The Book of Ashe

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Cut Off

"And In Those Days, Their Will Be Dark Times, But Take Heed, For Thine Faith Will See You Through"
~ Sayings of The High Wizard

The Badlands are a large, barren area located almost in the geological center of Tharamond. It can reach to 115 degrees in the day and can drop to -10 during the night. The winds blow almost constantly and all forms of life either bite, sting, or cloud around you in swarms. Until recently the most tempered forces of the Empire controlled the area, under the command of a creature more devil than man, Darksaber. Though the Badlands are of no economic value, it's location makes it vital. To the south of the Badlands are the Western and Eastern Mountain Ranges, which are nearly impossible to pass except in three places. To the East is a small valley that remains a swamp through all but the coldest winter, and it then turns into a nightmare of ice and pitfalls unlike anything you can imagine. In the center of the Ranges is a narrow pass called The Pass of the Star Eyed, which is the easiest way north from the Southern Shores. Lastly is a vale located just east of Tamber. It takes weeks to move from Scorn to Tamber through the Mountain Ranges. Using the Badlands it takes three or four days. The Imperial army no longer occupies the Badlands, as they have been pursuing us for a number of days. They out number us too many to one, though since we are the smaller group, we can out maneuver and out distance them.

"Our main problem is going to be this small group of cliffs here." Raven said pointing at one of my small maps of the North.
"It is a tight fit on normal days, but with Darksaber advancing at the rate he has been it is libel to turn into a death trap."
Crossbow grunted his agreement then added, "He puts a company of archers along these cliffs here and life could get really difficult for us."
Raven nodded, then glanced at Raider. Something seemed to pass between them, or it could have been my imagination.
"What about just avoiding the cliffs all together?" Jayden asked.
"No, going around to the North would bring us to close to Exile and Darksaber is advancing from the south. We have no choice but to go straight through." Raven explained.
"Well, best to not waste time talking. Do they know of our situation back in the Tri-Cities?" Raider asked.
"I've sent a runner to tell them. He left two days ago." Raven said.
"The last one you sent didn't do much good!" Crossbow said.
"We don't know if he got through or not. Flamedancer could be flanking Darksaber as we speak, but we can't make that big of an assumption."
"Or Darksaber could have destroyed Flamedancer and his army and is now coming after us." Jayden chipped in.
The room went eerily silent. No one had really ever thought of that. If that was the case then perhaps Shekara's wrath is too great, for that would only leave the three main northern armies and one central and, of course, our rag tag band.
"Do you think we can make it?" Raider asked Raven.
Raven sucked in a breath of air and blew it out through puffed checks.
"I don't know, but we have no choice but to try. Gods help us!"

We pushed hard for the next two days and thought we had given Darksaber's forces the slip, but on the third day we encountered something no one expected. A small team of scouts were snaking through a steep, narrow canyon no more then ten feet wide. Crossbow and Flask were along acting as guards. Jayden and Raider came along for spell support, Raven came simply because she wanted to see first hand anything that happened, and of course yours truly got drafted for gods only know what reasons. Our forces had been skirmishing with Darksaber's off and on. He had gained a lot more ground then we thought he would. We wound through the twisting caynon walls till we came around a bend and lo, there was a squad of about thirty mean-looking soldiers done up in Darksaber's colors.
"s***!" Jayden squeaked.
That drew the squads attention, but they seemed more surprised to see us, then we were to see them. Both units just stared at one another for a few minutes, debating who wanted to jump first. SWOOSH! BOOM! A massive bolt of thunder sounded about 200 feet behind us. The explosion was so intense, it peppered us with rocks. A second followed shortly after the first, and a few seconds later a third.
"s***! Saber's here!" Raven yelled. "He's pounding the army."
Screams and wails supported Raven's statement. We were caught in a death trap. The men in the squad decided to take advantage of our dismay and charged. Jayden met them halfway with a wild spell that sent sparks and pieces of men flying into the air. Crossbow and Flask charged into the shaken surviours.
Stormraven, with Raider in toe, turned and started heading back to the army. Against my better judgment I followed them, leaving the remaining Imperials to Crossbow and Flask.
A forth boom echoed out as we turned the corner. Rocks the size of a human head tumbled down amongst us. We kept moving, dodging as best we could.
Then the world went mad. The skies darkened. Massive spears of lightning stabbed down around us. The clouds opened and dumped rain and burning brimstone, most of which fell on the top of the cliffs. The wind rose and for a brief moment the very fabric of the world seemed to be ripping.
We were close enough to see the main army now. It was in total chaos. Corpses were everywhere. More lightning and brimstone fell, pounding Saber's forces mostly.
"Who the hell is controlling this?" A voice hollowed from behind us. It was Jayden. They had finished off the squad.
"Weaver! She's gotten her powers back some how." Raven yelled back.
"What!? It can't be her, the storm is pulverizing the enemy." I said.
"It doesn't make sense, but it's her energy."
Another boom echoed out. An area of about 100 feet turned to molten rock as it rang out.
"That's Darksaber!" Raven yelled, but didn't stop running. We reached a small group of survivors pressed up against the walls of the canyon. Silverwolf and Muffins were among them. We pressed into the group. The noise was almost unbearable.
“What are your orders?” Silverwolf asked Raven.
Raven didn’t respond. Her eyes seemed glazed by shock.
“Raven!” Silverwolf grabbed Raven’s shoulder and looked her right in the eyes. “What are your orders?”
Raven went to open her mouth to say something, but instead let out a shriek of pain and flung herself back. Paniclly I tried to find out what was wrong and then I saw it. The arrow had buried itself damn near to the middle of the shaft in her right hip. No one else seemed aware of it. Silverwolf had gone back to doing whatever he was doing.
I grabbed the nearest person to me and forced them to get down with Raven. Jayden was my victim.
“Raven’s been hit!” I yelled just as he was going to say something obnoxious to me about pulling him down. Instead he went pale and his eyes filled with fear.
"Jayden, God damnit! Listen to me! We have to get Raven out of here!" I yelled, and gave him a good slap. The slap snapped him out. He rose quickly, fingers dancing. Soon a bubble of peace encircled those near him. Jayden helped me carry Raven farther up the canyon. A large mass of enemy soldiers had flanked us and were marching up the canyon, cutting down men left and right.
"s***! What are we going to do?" I yelled at no one in particular.
"Move back!" Silverwolf said. His appearance had changed. His silver hair had gone wild. In each hand he clutched orbs of lightning. Dark silver clouds covered his body. Jayden and I got Raven up against the wall and moving away from the enemy. Silverwolf flung his orbs at the advancing soldiers, slaying scores of them in a whirlwind of electricity. Raven was completely limp, but was alive.
Above us Saber continued pounding our army and Weaver kept pounding Saber's and our forces alike. An arrow came from out of no where and grazed Jayden across the check, only enough to cut him but that was all it took to break his concentration. With a loud fizzle the bubble of peace shrank in on us and then popped out of existence. A loud voice yelled at me from behind and I spun around, explosions and death raging around me and lo, there was the storm witch herself. Light blue flames danced in her eyes, which shown like two polished blue gems of darkness. Her black hair was wiping wildly and every so often lightnings would arch from her.
“Follow!” Was all she said, she moved with the grace of running water and the speed of a demi-goddess.
“Come on!” I yelled to Jayden, then slapped Silverwolf, which probably wasn’t my best idea at the time, but it worked. I got his attention.
“Follow me, we have to get out of this canyon or we are going to die!” I said, then with Jayden in toe and Raven hanging limp between us, I started off at the fastest run I could manage, trailing Stormweaver. It didn’t seem smart trusting a person whom is a captured enemy, but dead is dead and if we stayed here we were assured a death. At least with Weaver, we might survive.
We had gone maybe a hundred feet when Jayden realized we were following Weaver. He started bitching and screaming, but I paid him no heed.
My mind began to numb as I tried to block out the screams of those that I couldn’t help. Soldiers began pouring down the few places were the slope of the walls made it possible. Everything but survival fled my mind.

