The Exodus Sagas: Book I - Of Spiders And Falcons (56 page)

“I don’t know, I could not see it. It is near Lavress, whatever it is.” Shinayne felt the hard beating rhythm of the gray gladiators heart, pounding slowly through his muscle and hide that her face lay against. Then he pushed her back gently, staring at her weapons, then at her, then back to her blades.

“What is it?” she sniffled, looking down, then backing up, eyes wide and full of fear. Her longblade was held in perfect grip, yet her off hand curved shortblade was held in reverse grip, pointing down to the deck. Shinayne had never held a weapon in the improper fashion before, that style was for assassins and...her thoughts stopped.

“
The Nadderi
.” Shinayne closed her eyes, saying a prayer for Lavress, certain she knew what drew him away and what was about to happen. Her tears rolled again, feeling fear for her lover, and for the killer that she had faced and failed to stand against blade to blade. She wished she could be there, right now, for maybe together they could kill the Nadderi swordsman, but neither could do it alone. There were some things Shinayne was sure of, and with all her heart, she hoped this time she was wrong. The men lost interest, having no reason to watch the elf and the minotaur stand in silence on the bow of the Bronze Harpy. The waves crashed in the Carisian Sea, and in her heart, she stood against them simply pleading with Siril to protect Lavress, in silence.

Saberrak had vague understanding of what was going on, but if she was having any sort of premonitions about the wicked elf they had met, he understood her fear. His heavy breathing brought her comfort, so he remained still, not knowing really what else he could do for the elven woman. It annoyed him to see her upset, and that was the first time in his life that he could admit that he cared for someone in any way. Saberrak the gray thought it best to keep that to himself.

Lavress I:V

Temple of the Whitemoon, Chazzrynn

Kendari smiled at the form of the satyr in the fetal position, blood running from his gut and mouth, pooling on the white stones set in the courtyard of the sacred circle of the temple of the Whitemoon. His moaning and whimpering brought pleasure to his ears mixed with the fey melody that rose from under the stone steps leading to the secret shrines, to all that he hated. His wickedness now taking over, the smile that would not leave until he had finished, the Nadderi swordsman turned and walked across the grounds of the holy site. Trees moaned again, the grass withered back into the earth where he stepped, and the wind blew harder, as if something in nature was beyond anger at his presence. “
Oh
? You do not wish for me to be here,
is that it
? I challenge you Seirena, to come and stop me! Bring your earthen face here for me to cut apart! Let me show you the result of your curses and cause! If you actually cared for your servants, you would appear,
coward
Goddess!
For you and I know what I am about to do inside your temple!” Yelling at the wind, the quickly clouding sky, the ages old elf cursed and called out for the Goddess herself to appear, for he wished most to inflict upon her what he had been given so many centuries ago. Hearing nothing, Kendari marched, blades out, toward the steps leading underground.

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The stare from the small crowned face of the fairy Finwel-Dur said more than any words could. Her eyes full of sadness, of acceptance, her mouth still chanting the words to close the temple and have it awaken in another far away sacred circle. Many eyes looked at Lavress as he awoke, hearing the scream of his name from the satyr. No one could speak, his mind quickly clearing of Lady T’Sarrin. He could not ask for advice, he did not know if the temple would close without him inside, nor what she or the sphinx had seen. Lavress of the Hedim Anah had to choose now, to follow his order, or face whatever was outside that the hiroon must have failed to stop. He knew who it was, only if he was alone or with an army of trolls that concerned him. No one could stop the chant, hours in the making, or else they would be in much greater danger should someone reach the inner sanctum of the court of the temple. So close to leaving this frontier land of cold and treachery, so safe in protecting the princess of the temple, yet Lavress could not wait any longer. As he stepped forward, a voice froze him for but a moment.

“
We are of the earth, of the Goddess that breaths our life and we must go and remain with her. You are an elf, child of the moon Lavress. Our paths will cross always, but yours will forever have its own course guided from above, where ours is from within and below. May Seirena bless you and guard you. You haven’t much time.”
her words, like Shinayne’s, were full of emotion, her mouth only moving in the chants of the ancient fey, and her eyes pleading for his safe return.

