5.

  Azren

  Time fractured as the creature leaped at us. One heartbeat we were standing there and the next the creature hurled itself toward us with a scream that scraped against my bones. Raelynn slammed into me, knocking the air from my lungs as she clutched me tight. I barely had time to yelp before my stomach dropped violently, the ground tearing itself away beneath my feet.

  The world twisted. Folded. Spun around. My vision smeared into light and shadows as I clung to her. My lungs burned and panic tried to crawl its way up my throat. What was she doing?

  Reality snapped back into place with a sudden burst, it made me dizzy. The air rushed back into my chest as if I’d been drowning. The banshee crashed down where we’d stood moments before, the impact shaking the ground with a wet, hollow thud.

  I staggered upright. My legs were trembling.

  “Good move,” I breathed, forcing steadiness into my voice. “That’s a banshee.”

  As if insulted by the name, the creature lifted its head and unleashed a shriek so sharp it felt like glass shattering behind my eyes.

  “Run!” Raelynn cried, yanking at my sleeve. She spun and bolted, dragging me with her. I dared a glance over my shoulder and nearly stumbled. The banshee was gaining on us.

  She ran on all fours, limbs bent at grotesque angles, her movements skittering and unnatural. She looked more like a spider than a woman. A chill slithered down my spine. If she caught us, she wouldn’t kill us cleanly. She would tear us apart. I had to do something!

  I wrenched myself free and stopped.

  “Azren!” Raelynn shouted, panic flaring her voice. Too late. I was already turning, raising my hand toward the oncoming horror. Fear sharpened into focus and my mind locked onto a single spell etched into memory.

  “Azhyre,” I whispered. The word slid from my tongue in the demonic language as smoothly as breath, as if it were my native language. I opened myself to the magic like I’d been taught, flinging wide the inner doors in my mind and drawing from anything I could reach.

  Power answered. Static crackled through the air. Heat surged through my veins, fierce and intense, until dark blue fire spilled from my fingertips.

  The bolt tore through the air, as large as my head, leaving a blazing azure scare behind it like a falling star in a darkened sky. It struck the banshee square in the face. I knew this spell didn’t call forth the usual fire of a campfire. This was hellfire.

  A fire born with the dark magic of ruin and death. Her shriek warped into something wet and broken as her hair ignited. Flesh melted away and dripped to the ground like wax from a dying candle.

  I couldn’t look away. Yes! Watch your master work, the voice came again. A combination of horror and fascination kept me locked in its embrace. The blue fire crept over her body. Agonizingly slow. Inch by inch, until nothing remained but a smouldering heap of ash. Her final cries echoed long after her form was gone, swallowed by the sudden stillness. The fire, having consumed its prey, died down with a hiss.

  “By the gods, Az…” Raelynn gasped behind me. “What was that?”

  I turned to her, adrenaline still humming beneath my skin, and smiled down at her. Just a little.

  “A spell I found in my father’s spellbook,” I said, pride curling warm in my chest. She scowled instantly.

  “Wipe that smug grin off your face. I still say it’s wrong to study the magic our enemies use. It’s dark.”

  I lifted a brow, the pride I felt earlier suddenly tasting bitter in my mouth.

  “But it saved us.”

  She opened her mouth to argue when suddenly the sky screamed. A piercing wail ripped through the air, so loud it felt like my skull might split. I clamped my hands over my ears, crying out as movement flooded the darkness.

  More banshees. A whole lot more.

  Dozens.

  They poured toward us like a living tide, shrieking and clawing. Their voices blended into a single, unbearable chorus. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to run. Flee! Survive!

  But another part of me stirred instead. Kill! Kill! Kill! The voice repeated in my head. I’m not one to run from danger. And this was the perfect opportunity to test the limits of this new spell. If only Raelynn would let me.

  “Do it again!” Raelynn shouted her eyes wide, snapping me out of my thoughts. I smirked at her.

  “But you said—”

  “Do it!” she demanded.

  A grin curved my lips despite the chaos.

  “As you wish, little Raven.”

  She rolled her eyes and waved impatiently with her hands at me. I inhaled slowly, forcing calm into my racing heart, and raised my hands once more. This time, I wanted to impress her with my strength. I envisioned a wall. A barrier of dark blue hellfire to hold them back.

