Chapter 55: Caught

Vestra hesitated as the small group passed before her. She drew some loose hair back behind her ear as they passed. She was wearing her hair in a braid, but she found she was not as adept at braiding her hair as her mother had been. She frowned to herself at the thought. It irked her. She was two hundred years old and still unable to braid her hair properly.

The passing group was made completely of women, and most were whispering and laughing. Some were in dresses, and some were in shirts and trousers. Some walked stiffly and others almost bounced with each step. While all of them were taller than her, they were of varying heights. The shortest of the group was less than a head taller than her while the tallest was perhaps two or maybe even three heads taller. While all could be considered thin and athletic, they were of varying shapes and sizes. Their eyes were of varying shades of colors, yet they were a group. There was a free camaraderie within the cluster of women and she got no sense that one held herself above the others.

In fact, they seemed to be doing nothing more than taking pleasure in each other’s company. She shied slightly at the metal armor-clad woman and the woman wearing thick animal skins studded with bits of steel, but only because they were watching the crowd intently, seemingly wary of their very surroundings. They appeared to be guarding the small group, but they were no different from them. They joked and laughed, even as their eyes surveyed their surroundings. They were not subservient, just protective.

She’d been wandering around the seemingly unending encampment, and it was much the same everywhere – minus the guardians. These were ... people. How could they be the enemy? They laughed, they played, they worked. Each one seemed different than the other, but they seemed to be working together towards a common goal. Occasionally, they fought – sometimes with words and sometimes with fists – but, for the most part, they appeared ... not necessarily happy, but content. Scared, of course, but they did not seem to let the fear overwhelm them.

How could these people be the enemy? It was a question she’d asked frequently in the past few days. While much less restrained than her own people, these people seemed almost exactly the same. As a matter of fact, they seemed better. There was no in-fighting between whole populations. They were segregated somewhat into familial groups, but each group freely shared with others. All were welcome.

With her people, the segregation would be obvious. Colors would be segregated from Metals, and the Metals would be serving the Colors. The Priesthood would be at odds with the Council, and they both would be at odds with the Senate. While there might be a short, unstable truce, it would not be long until wholesale warfare broke out.

Her people could not come together like this. It would be a bloodbath.

So, how were these gentle people the enemy? How could she reconcile it? None of them knew her and yet every group treated her with civility and kindness. Truly, some were wary of her, but wouldn’t she be wary of a stranger? Even though she was a stranger, though, they shared what little they had with her.

As the night grew closer, her steps had turned back towards the cavern where she’d sequestered herself each evening. It was just within the tree line, partially hidden by a fallen tree but with plenty of room for her to enter. She liked the cavern as it broadened in the back, diving deeper into a furrow as it went on. It opened onto a small spring in the far back. Just inside the mouth, the ground was level and firm, letting her spend much of her nights watching the edges of the camp from a secure spot well inside the cave. She couldn’t see much of the sky from that far inside but that was just as well. If she couldn’t see the sky, things flying in the sky couldn’t see her.

She squared her shoulders as the small group finished passing in front of her. The cavern was only a short forty or fifty yards away and she wanted to make it before the dusk turned to darkness. She had taken no more than a single step when all sound around her just seemed to cease. It was as if, for the briefest of moments, she’d gone deaf. The only sound she could hear was the rushing throb of her own blood and the faint beat of her heart. The only hint she had that she was in danger was the tightening of her scalp and the fine hairs along her neck standing straight up.

She would remember the next few moments for as long as she lived. There was a faint breeze blowing across her skin, carrying the scent of unwashed people, mixed with the sickly-sweet smell of lilacs which grew down by the lake. The sun was dipping below the horizon, the last few rays heralding the ending of the day’s gentle journey into twilight. A few stars could be seen in the darkening sky and the twin moons of Vylun were separated only by the palm of her hand. She felt calm but wary, eager to find her sanctuary for the night.

