Volume 1: Arc 2: Chapter 7

AUTHOR'S NOTE

This might have to count for my friday chapter. I'll try to get another chapter out tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll have one.

I think you will like this chapter though.

February 5, 29 R.E.

Rajac left Kanrock Village as quietly as he had come. The organizers of the Circle had not even begun to look for him by the time he began to set a quick pace to the forest north of Nahail village.

He bought a relatively detailed map of the region before he left which gave him a basic overview of how to find the forest. It was a rather small, but dense expanse. Too small to be named, yet large enough to be pictured on the map.

It took only six days for Rajac to reach the edge of the forest. With the speed he had gained during his training, he could have made it in four-or-five days but thought that he would be spotted by one of the many guards who worked for Lord Gaya if he began to move at such speeds.

Thus, he contented himself with his quick pace. He knew that whatever lay inside the forest was dangerous. Be it the Ventros or something else entirely, those the tavern owner had directed here never returned. And if they were adventurers like he professed to be, they were all at least moderately strong.

So, as he arrived at the edge of the forest, caution won over eagerness and he drew his sword while keeping his magic only half-a-thought away. With a thought, he could call up a wall of earth and use the wind to move faster than humanly possible away from any assailants.

Trees stood forbidding in front of him, half their leaves still crumpled on the ground from the winter freeze. A chill began to crawl up his back as he began to walk between the trees, kicking up the brush, and crunching the leaves into tiny pieces with each step.

For hours, he walked in the forest. There was no path. Too few people walked in this expanse. The tall oaks of the forest began to look as if they were curving. Twisted in some evil design, the farther he walked in the forest, the trees began to hold an ominous portents.

Every so often, Rajac thought he heard someone following him. The whisper of the wind breathed an odd sound, a hissing breath, a shuffle of footfalls, a grunt of pain; But when he turned, searching for the source, there was nothing.

His caution began to turn into paranoia as day turned to night. Owls came out then. He never liked the creatures. Too many movies he saw as a kid, in his previous life, used them as foreshadowing in horror movies.

After a while, his instincts became overwhelmed with the sense of danger and he decided to make camp for the night under a small oak.

He pulled off his pack and began to eat some of the dried meat he had packed earlier. After he finished eating, he sat, unsure of what to do.

It had been a very long time since he had thought of anything but training. His entire day revolved around increasing his skill. Without that construct in his daily life, it felt off somehow.

When he was traveling, it was not truly apparent as he had a goal in mind. But now, sitting under this oak, listening to the myriad of owls, he felt somewhat empty.

What would he do after he found his race? With his people rescued, though, he wasn’t willing to make that a certainty just yet, he still had to bring them out of this prison-What would he do?

Wander Thantos like some aimless adventurer? No, he did not think so. His purpose had become his people long ago. With them in a safe place, he would need to strengthen their position so nothing like this every happened again.

The other peoples could sway his curiosity, once-in-a-while, but never hold his interest like the Ventros could. They had a story that spanned centuries. Once, a mighty race, renowned throughout the lands, they had become so much less due to their enemies.

Perhaps, I’ll go after those who caused my race’s downfall, Rajac mused as he turned to a more comfortable position, pulling his hood over his head for padding, as sleep began to overtake him.

His dreams were anything but peaceful as he slept in the eerie forest. When he woke, he felt haggard, drained even, but he continued.

As it approached midday, he began to feel better but no less wary as he approached the center of the forest. His instinct that someone was following him grew stronger with every step; however, he never saw anyone.

The forest grew thicker as he walked and darkness soon over took light. Branches began to spread out from greater oaks thickening until there was no longer any space to walk between the trees.

Unable to find a path, Rajac began to hack away at the branches, forming his own path. He continued this for quite some time until he stumbled through an opening he had inadvertently created when beating at a particularly thick set of branches.

He never got a good look at what lay beyond the opening as just as he began to rise, an arrow whizzed by his ear. Rajac fell flat to the ground, rolling over on his side. He felt, rather than saw, the second arrow hit the dirt where he had once lain.

Jumping to his feet, he willed his magic to form a high and solid patch of dirt between himself and the direction the arrows were being shot from.

Raising his sword in defense, Rajac called out defiantly, “Come out you coward! Fight me!” Though, he really felt like whoever was attacking him had planned this rather well. He knew where to hide for the best strategic positioning and had known, beforehand, that Rajac would stumble through the thick branches, not knowing there was an opening on the other side.