Lavress bowed, touching his fingers to his head, his chin, and his heart, drew his blades and turned to face his enemy. He felt no fear, nothing but purpose, no emotion save the concern for those outside and inside the temple. He walked up the stairs, weapons at his sides, and saw a form approaching the top of the steps marching toward him. Lavress stared at the chest of the Nadderi swordsman, glanced quickly to spot any allies he might have. He noticed Bedesh laying to his left, surrounded by much blood, but still breathing. His keen elven eyes caught the body of Jevendial to his right, the hiroon was not moving nor bleeding, certainly in the next life now by the wounds that his limp corpse showed from its position over the stones.

His focus back in the blink of an eye, the hunter from Gualidura feigned to raise his weapons, then kicked forward with all his strength, directly into the upper abdomen of Kendari, sending him tumbling to the ground backwards and landing into a roll to his knees. The cursed killer had been paying attention to the sky, his own ego, and had not seen Lavress come up the stairs so rapid and silent.

The cursed elf caught his breath, laughing, he stood up to face the still pursuing wood elf hunter he had yet to formally meet. “Lavress Tilaniun of the Hedim Anah? Let me return your
kind greeting
.” at that he lowered his guard and crouched, Shiver radiating heat and his pyramid pommeled longsword held reverse near his thigh. He waited for a response, but the hunter simply raised his blades on guard and marched in, not even meeting the gaze of Kendari. “You will not catch me off guard again, but I may let
Shinayne
have her way with me, when I find her.”

The taunt surprised the hunter, who now met his gaze, his deep brown forest eyes meeting the wicked green orbs of the ancient assassin. Words and curses ran through his mind, anger flooded his veins, yet Lavress remained silent, focused, not giving in to manipulation. His wolf-pommeled falcata cut toward the heat spewing longsword, making contact, then he followed by stabbing forward in a thrust of steps with the curved kukri dagger of the Hedim Anah, now glowing a faint white which it had never done before. Kendari easily parried all three cuts with Shiver, not bothering to use his left hand in this small test of skills between two elves. He noticed the shimmer from the reverse curved dagger, however, the same time it’s wielder did. The two paced each other in circles, sizing out the reach and steps of the other. “You were unaware that your ceremonial dagger was especially enchanted to kill ones like me, Lavress?”

“Indeed”, the wood elf hunter spoke, caring nothing for the distractions this cursed veteran was attempting. He knew now, that his adversary would be paying close attention to the glowing kukri, and he planned to exploit it by using the falcata to get inside his defenses.

Kendari’s mind was planning as well, sensing that the wood elf protector had no idea that he was well protected against fey magicks from his deal with the demon temptress Nareene so many centuries ago. He would feign his concern for the dagger, and be aware of the curved falcata moreso without letting on.

“Why do you wait,
Nadderi
? Are you not in a hurry to kill me and make for the temple?” Lavress returned words, hoping to throw this bastard’s confidence off mark. He watched the steps, noting that every fourth step taken was sideways to keep his turn and guard in place, his breathing shallow and seldom, but in all ways consistent.

“It’s not
my
forest friend bleeding to death on the ground, savage. I have all day,
unlike you
.” Kendari grinned, his green eyes laughing with him at the hunter trying to intimidate him or throw him off.

Lavress charged, hearing enough, his matched curved weapons cutting across at the face of this murderer, both parried by Shiver. The Nadderi returned attacks with a close sweeping slice toward the hunter’s hips, and the kukri blocked it. Then a downward chop with Shiver, meeting the falcata, followed by a kick to Lavress’ chest, the boot heel hitting the sternum and knocking him back. Kendari did not wait, lunging with his heated sword at his foe’s chest, out of reach, then stepping in low and cutting across at the thigh level with the backheld longsword. The hunter turned around a banyan tree after jumping over the crosscut of the Nadderi, propelling himself to the other side and appearing behind him. He, in turn, crouched low and brought a rapid succession of short cuts toward Kendari’s body. The first two were caught by the spinning parry of Shiver as he turned to face the wood elf, the second two he backed up and used his off hand in close to counter, and his bracer deflected the last. The sparks shot in all directions as the two attacked and counter attacked in and out of the sacred circle.

