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Nox paced around his hut in the dim firelight.
“Absolutely fucking useless,” he muttered to himself. “Drag me all the way out here, trying to help someone out and nobody knows anything. Nothing but wasted time and more false hope.”
He flopped down on the pile of furs near the small ring of stones, pulling his legs in close and resting his head on his knees. Irritation was burning at his stomach fueled by the twinge of pain from the still healing spider bite. He didn’t understand why he was getting so worked up. After all, he’d only come to the village to help Zyk, but for some reason the old man’s lack of answers bothered him. He realized, far too late, that a small inkling of hope had been building inside him. For the briefest of moments he thought he’d learn about all the troubles he’d encountered the past week inside the Hollow and maybe get an explanation. At the very least he’d hoped for a way to take the ring off and go back to his normal life for good. But there was nothing besides a ridiculous theory about the gods and a thousand more questions about magic. In fact, the only thing that hadn’t come as a surprise was the observation that Lycoris was dying, he just hadn’t known that magic was dying along with it. It made sense, but it also brought about even more questions that he’d probably never get an answer to. But none of that mattered now. He’d kept his promise and helped Zyk find some answers. Now it was time for him to go home, back to his ailing mother who was probably worried sick about him.
In fact, he wasn’t going to wait any longer.
Nox trudged over to the corner of the tent where Nulak had left him a small pack with some basic supplies. They were meant for the chaperoned journey in the morning, but it was time to go. He rummaged through, glancing over the waterskin, the pouch of dried meat, the crystal he’d removed from his spear, a flint, and the small bundle of scrolls. Knowing the thoughts rolling around his head, he was careful not to touch the scrolls, but he took a rolled up fur from the ground and stuffed it into the bag as well. Throwing the pack over his shoulder, he grabbed his spear and made for the door.
Just as his hand reached out to pull it aside, he stopped. He couldn’t force himself to leave without telling Zyk. As much as he knew his mother needed him, he knew she’d never approve of him leaving anyone without saying goodbye first, especially someone that he owed his life to. It didn’t help that he’d grown to care for Zyk. That more than his upbringing was what ate at him. Cursing under his breath he pushed the leather flap aside, stomping out into the night in search of the tiny fox.
The night had grown late and the majority of the village was already in their huts. Even with no one around, Nox didn’t feel entirely safe wandering around without Nulak or the old shaman to escort him. He knew he was a stranger in their midst and nobody, especially the chief, really trusted him. Even with an orc at his side the villagers eyed him with suspicion and malice. Not that he could blame them, he felt the same way. None of them had given him a reason to be worried, but a lifetime of horror stories about their people wasn’t something he could forget in a single day.
Keeping to the shadows, Nox made his way to Nulak’s quarters. As he approached the door he could hear voices from within, one of them belonging to Zyk. He leaned in close. They sounded happy and he could almost hear the smile on Zyk’s face as the fox talked excitedly about something he couldn’t make out. He stopped for a moment, wondering if he should interrupt them. Zyk, more than anyone, had been through the most in the past week. Waking up in a strange and dangerous place where his life was constantly under threat probably wasn’t the most comfortable of experiences. If Nox walked into the tent now he’d ruin a moment of happiness that was seldom felt. Not to mention he’d have to deal with Nulak as well who wouldn’t want him to leave until morning and she wasn’t someone who could be overpowered or outmaneuvered.
Taking a deep breath, Nox turned away from the hut, sneaking toward the eastern edge of the village. At the boundary the grass sprang back to its normal height, not tamped down by the constant flow of foot traffic from the orcs. He tilted his head back, staring up into the night sky filled with stars. Hopefully Zyk would forgive him for leaving without an explanation. It was unlikely they’d ever meet again, but silently Nox wished him all the luck in the world with his quest. A part of him wished he could go too, but his mother needed him. It had already been far too long and she’d be dangerously close to running out of medicine if she hadn’t already. She needed him and her life depended on his quick retreat to Kald. He’d do whatever it took to save her, he just had to get there first.
