The final lights of the day shone on the verdant fields of the Daiko Hills, lighting the path of the small party as they rode on. They've been heading in their direction for nine days and eight nights. They spent most of their days exchanging anecdotes about their lives, giving each other stories about the past seven years spent separated from each other. During the night, Nyr would join in and would recall events of his past, telling tales about the thousands of years that The Spear had spent fighting for this continent's well-being. Sometimes, monsters such as Trihorned Bull and Earth Golems would cross their path, and they'd either avoid conflict or engage with minimum strength required.
On the eve of their ninth night, the small group was climbing a broad hill. Nyr, who was perched on Aklas's shoulder, was answering the two brothers' questions.
"What do you make of the prophecy?" Asked Talj. "I know no magic can create actual prophecies, but you have to admit that its content is similar to multiple events The Spear had gone through."
"I do admit that the matter of this prophecy is quite peculiar, young one." Nyr replied. "And believe me, I've spent aeons dissecting its content. But the truth is, I'm as clueless as you. Every plausible hypothesis I would explore either ended up being proven false or impossible to prove."
"For example?" Asked Aklas.
"For example, I once theorized that the prophecy was not an actual prophecy." Nyr answered. Noticing the confused gazes he was met with, he went on: "Talj, what meal do you crave more than anything."
"Lamb stew." Talj replied. "But specifically when it's Xara that makes it."
"Perfect." The Night Eagle said. "Now imagine right now, you were offered a choice of three meals: A raw egg, a salad and your beloved's charming stew, would I be wrong to say you'd choose the stew?"
"No you would not." Talj answered.
"And thus is my point: I have successfully predicted your choice based on knowledge I know about you and foresaw your actions without relying on magic."
"But that's different." Aklas commented. "In here, you've made a guess based on simple information, not predict hundreds of years of history through a complex message."
"And what I'm saying is that the prophecy may just be what you said: An educated guess based on a massive source of knowledge." Nyr replied. "Enhancement Magic has the ability to strengthen the cognitive abilities of one's mind. Imagine if someone could see and hear everything on this continent for merely minutes, and somehow grasp all that information. Wouldn't they be able to predict with some accuracy events that have yet to unfold."
"But surely a power like that cannot exist, right?" Aklas asked.
"I'm afraid I cannot answer this, young one." Nyr sighed. "If only I knew who exactly is behind that prophecy, then maybe I could enlarge my view on it."
"It doesn't have a proper source..?" Talj asked, his voice lower than usual.
"Over a hundred and fifty years ago, The Spear had found an old text written on the wall of ruins beneath the Bandead Forest. We do not know who is the author behind them, but we knew the fortress aged long enough to have seen The Collapse. It probably used to be a hideout. The poem spoke of many things. The rise of Koronus, the resistance of Torm, the foundation of The Spear... And its fall. It warned that the people would come to loath The Spear, and that it'd suffer blow after blow until a 'wound from the inside would fester and cause its fall' as it put it. The rest you already know about."
"And you still believe it to be a very educated guess?" Aklas asked with doubt in his voice.
"You're free to prove me wrong whenever you manage to." Nyr answered. "It was but one hypothesis in a sea of many theories I could not link to reality."
As they continued their discussion, the small group reached the top of the hill. The orange lights of dusk still haven't withered and brought light to their next destination. Aklas pointed afar and said:
"There it is. The Magnum River. From what I see, we'll probably be there tomorrow in the early afternoon."
"Hey, look over there." Talj nodded to his right.
Afar, about half an hour away by foot, the party could see the lights of many torches drew a strange shape in the dark.
"An outpost?" Talj asked.
"Not by the looks of it." Aklas's eyes blazed in a mysterious golden glow. Talj sensed that his brother was using a spell. "There are people, some seem to be tied up."
It's probably a spell that enhances his sight. Talj deduced. It makes sense, he's probably used to a more stealthy form of combat compared to me.
Nyr flew off Aklas's shoulder, most likely to have a better view of what lied ahead of them. The hunter squinted his eyes, enumerating what he could see:
"I think it's a bandit camp. Or rather a ruined bastion where bandits settled in. They seem to be wearing leather equipment. I cannot see the full camp from this angle."
