The Guardians' Blade
Chapter Eight - Sapphire Eyes

“Didn’t we just come from here?” Alixa grumbled as they crossed over a bridge on their way back to the Dilbare Plains.

Boar chuckled, glancing over at his Guardian companion in amusement. “Aye we did, but it seems the Drakebare Mountain range is the place we need to be.”

He looked forward, enjoying the warmth of the sun that was seeping through his black surcoat. The weather was still good, though he had noticed as he stared at the mountains looming in the distance how dark clouds seemed to be starting to gather. Was winter to come sooner than expected? They were only in the early days of autumn. After a moment of staring at the clouds Boar finally brought the possibility of foul weather to the attention of his companions.

“I think we are to have storms soon.”

Alixa frowned at Boar and then looked in the direction his gaze was fixed and laughed. “There are always clouds gathering in the north, it’s nothing new.” She turned in the saddle to glance over her shoulder at the others that were riding with them. She had never met such a motley group of people before, or such a mixture of races. To her it seemed highly unusual and a new experience.

“Ain’t yer never seen a Mar’quie before?” The draconic creature nearest her, made Alixa start with its rumbling voice. She realized she had been staring rudely at him. His scales were of a red coloring. He was wearing a simple leather tunic, belted around the waist. He rode his horse like it was second nature, although without a saddle. A saddle would not accommodate his thick tail draped against one leg that added stability. A clawed hand held the reins. It made Alixa’s mind hurt just trying to accept that he existed and was right there.

“Ah, no,” she admitted, quickly turning her head away. She could hear what she guessed was his laughter behind her, though it sounded like softly rolling thunder or growling. Her cheeks flamed with color and then she heard another voice, this one light and musical speak.

“Don’t pay him any mind.”

Alixa turned her head, to see a purple-haired woman had nudged her steed up to ride alongside her so they could speak. “That’s Grong, and I’m Storm.” The woman smiled, holding out a slender hand to her.

Alixa paused, then smiled and took the hand, giving a firm handshake. “Alixa,” she said in response. “I am almost afraid to ask …” as she stared at the woman’s purple colored hair and matching eyes.

“I’m half Krysalith, I am from the Forests of Kilimanjari, to the south of the Lake.”

Alixa nodded. “This will sound stupid but what is a Krysalith?”

Storm laughed. “You surprise me. You come from the far north-west, yes?”

Alixa nodded again, and became silent for a moment. Then she blinked and looked over at Storm. “The forest folk? My cousins knew your kind, though out there you are very hard to find.” She felt like kicking herself. Of course she knew of the Krysalith, but more from folktales, and not from actually meeting one. Storm was the first one she had personally met, even if she was a half-blood.

Storm laughed, amused at the Guardian’s antics. “We are hard to find. Some say that the two forests here are the last pockets of Krysalith forest left to be found. Then there is the saying that we have a homeland across the black sea in the south.” Storm laughed again at the blank look on the woman’s face, before continuing. “So you are to join us on our journey to the Drakebare Mountains?”

“Yes, we have some questions, and answers to be found. We hope the mountains will provide the answers that we seek.” Alixa looked at the woman. “Are the rest of your companions as easy to speak with as you?”

Storm grinned and turned her head, motioning over the others riding with them. “Tarn and Ryu are brothers, they are men of Omar, and the call for adventure runs thick in their blood. Millianyia is over there.” She motioned to an elegant-looking woman with blue braided hair and unusual spots framing the edge of her features. “She joins us when she is able. She is often in Silvaria serving the High King and his young daughter. And Kain who rides next to Sir Krammer is the one who gathered us together. I suppose you could say he is our leader. He lost his entire family to the underlings of the northern Warlords, and has sworn vengeance. He has dedicated his life to finding a way to stop them.” She glanced over her shoulder towards the Mar’quie a moment then continued. “And Grong – well, we stumbled upon him when a sale between him and some men of Omar went sour. Lady Dovelin healed his wounds, and he has journeyed with us ever since.”

“And what about Lady Dovelin?” asked Alixa quietly.

“Lady Dovelin is as mysterious as the wind; she, like Millianyia, joins us on occasion, travelling north to gather information. I do not know much about her, other than she is of the Peacekeeping Order and hails from the Island of Shari.” Storm smiled a little. “We are a mixed crew, but we all work well together, probably doing what most think is impossible in this realm.”

