The Realms of Animar (33 page)

The particular spot Thane had selected was next to the gate at the front of the village and he was quite surprised to see how the landscape had changed. Excitement coursed through his veins as he realized war actually drew near.

Where once only grassy hillside stood, Avryndale was now encircled by a wide, deep trench that was lined with sharpened spears to ward off advance. The only opening in the channel was a single clear area about fifty feet wide that permitted access to the gate. Thane was no expert at strategy but he realized that this gap was intended to serve as a choke point to narrow the attack as the carnivores descended upon them.

Thane peered at Alia and grinned when he saw that her eyes were still pinched shut.

“We’re there,” he whispered.

Alia then let go of his hand, opened her eyes and scanned their surroundings. She was a good foot or so shorter than he was but standing on her toes she could look out and watch the approaching group. When Thane saw her jaw drop he quickly turned his attention to the approaching group. What he saw defied imagination. He blinked and they remained. He shook his head but they continued, nearly fifty figures that marched in a silent but orderly fashion towards the village gate.

Upon his initial glance Thane noted four distinct groups among them although all shared in that they were quite tall, likely six feet or more, and some were larger than any person he had ever seen. Even from a distance he could tell that their skin was unusually reflective, oily perhaps, and colored with striking hues - some a deep blue, others grey and still one group as black as night. Their clothing was minimal, formed from an unusual green plantlike substance and the faces of some were blank, as if lacking normal features. Adding to their macabre appearance was that all were completely bald and there appeared to be no obvious distinction between men and women, though it was possible that all were men.

About half of the strange visitors from the sea were thick and grey, with broad somewhat pointed heads and tiny eyes. Their torsos were lighter in color and their bodies were coated in bulging muscles. They would make fearsome allies indeed.

A smaller group was similar in appearance but bluish in color and a bit shorter, though still quite tall by normal standards. They were thinner and more lean with elongated heads and broad, lipless mouths.

The third group was a collection of about ten. Their skin was formed by a shiny black substance and their heads were almost complete flat. Most peculiar was that they lacked visible sensory organs where they might be expected, with the exception of a pair of eerie yellow eyes that appeared almost luminous in nature.

The remaining five, who loomed near the back of the formation, were massive specimens, both in height and weight. Due to their girth, it was somewhat remarkable that they were able to move at all. They appeared to have no neck and their skin was a deep blue-grey color with random splotches of white as if the handiwork of a child who had been turned loose with a paintbrush.

Thane struggled to imagine just what creatures the Aquans could become. There was a time when they might have frightened him, surely they would startle most, but for some reason they seemed vaguely familiar. The feeling confused him but his eyes remained bewildered. They were incredible and he was anxious to see them in battle.

The platform on which he stood shook when scores of villagers raced up the ladders to share their vantage point. Others made their way to the gate area below, anxious to see the strangers from a part of the world that was foreign to all.

Thane then heard familiar voices nearby and turned to see his father, Guderian, Urso and a handful of other men as they rushed through the crowd to greet the Aquans. As he made his way to the front, Avryn spotted Thane. He hated his father’s uncanny ability to find him.

He then turned his attention back to the new arrivals and watched as the Aquans marched across the clearing. They stopped abruptly when the one in front, perhaps their leader, raised a large, webbed hand. The chattering crowd fell silent when Avryn and Guderian walked forward.

“Arodon!” Guderian yelled. “I didn’t realize you would be personally joining us in our battle. We are honored.”

“Nonsense land dweller,” replied the Aquan leader. “What Realmlord would send his people to fight without joining them? It is I who am honored to fight alongside my brother.”

Thane and Alia exchanged curious glances.

Guderian smiled then said, “Realmlord Arodon, may I present our King, Avryn Pendergast. Avryn, this is Arodon, Realmlord of the Aquans.”

While the crowd looked on, Avryn bowed slightly and extended his hand. “Welcome to our village. We are truly grateful for your help.”

The Aquan stared at the gesture, unsure of what to do.

“It’s a customary greeting for our people, we shake hands upon meeting,” Guderian explained.

Arodon then awkwardly shook the hand of the king, an action that triggered a wave of chatter from the onlookers.

“I’m glad we’re not too late,” Arodon said.

Avryn nodded and then motioned into the village. “Please, come in. We will show you to an area where you can stay.”

Arodon hesitated. “Thank you for the offer but we are limited in the time we can spend away from the water. Is there a lake or river nearby perhaps?”

“Well yes,” Avryn replied. “I suppose there is but—”

“We can stay there if it’s close,” Arodon said. “The water will sustain us.”

Avryn then looked at Guderian and the men nodded in agreement.

“I can show you to the river,” Guderian said. “It’s not far at all.”

While waiting for a response from the Aquan, an awkward stillness descended upon the gathering as if the scene had been frozen in time. Without searching the crowd around him, without even the faintest of effort, the Realmlord then turned his head and looked directly up at Thane. Arodon’s lipless mouth opened yet his voice was silent as if he had been struck by an incredible vision.

A shiver trickled down Thane’s spine as the stranger stared at him with dark, colorless eyes. Thane then realized that the Aquan was focused above him, on the swords sheathed upon his back.

“The boy,” the Realmlord whispered. “He has the swords.”

Avryn hesitated then said, “My son, yes he does.”

“Is he adept with them?” Arodon asked while his eyes remained locked on Thane.

Stepping from the crowd, the head trainer Urso approached. “He is actually. It’s quite remarkable. He is a natural. They are incredible weapons I might add.”

