Valine
Agulia
Halo roused the coppery smell of blood invaded her nose, the shackles that held her wrists above her head clicked together she moved. A heavy exhaustion weighed upon her, she had been hanging like this for a few days. Worse yet, she was bored. Her mind, many people said, absorbed and traveled faster than rabbits breed. Not that she was highly intelligent-book learning sort of smart.
She fared better than the other from the main land on the other side of the cramped space. The poor soul had been brought down to this place last night, in rough shape. Several broken bones and deep bruising from a recent fight. On top of that she had a few punctures and bit marks on her legs. The power she sensed in her companion was borrowed a gift. The woman wore black-everything. It all but screamed mercenary. All of those mercenary type must shop at the same store.
The world dominating crazy wizard that had captured them had put the mercenary through the same preparatory stages for the final spell. Like she had done to Halo. Of course the mercenary didn’t have Halo’s abilities thus she was susceptible to the flux.
“Hey,” Halo called softly, licking her cracked lips the other did not move. Her second call caused the other to shift slightly.
“What?”
“What’cha doing?”
“Dying.”
“No,” she said. “I meant on the island.”
“Looking for a runaway,” she answered with a soft groan. “All the Orders are looking for him.”
“Him? You have mages running away from you now?” She chuckled, it was amusing to think about. She couldn’t find a mage that would want to travel with her longer than a few days. There was no way she would find someone to link with her. Mages wanted security and a home…blah. Blah. “I thought men were running to all your orders and such.”
“Stuff it in up your rear, Fai.”
She cocked her head to the side. She decided to play dumb. It was way more fun. “So, you can sense elements? Interesting. You’re not of an order though.”
“I am not officially part of any order.”
Halo shifted her weight from her right foot, screwing her features-as much as her swollen face would allow-thoughtfully. “A mercenary for the orders, searching for a mage runaway.”
“Not a mage,” she grumbled. “I would have had him if he hadn’t detoured in into a pack of quills.”
The woman’s wounds made much more sense now. Packs of those hounds were dominate in this area making it the perfect place to hide. Halo’s stomach growled impatiently and her throat ached for relief. She straightened easing the pressure off her abused wrists. Quill hounds were worse kind of creature, they were relentless when it came to dead bodies. They could smell death farther away than she could. Not that she was fascinated with death, it was part of her Order.
Her eyes landed upon the half melted beeswax candle flickered on a small round table just out of reach. Halo wished she had the ability for shadow, then she would have known more about this room and the layout of any possible guards. The shadows were a very silent spy. She could sense quill hounds running rapidly about the forest and ruined fortress she was currently prisoner in. She let out an impatient breath when the mercenary wouldn’t respond to more questions.
A grinding of the metal gate against the uneven stone floor brought the flux wizard into the room. “You are awake,” Mecca stated cheerfully.
Halo peered down at the freckled woman when stepped in front of her. The slim practicing flux caster was dressed in a clean red wool robe. Refreshed from sleep ready to start her final spell casting. She picked up the candle and spun on her toe. She inspected the mercenary satisfied that her subject was still alive.
“Eat. Dirt.” Halo forced through gritted teeth.
The wizard walked toward the workbench, setting the candle in a holder near her magical tome. “One of you will be the first in Dark Mother’s army under my direct control,” Mecca continued ignoring the prisoner. “The first of many. I will straighten out the problems in society, you will see.”
There were plenty of problems with their culture, Halo would be the first to agree. All cultures had difficulties, it made the individual stronger in some ways. Or sneaker. Either way, without problems people would die from boredom. Sort like she was doing right now.
“You are mad,” the mercenary whispered, yanking on the shackles again. If only she could be freed and gain her weapon she would end the insanity.
“It will soon be over, insect. You will be mine body and soul to command. I will bring a new age to Valine.” Mecca concentrated on the spell and began to work the limited magical energies that bubbled inside her.
The spell hit Halo like snakes wiggling and slithering over her flesh, the changing spell could not sink into her enough to take hold. It sure did try, it felt like creepy cold hands running over her flesh. She shivered with disgust. The wizard could cast spells until she passed out and it still wouldn’t affect her. A birth defect? Or gift? Depending on the day and Halo’s mood.
