Blade and blood 2

Tistara was always considered a mystic land. It was the land of misfits and outcasts. Witches and wizards were known to rule the country for centuries. The boundaries were said to be guarded by demons and sprites. In the night, one can hear the whispers and spells with the wind. No one from the south goes to Tistara unless he has a trustworthy friend who can ensure his safe journey in and out of the country. Tistara was an evil place. And the epitome of all the malevolence was here, Shavarath. Is it safe to stay the night here? Rokkena thought. He feared something bad might happen to the prince. Seven boats were carrying more than three hundred men in the morning. He doesn’t know what happened to them. He didn’t see any boats. He didn’t even see any survivors. He wished that they had survived the storm and reached the port at the border of Persara and Tistara. How many soldiers would have survived? Rokkena wondered. The Standalone port and Wail were a delight to the people who try to cross Meya. Small boats often came to Wail. There was a small forest that stands in between standalone and Wail. From Wail, the travelers go to the port city nearby. Silentwaters, the port city which was located in Persara, was abundant and rich and the people were friendly. There were lots of inns which could accommodate a lot of people. There were so many gambling houses and pleasure huts which always attracted innumerable people. No one wants to leave the place because Silentwaters was a paradise. They were too far from Silentwaters, Rokkena sighed. Shavarath was the last place he ever wanted to be, even though he was hearing about the place for the first time. The north was an unfriendly territory, especially the areas near the banks of Meya in Tistara. Only sixteen men remained out of the fifty-five who journeyed on the ship. Half the horses were dead or lost in the sea. More than half of the grain and meat had to be thrown out to save the ship from sinking before it could reach a safe distance from the shore. They even had to throw the weapons away, especially armor, to lighten the ship. He cannot lead sixteen men into a battle. Where should they go to? Rokkena asked in his heart. They should go to the Wail to see how many soldiers reached the shore. He needs to know the amount of loss. But, he supported the old man and asked the prince to go to Hroshala. He, too, wanted to know what destiny has for his prince. Rokkena was sitting outside a dilapidated building with Stei. Rokkena decided to take the first watch. Stei was looking outside into the darkness. The prince and the others were sleeping inside the building. Rokkena’s thoughts were interrupted by a mighty flash in the night sky. The light revealed the whole area as in daylight. Rokkena felt he saw some creatures staring at them. He looked at Stei. He was staring at them, unmoved. Stei was firm like a rock and Rokkena felt something wrong with his posture. Rokkena gently stood up from his place and walked towards Stei. Rokkena was surprised to know that Stei hadn’t looked back even after hearing the footsteps. Something was wrong. “Stei’” Rokkena called. There was no response. Stei was staring into the darkness as if he was looking intensely at something. “Stei,” Rokkena called again, this time even louder. Stei didn’t even flinch. He hasn’t heard or maybe his gaze is too intense to hear any other sounds. Rokkena looked in the direction of where Stei was gawking. He couldn’t see anything other than the blackness of the night. What was he staring at? Rokkena kept a hand on his shoulder. Stei didn’t move. His shoulders felt rigid and cold. Rokkena tried to shake him from his stance, but he was solid. Rokkena walked in front of him to cover his line of sight and shook him again. He shouted his name loudly. Stei was in a state of trance and became firm and frozen. That’s when the lightning came for the second time. Rokkena saw, Stei’s eyes were open; his pupils were pale as if his eyes were all white. He looked like a stone sculpture. He has a tight grip on his sword. “What happened?” Rokkena heard a sound in front of him. Someone has come to check on them. He saw the person in the grim light of the torch that was fixated on the wall. It was Ahasthi. “I don’t know. Stei has turned solid like a rock and he is not moving. He is not responding to my calls. I don’t think he even knows that I am touching him.” Rokkena replied. Ahasthi got closer to take a look. Stei was rigid as if he was under some spell. “What do we do?” he asked. “I don’t know. Tistara is a dangerous place. Some say it is enchanted and cursed. I think he is under some magic. This whole place is evil.” Rokkena said. He was worried about the safety of everyone, especially the prince. They shouldn’t stay in this place for longer. Ahasthi was also thinking the same. “We should leave this place as early as possible. We shouldn’t be staying here anymore.” “But what about Stei? We can’t leave him like this,” Rokkena asked. Ahasthi thought for a while. “What about the old man you were talking about before? Do you think he is a wizard? Will he be able to help him?” Ahasthi suggested, even though he wasn’t sure. He hadn’t seen the man and he didn’t know anything. Yet, he hoped that man might be of help. “We need to alert others. Get everyone out of their sleep.” Rokkena commanded. “Yes, pradhanya.” Ahasthi went back inside the building. In a few minutes, everyone gathered outside the building and stood around Rokkena and Stei. In the light of the torch, they saw Stei sitting like a stone figure. “We might need the help of the man. I hope he can help us. He may know how to save Stei.” Rokkena looked at Nakhakantan. Only