“Why do you say that?” Alixa blinked looking over at the purple-haired woman.

“The Omarians rarely get along with any of the other races in this realm. They want to control all the lands. They own all the land starting from the Dilbare plains down to the Black Sea that isn’t covered in forest. They would dearly love Kilimarjari and Silvaria because of its rich wood resources, but our people have so far kept them from taking those forests.” Storm shrugged, glancing over at Alixa. “It’s a crazy mixed-up world.”

Boar pondered over all that he had overheard and what he had seen. This little pocket of land held some truly mystifying people, unique and different; it was said some of them were not found anywhere else in this world. He took note of the various villages that they passed on the Dilbare Plains that he had not paid mind to on his first journey south before. There seemed to be struggling communities of farmers, trying to make ends meet. It did not seem that life was all that kind to the peasants of Omar. His attention shifted then to the foothills they were entering, with steep slopes and sharp twisting tracks to follow. The foothills of Drakebare were thickly wooded, reminding him of some of the hills back Hymbroli. “So what are we looking for, exactly?” he asked finally, as he nudged his horse up at next to Sir Krammer.

“Anything that looks odd,” was the Guardian’s response. Krammer cast a dark gaze around. “To start with, it seems rather quiet here, don’t you think? Would you not expect to hear birdsong in the trees?”

“I guess,” was the ex-Shadow Warrior’s thoughtful murmur. “Wouldn’t it be best to just ride up to Dilbare Fortress and find out if the rumors are true? To find out if it really has been lost?”

Soryn chuckled softly. “True, but it is best to be cautious. I am hoping that you are learning that particular skill.”

Boar scowled a little. “In time, Soryn,” he grumbled, as he didn’t like being reminded that he was overly reckless at times and not as patient as his mentor.

Krammer’s sharp gaze picked up something moving up ahead. He quickly reined in his horse. “Look there by that tree.” He directed the attention of the rest of the group to where he was pointing and drew in a soft breath. “I’ve seen her before!” He kicked his destrider forward into a canter, wanting to cover ground swiftly. He wasn’t going to lose sight of the strange creature again. She had plagued his mind for days, her sapphire eyes constantly staring at him in his dreams. The girl was crouched by a tree trunk, her attire making her blend in with her surroundings. Her long dark auburn hair hung around her features in a series of decorative braids. She was frowning, as if focused on something intently. As the Guardian drew closer, he saw what it was she was watching, and quickly pulled his destrider up to a rearing halt before hastily dismounting. He could hear the others following and made an urgent signal with a gloved hand for them to stop. Not far from where they stood watching were the shuffling black forms of the cursed Sidhra, following a path that they were wearing into the ground from their continuous trudging. Boar and Alixa crept up beside Krammer and frowned at what they were observing. “Are they going where I think they …”

Krammer shot Boar a look as if to tell him to shut up. The girl shifted away from the tree to slip down the hillside. The Guardians looked at one another before moving to follow her, with Boar ahead of Krammer. “Hello …” Using his Shadow skills Boar appeared abruptly in front of the girl. “I was wond …” But he didn’t get any further than that as the girl reacted with a left hook to the jaw that sent him flying several feet, to slam against a tree trunk before she took off at a run.

“Hey!” shouted Soryn as he followed after her. “Hey! Stop, would you!” he panted as he tried to keep up. “Stop, damn it!” Finally he stumbled to a halt, bent over, hands on knees as he struggled to get his breath. For a moment it seemed as if he had lost the girl. “Damnation,” he muttered to himself, and then he heard the crack of a twig. Lifting his head slowly he found himself looking straight into those sapphire eyes. He was just about to say something to her, when there was a shout of triumph and the girl was tackled to the ground by Boar.

“Gotcha!” A high-pitched shriek escaped the girl, as she wrestled with the Guardian who was trying to pin her down on the ground. Only Boar was not being all that successful.

“Lionheart!” shouted Krammer once he got his breath back, and realized what was going on. “Guardian Lionheart, get off her!” he shouted again. Boar was just about to answer his fellow Guardian when he received another well-aimed punch that sent him flying over Krammer’s head and into the branches of a nearby tree. Soryn slowly turned back to the girl, who was now getting to her feet.