Mecca walked toward her watching with hope. “How does that feel? Better?” She frowned when nothing more happened to her subject. There was no merging, no changing. She returned to her book to study the steps she had so painstakingly went through to this very moment. There was supposed to be scaled hide, wings, tooth and claw. She wanted a creature of substance that would bring terror to the masses. Mecca gathered her energies and began casting the spell on the second woman.
Halo felt an old power approaching the room, it was deep and violent like a developing thunderstorm, an earthquake or tornado. She couldn’t decide which. She lifted her head enough to catch a glimpse hunched bent over figure shrouded in a thick hooded cloak moving swiftly down the steps. She cocked an eyebrow at the new player. The bend in the gait appeared to be from age, yet there limited movement in the joints. Odd.
A smile crept over the wizards lips, she walked to the table that sat between her and the figure. She picked up a silk bag freeing the qunok cards, objects of power she had crafted from skin carved from people stretched upon thin pieces of wood. “This is a rare treat,” she said smoothly shuffling the deadly deck. “I have not been able to play with such a prize like you. Or did you come to inform me that I must renounce my ways?” She waved her hand at the vayan behind her. “Or slay me, as these poor fools attempted?”
“Don’t play the cards,” Halo sang softly hoping that her voice carried to the stranger.
The mercenary’s head lifted, the twisted rage and fear mixed on her dark features.
Halo’s gaze shifted to the male, what she received from the male was confusing. She couldn’t pin down his element. He was more like a growing storm than she realized. All the Orders were looking for this one male? She wanted to know why.
Mecca fanned the cards face down on the table. “If you are not going to play then you might as well leave.”
“No, kid,” the mercenary shouted yanking on the bonds. “They are set against you.”
Mecca turned, with a blast of raw power she ended the life. “Pity,” she whispered. She turned back to the figure in front of her. “Go ahead draw a card. It is a new deck, just finished it.”
Halo saw the woman’s spirit being torn from her body, it hovered there confused for several moments. All the energy she would have used before the premature death sank into Halo’s body healing some of her injuries. It wasn’t much, the mercenary’s number was almost up naturally.
Thick digits slipped out from under the long sleeve and hovered over the cards, slipping down enough to have some signets etched on the wrist show. He selected a card from and lifted it to peer at it. Joft let out a breath of relief, it was exactly what he wanted. He sat it down with a finger on the top of it as he gathered his thoughts of what he wanted.
Mecca frowned at the gray symbol of a wish spell, she had thought she shuffled the deck better than that. “So what will it be? Wealth? No, you are immortal what would you need mortal riches for?” She laughed evilly. “Consorts? Yes, more mortals to change to dark mother’s army.”
Halo’s eyebrows shot up at the information. An immortal being meant only one sort of creature, an avatar. A runaway male avatar? The best place for such a creature, Agulia had strict laws about the Orders running around on the island. How he slipped past border patrols without being sensed, was a mystery that prickled at the back of her mind. The mercenary more than likely paid like a normal visitor, she didn’t have the markings or feel of a knight.
The blue finger slipped over the rune on the card igniting the power hidden in the thick item, he whispered the detailed command to the card. An object formed in his hand which was tucked quickly under the cloak.
Mecca reached for the card to stop the power from escaping. Her limber fingers caught only ash remains of the object. “Draw another card,” she ordered hovering protectively over the deck she had so painstakingly crafted to trap unsuspecting people. They were supposed to work in her favor not the player. She hated the wish spell, it was one of the two she wanted to throw away when she crafted the deck. They would always appear back in there no matter what she did.
A whisper of wind the cloaked figure had two maces in his hands, imbued with wind and the other with fire. Lightning flashed above him and formed a sphere that fell into an orbit around his torso.
“What the flux?” Halo exclaimed. It was impossible for an avatar to wield a different element than that one they were created in. He was a living contradiction.
The wide headed hammer flickering with fire slammed upon the table, the cards nearest was instantly engulfed with flames. With practiced ease the male dispatched the screaming wizard. He hurried around the table rummaging around the table tops, in his hurry he flipped two cards over. The qunok cards lifted off the surface and stuffed themselves in his pouch around his waist.