Grinding his teeth in frustration, Rajac moved into The Delight of the Unknown, infusing it with wind, as he moved quickly to the edge of the clearing.

As he reached the tree cover, he turned, stepping right into the Cadence of Jin. For a single moment, nothing happened .The air turned stale, the birds forgot to sing, the archer stayed silent, and Rajac remained ready.

But, that was only for a moment. Five people, covered completely in grays and browns appeared as if they had popped straight up from the ground.

Rajac blinked his eyes in surprise at the sight but readied himself all the same. “I don’t know what you want,” Rajac told them calmly, “But I am not here for a fight.”

One of the fighters, a tall man by his shape, walked to the center of the clearing, his sword drawn at his side. “Tell me foreigner,” the man said in a confident drawl, “why come to this forest? I have never met a man, elf, or beast come to this forest for any peaceful reason.” The man bent slightly as he attempted to look under Rajac’s hood.

“I am looking for the Ventros.” Rajac said, not elaborating. He had no idea what this man thought of his race. Though, it was probable he felt disdainful of them much like many others who lived in these parts. Thus, he kept his intentions hidden from these men. If they hated the Ventros, he could claim to be a bounty hunter searching for them and if they were friends of the Ventros, an unlikely possibility, but they were in the forest the Ventros supposedly called home, so it could be possible, Rajac would reveal his true intentions.

However, Rajac never got that far. As soon as he uttered his race’s name, all five of the figures took an involuntary step back as if wounded.

“You’re the same as all the rest, I see.” The clad man said. “You’re here to capture and kill innocents.”

“But I’m not,” Rajac interjected. “I’m…” The clad man didn’t let him finish. “Yaka, Mahor, take him.”

Two of the clad figures instantly darted forward, swords raised against him. Rajac stepped back into the Cadence of Jin, already ready for this possibility.

Both attacked at the same time and they met in a clash of swords. As they pushed against him, his sword raised in defense, he felt only a little pressure to step back. But, he did not. Instead, he exerted in strength with a grunt, throwing them back a few paces.

Rajac did not wait for them to settle themselves, he took a single step forward in Martyr’s Fallacy and struck at them with a stream of fire.

But, a wall of earth met his fire almost instantaneously, smothering it completely.

The clad man walked up to Rajac slowly and said, “Yaka, Mahor, step back, I will handle this.” Lowering his voice, the clad man said, “You’re better than I thought. Most who come, can’t deal with my men. Only a few foreigners have had the opportunity to challenge me. You should be honored.”

Rajac almost snorted at this archaic formality. He was so used to a kill or get killed mentality that an honorable challenge was laughable.

The clad man attacked, striking at Rajac with the tip of his sword, but Rajac blocked it as he moved into the Delight of the Unknown. He moved the required 16 steps, circling around the clad man, before he began the Truth of the Many, attempting to box the clad man in.

But, the clad man was having none of it. He ducked under one of Rajac’s blows as he threw up a wall of earth, physically pushing Rajac back at step.

The clad man charged once again, lancing fire on the tip of his sword as he thrust as Rajac, screaming a war cry. Rajac dodged, but not before being scratched by the tip of the man’s sword.

He let out a hiss of pain as the fire magic passed over him and he quickly summoned water elemental magic to sooth his pain.

Straightening, Rajac quickly threw up a wall of earth as he moved back into the Cadence of Jin. The clad man had begun to attack once again. He ducked and dodged everything Rajac threw at him including all four of his elemental magics.

Until, Rajac surprised him by raising a small wall of earth behind a large wall of earth. The clad man vaulted the larger wall but tripped on the smaller wall.

Rolling back to his feet, he raised his sword defensively.

“You,” the clad man was gasping hard, “Where did you learn those moves?”

“A book,” Rajac shrugged.

“But that …” the clad man spluttered. “That was the Ventros Sword Style.” “Master!” One of the other men came up to the clad man. “That is impossible.” The clad man nodded. “Yes it is. Only our race….”The clad man turned to Rajac then and for a long moment he studied Rajac, saying nothing.

“It…can’t…be.” The clad man said slowly. Raising a hand to his face, the clad man began to untie the strips of cloth that covered his face. He hesitated every so often as if unsure if he should continue. But, he never stopped. Rajac felt his eyes almost pop out of his head as he saw what was underneath all the wrappings. Refined cheekbones, a high forehead, long black, almost purplish hair, with two long horns that reached towards the heavens. They were Ventros features.

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