CHAPTER FIVE:
The sun disappeared behind the hills as Evelynn and Sebastian stayed in the village for the night. By morning, Sebastian’s temper was so foul that she didn’t dare try and stay for breakfast; instead she waved her new friends’ good bye and took with her some supplies that they offered.
They walked for another four hours before they reached the gates of Landor, or what was left of it.
Evelynn and Sebastian quickly took refuge underneath the lush overgrowth, but the many guards and soldiers seemed oblivious to them.
Amongst the rubble were dead bodies, tangled in their twisted deaths and blood dirtied from the ground spilt over them. The guards were hauling the bodies onto a cart which was getting full.
It was just a giant heap of flesh and torn clothes, no one could pick the victims apart from each other. Just limbs tossed on top of more limbs.
And working among the guards were children and young teenagers, moving like mindless animals just lifting the carcasses over their shoulders and dumping them on the cart.
Sebastian tapped her on the shoulder as he motioned to them, “They are Cross.”
The Children were marked with the handprint of demons, and much like Evelynn, they had eyes that burned of unnatural colours. All over their bodies were bruises and purple veins protruding out from their shallow red cheeks. At one moment, one of halfling children sneezed from all the dust and received a lash at his calves. Irritated the child snarled over its shoulder, bearing sharp canine teeth and hissed with monstrous growl. Another hit, this time on the blade of his shoulder and the child fell exhausted.
The other halflings walked over the top of him as if he were just a stone.
“See how they are treated – even by their own kind.” Sebastian whispered before he stood to approach them. Evelynn quickly snatched at his sleeve.
“What are you doing? There are guards everywhere.”
“As long as they don see my face, they will no’ stop me. Evelynn-” He paused with a deliberate look.
“Yes yes I know, put on my shawl” Obediently she did.
Sebastian walked straight up to one of the working men, someone who wasn’t dressed in the heavy chained armour.
“What happened?” He asked under his stern growling voice.
The worker had dried tear stained cheeks and sweat bedded along his brow, running streaks through the dirt on his forehead.
“There was an attack last night – I… I don’t know who but they slaughtered nearly everyone. I think they were here, targeting the mages I think.”
“You think?” Sebastian growled and the man shook his head, his concentration knocked about by the rotting stench fuming off the bodies.
“I am only a merchant – I don’t know.”
Sebastian continued to talk to the confused merchant, whose large dilated eyes and white washed face made him look like he was going into shock as Evelynn approached one of the Cross Children.
Among the shovelling and grunting the Cross Children work in absolute silence. There was perhaps three of them, each of them set in a uniform of rags. She was cautious, and despite everything that she believed, she actually feared them.
There was a girl who stopped for a moment, able to sense Evelynn’s curiosity and shot her a nasty look over her shoulder. Evelynn had tipped the hem of her shawl back so she could see properly, just enough for the girl to catch direct eye contact.
The girl had black glossy iris that swallowed every smudge of white. She was bruised but it did not look like she had been beaten or bashed, it was like the inside of her skin was bleeding. For a second the air felt chilled and Evelynn inhaled a sharp gasp. She was probably not much older than Evelynn was, but the energy that fizzled off her body felt like she was standing next to an open flame.
The girl watched her silently, her lips curling into a frown and her brows knotted, confused that Evelynn was not set in chains with her. Confused as to why Evelynn wasn’t on her hands and knees, digging through the mess too. In a flash it almost looked like hope pinched her, before cold harsh reality snapped at her back with a leather whip. The girl snarled bearing her sharpened teeth before she went back to work.
As Evelynn stepped away, she felt a tear run down her cheek.
Sebastian was towering over the top of the Merchant, his icy white stare hardening the more the Merchant mumbled and tripped over his words.
Giving up he abruptly turned his back and walked into the silent dead village. Despite the wailing of lost loved ones, the people were quiet. There was an unbearable weight of despair, and as time ticked on, the truth of their massacre built layer upon layer of deepening grief.
As he marched through, noticing how people, women, children and men were all slain either outside their front doors, or some even crossing the street, it made him wonder who would do such a thing.
Evelynn was trying to catch up from behind, but the sight of it was slowly overwhelming her. Sebastian noticed how she kept her head high, looking even though every muscle in her face tightened with horror.
“Look away -” He finally muttered, by which Evelynn shook her head in refusal.
