For all of you who like my writing style and story so much, I've started another story called also under the sc fantasy section. Check it out then drop me a few lines and tell me what you think.
This chapter goes to my friend Drew who taught me that fighting is sometimes the best way to go forward.
Happy reading!!
The Feres King
Chapter 3
It had been three days and we had to be on our way. It was a pity to leave such a beautiful place but we really had to. I was going to miss Mirk-Nohl (the Equinian village). The Equinian were shy but very friendly people once they get use to us. Everywhere I went they gathered to meet me, touch me and even let me ride on their horses. According to Ravi to let someone else ride their mergens is a sign equivalent to acceptance and trustworthy.
`It was a pleasure meeting you Riley,' Maia said before pulling me into an embrace.
`It was nice meeting you too Maia.' I also said goodbye to the other leaders and promised them a return visit.
At the corner of my eyes I saw the tall handsome Ravi bent down and kissed Chase full on the lips. I smiled and nudged Nick to look. Maia also saw her son and smiled.
As we walked away from the gates, I glanced back to see hundreds of hands waving at us like autumn leaves swaying in the breeze.
Once we were outside the cloaked field, Helen told us to gather around her. And shortly after we all touched ready to be teleported she froze and her eyes opened wide.
`What is it Helen?' Charlie said noticing too.
Helledon. He's scrying for me?' She uttered rather urgently. She then turned to Charlie. Char, I've been in Targeten for far too long. He will find me soon if I don't get back to the human realm.'
Charlie thought about it for a second. `I understand. He would be able to track us too if you bring us directly to Theran. Okay, I've got friends in Belen, the closest city from here. Dropped us there and then you can be on your way home.'
With that Helen nodded and we dematerialized.
A moment later we stood in the middle of a large courtyard surrounded by tall stone walls with armored warriors on them. They were barking orders to the civilians below, which were entering through a large open gate in a hurry at the same time as they were crying and shouting. My guess was that we were in some sort of castle and by the look of things, Belen were under attack.
The courtyard itself was a muddle. I could smell and taste burning wood in the air. People and animals, lots of them were scurrying around from one direction. I looked past them and saw why they were so desperate. Outside, beyond the gates a mixture of wolf and leopard shifters, including several warlocks were engaged in a deadly brawl with two dozen wargs and some wild mannish beast with bearlike heads and claws. Werewolves!
`I have to go Char. I'm only sorry I have to abandon you guys here,' Helen said looking frantically around.
`We'll be alright Helen, trust me. Now go before that asshole catch up with you here.' She smiled apologetically and disappeared.
What the hell are you doing there standing around people?' A large rather build warlock shouted at us. Get inside the keep with the rest of the civilians. We need to clear the ward for the returning troops.'
`I'm Charlie Blacknell son of Ari Blacknell and these are my companions. We just arrived. Tell me what's going on here captain?' Charlie asked.
The man looked surprised. He quickly changed his tune after he inclined his head into a short bow. `Sorry my Lord, but as you can see we're under attack. Hordes of darklings came down from the Misty forest early this morning and started ravaging the countryside on their way here.'
`Where is Lord Redhurst?' Charlie now asked.
`He's on the wall my Lord.'
`Take me to him.'
We jostled our way through the crowd until we reached a narrow flight of stairs leading up to the wall-walk. I was nervous. I've never been in a siege situation before. Contrary to how I felt Chase was excited as if he was in an amusement park.
`Wow! Oh man. Look at those beasts. They're huge.' He exclaimed when he first saw the werewolves. It was so typically Chase.
It was harder to read Nick though. I would have to say he was cool, calm and collected.
`Great Feri, if it isn't Char Blacknell! Back from the dead already?' A bare-chested tough looking man with a big moustache and shaved beard bellowed embracing Charlie. He kissed my Uncle on the cheeks before releasing him.
`You're getting old Niall.' Charlie remarked chuckling. Redhurst laughed too.
`So have you old friend. I thought you were dead. The last time I saw you were nineteen years ago. And you walked out of the council chambers in Theran with Graylard's heir under your arm. Great Feri! You should have seen his face. He was as angry as a staghorn on firebrew.' Both he and Charlie laughed again.
I noticed Nick and Chase moving closer to the parapet of the castle wall-walk. I followed them and my breath caught in my throat when I looked down.
