The Crimson Claymore (37 page)

Searon shook off his dizziness and began crawling toward them as Starlyn battled. He was able to grab one of the human’s feet and was surprised to find that it felt limp in his hands. The man stumbled enough for Starlyn to rush forward and strike him down. Her attack was swift, and yet it let her guard down enough for the other to knock her down. She dropped the claymore as she fell upon Searon, who was still too weak to support her.

The captain was the remaining swordsman standing, and he smiled at the two of them. His golden loops sparkled in the early daylight as he walked closer, dragging one leg. He smiled as his eyes grew redder and brighter to match the color of flames. Searon and Starlyn didn’t have enough time to react, and he stood atop them, ready to strike the deathblow. Before he could bring his sword all the way down, a sword pierced through his heart from behind, and he crumbled to the ground.

Behind him stood Andron with his sword covered in a hazel blood with Phoenix by his side. Searon barely recognized his brother’s captain, but was thankful to see the young man. Andron gave a partial smile as he held his hand out for Searon to take. Phoenix helped Starlyn up, and the four of them looked around. Searon nodded his appreciation as he grabbed his claymore to sheath the weapon.

“Let’s get out of here,” Searon said.

As they turned to leave and run through the alleys, the large scorpion blocked their escape. The creature stood at the exit of the alley, and its pincers clamped furiously. Its ebony shell shone the reflection of the sun into their eyes.

“Go, we will slow it down,” Andron declared.

He gulped as a bead of sweat cascaded down his scalp. His hand shook on his sword, and Phoenix looked as nervous as he. Searon clutched at his claymore, ready to draw it.

“Go!” Andron shouted.

“You can’t hope to destroy that thing,” Searon objected.

“Just go, get the others. You cannot die; without you our cause is lost. Either we all die, or Phoenix and I will make a sacrifice. Starlyn and you are too important. Perhaps we can delay the creature long enough for your return, but you must hurry!” Andron spat and took a step forward.

Searon grabbed Starlyn’s hand and jerked her through another alley as Andron and Phoenix twirled their swords in unison to face the creature. He knew that it was against all hope for them to defeat the creature, but he knew that Andron was right. The new threat was a surprise, and the others needed to be warned of it. Perhaps the mage or wizard could come up with an idea on how to destroy the creature. There was no time to waste.

Chapter 40

S
earon and Starlyn were out of breath by the time they made it back to the camp. Both dripped in sweat and tears as they reached the wizard, nearly collapsing at his feet. They panted as they tried to catch their breath but were unable to overcome their exhaustion.

“Where are Andron and Phoenix?” Karceoles asked.

“Back…in…the village,” Searon gasped. “They probably didn’t survive.”

“Draeyks?” Sh’on asked.

“Worse,” Searon quivered, “The dead rise and attack.”

“The dea—” Karceoles said.

“No time, hurry, everybody with us!” Searon barked.

He was near out of breath, but he knew that he dared not rest. If there were any chance to save Andron, he knew he had to act swiftly. Luckily, he found Stripes, who had galloped back on his own. He bounded onto his steed, with Starlyn at his back. She held on tight as he led the way back toward the village with the army at their heels.

When they arrived, the village seemed abandoned and appeared as if no battle had taken place. Searon slowly got off his stallion, with Starlyn behind, and they walked into the town with footsteps that echoed against the silent terrain. Karceoles walked up to them from behind with zylek in hand and looked from one to the other with squinted eyes.

“What exactly happened?” he asked.

“We ran into the captain, however, he seemed different. It appeared as if he was possessed, and he rushed to attack us. Dead bodies and skeletons began to rise and strike. We were already overwhelmed when the warlock used magic on a dead scorpion, bringing it to life to tower twelve spans over us.”

“A warlock?” Karceoles asked.

“Yes, he held a metal zylek in his hand,” Starlyn admitted.

“That was no warlock; a necromancer is the type of sorcerer that can command the living and the dead.”

The warriors searched the village, but all the houses were empty. Phoenix’s body was found lifeless, decapitated with his head not too far away, but Andron wasn’t anywhere to be found. Starlyn’s prized war hammer vanished, and none of the people, skeletons, or necromancer were to be found either.

