The Rising

Chapter 18

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Chapter 18

Dewin wasn't lying about the timing. The night of the full moon Pyremius struck the camp. They had moved to higher ground and left scouts nearby to watch, in case the old man was wrong.

He hadn't been wrong.

The scouts barely made it to the new camp with their lives and they were on the move within seconds, before hearing the Reavers on their trail. It was a race against time with the witches using a new spell, thanks to Dewin's library of tricks he had bestowed upon Liem. They were able to hide themselves long enough to escape.

But the Reavers weren't the only ones who were looking for them. The dark fog rolled over the valley every night. Once again, the boundary spells they used to conceal their location kept the fog from creeping into the camp but didn't stop it from crawling up and over the dome of the boundary that hid them. Darkening the sky, the fog turned everything to an ink black, concealing everything around them for hours.

During those spooky witching hours of the night, the guards stood watch and waited for the moment the fog seeped through the barrier and into the camp. The moment didn't come, but night after night, they watched and waited. Liem and Raine were scared for those they were leading deeper into danger as this darkness tracked them across the country.

As they moved from one location to the next, they trained as best they could. Liem worked with the witches to teach them the basics. Spells and potions of protection and to repel the darkness. The boundary spell, being the most important and powerful weapon they had at the moment.

Slowly, they added to that arsenal other spells to fight back when the enemy breaks their defenses. Taking the offensive with weapons training they created their own strengths with an athame, charms, and crystals that they could wear around their necks to give them strength and protection against the dark.

Healers were brought into the mix with the witches. Potions and pouches, creams and teas were brewed. All necessary items for healing ailments and injuries and infections as modern medicine were coming harder to find and eventually wouldn't be available at all.

Combining with the witches the group was able to provide a more robust healing and medical care for those in need as accidents happened and training got underway. More than bumps and bruises were going to happen and they needed to be prepared. A real doctor would be necessary and they didn't have one yet.

Knowing the more people they find, the more likely they will have those with serious health conditions, the more likely they'll need to rely on other means of treatment, Liem found that his library of information in his head was more and more extensive and necessary.

Cass helped using his knowledge of weapons and the military for hand to hand combat, swords, and archery. He was well trained in martial arts and was able to use his skills and knowledge as a starting point to improve, or for many, begin training. The skills may not do much against magicks, but they will help against Reavers and any who join Pyremius and have no powers.

Rowan, an elf and fast as they come, worked with the younger ones, teaching them the basics skills of merging with nature. He made it a game of hiding into trees and rocks at first. It seemed like a waste of time to Liem until he understood the importance of the game. The children needed to learn how to do the skill as a game, to understand the importance of the skill as a warrior.

Hiding from the enemy and spying on them, meant sliding into a tree or a rock and being silent and still, sometimes for hours. A necessary skill that will be needed as this war continues. The younger ones will need to be kept safe and protected from the darkness and what better way than to be hidden in plain sight. And a useful skill for those old enough who can fight and spy for their team.