Then, there was a loud boom off to her left and an explosion of dirt-filled air. She turned towards the sound, closing her eyes against it, and raising her left arm to protect her head and face. The current of air was so strong, it knocked her back a step, the shirt and trousers she wore tugging her backwards as much as the explosive wind against her body.

As the wind ceased, she opened her eyes and turned them toward where the burst of air originated. Dirt and dust still hung in the air, giving it a foul odor. Some of it even made it into her mouth, the gritty refuse filling her mouth with a horrid taste. It was then, as her eyes widened, that her greatest fear was realized.

“FOUND YOU!” the scaled monster bellowed, its deep, sonorous voice echoing around the valley. It towered above her with a sleek, elongated head and its reptilian lips were spread in a vicious smile, with its sharp, pointy fangs nearly dripping in anticipation. She watched as it furled its massive wings, folding them tight against its body. Its scales were a deep yellow, almost a brown, but they gleamed in the dying light. “We were all searching, but I get the prize.”

She looked around, but there was nowhere to run. There was nowhere she could hide. In despair, her eyes drifted down towards the ground. She saw a crushed body under the yellow dragon’s feet. From the size, it looked like a child’s body. It lay, broken and bleeding, with some of the child’s blood spattered along the sharp, thick claws.

It could have been one of the children she’d played with earlier. It could have been one of the happy children who had shared food and drink and toys with her, taking her diminutive size for being just another child. They and their parents had taken her in and given of themselves freely ... and this was their reward. This was what she brought to them.

She shuddered and her head fell, her chin coming to rest on her chest. She could hear the screams, now, but they remained distant in her hearing. They could not rise above the thudding of her own heart and the rushing of her own blood.

These people did not deserve this. These people were not the enemy. The enemy was in front of her, towering above her, arrogant in its seeming supremacy. It had killed without thought. It would continue to kill without thought unless she could somehow do something.

“Fine,” she said, just loud enough for the towering yellow dragon to hear. “But leave these people alone. They’ve done nothing.”

“Nothing?” the yellow dragon snarled. “Nothing? They are the enemy. They are the usurpers of Vylun and we will crush all of them beneath our feet.”

Vestra drew in breath to respond but was startled when a cold steel hand pushed her back. The metal-clad woman suddenly stood in front of her, pushing her behind. She had her sword raised, pointing forward, with her shield at the ready. The woman moved herself between Vestra and the yellow clansman in front of her. To Vestra’s astonishment and not a little horror, she realized the woman intended to defend her.

“So, another tasty morsel packaging itself for delivery,” the yellow dragon laughed, its widening smile showing rows upon rows of pointed teeth. “No worries. I love unwrapping my food.”

It drew in a deep breath and Vestra grit her teeth, waiting for her end. She kept her eyes opened, willing herself to watch her fate. She would not cower from the yellow.

Yren saw the dragon drop from the sky, thudding down onto the dirt, seemingly uncaring that it had landed on a family of people and that its tail had crushed the wagon of another. The dragon dropped about thirty yards almost directly in front of him, the monster’s body angled to his right. His eyes flickered to the right, noting the strange, white-haired girl standing just a few short yards in front of Bena. A bit further was Ataya and Audette and the rest of their group.

He was moving, running towards them when he saw Honor Troel rush back, inserting herself between the dragon and the group she was protecting. He saw the yellow dragon drawing in his breath and knew he could never cover the distance in time. It was then, as calmness of purpose pushed into his mind, that he gritted his teeth and came to a decision.

He had no armor. He had no weapons. He had listened to the metal, though. He HAD learned. He’d never tried it but now was the perfect time for his first attempt.

His armor was a part of him. His swords were a part of him. He was never without them.

For the first time, Yren consciously summoned his armor and swords.

And they came.

Fully armored between the blink of one eye and the next, he tried for his second miracle. He leapt. It was a strange twisting he was somewhat familiar with for all he’d never mentally chosen to do it. Then he was in front of Syl, Hatred and Rage at the ready.

“Get them out of here,” Yren yelled, his eyes never leaving the enormous beast in front of him. “Get them to safety.”

