The Obsidian Arrow

The Obsidian Arrow: Chapter 37

Before Searon could get to his feet two draeyks and a nacropis rushed up to Andron. He barely got his sword out in time to deflect two axe blows and strike one down that tumbled to the alley. Searon stepped next to him and the two of them sliced the other draeyk to lizard meat. The nacropis flung its tail forward towards Searon’s face. He rose his claymore and sliced the tip of the stinger with all his strength. It spun as it flashed towards his face and nearly hit him. Instead he tilted his head to the right causing the venomous tip to sweep over his left shoulder. Green slime gushed out of the tail and into Searon’s eyes that blinded him. He stumbled back and nearly lost his balance.

Searon laid his claymore on the ground and scraped at his eyes. He couldn’t see more than a few inches ahead of him in a violet haze. He searched his pouch for the herbs that Aliqua had given him until he found what he remembered to help internal wounds. There was no water to be found except his tears to mix with and so he rubbed the dry leaves into his eyes. His vision cleared little by little until he could see Andron struggling against the creature that seemed in a rage.

Andron blocked from left to right against the claws that sung at inconceivable speed and strength. With each hit, Andron slid back on the bark. Searon stumbled to his feet with his claymore slippery in his hand, covered in scorpion goo. He watched in horror as Andron struck and the nacropis grabbed the sword in one claw while using the other to clamp over Andron’s right wrist. When Andron saw the move he was able to move his left hand out of the way, but he wasn’t able to save his right.

Searon rushed forward and stabbed the nacropis through the throat before it could finish Andron. Next to him Andron wailed a piercing grunt that made Searon’s ears thrash in ringing. Andron’s hand swirled through the air, still clutched to his sword, and into the alley on the other side.

“Well I suppose we’ll have to find you another sword.” Searon said.

“Bloody scorpions. I’ve never liked them.”

“Your wife will not be happy.”

“Nobody bloody tell her. Her wrath would tear us all apart.”

Searon grinned as he removed the containers of herbs once more to treat Andron’s bloody stump. He mixed both the herbs for internal and external wounds together and pressed them onto the bleeding wrist. Andron cringed in pain but held still. Searon grabbed a rag and tied it over the bleeding. The herbs healed most of the blood flow, but he had to keep it from infection. He pulled out the purple leaf camorea and dabbed a bit of it in his pipe with tobacco and handed it to Andron to ease the pain.

“How well have you trained with your left hand?” Searon asked.

“Seldom.” Andron said.

“It’s about time you start.”

“Where to?” Andron asked.

Searon looked around, lost in the vast wilderness surrounding him. He looked behind him down the building tops that stretched on for miles. Only then did he realize each row of buildings were roots to the life tree of the elves. The alleys were only the separation between roots. It made sense now why there were so many alleys of buildings surrounding the tree of the palace. He never realized how large the tree was, but now he knew that the entire capital of Sudegam was the tree.

“Sudegam,” he murmured.

The wood under his feet vibrated in acknowledgment. He felt a shiver travel through his body – followed by strobe images inside his mind. The tree was alive and communicating with him, it had a heart and he could feel it beat. He could see where it was deep inside, hidden on one of the floors where nobody realized and overlooked. The tree told him nobody knew where – she – the tree was a woman, heart was located except Elsargast, and now he was dead. She showed him though, and pushed forth her emotion of horror. Images of Zergiel appeared in his mind with that fear, pictures of a knife coated in fiery magic.