Making sure he wasn’t spotted, he pushed into the grass that was already slick with dew. The valley came to an abrupt end a couple hundred feet away, the grass fading away with it. He started to climb the mountain itself, avoiding the nearby game trail in case there were orcs on guard duty. Keeping as quiet as possible he struggled through the underbrush, pushing his way toward the top. He thought of the Bledig back on the other side of the mountains, the yellow eyes glowing in the dark. Fear began to creep through his system, making his heart pound in his ears as he walked. More than once he stopped, his senses on high alert as tiny sounds echoed through the forest. Every snap of a twig or rustle of the leaves sent a rush of adrenaline through his system. He’d almost forgotten what it was like to be on his own in dangerous places.
By the time he reached the top of the mountain he was exhausted and dripping in sweat. He leaned against a nearby tree, trying to breathe as quietly as he could. The wilds of the world were definitely not for him. Sneaking through the streets of Kald was intense enough when he didn’t want to be caught. However, the fear of being hunted for the sole sake of being eaten was a newer experience he wanted to stop repeating. He shook his head, glancing up and down the ridgeline. As far as he knew nothing was following him. He hoped.
But as he looked down the mountain to the eastern plains, he saw something else that made him pause. There was a group of fires at the bottom, like a sort of camp had been set up. He squinted in the dark, trying to make out the details in the pale moonlight high overhead. When they began to shift he realized they weren’t fires, but torches. Dark figures, some on horseback, massed around the torches. Shouts echoed up the mountain, but were indiscernible over the long distance, their words lost in the trees. One figure, leading the rest, came into the torchlight atop his mount. Nox caught a flash of his blood red cloak in the firelight and a glimmer of armor.
It was the Holy Knights.
He watched as they approached the base of the mountain and slipped into the trees at a steady pace. They were headed his way.
Without so much as a second thought, Nox turned on his heel and sprinted down the mountainside. Dodging back and forth with no regard for the amount of noise he was making, he descended. Grabbing branches and brush to slow himself down as he skidded down the steep hillside, Nox ran as fast as he could. More than once he heard something in the trees startle and take off, but he never stopped to see what it could be. Nothing in the woods could be worse than what was on its way to the village. As much as he needed to get home, he couldn’t leave Zyk to be slaughtered along with the others and by the time the watch noticed the knights coming, it would be too late. He had to get there first and warn them.
Nox came barreling to the bottom of the hill, the sudden change in incline nearly throwing him to the ground. He crashed through the grass, dew pushing through his clothing and soaking him to the skin. Calls rose up around him as he rushed for the village. In his periphery he saw an orc guard take off, running toward him and shouting in a language he didn’t understand. A horn bellowed from the opposite direction, signaling the people in the village that something was amiss. Even with the hulking orc coming for him, Nox didn’t stop. Instead he put on a burst of speed, running as fast as he could toward Nulak’s abode. He took a moment to glance back as he drew near. Behind him the orc had unsheathed a long curved sword with a hooked end that looked as if it could tear his leg off in one clean sweep. The orc was nearly on top of him.
Nox forced his way through the leather door, throwing himself into the hut without warning. He crashed to the ground, nearly crushing Zyk in the process who yelped and skittered to the opposite side of the room. Nulak was caught by surprise and had a hand on her maul before he had a chance to take a breath. The other orc cried out, ripping the door aside and pulling his sword back to strike. Nox held up crossed arms to shield himself, clenching his eyes shut in preparation for the pain.
There was a loud clash of metal on metal that caused him to startle. But there was no pain. Opening his eyes he looked up to see Nulak holding her maul with one hand, the sword buried in the handle only inches away from her fingers.
“Stop!” she shouted at the guard. “He’s a friend of Witan Gruul and of the tribe!”
The orc pulled his sword back, unsticking it from the handle of her maul. “He rushed in from outside the village! I didn’t know who he was in the dark!”
Nulak’s gaze turned to Nox. “Outside of the village? What were ya doing out there?”
Nox saw Zyk take a few steps forward, his eyes reflecting in the firelight as he looked over the spear and the bag strapped across his back. “Nox?”