“Flux,” Halo whispered. The kid hadn’t even realized he had drawn two more cards from the deck. She tugged on her bonds, howling grew louder just outside. He found the key to her shackles. Halo frowned knowing some sort of negotiations were coming. To her surprise her shackles were unlocked, the door was being tore at from the other side. “Quill hounds,” Halo said. “They are all over this place. They smell the dead.”
The cloaked figure nodded, he turned to the limp figure of the mercenary. The door that led directly outside started shuddering under heavy blows. He gripped his weapons and backed away, preparing for the onslaught.
Halo rotated her shoulders, the hiss of pain shot through her. Her arms felt like rocks and tingled as circulation returned fully. She had been in worse scrapes in worse shape, she would get by this time as well. She wasn’t afraid of death. Dying was the easy part. Coming back was what hurt like a flux. The door shuttered one last time before it splintered under the barrage of the large hounds. Why most people didn’t use wood anymore. Stone was the only thing that could hold against the quill hound.
The hounds, with a generous amount of quills about the neck and shoulders poking out in all directions, scrambled into the room. Halo gestured and her double handed axe appeared in her hands. “Let’s dance.” She leapt toward the first creature, she chopped at the head and danced away from the stabbing quills. The stunned creature shook, Halo’s palms hit the short fur that protected the back of the creature and siphoned life out of the beast. The creature howled in pain trying to snap at her. Halo’s pain in her arms and back vanished the moment the creature died.
She glanced over at her rescuer, he had good form. He fought like a seasoned warrior, better than any one that came from Tamarack or even from the Fai Order. It was a kick in her ego that the male was holding his own better than she was. With weapons even! Although, she leaned on her ability to drain instead of putting time into learning to weld her weapon properly. Most death fai did.
She noticed him using lightning, fire, wind and ice in combination with powerful blows of his weapons. Not only was he well trained, he was almost defying the natural hold of the ground. Back flips, hand stands and other elaborate dodges from snapping teeth and swiping claws. It was beautiful. She believed it would be better if he wasn’t wearing that cloak. If she could see his figure it would be a way better show.
Halo snapped out of that line of thought and grabbed the male’s bicep, she felt the muscle ripple under the thick cloth. It was the skinny of his arm that caught her off guard. She pushed that out of her mind rushing up the steps. “They are after the free meal, we just need to get away from it.”
True to her words, once they burst into the main space of the broken fortress they were forgotten by the small mob of hounds downstairs. They kept running into the safety of the woods for good measure, she dropped behind a log and he came close behind. They sat there catching their breath. They both took turns to insure they were not being followed.
Halo pondered how to break it to him, she didn’t need whatever problems he had. To her utter shock, he rose silently and started away. “Wait,” she called scrambling to her feet, she grabbed bony shoulder. “You are just going to leave without pressing for a thank you?”
He shook his head and continued on.
She grabbed his hood and yanked down and fell back a step. Dirty waist long braids of dark green spilt about his torso. His skin was a deep blue covered with soil, blood and other unidentified substances. His eyes were almost pleading with her to help him -she seriously could have been imagining it. His ears were pointed and stretched toward the back of his head, his facial features were elongated with a long nose that fit the rest of his exotic arrangement.
That wasn’t the real shocking part of it. He was young, no more than twelve if he aged like the vayan. Mecca had said he was immortal, even they aged normally until they reach adulthood then they stopped aging all together. That was what Fai told her when she was knighted.
This male had the signets of knighthood glowing on his exposed neck. No first knight in their right mind would knight a child. The thought of having that sort of responsibility on such young shoulders irked her to no end. She was a full adult and had trouble with all the rules and laws that the Order inflicted upon her.
Something deep within her stirred, a feeling she hadn’t sensed since the day after her younger brother died. Immortal or not, he was a kid. “What are you?”
“A troll,” he answered, his voice held the tenor of a child. “Just forget you saw me.” He worked his hair back into his hood with much difficulty. His hair was stiff and not cooperating.
