27th day of the fourth moon. Year 879.Writing: Antony, Son of Maximilian
"Can we stop? I can't walk any more" I said and Nick helped me sit beneath a tree with large roots, covered in moss. The ground was muddy and the air was too humid, making my breathing difficult. "I'll try to start a fire... the trees should cover the smoke" Nick said and started searching for sticks to light them up. "There is too much humidity, it will not work" I warned him but as always he had a trick up his sleeve.
"Not if I have this" He said and revealed a small bottle of crude oil. "I thought you did not get anything but your rifle!" I exclaimed as he shook the bottle to show off. "I stole it... I knew it would come in handy" He bragged and opened the bottle. The liquid fell all over the gathered sticks and after two tries the fire had been lit.
"Good one I suppose." I muttered as I felt the warmth of the fire break down the cold. We both fell silent, waiting for something to happen. I did not know what I was expecting, but there was still a rush in my body. The firewood cracked from the heat of the flames, releasing a burst of sparks that flew up in the air before they disappeared.
"I shouldn't have used the oil" Nick muttered and picked up a stick from the wet ground. "How come?" I asked confused, he had previously said that it would be needed so why reconsider it. "We are already in the outskirts of the Firefly Swamp" He explained but I still could understand his thinking. "What does our location have to do with lighting a fire? I inquired, now hoping for a better answer. "They are called firefly swamps for a reason you know..." He mumbled in annoyance as he continued to mess with the firewood.
"It has to do with magic has it not?" I asked. This was the most sensible explanation I could find. "Partially, yes... A great fire happened here long ago by Humans who used flame throwing machines. I guess they were trying to create more farmland" He said and paused to open a canteen with water which I guessed he had stolen from the garrison. "Did not burn down? I do not see anything burned".
"Here is where magic comes in. The trees somehow absorbed the fire.... no idea how though" Nick explained. After that I started to feel awe when looking at those trees above us. The truth was that we had yet to enter the swamps. I already knew all of what Nick had told me but I enjoyed listening to him talk, there was something in his way that was captivating if not inspiring.
"How is your back? If you can walk then we should start moving" He he said calmly, he did not want to push me but I did not want to look like I was weak. "We can go. I suspect that they will be on us by now" I said, confirming Nick's suspicions on the matter. "Alright then. Let me help y..." He tried to say but he stopped when he saw me stand up on my own. Nick had already done many things about me and it was high time I took care of my own. "Tough bunny..." He mumbled to himself as he was putting out the fire.
I made sure that we had left no traces behind us by dropping some water on the ground to make it more muddy. "I have never thought of that... nice work Anton" Nick complimented me with a smile. I returned the gesture.
Shouting was suddenly heard in the distance from our Human pursuers. "They found out alright" Nick said and started walking in an accelerated pace deeper inwards the swamp. His thinking was smart indeed. The Humans were using dogs as a means to capture us and the swamp would hinder the smelling capabilities. Unfortunately Nick was not excluded from this effect. "Can you do something about the smell?" He asked and covered his nose with both paws.
"I can probably make something from whatever the swamp has but we do not have time" I said sympathetically. It must be horrible for him. Of course I was affected as well but my nose was not so scent sensitive as his."You're right, there's no time. Keep moving" He agreed and pushed himself to ignored the smell. It smelled worse than the fertilizer farmers used for their crops... I thought that used to be disgusting but this claims the title.
The barks behind us can still be heard and the Human shouts become louder. "How are they catching up?" I asked amazed, this wasn't supposed to be happening. The swamp was supposed to prevent the hounds from catching up to us. "I have no idea" Nick replied calmly. He could not fool me. Even in this time I was still able to understand whether he was afraid and he was absolutely terrified.
I looked up, towards the tree branches. They were glowing with a completely unnatural way, as if lava was flowing through the wood. "I have an idea, stop running" I said and pulled Nick back, forcing him to stop. "What? This is not the time for sightseeing Anton!" He said furiously but before he could grab my paw and continue our escape I pointed towards the branches. He froze and looked at me. "You're up to something..." He muttered and I nodded while thinking of how to set up the trap. "Shoot that root when I tell you" I said and walked forward until I reached the middle of the muddy pond.