  “Azhyre,” I whispered again.

  Warmth surged through me, deeper now, coiling like a living current. Magic poured from my fingertips and I spread my arms wide, willing the fire to obey me.

  It resisted.

  Of course it did.

  It resisted as if it had its own will. Forcing it felt like bending metal with bare hands. The magic bucked and snarled, refusing shape. I growled under my breath and opened more windows in my mind, just as my mother had taught me. I invited more power, scraping what little I could from the environment. The Weave was distant. Too far to draw on. But what little remained in this realm, I drew towards me.

  Then… slowly… it yielded. The fire stretched outward forming a wavering line that solidified into a low wall between us and the advancing banshees. Smaller than I’d imagined. I gritted my teeth.

  It was imperfect.

  Not good enough, boy.

  My arms shook violently as sweat slicked my skin. Weakling. That’s what you are. I couldn’t hold on to the spell anymore and had to release it, gasping as the wall burned bright and defiant.

  Breathing hard, I turned to Raelynn. She stared at the hellfire barrier in stunned silence. Hmm, at least I had impressed her. When I turned back to the wall I noticed it slowly fading. It would only buy us seconds if we were lucky.

  “Let’s go,” I said, exhaustion weighing my voice down like lead.

  That spell had drained more from my body than I’d expected. Raelynn nodded, jaw set, and laced her fingers through mine. Together, we ran.

  I glanced back. Banshees screamed as they tore through the dying wall of hellfire, their shrill cries cutting through the air like blades. The flames faltered, thinning as if starved of food. They slowly faded away with every breath.

  Damn the hells. To make matters worse, the banshees were learning. Most of them darted alongside the wall now, clever enough to avoid the flames entirely. It wouldn’t be long before they flanked us again.

  We needed something else. Something…. smarter.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  “They’re rounding the wall,” I panted, matching Raelynn’s pace. “Can’t you trick them somehow?”

  She risked a look back. From the corner of my eyes, I saw the last of the blue fire gutter out, clearing the path for even more banshees to pour through. Two dozen at least. Maybe more.

  “Hide behind there!” Raelynn pointed ahead. I followed her finger. A massive boulder rose from the centre of a shallow pond. Murky water sloshed sluggishly around its base. I didn’t hesitate and plunged in first. My heart was pounding.

  Cold water swallowed me instantly and I took in a sharp breath. My boots sank deep into the clay beneath the water. It reached my waist, but the earth was so soft we couldn’t walk. We had to swim.

  Raelynn skidded to a stop at the edge, eyes wide with terror.

  “We’ll have to swim,” I said, already turning my back to her, my eyes still lingering on her. “Climb on my back.”

  She shook her head, her body trembling slightly. I waved impatiently at her, feeling the stress from this delay climb up my throat.

  “Now, Rae!” I raised my voice sharply. Her panic stricken eyes shot to mine and a shiver ran through her body. A response familiar to me. My eyes must have blackened. Then she jumped.

  Her shriek cut off as she hit the water and clung to me instantly, arms locking around my shoulders. I adjusted my grip and pushed forward, muscles screaming as I fought the draw of mud and water.

  When we reached the boulder, solid stone greeted my feet beneath the surface. I braced myself and lifted her off my back, keeping a firm hold around her waist. She trembled against me, breath coming in short, shaky gasps.

  As I slowly felt my own thoughts starting to cloud with panic, I forced myself to calm down. I couldn’t lose control now. Not when Raelynn needed me.

  “Focus,” I said to her, lowering my voice. “What’s your plan? And…” I tightened my hold slightly. “I’ve got you.”

  She nodded, pressing closer as if grounding herself through me.

  “K…Keep quiet,” she whispered, her voice shivering. She closed her eyes. “Hold me. And… don’t move.”

  I obeyed. Only for her. Like the good little boy you are, the voice hummed. I tried to lock it in its prison again.

  We stayed very quiet. Not even a ripple disturbed the water. Then she began to murmur under her breath. Words threaded together in a soft, trembling cadence. The air shifted. Static build. Her hands moved slowly as though weaving strands only she could see.

  I knew this spell. A smile crept onto my face despite my thundering heartbeat. My smart little raven.