Nyr returned from his expeditions. He settled on the ground in front of the two men and reported:
"Brigands. Thirteen of them. Two of which seem to be mages. They don't seem like professional racketeers, but by the looks of their clothes and crates, they are not unfamiliar with the world of heist."
"And the prisoners?" Asked Talj.
"Five, all of which seemed younger than you." Nyr answered. "From what I heard, they mean to sell them as slaves."
After staring at the fiery dots illuminating the horizon, the two young men wondered what was the best way to face this unexpected obstacle.
"Can we get around them unnoticed?" Aklas asked.
"You don't mean to leave those people alone, are you!?" Talj exclaimed.
"A fight may cause a commotion, and attract monsters, or worse The Dali." Aklas answered in an unsettling calm. "Not to mention that we are wanted criminals ourselves. Anyone who sees us and knows of our whereabouts may become a threat in the future."
"There are innocent lives in there!" Talj was dumbfounded by Aklas's logic. "Are you saying you don't mind letting them die, or get used for whatever sickening plans those bandits have for them, just to survive?"
"We are already trying to save the continent. Our mission mustn't be compromised." The hunter's voice was impassive.
"And who are we to decide who gets to die and who gets to live in the complex chain of events of our world?" Talj refuted. "Are we to let people suffer just for our own opinion on what's best for Ylbunish? We don't control lives, so we've no right to dismiss them and consider them resources!"
"I don't deny that we're in no position! But look at the bigger picture! If we use our magic in the middle of nowhere the Dali may get alerted! What will you do when you'll have to deal with professionally trained mages and not just a bunch of outlaws?"
"Look at the bigger picture? We're here to save the continent you say, but what good is our salvation if it's not to protect its well-being! Do you want to save a broken world or a peaceful one?"
"Enough you two." Nyr snapped. "I understand that the matter is sensitive, but we do not have the luxury of time to discuss different philosophies. While I understand your concern Aklas, our morals are too fallible to see all ends. We are to treat all lives as they deserve, not as our subjective views dictate, this is the only way where our hearts become devoid of taint and don't lead us to the pain of an oppressor's life."
"So... I'm right?" Talj asked. "Wow, I don't get that often."
"Only partly, young one." Nyr answered. "Aklas's worries aren't without sense. We're in the middle of the Daiko Hills. A commotion is sure to attract a nearby patrol. Even if this road is rarely used by The Dali, remember that we are most likely tailed."
"What do you suggest?" Aklas asked.
"We deal with the matter with efficient haste and discretion."
Upon hearing the Night Eagle's words, Talj squinted his eyes at the horizon. The sun was now fully set, letting darkness settle on the hills.
"I have an idea." He declared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sasha's heart was beating in her chest like a monster trying to break out of its cage. She's been roughly transported to this camp from her home in Teebeh, alongside the other four captives. She didn't know their names, for they rarely allowed them to speak. They fed them the bare minimum needed to survive. Not that they needed much food since they transported them on a wooden chariot.
After some days spent on the road, they had arrived that morning in this ruined bastion where they laid camp to rest for the day, her worries grew deeper as she heard her abductors' talk:
"What do they need with them anyway?" One of them asked.
"Hell if I know. The client paid us to get them young specimens, and so we did. That's all we gotta know." Another replied.
"Yes, but aren't you a bit curious?"
"Not really. I do what I'm paid for and enjoy the reward."
"Oh, but we can enjoy our time before getting the reward." The first one had said, giving Sasha a wicked grin heavy with implications.
Sasha had gulped, hoping that she understood the thug's word wrong. Fortunately -Or maybe unfortunately- what seemed to be their leader interfered.
"They are not to be harmed. The client insisted on that." He had told them. "And he made sure to pay for it."
"And how would they know their playthings were already used?" The other had replied, without wearing off his grin. "Come on, boss, no need to be a kill joy."
"Enough! This specific client is not the kind of person to take lightly. If we don't deliver the goods exactly as they wished, we're not living to see another day."
"Fine." The thug raised his hands and went away. But once away from his captain's sight, Sasha had seen him conjure a knife and mime at her with it. A threat that had haunted her.
Now, many hours after that conversation had happened, after a long day aching in an uncomfortable position tied around a stone pillar alongside the other victims, Sasha's hope has completely diminished. Her tears had long dried.