The final clue to his true age, her heart went out to him. Kids were supposed to be running around laughing and getting into innocent mischief. Not playing with weapons and qunok cards. Cold fear snapped through her. He had two more. Halo grabbed his hood and yanked it back, she would rather look at his dirty face than the hem of a hood.
“Stop it,” he yelled shoving her away.
Halo backpedaled several steps before regaining her balance. The boy was strong, she had to give him that. She wouldn’t be taken by surprise again. “Are you traveling with others?”
“No,” he said moving away in a slow hunched over gait, his fingers brushed the ground in the posture. At first she thought he was sneaking, then she realized it seemed to be a more comfortable way to walk for him. Or a habit. Halo tried unsuccessfully to snub her protective nature. With a breath of frustration, she hurried after him, there was no way she could let a kid wander about the woods alone. “My names Halo,” she said.
“Go away,” he said.
“Life debt or whatever you want to call it. You saved me, therefore you are stuck.”
He let out a breath of frustration, he straightened to his full height. He was a head shorter than her seven and half foot height. His hands balled in fists at his sides in silent defiance. “I release you from all ties and obligations to me. I don’t need you,” he thrust out his hands to push her away.
Halo was ready this time and snagged his wrists. “Yes, you do.” She said firmly, he tugged and writhed to free himself, his power roared inside him. She had to act quickly to snub the full brunt of what he could do to her. She pulled life force from him and he cried out falling to the ground. The energy made her dizzy it was so pure she staggered, drunk from it. She dropped to the ground, swaying. He rubbed his wrists and tucked them close to his chest. She freed some trail rations as a peace offering, he glared at them for a long while before snagging them. “I can buy food, shelter and keep you out of some trouble from the locals.”
A myriad of pointed teeth tore into the food bar savagely, three bites and he had it consumed and working on the second “When was the last time you ate?”
He shrugged a shoulder.
“I’m Halo.”
“Joftrakloo,” he answered around his mouthful. “Everyone calls me Joft.”
“Nice to meet you Joft. What are you doing on Agulia? Your accent puts you from the mainland.”
Ever since his visions started coming he was plagued with a feeling he couldn’t set aside, that this was not where he belonged. Then her face, simple, beautiful and so full of love looking at him. The feel of her skin under his fingertips and the scent of her hair. He had made it his mission to find a way to return to her. This nameless beauty that had stolen his heart. “I am trying to get home…to my mate.” At least he hoped it was his mate, the feelings he had for her burned so strongly. She couldn’t be anything else. If she wasn’t, he planned to make her his.
Halo laughed loudly, which was uncharacteristic for her. “You’re like twelve.”
Joft’s features twisted in anger and he jumped to his feet with no effort. “I am not,” he snapped feeling exactly that age suddenly.
She heard the frustration ebbing in his voice, she tried to focus on that. The wanton power wasn’t allowing for rational thought. “Is your mate what fifteen? Your parents sure did want you start life together rather early.”
He threw up his hands and marched away.
Halo scrambled to her feet and zigzagged until she reached his side. She grabbed his shoulders and forced him to face her. The hurt and deep sadness in those eyes tore through her. “I am sorry. You have to see things from my perspective. I see a kid, who hasn’t eaten for what might be days. You have an interesting odor about you too.” Joft sighed heavily, she thought he was going to burst into tears. Her brother had a tender heart and had that look often. She could always just give him a hug and tell him a joke and he would cheer right up. She wasn’t sure how well that would work on this kid, she scolded herself. A child was a child no matter their appearance. “Tell me.”
Joft walked a few more paces pain shot through his lower jaw, he groaned. This annoyance was growing worse over the past few days. He dropped to a stump and sat down, holding his lower part of his face.
His power quieted to a barely felt whisper, her stomach knotted with worry. “You hurt?” Halo asked kneeling beside him. She couldn’t tell whose blood was who’s on his cloak.
“My jaw,” he said with as little movement as possible.
He fought her from looking in his mouth, which grew into a wrestling match. “I’ll sap you again,” she threatened and he stopped struggling. She pulled his lower lip down. The overcrowded gum was red and swelling a tip of a thicker tooth was merging from the top front. It was forcing the other teeth out of the way. No, not a tooth, a tusk, it was wider and thicker than his other teeth. He needed professional help to secure the tusk to angle properly out or he wouldn’t be able to eat. How he inhaled those hard bars was beyond her guess, more than likely spurred his current pain.