“It’s alright, everything is alright. I mean you no harm.” He saw her glare accusingly at Boar who was dangling upside down from the branches several feet off the ground and was struggling to get down. “Yes, well … I can’t talk for him, obviously,” Soryn grunted, before looking back to the girl who was dusting herself off. “Do you have a name?” he persisted. The girl paused and looked at him. Seeing this as a sign, he pointed at himself, and sounded out his name slowly and carefully. “Soryn Krammer.” Then he pointed at her, motioning for her to speak. He pointed at his chest several times to try to get the message across.

“You might as well forget it. It seems she doesn’t understand a word we are saying,” drawled Boar who had finally managed to extricate himself from the tree, though that meant falling to the ground on his head. Alixa by now had joined them and was quietly laughing at Boar’s antics. Behind her were the Rangers, all looking on curiously and with mild amusement. Boar was dusting himself down when the girl spoke as if in defiance of what he had just said.

“Serraria.”

The Guardians looked at one another than back at the girl. “Nice to meet you, Serraria.” Soryn carefully drew near, holding out a gloved hand towards her. After a few moments of hesitation she slowly smiled and took the offered hand in a firm handshake. Krammer winced. When he drew his hand back, it felt as it had been crushed in a giant’s grip. He flexed his fingers a few times. She certainly was not of this world.

“What’s the matter?” asked Boar as he strode up to stand next to him. “She squashed your hand?” He was rubbing his chest. The girl had quite a kick on her.

“Not at all. Maybe you should learn to fly?” came Krammer’s retort, noting the twigs and leaves tangled in Boar’s hair.

Alixa, meanwhile, was speaking to the girl, while the men argued. “Do you come from around here?” She was taking a guess that the girl came from one of the Dilbare Plain villages.

Serraria watched Alixa closely as she spoke then shook her head. “No,” she said, but didn’t elaborate. Her attention was then drawn to the Lady Dovelin who was approaching with Kain. She offered a bright smile to them both as she recognized the lady in white from the Inn. “Hello, I am Serraria. And you are …?”

Dovelin had to smile in return – there was something about this girl. She inclined her head in greeting and responded. “I am Lady Dovelin and this is Kain.” She motioned to the man, who was staring at the girl suspiciously. “What are you doing up here in the hills?”

“Watching the cursed ones,” Serraria tilted her head slightly as she regarded these people. “They come from the mountains in small groups, and raid the villages by night. I do not like them.”

Krammer frowned at this news. “Raid the villages at night?”

“No wonder the people of the villages look so desolate and poor,” put in Alixa softly. She sighed a little. “Then it’s begun. The Wolf King is already invading.”

“But they do not stay.” Boar frowned, as he looked at Alixa. “What sort of an invading party raids and then goes away?”

“It’s a means to weaken the plainsmen,” interrupted Serraria. She turned and started back down the mountainside. “When they are too weak to fight back they will die or be taken away.”

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Kain started after the girl, reaching to grab her tunic and jerk her to a halt. “And how do you know what’s going on?”

Serraria turned her head to stare up at him, those sapphire eyes narrowing into glittering slits. “Because I have been watching.” Then her hand shot out, slamming a palm into his chest, sending Kain flying through the air to land with a grunt on his back amidst a pile of leaves. Serraria lightly dusted herself off while the others stared.

Krammer cleared his throat. “Well, Serraria, we would be most happy if you would join with us. We would appreciate your assistance greatly.”

Serraria looked carefully at the group of people, would she be able to keep up her ruse, and hide the truth about herself? The man she had recently knocked off his feet was suspicious and he had every right to be. She shifted in the leaves and offered them all a smile as she clasped hands behind her back. She would have to watch herself, but this gave her a chance to study these people closely, as they represented all of the races within this particular realm. “Very well I will join you.” Came her answer. She then smiled and moved to follow them to where they had left their horses, and was introduced to everyone than. She immediately felt welcome amongst them. Especially by the kind Lady Dovelin who seemed to almost see right into her soul. She made the mental note to be careful around her, as she felt the Peacekeeper had more knowledge of the races and lands than any of the other’s. She climbed up into the saddle of her horse and then stared at the beasts of the Guardian’s, clearly able to note huge differences between that of her own and those mounts. Those beasts were built for war, from the long muscular legs, the large broad bodies, the curling horns on either side of their heads, and the cloven hooves. While they looked much alike to a horse, at the same time they seemed a species apart. “Where did you get those?” She asked Krammer, pointing at his Destrider.