Goodbye mom. Goodbye dad. I'm sorry I won't be able to make it home today...
The high pitched scream of an eagle echoed from the sky. Sasha slowly lifted her head and narrowed her eyes. A bird was now sitting on top of a half destroyed wall, eyeing the scene, probably uncaring about the atrocities that laid right below it.
A few meters away, sitting beneath the remnant of the roof, backs on the walls, two thugs looked up.
"You see that?" The first one -Sasha recalled his name was Klepta- pointed upward.
"What about it?" The second -A bulky man with dark hair- replied.
"It's a blue eagle."
"And..?"
"How many blue eagles do you know!?" Klepta's face deformed in a stressed expression.
"How should I know? Do I look like I'm going bird watching every Sunday?"
"No you moron! Didn't you hear!? They say in the past few years there's been a blue eagle flying around, and all outlaws die at its passage."
Dark hair blurted a loud laugh and answered:
"Come on, Klepta! You really believe these stories!?"
"But it's true! Remember what happened to Zaya's group last year? They said a blue eagle was seen in the Yayema Forest and, in the same afternoon, they all died."
"Yeah, yeah. Wouldn't be the first time you imagine these things." His companion snorted. "Last month, you asked us to not steal people's belongings on a full moon because we'd get cursed."
"But-"
"Oh for crying out loud, here!"
The dark haired man got up, took a stone and tried to throw it towards the bird. This one screeched a very brief cry before dodging the projectile with ease.
Sasha watched it fly away, a strange look in her eyes, before coming back to the same spot. She didn't know much about eagles, but she couldn't help but think that this one behaved strangely, as if it was actually interested by the group of bandits.
The bulky thug threw another rock at it. The bird flew away and, this time, let out a very strange sound. It gave away a series of chitters, before flying away in the darkness.
"You shouldn't have done that!" Klepta said. "Now it will come back to haunt us."
"Oh no..." The other one mockingly replied. "It shall shit on us in our sleep! Whatever can we d-"
In that specific moment, the whistling sound of an arrow raced right between them, planting the dart in a thud on the wall."
"What the!?"
"Oh no... No no no!" Klepta started to panic. "I told you not to bother it!"
"Get on your feet you dimwit and sound the alarm! We're under attack!"
Soon, the entire camp was on ebullition. Torches swayed the obscurity from all directions. The brigands raced in front of Sasha's fearful eyes. Some bandits climbed ladders into high platforms the ruins offered to try and get as much vantage as they could.
Please... Whoever you are... Get us out of here.
Another arrow darted right in the middle of the camp.
"What the fu-"
"It came from over there!"
They all gathered in a spot behind Sasha, where she couldn't see what was happening. All she could do was imagine the scenes through whatever her ears picked. Another shot could be heard and many footsteps followed.
"Look there!" One of them exclaimed.
"Get back here!"
"You morons, don't just dive in blindly! He's luring you in the darkness!"
Sasha's mind raced. This was an opportunity she may not have in the future. She tried to look around, hoping to find anything that could help her escape.
And that's when the entire ruins blazed with light.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From what Aklas could see, Talj's plan was working flawlessly. He had activated his main enhancive spell: Scrying Mind. It consequentially improved his hearing and sight, allowing him to pick up sounds from a great distance, seeing in the dark and much more. However a spell this complex and powerful came with conditions, the main one being that he could not use any other spells while Scrying Mind was active.
Which is why he had shot real arrows instead of conjuring his darts like he usually did. He needed to keep an eye on the bandits. Not to harm them, because Aklas couldn't take the risk of them taking their prisoners hostage. No, Aklas's true task was to gather them in one spot.
And Talj would do the rest.
"So, let's see it again." His brother had said when he explained his plan. "Nyr will go on ahead to distract them and keep an eye on them while Aklas and I position ourselves oppositely. Aklas will have to direct their movements with his arrows and, when they're all together in one place, show himself to get their attention and, when they're far enough from the captives, I'll unleash Binding Light."
"Are you sure that spell will keep them in place?" Aklas had asked.
"Well I never tried it on more than ten targets before but it's worth a shot."
"Alright then." Aklas smiled. "I trust you to have my back, little brother."
"That's dangerous, big brother, considering I wouldn't trust myself to have my back."
