Oracus: The Lavorian Rider

Five - Saviour From The Sky

As the undergrowth thickened and the bright sunlight was hindered by a denser canopy above, Oracus spotted hoof marks in the dirt and signs that deer had been feeding on the bushes around him. All concerns of the forest left him as he focused on the spoor. It appeared that the herd had been spooked recently and fled east, leaving distinctive tracks in their wake. Oracus quickly pursued the deer and hoped they hadn't travelled too far; dragging a whole deer carcass for miles through the forest would take hours or days, time that he would rather spend back in Thessley with Bandor.

After an hour of pushing through the trees and bushes as fast as he could, Oracus sensed that he was nearing his prey. He slowed to a halt, listened cautiously, and then crept for a while longer until he spotted two bucks and four doe drinking from a stream in a clearing. Still undetected and hidden behind the trees, Oracus carefully slid an arrow from his quiver and nocked it to his bowstring. He chose the smallest of the females as his target and focused his aim. But as he drew the arrow back towards his cheek, the herd sensed a threat and scattered. In a moment of panic, Oracus released the arrow and watched it sail harmlessly past the deer and into the forest beyond. The deer escaped into the trees, and Oracus was left to toss his bow aside in frustration.  

He slumped against the trunk of a tree and sighed. He had been so close. Now he would have to pursue the deer further into the forest or locate another herd nearer to Thessley. For a while longer, he sat and thought, then he approached the stream to take a drink. The clearing through which the stream passed was filled with the sound of trickling water. Trees in the clearing were sparse, but colourful flowers sprouted near the water's edge and mushrooms were grouped in the damp shadows of dead stumps. Where the trees were missing, sunlight shone down and bounced off the surface of the water, filling the air with warmth.

As Oracus stood after quenching his thirst, he took a deep breath and tasted smoke on the breeze. He looked around himself, puzzled. Then the distant blast of an unfamiliar horn made his heart stop in his chest.

Apprehension flooded his body, and he found himself dashing out of the clearing and towards the origin of the noise. For half a mile, he ran, and the scent of the smoke became stronger with every step he took until he found himself on the brim of a huge hollow that looked down at dozens of grand white tents with hundred of soldiers stomping between them.

The soldiers wore crimson battle robes and armour, with swords on their waists and metal shields strapped to their backs. Each one looked fierce and unpleasant, unlike anyone Oracus had seen before in Thessley, and at the centre of them all, a colossal campfire billowed black smoke high into the sky.

Oracus watched the camp for as long as he dared. The soldiers were loud and aggressive, often breaking into fights amongst themselves. And if they weren't beating each other with fists, they were cutting chunks of meat off a wild boar that had been spitroasted over the fire, or downing flagons of ale. When Oracus had seen enough, he left the hollow behind him and ran as fast as he could back to Thessley, hoping the people of the village would believe him when he told them soldiers were stationed in the forest.

After what seemed like hours, Oracus stumbled onto the path that led to his house and gulped deep breaths of air. The orange sun was lowering behind the thatched houses as he bounded over the gate and crashed through his front door. He shouted for his father, but it looked like the house had been empty for several hours, so he knocked on the doors of his neighbours, but all those houses appeared vacant too.

Oracus's worry soon became panic. Desperate to find someone, he rushed to the village centre and found all the shops and stalls dark and deserted; even the Old Mill was void of light and music. He spun around and squinted into the windows of the shops, hoping that someone would jump out and yell "Surprise!" at the top of their voice. But it was clear this was no elaborate joke. Thessley had been abandoned, and Oracus was all by himself.