Baleful Wings (Dragon's Dogma Fanfiction)

Chapter 48: Sanctuary

Pulling her blade from the misshapen eye of a cyclops, Arya leapt down into a tucked roll, regaining her stance easily and walking casually forward. The enormous beast fell lifelessly into the dirt beneath it. Even the feared bandits of this region seldom dared to stand in Arya's path. As the greenery and flora turned into rocky mountainside, the Arisen's fearless stride was caped in the blood of beasts as she and her pawn made their way to the Greatwall. The path before them was treacherous, its looming view as the walkway climbed higher and higher made it clear just how dangerous it is to make such a journey - however, she would not be swayed. The Arisen walked with her blade drawn, daring so much as a fly to rise against her.

What was it that formed a shield around the arisen, protecting her from even the gaze of the bandits along the mountain? It must have been fear, for they were in the presence of greatness.
"A fall here would mean certain death," commented Ceres, noticing the small rocks that randomly crumbled down the mountain and bounced off the walkway and into the steep abyss below.
"Then we throw them off first," replied Arya, her eyes still shifting between the cutpurses ahead as they took roost in their base of operations, a refurbished waycastle at the end of the trail.
"Welcome, sisters. Feel free to rest here," one of the bandits said, extending her arm to the fort before them.
"Wait, what?"
The female bandit folded her arms with a raised brow. "You hard of hearing? If you want to rest here, you can."

After an otherwise filling meal in the company of the all-female bandit troupe, Arya waved her goodbyes and continued to the Barta Crags ahead. As it turns out, the bandits of these parts don't attack or rob other women, only men. Doesn't feel quite as good as the idea that they were all deathly afraid of her, but it was nice either way.
"Get out, pig!"
"Do you have a death wish!?"
It would appear that there are other people that also didn't get this memo - made clear by a raven-haired man wearing glasses being tossed from the battlements of the waycastle. The Hearthstone girl dashed to try and catch him, but the peculiar man levitated slightly above ground, afloat in air. Arya furrowed her brow in confusion, before watching as he broke the spell and still slammed to the ground as if he never levitated in the first place.
"My back.. I definitely have to work on that spell some more," he lamented, standing up and scratching the back of his neck. "Oh, fancy meeting you again!" He said, dusting his hand off and extending it to the brown-skinned woman that attempted to break his fall.

It was none other than the Sorcerer from months ago, that fought off Elvira's centaur, Phineas.
Arya's jaw dropped in utter surprise - honestly, she had almost forgotten he existed entirely.
"I never got your name," she said.
"Inoru," replied the slightly battered high mage.
"What brings you here?" Asked Ceres, staring at the man with raised eyebrows.
Inoru straightened his back and stretched a bit before starting to walk forward. "I sensed a heavily saturated magickal aura in this direction."
Ceres tilted her head at his questionable reasoning, but shrugged once she decided that it may have been valid considering how strange mages can be. After all, Salvation had already taken roost here days ago - or so suggests the many whisperings throughout Gran Soren.
Arya pounded her fist, "I guess we're headed in the same direction, then!"

It was slightly strange to be in the company of such a powerful Sorcerer - especially since he seemed so aloof and carefree. Arya also took notice that he only appeared to be hurt, but may have actually taken no real damage in his ruffle with the female bandits.
"Watch your footing, master," remarked Ceres, glancing cautiously at the small eerily smoggish ponds that scanted the Barta Crags. The trio grossed carefully around each swampish murk, making their way to the barren and rocky perimeter surrounding the Greatwall Encampment. As they neared the last poisonous pond, Ceres looked up with widened eyes and drew her bow. "Monsters, Arisen!"
Arya already had her sword drawn. Hobgoblins slowly crept around them in a circle that kept getting smaller.
"They aim to force us into the water," commented Inoru, straightening his glasses. A hobgoblin raised his arm, preparing to command his band of beasts - before lifelessly falling to the ground.
Behind it was Ace, brandishing his daggers, "Well, well, well."
Arya dashed forward, Ceres immediately loosed an arrow into the hobgoblin before her. The beasts looked around in disarray, arrows whizzed in from a distance, piercing their hideous and monstrous bodies. Within moments the skirmish came to an end. Ace kicked the last assailant into the bog, and turned to Arya before abruptly jumping backwards.

"What the heck are you doing hanging out with that guy!?" Ace's eyes squared onto Inoru.
"He's the one that saved us back in Hearthstone," replied Arya. "From the Centaur!"
Kairo appeared, with his longbow drawn and aimed directly at the sorcerer in question.
Ace drew his blades, "No, he's a spy. And he works for Salvation!"
Inoru was silent.
"How would you know that?" Questioned Arya, stepping back slowly and gripping the hilt of her weapon.
"Because I'm also a spy."
The Hearthstone Arisen and her pawn immediately turned to face Inoru, who lowered his staff and peacefully raised an open palm. "Okay, okay. You got me." He cleared his throat and took a few steps forward. "I worked with Salvation, yes. But that was at the command of my teacher..."
He chuckled a bit, absorbing the inquisitive glares from his audience. "Salomet was his name. He's dead now, though."
"Is it revenge you want?" Interrogated the female Arisen.
"No," the sorcerer smiled mischievously. "I have no orders to work against you, so it seemed like fun to tag along instead."
Arya's group of friends looked at each other incredulously.

"How can I defend myself?" Asked Inoru as the party neared a grand fortress, bound from the shoulders down in rope, his hands tied to his waist.
Ace pushed the captive forward with the bottom of his boot. "Can it, wizard. Be glad Arya didn't give the word to lop your head off." Here they were - the Greatwall, built to protect Gransys from the enormous beasts on the other side, in a continent set to ruin by the Dragon ages afore. The fortress is massive, almost large enough to make a fit home to a small colony. Strangely, there was no sign of struggle in the front, but Arya could smell the evil in the air. She had honed her ability to sense danger, her pounding heartbeat replaced by what feels like the sudden change from a peaceful melody to an inspiring bolero.
"Almost as if to lure someone in," commented Kairo.
Ace and Arya, the two Arisen present, looked at each other and nodded. It seemed that the best option was to sneak around the side instead.