That meant going to Rae Terraces on the mainland. The floh had people that could take care of this particular dental problem. It was the opposite direction of Tamarack. The farther she was away from that place the better. The island wasn’t big enough in her opinion. “I can get some numbing gel at Ocean Spray.”
He shook his head. Ocean Spray was the port that lead to the main land. “I am not going back.”
“You have to go to Rae to get those tusks fixed. It would be the last place I would take you in your current stay of running and or hiding. You need them straightened or they will plague you for the rest of your immortal life.”
Joft winced at the thought of never dying. It had been part of the problem when he first tried that wish spell card to get him back to Azeroth. He had never felt such physical pain and didn’t want to experience it again.
“It will be alright,” she promised. “I’ll be with you and we can get supplies, a bath and a bed to sleep in.” All she saw was a young kid with a big problem wanted by all the orders. Because he can weld all –or at least many of the elements. What did they want him for? To protect or kill? Too many questions made her a little lightheaded. “Let me help, Joft. I’ll help you until I see you in the arms of your mate.” He peeked over his thick fingers. She gave him a soft smile. “Don’t make me beg.”
Joft’s shoulders fell, the aged posture faded and he rubbed his hands over his face. A hint of a smile toyed at the edges of his lips. Joft studied this woman, she was a curious mix. She was built like a slim orc and had the ears and skin coloring of a blood elf. Her hair was a deep teal color complete with ice blue eyes. She wore soft leather pants and a tunic, the under shirt had a high collar covering the knight signets on her throat.
Her element was death, yet she wasn’t brooding like others of the Fai. She wasn’t put off by his appearance, which was a plus. There was a good chance she was another of those mercenary types the avatars were sending after him. Knights traveled in pairs, except the Fai, they didn’t really follow the codes like the other Orders.
“Come on, are you really going to make a grown woman beg? Besides, they mercenary’s won’t be expecting you to go to the Rae.”
“No,” he said softly. He had the element of fire in him. The Rae avatar will sense him when they reach the borders. “I shouldn’t, I need to do this alone.” He groaned in pain leaning forward. He vaguely remember having this problem before when he was reaching adulthood. He had been a late bloomer when it came to his tusks. He shivered at the realization, this was normal for him. “Flux.”
She grabbed his elbows and pulled him on his feet. “Where is that written you have to go about this alone? Come on, you can fill me in on the way.”
Joft walked tall as they headed south toward the coast, his stomach gurgled happily content with the meagre amount of food for the time being. So focused on gathering the pieces he needed and staying out of the reach of those mercenaries he forgot the natural order of like eating and sleeping. This body could handle more abuse than normal ones. It had limits though, he had been pushing his for two days.
Joft focused on what he clearly remembered before coming to this realm. “I went to find my brother, the information I had took me to the Blasted Lands. I thought it would be easy. Go in. Kick butt,” he shook his head. The rest of it was coming in frustrating drops, fractions of memories and disembodied sensations.
“It wasn’t,” Halo said flatly pushing a low branch out of her way.
“I found a crystal, when I touched it,” his voice grew gravely ebbed with annoyance and frustration. It had been so stupid, so thoughtless that had brought these problems upon his shoulders. “I was shoved into a place. I wasn’t here or there. I was just in between.”
“That doesn’t sound pleasant.”
“It wasn’t,” Joft said stepping over a fallen tree.
“So, how did you get here?”
“The avatars heard me screaming, that is what they told me anyway. They formed a body for me, raised me. Taught me. Then it started happening.”
“What?”
“I started to remember.” Joft glanced at the Fai knight. “I am remembering my life before. I had told Tae about them, he cast a spell and wiped them out for a little while. But they are coming back, more fluidly this time.” He snorted peering at his hands, the signets of his power etched in his palms. Three lines upon each of his wrists that symbolized his totems, spirit dogs and lightning shield and a few other spells he was itching to use. On each fingertip was his few mounts he had remembered from his past life and one from his knighthood. The ones for his armor were littered about his body in the places the pieces protected. His spine held the ones for his casual clothing which he was wearing at the moment. All the items were waiting in his inventory until he summoned them. Like all knights were able to do.