I couldn't see Nick but I heard the click of his rifle. "Hope you're right Anton" He said with a trembling voice. My hope was that his paws weren't shaking as much as his voice because if he missed that shot we would both be burned to a crisp and that was not the death I had in my mind. I knelt down on the ground and felt the muddy water soak my feet. I breathed in and closed my eyes, waiting for them to come. Nick had hidden himself in some bushed behind me so that they would not see him when they entered his line of sight, the shot he had was one and it would be the decisive one.
They finally found us. They were dressed in armor with blue banners on them, just like they were back at the fort. There were two dogs with them, barking at me furiously while their owners had drawn their swords and had started to circle me. I needed to remain calm. Six of them, manageable number. When I was completely circled by them I raised my head slowly and looked to my side, then I nodded slightly. That was the signal.
I counted the time Nick needed to react... half a second. The deafening sound of the shot broke the silence into million different pieces, terrifying the human soldiers. The shot found it's mark, hitting the glowing root of the tree on my right. That was exactly what was needed for the root to crack open and release all the lava that was trapped in it. The fluid was blown off the root with extreme force, bathing the soldiers with hot lava and burning them alive. "Get out of there now!" Nick screamed at me, he was at the other side.
I was still shocked from the screams of the soldiers that were dying right in front of my eyes but the heat kept bringing me back to reality, I needed to get out before I suffered the same fate as them. "JUMP! You have to!" Nick screamed again, he was struggling to be heard over the sound of the burning flora. He was right. I looked around and found a passage, one that I did not want to take.
One of the bodies had yet to be completely incinerated and it was lying in the middle of the lava river, acting as a bridge for me to pass through. I was never the kind of man that was going to defile a dead man like this but something drove me to ran as fast as I could and even step on the corpse. The moment I was doing this I felt the heat scorch a bit of my back fur and the smoke fill my lungs. "You're a genius Anton! A friggin genius!" Nick shouted with excitement when I reached him. His eyes were glowing while looking at the burning fire.... it was giving him pleasure to see them burn.
"No Nick I am not... I killed them in a worse way than they deserved" I muttered and looked away from the horrible sight that I had created. "If you want a summary of survival.... it would be kill or be killed. You chose the second and nobody can blame you for this" He told me with a sad voice. He must have had the same lesson when he was younger. "At least I could have killed then in a more mild way..." I said sorrowfully. They had finally stopped screaming because they were dead. "I can teach you how to use those sword of yours.... I ain't the best swordsman but it will suffice" He suggested and stood up.
He picked me up and we shook paws, he was now my sword fighting teacher. "We should get going, this isn't a pleasant sight after all" He said and turned his back to the burning fire. It had already started to die out and I could make out whatever was left of the corpses... They had been burned to a crisp within their armor like freaking cooked meat in the pot. If that was adventure was like then I had started to believe that I was not the man for this kind of life.
"Are you coming?" He asked and I nodded, I decided to keep my thought for myself for now. This would definitely damage our relationship and this was something I would not like. He knew how to act in those situations and that was a valuable skill. "It wasn't me Anton.... you did it. Don't give the credit to me" He said. I was going to ask him if he could read my mind but I knew that the answer would be sarcastic, I guess he had just learned the way my mind worked. It did not find it difficult for him to do that.
"I suppose so... I am not proud of it though" I said, making it clear what my stance on the subject was. Killing was not something I enjoyed doing nor that I had ever done before. It certainly did not feel glorious or anything of the short. "I never said you would be. You don't kill for fun.... you do only if it is necessary" He explained and crouched to walk beneath a low branch. "Can we change subject? I don't want to think about it" I said abruptly. Nick raised his eyebrow and chuckled.