“Yren...,” Syl started, startled at the sudden appearance of the young man in full armor. Yren cut her off before she could finish the thought.

“Do it!” Yren barked.

It was an order, and her mind was taught to obey orders. She had already turned and was dragging the white-haired girl back to the group before it even occurred to her that Yren probably shouldn’t be giving her orders. She was about to turn back but thought better of it. Her first duty was to the princess; she would get the young woman to safety and then return to help Yren.

Vestra tried to shake off the cold, steel hand pulling her backwards, but the grip was hard and unforgiving. She could feel a dull pain as the grip tightened further. She grabbed the steel-encased hand, but there was no moving it. She had no leverage, and her arm was caught tightly inside the vice-like grip.

As she grunted in frustration, her mind started working, trying to make sense of what had just happened. The man covered in metal with an unnatural shade of blue had just appeared. She couldn’t credit it. He hadn’t run into view as had the metal-encased woman. He was just ... there. One moment there was emptiness in front of the woman in steel and the next the space was filled with blue metal. She thought she’d heard a dull popping sound when he’d appeared, but she couldn’t be sure. Her own breathing ... her own heartbeat was pounding loudly in her ears.

She shook off her bemusement and re-doubled her efforts even as the two of them reached the rest of the group. Conceding defeat, she looked around at the other women. Most had wide eyes and opened mouths, unable to comprehend the ri’Dagowyn no more than twenty yards in front of them. One, however, a smallish girl only a few inches taller than herself whose hair was only, perhaps, a shade or two darker than her own white locks, was not shocked at the sight. Instead, her face was filled with a strange combination of worry and fear. She was not standing still. She was striding forward purposefully, heading towards her countryman wearing the blue metal instead of fleeing from the battlefield. She did not cower. She marched, her face set in a mask of determination.

For a moment, Sar Syl Troel, Squad Leader of Squad 2 of the Third Platoon, grew annoyed at Subofficer Ububing of the Knottline Guard. The least the guard could do was help her with these two – but then Syl saw the Subofficer had her hands full dealing with Empress’an Audette and her companion, Ilzu, and just shook her head. Thankfully, Syl managed to catch Bena’s arm before the young girl could get past her. “We’ve got to get you to safety.”

Bena looked directly into Syl’s eyes. The knight could see a towering resolution within the younger girl’s eyes. In the back, though, behind that resolve, was just the tiniest flame of fear burning small but brightly, twisting deep within. “I’ve got to help Yren.”

“No,” Syl contradicted. She moved her body slightly, putting it in front of Bena’s. “What you have to do is get to safety. Yren is going to have enough trouble with that ... thing. Adding you to his worries will not help him.”

“You don’t understand,” Bena said, tugging her arm viciously. She barely even budged the hand holding her. “The dragons are immune to holy magic. Deia can’t help him against it. He needs me.”

Syl listened to the girl, her eyes narrowing. After but a moment, she shook her head to clear it, filing the fact away for later use. “All the more reason for you to get to safety. Deia can’t help you against it either.”

Bena re-doubled her efforts to get free, unwilling to listen to the knight or even the deity yelling in her head, but Syl was a trained knight, and her grip was like steel. She did wobble a bit at having both girls fighting against her.

“Listen, all of you,” Syl said loudly as she struggled to hold both of the females. “We need to get you to safety so I can help Yren. Look for anything we can use to hide you. A hollow. A log. Anything.”

Syl turned to the Knottline guardswoman and pointed her chin at Bena. “Subofficer Ububing – you take this one.”

She nodded at Vestra. “I’ll take the other. Carry her if you have to – but she’s coming with us.”

Vestra couldn’t understand what was being said. She’d not had time to learn the language well enough. She understood the tone of voice, however. She thought she could guess what the metal-encased woman was saying. They would be looking for shelter. They would want to find a place they could defend against the O’lak-residere’s attack. Her mind moving quickly, she stopped her struggling and started tugging at the woman, trying to pull her towards the forest. Her cave was nearby and should provide some shelter.