Swords of the Secret Son

Chapter 18 - Vander Treyani

"So we have the nymphs," Rehnnyn commented as he swung one leg over his horse and took a seat next to the small stream.

"Mmhmm," I replied, mostly busy with chewing the deer meat.

"And we have the centaurs, the giants, and the -"

"Unicorns," Arezark grumbled, cutting Rehnnyn off.

"Unicorns," Rehnnyn repeated. "The dwarves are traitors and we can't go into the regions yet. That covers just about everyone."

"What about the pixies? " I asked.

"And the Valkyrie?" Arezark grinned.

"And the goblins? The brownies?" I questioned again.

"We're going to the pixies now. The brownies are in the outskirts of the seventh region, the goblins work for Vision, and the Valkyrie, well, they're not very social or helpful people," Rehnnyn explained, taking a bite out of a hedrea fruit. "Get some rest. We'll be heading for the pixies in the morning." I took the sack off of my back and used it as a pillow.

-

"Get up! We're going!" Arezark yelled and woke me up with a hoof to the side.

"Sorry, Vander,"Rehnnyn called as he finished packing up his supplies. "Grab your bag and let's get going. The fingers of dawn have already curled forward." Rehnnyn always surprised me when he had a moment of poetic wisdom. Getting onto my horse, we rode through the stream into the section of the forest where the trees thinned and the grass grew as tall as full grown dwarves.

"Where are we?" I asked, unfamiliar with the area giving off a dark vibe.

"Where are the pixies?" Arezark asked, pulling an arrow out of his quiver. I unsheathed my sword and tentatively followed the centaur into the empty realm.

"I sense great darkness at work here," Rehnnyn murmured. We ventured farther into the eerie woods. The tree trunks thinned yet the leaves grew thicker, blocking the sun from reaching us. The grass was scorched and the tiny houses were only ash. There was no sign of life until we stumbled upon a shining object half buried in the ground.

"Stay back!" I yelled, glad to for once be the leader. My horse trotted to the mysterious light as I prodded it with my bow out of the spotlight, removing the brightness from its shell.

"It's a shield," I stated the obvious.

"Arwen Larke, it's Draakschalen! I claim that shield!" Arezark exclaimed, eyes widening, increasing his pace towards the legendary shield.

"The shield of dragon scales..." I echoed, grabbing the shield. It lit up once more the moment I touched the thick shell; everything seemed to grow dimmer as the shield grew blindingly bright in my hands.

"Arezark! Back away!" Rehnnyn shouted. "That shield has claimed Vander!" Rehnnyn's horse galloped in front of Arezark, pushing him away from me.

"I saw it first!" Arezark hollered, attempting to grab the shield from me.

"If the shield perceives anything as a threatening force that touches it, you will be blown back, most likely by a fatal force. I urge you to stay away for your own safety. Vander has imprinted himself," Rehnnyn urged Arezark and released him.

"You - you dare touch me. You threaten me!" Arezark roared. "You are not fit to wield Draakschalen. You are not fit to lead an army!" Arezark galloped away out of the darkened pixie realm, carelessly firing an arrow that zoomed so close to the top of my head that I felt the feathers brush my scalp; it was so close that would have killed me if not for my height deficiency.