Far below, I saw hundreds of tiny darklings. Some were roaming about the ravaged streets between burning buildings while others were attacking the retreating forces back towards the castle. And perhaps the most disturbing was the ones which were scrabbling and feasting over the corpses of fallen villagers and warriors. It was upsetting to watch such atrocities.
Nick picked up on my emotion and pulled me in his arms. `It's going to be okay Rye.'
My Lord Redhurst,' a well dressed warlock in silvery armor came rushing towards Charlie and his friend a while later. All the streets had been cleared. The last of the warriors had entered the gate, Sir.'
Excellent,' Redhurst said. Get the Warlocks ready. We'll need their firepower before those fuckers started crawling up the walls.'
The man bow and grabbed the long staghorn horn hanging around his neck with some thin chain. He blew at it and half a dozen warlocks gathered around the parapet. Charlie and Redhurst too moved to join them.
Is that it?' Charlie asked. I'm afraid, they won't last through the afternoon even the night if the darklings start crawling up. Tell me you have reinforcement Niall.'
`I'm afraid that's all we have left. I sent whisperers to Holl and Theran this morning. However, Holl is in the same predicament as us and Theran said they won't reach us until sundown.'
Charlie shook his head. He then called Nick. `Take Rye and Chase to the keep and wait there till I come for you when we have everything under control out here.'
No,' I said firmly. Your wounds are not healed yet and I'm not turning my back on these people.'
Charlie sighed. `Rye, listen to me for god sake. This is war. It isn't pretty. We need to get you safe.'
`Char you know what I am and what I can do. I can help really.' I put up a brave face but Charlie wasn't buying it but before he could answer Niall Redhurst said.
`Let the boy have some fun Char. If I remember correctly, you were as stubborn as he was at his age.' he winked at me and grinned.
I smiled back.
Charlie huffed before he said okay. `At the first sign of danger you retreat down below, is that clear?'
`Yes,' I said. Chase silently cheered next to us but Nick looked worried.
Charlie and Redhurst began talking again. I looked at Nick.
`What can we do to help?' I asked.
`The best thing is to stay out of their way. The warriors know what they're doing,' he replied glumly.
`Look! They are coming up,' Chase shouted.
Like crawling ants, the wargs began to climb. At the corner of my eye I saw Charlie following the silver armored warlock towards a tower. I didn't know what he was up to.
`Get ready!' Redhurst shouted.
After he spoke something curious occurred to me. `Nick, ever since we've arrived here people had been conversing in English? Why is that?'
For the first time today Nick smiled. No, Rye. They are all speaking Targes. Maia and Helen spent the whole day yesterday concocting the tea she gave us to drink. Its old magic and quite hard to explain but as I understand it helps to cleanse us and make us aware of our surroundings. In your case it had helped you grasp our language without much effort.' I wanted to know more about this miraculous "tea" but I didn't have time to really think about it because Redhurst just shouted Fire'.
I watched in awe as fireballs rained down on the crawling wargs. Some fell but others were too fast and were able to dodge the fires. But they too were soon became targets before they even reached halfway up.
The warlocks were really good and they rarely missed their marks but the more they killed the more wargs came to replace the fallen ones. Very soon the beast numbers grew so much that some of them were able to reach the top. However, the next line of defense was ready for them. I watched as a female warlock with a power like mine skillfully blew wargs after wargs of the wall-walk into the abyss below. She was incredible. I watched her closely because I was hoping I would be able to pick up on a few of her moves. It was moves like those that I think Charlie should have had taught me, I thought.
Suddenly I saw Nickolas jumped out of the way as a warg sprang on the wall-walk in front of him. He hastily blinded the beast with two fireballs and kicked it over the parapet. Unfortunately another was quick to replace it. This time I reacted. I copied the warlock's moves and sent the fucker a few feet up over the edge. Nick smiled and I felt confident that I could do it again.
Like some well oiled machine, Nick and I did our share of fighting. Chase had been sent to safety in a tower nearby. By then Charlie had also returned in full armor brandishing a heavy broad sword. He expertly cut down a few warg before ending up not too far from us.
An hour went by and the warg kept coming. I was beginning to think that those fuckers grew on trees or something. Hundreds had died and hundreds more were coming.