It was dark when my senses returned to me. We were out of the canyon and had made it to the grassy plains on the other side when Weaver finally stopped. There were only a handful of people in our group. Most of us were shaking. Raven was unconscious and bleeding badly.
“We have to stop this bleeding or she’s going to die!” I said to Jayden. He didn’t respond. He was beyond speech. Without much help from him I managed to get Raven laid out and bandaged as best I could. I went to find Silverwolf or Raider, for I knew Raven needed more help than the mundane. I found both standing a few feet away from Weaver, who looked like a stone statue. The tension was building fast. I stepped up beside Raider and joined them in staring Weaver down. No one seemed willing to ask the question we were all thinking so I did.
“Why?” I asked, shakily. I hoped Silverwolf and Raider could handle her if she got out of control.
All she said was “We need to talk.”

Cormal was a great kingdom, dwarfing Tharamond in size and power. It was ruled by a powerful Regina, who had the ability to control the natural cycles of weather and earth. To the south was another kingdom, this one ruled by an iron fisted dictator. For years the two kingdoms warred against one another and became bitter enemies. While they fought each other, the Shadow in the north prepared to attack both. Against massive armies and untold power both kingdoms fell to the Shadow’s control and there rulers became slaves to further the Darkness’ plans, but the bitter hatred between the dictator and the Regina remained solid.
That was the story related to us by Stormweaver herself. Her implication was that she was the Regina and Darksaber was the Dictator and that the hatred they harbored for one another could never be topped. Always Darksaber would remain Weaver’s most despised enemy.
“So you choose between the two evils and elected to go with the lesser and help us.” Raven asked. “My question is, now that there is only one evil left, what are your plans?”
A thin smile tugged at Weaver’s lips. She knew she could do anything she pleased now. Her enchanted manicals had been destroyed during the start of Darksaber’s attack. That’s how she regained her powers.
“You spared my life and I, in turn, saved yours. We are even now. My plans will not be made known to you, but know that I will not return to your capital with you.”
“What other choice do you have? Do you think Shekara will welcome you back with open arms after helping us?”
Weaver laughed darkly. “With your manicals binding my power, The Queen of Blades could not locate me, but now my Dark Mother beckons and I must obey her.” With that she stood up and dusted off her tattered robes.
“You should keep moving East and you will reach your Tri-Cities.”
“Wait! You’re just going to point us in the right direction and then just walk off? You do realize that you are still our enemy!” I said. I was thoroughly confused.
“My honor forbids me to take the life of those who have spared mine this one time. I expect you to do the same for me.”
Well, it wasn’t like we had much choice, with only seventeen people and not one of them a power to rival Weaver. “I guess this goes up to a draw then.” I said. Damn! If we just had more men or power we could force her to come with us and be down two with three to go.
Weaver and Raven locked eyes for half a second and then Weaver stalked off into the night, stopping only briefly to whisper something into Jayden’s ear. Something that made him pale even more. Then in the whisper of a blast of wind, she was gone.
“We are going to regret this.” Silverwolf said. His words spoke the dark truth.