The Shattered Path

Chapter 44 - The Long Road

Aryl had decided not to argue with the Tael about their destination, though he still didn't trust her. If she really had good intentions, why wouldn't she tell them all what she knew? He found her lack of cooperation and her demands to be frustrating. However, he had taken a different view on their situation. He could slum his way through taverns anytime. This was a chance to explore a Tael city or temple; he wasn't sure what it was exactly. It would be interesting and possibly exciting to travel to such an exotic place. Not even his father had ever been to a Tael city. And it might be just the thing to raise Aerham's spirits in light of the recent tragedy. Aryl could use a little adventure to liven his own spirits as well. Beuthis had been more of a father to him than his own father. He missed the man. That loss for Aerham had to be huge.

Also, if they went the other direction, they would enter Minogradia, which was very near Raujorn. He didn't want to risk an encounter with another Raujornian. They may all be looking for the woman he had rescued. Just thinking of her made his chest feel tight. He could not let them have her, and he knew if he encountered any more wizards, there was little he could do to stop them by himself.

The Tael had also referred to both Aerham and the mysterious woman as Tsaeris'Aen. Aryl's curiosity was burning to know what that meant now. He had known Aerham since his earliest memories and there was nothing special about him, at least not magically. He was brave and great with a sword. Maybe it related to that. The only way Aryl would learn what it meant was to journey to the Taneache and as much as the Tael had spoken of that place, she made it sound like the most wondrous place on M'Rael. And this Keingeas had best be the wisest man since the creation of the world, too. The Dark take them all! He was sick of hearing about Keingeas and the Taneache.

Aryl wiped sweat from his brow. Though the woman was slender, she still had become quite a burden. He and Aerham each had one of her arms slung over their shoulder, carrying her between them. Her head hung forward seemingly lifeless, but he knew that she still lived. He had felt for her heartbeat many times, fearful of the worst, which had earned strange looks from Aerham who likely thought his hands too close to her breasts, but he had kept his hands on and around her neck since that is where heartbeats could be found, in the blood pumping to the head.

When he looked at her, he could see down the green shirt he had given her. She was beautiful in every way. He liked looking but knew he shouldn't. He limited himself to a few glances before he realized Aerham was frowning at him and then he stopped looking. The sweat and exertion wore him down and he found himself watching his feet more anyway.

During the charge on the Raujornian, Aerham had shoved him aside. Aryl had seen the Raujornian driven to the ground, but wasn't sure if the magic had struck him at the same time or afterward. It had all happened so fast. Had this woman caused the devastation? It had spread outward in a great expanding ring, sweeping away Reorc and anyone left alive. They had been fortunate to have been close to her when it had happened. As the release of power had radiated outward, it had grown in power. That had been clear. Aryl had watched the ground swell. The buildings on the edge of town had been shattered and strewn high into the sky. Rocks and fire filled the night like stars. The defenders and attackers alike had been mercilessly blasted into the air, many of them in pieces. He wondered how far that ring of devastation had emanated outward. For all he knew, it could have gone around the world, except there was no signs of damage where their tunnel had emerged. He had never seen or heard of such a thing. He hoped to never see it again. He could not wipe the images of soaring debris and body parts silhouetted against the fiery glow.

If the power had emanated from the woman, he didn't know what to think of it. She was too beautiful. Everyone knew Raujornians worked only for their own dark causes. If they were after her, it didn't mean she was an innocent or anything. But it definitely didn't mean she was evil or even dangerous. Maybe she had attacked the Raujornian and he had caused the devastation with a final desperate act. Such destruction was surely the work of the Raujornian. He hoped.