the prince knew where the man was. The other person was Stei, who may never move again. Nakhakantan wore his armor and weapons and was ready to go in search of Garem. “Xeora, you go with the prince. Take Ashviya also with you,” Rokkena said. He didn’t want to trust the night. “Be alert, we don’t know this place and its mysteries.” “It would be better if we sent more men with the prince,” Ahasthi interrupted. “Yes, you are right, Ahasthi.” Rokkena asked four more men to join the prince. “Ahasthi, you and the rest of the soldiers stay here. I must go with the prince.” Rokkena said, as he wore his mail. Ahasthi watched the group disappearing into the darkness. Nakhakantan led the way. He had a torch in his hands. Rokkena walked beside him. Six soldiers silently followed them. They moved in pairs. The place was terrifying in the night. All the buildings were destroyed and covered with wild plants. The pile of rubbles made a ghostly appearance. No one talked as they treaded through the forest of stones. After walking for some time, they reached in front of a giant tree. But the man wasn’t there! Nakhakantan looked at Rokkena’s face. “He was lying there when I first saw him,” Nakhakantan said. “He might be inside one of the destroyed buildings. We should search everywhere.” Rokkena said. They searched the place in pairs, but they couldn’t find Garem. He was nowhere to be seen. They gathered under the tree. “We should go back. I hope we can find him in the morning,” Rokkena said. “I doubt it,” Nakhakantan replied. “I even feel that he wasn’t real.” “What do you mean by that he wasn’t real?” Rokkena was surprised. “I don’t know,” Nakhakantan said as he examined the place. There was no sign of anyone being there. As if the old man had vanished into the air. Rokkena looked at the ground. The prince and Stei told him that he was lying on the ground. The mud was intact as if it had been untouched for a long time. Yet, he wasn’t ready to think that the prince was lying. Something was wrong with this place. “We should move now. This place is cursed. We will go back to the rest of the crew and ride away from here. We should be out of this city as early as possible.” Osena voiced his opinion. He was afraid and everyone knew it from his tone. “He is right,” Nakhakantan agreed. As they turned back to leave, they saw the old man standing near the ruins of a building. “It is him,” Nakhakantan said. He was sure that everyone would see him. Garem walked towards them as he saw the prince. “You are in danger, blue-eyed prince. Someone is trying to harm you. Everyone looked at the man in disbelief. “How do you know?” Nakhakantan asked. “The lightning was sent for you. The creatures that came from the lightning want you,” Garem replied. “It is fateful that one of your men was attacked and not you. The creatures are still lurking around, and before they find you, you must leave.” “Who is trying to harm the prince?” Rokkena asked. “That person has veiled himself. But in time, I will find him.” Garem assured the prince. “Can you save my man?” Nakhakantan asked. “Not inside Shavarath. We have to leave this place. That person is trying to create an invisible wall around Shavarath. He wants to keep you inside this dead city. Before the wall circles around completely, you should be outside its boundaries.” Garem turned around and started walking. Nakhakantan and the others looked at each other. Then they followed Garem’s wobbly steps. Garem walked through the darkness as if he didn’t need any light. Nakhakantan could see Garem in front of him in his torchlight. When he realized that Garem was walking towards the exit, he called out. “We have others waiting for us.” “We don’t have much time,” Garem said. “My men are not too far from here. Our horses are also there. We can travel fast on horses.” Rokkena said. “Yes,” Nakhakantan agreed. “The horses had enough rest and our ride would be faster.” Garem stopped and turned back. He was waiting for them to lead him towards the horses. They moved towards the ancient dilapidated building. Ahasthi and others were waiting for the prince and pradhanya. “Fetch the horses. Mount Stei on a horse and we will ride out of this cursed city at once,” Rokkena told Ahasthi. As Ahasthi brought a horse, four soldiers lifted Stei onto the stallion. He was too heavy. One soldier seated behind Stei and his horse was offered to Garem. They rode swiftly towards the gates of the cursed city. At the gates, they saw some dark silhouettes lurking around guarding the exit. “The creatures are here.” Garem said loudly. He knew they wouldn’t let the prince escape. Rokkena drew his sword and rode in front of the prince. He had sworn to protect the prince with his life. Everyone halted a little far from the creatures. Rokkena threw his torch at the nearby haystack. The stack burned instantly, brightening the whole area. In the light, they saw the creatures. They weren’t too tall. They had human-like bodies covered in scales. They had heads like lizards and long tails with thorns. They had scythes in their hands. Ashviya counted seven of them. “Do they bleed?” Rokkena asked Garem. “Yes, they do.” Garem replied. “You heard the man.” Rokkena turned towards his soldiers. “If they bleed they could die too. They are not immortals. Behind them is the gate to our safety. Let us bleed some curse and ride towards a new dawn.” Rokkena snarled at his men. The soldiers gave the war cry in unison. “Whatever you do, do it fast. More creatures may come soon.” Garem warned. Rokkena selected some of the soldiers, ten including him, and rode towards the creatures. “What are they?” Nakhakantan asked Garem. “Some people call them Mo’o, some call them Squama, but they are