He asked some villagers where the mage Simona lived and was directed to a small house just near one of the bridges.
As he reached the front door Sebastian didn’t bother knocking. It was left ajar, just a crack of darkness revealed behind the wooden plank.
He opened the door fully as Evelynn looked over his shoulder. All the lights were off, the furniture undisturbed which gave Sebastian a touch of relief. Maybe they weren’t home? Maybe they escaped?
It was Evelynn’s scream that made him turn. Under the bridge, floating face down in the water were three bodies. One was an older woman and two younger men, obviously her sons.
As Sebastian had never seen Simona before, he could not determine that was her under the tide. He went further into the house, calling her name when he came to a letter left on the kitchen table. It was Donnic’s hand written note, addressing the reader as, Dearest Sister Simona- I need your help.
The sickening twist of rage wrapped Sebastian’s gut. He did not care that he couldn’t get the map to find Crude, nor did he care that his weapon will be left bare. His mouth flooded with saliva as his teeth clenched. If only I were here – I could’ve done something. If only we hadn’t stopped for that – bloody stupid village – I couldn’t saved them!
“Sebastian?” Evelynn whispered from the door frame in her quiet sad voice. “I am so sor-”
“DON!” Sebastian roared, “DON YOU DARE!”
She flinched as he reached forward, taking a hold of her collar and shaking her, “This is your fault! If we were ‘ere last night, like we were meant to be, then we could’ve saved ‘em. This is what you get for being selfish – this little game of makin’ friends has cost my Godfather his sister. You are a cross child without magic, what good are you then? Just a waste of air! This village burned because of you! Get out! GET OUT!” He shoved her so hard that she was thrown onto her back out on the front porch.
Sebastian turned his back and cupped his face, ready to write Donnic a letter with the bitter news.
She tried not to cry.
But how could she not? The taste of the destruction sat on her tongue and the guilt flooded tears into her eyes. But she did not want to cry, not in front of him. He had his back to her, hunched over the table and rubbing at his temples. And slowly he started to sink more and more into despair till his knees hit the ground.
The bells of death were ringing across the lands as more and more soldiers flooded the city. Her skin broke out with goose bumps as she moved into the water. Softly, like they were just children, Evelynn scooped up Simona and her two sons before laying them across the grass. They were bloated from the water and their wounds bled clean.
Simona’s fat cheeks were swollen with blue and purple, and as she cried Evelynn took off her shawl to dab her hair dry. Though his words were cruel, they were not false. Evelynn felt that proving she was right was more important – a selfish vain gesture. She was a cross without magic – a waste of air. Whatever confidence that she had built was there because she felt her cause was noble. That she was looking beyond herself and trying to make life a better one for all Cross Children. But it just ended in… disaster.
Apart of her felt like she couldn’t face him anymore, that she couldn’t face the people of this village without having their hateful eyes turn. As if they all knew, it was her fault.
“Come-” Sebastian called from a top the hill.
Evelynn had buried Simona and her two sons, placing picked flowers over the upturned dirt. She brushed down her skirt and followed him out. It was night again and Evelynn felt grateful with the shallow light. Her cheeks were rinsed with tears, eyes swollen sore that they were itchy and red.
The anger moved like a wave over them, Sebastian’s fists tight and his jaw clenched. The master bracelet may be the only thing protecting her from one of his bites. Just as they were about the slip back through the gates of Landor, they slowed their steps to catch words exchanged by the guards.
The local guard was reporting to one of King Dale’s personal men, scroll in hand as he jotted down all the details.
“- And the attack? Was it more Halflings?”
“No sir, no they were men. Just ordinary men, no uniform to signal them out from the average farmer. But they… they were not right sir. They may have been, possessed or have a spell casted over them. We captured one, but couldn’t talk any sense into him. Even under torture. He kept saying the same words over and over again - Verdammtes Tier”
Evelynn tossed Sebastian a quick glance but he didn’t look at her. As if hearing enough, he pressed on back onto the main road.
A storm was brewing from the south. It was already belting down with rain but wet weather wouldn’t deter them from their path. Sebastian took the lead, as usual, just a hunched back concealed behind the dim purple cloak. He had his scarf tightly bound around him, just allowing enough space for each breath. Evelynn walked behind as if ashamed of herself.
They didn’t speak a word till they reached a stream leading down the rocky bed floor and into a creek. There was one patch of open grass among the weeds and shrubs, and feeling their muscles scream for rest, Sebastian decided this was the best place to set up camp.