Ten minutes later two other warlocks came to relieve us, to give us some time to take a breather. I was thirsty and tired. I followed Nick into the nearby tower where Chase had taken refuge. We wanted to stay of course but there was no disagreeing with Charlie in the state he was in.
`Are you okay? You should stay here if you're feeling tired.' Nick told me while Chase handed me a goblet of water. I drained it and asked for one more before I reply.
`Yeah, I'm a little sore but I'm good.' Truth be told, my arms and shoulders were killing me and I was barely able to stand. Though, nothing in the world would stop me from going out there again.
`All the more reason to stay here and manned the tower,' Nick persisted.
`Look by now you know me well enough to know that once I get an idea in my head I tend to see it through. I'm not going to argue with you on the matter so please stop.'
`I think you'd spent too much time with Wren. His stubbornness had rubbed down on you.'
Chase watched us and grinned.
Three hours later Nick and I were back on the wall. A quick scan revealed that we'd lost a lot of men and now the fight wasn't only on the wall-walk but in the courtyard below. I saw a few werewolves too. They were so large and heavy- looking that I had difficulty to think they climbed the hundred meter wall to get here.
Nick engaged a warg and I took another. Somehow in the fray we got separated and I found myself alone with the beast, although, I easily got rid of him. But then what came next was truly a sight I didn't welcome.
A werewolf, almost seven feet high stood in front of me growling and baring long pointy teeth. I almost wet my pants because I was scared shitless. I admit they didn't look so scary at a distance. Conversely it was another thing seeing them up close.
Nick whisperer brushed against my ear.
He tried to come to my aid but three wargs barred his way. Meanwhile, Charlie saw me too but he was way down in the courtyard fighting a werewolf of his own.
I don't know how but somehow I found the courage to stand my grounds as the beast advanced. I tried to push him off the wall-walk with my power but he didn't bulge. I tried it again. It stunned him for a second but he kept coming. Before I could do it again he backslapped me. I flew backward and crashed into someone. I didn't know who because my eyes were wide open and glued on the monster.
He charged.
Fearfully, I braced myself for my eventual end.
At that moment two things happened. First the sky grew darker and sharp talons descended from the sky and grabbed the werewolf in full leap. Then I watched as a powerful curved beak tore the darkling's throat in front of my very eyes.
An eagle! Where did it come from? I got my answer in next to no time because right then the sky was full of screeching giant flying eagles. Some even had people on their backs.
Amazed, I watched as they swooped down onto the wall-walk and into the courtyard picking up darklings after darklings only to sent them plummeting to their death. An eagle flew right above me and a man jumped down from its back landing right next to me.I looked at him and froze. WREN!
Still on my butt, I stared at him not believing my eyes. Suddenly I was an overflowing dam. I cried. He squatted next to me and pulled me into his arms and held me tight.
`I missed you atsa,' he whispered into my ear. I missed you too I wanted to say but I couldn't do it properly because I was too emotional.
He continued to hold me until I calmed down. As my eyes cleared I noticed the fighting had stopped and Redhurst warriors were cheering.
Wren stood bringing me with him.
`Wren, it's good to see you again!' Nick hugged him and they slapped each other's back like old pals.
Good to see you too Nick but I have a bone to pick with you.' he replied after they untangled. You were supposed to be watching him.' By him he meant me. Wren wasn't angry but he wasn't so calmly either.
`We got separated. Sorry, I tried to get to him but I was detained.'
Wren back down quickly and said. `Well at least you tried. I can't reproach you for that.'
Wren took me back into his arms and gave me a passionate kiss. I got lost in it.
As it turned out, the eagles weren't just giant birds after all, but eagle shifters. It was a bombshell when one of them shifted before me.
`Rye, meet my friend Seth Ravager,' Wren said. Seth hugged me. I wasn't surprise at the gesture because it seemed like hugging was part of their greeting. Seth was very handsome. Mascular and Tall as Nick, he looked much older than all of us though.
Then someone unexpected joined our little group; a yummy, sexy, hunky guy.
`And this old guy here is Wain Graylard, my brother,' Wren said hooking an arm around his brother's neck.
Oh my god!
Where Eric didn't look much like Wren I couldn't say the same for Wain. They could have been twins, but twins with a gap in their birthing years because indeed Wain appeared older but very much the man in every gay boy's wet dreams.
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End of chapter 3