And now, about half an hour later, just as the bandits stepped out of the ruins' perimeters to follow him, Aklas heard their captain's order to fall back. However, it was too late. Talj's spear rained on them and multiple lightning bolts spread around it, covering the ground with a cacophony of thunder flashes snaking in their ardent blue light like a spider with too many legs. The effects of the spell were instantaneous. The bolts reached out to the thirteen victims and stole a cry from them all.
Their faces were ones of extreme pain as they staggered on their feet, barely able to move. The lightning strike paralyzed their movements and filled them with vertigo. Soon, Aklas saw Talj Ghost Burst behind the enemies and reaching the prisoners. His hood was on, probably to cover his face, and his long cloak offered him a camouflaging advantage.
Not for long, though.
Aklas stepped out of his hiding spot and ran at the camp. He strode past the enemies, leaped off a small wall and joined his brother.
"How long will they stay put?" He asked him, helping him untie the prisoners.
"A bit less than a minute." Talj said. "However the dizziness that'll give them will probably last for an hour, so we're good."
Aklas nodded, his expression neutral. He was used to not showing emotions and conserving all his strength in critical situations. As they cut off the rope, they soon realized helping the prisoners get up would be much more difficult than planned.
They probably were tied for a long time. Aklas thought. Their muscles must hurt a lot, and they'll need time to adjust.
"Young ones, on your right!" Nyr, who was perched upward, warned them.
Talj and Aklas shot up from their squats, the former summoning his weapon back. Two bandits, the captain, a broad man with grey hair, and a skinny but long man with a heinous smile, approached them massaging their necks.
"Well well... What do we have here?"
Shit! I forgot there were two mages among them.
"Seems like we found ourselves a fortune boys." The captain grinned in an ugly smile. "Two young men, one white haired with a spear and the other with a bow. When I heard about it in Teebeh a week ago I didn't think much of it, but I didn't expect to run into them while on business."
"Oh come on!" Talj exclaimed. "First in Rolmea and now here? How's information going around this fast!? Is there anyone in this continent who doesn't know who we are?"
"Why do you complain? Lots of people want to be famous." Aklas said nonchalantly with a shrug.
The thief let out a large laugh before saying:
"You're a funny bunch!"
"I reckon you won't let us go since we're all outlaws here, right? You know, honor among thieves?" Talj asked.
I can feel his smugness under his hood. Aklas thought.
"Not a chance in the world. Your bounties are so high it almost makes me jealous. Besides, you're ruining my merchandise." The captain added, nodding at the prisoners who were fearfully hiding behind their two saviors.
"Well I tried." Talj said before nodding at Aklas.
The hunter didn't need another warning. He armed his bow with a conjured arrow, aiming at the captain's leg but his target skillfully avoided it.
He's agile for his size. Must be an Enhancive Spell.
Talj summoned the winds and leaped above the captain and landed in front of the other bandit.
"Greetings, my good sir! Please stand still as I kick your ass!"
Aklas paid them no further attention, focusing on his own fight. His opponent glared his teeth in a cheeky smile as he pulled a long axe from his back.
Let's see. Arrogant, big but fast, his magical level doesn't feel that high but his control over his spells seem good. I can deal with that.
Aklas shot a set of three arrows at the bandit. The captain deflected the first and dodged the second but the third found its target.
"ARGH!" He screamed at his bleeding shoulder. "YOU PIECE OF-"
The insult died in his throat as Aklas fired another dart. Right before loosening the cord however he muttered a chant, changing the purpose of the projectile. The arrow landed between his target's feet and flashed in a strong light. Aklas was very fond of that attack, because it was his mom who taught it to him when he was seven.
Even in death, you look out for me.
Its effects were simple, but deadly: Upon impact with any surface, the arrow would cause a shockwave all around it. It was no easy spell to master, if performed too slowly the arrow could easily burst in the shooter's bow and turn against its caster, and if the mage was too hasty with it the dart would vanish before reaching its target.
His opponent lost grip on his weapon and fell to the ground. Right as they got up, Aklas was already on him. The hunter jumped, passed his bow around the captain's neck, and, while strengthening himself and his weapon with magic, performed a flip mid-air, lifting the outlaw from the ground and sending him to fly above him. Slamming violently on the hardened stone terrain.