As he walked off to get firewood, Evelynn stripped down to her bare skin to bath. The green jewel she had taken from Sebastian winked with soft light against the sun, and as she held up the ball to the sky she could clearly see the twist of smoky emerald churn inside the orb. Whatever this piece of jewellery was – it was definitely rare.
She then put the jewel on top of her clothes and slipped under the cold caress of the water.
Sebastian walked the forest floor for twigs and sticks, rummaging for anything to help start a fire. With his sword he had managed to catch some rabbits – but they were small and offered very little meat. Not that he needed much, food was just to survive not to enjoy.
On his way back he caught sound of disturb water before a loud splash. A little panicked he raced back to the campsite – thinking their cover had been blown but instead accidently came across the exposed back of Evelynn bobbing along the water. Her black hair was pinned to her warm skin, glistening against the water’s shimmer like moving black ripples. Her skin was touched with a soft hint of brown, the sun painting her body tan as her small slender shoulders stretched upwards with their swim. Immediately, Sebastian turned his back away, unsettled by the sight and that she could turn at any second and catch him peeking behind the tree trunks, until he caught another sound. There was movement among one of the far bushes, a heavy set of footsteps crunching through the leaves. It was much bigger than any rabbit – Sebastian was positive.
Evelynn was lazily paddling along the water, her ignorance laughable.
Pressing his back against the tree trunk Sebastian strained his ears to catch anything more from this… unexpected intruder. He was as still as a stone, his head tilted to the right when suddenly there was a very distinct male gasp.
Spinning around to charge towards the noise Sebastian came into direct contact with a soaking wet Evelynn, who had just moments before slipped out of the water to dry herself. The sound of wet, bare skin hitting him caused every hot nerve in his cheeks to burn. Evelynn let out a high scream before slapping him across the cheeks. “WHAT THE HELL SEBASTIAN? Are you spying on me?”
“What? No!”
“You were too! I thought you were better than that – pervert!”
“HEY!” Sebastian barked but his attention quickly shot back to the mysterious sound, noticing how the footsteps hurried away. “Great! You scared him away”
“What? Him? How many of you are there spying on me?!”
“I told you I wasn’t spyin’ -”
“THEN STOP LOOKING! GO AWAY!”
If being banished wasn’t bad enough, Sebastian was also forced to sleep away from the camp fire and in the pit of the cold, dark woods. Even though he objected to Evelynn’s cruel punishment by his continuous curses, there was nothing he can do with the bracelet pinning his limps to the floor.
Evelynn had the green gem out again, and from across the distance, she shouted at Sebastian to tell her about it. Not surprising he was reluctant to comply.
“Why is this thing so important to you? What is it hiding?” When he didn’t answer, Evelynn sent a spasm of commands through the bracelet, choking the words out of him.
“It’s… my guardian…” He bit through clenched teeth. It was like each word had to wench his jaws open just to get out.
“This thing? How is that even possible?”
“You’ll… see when… we reach… the cave… on the map.” Fearing the intruder from earlier was still lingering nearby Sebastian continued, “Evelynn … put it away. Someone… might see you…”
“Is that so? At least unlike you they have the decency to wait till I have my clothes on!”
With a huff, Evelynn turned herself over so her back was facing Sebastian’s general direction .She couldn’t see where he sat slouched against a tree, but he could see her as easily as the campfire burned like the sun in darkness.
Morning rose like a whisper, the sun was smothered by the thickening of cloud storms, making it feel like night time still stretched over the sky.
Sebastian woke immediately from where he sat, still bound to his spot out in the woods. Evelynn was sprawled across the floor like she had been flattened by a boulder.
There was a young man who was picking through her backpack, as calm as a bird gliding across the breeze. Sebastian shot his spine upwards at the sight of the stranger, and despite his shouting, couldn’t wake Evelynn from her heavy snores.
The thief shot up too, noticing Sebastian crouched a fair distance into the thick bush. He almost made a quick escape too, but after realising Sebastian wasn’t advancing and Evelynn wasn’t waking, he decided to risk it and search some more. Sebastian kept shouting, throwing every threat and curse at him but felt his words rang hollow.
“Damn it Evelynn, wake up! Or least take these damn chains off me”
After a few incoherent mumbles, Evelynn’s eyebrows pinched and her eyes slowly started to flutter.