“Andron was worried about you,” Karceoles admitted, sitting down next to Searon and bringing out his pipe that he stuffed with an exotic weed. “He said he had a bad feeling about you two heading off alone, and he wanted to go into town to check it out.” The wizard sighed. “I paid it no attention and told him he was welcome to go. Phoenix tagged along with him.”

“It is not your fault; you couldn’t have known. What he did saved our lives, and we are grateful. All there is to do now is honor his memory, both of their memories.”

“A life-sized scorpion raised from the dead, you said?”

“Yes,” Searon admitted. “One of the most terrifying things I’ve witnessed.”

“That is new. I’ve never heard of a necromancer bringing forth a nacropis.”

“Nacropis?” Searon shivered.

“Yes, at least that would be what I would call such a creature. This must be a powerful necromancer to conjure such a creature. I can only hope they don’t decide to bring forth spiders next.”

“Why is that?” Searon asked.

“I hate spiders, frightening creatures.”

“A wizard, scared of a little spider?”

“How would you like to be wrapped up in a giant spider’s web?” Karceoles asked.

“A valid point,” Searon admitted.

“The nacropis is extremely powerful. Neither Starlyn nor I could defeat it.”

“A new foe is always a difficult task to overcome. Think back to how difficult draeyks were when you first encountered them. I can only imagine the challenge of this foe. Starlyn still looks pretty shaken up over the experience, and that’s saying something for the foes that she has faced in her time as a kheshlar.”

Searon snatched the pipe weed from the wizard’s hand and took a few puffs of the exceedingly long-stem pipe before passing it back. He forced his scattered thoughts into a tight ball in his head and slowly relaxed with help from the slow inhales until he could think clearly. Starlyn had been equally afraid, of that he could clearly see now, but for some reason he’d imagined her stronger than he, without the need for comfort.

Away from the crowd, sitting alone with back turned to everybody and helmet off to her side, was Starlyn. After a deep breath, Searon got to his feet and strode over to Starlyn, where he sat by her side. For a long moment, he didn’t dare speak but sat next to her in silence, watching her as she stared blankly at her trembling hands before her. When she couldn’t stand to look at them anymore, she slumped over and rested her head on Searon’s shoulder.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“I only miss Sudegam. Things were simpler there. I didn’t expect all of this. Even when I marched out the first time, I was overwhelmed, but it was nothing like this.”

“When we reach the kheshlarn capital you can go back. I am not going to force you to be here. Your presence is heartwarming for many humans, but without full kheshlarn support it is little comfort to them.”

He continuously did his best to comfort her during the travels, but in his heart he knew that she was not meant to be in the wild. Her place wasn’t mixed in the middle of humans, and sometimes she seemed out of place; she wandered away from them often to be by herself to meditate, or enjoy the nature surrounding her. There was a warm, welcoming place for her back in Sudegam, and she should be with her people.

“I know that,” she said. “I want to stay with you. My place is with all of you in this battle against these foul creatures. Somewhere, sometime, we will run into my sister again. I feel she is involved in this somehow, and when we do—I want to be there.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, do not worry, my friend. I will be fine. I’ve fought in a war before, but the last time I never followed it through to the end. It was a false end last time, and this time I want to make sure the war is truly over.”

“I will make sure of it. I despise these creatures as much as you do, and I will not give up until every last one of them in buried into the ground.”

“What are you to do when it is all over?” Starlyn asked.

“That I do not know. My life has been full of revenge, and I’m afraid there will be little left of me besides an empty shell when this is complete. I do know that I’ve made some great friends along the way.” He smiled.

“It is a shame what happened to this village. I only wish we could have saved them from this chaos. I can’t help but think of all the helpless women and children at the mercy of the necromancer.” Starlyn shook her head with eyes downcast.

“Children…” Searon whispered.

“What is it?” Concern streaked Starlyn’s face.

“Children!” Searon shouted, nearly leaping to his feet.