“Flux,” she whispered. “Talk about trapped between a rock and a quill hound.” They walked a few paces in silence. “So, you came and flirted with death or worse for what?”
“The qunok cards,” he answered. “The wish spell. I am able to gather the needed components I need to open a portal back to Azeroth.”
“Why not wish yourself back?”
He winced with phantom pain. “I’ve tried, the avatars have me grounded here. I can’t leave that way. My only option is using an arcane portal.”
Halo frowned, it had to do something with his immortality more than likely. She was guessing, she knew a few people she could ask to make sure. If he was grounded by immortality, an arcane portal might not help either. “Flux mages are expensive to use.”
“If I find Tylor, he is a mage. He will be able to finish the portal and we can go home.”
“That brother you were looking for in the mine?”
Joft nodded rubbing his jaw that insisted to hurt even more.
Halo let out a breath, there had to be more to this whole situation than he was telling. He could be completely mad and making it all up. Only an insane person, other than herself, of course, would face a wizard with qunok cards. Mecca had no reason to lie about what she sensed in Joft. And the mercenary’s look was far too genuine to be faked. That left her with very little to doubt.
Then this whole brother business disturbed her, another troll running around the country side. Was this one younger or older than Joft? Did Tylor have any idea that his brother was traipsing about the wildness chasing after him? When she finally did meet Tylor, she was going to give him a very long lecture about caring for a brother. “Let’s get going,” she said with a flick of her wrist. A que appeared in all the feline glory, the black mount had silver and blood markings on the flank and shoulders. Halo swung up on the saddle and settled. “Climb on.”
Joft snorted igniting the rune on his index finger of his left hand. A raptor with purple stripes and headdress snapped into being.
Halo’s eyes narrowed slightly. “A reptile?”
Joft swung onto the saddle of the two legged beast roared and did a head toss. Thick curved claws tapped on the ground, the little arms swayed in front of it and drool dripped off the teeth. “I like him.”
“He better keep up,” she challenged and reined her que toward the direction they had been heading. She kicked the ribs leaning forward. Joft’s reptile strong hind legs were able to keep up with her mounts four legged advantage.
The distance was quickly covered and they dismissed their mounts a good half a mile before the border. Halo snagged a cloak off a clothes line and slipped it on, both covered their heads and walked into town. “Stand straight,” she hissed before they arrived at the town gates.
Joft straightened his spine, his muscles ached from his hunched over gait. He couldn’t figure out why he kept walking like that.
“What? Knights?”
“I came onto Agulia to get this bozo,” Halo said thumbing to Joft. “You know these new knights. They want all the power and just run amuck.”
Joft grunted folding his arms in front of him.
“Is that so?”
“On our way to the main land, let us pass and we will be out of your hair.”
“You thinking I am going to believe a fai?”
Joft’s fire bubbled to the surface on the tail end of his anger. The two soldiers peered at him confused by the sudden appearance of an element.
“New knight, doesn’t have the handle yet.” Halo shrugged a shoulder. “Whatever, come on lets go find the pub. Try to keep that fire under control, these buildings are made out of wood, you know.”
“Wait,” the guard said. “I am sure the ferry has room for two more.”
Halo grinned wickedly, she slapped the woman on the shoulder. “I see you are not going to flirt with disaster like so many before you.” They two passed the guards and Halo grabbed Joft’s shoulder steering him toward the nearest herbal shop. She paid for a small square jar of compound, she shoved him in between two buildings. “Put that on your tusks.”
Joft opened the container and wrinkled his nose. “It smells like foot fungus.”
“I don’t want to know how you know that,” she stated evenly glancing over her shoulder. “It’s numbing gel it will taste worse but will help with the pain.”
Joft dabbed his finger in the compound, the tip of his finger tingled and went numb. He smeared it on his gums, the taste was like dirt, plant sap and some other nasty taste. The results were unmistakable, relief flooded through him. He swallowed several times closing the jar slipping it into his waist pouch.