“What on earth are you yelling about -” She yawned just as she noticed the stranger’s shoes next to her face.
She sat up panicked but it was too late. The thief found the green jewel from one of Evelynn’s pockets, and after inspecting the lavish item pocketed it for himself.
“Morning-” he grinned in a manner that seemed warm but misused.
“What are you doing? Who are you? Give that back!” She leapt up but the thief was already two steps ahead. His deep blue hair looked coated in a black wax which was the same mixed dark sky colour as his eyes. He smiled a crooked smile at her. “Sebastian why were you just watching?”
Sebastian scrunched his face up in a livid scowl, Evelynn not aware of the painful attempts at breaking her command to catch the thief he had suffered.
“You ‘ave to release me first!” He yelled back. The thief shook his head, laughing coolly into his chest.
“And just in time too – I believe you’re about to have some unwelcomed visitors. Well, it was nice meeting you. Evelynn was it? Always a pleasure to meet a fine young lady on my morning runs. And Sebastian, it’s been fun. Bye.”
He took to the trees like a trained monkey. Sebastian was released, finally, from Evelynn’s restrictions but by the time he reached her it was too late.
Stepping around the bushes, like warned were the unwelcomed visitors. A small caravan of thugs, reaching about eight in their numbers rounded the corner like rats sniffing out food.
“Hey – look at what we got here.” One of them chuckled, licking his busted lips.
“Sebastian -” Evelynn murmured, but glanced around to notice Sebastian had run off, chasing down the thief. “You’ve got to be kidding me- ARGH!”
Unexpectedly the man scooped Evelynn up and threw her over his shoulders, not before slapping her on the buttocks playfully. Her hair was thrown over her face, completely blinding her as she continued to shout and kick against her restraints.
“Put me down you big oaf!”
Despite her wrestling the man continued to walk.
Sebastian had taken off and was galloping at full speed, chasing down the blue hair thief like a madman. The boy was fast, really fast. But what he didn’t count on was that Sebastian was faster.
The blur of the male’s back moved and flashed around the trees, dodging and turning in hopes that Sebastian wouldn’t be able to follow his erratic movements. Sebastian was only inches away from him. With his fingers reached out, open ready to catch his collar and drag the thief to the floor, Sebastian suddenly felt his legs kick off to the left and complete a half circle. Madly, with even more ferocity than he had chasing down the thief was Sebastian rushing back to Evelynn.
It took him probably two minutes to hit back at the camp, by which he threw himself blindingly into the back of the man carrying her. She was thrown mercilessly from impact and came to a rolling stop two meters ahead.
“What the?” The thugs stumbled around themselves.
“Where did he come from?”
Sebastian’s wild, heavy panting made his chest ache as the straining of his knuckles shot painful tingles through his entire body. No one was going to survive. That’s what he’s eyes screamed as he looked up at them, blood rising in his cheeks and veins popping from his neck.
With two careless tugs, Sebastian uncurled his scarf from around his neck and tossed it, along with his cloak that he torn from his back.
He stood there with his bare arms stiff and his eyes setting fire to their faces. The silver tattoos bled with blue against his pale white skin before there was a flash of light that broke from underneath the ink.
In a spilt moment Sebastian took one of the men, snapping his neck and ramming his corpse to the floor, ensuring he was dead. The second man he took three bites into his forehead, just bam, bam, bam right into the tense muscle. The man hollowed and screamed as Evelynn watched the poison of Sebastian coat the man’s internal organs. Four of the men met Sebastian’s blade as he unsheathed the weapon and sliced each throat open.
The last standing man tried to grab Sebastian from behind, when Sebastian held his hand up and slapped his bare palm into the man’s nose. He then held it there, curling his fingers over so he could keep his grip with the stumbling thug. The man was screaming and screaming, causing Evelynn to block her ears as acid steam rose from Sebastian’s grip. He released the man’s face and pushed him over, the skin melted red raw. Evelynn squealed in her terror as Sebastian grabbed her arm and hauled her up.
“NO! NO PLEASE NO!” He stopped abruptly and let her go, falling onto his back foot.
Evelynn took her chance and ran from him as fast as he body would carry her.
Muscles were tight against each inhale, but she dared not stop. That boy… Those eyes. His monstrous snarl. It was overwhelming her sense of control, throwing her body blindingly forward into a run. But eventually her breath grew harsh and her knees buckled, running her into the ground.