“None of that... is... important,” Nox puffed, still trying to catch his breath as he lay flat on the ground. “The knights... are here! They’re coming... over the mountain... tonight...”
“What?” Nulak asked, suddenly serious. “What do ya mean they’re here?”
“I saw them at the top... of the mountain. They’re less than an hour away.”
Nulak turned to the orc guard. “Wake up Chief Varfu and the rest of the village. Tell them to arm themselves.”
The orc hesitated for a moment.
“NOW, I said!”
In a flash the guard orc was gone, tearing out of the tent and across the village. Zyk walked over to Nox, pushing his head against his arm in an attempt to help him to his feet. Nulak reached down with one hand and lifted him from the ground, placing him back on his feet with ease. She brushed him off with a big meaty hand and looked him square in the eye.
“We need to prepare for the knights,” she said seriously. “And both of ya need to get the hell out of here.”
“I’m sorry,” Nox began, feeling the urge to confess to trying to abandon them.
“No time for that.” Her gaze was more grave than he’d seen before. “We should be thankful you were out there. Without ya we’d have been blind until it was too late.” She looked him up and down. “I see you already have your things. You and Zyk need to get as far away from here as possible before the knights arrive.”
“What! We can’t do tha–” Zyk started.
“Yes ya can and ya will,” she stated firmly. “The knights are only here for one reason. Blood. And if they find you here, ya can bet they’ll kill ya too or worse.” She turned her gaze to Zyk, the hard edges around her mouth softening. “Don’t make me witness that.”
“But... we can help.”
“No, ya can’t. Now ya need to go.” She reached out and put a hand on Nox’s shoulder. “You take him with ya and ya take good care of him, ya hear?”
Nox could see the plea in her eyes. He knew they were both thinking the same thing. By the time the sun rose there was a distinct possibility the Ninbanda tribe of the orcs would be no more. Zyk wasn’t safe with them and neither was he.
“I will. I promise,” he replied without hesitation.
“Good. Now go! Before they cut off your path to the other side of the mountain.”
“But Nulak...” Zyk whined, trotting up to her.
She reached down and scooped him up, nuzzling him in her arms. Nox was caught off guard by the familiar show of affection. It was soft and delicate, reminding him of how his own mother used to comfort him as a child.
“Ya need to go,” she whispered. “Don’t worry. Me and the others will do our best to defend the village.” She leaned her head down and touched her forehead to his. “There are things out there that ya need to do. Dying for this village isn’t part of your path, little one.”
Zyk looked like he was about to cry, his eyes glassy in the firelight. Outside the village was starting to come alive. Shouts echoed across the valley, waking everyone from their slumber. In the distance Nox could make out the distinct voice of Chief Varfu calling orders over the chaos. The cries of the people filled the night and a terrible sense of dread crept into his body. After all the years of horror stories about the orcs, it wasn’t until that moment he realized how helpless they truly were against the king, just like him. Dozens of well equipped soldiers were on their way to fight a village full of normal people defended by a handful of warriors. They were horribly outnumbered and outmatched.
Nulak caught his eye and nodded, pulling Zyk away from her body. “Take him,” she murmured, a single tear falling down her cheek. “Get out of here.”
Nox reached out and took Zyk from her even though he was struggling. “Thank you for all your help.” He paused for a moment. “And I don’t know if it matters... but I’m sorry for the things I said. I’ll keep my promise to you. Both of them.”
Nulak nodded slowly. “It matters. And thank you.”
With one last nod Nox pushed the leather flap aside and darted out of the tent, holding a struggling Zyk close to his chest. He raced across the village, heading for the southeastern corner. Knowing the soldiers would come straight up and over the mountain, their only chance of survival was to avoid them completely.
“Let me go!” Zyk cried over his shoulder, wriggling in his arms.
Nox didn’t listen. Instead he kept a tight hold until they reached the chest high grass, where he skidded to a stop and knelt down. He pulled Zyk away from his body, holding him by the scuff of the neck. The fox made a few pathetic noises, but Nox didn’t care.
“Let me go!” he repeated.
