THE LAST GATEKEEPER

Getting to Arkon

The flames that separated them all bled heat. Embers rose into the air and vanished before they could fall back down. From Azlyn’s view Crow’s face was distorted but she could tell that he was glaring back at her. She wanted to ask him so many questions but she also wanted him to spare her sister.

            Fiona came to her side and knelt.

            “Interesting isn’t he?” She said and broke a few twigs.

            “Yeah he is.” Azlyn said and glanced at Fiona, she thought she’d been relatively sly about staring at Crow but apparently the black haired Apothecary could tell. More sparks fled into the air and died off as Jack threw another log in.

            “He told me a bit of his tale; would you like me to tell you what he told me?” She asked. Azlyn was surprised, was this friendship offering? Or maybe she wants something in return. But either way Azlyn wanted to know what he told her. She nodded. “It took some haggling but I finally got him talking. He began by telling me where he came from, a place four years journey east, he said.” Azlyn looked at Crow, he couldn’t be much older than her and the others and they were all in their youth, so that meant he began this all when he was young. “A city called The Gate, odd name isn’t it?” Azlyn nodded with childish wide eyes. “Crow explained it to be tenfold the size of Arkon. He had just been given the title Gate Keeper when word came of the anarchy spreading in the east. Three were spoken of, The Witch Queen, The Illusionist and The Sentinel. He said there was an army of thousands of Gate keepers and then he stopped after saying things ‘got dark’.” Fiona shook her head. “Just when it was getting good you know?”

            “Yeah,” Azlyn felt torn because it had to be Fiona that told her this and not Crow.

            Morning came quickly and the group got off to an early start. Prairies made the trek easy, after all the region was entirely plains. They fled across the plains faster than any of them have ever fled anywhere. Crow seemed to think they were going slow though and they often sprinted until the majority decided it was time to stop, which hardly lasted longer than five minutes before Crow ordered them to begin moving again.

            “Do you do this a lot?” Jimmy was out of breath with his hands on his knees. Sweat dripping off his fore head profusely.

            “Yes.” Crow said and passed Jimmy. Jimmy watched amazed at the Outlander as he continued. Midday came and passed and there was hardly time for lunch but Jim knew that bringing up the point would do little to no good. The clouds seemed to provide no shade and trees were particularly scarce. Vultures had collected and begun to follow our fellowship’s trek across the plains.

            The group finally stopped for a rest and recollected at the peak of a hill with a steep decline. This was where Crow stood gazing over a wide plain.

            “How far are we?” Fiona asked, a little out of breath herself. She turned and looked at the others down the trail coming slowly along.

            “At least a day’s trip maybe two if we slack.” Crow said and then looked at Fiona. “We won’t slack.” She nodded and looked at Jack who was just barely making it to their point. From the peak you could just see sunset setting off the distant west mountains, orange blades of light coloring entire clouds. “We’ll camp here.”

            Joseph and Weaver set up the camp while Crow and Jack went to collect wood. Despite the lack of trees in the plains, this hill had a surplus of trees just before the decline. Broken branches were scarce but Crow and eventually Jack began tearing long outstretching roots and extended branches off the trees. “Fiona tells me you’ve been doing this a while, a long while.”