Aklas readied himself as his opponent got up on his feet, multiple scars and bruises on his body. The captain spit multiple broken teeth and gave Aklas a look full of hatred.
"You're going to fucking pay for this!"
"You sure cuss a lot." Aklas replied in a calm tone, his expression still emotionless. "Don't forget to wash your mouth before kissing your mom."
The insult landed. His foe dashed forward, fist ready. Aklas rolled to the side and shot an arrow at his knee. The captain raged a heinous cry, raising one hand. Aklas could feel that he was preparing to cast a spell. Slowly, fire gathered on his palm, growing slowly into a blazing fireball the size of a large watermelon. The hunter could feel that his foe was putting all his energy into this strike.
"I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR ALL THE-"
The thief would never get to finish his sentence. The spell died on his hand and the expression on his face went blank before he fell on the ground. Aklas congratulated himself with a smile. The first arrow shot at his enemy's shoulder was aiming at the subclavian artery, and the fall he had experienced after worsened the wound.
His body should collapse in the next minute. Aklas thought.
His brother joined him. Talj, his hood now off his face, whistled as he slowly walked past the body and walked to Aklas's side. The hunter was relieved to see that he too was unscathed.
"That was quite the show." The blacksmith said.
"You... Were watching?"
"Yes. I wanted to see what you were capable of."
"What about your opponent?" Aklas asked before glancing in the direction where Talj was fighting. To his surprise, he found Bolt and Tempest sitting obediently next to the corpse of the mage Talj was against.
Did he let his summons handle all the fight?
"Despite my efforts the guy refused to simply stay down." Talj said. "He had some sort of immunity to lightning and was too sturdy for wind magic to be effective. Didn't want to kill him outright but he was heading for the prisoners so I let the wolves have their fun."
"Right." Aklas answered. "Speaking of the prisoners, we should probably check on them."
Talj brought his hood back to his face and the two of them headed towards the captives. They were all curled in a corner, fear plastered on their faces. Talj adopted a gentle tone:
"Hey there. No need to be scared anymore. Those bad guys got taken care of."
But his words were to no avail. The young smith raised his hands in a peaceful gesture and tried again:
"We mean no harm, don't worry. We're here to help."
Slowly, the prisoners started to ease up. One of them, a young girl, spoke up in a weak broken voice:
"Th-thank you."
Talj nodded compassionately. Aklas slightly tapped his brother's shoulder and, as he leaned back to listen, whispered:
"Talj, what do we do with them? We obviously can't hand them to the authorities, but they look way too weak to be left alone in nature."
"Aye. Not to mention the eleven other idiots who'll wake up later."
Talj and Aklas got lost in thoughts, trying to solve the dilemma that just presented itself.
"We can stay with them for the night." Talj suggested.
"No. If we linger here the Dali may catch up to us."
"Do you have a better solution?"
Aklas frowned at the question then sighed. Talj was right, it was a risk to take. They were planning on camping not too far anyways.
"Alright." The hunter finally said. "Let's hope we didn't make enough noise that'd attract unwanted attention."
"You there." Talj addressed the captive who had thanked him earlier. "Would you mind coming here for a moment?"
The young woman clumsily advanced, a timid expression on her face.
"What's your name?" Talj asked.
"Sa-Sasha." The captive replied.
"Okay Sasha. Here's what we're going to do. Take all your friends and find yourself some food. I'm sure the bad guys kept some yum-yums somewhere in a crate. After that get comfortable and try to rest, we'll stay here tonight to let you off safely tomorrow, okay?"
Sasha weakly nodded and Talj smiled at her as she turned back to return to her group. Talj and Aklas turned away and walked out of the camp.
"You didn't have to talk to her like she was a kid, you know." Aklas commented.
"I couldn't help it." Talj answered. "I just wanted to make sure they feel safe."
As they exited the ruins, they found Nyr near the bodies of the bandits on the ground, keeping a close eye on them. They were still in stupor from Talj's previous spell.
"What do we do with them?" Talj asked.
"We could kill them, to avoid any bad surprises."
"They're already defeated." Talj replied.
"And when they'll wake up you think they will simply comply?" Aklas refuted.