Hastily she snatched at the bracelet, her shaken fingers fumbling against the smooth steel as she tried to release the latch. No way, no way was she going to remain tied to him. To be a Cross Child is one thing, a demon sitting underneath your skin, tainting your eyes with strange colours and bruising your skin. But Sebastian was the demon. What part of him was really human?
Her thumb print was on the notch where she hesitated. I’ll break the chains… and he’ll never see me again, when Sebastian’s hands suddenly took a hold of hers, so very softly that she could easily tear her grip from his.
She glanced up as he knelt down in front of her, his eyes casted downwards as the ice glare cracked with a softening blink.
“I am sorry. I shouldn’t ‘ave frighten you like that.” Her eyes were filling with embarrassing tears; her lips were moist in her terror as she couldn’t fight the fear from soaking her voice.
“What are you?”
He paused for a long moment like the weight of his secret burnt at his heart. Eyes rolled back up, catching hers for a brief moment where they flashed with the image of a broken boy. The pain he would have suffered, the torment and beatings all swirled together into his white-crystal stare.
“I am cursed.” Frustrated, Evelynn took her hands from him but did not resume unlatching the bracelet. She stood and walked away, rubbing her eyes when she heard him jump up and shout over his shoulder.
“Please – do no’ run from me.”
A touch of water droplets fell from the sky as the grey shade blocked out the sun. The low grumblings from the shifting clouds became to tremble throughout the woods. Sebastian held his eyes to hers, waiting as she looked at him from over her shoulder. As frightened as a little rabbit.
A droplet fell onto the bridge of her nose, causing her to flinch back and blink heavily. It ran down her cheek, along her jawline and followed the curve of her neck. She swiped it away hastily and turned her chin down.
“Okay.”
They both walked back to the campsite which was exactly how they had left it.
Evelynn picked up her bag and her quiver, noticing how Sebastian kept his head out to the woods.
“I’m sorry, again Sebastian.” Evelynn whispered but Sebastian sighed in exasperation.
“He is long gone. No’ even I can pick up his trail. ”
“At least we still have the maps – we can still get to the cave.” Evelynn reassured as she dug through her bag to fetch the rolled parchment. “Oh no.”
“What?” Sebastian glanced over.
“Oh…. No!” She wrenched the bag open wide enough to fit her entire head inside. “It’s gone.”
As the words spilt from her lips the guilt quickly took its place. She expected Sebastian to lash out again, to snarl or howl in his animal voice but he chuckled and smiled into his chest.
“Excellent.”
“What? Umm… did you hear me correctly? I said-”
“Aye I heard you. Now we know where he is goin’.”
“Except we don’t know how to get there.”
Sebastian shook his head in his soft laughs, before tapping his head slyly.
“I memorized my half of the map; I know how to reach the cave at least. If we hurry, we can meet him at the entrance before he uses the second map to navigate inside.”
The main roads were faster but scattered with guards and hired men. Unfortunately, time wasn’t in their favour so keeping to the thick forest wasn’t a risk Sebastian was willing to take. Whenever they did happen to pass by a moving caravan, Sebastian tipped his head in polite bow as Evelynn quickly scurried under her shawl. At one point they came past a famer with his young family who were tending to the meadows by the main route. The young girl was by the fence resting in her mother’s cradle grip when she caught sight of the duo.
“Look Mommy-” She pointed, “a demon.”
Evelynn cringed back and quickly hid underneath her shawl, which she remained under for the rest of the journey. Past the meadows was the mountain of Isaac. The rocky hill side was chiselled with manmade stairs that ran around the volcano like decorations around a tree. There were thousands of caves dotted behind every nook and cranny, the volcano being as fat as it was tall. According to Count Vladimir’s map, the cave sitting next to the mouth of the waterfall was where Sebastian’s guardian slept. But the path up the mountain was very long, the village that sat atop one of the cliffs known for being the base of where the monks lived. It was just beyond half way and offered food and supplies to travellers.
When the light of day fell too low for them to continue Sebastian and Evelynn set up camp and started their descend at the break of dawn, just as the sun was bleeding red.
They were just past a quarter of the way up when the sun hit the middle of the sky. It was actually Sebastian this time that stopped at the low grumbling noise coming from one of the sunken caves.
