Ch5-7: Forest Guide
“Sooooooooooooo,” Edge dropped full emphasis on the last sound of the word. It was a habit of his that bugged the hell out of Gramps. But girls seemed to like it. So there you had it. “You mind telling us where we’re going?”
“Almost there,” the accented common of the Elven Ranger drifted back over one shoulder. Forest green cape fluttered as he walked, blending in and out of the night treescape. There was something very deliberate about each step the Elf made — even the placement of his boots upon the ground was calculated.
And it’s seriously annoying…
“That’s not what I asked,” the Ninja muttered darkly. Then he turned his grey eyes accusingly towards Cecil. “Couldn’t you have come up with something better than this? Strange guy appears out of the forest. Strange guy tells us to follow him into forest… We follow and are never seen again?”
All except for Golbez… who is probably the one behind all this. I just know he’ll be laughing it up as his dark minions pick the flesh from our bones.
The Paladin grimaced. “Edge, we didn’t really have a lot of choice in this. Silver’s men were getting wasted. And from what I saw, we’re going to need some real tactics and knowledge to be able to face down those creatures… whatever they were.”
“Daear,” the Elf spoke quietly.
“They are?” Edge attempted to repeat. “They are what?”
“No… Da-ear,” he corrected, stressing the pronunciation to sound something like ‘Day-Are’. “It is what they are called. They were once spirit people of the Blue Planet.”
“Once?” Cecil turned his gaze on the Ranger. “That implies that they aren’t anymore?”
“No,” the Elf gave a deepening frown. He adjusted a strap on one of his shoulders before continuing. “The Daear were of the same origins of the Elven people. But, now… they have fallen to decay.”
“Tell me something we don’t know,” Edge grumbled.
The Paladin frowned in disapproval. But the Ninja gave it no more heed than usual. Instead, he pulled his pace up to match the Ranger. It was doubly annoying that the Elf took such long strides when he was walking.
Damn tall people. No consideration for the vertically challenged of the world.
“So tell me,” Edge pressed, “Why are you helping us out? I thought Elves didn’t give a rat’s tail for humans.”
“That is not entirely true,” the Elf responded quickly.
“Then what is true?”
“Humans and Elves simply have not had the opportunity to find common ground yet. But it can be done,” the Ranger scowled. “It is people who think in your manner that allow the divide to continue to exist.”
The Ninja King looked put-off at the reprimand. “Then where’s the proof that Elves have interest in relations with humans?”
The Ranger paused, for the first time in their journey, and turned to face Edge. His slanted green eyes flashed as he spoke. “I am half human. I am also half Elf. Is that proof enough?”
Owned.
Edge winced, attempting a gracious withdraw, “Yeah. I suppose that’s good enough.”
Cecil, however, was looking at the Half-Elf with a newfound interest.
Half-breeds draw other half-breeds, I suppose. That whole birds of a feather thing. Never did quite get it.
“What is your name?” the Paladin’s tone held a hint of respect.
“I am called Deric,” the Ranger replied shortly. He looked about ready to turn and continue walking.
“I am Cecil Harvey,” the young King intercepted. Obviously, the Paladin had already made up his mind about where to put his trust. He extended his hand to the Ranger in greeting.
“Ah,” Deric murmured. He took the hand with a quick clasp but did not shake it. “Cecil Harvey. The Paladin King of Baron. Your victories have reached even the ears of the forest people.”
Which wouldn’t be that hard… considering you have ears the size of rice bowls.
“Well…” Cecil broke off in a moment of sincere modesty.
That’s something I’ve gotta break him of one day. He still doesn’t know how to throw his weight around like a proper king.
“Then certainly you’ve heard of me, too!” the Ninja tossed his ego into the ring. Then inflated it.
Deric passed a patient eye over the shorter man. “Maybe.”
“King Edge of Eblan!” he thumbed back at himself before brushing his fingers through the poof of his bangs.
“Indeed,” the Half-Elf’s expression hinted amusement, “We have heard that you are a skilled Ninja…”
Edge beamed, opening his mouth to reply.
“..and a poor womanizer,” the Ranger finished, pulling his cloak up around his collar with a quick tug.
The Ninja’s mouth dropped fully open and hung.
Cecil grinned in quite amusement, “It would seem your people have a pretty reliable source of information.”
Edge’s glare gleamed daggers at the Paladin. But his long-time companion’s easy smile was enough to diffuse any real anger into a heated sigh.
Deric began to walk again, this time, respectfully directing his speech towards Cecil, “I have seen a few of your men stationed among the refugees of the Troian nation.”
Refugees?
Edge furrowed his brow. It was hard to think of the whole nation of Troia cast out of their home. Troia… a great fortress-city that had been established upon the strength of the feminine will. Lead by the legendary High Clerics — a group of women that rivaled the authority of any king.
A group of women now cast from their home. Women who had now become…
Babes in distress! A whole city of them, too!
A giddy grin flashed across the Ninja’s face. A look that was, luckily enough, veiled by the shadows of the nighttime forest. And no sooner had the thought come than the pang begin again, in the center of his chest.
But… what’s a whole city of babes in distress got to offer… when Rydia’s in trouble?
