The Island's Inhabitant

Attacked

The woods continued to thicken as Orrick led Zoey in what he hoped was the way to the human lands. To tell the truth, he actually had no clue where he was going or how to get out. He had lost the human scent since meeting up with Frocknier, and now he was simply following a deer trail, hoping that it turned out to be the right way.

Suddenly, the fox stopped. Zoey moved the box to her other arm as she watched him violently sniff the ground, trees, and air. After scouring the area and analysing each scent, Orrick finally turned back to Zoey and stated, "I have never been so lost in my entire life..."

Zoey sat down and sighed. "What if we go back the way we came?"

"I... can no longer find that scent... I think it might have been fabricated by a deceiver."

"So...?"

"We may have just fallen into their trap."

"And that, I can confirm."

Zoey leapt up, but before she could turn, an arm slipped around her throat. It was just loose enough for her to breath, but its presence clearly stated the threat to her life. Orrick too realized the danger. He continued to snarl at the attacker, but he made no move to pounce.

"You are a new pretty face," Zoey's attacker whispered in her ear. "But that Sword you carry is a great threat to my people, and therefore, I cannot let you live. The Bladekeeper is always the greatest thorn."

"Wait!" Zoey said. The arm around her neck loosened slightly, indicating her to go on. She wasn't entirely sure what she had to say, the word coming out through instinct. Finally, she whispered, "Why do you have to kill me? Why can't you just take the Sword?"

The attacker chuckled, then laughed, then guffawed. The arm fell from Zoey's neck, and she stepped away from her attacker. The woman before her had wrinkles all across her face and hands, but her eyes—a fierce yellow—seemed molded into a continuous glare. However, as Zoey looked more closely, she realized that it was not wrinkles that covered her body: it was scars. How many fights had this woman been in to get so many scars!?

"You are so very new to this position," she said. She leaned upon the sword resting on her hip, obtaining a passive yet threatening posture. "I suppose with such a young mind you still have a few weeks to become a threat. I don't mind talking with you for a while. They call me Grenua." She sat down against a tree and gestured for Zoey to follow.

The girl dropped to her knees, taking Orrick into her arms for comfort and to calm him.

Grenua then fished through some pouches and pulled out a pipe, which she filled and lit. She puffed a few moments while studying Zoey. "So very new," she said, shaking her head. "He's never sent someone so green before."

A string of Grenua's smoke came towards Zoey, the stench of tobacco overwhelming for the girl. She tried her best to ignore it, but eventually coughed violently. Grenua looked up, a light grin lifting her scarred face. She tapped the bowl of her pipe and chuckled.

"I suppose you're not used to it."

Zoey coughed some more before answering, "Not at all."

"I'll try not to do it again one I'm finished, but you'll have to remind me."

"For someone who was choking me not two minutes ago, you sure are polite."

"What can I say? I didn't know how green you were before."

"What is that even supposed to mean?"

"That Sword, the Sword of Nahora, you don't know it's greatest gift, do you?"

"I... know that it's made of Skarsteel," Zoey whispered, uncertain of the Sword's capabilities. She recalled something from her scroll that said it didn't have to be in her hand to do her bidding. Whatever did that mean though?

"The Skarsteel is nice and all, but there's something else even more important. When that Sword was crafted, someone fused a spell to it. Only the Bladekeeper may touch the Sword. Everyone else is burned." Grenua lifted her hand to reveal her palm. Just like her arms, it was covered in scars, but they were all enveloped by bright pink skin. "I attempted to take the Sword from your predecessor and learned that little detail the hard way. Took me years to regain control of my hand, and even now it is still difficult to feel things with it."

Zoey laid her hand upon the Sword's hilt. It hummed gently but permeated no warmth. "Is that really true?"

"I'd prove it to you, but I'm no glutton for pain and would like to keep both my hands, thank you."

Zoey carefully studied Grenua, who sat back to puff on her pipe. She couldn't figure out why, but she trusted the woman. True, she had just tried to strangle the poor girl. Her words, however, echoed with honesty, and her refusal to come near the Sword portrayed her fear of it.

"So, what do you intend to do with me?" Zoey asked. "You said yourself that this Sword is a thorn in your side. I'm sure you'd like to remove it sooner than later."

Grenua cleaned out her pipe and almost filled it when she remembered Zoey's discomfort from it. She stuck it, empty, into her mouth and chewed on the bit for a moment as she thought. Finally, the woman said, "I'll give you three days. There is a way out of this forest, and it takes three days to find and use it. My deceivers will still attack, but I will order them not to kill you. If you can escape, then until next we meet. If you cannot, well, then I am sorry to destroy the flower before it could blossom."

"Are you for real?" Zoey questioned, suspicious of Grenua's motives.

Grenua smiled. "Might as well make this fun. So good luck." She gestured for Zoey to go. The girl stood, raised an eyebrow at the woman, but turned and raced away. As she ran, Grenua called out after her, "First lesson of survival: You are the victor, or you are dead."

Zoey's heart fell. She realized then that the reason Grenua let her go was because she couldn't possibly make it out. She adjusted the box under her arm and whispered, "Might as well make it fun, huh?"

Meanwhile, Grenua continued to chew on her pipe, smiling to herself. Her right-hand man then emerged from the shadows and looked bewilderedly at his commander. "What was that all about?"

"Oh," said Grenua as she put away her pipe. "I just want a bit of fun. We don't get out much anymore, so might as well take our time."

The subordinate looked towards the direction Zoey had run in. "You do know three days is an awfully long time."

"Of course, I do. But do you really think someone as green as her can make it out in three days?" Grenua's grin widened.

**

Grenua is definitely one of my favourite characters. What do you think of her first impression?

Also, I'm going to start releasing another story! It's called Dragonhearted and is completely different from the Adventures in Calcasia series. It's not finished, so I won't update it as much, but feel free to check it out if you have the time.

~ Dani
Adventum ad Deum