Avryn glared at Urso but held his tongue.

“Listen,” Guderian said to Arodon, anxious to break the tension. “Why don’t I show you to the river? It’s a route the carnivores will take to reach us, so you will need to keep a lookout at all times. They could attack in smaller numbers as well, we just don’t know.”

“That would be fine,” Arodon replied.

“Do you need anything?” Guderian asked. “Weapons or materials?”

“No,” the Realmlord said bluntly. “We will come back before the attack begins. Place us toward the front. It is the only way we will fight.” His tone then dropped. “If I fall land dweller Guderian, you must honor your word. No matter the result, you must honor your word to help with the matter we discussed.”

Avryn peered at Guderian, obviously confused.

“We will do as you asked,” Guderian said, before turning Avryn. “I will explain when I return. Can you tell Airulli I will be a bit late? We were to meet and go over the report from his scouts.”

“I will take care of it,” Avryn replied. He paused and then added, “I almost forgot, Mordigal and a herd of horses are heading this way so perhaps you could describe them to the Aquans. I would hate the first battle to be amongst ourselves.”

“That’s great news!” Guderian exclaimed. “We will keep an eye out for them.”

Before being led away, Arodon glanced one last time up at Thane. Their eyes met and the world seemed to come to a halt around them. The Aquan then whispered something unheard by most, silent to all but one.

War was coming. He was ready.

***

Above fields and trees, rivers and hills the tiny sparrow soared, her wings moving with seemingly effortless fluidity, persistently pushing onward while her eyes anxiously scoured the land below. Although the air was cold, her rainbow colored feathers absorbed the sun readily, providing the needed warmth to protect her small frame.

Being a stranger to conflict, she did not readily agree to join the others who went to fight. It was not her war. She really did not believe any of them had any business helping the cattle. Nevertheless, when Airulli personally asked her to help, she could not resist.

Before that day, Airulli had never actually spoken to her although she had made countless efforts to capture his attention. However, like all good leaders he had always been too busy to pursue romantic interests. This really never bothered her because she had admired him since joining the habitat many years before. Not only was he handsome and strong but he was also a great man. So obviously when he had asked her to help save the Farseer who they all had thought was dead, there was no way she could have refused. Going to war was a small price to pay. Besides, she was a scout. She would never see actual combat.

The sparrow resisted the temptation to return to Avryndale and cut off her route early. After all, there were several of them scouting the land and she had grown bored, tired of following the same path every day as she had for nearly two weeks. Each morning she hoped they would change the routes doled out to them but she knew there was a reason for having them assigned. If a scout happened to not return, then they would know from where exactly the army marched in from. It was a grim but effective way to look for trouble.

Although her task had grown more and more tedious, there was an activity that occurred at the end of each day that she always looked forward to - giving her report to Airulli. Thoughts of him kept her going, pushed her onward and fed her quickly beating heart. She wondered if somehow he could love her and she grew anxious to see him. The thought of returning early continued to tempt her but then she realized that the mountain passage was just up ahead and in a matter of minutes it would be time to turn around. Surely she could hold out.

Far beneath the silent flight of the scout the forest gave way to rocky terrain just as it had done each day prior. But unlike her previous missions, something caught her eye and forced her to attention. From a distance the ground that stretched before her seemed darker and flowing, as if a volcano had erupted and spilled forth boiling lava that was destined to scorch the land.

Curiosity nipped at her mind as she descended upon fluttering wings. When the moving mass drew closer her eyes slowly discerned the countless figures that swarmed within.

Terror gripped her instantly and she quickly pulled back and stopped her descent. She only hoped that she had not been spotted. The carnivores would never expect to encounter Avians. They wanted their presence to be a surprise.

The sparrow anxiously turned east although her eyes remained locked on the army far below. She had to warn the others. She had to warn Airulli.

Without warning a stinging pain then shot through her body and she gasped for air. For a brief instant she hoped it was a cramp but then she realized that her wings were somehow pinned and unable to move. Breathing had become difficult and her chest felt crushed. Panicked, she turned her head and spotted a long dark wing stretched out above her. It was the worst kind of horror she ever could have imagined. How foolish she had been, never thinking to watch the sky, never considering the possibility. Who would warn them? Who would tell Airulli? And then, before her next heartbeat, her worries ended and her thoughts collapsed to eternal silence.

Chapter 35

N
ight had fallen on Avryndale and a faint pale light coated the land, the product of the crescent moon that sailed above like a ghostly galleon upon the cloudy sea. Calmness had descended on the village but the crisp air smelled of rain.

Semu walked the platform atop the wall and the boards creaked as he paced, his thick frame testing the strength of their workmanship with each footfall. His eyes were ever watchful, his senses focused on the terrain. After months of preparation, an army approached somewhere in the darkness. He could feel it.

His awareness of the impending threat was aided by the fact that the birds had stopped scouting when several had failed to return. Six had been lost in the recent days and the reason was obvious.

As he paced, his thoughts naturally shifted to the war. Nothing like this had ever occurred. Would they be remembered for their bravery? Would his family hear of his death? He knew better. They were far away and he had long been forgotten. No Alpha of his kind had ever abandoned his kind before.

Before a familiar pain could consume him, Semu was rescued from his shameful thoughts when something caught his eye. His muscles tensed while he stared into the night.

Movement stepped from the shadows at the bottom of the hill. It was the Aquans and they were running toward Avryndale. His pulse quickened when he realized their approach meant one thing. The army had arrived.