Before Starlyn could stand up, Searon was gone, shouting through the alleyways. She didn’t know what was going on in his mind and could only imagine it had something to do with his past. It had never been her purpose to bring up such a heart-wrenching subject. Starlyn trailed after him.

“Charlotte…” Searon whispered, collapsing to his knees and dropping his head in his hands.

“Charlotte?” Starlyn asked.

“Yes…Charlotte. She was this poor little girl I met here long ago. She had to steal for food, and I gave her coin for her to find the captain for me. She was so young…so very young,” Searon whispered, tracks of tears melting onto his face.

Starlyn seemed to approach him to offer comfort but held back as she pondered how to do so. Children weren’t something she was familiar with, and she knew that it tied closely to the warrior’s heart. His heart had already been devastated with the death of his own children, and so the feeling of possibly losing another child that he’d aided along his journey seemed a heart-breaking thought. Without a better thought coming to mind, she tumbled forward, clasped her arms around him, and embraced him in a comforting hug. It seemed to work at first when he gripped her tight, but the moment was lost when he suddenly backed away.

“I have to find her…I have to know.” Searon turned away with a look of eagerness about him. It seemed he was lost in thought as he wandered through the alleyways, leaving Starlyn behind.

She stood there for a moment, watching him search desperately all through the alleys. He rummaged through body after body, searching for a girl that resembled the precious Charlotte, sickened at the sight of the bloody and battered corpses. Most were grown men or women, but there were many children, and that aspect alone sickened Searon beyond anything he could ever imagine. None of them looked familiar to him, except when he saw a poor boy and girl that he remembered helping out their mother. That sank his heart, but the body of Charlotte still was nowhere to be found. Disgust crusted his face as he tore through the bodies, one by one, through every alley, home, and clearing, and yet not once was he slowed by the carnage.

“They deserve a memorial,” Searon said at last.

“There are too many bodies to bury them all, Searon,” Starlyn replied.

“We can at least burn them and celebrate in their memory.”

Starlyn appeared to object at first but quickly closed her mouth and nodded. “As you wish.”

Searon seemed to barely notice her as he disappeared into a home and dragged bodies out. When he returned outside, he noticed that she was gone, but it was only moments later that Starlyn reappeared with a team of warriors to help bring the bodies to the center of the village. After several hours, all the bodies were piled in the center of the town. Andron’s body was still missing, and Searon’s precious Charlotte seemed nowhere to be found. Both Karceoles and Starlyn walked up next to him, the wizard with his zylek at the ready and his face full of contempt—while Starlyn’s face seemed pleading.

“Did you find her?” the kheshlar asked.

“Her body is not among the dead,” Searon whispered.

“If that is so, why is there so much disappointment on your face?”

“I would like to know where she is…if she made it.”

“It is possible she escaped.”

He looked from her to the destroyed homes and pile of bodies that nearly stacked seventy spans high and shook his head, disappointment masking his face with tears swelled at the corners of his eyes. “It is unlikely, but you’re right. I should still have hope.”

The three sat together for a long while until twilight arrived before Searon solemnly nodded to the wizard. Karceoles rose to his feet, used his zylek to create a blazing fire over the bodies, and withdrew his pipe to take a few puffs. All of the warriors found places to stay for the night, many outside, but still more found empty homes or shops to stay in. Some even found barrels of ale from the pub and inns of the small village and began to drink in memory of the citizens.

Searon seemed the only one who didn’t move from his spot as he sat on a barrel of grain directly in front of the large fire, staring into the flames. Memories haunted him of that fateful night with his family and the carnage of his home village afterwards as he explored it. He shivered as those thoughts came into his head, yet they wouldn’t leave his haunted mind—until finally when Starlyn sat down next to him and put her head atop his shoulder. Only then did the haunting daydreams seem to disappear, replaced with feelings of comfort and friendship. How long it had been since he could consider somebody as a true friend, and yet here was Starlyn, asking for nothing in return, but comforting him nonetheless. His heart warmed at the thought, and only then did his eyes close for the night, and the peacefulness of rest finally consumed him.