"We killed their boss, and they're still under shock. Psychologically, they should feel dejected. Let's disarm and tie them first, then when they wake up we'll see what to do with them." Talj suggested.
Aklas nodded at the solution. Nyr flew away from the scene and told them:
"I'll go check on the prisoners. You younglings make sure these whippersnappers behave."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talj was sitting in front of the new prisoners. They had found many sturdy ropes in the supplies around the ruins and decided to separate them in two groups and tied their hands and legs together before linking them in a circle. The captives they had rescued were now asleep behind a small wall, on the opposite sides of the ruins. Resting peacefully under the watchful eyes of Aklas and Nyr.
Slowly, the bandits started waking up. Talj gave them some time to shake off their grogginess before clearing his throat. When he got their attention, their first instinct was to get up in a flinch, only to realize that they were fastened in their place.
"What's going on!?"
"Who are you!?"
"Where's our boss!"
Talj, without answering, took their chief's axe that he had recovered from his body and threw it in front of him.
Silence ensued. The thieves' eyes widened in disbelief, unable to accept that their leader was dead. Soon, fear followed. Faces went pale and sweaty, as they slowly eyed the hooded man hiding half his face in front of them.
"Your leader is dead." Talj declared in an authoritarian tone. "And there's nothing you can do about it. Wobble in fear, insult me... I don't care. Now, the real question is: Who here is ready to join him?"
One of the brigands gulped loudly.
Good, it seems they're not mindless fearless idiots after all. Talj thought to himself.
"Please spare us!" One of them suddenly pleaded.
"Let us go, I'm begging you!"
Talj frowned. He expected some fear, but he didn't plan for such submission.
Aren't they dangerous outlaws?
Talj scanned their faces. Most of the outlaws still wore expressions that seemed somewhat defiant and fierce. But some of the prisoners seemed on the verge of tears.
"I... I got into this business only because I had no way to feed myself!" One of them declared, his voice shaking with fear. "When I got released from prison, no one wanted to hire me! No one except the boss! I had to find a way to live, and no one wanted to see past my previous mistakes! Please! I know it doesn't make up for what I did but please, give us a chance!"
"Me too!" A woman added. "The boss gave me a life when nobody did! Not even my fucking parents! I just wanted to belong somewhere-"
"Shut up, you traitors!" One shouted. "You think you get to walk away just cause your lives are as miserable as your pathetic selves!? Shame on you! If you had any respect for the boss, you'd be willing to avenge him or die trying!"
Talj, however, didn't pay attention to the racket in front of him. His mind was wandering beyond the scene that played. He was unsettled. Not by the brigands' tales, but by his understanding of them.
I just wanted to belong somewhere! The girl had said.
Talj was way too familiar with that feeling. When your life is beyond your control to the point where you're forced to live under circumstances you didn't choose. He always had wondered what would have happened if it wasn't Shaja who had found him, abandoned in a basket in a street in Saselia. Would he have to train ever since his youngest age? Would he have ever met Aklas? Who would have found him? A family? A bunch of thugs like the ones that were now quarreling in front of him?
And even after he had started to get comfortable that his life in The Spear was not so bad, that it could have been way worse, he was then thrown out and forced to choose another life again. An endeavor where the past was always with him, forcing him to adopt an alias and a new craft. A life where he could not fully settle in because of the Sword of Damocles that hung over him. The prophecy. A reminder that he was betraying his old home, and that his new one could also crumble as rapidly as The Spear. No matter how much effort he had put, he was always on the run, looking for a place to call his own, a family to keep, a life to have.
And just when he was about to convince himself to let go and finally move on. To have a wife and maybe start a family, his life was taken from him yet again. A simple word that all living beings shared: A life. And Talj was always looking for one, searching and searching.
And in the end, he belonged nowhere.
"Hey?" The concerned voice of Aklas brought him back to reality. "Is everything alright?"
"Oh, huh?"
"Heh... You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Oh, yeah... The prisoners!" Talj remembered.
"Took care of that when I saw you daydreaming deeply."
Talj glanced at the now sleeping -in very uncomfortable positions- prisoners.
Just how long have I been lost in thoughts?
"Go to sleep, little brother. You seem to need some rest, I'll take the first watch turn."
"Yeah... Thanks. Goodnight Aklas."