Windcatcher: Book I of the Stone War Chronicles (7 page)

Gavin nodded his head and looked sideways at Xi’Lao.

“I don’t think any of us has ever seen anything like that before. Have you?”

She urged Gavin to take another sip from the water bag before answering.

“Nothing like this…back home, it is a common belief that all living things have energy, a force of life one could call it. It flows through every person, animal, plant and thing. Even rocks have its own energy. In my language they call this
Chi
. The way you describe this light, it reminds me of it. Chi moves around the body of a person in a certain flow. We’re taught this energy pattern is build up out of channels and points, across the entire body. It is said that the grand masters of the temples are able to see, feel and manipulate the current of Chi in a person.
It is the source of miraculous stories, about people seeking help from grand masters for incurable diseases, or used as an explanation on the abilities of extraordinary fighters. 
I, too, have heard many of these mystical stories back home, but none that I remember mentioned anything about making a statue move.”

Raylan felt his curiosity about the subject increase. He had never heard about such a thing. It seemed like very exotic knowledge to his brain, as he soaked in all the details that Xi’Lao mentioned. He wondered why he was drawn to something so untouchable and so vague.

“Have you ever seen it?”

“No, but as warriors, we are taught to memorize the Chi pattern of a human body. Many of the channels and points are vital spots, important to the human body. Focusing an attack there will often cripple your enemy quickly—or worse—even if you do not wound him much.”

As Gavin listened, with his eyes closed, his mind fought hard to regain some control over his thinking.

“What about the item they stole and transported in one of the wagon?”

Xi’Lao’s voice instantly lost the softness that was in it while tending to Gavin and while recollecting about her home far away.

“We have not found it yet. Harwin and Peadar checked the wagons, but it was not there anymore. Perhaps Ca’lek didn’t see it correctly and made a mistake?” she said, looking apologetically to where Ca’lek stood.

“I know what I saw,” said Ca’lek, “it must be here somewhere.”

They waited while Gavin processed everything.

“Okay, please gather around. We can’t afford to sit around here for too long. We’re too exposed and too far from friendly ground.”

Once everyone was gathered, he continued.

“I believe we’re far from home and from safety. We crossed the most northern tip of the Great Eastern Divide weeks ago, which means we are a fair distance into the Dark Continent and possibly on enemy territory.

“Raylan, Xi’Lao, first we have to find the stolen item. You two will look for it in the enemy camp. We haven’t seen any soldiers leave the encampment, so it still has to be there.

“Kevhin, Rohan, take care of Regis; balm his body, to preserve it. Handle him with respect. See if you can find a cloth to wrap his body in. After that, put him in the wagon with the least wear and tear. We will use it to transport his body, as well as the chest, back home. Make sure he’s secured well; those horses stomped on him too much already. I would like his mother to be able to say goodbye to her son while she can still recognize him. After that, go through the camp and salvage any food that you can find and collect it. We need to restock our rations in order to make it back home.

“Ca’lek, I want you to take a horse and ride out to the ridge we passed half a day ago when we were following these guys. If you ride fast, you should be able to ride there and back before the sun reaches its highpoint. I remember we had to hide, because the ridge gave our enemies an excellent view of the valley we traveled through. I want you to use that advantage now to scout for a safe route back to Aeterra.”

He looked at Stephen.

“How’s the leg?”

Stephen gave a small tap on the splints wrapped around his leg.

“Peadar added an extra splints to improve the support. It’s not very comfortable. Richard found a solid walking stick in the enemy encampment that I can use for support, so I should be able to move around. Horseback riding is out of the question though; I can’t put any weight on it or push my leg inward.”

“Alright, you’ll have to travel in the wagon, for now; hopefully, that will give your leg enough rest to heal while we move. I’ll have to send out someone else in your place.”

Gavin surveyed the group for a moment. His gaze stopped when he reached Richard.

“Richard, you’re amongst the most fit of our squad, and you’re an excellent horseman. You go and scout in the opposite direction from Ca’lek. We need to know what lies ahead of us, in case we can’t take the road back, or in case we are about to be boxed in. Ride out for half a morning before turning back. Ride fast and safe…and keep your eyes open for enemy movement.”

Gavin closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, before he continued. “Also, we’ve seen the footprints of larger predators lately, as well as some kill spots of their prey. So, be aware of your surroundings at all times, especially when alone.”

“That goes for you both,” he added, looking at Ca’lek.

Ca’lek gave a short nod, to acknowledge that he understood the possible danger. Scouting solo was always a risky business; if anything went wrong, there would be no backup. Unfortunately, they just did not have time to scout the area in pairs in order to decide the safest route home. They assumed they were in enemy—or at least unclaimed—territory, which meant that an enemy stronghold, or force, could run into them at any time.

“Harwin and Galen…I want you to secure the enemy’s horses still in the camp. See if you can catch some of those that escaped, too. It will help us move faster, if we have more horses to rotate through wagon duty.”

“Peadar, once we’re done here, please help me move to a place higher up in the camp. I’d like to make a fire for some extra warmth now that the rain has stopped, and perhaps get some rest—to see if my head will stop spinning. But before I lie down, I want you to go and grab one of the long distance birds and then help me prepare a report of our encounter. I bet the king and the council are wondering what has become of us. The last bird we sent was several weeks ago.”

“The rest of you go find that chest. I, for one, will be glad to leave this cold, barren land and to get back to the comforts of our home. Now get to it.”

Raylan walked around the enemy camp. He and Xi’Lao double checked the wagons but could not find the chest amongst them. The enemy could have moved the chest for safekeeping, hiding it amongst the many boulders; or, it could be nearby, perhaps camouflaged. So, Raylan decided it would be easier if they split up and searched separately. He took the enemy encampment, while Xi’Lao went up on the boulders, to check from a higher viewpoint if any of the wagonloads were hidden between the boulders.