Kendari took the lead, forcing Lavress back with a series of quick attacks at his right arm, then stepping in to sweep cut with his left hand. When the swords missed or were parried, he rose and spun, chopping down with diagonal slashes followed by another cross cut from the reverse gripped blade that seemed to parry everything. Four cycles had Lavress stepping from side to side without realizing he was reacting to the swarm of blows, barely avoiding the edge each time. The wood elf crossed his weapons on Shiver, locking the blade for a moment, and then jumped over the off hand cut from his foe, spun left, blades out at face level, trying to escape reach of the Nadderi killer who had him backed up near a tree. As he spun, feigning those outstretched attacks, Lavress dropped low, his leg sweeping Kendari’s, hitting the back of the knee. As he was swept, the cursed assassin reached with a double cut toward his enemy catching the ear of the wood elf. Kendari hit the ground on his back, blades up and ready. Lavress shook his head, feeling the burn of Shiver on his ear and side of his face where he had been cut. The smell of burned hair and skin, moist blood and stinging agitated him, distracting for a moment, allowing the Nadderi elf to regain his footing.

“
Burns, eh
?” Kendari took his traditional on guard, standing taller, blades low and head tilted down, menacing stare and grin driving into his enemy.

“’You tell me.” Lavress moved to lunge with the kukri, then stopped and kicked under Kendari’s hand, tipping the very tip of Shiver into his chin. The burn was but a blink of an eye, drawing no blood whatever, but the pale face of the cursed swordsman turned as red as the new mark on his face.

“Now you are
dead
elf.” Kendari’s grin was gone, his focus and anger redoubled, humiliated by a savage, he lunged toward Lavress, intent on a quick kill.

Shiver leapt forward, point first, and then his off hand blade cut across at the wood elf’s face, almost taking his eye. His steps precise, in time with his sword cuts, Kendari spun round with his left leading arcing cuts, followed by his right, spinning the blades in his hand for quick stop cuts rather than solid parries, which allowed him to get closer and Lavress to only be effective with the dagger. The dance begun again, Lavress barely able to see the attacks roaring in, but his elven speed allowed him to react and keep pace. The Nadderi backed him up, then pulled his arms back to the point of pain in the elbows, striking his fist into Lavress’ face, and Shiver dove deep into his shoulder through his leather armor. The wild elf did not let himself be caught off guard, and cut the dagger across Kendari’s thigh, kicked him off, and spun round the tree, regaining his stance. The two stared once again, both determined. The echo of steel strikes by the hundreds rang through the sacred forest as the two masters of blade and step started again with the setting sun.

Johnas I:IV

Valhera Chambers, Valhirst Underground

Her body felt cold, she moved her hands around and touched the silk sheets, Johnas’ silk sheets, but not her clothing. Her face ached, and she could not move her neck or her right side at all. Much was numb, and much more throbbing in piercing arcs of pain. Vanessa Blackflame also could feel moisture, in between her legs. She began to cry, knowing she had been engaged in pleasure very recently, she could tell, any woman could. She knew it had been Johnas, it always was, yet she could recall nothing. Her sobs only hurt her wounds more, feeling the burn now, a burn from her shoulder to her ear, increasing her cries of anguish and misery. Only her left eye would open, she could see the candlelit bedroom of the prince, she knew it well. Being his adopted daughter had privileges and pains, being bought usually does. She got up, trembling from pain, feeling her womanhood raw and painful from something rough that she had not been conscious for. Vanessa wrapped the sheets around her and stumbled toward the large mirror across from the bed. Her scream at the horror of her face could have woke the dead, and she fell to the ground into the fetal position, screaming and wishing she had not survived. The young wizard had seen the left side of her face in a faint light, but it was enough to see the damage the lightning had done. Her flesh was blackened, what was left of it, her eye was swollen shut, her neck charred and burned with her shoulder, the shiny muscle and flesh that used to be covered with skin exposed and dark as midnight. Her youth and beauty tarnished along with years of forcing herself and being forced upon by her supposed adopted father, Prince Johnas Valhera. Her screams continued bouncing off the walls in the immense bedchamber of her captor. She searched for her wand, her staff, her rage and pain needing to unleash through powerful magicks on something.