"So adrenaline changes the way you speak... noted. We can go to the basics of sword fighting if you like" He said. The atmosphere had lightened up in only a few moments. I did not want to admit that he was right but he actually was. "Yes please, I need something to distract me" I begged him and he nodded. "Alright. I believe you know how to hold one right?" He asked me. If I did not know that then I would be mentally disabled, of course I did not say that out loud. "Yes I do..." Was all I gave as an answer.
"Now to use a sword doesn't mean just swinging it around. It needs a technique" He explained and drew a small dagger that was sheathed somewhere in his waist. It was hidden before so I was surprised when I saw it. "Every sword has a different weight and that means that it will be used to strike differently" He continued and slashed the air twice to make a point. "What do you mean?" I inquired, I had no idea this had such depth.
"If you have a light weapons with a small reach then you have to be close, while having a heavy war hammer for example needs distance and highways strikes" Nick kept on talking. He started explaining how each type of weapon was used until he reached kind of weapon I had with me which was called the scimitar. "It is mostly dual wielded because of it's light weight and ease to be swang around" He told me. "Thrusting with it has no point so your basic move set will include slashes mostly".
"Can we go into practice?" I asked, this had started to seem interesting and to be honest I was enjoying this. It was a nice distraction from what had happened earlier. "Sure but don't get too excited. We first have to settle down for a while... you need to rest before we do so" He warned me in a friendly manner. "Why? I feel perfectly fine!" I exclaimed. "Because you are injured. Remember?".
"Oh... I forgot. I can wait I guess" I said and frowned, I was actually looking forward to it. "Sit over there and sleep, I'll wake you up when we can start" He was basically ordering me to do this. I did not answer, instead I just did what he said and laid down between two roots that did not have lava in them and fell asleep withing seconds. I had no idea I was that tired.
I would occasionally glance at Nick while I was supposed to be sleeping. It had only taken him a moment to set up camp but as it turned out he needed to remind himself how to use a sword before teaching me to do so. It was funny to see him so determined. I supposed that it was a thrill for a kid like him to teach an older man. I gave him the pleasure of pretending to be asleep while he kept practicing. Besides I would need a good teacher and I was not going to get that if I distracted him.
So I simply closed my eyes and pretended to sleep until I had actually done that.....
--~~--
"Wake up! Time for practice" Nick said and gave me a gently push, I had completely forgotten it. "I am up" I replied and got on my feet unwillingly. This nap had made me completely sluggish. I walked over to a bucket of water that Nick was kind enough to bring for me or I would have to wash my face in swamp water. I threw the cold water on me and my eyes opened immediately from it, that was rejuvenating! "I am ready" I said and picked up my sword from the ground.
Nick picked up his and stood about five meters away from me. He raised his sword to the level of his face and held it in a way that the blade was touching his elbow, what kind of technique was that? "Use both swords" He ordered me and I picked up the second part of my two set-sword. "I will only block your attacks, not fight back for the time being" He continued while I was getting ready.
"Start with the basic. Attack from above with your right sword and then use your left one to cover the gap like this" He said and showed me how to use it. "I can do it" I replied and got ready, it was not that hard. I took a step forward to get closer to him and then mimicked his previous movement. I raised my right sword and slashed from above, then while the right sword was down I dashed forward while slashing upwards with the left one. "Nice one! Try again" He said after dodging both of my attacks.
I decided that this time I was going to try a different attack, I wanted to see how he would react and of course whether it would be successful. Instead of doing what he had showed me, I changed my technique a bit. I slashed with my right sword at the level of his chest and then immediately knelt down while spinning to strike with the left one at his knee.
The attack succeeded and Nick was caught off guard but that did not stop him from dodging it. The edge of my blade almost hit his ankle but he jumped back a second before I hit him. "Wow... you improvised! Nice but next time warn me that you'll change tactic, we're using real swords" He said with a mix of excitement and annoyance. I had not even scratched him and he was being mad. I had underestimated his skill.