“Sebastian?” Evelynn paused when Sebastian failed to lead the way before she walked back to look into the cave. It didn’t look any different from any of the others, just a dark hollow mouth plunging into the belly of the mountain. “Come on – we don’t have time.”
There was a very low grumble that breathed from inside the darkness. Sebastian tilted forwards as if being called by the noise.
“Sebastian?” Evelynn asked again just as a gust of wind exhausted out from the pit, carrying with it the thunder of an animal’s howl. It was ferocious and shook the sturdy rocky bed underneath their feet. “What was that?”
“I don know” Sebastian walked towards the shadows and Evelynn snatched the tail of his cloak fearing he’ll tumble in.
“You can’t be serious? Why would you want to go in there?”
Sebastian inhaled a long breath, his chest expanding from the intake of air. The creature inside the cove was unsettled, Evelynn could hear its body running against the cave walls and its revving snarl spit at them through the breeze. Underneath the noise were the distinct cries of a human. He was shouting in a foreign tongue before a vicious whip knocked him silent. Satisfied as if drinking from rich wine Sebastian exhaled.
“I found our thief”
Stepping into the chilled touch of the cave the rocks felt like they were swallowing Sebastian into the bottom of its belly. Without hesitation Sebastian took them into the shade. Evelynn struggled behind him, her hands held out to guide her across the rocky floor.
“Are you trying to save him?” Evelynn whispered.
“No – but it’s easier to pick the pocket of a dead man than to gut the belly of a beast if he is eaten.”
“Just a little something you may have missed, but what is to stop this beast from eating us?”
Sebastian snorted an arrogant laugh.
“Eatin’ you, maybe.”
Evelynn bit her lip into a stern frown. “Nice. Well, don’t come running to me when you have missing limbs, I’m not interested”.
She caught just the side of his grin as Sebastian reached backwards and placed his hand on Evelynn’s shoulder.
“I will no’ fail. You stay out of danger. Stay hidden. Okay?”
Her cheeks blushed but she doubted Sebastian could see the red paint her cheeks, “Worried about me huh?”
“You will force the bracelet to control me. You’ll be panicked and no’ thinin’ straight.”
“Oh.” She sighed.
Sebastian looked trouble by his words but spoke in confidence that defied his awkward fidgeting, “Aye, and I would be worried.”
At the bottom of the narrow bridge the cave opened up and spilt of soft gold. The rocky walls were bedded with the treasure glint, even against the low light that Sebastian’s torch brought; Evelynn could see the red flicker.
Lying on the ground in the middle of the room was the form of the thief. He was on his stomach, breathing but struggling. The rocks formed twin stair cases the bound up the sides of the cave and up to the top of a ledge. On the ledge was a chest, more gold no doubt. There were bones scattered but not many, whatever beast that protected this shell ate its victims completely.
Someone of great power must’ve found the cave, but unable to reap all the goods in the one visit set a monster to protect their loot. The thief groaned and Evelynn sighed in surprise relief.
“You’re alive” She whispered and the thief groaned again.
“Who’s there? Please- you have to get me out of here.”
Sebastian snorted, “You ‘ave something of mine.”
“Huh? Oh… no way…” He lifted his top half up, blinking against the darkness and against the blood that ran from his gash, “It’s you two again. You followed me?”
“Aye.” Sebastian approached him and held his hand out. “Give it to me.”
“Please – you have to help me.”
“No, give it to me.”
“Sebastian…” Evelynn whispered as she stood to his side, “We can’t leave him here to die…”
“Thank you, you’re really kind – but we really must move. It’s not safe.”
“Of course-” Evelynn bent down to hoist the thief onto her shoulder, “Can you stand?”
“Yeah, I should be fin- WATCH OUT!” He grabbed Evelynn’s neck and pulled her down on top of him, pulling her under the outwards swing from a tail. Her face fell into his chest as Sebastian unsheathed his sword, the metal ringing across the rocks.
“Where did it go?” Evelynn pushed herself up and turned, her neck craned. “Sebastian, did you see it?”
“No…” He muttered with his sword now raised.
“It can camouflage with the surroundings around it – it… it looks like just a rock when it attacked me.” The thief mumbled again, scooting himself into an unbalanced stand. “Listen – we have to get out of here. We can’t fight it.”
“Maybe you can’t -” Evelynn scoffed in perfect copy of Sebastian’s arrogance, even Sebastian raising his eyebrow at her. “We can handle this.”