known as saurotaurs in the wizard world. They are half human and half lizard. They are fierce creatures born from witchcraft. They were never seen before in Tistara. Someone has summoned them. Their target is you. Someone knows that you are here in Shavarath.” Garem was calm. Nakhakantan knew there was a storm in his heart. No one would possibly know that he was in Shavarath unless someone changed his course to bring him there. But who? He woke up from his thoughts when he heard the clash of iron. Rokkena and his men were fighting against the saurotaurs. He saw the blood splashing from the bodies. Sparks were ignited by the clash of the blades. The sound of the metal and growls and roars added terror to the dreaded night. Nakhakantan wished he could join the battle. Rokkena is over-protective. He may never fight a saurotaur in his life. A hell of a story he could tell his children and grandchildren. No one in Nakha would believe them that they had fought lizard men. That’s when Nakhakantan heard the growls behind him. He turned back to see more saurotaurs running towards them. Nakhakantan drew the Firecrusher out of its scabbard. He rides ahead of his soldiers. The rest of the soldiers other than Garem and the soldier who sat behind Stei rushed behind the prince. The leader of the saurotaurs flashed his long scythe at Nakhakantan. He ducked under the blade and swung the Firecrusher at the saurotaur. When the blade clashed against its scales, it created sparks. Another jumped at him and Nakhakantan thrusted his blade into its heart. Warm blood splashed all over his torso. They do bleed! His first taste of blood and Nakhakantan could feel the rush of blood through his veins. A soldier leaped onto the leader and swung his steel at its neck. The saurotaur didn’t get enough time to sway his scythe. The head flung away from its neck and hit Nakhakantan’s horse. The battle was fierce. One of the swings struck Nakhakantan on his arm, tearing his flesh. The wound wasn’t deep and Nakhakantan managed to pierce his blade into its chest. Another saurotaur hit the horse's head. It lifted its legs and smacked the creature. Nakhakantan lost his stance and fell towards the ground with a thud. The blade was thrown away. More and more saurotaurs were rushing towards them. Rokkena saw the battle. He wanted to rush towards the prince, but he was surrounded by four or five saurotaurs. From the darkness, saurotaurs were rushing towards them. They must have heard the metal clangs and the roars and screams. He wondered whether this battle would ever end. Nakhakantan turned around and looked at the two creatures running towards him. As he watched, another creature split one of his soldiers into half. Both halves fell down on both sides of Nakhakantan. One half was over his blade. He didn’t have time to recover his blade. Nakhakantan unsheathed his favourite sword, Blood. It was a gift from his grandfather when he won his first battle with a wooden sword. He swung his blade against the two squamas running towards him. He turned back to his men. Those two were surrounded by more than ten squamas. There was no way they could beat them. One of the saurotaurs threw a huge rock at the soldiers. As they fell down and lost their swords, the scythes slashed their flesh into pieces. He was outnumbered, Nakhakantan knew. He was alone. All his mates were down and dead. He had only three men with him. Ten men were fighting near the gate. He could hear the snarls all around him. He cannot beat them with a blade in his hands. There wasn’t much to think about. In a flash, he sheathed his blade and kept his hand on the hilt of his Iyoru. As he unfurled the Iyoru he saw so many saurotaurs circling him. This night is going to be long, Nakhakantan thought. When the snarls came closer and the scythes flashed at him, Nakhakantan spun on his feet and swung his Iyoru. The long, flexible, lash-like blade swayed in the air, cutting through his opponents. Snarls turned into screams. Blood splashed into the air. Nakhakantan didn’t stop spinning. He swirled himself on his feet rhythmically as in a dance. The blade flashed in the air, creating zigzag and crisscross motions. None of the squamas were able to reach him. Whoever tried was slashed and ripped. Limbs were torn and blood splattered. Weapons fell on the ground with arms still clutched onto them. Nakhakantan continued his dance until he could hear no more screams. He stopped and looked around. All the saurotaurs were on the ground writhing in pain. He turned back towards the gate. On the horse, Garem, Stei and the soldier guarding him were unharmed. Rokkena and his men were rushing towards the prince for his aid. Rokkena, once he killed all the saurotaurs surrounding him, was running towards the prince. He was taken aback as he saw the prince fighting alone against so many saurotaurs. He had never seen anyone fighting like that. There was no way anyone could survive and yet the prince had prevailed. Two of the soldiers managed to open the gates, and they also came running towards Garem and Stei. “We should hurry.” Garem said. “Let us leave this city.” Rokkena said as he mounted on his destrier. Nakhakantan sheathed the Firecrusher in its scabbard and wrapped his Iyoru around his waist before climbing atop his horse. “Where did you get that blade?” Rokkena asked. “Padman gifted me.” Nakhakantan replied with a smile. He thanked his brother in his heart for the wonderful blade. Thank you Padman. If it wasn’t for this blade, I wouldn’t have survived. I will call it Annihilator for it killed all the saurotaurs who attacked me. “That’s a wonderful gift.” Rokkena admired the flexible blade. “Indeed,” Nakhakantan replied. *****-----*****