"Can we try again?" I asked and he smirked. "Yeah" He replied and readied himself, this was going to be one good fight. "Here I come!" I said and rushed to him with a mixture of attacks. I had realized how Nick fought. He read his opponent so that he would know his next attack, so I tried to keep my head empty and attack at random parts of his body to disorientate him. There was no pattern in my attacks.
I slashed sideways but he crouched, avoiding the hit while dashing forwards with his own blade. In an instinctive reaction I jumped backwards, avoiding the edge of the sword. "Nice!" He exclaimed and attacked me again, he was not holding back on me. I changed my tactic and went on the offensive. "Try this!" I shouted with excitement as I started swinging my swords as fast as I could. Nick, already being tired had started to find it difficult to dodge them.
"Not so fast!" He said and smiled, regaining his balance. He dashed towards me at such speed I did not even see him do it. The last thing I knew, Nick had his sword on my spine and I had been defeated. "Nice fight Anton... maybe next time" He said and sheathed his blade. That was a blood rush I had never felt.
"Can I have another try?" I inquired, Nick raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Who knew? The scholar enjoys fighting" He said and returned to his former combat stance. I did too and we started circling each other. This training session came with an epifany. Rabbits can not outrun a fox under no circumstances. What I had thought to be his full capability was merely his holding back on me.
The frequency of his attacks doubled, barely leaving a time window for me to dodge them. After an exhaustive and rather painful hour we stopped dueling. We were both out of breath but only one of us had bruiseson his body. "Are you ok?" He asked me, still panting rapidly. Unlike me he was smiling.
"I need some rest, we do have time right?" I asked and threw my swords next to the little bonfire he had made earlier. "I suppose" He replied and followed suit. In the end we both collapsed on the ground, facing sky. There was no telling to how much I pained at the time but there was another feeling that overshadowed my exhaustion. "That... was... fun" I exclaimed while making pauses to catch my breath.
"Won't argue there..." He replied, his chest rapidly rising and then falling back down. "We do have sonething to eat, do we not?" I inquired with the hopes of a positive answer. "Yeah we do, though you should not watch me eat" He warned me and slowly rised on his feet to inspect the content of his backpack. "The meat I have is raw and we don't have a cooking pot or at least a grill" He explained. I supposed it would not be that bad but It was a terrible mistake to let him eat in front of me.
The moment he pulled the raw meat out of the wrapping paper I knew it. He cut one piece with his knife and put it in his mouth. This could have been the second most disgusting thing I had dared to lay my eyes upon. There was still some blood left in it which spewed out of his jaws while he was chewing. "Don't look if you don't want to" He simply said and tried to concleal his eating as much as possible.
In order to distract myself I unwrapped my packed food and took a bite out of my carrot. The humidity had caused it to slightly rot and thus rendering it tasteless. "Don't tire yourself. We'll buy food in the next town ahead" Nick finally suggested and threw away his food as well, it was hard to even chew it. "I thought our next destination was Dover" I said confused.
"We have gone way off course, we'll have to pass through these towns first" Nick explained as he unfolded the map and placed his finger on our next encounter, Malta. "Its a town in the middle of a lake, roughly three hundred humans live there" He continued. "We will have to cover our faces, the guards will have been warned by now" I filled in and he nodded in agreement.
"Do you suppose that this Human is worth this trouble?" I asked him, he was still looking at the map. "I guess that he must be important right? So many are hunting us after all, that has to mean something" He replied without of course diverting his look from the map.
"I suppose you are correct" I said and sat down in front of the mildly burning fire. He did not teply this time, instead only a low growl escaped his mouth. Night had started to fall upon us by the time we decided to leave and this delay was unjustified, we both needed time for ourselves.
This had been a long day for both of us. The screams of the burning men were running around in my head and my eyes would deceive me into thinking that the fire was still burning in front of me. I looked up to the sky with sorrow, following the path of the embers that flew towards the same way. They resembled fireflies of some sort, bright and tiny as the ventured out at the endless dark of the night, carrying the souls of those that burned this day.....