“We breed them in our homelands. They are a specific war horse, and there is only one kind of breed like them.” He explained with a light smile upon his features. Serreria continued to stare and even noted how the Destriders could easily out stride all the other horses in the party. The Guardian’s had to hold their animal’s back, or they would leave everyone behind. She smiled a little as she rode along with them. She felt she had made good contact this time, and it was with the same party she had seen back at that Inn.

Rakkath was perched in a tree. Perhaps it was luck that he happened to be here on this particular day, as he had been surprised at seeing the Sidhra actually making their way down into the hills and onto the plains, via routes he knew off. They did so in small groups, raided and then retreated. A tactic the Wolf King had never been known for; but Rakkath had to wonder if it was all part of the plan that the Warlord was slowly setting into motion. On this particular day he witnessed a rather odd girl child and her meeting with some Guardians and a group of other travelers. Everything that she did appeared strange to him. Then he remembered Dargoth’s words. Licking his lips he had waited, and his heart thumped in his chest when he overheard her speaking her name. So that was the creature Dargoth was obsessing over? She didn’t look like much, just a girl barely close to getting into her womanly years. Perhaps Dargoth had the wrong girl, but at the same time everything the girl did, her unbelievable strength and arrogance, caused him to realize that maybe she was the one. When the group moved off with the girl he had quickly climbed down from the tree he had taken sanctuary in, and set off to follow them. He now had to figure out a way to be included in their band so that he could get close to the girl. That shouldn’t be too difficult with the Sidhra around. A little smile formed upon his dark lips as a plan took shape within his mind.

“Enjoying yourself, Rakkath?” An arm shot out and hit the Dark Krysalith, causing him to slam to the ground stunned and winded. Before he could move to get up, his attacker was on top of him with a knife pressed to his throat. He blinked amber eyes and recognized the pale face of the woman Malificant hidden within the hood that she wore.

“What do you want?” he hissed, while grappling with her, trying to break her grip on the knife. “I don’t recall the king arranging for me to be injured.”

“I just want to make sure that you remember why you’re here.” The woman smiled coldly, refusing to get off him though he made attempts to buck her off. She pressed the cold steel closer against his flesh, drawing a fine red line as she did so. “Just because you are here in this land of freedom does not mean you are free of our Lord’s grip or command. So don’t get any bright ideas.”

Rakkath grunted before a hand shifted free and he punched her hard, dislodging her from her position on top of him. Quickly he jackknifed onto his feet and drew his sword, placing the tip to her throat as she struggled to get up. He waged a finger at her. “Stay put.” When he was satisfied she was going to remain sitting on the ground, he quickly kicked her knife aside. “I have no desire to change my allegiance any time, now or in the future. I suggest you learn a thing or two about trust and loyalty, my dear.”

“I don’t trust anyone,” she hissed. She sat on the ground glaring up at the Dark Krysalith.

“Then that is your problem and not mine.” He withdrew his blade and sheathed it smoothly. “But don’t do that again. If you do I will kill you, no matter the consequences.” He turned his head, his gaze searched the area quickly before looking back at her. “And you may have ruined what chance I had to get close to the girl.” He gave her a mocking bow before he ran off amongst the trees.

Malificant slowly got up to her feet, dusting herself down as she watched the Dark Kryalith hurry off. “Not quite ruined it, but be careful of the games you play.” Snapping robes closed around her she vanished from where she had been standing.

Rakkath barely heard her words, as he quickly slipped down to where he had last seen the company and dropped to one knee to inspect the ground. A gloved hand softly tracing the deep indentations that were left behind by the Destrider’s cloven hooves. They would be easy to track, which was lucky for him. He then set off running lightly in their wake, keeping his eyes and ears open for any Sidhra in the area at the same time. As he knew that there was a heavy presence of the creatures in the mountains now. And beyond their master’s will, they followed only the simplest of orders. Which meant they would attack anyone who got in their way.

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