brave one. Let me guess, one circle ring? No attribute? Don’t even have a hang of your powers yet?” She asked. David frowned, confused. In his head Ignis chuckled.

She read you like a griot would tell stories. You have much to learn and you are losing time.

“I was close, huh?” She smiled. “Trust me, you come easily, and we won’t kill you.”

“Slag that!” Elisha said just as his shadow widened, pulling Chloe into it and almost taking Zoey before the woman’s sword hissed through the air and severed it. The shadows swirled briefly, and from within David saw Elisha’s shocked eyes. The woman’s sword had actually cut through his shadow. The one thing that made him seem invisible.

She was about to grab at it, but then it vanished, carrying Elisha and Chloe far away. The woman stared at where the shadow had been, confused for a moment and then she shrugged.

“I didn’t expect that.”

Hanna grinned, pulling her whip and uncurling it. Feet stomped the ground around them as the mercenaries closed in. David’s heart raced. He wanted to hide the worry from the others, but when the woman’s gaze fell on him he realized she could see right through him. She came closer, light hanging front the inn’s roof cascading down to reveal more of her face.

“You can’t run,” she said, voice low and threatening. “I will find your friends that just vanished. Galan will like that power of his. And so will the noble men who purchase his services. They will like you,” she said, nodding to Zoey and Hanna, ignoring the latter’s whip. She had a torn cloak over her shoulder, under which her dull steel armor looked out of place.

“You are this Galan’s slave then?” David asked, a desperate attempt to wound her pride. The woman smiled, her eyes showing laugh lines. Then her hand struck David, so fast the pain stunned him. Then another slap came, and two more, until his lips tore from the force and his mouth was filled with blood. She was breathing hard now, hand raised but held by another woman behind her. This one taller, serpentine. Her armor showing power and status. She smiled at David with full lips and a face that seemed like it had never been struck.

“You got the reaction you wanted, didn’t you boy? Claire here will cut you up slowly if you anger her. But Galan wouldn’t like that,” she said. The last meant for Claire. The woman recoiled from the glare, her cloak rustling behind her as she walked away.

The taller woman stared at David for a moment and then she turned too. “Take them,” she instructed as she walked back to meet Claire. David was dragged. Hanna tried to fight but a pale streak of lightning zapped her six times until she passed out. The lightning tore through the night sky, crashing down like the heavens was on a quest for vengeance. And it struck Hanna, and only her.

David’s eyes met the taller woman and she smiled, the haze of essence dimming around her as her spell faded.

Control, Ignis said. That is fine control.

From atop the inn’s roof, Elisha watched as his family was dragged away. He still couldn’t shake off the shock, and the stinging sensation that pinched his right arm. In the moment after the woman sliced through his shadow, he felt like a million ants were stinging him. The discomfort was dulled only by the shock of seeing it happen. It took all of his willpower to make the shadow dissolve. Now it swelled behind him, replenished with essence. Yet, it hovered over him like a crashing sun ball.

“Eli,” Chloe called, pulling on his sleeve. Her eyes were full of shiny tears. She was scared and so was he. If this floor had more like that woman with the long sword, then they were in real trouble. He let the shadow take them down to a balcony with a closed window.

“What do we do?” Chloe asked as he knocked the window in. He shook his head. David would know what to do, he thought. He would know how to save them. “We can’t leave them, we shouldn’t. They will kill—”

“I know!” Elisha snapped. Chloe flinched away from him. Elisha sighed, reached out for his sister and pulled her in a tight hug. “I know, Chloe. We will get them back. First we have to fight where they are being taken to.” He pulled back so he could look in her eyes. There was fear in them, nothing else.

“You need to get better at your lute, Chloe. So you can help out too.”

They got into the room. It was just like the one he’d shared with David some minutes ago. His nightmare flashed in his mind and he shook his head as if to physically dispel them.

“How do we find out where they were taken?” Chloe asked. Elisha sighed. He had no idea…yet.