ARTHODON AND THE FOUR DRAGONS

CHAPTER 9: THE CROW

‘What am I doing? This is madness. But I must, if not I’ll be captured by those guards. I hope the giants don’t wake up.’ Clanis did not notice that the guards are now following her and started to aim arrows to her. She was just surprised to see an arrow pass by her face from her back. She looked back, many arrows ready to lunch to kill her. Without hesitation, she ran and looked for a place where she can hide. The guards that were afraid earlier were now persistent to chase her and capture her.

“Mother, I’m scared” whispered Maiari on her shoulder

“Don’t worry, my love. I am here, there’s nothing to be afraid of” Clanis said touching her daughter’s black hair.

I need to think. What should I do? I this state they will definitely catch me. ‘This is our only chance’ then she cried out very loudly, “Help! Help! Help” to wake up the sleeping danger in their path. ‘It will be enough distraction. It’s risky but I’ll try.’ “Help, Help” she continued to shout until they heard a weak trembling on the earth.

“What is she doing? She’s insane” the guard wondered while running towards them.

“She’s waking up the giants. Soldiers be alert!” the captain said to his five subordinates.

They felt the ground vibrates and a scary voices coming from not far away from them. The sound became even more frightening because of the echo produced by the gorge. The growls become more and more nearer and louder. Everyone felt the terror awaits to them and ready their weapon. Clanis inspite of fear that crept in her whole body, she continues to ran or just walk fast towards the end of the pass.

The earth’s quiver became stronger and louder stamps one after another. “Listen to me Maiari, you need to stay strong and brave. When I say run, you will run as fast as you could and never look back. Run far away from here and look for a place where you can hide that no one will find you” Clanis said to her daughter that is now crying in fear and confusion.

“But..” soft voice from an innocent girl

“I will find you, I promise” Clanis hugged her child and a tear run down her cheek. She get a stone and throw it everywhere and shouts “Hey, you filthy giants, here. Right here!” A loud cry from the giants echoed the whole gorge and nearby mountain.

Two guards are now running towards them. “Maiari run!” she cried. “Moth..” holding her mother’s hand. “Now!” Clanis said, looking down to Maiari on her left.

The poor child ran into the darkness without knowledge of where she will go. All she understands is to trust her beloved mother, be strong and hide. One of the two guards who is running, stopped and ready his arrow to shoot to the elf, holding just a stone to protect herself. While the guard is now to release the arrow, a huge hand grabbed him and his shout was heard before it disappeared. A huge and tall fat giant ate him. Maiari step back in fear. She needs to run. She needs to get her daughter to safety. ‘This is wrong. No. No. Maiari!’ She looked back to where her daughter ran and then immediately followed her. Clanis ducked when she saw a hand try to grab her and it mistakenly grabbed a tree.

The guards are fighting the giants with their life and without enough and proper weapons, they really facing their deaths. As soon as the captain saw his warriors brutally torn into pieces and being eaten by those giant monsters, he ran and escaped.

Clanis running in desperation, she still managed to avoid the giants. All she think is her child alone in the forest and afraid. It’s a little closer and she’ll reach the woods where she can hide from these three giants. When she entered the woods, the giants continued to search for her and follow her scent, pushing aside trees. She put mud all over her body to hide her scent and continue to look for Maiari. “Maiari! Maiari!” she cried in a low, whisper like voice.

‘I will never forgive myself if there’s something bad happens to her. I should never let her alone like that’ Clanis untiringly and in an insanely manner searched for her daughter. Few hours later, she saw a down slope that seems someone had slipped and fell. She automatically run down and found her poor child unconscious with mud and scratches and wounds all over her delicate body. Clanis hugged Maiari and parted some hair in her face. Tears run down her face, feeling her heart like it was torn into pieces. She immediately carried her daughter and looked for a hiding place.

On the morrow, as the sunlight warmed the surroundings  and the peaceful forest that last night was a nightmare and a dangerous place that will consume anyone in their fear , welcomed them as they came out of the hole from the huge trunk of an old tree. Clanis looked for their food and continued their journey to the Crow, the poorest town in Arthodon and mostly populated by humans. A town shunned and hated by the majority. They wander in an unknown wilderness. They walked and rest when the night comes, and walked again on the day. That was their life for almost 15 days.

******

“My King, the captain of the second troop has arrived” a sentinel reported the news to King Ramiro of Rutheos.

“Let him in” King Ramiro said while discussing some matters to his right-hand.

“Your Highness, Captain Zanon" he bowed and, "returning from the searched and reporting that Clanis and his daughter died” said the captain which evident in his appearance the fatigue and length of time and journey he experienced.

“What happened to you and your troops?” King Ramiro asked.

“We had been attacked by giants in the narrow pass and all of my soldiers died in the encounter. Clanis with her daughter tried to cross the pass but she was also eaten by those ferocious monsters. I’m very sorry your Majesty that we’re not able to bring her back here” the captain lied for the death of Clanis. He don’t want to spend more time and waste his life in the wilderness finding the elf that might starve to death, or die eventually and, or maybe it’s true that she was eaten by the giants though he didn’t saw it personally.

