With dusk almost upon them, the pair quietly prepared for their journey. Knightshade had few preparations to make. His blade and the spells permanently lodged in his memory, were all he required. Even his armour was unnecessary, as he had spells of shielding should he need protection. But his armour was like an old friend, and he wore it for the feeling of solidity and security it provided for him. When Rorke joined him in the castle courtyard, the big warrior was garbed in a combination of chain and plate mail. A small, leather pack was strapped to his back. The pack had a large scabbard tied to it. Inside the scabbard was what would normally be considered a two-handed sword, but Knightshade had seen him wield it effectively with only one of his huge hands. As the two walked through the deserted courtyard in the darkness, the guards were waiting to close the gates for the night. Rorke had decided against taking horses. Although speed was important, they would find it easier to remain hidden on foot. Knightshade had not argued with him. He was a poor horseman anyway, and had rarely had the need to ride. Once they had left the castle behind, Rorke led the way south through the quiet woodland that surrounded it. He set a fair pace, his long legs stretched fully with each step, and Knightshade found himself adjusting his normal marching pace to keep up. They encountered no one that night on their way to Kurz. When they entered the town, it was quieter than usual. They passed many taverns full of patrons, but few people ventured out on the streets at night. When they were halfway through the town, a man leapt out at them from a dark alleyway. He took one look at Rorke, however, and quickly scurried off from whence he came. Knightshade chuckled to himself as they continued on their way. Before long they reached the eastern edge of town. They were preparing to leave it behind when a voice called out from a nearby shop. The sign above the door read 'Battling Mage'. "Milord Rorke?" said a woman standing in the doorway. "Is that you?" Rorke smiled when he saw the woman. "Yes, Millie. It is I. I would speak with you, milady, but a pressing errand forbids delay." The young woman sighed. "I will not detain you, my lord. But would offer you a gift that was left in my possession this morning." "A gift?" Rorke said, looking puzzled. "Aye, my lord," she said. "It was left here by a man I did not recognize. He said he was a friend, and that you would pass by this night before the moon had reached its zenith. I was instructed to give it to you." Millie disappeared inside the store, and reappeared a moment later. In her hands she held a small orb. She gave it to Rorke. "It is a weapon, or so he told me. With it you will be able to summon lightning from the sky above, to strike down your enemies. So he told me." Rorke accepted the gift solemnly, storing it in his pack. "Thank you, milady. If you see this stranger again, tell him I would have words with him. These are troubling times and I would know my friends. If friend he is. But we have tarried long enough. Already midnight draws near. Goodbye milady, and keep well." Taking the young lady's hand, he gently kissed it before turning away. They left her standing there and continued east. When they reached the edge of town, Knightshade looked back. The shop was in darkness, and all was still. In front of them was the dreaded killing fields. The changes in the landscape were small initially, as they headed in a north-easterly direction. The thick forests of North Bloodwood, gradually began to thin slightly, and the earth beneath their feet, began to change to a darker shade of red. Soon however the trees were sparse and the ground was bare, with only small patches of dead grass. "We are in the Killing Fields now," Rorke said. "It is dangerous beyond description here, my friend. We must be wary. I can guide us safely through, but you must follow my lead closely and with caution." Knightshade nodded in the moonlight and followed the warrior through this place of death. There was little cover, but Rorke used what there was and they travelled without mishap well into the night. Many times, Rorke had paused, and they had waited until large shadowy figures had materialized in front of them, before passing out of sight. "Daemons haunt this place, " Rorke said, after one had left. "They are fearsome opponents. It would cost us dearly if we were forced to fight one of them." They continued on, until dawn found them at the northern edge of the Killing Fields. To the north, Knightshade could see the terrain turn marshy and swamp-like, before vanishing in huge clouds of mist and fog. They rested out of sight in a small copse of bushes. Rorke produced some meat, bread and cheese from his pack, and they ate in silence. When they were ready to go, Rorke spoke. "There is rumoured to be swampland to the north, beyond the mists. The enemy camp is supposedly there. But before we go, I would know of your mission." Knightshade sighed. "I would tell you, my friend, but I have made promises that I would reveal it to no one. Be content with knowing that my mission mirrors your own." Rorke nodded. 'Very well. I will respect your promise. I would not have your honour compromised to satisfy my curiosity. But if there is anything I can do to help, you have but to ask." "I will," Knightshade said in a distracted manner. He was staring at the impenetrable fog in front of them. "What do you know of these mists?" "Very little, I'm afraid. Only that there are strange lands beyond them. I had to pass through them when I returned to my homeland, all those years ago. They should not harm us." Knightshade followed behind Rorke, as he headed for the mists that lay before them. Knightshade tensed as he stepped forward, and was enveloped by it. As soon as he had entered, he could see nothing but bright white fog in front of him. Looking back, he saw exactly the same thing. Rorke was no longer in front of him. He was starting to panic, when he heard his companion's voice, muffled by the mist. "Keep walking forward. It should not continue far." Steeling himself, Knightshade walked quickly forward. After only a few steps he was out. Rorke was waiting there for him. They were in a swamp. Already, the swamp water was seeping into his sollerets making his feet wet and uncomfortable. Gnarled and twisted trees, mostly weeping willows, blocked out what sunlight there was. Moss covered most of their trunks. Tiny insects flew by in clouds, biting at their exposed hands and faces. Knightshade was already beginning to hate this place. He looked up through the foliage, trying to see the sun. From what he could see, its position did not seem right. "Something is amiss," he said. "It appears to be mid morning already, but it was dawn only moments ago." "The mists are beyond our ken," Rorke said. "I know not whether they have transported us to a new place, or whether time passes more quickly when you are inside. There is naught to be gained by worry over it. Let us continue." They were about to leave when Knightshade heard a soft buzzing sound. Rorke had heard it too. "Something is coming. Be ready." No sooner had he spoke, than the buzzing became louder. From the north, a large insect like creature could be seen approaching. It's body had a light green shade, and it flew on semi-transparent wings that were the cause of the buzzing sound that they had heard. And it was not alone. Behind it flew more creatures like it, along with a slightly different one. This one had a pinkish shade to it, but otherwise it looked the same. They did not pause when they got close to the two newcomers, but darted in to attack, using large stingers to stab at them. Knightshade quickly sent a light dart at one of them. It struck the creature directly and it collapsed to the ground. Rorke meanwhile had his sword out of it's scabbard and was moving it so fast that Knightshade saw it as more of a blur than a solid weapon. Soon four of the creatures lay in a heap at the warriors feet. Only the pink one remained, but it had stayed back, out of reach. To their amazement, the creature cast a spell, sending a small ball of flame at Rorke. The warrior dived into the scum filled water, trying to avoid it, but the ball followed him, hitting him in the side. Its effect was lessened however, as the water shielded him. Knightshade sent a light dart at it, wounding it, but not killing it. He sensed that this creature had somehow resisted the spell, lessening the impact. Before the creature could recover and cast again, Knightshade sent a small whirlwind at it. The creature was caught up in the whirlwind, its wings beating madly to break free. When the whirlwind evaporated, the creature's body was dumped to the boggy ground below, where it lay still. Knightshade cast a simple healing spell on Rorke, who was drenched in the foul water from head to toe. Examining the bodies, they found that they were similar to wasps, although wasps should not be as big as a man's arm, nor should they possess the intelligence to cast spells! "There is more to fear here than the enemy's men," Rorke said, a wry smile on his face. "Let us go before more of these abominations arrive." Page 3 of 8   Previous Page Return to Index Next Page   This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page