“With what?” The thief asked, “Your bow and arrows? Useless, this creature is too fast. And that puny sword? The skin cannot be pierced. We’re sitting ducks… Trust me, we have to leave… NOW”
“Trust you?” Sebastian snarled just as the creature’s long, hollow howls ripped through the still air. Like the thief warned, the creature seemed able to uncurl its self from the fold of the rocks, the colour breaking with its sudden pounce. It went straight for Sebastian who dropped to his knees, avoiding the jaws of the beast snapping to a close inches from his head. It then continued to collide with the thief who was slowed by his injuries, unable to turn out of the way and thrown across the room. The impact knocked him unconscious immediately.
There was just the faintest spark of flame that caught the form of the creature, its agile body shifting through the darkness like a ghost. The wings of the beast fanned out from the side of its body were thin but strong. The body was long, very long like it was a part of one streamline spinal cord. It probably was the size of two horses’ standing head to tail next to each other. Evelynn caught sound of its wailing every time it leapt for them, like it was in pain. It wasn’t till it was face to face with Sebastian, lowered on all fours with its giant skull risen upwards that Evelynn realised it was a dragon. Shivering with colours the dragon’s scales rippled like disturb water, throwing off black red and brown from its flesh in imitation to its surroundings. Like it was coated in thousands of tiny mirrors.
It was nearly impossible to track this beast. As it leapt to the walls, scaling along the rocky surface to the tip of the roof it faded back into the overpowering darkness. Disappearing altogether. All that gave away its stance was the scraping of its claws scratching against the stone and its continuous hissing. Like it was struggling to breath.
Swooping down it was able to easily hit the sword from Sebastian’s fingers, its thick heavy tail the equivalent to a steel pipe being whip at him. Evelynn could hear the metal being hurled across the cave and Sebastian hissing as his fingers broke. In his other hand he held the torch up at the dragon, the red flame fighting to breath amongst the dust and shadows was able to catch the orange gleam of the dragon’s piercing eyes. The only thing that remained unchanging about this dragon, despite how many colours it shook through its scales was a thick round collar tightened to the rim on its throat. With every lurch forward the skin beneath the collar tightened and released, choking the dragon and keeping it angered and panicked.
Evelynn followed the chains up to a point in the cave wall where the links were hook and anchored into the rocks, keeping the dragon trapped on its leash.
“I have an idea – keep it there Sebastian!” Evelynn shouted as she bolted for the stairs.
“What are you talkin’ about?” Sebastian shouted back, leaping into a roll as the dragon took another snap at him. “I can’t control this thing.”
“Just hold on a little longer.”
She bolted up the stairs, tripping twice from her blindness before she reached the top nearest to the chest. She ignored the tempting itch to open the padded lock, the curiosity of what drove a person to chain a wild dragon to a wall could be worth protecting. She took her bow and arrow out, pulled the feather tip against the string as it groan by the tightening pressure. She searched for the hook that nailed the leash into place, but it was so high up into the mouth of the cave that it was impossible. Then she instead turned her arrows down to the dragon.
It was thrashing to and fro, using its wings to kick upwards but was limited by the confined space of its cage that it just crashed back down to the floor seconds later. She just needed one good shot. Just one.
“What are you waitin’ for?” Sebastian roared, barely able to dodge its swinging tail.
“Hold the torch up on my command-” Evelynn instructed.
She let a high pitch whistle ring from her posed lips, spiralling around the cave as the dragon abruptly stopped its thrashing and glanced up at her. At the same time, Sebastian stopped waving the flame frantically, just in time for the orange glow to light the under throat of the dragon’s body.
Swoosh!
Evelynn released her arrow and hit the strained link that latched onto the collar. The dragon cringed and whimpered backwards, expecting the arrow to cut through its neck.
“You missed?” Sebastian moaned when the heavy sound of the loose chains dropped from the collar and swung across the room like loose spider webs.
The dragon let out a coughing growl, confused as to the sudden release before it scampered back from Sebastian. Sebastian lent away as he was also unsure to what the creature would do before it bolted up the narrow tunnel and out into the crisp clean air.
“I can’t believe that worked” he whispered.
Evelynn moved back down to the ground level, picked up Sebastian’s fallen sword before she went back to the chest. With a hearty swing she cut opened the pad lock, the metal blade sparking with green as it slice through the steel like butter.
