The Scaly kingdom

Night Road

“Do you know where we are going? You don’t have another map do you because it would be great if we have one. So, the same thing doesn’t happen.” Sormas whispers to me inquisitively.

“I’ve studied a map, but I happen to leave it back at the village.” I whisper back. Then it dawns on me that both Secrona and Old Scale fell into the sinkhole, and I will never see them again. The flash of depression hits and I must have been staring off into the distance. Once the visions of them both clear and my mind and eyes focus Sormas is standing in front of me waving his hands in my face.

“Hey Selisk, can you hear me?” Sormas said while trying to get my attention. “Where did you go it looked like you were in some far-off place?” he asked while head c****d and staring into my eyes.

“Just thinking if there was some way for us to have saved the village, but it happened so fast.” I exclaimed shaking my head. “What were we talking about. Oh, right the map, the closest village is to the southeast of our.” I gulp hard and shake my head, “Village”. We travel at night sticking to the shadows and avoiding the predators that may attack us on sight. On the second day just before the sun comes up, we spot a cave. More of a hole in the ground but just before we get to the edge of the hole and look into the darkness. A loud screech coming from above a massive bat like creature coming straight at us. We scatter to the sides of the creature claws nearly missing Sharshas. We draw weapons Sormas dagger in each hand, Sharshas axes with curved handles, and I with my bladed staff with many bobbles and bones hanging from the shaft. I look around with my special eyes looking for the density of spirits and to my surprise they are very sparce almost nonexistent. “Keep it busy this might take a while!” I shout at the others as the beast swoops down for another assault. This time baring claws down on me. It gets close but I manage to dodge out of the way with no more than a clipped arm. Just as the beast comes down from the sky Sharshas jumps out and slams his axes into the left side of the creature. The beast lets out a howl of pain as it starts to lift both itself and Sharshas into the air. As it lifts off the ground, I finish the transfer of spirit to Zeon and unleash an invisible shockwave toward the creature and as I watch the shockwave hit a sudden tare rupture onto its chest and blood jaunts forth out of the sudden wound. The creature buckles and falls from the sky coming down with Sharshas in tow. Luckily, he lands on top of the beast. He gets up and pulls his axes out of the creature and looks towards me.

“That is new didn’t know you had that kind of power.” Sharshas calls out of surprise.

“Just figured out how to do it before the whole village thing.” I announce with a proud tone. We are talking while Sormas is skinning and carving out the monster that is before us even cutting the wings off the creature and folding the meat and hide into a leather wrap. “So, Sormas what is this thing anyway came out of nowhere?” I say while moving towards him as he is finishing up his very hurried work.

“We should work our way into the cave and clear out any nasty things that could be hiding inside. As for what this thing is from my knowledge this is not something that lives on the surface. I have never encountered this type of creature before for I have never gone very far from the surface.” He explains to me with a deathly calm look in his face. Then once his work is done turns towards me, “So shall we,” he says with a slight smile and pointing at the hole in the ground.

“Ya, I suppose we can. Let’s see what is instore for us.” We move into the cave slowly trying our best not to make a sound. As we leave the daylight and enter the unyielding darkness that is the cave Sormas lights up a torch to pierce the darkness if even just a little bit. Our claws click across the stone floor heading down at a steep decline into the heart of the cave. Just at the edge of the torch light we notice many eyes glow against the light. As we move closer to the eyes that peer at us, but just as we approach the eyes disappear and I hear footsteps scattering as we approach. Small holes line the wall as the light hits the back wall of the cave. I look around and it seems we are in a small chamber around thirty feet domed roof other than the small holes in the back. I look around trying to get the density of spirits and just like the surface they are very scarce. I mumble to myself, “Well got to fix that.”, and I sit on the ground legs crossed in front of me with blade staff sitting on my legs. I concentrate on my inner Zeon pumping it out into the air. I visualize myself as a beacon touching and calling both far and near spirits to my position. I push my Zeon further and further until I feel my Zeon makes contact and starts to draw spirits to my position and the gathering begins.

“What are you doin?”, Sharshas asks moving close to me as the air gets dense and cold. I finish my ritual and look up at the spirits that I had summoned, and my eyes must have gone wide as the spirits that I have summoned take shape. The spirits take the shape of the grater spirit that belonged to Old Scale. Bringing back a familiar sight my sight becomes blurry as I remember the sight of the glowing female form of the spirit and its warm smile as it hovers just above the ground surrounding it is many spirits and the density of them is overwhelming my vision.

“Hey, what are you looking at? Come on talk to us.” Sormas clearly seeing my hesitation.

“It’s Old Scale’s spirit guardian just appeared after I did my ritual to summon them. Sorry I wasn’t expecting to see her.” I gulp hard still looking at the spirit hovering just in front of me. “Is he still alive?” I ask the spirit with a shaky voice. The spirit’s smile dropped and formed into a sad look while shaking her head no. My head and shoulders slump for some time while I think back at all that he has taught me. After a moment I stiffen my jaw and puff out my chest knowing that what I must do will get the approval of both Old Scale and Secrona.

“You alright? We should get some sleep-in shifts so that we can keep watch for whatever that was.” Sormas announces trying to get Sharshas and my attention.

