Stones of Rhiadon

Stones of Rhiadon: Chapter 6 - A Coincidence

Chapter Six:

A Coincidence

 By James D. Swinney

“I don’t think it is a coincidence that there are two assaulted elven caravans, and the High Elf’s sister went missing near Edohad, the city of the Stone Elves."

Hesio darted between trees, his sword glowing bright crimson all the while. Slightly in front of him, Noraes dashed quickly towards the source of the screaming. The man was slighter of build and not nearly as muscled, but Hesio was not any match in speed. Brown hair streamed from the elven woman’s head as she ran, keeping pace easily with Noraes in front of him.

Leaves crunched beneath his boots, but other than that and their heavy breathing they made no sound as they ran. They did not need to speak, as each felt morally obligated to aid a woman in distress. They covered ground quickly, and it was only a matter of minutes before they were out of the thicket.

In the hill-lands again, they could see for miles and miles. And they did not like what they did see. The shriek of a woman pierced the air again, an elven woman, and she was surrounded by men with dark grey skin!

Hesio, Noraes, and Anya stopped for a moment to examine the situation. The grey men were closing in on the woman, with swords and weapons drawn. “We have to help her!” Anya stated.

“Agreed,” Noraes said with a nod.

Hesio looked at them. “We do not know the situation. She might well be a murderer being captured by these men, guards maybe,” he argued. “We don’t want to interfere with justice here.”

“What if that was me being attacked? Would you help then?” Anya asked.

“I don’t care what you have to say, Hesio,” Noraes said bluntly. “I am going to help this damsel in distress, even if she is an elf!” He charged forward, followed by Anya who had a small bow out.

Hesio didn’t bother arguing further. He knew he was least in this group, so it was not his place to question judgment. He ran after Noraes, his longsword out in front of him.

Arrows whizzed through the air, coming from Anya’s bow, to slam into the backs of the grey men. One man fell to the ground, and another. A third arrow went close past another man’s ear, when Hesio arrived at the group.

His sword flashed through the air before his eyes, seemingly taking control of him, before slicing effortlessly through one of the men’s neck. He watched as Noraes impaled another man on his rapier. It was a needle of a sword, Hesio thought, but he had seen it in action, and he knew that it was good under the management of a skilled fencer like Noraes.

But his own sword required no management. Each time it sliced easily into and through the flesh of another grey man, its blade glowed more furiously. After his fourth kill, it was shining like the sun. He felt his leather jerkin grow wet with blood as one of the enemies managed to get a quick blow in, but his sword quickly ended the man with a stab to the chest.

“What is this?” Noraes exclaimed. “Where are the bodies? We killed them!”

Hesio, in the heat of battle, had not noticed that with each kill, the grey men did not leave corpses. When they died, a pile of gemstones fell to the ground! Hesio bent over, and took a massive sapphire in his hand. He wasn’t surprise when it crumbled into dust. “Of course,” he muttered.

Anya had a troubled look on her face. “They were brigands,” she muttered. “I can’t feel bad about this.”

Noraes didn’t even spare a glance at her, he was so distracted by the gemstones. “You’ve seen this before?” he questioned Hesio, incredulous.