Frenzy & Torch

Chapter 4: Attack of the unicorns

Ow, ow, ow.

It had started raining heavily when Annabelle and Elizabeth left Ronenheim and decided to continue on foot. Their primary destination was Mikhoyvan: a city fifteen miles away that sat exactly at the halfway point between Nordsten and Starview. It took them roughly five hours to get there, and it rained the entire time. Water had seeped into Annabelle's cheaply issued boots, creating the perfect environment for her feet to chafe until torn blisters formed on her heels.

God, where was this town? The rain clouds were no longer a natural light gray. Instead, they were pitch black and foreboding. To amplify the unease the girls felt, the wind gusts picked up, nearly blowing them to the ground.

Great, just great, Annabelle thought bitterly.

"What the fuck is with this weather?" Elizabeth asked aloud.

They made it the last mile into Mikhoyvan and were dismayed by the wall erected around it. Annabelle found herself wondering how this random city in the north was fortified while the capital remained completely open on all sides.

She and Elizabeth looked up at the cobblestone wall to see who was manning the post. A flash of lightning illuminated what appeared to be a couple of watchmen. They were standing remarkably still given the blasts of wind blowing through.

"Hello!" Elizabeth yelled over the wind. "Watch-boys, hey! We're down here, can you let us in?!"

They remained unmoving. It would be hard for them to hear her over all the ruckus.

"Fuckin' doughnut eaters! Can't they at least see us??"

Annabelle propelled herself up the wall with a summoned gust of wind. She landed right in front of the watchmen and spoke. "Hey, I guess you couldn't hear or see my friend down there, but... hey, what the heck?"

The "watchmen" were actually scarecrows, dressed in armor with spears placed in their hands.

"Annabelle, what the fuck's goin' on up there?! I know you can hear me with that elf hearin' of yours! I know that ain't a recessive trait!"

Annabelle could hear her, and yes, elves had hearing superior to every other racial group. She sighed and peeked over the ledge. "These are scarecrows! The actual watchmen aren't here!"

"What?!" Elizabeth yelled.

"I said these are scarecrows!"

"What?!"

Annabelle huffed and grabbed a nearby ladder. She dragged it to the ledge and slowly lowered it until it touched the ground. Elizabeth climbed up and received a face full of rain, sputtering and swearing the whole time. She smacked away the witch's extended hand as she swung a leg over the parapet.

"I don't need any goddamn help," she spat out some rainwater.

"You won't even let me help you up? Seriously? What if you slipped and fell?"

"Then that would've been my problem," she said.

The clouds suddenly dissipated and the sun peeked out again, though it was closer to the horizon now that it was late afternoon. Elizabeth leapt down the wall while Annabelle floated beside her. She pulled a map from her backpack and assessed their position — they were halfway to Starview. There was no harm in stopping for a while and maybe grabbing a bite to eat. They weren't expected for another couple of days. Right at that moment, her stomach growled like a lion.

"You had anything to eat since breakfast?" Elizabeth asked.

"I... er, no," Annabelle admitted. Amidst everything that had happened, she'd completely forgotten about food.