“You have a good sword” she commented before she dug up all the shimmering gold and jewels inside the chest. “This will help us, quick go check the boy.”
Sebastian went to the still unconscious thief and took the stolen map and gem from his pockets. Once Evelynn filled her bag with enough gold that it wouldn’t strain her back, she joined Sebastian back at the bottom.
“What about him?” She motioned to the boy.
“The thief? Leave him.”
“Sebastian -” Evelynn spoke with a disappointing tone. “We’ll take him to the village; it’s only a two hour walk from here. He needs medical help- so do you in fact.” She motioned to his broken hand.
“Fine – but I’m no’ carryin’ him”.
Without any help from Sebastian, Evelynn hoisted the unconscious boy onto one shoulder and carried the bag now heavy with gold on the other shoulder. The two hour walk quickly turned into four hours till Sebastian eventually took the backpack from Evelynn and carried it himself.
Her insistent dawdling was making him mad, plus the sun was disappearing faster than they could walk. He was cradling his broken hand, the skin now turning a bruised black but he did not whimper. The thief on the other hand, though asleep, was as talkative as an excited child. In his sleepy state he kept mumbling incoherent words. And by the manner that he was slanted over her, his chin nested in the nook of her neck; his breath was a constant lick of warmth against her earlobe.
“Gees … what does this boy eat?” Evelynn panted as she had a readjust his slouching body once again to stop him from squashing her to the floor. “And when was the last time he bathed? I don’t know what’s going to kill me first, his weight of his breath.”
“Hey – it’s not my fault I don’t bath.” Evelynn shrieked and dropped the boy immediately. Sebastian stopped abruptly and turned on his heel, his hand resting on the handle of his sword but not unsheathing it.
“How long have you been awake?” She asked.
“Who ever said that I was asleep?”
“You’re a real jerk! You’re on your own now.”
“Wait, wait, wait – please.” The boy gingerly dabbed his gash wound on his forehead and winced, “I’m sorry for taking your stuff; it’s the only way a rouge like myself can survive out in the world. I want to thank you properly for saving my life.”
“Fine. Evelynn – let’s go.”
“Just a moment, Sebastian right?” The boy stepped forward with his hand extended, but Sebastian snarled and lifted his lips into a growl. “Heh,” The thief laughed warmly regardless of Sebastian’s hostility, “You have good reason to dislike me. But I come to you as a change man. My name is Farren; I am from the North of Derrimut and belong to a small caravan of gypsies. Say what you want about my people, but we have lived our lives on the trash people throw away. We are survivors, nothing more and nothing less. ”
“I’m Evelynn, and he’s Sebastian. Where are you heading Farren?”
“Ideally I am searching for treasure and wealth to bring back to my family; we are poor and struggling to feed our family of twelve. I am the second youngest, and it’s my duty and honour to scout the lands for riches.”
“To steal in other words,” Sebastian bit back but Farren shrugged his insult off.
“Steal – borrow without returning. In the end, it doesn’t matter what you call it, it puts food in my family’s belly and that’s good enough for me.”
“I am sorry to hear about your family… here.” Evelynn reached into her backpack and took out most of the gold she had pinched from the treasure chest. “You can take this to your family-”
“That is so kind-”
“Evelynn no.” Sebastian took the bag back and threw it over his shoulder, “This man is a con-artist.”
“Am not.”
“What are your siblings’ names?”
“Kera, Simon, Bella, Joyce, Marty, Maven, Link, Sara, Annemarie, Keith, Beth and Jooe”
“Again?” Sebastian asked.
“Kera, Simon, Bella… ah okay, okay you caught me. But seriously, I am from a gypsy family in Derrimut. Due to complications I ran away when I was fourteen and I’ve been living on my own ever since. Regardless of my past, I still wish to thank you properly”.
Farren stepped forward and took Evelynn’s hand and lifted it up to his lips. She had never been shown such kindness before, nor has she been treated as a lady. It was always a Loiter or a demon child. Despite Farren’s untrustworthy nature – he had a smile that could melt even the coldest of hearts. Not surprisingly Evelynn’s felt herself swoon.
“Fine, I will accept your thanks”. She held her hand out, waiting for something.
“Ah – yes, my lady but perhaps can I show you my appreciation once I’ve cleaned myself up.”
“Steal anything and I’ll feed you back to the dragon-” Sebastian warned before they continued onwards on foot to the village of monks.