The sands shifted with a quiet crunch under every step Naomi took. Grains of sand sifted past her sandals and nestled between her toes. Though the golden sun had set hours ago, the ground was still warm. Overhead, Pyrae flew a few circles around the camp before setting off to patrol the surrounding region, her scarlet wings a stark contrast against the night sky.
Naomi counted herself lucky that they somehow had managed to enlist the help of not only an immortal phoenix, but one of the eldest of their kind for the journey. Her mistress’ allies were more powerful and well-connected than she had anticipated.
Veteran magical beings that had fought more battles than most men had seen days were dressed as simple guards patrolling the camp, while even more of them sat low to the ground around the perimeter. Their plain garbs were supposed to convince any villages they stopped at that the caravan was like any other. Although having five times as many ‘guards’ as any other caravan would arouse suspicion, Lady Lydira had insisted. After all, they were transporting precious cargo.
Naomi paused in front of the largest tent, its canvas made from silk imported all the way from the Amber Realm. She took a moment to admire the intricate, arcane sigils that had been stitched all across the canvas. The silk was enchanted to withstand the heat of the golden sun while keeping the inside cool.
Pulling the tent flap aside, Naomi poked her head inside. “My lady?”
A young woman sat upright in an ornate bed full of pillows, reading a book by a lantern’s blue mage-light. Her long, auburn hair was done in a large, simple braid, fit for sleeping. Yet she still wore the golden rings and precious stones over the two horns on the sides of her forehead. To call them horns was somewhat generous. They were small for a sune of her age, closer to that of a child’s. Two blunt ivory nubs only a finger in length.
“Titania, you were supposed to be asleep two hours ago,” Naomi said in a tone that was not judgmental, but rather observational.
Still, the young woman looked up at Naomi as if she had been caught eating the baker’s freshly baked pie all by herself. She blushed with an abashed grin, “Sorry. I couldn’t sleep…”
Naomi glanced at the title of the book. ‘The Chromatic Black Arts of the Shadow Spellform. Volume 3.’ “You couldn’t sleep, so you decided to read one of the most grueling textbooks your tutors packed for you? And didn’t you say you hated black magic?”
“W-Well, Mother says I should always strive to improve my magical talents,” Titania countered.
“I’m sure Lady Lydira appreciates your diligence, but I think she would appreciate it even more if you would get a good night’s rest.”
The young mistress averted her gaze. “I tried… it’s just…”
“You miss home?” Naomi guessed.
Titania nodded glumly.
“Ah, yes.” Naomi sighed in acknowledgement. It had been less than two weeks since they had set out for their journey from the city of Olduun. They still had many long days ahead of them before they reached the Azure Realm. It was no easy trek for a sheltered young lady.
“Lucky for you—I brought snacks.” Naomi raised the sachet she had been hiding behind her back.
Titania beamed and tossed her book aside as if it were some more paperweight and not a book worth the yearly salary of ten men. “What kind? What kind!?” she pressed, practically jumping up and down on the bed.
“Well, I had to bring your favorites, of course.” Naomi produced a few doughy pastries sprinkled with cinnamon and filled with sweet blue jelly. She had barely pulled them out of the bag before Titania snatched them up and began to devour them like a rabid animal.
Naomi smiled wryly. “Save some for later. We still have a few days until we can restock on sweets.”
“But—” Titania spoke between mouthfuls. “Aren’t we stopping in a town tomorrow?”
“Red Pond is hardly a town, my lady. More of a hamlet with a small oasis. It is nothing like Olduun. I am afraid you’ll be sorely disappointed.”
“Oh… I was looking forward to seeing my first town,” she mumbled.
“There is no town out here in the desert that will compare to the great city of Olduun, but I’m sure we’ll come across a few with half-decent bakers. If I remember correctly, there is a—”
An abrupt shout in the distance stopped Naomi mid-sentence. She spun around and drew her sword.
Titania froze and looked up at her guardian, terrified. “What is it?”
“Shh.” Naomi held up a hand and strained to listen.
Nothing. And then the awful crunch of bones and the squelch of flesh being torn apart. Half a dozen screams followed, with more being added every second.
“What’s happening?” Titania whispered.
“We’re under attack.” Naomi narrowed her eyes. The cries of her dying people weren’t ending. Whoever was attacking had brought enough manpower to overwhelm an army. Or worse.
Naomi closed her eyes and cast a synchrony spell. The red magic traveled across the encampment, picking up on every tent, wagon, and person. Half her ‘guards’ were swarming one point to the southern side of the encampment. Naomi stretched her magical senses out further. There was no army surrounding them or even a battalion of assassins. She threw her senses back to the spot where her people were engaging.
A chill ran up Naomi’s back. There was only one assailant. A single individual. And he was ripping apart centuries-old warriors as if they were children. A woman managed to get in close and stabbed him in the back with a spear, only for him to roar in anger, turn around and disembowel her with a slice of his claws. He then pulled the spear out and healed right in front of them.
The man, no, the monster, turned right at Naomi and his pale purple eyes stared at her. He saw her. She froze in shock. How could he see her?