Edge had found himself pulled back to earth more and more at the thought of the beautiful green-haired Caller girl… out there somewhere in the world… alone and in enemy hands. There was little doubt in his mind that the Daear probably knew something of her whereabouts.
Or at least they’d know whose ass needs the official Ninja kicking.
He had already planned out exactly what he was going to do. Every move down to the finishing blow.
Just let me fight the bastard. I’ll make it one for the history books.
Especially since he had been forced to swallow his better judgment and group up with Golbez to get the job done.
The things I must endure for true love…
The conversation between the Ranger and Paladin had already moved on without him. Talk of the refugee camp in the forest. How Deric had set wards around the perimeter that could fend off the invading riders of the Daear. Of the inability that they had faced to wound the Daear troops in battle.
“Yes, I noticed that,” Cecil gave a grim nod to the Half-Elf. “But somehow, you managed to fight them off at the end? Was it magic… or your sword?”
“No. And honestly,” Deric paused with a thoughtful face, “I don’t know exactly what did happen. I believe that the Daear are shielded behind some outside force. It seemed to be one of your mages that broke through that shield during the battle.”
“Mages?”
“Yes, the tall, white-haired mage in your group.”
“Golbez?” the Paladin blinked.
Edge involuntarily shivered.
Deric turned with a frown, face lacking recognition at the sound of the name, “Who?”
Apparently the floppy-ears didn’t hear about the name of the once great Destroyer of Nations, then?
Cecil turned and pointed behind them. The Master Wizard was silently walking a few yards back, one big hand placed on Chase and Porom’s shoulder. If the Ninja didn’t know better, it almost seemed as if Golbez was attempting to comfort the children.
Nah… probably just sucking on their soul in disguise.
“Yes,” Deric nodded. “Yes, it was him.”
The Paladin gave a musing face, “If Golbez knows how to remove the shielding on the Daear, then that means…”
“There’s a possibility to fight them,” Edge finished eagerly.
Yes, please.
“If that is true, it would certainly turn the tide,” the Half-Elf perked up at the thought. “So far, all we’ve been able to do is hold our ground against the forces by remaining warded in one place. The Clerics of Troia do not dare to send their people into the forest to meet in battle with the Daear.”
“And that can’t last long before starvation sets in,” Cecil speculated.
“Yes…”
“We will have to see what information we can find from Golbez and then discuss a plan of battle with the Clerics. If the Daear troops were defeated once, it can happen again,” the Paladin stated.
“Ho there,” Captain Silver’s voice suddenly broke into the conversation from behind. She paced up to the front of the group and gave the Half-Elf a wrinkled-nose frown. “How long til we dock? We’ve got wounded in tow and a lot of uneasy men back there.”
“Not long from now,” Deric answered.
“Can you keep them under hand a little while longer, Captain?” Cecil’s voice was concerned.
“Working on it,” she huffed at him. “First you board Golbez on my ship. Then the ship goes down. Then we gets attacked. And now we’re following a Tree-hugger through the blasted Troian forest. You owe me big time, Paladin.”
The young king rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish look. Edge just watched with a silent curiosity.
I wonder who that dame is. Cecil sure lets her mouth run him into the ground…
Feeling the Ninja’s gaze upon her, the Captain turned and gave him a scowl. “Keep your eyes to yourself, matey. There ain’t nothing here that you could earn yourself even if you worked a lifetime.”
“Tsk…” Edge scowled back.
With her own indelicate sound, Captain Silver headed back down the ranks to her men.
After a moment of silence, Deric mused aloud, “The Paladin King of Baron takes up with… interesting… company.”
“Well…” Cecil grimaced. “It’s who you know that will pull you through. And sometimes the most trustworthy people are the ones you least expect.”
“Whatever,” Edge smirked, nudging his companion with one elbow. “Fess up, Cecil. You probably danced more than a few rounds with her in your girl-hopping days.”
“Girl-hopping!?” the Paladin turned instantly with a mortified look.
“You trying to tell me you didn’t let a few babes take their proper turn?”
“Absolutely not!”
“Alright, alright,” the Ninja continued his award-winning smirk. “Don’t hyperventilate yourself.”
I love doing that to him. The look on his face is absolutely priceless.
That’s when the pale green glow first streamed down through the treeline in front of them, distracting Edge from his target of merciless pestering. It appeared to be some strange, ever moving train of light, shifting in intensity between the picket-line of dark tree trunks.
Catching his breath, the Ninja asked, “What is that?”
“This is the warding,” Deric replied.
“Eh…” Edge frowned suspiciously ahead. Eyes shifting to one side, he could see Cecil walking, no hesitation in his stride. The pale light cast strange reflections off the Paladin’s hair, his eyes seeming somehow greener than before.
Are you really going for this, Cecil?
As the two approached, the light rippled and pulled back. A curtain of shimmering green parting for their entrance.
Okay… I guess you are.
Not to be outdone, the Ninja forced one foot in front of the other. Brows lowering, he followed them under the arch of warding runes. On the other side, a vast world of ancient wonder opened before his astonished eyes.
The Ranger gently intoned, “Welcome, human-kin to the once-settlement of Yáramar.”