The Guardians of Celesk

Chapter 11: Dark Waters

The creatures of darkness stormed the gate; a lightning strike of battle tactics as they swarmed Nyadia. The final days of the fishing tournament had taken their toll on the adults: countless hours fishing, farming, trading and relaxing had rendered them completely vulnerable to any attack. They were desperately trying to bolster the main gate but the dark warriors crashed through.

These were the marauders of the west- their ebony armour was a stark contrast to their bleached white skin, each of them with an enlarged V branded onto their forearm, which they would raise in salute as they rode into the village. The first to go was the resident land-mason, a weak fellow by the name of Staphanio. He gingerly clutched at a shield but was struck down in the time it took him to raise it. The forces spilled through the gate and veered off into a rolling v. The left of the V skirted the lake, systematically picking off the adults while the right headed towards the schoolhouse. Their plump and often frumpy headmistress tried to cower under the desk as children ran in all directions. She was caught cowering behind a desk as a cavalbeast lowered its mouth over her head and bit down.

The baby's mother saw the school being raided in the distance. The vast majority of Valezk's forces were targeting the children, and in their ruthlessness, struck them all down. She knew instinctively that they were after her child. There was just something about her. A balance of motherly instincts and the way overtook her and it strengthened her resolve. She knew that she would probably not survive but at least the baby had a chance.

Her husband managed to force his way through to meet them. He was able to swat away at a number of opponents, but desperation moved way for fatigue. He called out "Get her to safety. I'll hold these devils off!" There was no time for words of love, only a fusion of the Erto-en; brief but understood. She whisked the baby away and ran towards the water's edge, spying a shift in the current as the river turned south.

Her husband continued to slap away at beasts before he was struck down. All she had was a basket and a flask of milk. She deftly loaded the baby into the basket and quickly scrawled a note on a piece of paper. She padded the basket with soft grass and a prayer and floated her baby away. She walked along with it but when the pack of Valezk's forces bore down on her, she changed direction to lead them away. By the time she had put some distance between herself and the baby, she could no longer see where the river had taken her as a blade plunged in her back. All her eyes betrayed were a deep love and the wish of smooth currents towards a gentle harbour.

With the smouldering ruins of the dark fortress behind them, Bohina and Artreide galloped for the North. No one knew how the exile had pinpointed roughly where the new lifeform was, but his intentions were clear. Several of the main party had broken up, as Yordu stressed, they would have to branch out to find the child. By the lords of all their creation, they sincerely hoped it wasn't too late. The grey horses they were astride ran swiftly, but they would also grow weary. They followed the riverbank and earnestly scanned the horizon for anything. This crept on for a few days as they broke camp only for a brief time to rest and eat.

On the third day, Artreide spotted the wreckage of a wagon, completely uplifted onto its main axle. In the midst of the wreckage, they spotted a lone survivor. They were embedded with arrows and their lips puckered at the air. All they could do was give them water.

"What happened?" Arteide asked.

"They attacked us. Caught us all completely unaware..." he said.

"Who did? Where did this happen?"

"Nyadia. They stormed the village and killed almost everyone. Warriors in armour, with a V."

Bohina interjected," The markings of Valezk. What did they want?"

"They appeared to be targeting the children."

"When did this happen?"

They gulped their last breath of air, making a gurgling sound. Artreide and Bohina tried to save him but it was too late. Bohina closed his eyes " To the next life, let the way guide you."

They paused for a moment to pray for the lost soul, before climbing back on their horses.

"I fear we may already be too late, but at least we know where this child may be."

"Let us pray they are unharmed."

"I know, but I know the bleak promises made in these dark days."

They pushed on with a momentum that was fuelled by desperation, each footfall of a hoof was the crushing weight of time as they raced toward their quest; a dawn of hope threatened to halt their immense grief.

It had been nearly two days and the baby was starving. The gentle flow of the river currents was disrupted by the shrill cries emanating from the basket. Its parched lips continued to shriek and this time it received the attention of a small pack of beastly creatures, shadowing it down the riverbank. They eagerly sniffed the air, stalking the terrain and waited for the water level to lower into shallow troughs before they would attack. These were the Mani' – greenish and two legged creatures – not quite living or dead: the semi resurrected ghosts of more magical beings uprooted by Valezk to seek out small prey. Brandishing short blades in their hands, they would make short work of the thing in the basket once the current slowed and they could pass over the shallow waters. The leader whistled and pointed at the driftwood upstream that would block the basket's passage. Each of them manoeuvred on the edge. The basket came to an abrupt halt as it bumped into a tree trunk. The creatures set off after it, the leader curled out his elongated fingers and clutched the edge of the wicker. He drew it close to the river's edge but in a flash his hand suddenly flopped down as his chest was pierced by a shard of ice. Artreide pivoted his staff and shot another ice projectile at the next creature, before the pack broke apart. Despite their size, the Mani were quick and the remaining three sprinted towards Artreide, wildly flashing their blades.

"Run back to your precious Valezk or face our reckoning. The choice is yours." The creatures barely hesitated before Bohina, in a flash of light, set a beam of electricity that pierced through two of them, before Artreide swiftly struck the last one down with a flurry from his staff.

"They were warned. That was the least I could do."

Bohina approached the riverbank and checked on the baby. She was greeted with the sharp cries of the child.

"I hope this is still right." She fed the baby what milk was remaining.

Artreide waved his hand over the girl's forehead, closing his eyes and sending out his inner way. "The Erto-en is pulsing with this girl. This could be the child we've been looking for."

"Either way, she needs help."

Bohina pieced together a sling around the baby girl as she mounted her horse. The journey forward was one of heavy contrast: a long winding road ahead with possible danger around every curve, and yet the most precocious set of eyes sparkled at her, taking everything in. Bohina reacted in a manner she had not been able to produce in weeks: she smiled.