“I am fine, but you are right we should get some sleep the village is still quite some distance away. We never know what we might find on that journey so let’s be cautious. I will take the first watch just to make sure I can get the jump on whatever enemy might show itself.” I say with a bit more determination. The day goes on and I sit on the stone floor unlike the surface it is cold and ruff a direct contrast to the warm and smooth ground of the village. I spend most of my time during my watch just looking at the guardian spirit as it floats in the air dancing carelessly about as though it knows something, but I lack the magic needed to communicate with such a being. As my eyes start to feel heavy and I slowly begin to nod off to slumber I turn to Sharshas and rouse him awake. He comes to as I whisper to him, “Time to wake it is your turn to take watch.”

“Rah fine fine Ima wake.” He takes the torch from me and goes to stand in the middle of the chamber one axe in hand. My eyes on him obsidian axe shimmering in the torch light. I linger on the axe for a time before the darkness of sleep takes me.

The darkness lightens and the dream hits. A dream that shows me a vast wall made of white stone and gates of metal spikes baring my way. I seem to go through them without any resistance and walk the wide winding road that coils around and circling a single point. I follow the road till it leads to a massive gate of dark wood and metal bands crossing the door. The double doored gate opens at my touch and leads into a long, tall hallway. I follow the hall till I am led to an enormous chamber with a single red rug leading to a great throne of white stone. Around on the pillars that hold up the chamber are many different colored banners with symbols that I do not understand. Standing around the room are incorporeal figures of the Yogoth that were killed in my village mulling around as if with no direction. I look towards the throne and sitting on it is a serpentine figure dressed in the finest robes that I have ever seen. Red with gold trim around the edges making the figures white scales pop brilliantly. I examine the throne more thrilly and that is when I see them the visage of Secrona and Old Scale standing by the figure’s side.

The figure opens its mouth and hisses, “Ah, my herald welcome to my humble abode. As you can see this is the punishment of those who defies me a never-ending enslavement in death. I Sicon have given you power and authority in my name I would hate to have to e*****e such and drain such a powerful asset. Now go and remember I will be watching.”

I spark awake suddenly sitting up startled looking to my two companions. “We must be on our way we are being watched.” I hiss with a sneer in my eye. I look around and stand taking the torch from Sormas and start to move to the entrance of the cave. I get about twenty feet when I feel a tug of a strong grasp on my shoulder. I spin around and look to see what could have gone wrong. It was Sharshas but he isn’t even looking at me. His head pointed in the direction of the way we came. There they are the eyes in the dark reflected by the torch light. They don’t seem to be advancing on our position but staying just outside the light. I scoff, “Just leave them alone. If they are not hostile, then they are not our problem.” I continue to move forward eager to leave this place. We reach the opening to the surface the three moons shining in the clear night sky.

Torch light shining lighting our way I look around and notice that the spirits that I had summoned the day before has been following us. The silence of the night quickly fades to the sound of high pitched screeching and the sound of wings just ahead. I look ahead to where the bat creatures are swarming a large creature. Blood flesh and bone spray out onto the ground as the batlike creatures rip and tare into the large beast. I signal to my companions asking if we should go around and not get involved. Sormas signals back with an arrowed hand in the other palm indicating that we should deal with them so that they don’t attack us from behind. I nod in conformation and look to Sharshas who already had his axes out in each hand. I signal that we should split up and take one for each of us. They nod in agreement and start to move to ether of the flanks of the group.

I move to the left creature, Sormas in the center, and Sharshas to the right. I grab one of the spirits and connect it to my own Zeon and five red black orbs spring from my hands and rush toward the left creatures back it lurches forward as the orbs make contact to its back. It lets out a howl of pain and alert the other two. As the other two become alerted it is too late as Sharshas and Sormas leap forward and strike at the other two. Sharshas leaping onto the right creature slashing down with his axes digging deep into the flesh of its wing taring it to stop it from taking off in flight. Sormas strikes out with his daggers getting up and under the wings of the other one stretching his arms and cutting an X in its chest. The left one tries to take flight but just before it does a long gash appears on the back of the creature and blood burst threw the wound and it lands flat on its face dead. The other two turn to face their enemy and in return meat the gleaming edge of obsidian striking out at them.

Sormas looks about the scene and all of the death and shakes his head. “I can’t carry all of this food, but we should be save for tonight at least.” We move through the barren landscape torch and moon light guiding our way. In the distance just at the edge of my sight I spot a flickering light.

“There it is boys. That is our first destination”, I shout looking at the other two. “What do you think Sormas can we make it by the end of the night?” Sormas follows my pointed finger towards the light and scratches his chin.

“It is about 10 miles out yet from the look of it. We could make it there if we ignore the dangers and go straight there, but we don’t know what sort of dangers lie in wait for us to walk upon them.” Sormas explained quietly. I nod along looking about trying to find if there are any caves that we could stay in.

“If we unexpectedly come up on a village at night we may be attacked. Also, I think that daylight may be safer if those flying things are not out.” I announce deep in thought, “But for now let’s get as close as we can tonight so we are not too tired.” The other two seem to nod in agreement and we set off towards the fire. We travel across the barren wastes sneaking around sleeping creatures and across a ravine until day approaches, we are but a mile or so from the fire. Once we are close by, we spot a patrol of some Yogoth with black scales and great clubs slung over their shoulders. The patrol passes by us with no more than a side eye and scoffs. We pass by them with a nod and approach the gate with pep in our step now that our destination is at hand.

“What is your business.” A voice announces from the wall.