Part 18
Clouds Within
The two entered the forest and the canopy covered them in shadows.
“We make for the main trail,” Sworder said. “She will probably be near it.”
If she is not?” the girl asked, curiously.
“Then we expand our search until we find her,” Sworder said.
They traveled deep into the forest before discovering a large dirt path. Following it they searched the area on either side, as the sun slowly moved across the sky.
“They are not alone,” Namic said.
“I don’t see anyone,” Ranin said.
“Neither do I.”
A chill ran through Ranin. “I don’t like the feel of this place,” he said.
Sworder became clearly more vigilant as the girl continued to search aimlessly.
“He has finally noticed,” Namic said.
As they traveled deeper into forest, Sworder drew closer to the girl as they moved. The path began to widen yet the canopy above them grew thicker.
“It is here,” Namic said.
The forest was oddly quiet, and the Kazan was all too aware of it. Then it emerged, a beast whose form seemed to meld with the darkness.
“Behind me,” Sworder ordered as he paced himself between the girl and the beast.
“What is that?” the girl asked, backing away.
The thing lurched toward them; its gangly form seemed to solidify into an odd harry beast.
“A Beast Shade,” Sworder said. “A Kazan which thrives in darkness, master-less it roams free devouring anyone who paths it may cross.”
“Why do they always find these things?” Ranin said.
“A pointless question,” Namic said.
The Beast Shade lurched at Sworder. Sworder held his ground and light started pouring out from him. The Beast Shade recoiled as though struck and, from the light, charged the Vassal of Earth. With a mighty swing of his axe the Vassal of Earth gashed into the arm of the Beast as it retreated, but as soon as his blade had cleaved the skin, the arm started to stitched itself back together.
“A Kazan cloaked in night, Beast Shades thrives in darkness and can quickly recover, even in mid-fight,” Namic said.
The Beast Shade countered rushing the Vassal. With a powerful bound it leapt at the Vassal tearing deep into his arm with one claw and the other racked across his chest, leaving deep grooves in his armor. The Vassal threw the Beast off himself and slashed down, cleaving the Beast’s shoulder. The creature snarled and leapt onto the side of a tree. There the cleaved shoulder began to stitch itself back to the body.
“Beast Shades have little real substance and thus can inflict massive damage to other Kazans but have no defense against counter attacks,” Namic noted. “But it is their recovery, however, which gives them the edge.”
“Quite creepy of an ability, really,” Ranin said.
The Beast Shade leapt at the Vassal from its perch on the tree. The Vassal fought off the attack and swung at the creature but it evaded his strike. The limbs of the creature never seemed fixed, wiggling throughout its body. The creature kept its distance from the Vassal and reached out its claws. As they moved towards the Vassal of Earth, they seemed to stretch and elongate. The Vassal repelled the Beast’s initial strikes but its ever fluid arms whipped back for a second strike. The claws began to tear into the Vassal and ripped through his remaining armor. One of the large claws slashed across the Vassal’s head, tearing a large gash from the side of his face.
“Sworder!” the girl cried and then she looked to her side. The dagger was still there. Drawing it, she charged, impaling it into the back of the Beast Shade.
The Beast wailed and arched its back in pain. It whipped its arms back throwing the girl to the ground. The creature turned to face her tossing the dagger to the ground.
The girl stared up at the large Beast Shade now looming over her frozen terror. Her hands trembled as the Beast lurched at her.
“It couldn’t hurt her if she just believed it could not,” Ranin noted.
“But then neither could she harm it,” Namic said. “And not even the most skillful can easily change their perspective.”
A spark of light burst from behind the Beast Shade, as the Vassal of Earth leapt towards the Beast, his axe glowing.
“His focus,” Ranin cried, excitedly.
A loud boom ran through the forest and the Axe sliced through where the Beast Shade had been. The creature’s arm floated in the air before it fell to the ground, severed. The Vassal’s axe impacted into a tree crushing its trunk. The Beast Shade, however, landed some distance from the Vassal. The stump of the arm began to grow longer and a claw began reforming as the limb, itself, moved behind its back.
The tree the Vassal smashed fell slowly crashing into the ground. Suddenly light shone onto the path illuminating the group. The Beast recoiled but the girl grabbed her dagger and threw it. The dagger hurled through the air striking the beast in the chest.
The Beast Shade reared in agony, as the Vassal of Earth rushed in and swung his axe down. The axe slid easily through the Beast cleaving it in two. The two halves hung there unmoving, and then black sludge spewed around them. The girl shielded her eyes, and when she looked back the Beast Shade was gone. The Vassal of Earth knelt where the Beast Shade had been surrounded with spots of black sludge. Slowly, he began to rise.
“Sworder!” the girl said running to him, “We did it.”
The Vassal turned and the girl gasped. The Vassal’s armor was torn and destroyed and his face was a hideous sight to behold.
“Thank you,” the Vassal of Earth said. “Now let us find the girl and leave.”
“Okay,” the girl said, looking shyly at the ground.
Suddenly, marry laughter rung through the forest. It came from deeper down the path. The girl and the Vassal rushed towards the sound. The path widened into a clearing where a young girl sat by a pond’s edge splashing her legs in the water.
“How is she so close?” the girl said.
“Apparently she did not believe it could harm her,” the Vassal said. “She is quite young.”
“What?” the girl said confused.
“Beast Shades can only harm those who believe they can.”
“A mental master can use that to his advantage,” Ranin noted.
“It is hard to override one’s innate beliefs,” Namic said.
“True,” Ranin said, “And the technique does not work for Kazans.”
The girl ran to the waterside. Leaning down she asked, “Can I join?”
“Sure.”
The two sat by the watering hole, their legs splashing in the water. “When do you think we should go back?” she asked.
