Chapter 27:
[Arria’s POV]
Darkness crept through the air and an unnerving chill ran across Arria’s face. She left it bare unlike the rest of her body that was covered in blackened steel armor. When she had first put it on years ago it had not been comfortable for her but these days the comfort was within the armor. It was a pleasant feeling to be neither hot nor cold under the silver chainmail with blackened plate armor secured atop. It protected her when she was in need and therefore she owed her life to the metal. She could imagine what would have happened without it at the battle of Sudegam. Searon was indeed strong. Stronger than she could have imagined. Perhaps the warlock was right. He did need to be removed. His efforts seemed to link the humans and elves together and that wasn’t a good sign. It was good that he was too busy with Sudegam to travel back to his allies to the east. Besides that these small villages had not been touched by his presence. With the rumors Arria listened in for it seemed he had not even come back near the village since he left ten years ago.
She was close now and she could feel it. There was still one more village she would have to cross before it would be nothing but forests to the destroyed village, Death Valley. She wondered if it had become a valley or these humans just called it that for its bad luck. It was indeed bad luck if the village had been destroyed all but Searon, the single purpose it was targeted in the first place.
Arria slowed her pace and peered through an opening between rose bushes to see two young boys playing. They had a pinecone that they continued to toss back and forth with laughter. One had raven hair and the other bronze. It was cut over their head like a bowl and the bronze hair was tangled with curls while the raven was straight. There was so much innocence with these two boys. How sweet it would taste to be able to destroy it.
She walked out of the shadows holding two roses, both white, which she twirled between each of her fingers. The boys looked at her in shock but not fear. The pinecone was already airborne flying towards the raven haired boy. He did not see it and Arria nearly laughed when it contacted his face in a thud. The boy grunted and scratched at his nose before turning to look back at Arria. Still there was no fear within these two boys. Arria gave great respect to those that held no fear for her. Besides Searon in his one moment of passion for that weak elf he held affection for, there was nobody besides children who did not fear her.
“What are your names?” Arria smiled.
“I’m Kelvnar and this is Vaelyn.” The boy with black hair said.
“Those are nice names.” Arria said kneeling onto the ground.
“Who are you?” Vaelyn asked.
“My name is Arria.” She said with a smile.
“What are you?” Kelvnar asked.
Her smile broadened slightly and she cuffed her hands in both their hair behind their ears. “I am an elf.”
“An elf?” Vaelyn asked.
“Yes.”
“You’re beautiful.” Kelvnar said.
She smiled again. It was not a word she heard often especially after the change. A long time ago she would hear it every day from one of the king’s guards. Vil’ek, her smile broadened as she thought of that name. She would make him hers once again. Nobody had called her beautiful after the change despite the fact that she felt more beautiful now. She knew that Zergiel found her beautiful but the fool would never touch her. Vil’ek was the only who would be allowed to touch her. Of course that wouldn’t stop her from touching others, but she had full right to.
The sun was slowly disappearing behind the trees in a red glow that lit up the sky in purple and orange. Owls began to appear and scatter through the trees. Many were browns in colors but a few were white and gorgeous in color. Arria didn’t find them appealing though but she admired the black owls that appeared. White wasn’t a found color for Arria, instead she found black an exotic color. The clearing was small with scattered pinecones and bark dust scattered about. It was a simple place just outside the village. Behind the two boys she could see through the trees to the small village full of brick homes of various colors. None of the houses seemed to match each other in any way. It was a simple place.
“It grows late, shouldn’t you children be home with your families?” Arria asked.
“Yes, we should go soon.” Kelvnar said.
“I have no family.” Vaelyn rasped.
“Is that so? It is a shame that there will be nobody to miss you.”
His eyes bulged in understanding but no sound came out as Arria grabbed his neck. She clenched tightly removing his chance for breath and looked at the other. Kelvnar stared at her in disbelief but spoke no words. Arria smiled at him and his shiver was replaced with confidence.
“Will you kill me?”
“No.”
“Will you kill him?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he has nobody. His life has little use. You however… there is plenty that you can do to serve me.”
With that she snapped Vaelyn’s neck and tossed him aside. There was little use for a child without a family. She looked deep into the remaining child’s gunmetal eyes. They were full of life and excitement. He was losing control and she was gaining. She felt for the magic within her through the darkness that was her mind. When she first changed she would have to use black powder each time to cease the wild magic. Now she was gaining control and could almost find it each time by herself. She searched the blackness within her mind for the small flame that would alter colors. It was the same flame that she witnessed before the undead lord.
She found the flame and ceased the power letting it flow into her, making her feel of fire. Her body felt as if it was one with the flame. Staring deep within the child’s eyes she released an energy that trickled from her fingertips and into the boy. She felt as he fell under her command and it felt wonderful. It was like having a pet animal that would jump to any command you gave. Yes, the boy was her animal now and he would serve her well.
“Kelvnar… your parents are evil and have been holding you back. You have power within you, I can feel it. You need to return home to your family and while they sleep burn down the home. Be sure to trap them inside so they cannot escape. They must be destroyed and you must return to me. You will know when I send for you.”
“Yes great mistress. I will do as you command.”
“Excellent. Now go.”
The boy turned quickly and disappeared through the forest and towards the town. He hardly had any fear to begin with but now he would never hold that emotion again. There would be only glory and power for him, nothing else. She would make sure he would come to greatness, at her command he would accomplish miraculous things. Yes, he could be a dark lord one day with her guidance. She could sense that his soul was nearly gone to begin with making him easy prey. Now his soul was destroyed and replaced with hate.