  This spell was a good one, but risky. As long as she held her focus, and none of the banshees sensed the lie, it could save us. A faint tingling spread from my hands through the rest of my body as the illusion took hold.

  Then I heard my own voice. Echoing behind us. Calling out into the dark. I turned my head slowly. Two copies of us sprinted away through the mist, perfectly formed, breathless and panicked. Raelynn’s double even cast a spell over her shoulder. Light and smoke bursting outward in a harmless but convincing display.

  Impressive, little raven. It was enough to drag the banshees’ attention. They howled in excitement, instantly redirecting. Their shrieks faded as they disappeared into the fog.

  When the copies were nearly gone, Raelynn shuddered in my arms. Her spell unravelled. She opened her eyes, glassy with exhaustion.

  In the distance, banshees screamed. Furious now that they realized it was all a trick.

  “Did it work?” she whispered, her weight sagging against me. I nodded and held her upright.

  “Yeah. You did good.”

  A little too good. I swallowed away the rising jealousy and gazed down at her. The jealousy quickly fading when I saw the spell had worn her out completely.

  Somewhere in the back of my mind a shred of confusion gnawed. I’d seen her use this spell plenty of times. And normally, she should’ve had more strength left. So should I. Even with a complex spell. But here magic drained more from us than I was used to. Maybe it had to do with the fact this realm was now disconnected from the Weave. The source that fed magic into a realm.

  That was something I could philosophize over at a later time. First we waited. Long minutes stretched until the screams didn’t draw closer. Then we moved.

  I helped her out of the water and together we pressed on, leaning on one another, afraid to stop. Afraid that if we did, we wouldn’t start again. Mist crept in around us, curling low and thick. Both a blessing and a curse. It hid us, but everything else too.

  Just as I began to think the bog would never end, a road emerged from the fog.

  “Oh, thank the gods,” Raelynn breathed.

  “Don’t celebrate yet,” I murmured, crouching to examine it. “We still don’t know where we are.”

  The road was paved but worn, slick with mud and moss. It gave nothing away. No markers. No signs. There was no way to tell where this road would lead. South? North? I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose.

  Now would’ve been a good time to have listened when my mother tried to teach me tracking. But no. I’d wanted spellbooks and books about history and power. Raelynn sat down cross-legged on the road, chin resting in her hands.

  “Well?” she asked, peering up at me.

  “Well what?” I snapped.

  “Which way do we go?” she asked calmly, ignoring the tension in my voice.

  I grimaced.

  “I don’t know. You pick. Left or right.”

  She frowned.

  “Why do I have to pick? You’re the one with the tracking skills.”

  I huffed a laugh.

  “I don’t have tracking skills.”

  “You underestimate yourself. I’ve seen you identify animal tracks like a professional.”

  “That’s diff…”

  Something caught my eye and I stopped talking. A groove on the ground. No. Two grooves. They were deep and parallel, exactly the same. I dropped to my knees.

  “Cart tracks,” I mumbled.

  Raelynn joined me, peering over my shoulder.

  “How old? Where did it go?” she asked me.

  “They’re deep. That means the cart is probably heavy. And carts are usually pulled by—”

  “Horses,” she interrupted me with a wide grin. I nodded, scanning the ground for those prints. And found them. It felt as if a weight lifted off my chest and I could finally breathe properly again. The relief felt so sharp I almost laughed. A cart meant people. Roads lead to towns. Towns meant food, shelter and safety. Even if it would only be temporary.

  As I studied the hoofprints, I soon found the direction the cart went in and followed the tracks. Raelynn stumbled after me.

  “Think you’ve got another sprint in you?” I asked, glancing back at her. Mud-streaked, soaked, exhausted and still breathtaking. Little raven. “If the driver’s friendly, maybe we can hitch a ride.”

  “The prospect of finding a town with food is enough for me to run,” she grinned, fire flickering back into her eyes. “I’m so hungry I could eat a whole cow.”

  “Same,” I chuckled.

  ? ? ?

  The cart emerged from the mist like a spectre dragged from a half-remembered nightmare. It rolled slowly over the muddy road, its cargo hidden beneath a stained cloth. The stench hit me in a heartbeat later. A thick, cloying, rotting smell. I gagged and covered my nose with my hand, bile burning the back of my throat.