“Not yet,” the younger girl said standing and jumping into the water. The older girl jumped in after her and the two began to play.
“He’s searching the area,” Ranin noted.
“Indeed,” Namic said. “I would expect nothing less from our old friend.”
When the two girls finished and dried off, they headed back to town. Upon reaching the gate they were let in and the girl accompanied the youngster home.
Soon the girl found herself sitting alone at a bench. She leaned back as she spoke, “What do you think.”
“It was a risk,” Sworder said. “It was far too dangerous.”
“But you were there,” the girl said.
“And I almost could not defend you.”
“But you did.”
“No,” he said. There was silence between the two as they sat upon the bench. “I was unable to protect you.” He finally said.
“I’m sorry, Sworder,” the girl said, “I threw so much stress onto you. I promise I will try better, and if we need to get stronger we’ll get stronger together.”
“We shall see,” Sworder said standing.
“Sworder!” the girl said grabbed his wrist. He did not turn. “Would you not sit with me a little longer?” she asked.
“Oh!” Ranin said.
Slowly, Sworder sat down and so time passed.
“Interesting,” was all Namic said.
“That’s it!” Ranin said.
“Indeed,” Namic said. “It shall be interesting to see how strong her will is. I wonder how long before he unleashes the next stage.”
“She has proven quite resilient when she chooses to be,” Ranin noted.
“She is inclined to use her power to help those she can,” Namic said. “That is a dangerous life to live, especially for one so young.”
Ranin sighed, “You may be right. She will have to grow fast.”
Time moved on without the two as they sat on the bench. After sometime, the girl made her way back to the ship and hid in her room.
Ranin sighed, and the day passed into night and then into day again. The ship began to move and drift slowly into the sea. Ranin watched the ship float away.
“Is something wrong?” Namic asked, as the ship headed towards the horizon.
“He will destroy her, won’t he?” Ranin said.
“Quite a melancholy has fallen over you,” Namic said. “But no, he will not.” Namic looked off. “Come,” he said. “Something is heading this way.”
“You check it out I’ll keep an eye on our friend,” Ranin said, gloomily and the ship continued to move.
The girl remained in her room until late evening. When she emerged, she headed to the upper deck. Upon reaching the deck she was passed by a large man wearing a bulky bear fur coat who was heading below. The girl’s eyes instinctively followed the strange man before she shuffled to the front of the ship and looked out towards the sun set.
“Is something wrong,” a sailor said.
“I just need some fresh air,” she said. “I’ve been cooped up for most of the day, you see.”
“I see,” the sailor said, sitting beside her. “Is that all.”
“What do you mean?” the girl asked.
“I heard that something was bothering you the other day,” the sailor said, “And I think you may have something to say.”
“Sir,” the girl said, “Why do you help me? First, with this knife and the kind words, even now you are concerned for me.”
The sailor leaned back and rubbed his bearded chin. “Well,” he said. “I grew up with a large family, and you remind me of some of my sisters.”
“Really?” the girl said.
“Indeed,” the sailor said. “I don’t see them often, bein’ at sea so much and every time I leave them I wonder if it will be the last. But I can tell when one is hiding something from me, ya see. So what is bothering ya?”
It took a little more probing from the sailor before the girl gave up more information.
“You were right,” the girl finally said.
“Oh?”
“I put too much on Sworder’s shoulders,” She said, “I did not even try to listen to him.”
“Sounds like you know what to do,” the sailor said.
“But he doesn’t trust me anymore,” the girl said laying her head on the side of the ship.
“She thinks she is losing him,” Namic said, startling Ranin.
“I think you may be jumping to conclusions,” the sailor said.
“What did you find,” Ranin asked after the girl fell silent.
“They will arrive the day after tomorrow,” Namic said.
“Well,” Ranin said. “Maybe this storm will blow over before then.”
Namic did not respond, and the girl and the sailor continued to talk, but Ranin looked around. He found Sworder and Uncle Ben in the lower decks.
“What’s he doing here,” Ranin said to himself.
“You’re apologizing for what?” Uncle Ben was saying.
“Namic,” Ranin called out, but Namic was already there.
“I let her seek out danger,” Sworder said. “I should have stopped her…at any cost.”
“You’re a Kazan,” Uncle Ben said. “Your contract does not give you that option.”
“That is not true,” Sworder said, slowly.
“You know taking that option would not protect her,” Uncle Ben said.
The pause was palpable as the two sat in silence. “I know that,” Sworder finally said.
“She was one who always wanted to help, though before she was never able,” Uncle Ben said.
“She has almost died three times trying to help others,” Sworder said. “I can not lose her… Not another.”
“Interesting,” was all Namic said.
“Did he just recall something?” Ranin said.
“No,” Namic said. “It seems more like a lost dream.”
“What do you plan to do?” Uncle Ben asked.
“I do not know,” Sworder said, before walking away.
“What ever you decide, let it not be in the mist of haste or anger, but upon a calm mind unperturbed by emotions,” Uncle Ben said as the Kazan closed the door behind himself.
“What do you think?” Ranin asked.
“One will have to give, but I think the divide has grown too large for them to cross by themselves,” Namic replied.
Ranin could not bear looking any more, “Tell me when something happens,” he said and with a sickening feeling he looked away. It was sometime before he looked back to find the boat still moving.
“It is not long now,” Namic said.
Ranin looked out to the horizon, “I see nothing.”
“There is still some time,” Namic said. “And you are looking the wrong direction.”
The girl and her Uncle stood on the top deck, as the girl lazily stared out into the ocean lost in her own thoughts. The two were shocked to attention as a cry sprung out form far above.
“There’s something off the port bow,” the sailor in the crows nest called down.
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