The battle left a grim scene in the camp. Dead soldiers lay everywhere. The element of surprise gained through their night attack worked in their favor. By the time the camp was on full alert, more than half of the enemy force had already been taken out. It would have been a very different story, if they had tried a direct, head-on attack in daylight.

Raylan stepped over the dead soldier in the campfire. His upper body and face were charred black from the fire. The smell of burned flesh, mixed with the already thick smell of blood and dirt, gave off an unpleasant odor to be walking around in.

He saw Gavin had reconsidered his earlier decision to rest in the main camp. He claimed a spot on the other side of the main rock formation that housed the cave. It was upwind, and would be in the sunlight soon enough, as the sun rose higher in the sky.

Although the days here were not warm in temperature, the oncoming sunlight would soon warm up the flesh of the dead bodies. Flies would have no problem finding this place, however remote, and with them decay would set in. They could not stay there much longer. The smell would only get worse and the flies would bring diseases, which would be especially dangerous for those with open wounds.

Raylan saw Harwin and Galen untie the remaining horses that were in the corner of the encampment. The horses calmed down as soon as the fighting stopped; although, they were still a bit nervous from the smell of blood. Neither man had trouble leading the horses out of the camp. They planned to move them closer to the wagons; but as soon as the horses saw the now motionless stone giant, they started pulling their reins, bucking and rearing to get away from it. Eventually, they had no choice but to move them downhill to the foot of the rock formations. They would try again later to get a horse calm enough to pull the wagon and lead it downhill, but first they had to locate the chest.

Raylan approached the cave where a number of soldiers had been resting before they launched the attack. Multiple soldiers lay dead in front of the cave, most of them taken out with cross bolts. Stepping into the opening of the cave, Raylan picked up one of the torches that lay near the entrance. Apparently, a small campfire had been burning in the cave entrance during the night. Raylan saw some of the wood still glowing red between the ashes. The torch came alive with a burning flame after Raylan lay it in the ashes and blew on the embers.

A few steps into the cave, Raylan suddenly halted and listened. He could have sworn that he heard a sound coming from the cave. Carefully, he passed the torch to his other hand, so he could draw his sword. Trying to make out what lay ahead of him in the dark, he inched forward. He wondered if anyone thought to check the cave for remaining enemies. Surely they would not leave such a place unchecked after taking out the soldiers in the camp. He thought back and tried to remember if anyone had mentioned checking the cave. There could still be an enemy waiting in the dark, hoping to ambush an unsuspecting intruder. Raylan felt a small chill go down his spine, as a worse thought entered his mind; perhaps another stone giant waited for its chance.

No, we would’ve heard that strange sound…felt that windblast…seen that strange blue light…

As quietly as possible, he walked further into the cave, stepping over the simple beds that the soldiers had made while setting up camp. Small personal effects were scattered around, probably kicked about when the soldiers exited the cave in a hurry, spurred on by the sounds of yelling and fighting. By holding the torch outside of his direct line of sight, his eyes slowly adjusted to the low light in the cave.

“Well, at least there’s no sign of people or moving statues,” he whispered under his breath.

Moving further into the dark, he saw that the cave tunnel slowly bent off to the left, where it suddenly turned sharply out of sight.

There it was again, a soft thud as if someone knocked on a table or a door. Something was around the corner; he saw soft light bouncing from the cave walls. Edging along the cave wall, he moved toward the corner, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. Shadows danced on the far wall, playing tricks on his eyes. He tried to look around the corner, but the shape of the tunnel made it impossible to see everything. Drawing in a deep breath, he stepped out in one fluid motion, turning around the corner, sword ready and torch high, casting light as far as possible.

Nothing moved. Raylan looked at the dead end of the cave tunnel. On either side, a torch hung from the wall, softly flickering the last of its flames. From the looks of it, both torches had been burning for quite some time and would soon be extinguished.

Against the back wall, on the ground, was the chest. At least Raylan figured it must be the chest they were looking for. The flames made it hard to see colors, but he was sure it was made of red wood with a golden metal frame. It fit the image of the chest that Xi’Lao described and Ca’lek said he saw.

Raylan started to turn around, thinking he would go and get Xi’Lao right away, so she could confirm the item, when he suddenly heard the soft
thud
again. It was much louder than when he heard it from around the corner. He was certain it came from inside the chest. Cautiously, Raylan walked over to the chest and crouched next to it. Sheathing his sword, he put his free hand on the lid. His fingers followed the curve of the frame. The metal frame consisted of wide strips; big nails held the wood together. Strange symbols were drawn on the metal over the entire length of the chest. The wood seemed incredibly hard, with only minor superficial scratches from the travels in the wagon. While his hands trailed over the chest’s lines, he noticed the strangest thing; both the metal and the wood were very warm to the touch.

Thud
.

Another unexpected knock from inside the chest startled Raylan.

“You just survived an attack where the group was outnumbered three to one—not to mention that stone colossus that tried to smash in your head—and you jump at the sound of a small knock on wood,” said Raylan, grinning.

Deciding to get to the bottom of this, he tried to open the chest, only to notice a big lock hanging from the side that kept the lid securely fastened. Using the hilt of his sword, he hit the lock a few times. It took at least four hits before he even saw it bend slightly. After another couple of hits, his efforts were rewarded as the broken lock dropped to the floor. He pushed open the lid with both hands. Warm air rose out of the chest, almost burning his skin. Gazing inside, Raylan tried to grasp what he was looking at. The bottom of the chest seemed to be filled with red hot glowing rocks and embers; and there, on top of these layers of stone and smoldering wood, lay the biggest egg he had ever seen.