  We slowed to a jog, edging closer. That was when I saw the horse. I shuddered, a combination of fear and intrigue settling in my bones. An undead horse. I always wanted to see one, but the sight made me rethink this wish.

  Its flesh hung from its frame in loose, rotting strands, sinew stretched thin over glistening white bone. Each step was wrong, too stiff and too deliberate, mud sucking at hooves that should not have moved at all.

  The rider was no better. Wrapped in a tattered cloak, he looked like something that clawed its way back from the grave. His skin was ghostly, nearly translucent, stretched tight over sharp features. One eye was missing entirely, the socket dark and hollow. His throat…

  I swallowed hard. Blood crusted around a deep gash running from left to right, so severe it looked as though his head had nearly been severed. My body went rigid as I recoiled from the sight.

  I slowed instinctively and shifted sideways, placing myself in front of Raelynn, one arm pressing her back behind me. I wasn’t sure if we could trust this person. But then again, could we trust anyone in this realm? And this realm… This realm thrived on deceit, death, and the suffering of trapped souls. Only the strong endured.

  Raelynn stumbled, exhaustion catching up with her. She would have fallen to her knees if I hadn’t caught her in time. The noise caught the riders attention and he slowed. His head turned toward us with a jerking, unnatural motion, creating a new wave of blood to trickle from its wound.

  I drew in a shuddering breath and stepped forward, every instinct screaming to run again as I kept Raelynn shielded behind me. I tried to keep as much distance between us and the cart as possible.

  Silence stretched. He stared at us with his one remaining eye. Unblinking. No expression written on his face.

  “Goodnight, sir,” I finally said, forcing the words past the stench and my own revulsion.

  “Goodnight, young traveller,” he replied. His voice was rough, but clear and calm. As if his throat weren’t split open, blood still seeping down his chest, creating a little pool in his lap.

  I swallowed my repulsion away.

  “Are you… by any chance travelling toward a town?”

  Every part of me recoiled at the thought of sharing the road with him. But hunger gnawed at my insides, and exhaustion shoved away all rational thinking.

  “Yes,” he said easily. “I’m headed east to Karnyx. After that I’m headed to Vael’Gorath.”

  The names meant nothing to me. But a town was a town. And towns had food. Maybe an inn. I glanced at the cart again, the sagging cloth and rot beneath it, and clenched my jaw. I couldn’t believe what I was about to do.

  “Would you allow us to travel with you until Karnyx?” I asked. “We’re looking for a place to rest.”

  Raelynn’s fingers dug into my arm like a silent plea. I ignored it, waiting for the man’s reply. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the undead man smiled. It was the first expression he’d shown since we arrived and it made my skin crawl.

  “Jump on. Don’t get much company on the road,” he said. I wonder why, I thought grimly.

  “You’re sure about this?” Raelynn whispered, pressing close to my side.

  “Would you rather walk?” I murmured back. She groaned softly and shook her head.

  “Well then,” I said, forcing lightness that I didn’t feel. “Let’s hop on. Keep your wits about you.”

  She sighed, but followed my lead. I climbed onto the cart first, then helped Raelynn up beside me. There was just enough space at the front for us to sit shoulder to shoulder with the driver. I sat between Raelynn and the undead man.

  He clicked his tongue. And the undead horse lurched forward again, cart wheels groaning as we rolled on. We slowly left the distant, furious shrieks of banshees far behind us.

  “You’re lucky,” the man said after a while, chuckling. Blood pooled at his throat as he spoke. “Best not to travel alone in this realm. Unless you’re already dead.”

  Raelynn stiffened beside me. I kept my gaze forward, forcing my breath to slow down, fighting the rising anxiety. Coward, the voice said, having escaped its prison again.

  “The name’s Guttard,” he continued cheerfully. “But you can call me Gut. Don’t see many travellers this far west, you know. Did you know—”

  He launched into a story without pause, words spilling out as though he’d been waiting decades to speak. I never even got the chance to give our names. The anxiety changed into annoyance. I leaned back slightly, exhaling through my nose. This was going to be a hell of a long trip. Dammit.