Sword of Stars

Chapter Four. General Neu.

When he got back to the camp it was already half packed up. Men were pulling down tents and loading the pack horses into the big Feldoran wagon. It seemed they were eager to get away which Garek wasn’t surprised to find. He headed to the center hearth to grab some bread and dried meat for breakfast before they packed it up. He chewed heartily as he danced between rushing mercenaries while making his way to his tent, his food nearly knocked out of his hands several times before he made it. He spotted Ahallan lifting tent bundles onto the wagon, his face strained with pain, wincing every time he lifted something. Garek didn’t think he should be lifting after the wound he took this morning.

He walked towards Ahallan as he pushed the last crust of bread into his mouth then licked the crumbs off his fingers, "I don’t think you should be lifting those, my friend." Garek put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from picking up another heavy bundle. The frustration on Ahallan’s face was plain but Garek somehow knew it was more than that. "You look worse than you should Ahallan. What is it?"

Ahallan’s eyes widened then he hurriedly pulled Garek away from the men while making shushing sounds. After they were out of earshot Ahallan undid the top button of his shirtsleeve and pulled it aside to reveal his wound. Garek couldn’t contain a half-gasp half-wince. The wound looked like it was still fresh but the skin around the gashes was a deep black and looked like it was spreading like bacteria.

"By the stars! What is that?" Garek exclaimed as Ahallan shook his head.

"I don’t know. You think the creature was poisonous?"

"That does sound plausible... Well take it easy Hal, okay? We'll be in Andrill in a few days then the Casters can take a look."

"Yeah," He grunted between clenched teeth. "If I make it that far..."

 Ahallan was right. Before the star had reached midday peak he collapsed, nearly falling out of the wagon seat before Garek caught him. He called a halt to the train as he ripped Ahallan’s shirtsleeve off then removed the bandages slowly to look at the wound. It was bad. Spreading at an alarming rate; the blackness had nearly covered half his torso.

"Blind it!" Garek cursed loudly. He quickly re-dressed the plagued wound and a litter was made up to hold him while he was lifted into the mercenary cart. It would take another few days before they made it to the city and Garek desperately hoped they weren’t going to lose his friend on the way.

They entered the valley at the end of the plains the next day. Two massive sheer cliffs ran parallel with the road as if it had been cut perfectly into the surrounding mountains to allow human access. It took the train a whole day to get through, making camp when night fell about halfway through. It was cold too; icy winds blew through the gap under the already cool shade, the blazing star only shining down on them for an hour or so as it reached its peak. Garek found it harder to sleep, the added worry about Ahallan on top of his cursed fate was almost too much to bare. He laughed solemnly as he thought of this and prayed to the Stars and the Artizuhn to awake tomorrow to a normal world once again.

Once they came out of the valley pass the next morning the grand city of Andrill sprang into view at the foot of a distant mountain, its grey walls and tall towers standing out clearly against the green and browns behind it. Beyond the mountain the vast sea could be seen all greens, blues and blacks shimmering in the faint cloud hidden starlight. To the left, Drahgon’s Finger peninsula could just be made out in the distance. The cloudy sky briefly opened to let a bright cone of starlight to illuminate Andrill brilliantly, as if marking their ultimate destination. The glass windows of the high towers glinting at them in reflected starlight. The salty smell of the sea mixed with the earthly smell of the ancient oaks of the forest between filled Garek’s nostrils as the light wind blew it towards the pass, ruffling his hair whilst his coat billowed. Black sea birds flew by overhead, squawking hungrily and loudly. Rats with wings... Garek thought irritably.