Vuroth's Tear: Even the Gods Cry

Chapter 52

Chapter 52

The army marched steadily towards the capital city, Travidon. Waves of footsteps roared like thunder as Dravis' army continued on its way. Donovan walked silently next to Dravis, Velana walked hand in hand with Kass next to him.

Donovan felt bad about his hostility towards Kass, it wasn't his fault that Velana clearly had feelings for the woodsman but still, Donovan felt jealous. He still felt pain to see her gripping Kass' hand but she deserved to be happy, even if he was not.

Donovan brushed off the sadness, there were things more important than his jealousy that needed his attention. He looked ahead, in the distance, above the tree tops and reaching into the clouds, Donovan saw the castle of Travidon. They were closing in on Tola and his army, no more than two more days' march. Donovan looked down at Quicksilver bouncing as it hung on his hip. Where was Aven? Was he dead? Donovan wouldn't say it out loud but he was confident that if Aven was dead, they would likely soon be dead as well. They needed him, not just for his magic, not just for his skill in battle, his presence gave hope and motivation to those around him.

He looked at Velana walking beside him, "Vel, do you think we'll make it? Do you think we can do this without Aven?"

"We will make it, we must. If we fall, Drakorna falls as well," She responded. She could see that Donovan was nervous, downright frightened about what would happen when they made it to the city. She realized suddenly that Donovan wasn't just fearful of the battle itself, the way he kept looking at Aven's sword on his hip, she understood. He had always relied on Aven to watch his back, she doubted he had ever been in a battle without Aven. She put a hand on his shoulder, keeping to herself that she was just as frightened as he was.

Donovan turned and looked at Dravis, his emotionless expression was both motivating and frightening. Was he frightened about what was to come? If he was, he controlled it well and if he wasn't frightened, then he truly was a fearless man... or stupid.

"Dravis, what happened to the kingdom? Everything looks dead," Donovan looked around, "It's all different. We weren't gone for long, how could things have gotten so bad so quickly?"

Dravis looked at him, still emotionless or at least wearing a fine mask, "Tola happened. His army has spread outward from Travidon, killing or turning everyone. That magic he uses, it seems to be affecting life itself, causing the land itself to die."

"If we kill him, will it end the curse and stop his army?" Donovan asked.

Dravis shrugged, "I don't know magic, I don't know if it will stop them but I hope so. I do know that if we fail, there may not be anyone left to fight."

"So, it's all up to us then," Donovan sighed while he stared at the castle in the distance, "no pressure or anything."

Dravis slapped him on the back, "It could be worse, at least if we fail, we'll be dead," He paused, "well, unless the bastard brings us back."

The statement made Donovan wonder about the husks, was the person's spirit gone or were they trapped within the dried puppet that was once their body? And what about the living who were corrupted, were they conscious of what they did? A wave of terror washed over him at the thought of being trapped within himself, his own body disobeying him and being forced to see and unable to stop every act that Tola forced him to do.

"Vel, What was it like that night on the ship?" He took a deep, nervous breath, "What did it feel like when the smoke began infecting you?"

She was caught off guard, "It was more terrible than I could ever describe."

He smiled at her, like a fool, he didn't know what to do or say. With a sigh he decided it best to just focus on what was to come.

Aven felt like he could fall to the ground, dead of exhaustion at any moment, but he couldn't rest. He walked following the thousands of footprints in the mud, made undoubtedly by the army that Dravis set out to build to storm the capital. He knew that he could find his friends with Dravis and his men, the only worry he had now was if he could make it to them in time. Quicksilver's pull grew stronger and he knew he was gaining on them.

He couldn't wait to hold his sword again, he felt incomplete without it and it made him nervous that he might encounter more of the serpent creatures like the ones in the forest. Husks, he had magic to defend himself but those beasts were immune to magic. He found a thick stick and used it to help hold him up on his exhausted legs and it could double as a blunt weapon should he need it, though it wouldn't be very effective.

As he walked, he constantly searched around for any sign of life, be Dravis' army or Tola's. There was nothing, the fields were as dead as the forest had been. The grass was gone, the ground was nothing but dirt and mud, not a single animal or insect to be seen. Even the sky itself looked as though it had begun to die somehow. What little breeze there was carried the scent of death.

Aven wondered how far this corruption might reach, how much of Drakorna was already dead because of Tola? Anger began to bubble to the surface again, as tired as he was he tossed the walking stick and started running again. His fury once again fueled him. He refused to let another person he cared about to fall because of Tola. It was time that he paid for all the death he caused, death was coming for Tola, Aven was coming for him.