“No, you don’t have to be sorry. We need to thank you for your dedication to your duties. Leaving behind your life to those years that you were gone” the King of Rutheos said and smiled to the captain.

******

*Evening at Encanta*

“Clanis and her daughter are dead” Gorin forcefully smiled as he said the words to Neia, that visited  him in his chamber.

“Are you sure?” Neia asked with doubt and threat to her puppet.

“I.. Uhmm, King Ramiro informed me of this” he said to the witch that through all his years of service to her, she’s still not trust or impressed by him.

“Hmmm” the witch seems have something in her mind. “How about Clanis’ and Dani’s accomplice? Have you found them?” Neia said to Gorin, for she gave him order since the beginning to find and identify and investigate for their possible ally inside the temple. The witch was not able to locate Clanis the time they escaped the temple because someone cleaned up immediately their room.

“Not yet, My Lord, but I do..” Gorin feared Neia so much. He accepted her offer to become a fake Head Seer in exchanged for his life to be cured of his illness and of gold for his family. Now being a puppet seer of the witch for almost four years, he never expected a life full of fear and threat and pain and suffering.

“Enough excuses! You really are useless” she choked him as if her nails digging into his neck.

“My Lord, what matters is Clanis and her child were dead” Gorin stuttered in a gargle-like sound because of the hard grip in his throat. Neia released her strangled to him. He stepped back, and then suddenly she was gone.

******

“Dani, Have you…” Klera paused as soon as she noticed him sobbing. Dani turned his back from the friend to hide his wet face. “I am sorry” she said stepped closer to Dani who act that he’s okay and continued his chores in cleaning the soldiers chamber.

He paused in what he is doing and said, “I don’t believe it. I know, I feel it, they’re alive” Klera tapped Dani’s shoulder. She doesn’t know what to say to comfort him. They’re became friends since Dani held in prison and became slave in Encanta. He was condemned to be a slave in his lifetime. Dani accepted their fate, to be away from his family as long as they are safe and alive. Now, that he heard the news, he's shocked and his heart shattered. He can't accept it, he don't want to believe it. "All I want to believe is they are alive. Wherever they are, as long as I know they are alive, I can endure any sufferings. But now, I don't know if I can still breathe"

******

“You are not from here” an old dwarf said. He walked towards Clanis and Maiari who were asking for food to all who passed by them in the muddy and smelly street. “Here” the kind dwarf gave them two bowls of mushroom porridge.

“Thank you sir for your kindness” Clanis receive the gift with dirty face and hands. Their clothes were also ragged and hair is obviously stiffened with time and dust.

“Where are you from exactly? If you wouldn’t mind asking” he said and sat beside Maiari putting his hand to the girl’s head. “I saw you yesterday here also at same spot”

“We’re just from far away” she said hesitantly, drinking her last porridge.

“You want more?” he asked, extending his hand to reach Clanis’ bowl.

“No, I’m okay, thank you so much” Clanis said. She put her head down a little. “Are you finish, my love?” she asked her. Maiari looked at her mother and nodded. They really finished the meal in just a few seconds because they haven’t eaten properly for days. She stood up with her daughter.

“You can stay in my house if you want. The Crow is a dangerous place especially for an Elf with a young child” he stood up, looked at them then walked away. The Crow is a place formed by humans who were expelled; tortured or accused, unknown or secretly hidden from the authorities. This area became famous also for rebels, thieves, runaway slaves or prisoners. The four Kingdoms don’t know about this place maybe they have heard about the place but thought it to be just a legend, a non-existing refuge for the criminals. Humans are the one’s leading and dominating the place. Other races must obey, respect and fear them; opposite to the outside world where humans are the inferior race.

The Crow is an unpleasant place not only because of its people but also of its physical and geographical appearance. It is dusty when dry but so muddy on rainy season. It is also located near the volcano called the Mountain of fire or the Thross, where the Dragon of the South sleeps which also called ‘The Lava Blood’, ‘The Red Shadow’, ‘The Flaming Dragon’ or the ‘Zyogrenoff’ (Yo’gre nof). Everyone in the Crow can feel the ground trembling every time the dragon moves.

Their main livelihood is hunting, fishing and trade. Still, stealing, abuse and fraud are there, making it dangerous to weak, old  and young. There's a small market where the goods are not that good that you might want to hunt or provide for your needs than to trade or buy there. Mostly, no, all people there are poor and dirty and the children born in the Crow are ignorant without proper education.

Maiari held her mother's hand, looking at her, "Wait, can we join you for the night, Mister?" Clanis asked, showing her trust again for a stranger.

"Wilhelm" the dwarf said, moving his head to show that he welcomed them towards his humble home not far from the side of the street where they begged for alms. "And you might want to hide your ears well. Other than humans, all races here are low and discriminated" he warned.