The monster reached out to grab her when another of her warriors attacked. Naomi took the small reprieve and willed herself back into her body. She stumbled back and fell onto the bed.
“Naomi, what’s going on?” Titania asked in a trembling voice.
“The amulet! Do you have it?”
Titania nodded and lifted the necklace from under her nightgown. A golden aegis wrapped around a key hung from the thin, silver chain. The master key could open many doors and places. Right now, there was only one door Naomi needed opened.
She grabbed her ward’s wrist and pulled her out of bed, “Follow me, my lady, and stay close.” She peered out of the tent to make sure it was clear. Guards were rushing towards the battle, while the cries of the dying were growing closer.
“What’s happening? Are we under attack?” Titania asked, her entire body shaking.
“Yes.” Naomi didn’t have to explain. She ran out of the tent and headed straight for the wagons, Titania stumbling behind her.
Naomi leaped into the back of the largest of the wagons, turned back, and easily hefted Titania into the wagon. A massive vault inscribed with runes took up the entire wagon’s interior.
“The key, Titania,” Naomi said with a waiting open hand.
Titania handed her the necklace. “A-Are we safe?”
Naomi ignored her words and slotted the key into the vault’s door. Several clicks resounded from within and after a tense moment, the door unlocked with a deep creak. Naomi pulled the meter-thick door open with a heavy push, then pulled Titania inside. “Stay here until I come back.”
“I don’t like this.” Titania shook her head.
The cry of a phoenix rang above the camp. Naomi turned to see Pyrae crashing into the fray like a comet, her scarlet feathers blooming into a bright white as her flames ignited all across her body. Naomi needed to help her. Together, the two of them could turn this ambush into a victory no matter the foe.
“Please, don’t leave me alone in here,” Titania whimpered.
Naomi gave a strained smile and placed her hands on Titania’s shoulders. “It’s going to be okay, child. I promise. I’ll come back for you. Wait for me.” She handed her the necklace. “Wear this and no matter what you do, never, ever, let it go.”
“Naomi, please… I’m scared of the dark.”
“The amulet. Remember the amulet. …I’ll be back.” Naomi gave a wink and shut the vault door behind her, leaving Titania trembling in the darkness.
The young woman huddled in the corner of the vault and clenched her necklace tightly in her hands. She squeezed her eyes shut and imagined she was back home in her bedroom, surrounded by her dolls and friends. The sounds of the battle outside were dampened inside the vault to barely a whisper.
Titania pretended the battle was happening some place far away. “It’s not real. It’s not real. It’s not—”
A massive groan echoed through the vault. She was suddenly weightless. With a horrid feeling, she realized the 700-ton vault was flying. The walls caved inwards as the metal warped from the sheer force, rendering it apart outside. A hairline crack appeared at the edge of the door, bleeding out blinding light that swept through the vault’s room. Titania screamed in terror. Her golden aegis flared with power, only to break apart under the pressure just as the light disappeared a moment later.
Suddenly, darkness returned alongside gravity as the vault began to fall. Titania slammed backwards into the steel wall from the falling force. The vault crashed into the ground and she went crashing into the opposing warped wall. Her head smacked into the thick steel with a heavy thump and she knew no more.
~~~
“Wake up, rat.”
Evander didn’t register the words until they were repeated and accompanied by a smack to the face. His head swam and he tried to look around, yet all he found was darkness. He tried to move but his hands were tied to his back and he quickly realized he was kneeling.
“W-What’s… what’s going on…?” he mumbled. His tongue felt thick and dry, and it was difficult to form the words.
Someone removed a cloth sack off his head. He squinted and blinked as the torchlight filled his vision. As his eyes adjusted, he looked up to see a sune man staring down at him, two dark brown horns curling around the sides of his head like a ram. Though Evander didn’t recognize the face, he recognized the insignia of Owl’s Watch on the man’s breastplate.
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me…” Evander muttered. They were a week’s ride from Owl’s Watch, deep in the desert. Had those shitty lords really sent their goons all the way out here to track down his crew?
“Oh, look who’s awake.” A sune woman sauntered over to him. She had two pairs of horns. Narrow and sharp. One set growing from the sides of her temples, the other growing from behind and around her ears. She had an olive complexion with a tint of red.
This sune, Evander did recognize. She was the leader of the house guard where his crew had spectacularly botched their job.
“Veronica, was it?” Evander tried to give his most dashing smile. It had been his job to flirt with her while Cam and the others snuck over the wall.
She smacked him across the face with the back of her gauntlet. “Victoria,” she corrected. “Victoria of House Greymark.”
Greymark?
Evander could taste the blood on his lips. His ears rang from the strike and it took him a moment to realize what her words meant.
Shit.
She wasn’t just the leader of the house guard. She was part of the House. A daughter of the Greymarks.
“Nothing witty to say this time?” Victoria leaned in with an angry smile.
Evander licked his split lip. “What can I say? You leave me breathless.”
She raised her hand to strike him again, but she paused and chuckled to herself. “Not yet, but I will.” She stepped aside and gestured to the gallows hanging behind her. Several of Evander’s crew were already swaying by their nooses. “Welcome to the sweet, old town of Red Pond.”