Nox gave him a hard shake. “Stoppit,” he growled, gritting his teeth. “Quiet down and listen to me.”
“No! Nulak needs our help! They all do!”
“And what are you going to do? Huh?” Nox glared at him, not loosening his grip in the slightest. “Can you bite through steel armor? Hold a sword? No! You can’t even do enough magic to scorch the grass with that wound of yours. You’re useless here!”
Zyk’s ears dropped and he stopped struggling.
“I want to help them as much as you do, but we don’t stand a chance against the knights. You don’t understand what they can do, what they are capable of.” Nox stared into the golden eyes, willing the fox to understand him. “The Primes are after the orcs and if there’s one of them in that group, they’ll be unstoppable.”
“But... What about Nulak and the others?”
Nox stood up and held the fox over the grass, pointing him back toward the village. There were dozens of orcs running about. A few were armed, but the majority had hastily packed bags slung over their shoulders. Some were already pushing toward the southwestern side of the village and starting up the mountain path.
“Look!” Nox said, pointing back to the village. “Nulak and the others know what they are up against. They aren’t stupid enough to start a war. They’re going to run, just like we are.” Nox felt the fox relax and he pulled him closer, cradling him against his chest. “But they’ll likely be pursued and that’s why you couldn’t stay. The only thing that can help them now is luck and quick feet.”
“Do you... Do you think they’ll make it?”
Nox hugged the fox tight. “I hope so.” He leaned back, looking Zyk in the eye. “Will you come with me back to Kald?”
Zyk stared back at him, his head cocked to the side. “But... I thought you didn’t want me... that’s why you left...”
“I know I tried to leave, but it wasn’t because I don’t want you,” Nox sighed. “This world is dangerous... What I don’t want is to put you in danger and that’s all we’ll find in Kald.”
“What about the clavis?”
“We can figure that out another time.”
“But what about–
“My mother is dying, okay?!” Nox yelled, no longer able to hold back his frustration. “I have to get home to her so I can try to save her, alright? I’m the only person she has in the whole world! I don’t have time to argue with you!”
Zyk’s ears pinned to his head at the sudden outburst. He stared at Nox for a long moment, his gold eyes flicking back and forth. “Why didn’t you say something?”
Nox didn’t answer. He just looked away.
“Yes,” Zyk replied after a moment. “I’ll go to Kald with you. Maybe I can help.”
A sigh of relief escaped Nox’s lips and he suddenly felt ashamed of his outburst, but there was no time to talk about it. “Good. Now we need to go.”
Zyk nodded and Nox lifted him up to his shoulder, knowing the fox’s back leg was still too injured for him to walk for long, much less run. Together they pushed through the tall grass, the dew seeping into their clothes and fur. They didn’t stop to look back as they plunged into the forest, climbing the steep incline. Shouts and cries continued to echo through the valley, filling the night with their panic. It wasn’t until Nox reached the ridgeline that he took a moment to catch his breath. A loud boom forced him to turn around, looking back down into the valley below.
Both he and Zyk froze. The village was on fire, the flames spreading to each hut one by one. A single figure atop a horse sat with his cloak billowing in the breeze, his armored arm grasping a wickedly curved glaive. He lifted his free hand with his palm facing outwards. Nox stared in disbelief as bright balls of energy coalesced around him from out of thin air, forming into a single ball of bright red light hovering a few inches in front of his palm. Without so much as a flinch, the ball suddenly streaked forward and exploded against one of the huts. The structure was blown to bits as a deep boom echoed across the valley. Dozens of other armed figures rushed in, illuminated by the sudden conflagration as their leader looked on, letting his arm drop to his side casually. The knight’s swords flashed as they fought the orcs that had remained behind. Even from a distance Nox could see the crimson on their blades. He’d been right. One of the Primes had been leading the charge. They were the only ones allowed by the king to use magic. Nothing else could explain what he’d just seen.
Nox closed his eyes, knowing there was nothing he could do. There wasn’t anyone in the world that was a match for the Primes. Without a word he turned back toward the east, crossing over the top of the mountain with Zyk staring over his shoulder at the slaughter behind them.