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Episode 16 - The World Stone
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Making their way forward, they come upon a forest and a flock or Ravebats. Lighting torches, they move along the trail with haste, but then lose the trail.
They all flashed their torches around them, searching for the signs of any trail. It was dark, but the trail they’d been following seemed to be nothing more than a game trail had dwindled to nothing. Getting lost was not part of the plan.
“You must have taken a wrong turn,” Tasol said. “The trail across the mountains was to be clear.”
“These are the wilds up here,” Daymel answered, still scanning for the trail with his torch. “Things grow, terrain changes. Reclaimed by the forest.”
“You’d said you’d been on the path before. You’re certain this is the way?”
“Yes, I’m certain of it.”
“Then let’s press on. Perhaps we will pick it up. Just do your best.”
“It would be better if we could hold tight until morning. It’ll be much easier to pick our way in the daylight,” Daymel said. “It’s unlikely the Jackrabbits will follow us this far into the forest. This is not somewhere they would choose to go without a good reason, and catching me probably wouldn’t qualify as one. Streel and his crew weren’t very popular, so they may look upon it as a favor in disguise.”
They stood back to back, torches facing outward with seemingly hundreds of eyes reflecting from the darkness frequently swooping in closer to the lights, so the shadowy form of their bodies would appear and then quickly disappear. They decided to hold tight for the night, and they sat down in a circle back to back, each burying the base of their torch in the ground in front of them as they watched the creatures watching them. It was as simple waiting game now, as there was likely no more than an hour or two before first light. Tasol sat looking out into the darkness as the light of the torches created a small halo of light in the forest. He looked at his ring and saw that it was ebbing a steady glow of light.
“The rings,” Daymel said, “where did you two get that magic?” He spoke it calmly, as if magic were a common occurrence, but Tasol was still struggling with the fact that he wore it and that his mother was some worldly sorceress. Rather than hiding the truth and playing games, Tasol opted for the truth with his old friend.
“You say it as if magic were a common thing,” Tasol questioned.
“Let’s just say I’ve seen a great many things since leaving Bannion.”
“All I know is that it was a gift from our mother.”
“That makes sense,” Daymel said matter-of-factly.
“Why does that make sense?” Myra now asked, joining the conversation.
Daymel laughed. “Everyone in the Scourge avoided your mother. We all knew she was a dangerous and mysterious lady. That she had something different about her. My parents knew of her from the olden days, but were sworn to secrecy. They never told me much really other than I should be careful around you all, and that’s part of why they pledged me to apprentice with the Jackrabbits. They didn’t want me living my life in the Scourge, even if it meant a life of highway robbery.” He scoffed, rubbing his chin, “but they never asked me what I wanted, but what’s done is done, and once you have the mark of the Jackrabbit, well, you’re marked for life.” He pulled up his sleeve to reveal a tattoo on his wrist.
“I didn’t know any of that,” Tasol said. “I thought you’d been killed by the raiders that day. We all did.”
“Well, then their plan worked,” Daymel answered, his voice trailing off.
“I’m sorry for what your parents did,” Tasol said. “But our parents left us with a great burden too. We have a long road ahead of us and are hunted. That’s all I can tell you for now.” They all sat quietly, eyes intent on the darkness beyond the torches. “But if you would like to join us, we’d love to have another hand along the way, an old hand, a friend. Right Myra?” As he finished, he nudged Myra.
Begrudgingly, she spoke, her eyes fixed on the darkness. “I thought that you were killed that day too, and it explains why your parents never liked me much. I’m sorry for what your parents did, but I’m still not happy with what you did to me. You could’ve at least told me–it would’ve been hard, but a different kind of hard. Instead, you left me to believe you were killed. That hurt, and the pain stings even deeper now that I know the truth of it all, but I am happy to see you’re alive.” Her voice quivered a bit and then regained its strength and continued. “But, I moved on from that day, and it’s fine if you want to join us, but keep the questions to a minimum–we will share what we want when we want. If that is agreeable to you, then you’re welcome to tag along, but it’s likely that only death awaits us. If not–”
“No need with the if nots,” he said, interrupting her mid-sentence. “I’m in for this whatever’s to come, no questions asked. It sounds like a nice break from robbing caravans. I understand that I’m not to ask any questions, but if I’m to join you all, it might be good for me to understand just whom it is that hunts you both.”
“No more questions,” Tasol said, his voice turning dark, but before any more words were spoken, the glow of the rings again pulsed to life, drawing their attention to the dark forest beyond.
It appeared the creatures were mounting some sort of organized effort, circling in the darkness beyond the halo of light. Periodically, the shadowing wings of the creatures could be seen flapping great strokes of air. They started to move in synch, and the flames of the torches started to waver, but as the Ravebats grew in numbers they blasted gales of wind outwards, snuffing the light of the torches. Instantly, they turned their eyes reflecting the glowing light of the magic rings, and descended on their prey as dawn was starting to break in the distance. They let out a terrible screech signaling their victory as they flew in with their talons extended, seeking flesh. The glow of the rings radiated once again, and the power of the two rings joined to create an orb of light surrounding the three travelers. The orb of light ebbed, gaining power, increasing in brightness until suddenly, it flashed outward, magnificently cascading an arc of light that slammed into the descending Ravebats. It hit them hard, like a solid mass of spectral light, sending Ravebats cascading away and literally eviscerating others as if they never existed. The Ravebats that survived the assault hovered outside the glowing aura, screeching madly and then turned in the increasing morning light, flying off to some distant mountain nook to hide from the day’s light. With their retreat, the glowing magic of the rings slowly receded until it was finally gone moments later.
“Holy shit,” Daymel said, eyes wide. “What was that? Your mother made those?”
“Seems so,” Tasol said, his eyes just as wide.
“Yes, it seems as if there is a lot we do not know about our mother,” Myra added. “I don’t know if I should be excited or scared to death.”
“Perhaps both,” Daymel said as the sun crested over the hills in the distance, shining through the dewy morning fog of the forest. As he turned to look behind them, he could see now that they were only a couple of miles into the forest.
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