Arria rose to her feet and smiled such a smile that it could have made the fiercest warrior stumble a step. Yes, the world would be hers and nobody would stop her. Not even this so called Searon De’Athaniel of Calthoria. No, he was not as powerful as her. The fool of a man could not even wield magic. She needed to study and grow in her power, because even though he could not wield magic he was powerful with his claymore. What she needed was a distraction for him. So far nothing had distracted the man from his goal, but she would be sure to change that.
She continued through the forest in a brisk pace now nearly running. Soon she would reach her designation and even Searon De’Athaniel would stumble in her presence. She was eager to wipe his smug look from his face. No matter what anybody else thought, she knew despite all of his accomplishments, he was still human. He was a mere human, and so he would fall. She was the mistress of the undead and all would bow before her, including Searon. The wizard would probably have to die, his stubbornness was too great, but she would leave that to the warlock. He seemed to hold bitter feelings for his past friend.
The forest surrounding her was cast in a blur of green. Fall was approaching and so there were leafs changing colors in the trees. Most were yellows that before today would add to the beauty of that woman, but she was no longer an issue. She wore entirely too much yellow to be pleasant. She was an autumn at heart, but now her heart was gone. Arria smiled at that thought once more but she quickly emptied her mind to darkness. It was darkness where she felt the most comfortable.
It was dark now with stars beginning to appear. She couldn’t see many through the thick trees but those that were seen were stunning in her eyes. Every time she stared at the stars she was reminded of her sister. Her sister had been born under the stars when Arria was young. Arria was only a hundred years old but she smiled with pride that night. It wasn’t but five years later that her father had fallen victim to a raid as he patrolled the lands. Starlyn had never known her father and Arria found that sad. It was that fact that bonded the two. Arria was her older sister and helped her along through the years. There were no siblings as close as Arria and Starlyn and a lot envied the two. It was saddening to Arria that she could not convince Starlyn to aid her in saving mother. Still, no matter what the outcome, Arria could not, would not, kill her sister.
She stepped from the forest into a clearing. It was not a meadow but a village, or had been. Destruction was everywhere. The draeyks were seldom organized with their destruction. Arria walked forward onto the dirt path through the village. Rubble was scattered everywhere without organization of any kind. Grass and vines overgrew buildings that had not been touched in a long time. Homes were burnt to the ground. Some were of only ash because they had been wood but others that were brick were smashed in and burnt black. Bodies covered the ground everywhere in the same locations where they had died. The dead were not moved because there had not been a human to come to the town. She wondered if Searon had come into the village to try and save anybody but she cast it aside. He would have probably known better. It would have been certain death to try and save anybody. The draeyk force was too large.
There was no flesh on the bodies anymore but decay had not reached them. By the look of the bones, scavengers probably met these poor souls. Ravens, crows, and vultures would have been the first to find the bodies. Often they soared along with the draeyks to claim any victims they would not eat themselves. Some of these humans probably were eaten by the reptilian creatures. It disgusted even Arria to have that knowledge. Human hearts were another story but the flesh of a human was disgusting. The hearts gave power and knowledge and besides that they were the tastiest of any animal.
She walked through the village quickly looking for any signs of a struggle but there was little. Near a barracks there were the skeletons of a few draeyks with long snouts but not nearly as many as the humans still clasping swords and hammers. It was a futile defense though the amount of draeyks did surprise Arria slightly. These men had a proper trainer for defense. It had to be Searon. Nobody else could have trained with such skill to face a creature so horrifying to these humans. Where would a weapons trainer live? There were only two options: the closest to the barracks as they could, or the furthest. With the signs of destruction surrounding the village it seemed unlikely a warrior could escape unscathed, even one as powerful as Searon. Besides if Searon lived close he would have joined the circle of warriors at the barracks and would have been more successful. He had a family and so he would have picked a spot outside of the village.
Arria continued walking past the destruction and rubble to the edge of the village. A small path left the village at the east of the city that was nearly covered in forest growth. Large footsteps with four claws led towards the path but none seemed to return. She smiled slightly before dashing forward.
Excitement clouded her mind now that she was so close. Blackberry vines broke with each thrust of her leg forward making her glad she wore the armor. Without those prickly vines would tear at her flesh unpleasantly. She held the hilt of her flamberge tightly as she dashed forward through the thick vines. Some grew as high as her face but she did not attempt to slice them away for the weight of her flamberge would only slow her down. Scrapes appeared on her face from the bushes but she didn’t care. She was so close now. It was so far away from the city but she knew it had to be the one. If not, she would continue looking. She would never give up. She would have Searon within her grasp.
Finally she saw what she was looking for. A lone cabin surrounded by ferns and prickly green bushes sat atop a small hill. It was burnt to the ground with only a few objects within. A desk sat in the main room half burnt to the ground and two beds were still intact though burnt and black in color. Arria rushed inside to look and found the skeletons of several draeyks but there were no human bodies. She sighed deeply letting out a breath she had not known she was holding. Here it was. She had found it. This was where Searon had once lived. There was little left.
Who had this man been? What was his weakness? There wasn’t much to go off of. Something caught her eye outside and so she stepped over the burnt stubble of a wall outside. Her heart raced but she took long deep breaths to soothe it. A large stone stood alone that didn’t seem to match anything surrounding it. There were no burn marks on it nor on the ground surrounding it. Instead there were bushes of magnolia surrounding it and roses growing in front. She quietly walked up to it and noticed the stone was engraved.
Here lies:
Victoria & Kellen
Beloved Wife & Son
She could smell smoke in the distance as it filled the air. The smell held more than wood but flesh mixed with it as well. She continued to stare at the grave.
“Excellent.” Arria whispered smiling.