- Posting Speed
- 1-3 posts per week
- One post per week
- Writing Levels
- Adept
- Advanced
- Preferred Character Gender
- Male
Darkness cascaded across the sky in sweeping shades of pearl grey and purple, as the rain storm from the evening blew into the western mountain ridge and a wintry chill filled the air. With the splash of another frigid puddle, Delphinia sneaked through the city gates, her heart racing. Her pursuers came fast, the sound of hooves s hard on the cobbled pathway. Her hood collapsed behind her and ebony curls fanned out, as she picked up speed, cold pelting her cheeks until they stung, her chest burning from exertion.
Suddenly, another ride swung from her right and crossed in front of her, and a cry erupted as she fell backward, landing hard. The horse reared, with a shriek, then settled, and their rider dropped down, smooth black boots hitting the ground with a thud.
“I really wish you hadn't made us chase you so far, Delphi. So much time wasted, Little miss… And the journey back will be quite cold.”
“I'm not going back!” She replied with eyes narrowed, “I have seen into his mind and I will not be his victory!”
Stepping closer, the man dipped down beside her, his dark eyes skimming over her, “You are… so important, Delphinia. You've no idea what he'll do to ensure your return.”
As he reached for her arm, Delphi lashed out with a balled fist and caught the man in the jaw. Pulling back with a roar, he struck out, the back of his hand smacking hard against her cheek. Delphi sprawled left with another cry, tears springing to her eyes, blood seeping from a split in her lip.
“He demands your return. He made no claims of importance as to your level of safety. If you do something stupid like that again, you'll regret it, greatly.” His fingers curled roughly around her arm and he yanked her to her feet, “Now, move.”
Their destination was an inn, and as they entered and the bell overhead announced their arrival, the man led Delphi along to the counter, shoving her into a seat while he approached the owner.
“I need a room. Private. No cleaning. No meals. No whores. No one interrupts. Am I clear?” As he slapped a handful of coins on the counter, Delphi bolted and the man spun, grabbing a fistful of her hair. He yanked and Delphi yelped, dropping down into the chair again. The innkeeper looked from the man to the coins, and an edge of trepidation came to his eyes, but he nodded, turning to find a key on the wall.
There had been laughter and a merry attitude that went with the mug he gripped between his hands on the table. There had been jokes and retellings of war stories, but the moment the woman at the counter tried to leave and was jerked back harshly by her hair was the moment Terrick pushed all of that aside in the name of a concerned curiosity.
“Terrick?” asked the man next to him. When he saw that Terrick was distracted, he followed Terrick’s gaze and quickly reached out, placing a hand on Terrick’s arm, “That ain’t none of your business, Terrick.”
He watched on, his eyelids narrowing for a moment as he contemplated arising from his chair, “I suppose it’s not, Gentry,” he glanced toward his companion and smirked before taking a swig of his drink. When he placed it on the table, he stood from his seat against the silent pleas of his friend.
“Terrick,” Gentry breathed as he watched the Knight walk toward the counter, “Gods,” he shook his head and went back to his drink, his eyes never leaving Terrick for long.
Meanwhile, Terrick approached the company at the counter, his wrist resting on the pommel of his blade, “Don’t think I’ve ever seen you lot around here?” He spoke to the group, but his eyes studied the small woman before him, “Pallos giving you a hard time with your rooms?”
The man twisted at the voice, dark eyes narrowing. He glanced briefly to Delphi, a brow raised, before returning his gaze to the knight, “We're quite settled, thank you.” He answered coolly, “Delphinia… let's go.” Came a bark, as he reached for her arm.
“Woah,” he started with a smile, “What’s the rush?” he turned his attention to Pallos, “Think we could have a round of drinks?” Turning his attention back to them, “Stay and chat a bit, would you?”
Frowning, the man lowered his arm and something flashed across his face. At the same moment, Delphi breathed in, and there was no mistaking the note of relief in her eyes.
“Thanks all the same.” He muttered, “But I'm in rather a hurry. You enjoy your drink, though. Delphi. Now.”
Rising, she let the breath escape, nodded, “Thank you, anyway.”
“You will keep your tongue behind your lips, if you please. Let's go.”
“She was just saying ‘thank you’,” Terrick shifted, “same as you,” he sighed, taking note to the split in her lip, he nodded slightly, “But maybe next time?” He decided to not push in hopes of not making it worse for the young woman.
Taking the key, the man gripped Delphi by the arm again and shoved her less than gingerly, to the stairs, his voice a hiss, “If I have to tell you one more time to do as I say, Delphinia, I will make sure you know the meaning of pain. Am I understood?”
“Of course.” Delphi muttered, “I would never dream of it, Lord Vadrigan…” He turned as the door opened and in that moment, Delphi dared to look back at the knight, desperate hope in her eyes.
It took all his strength to restrain himself in that moment. His fingers white-knuckled atop the pommel, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from speaking. Even as she turned to look back at him, he could see her silent plea for help in her eyes. Terrick had to tears his eyes away to keep himself from doing something stupid. He had heard her correctly. She had called the man a ‘Lord’, and for him to raise a hand against a Lord was a dishonorable thing to say the least.
However, even after returning to his friends and allowing time to pass, Terrick could do little more than see those eyes and that split lip over and over in his mind. What else was the man doing to her if he was willing to treat her with such disdain in front of all these witnesses? Unable to take it anymore, Terrick arose from his chair and approached the counter once more. After convincing Pallos to tell him the room number, he started up stairs, this time his fingers wrapped around the hilt ready to be drawn should the need arise.
Knocking on the door, he rolled his shoulders and head to loosen up before putting on his drunken act, “Who locked my door?” he called out.
There was a sound within the room, a growl of irritation, and after some fumbling, the door was yanked open, “I distinctly said no interruptions! If you can't-- You?? What is this??”
“Heey!” Terrick wore a grin too wide for anyone sober, “What are you doing in my room?” He tried to push his way through the doorway.
A hand shot out, blocking Terrick, his eyes narrowing, “Wrong room, you drunk idiot. Perhaps next time you should consider a measure of limitation, hm? Disgraceful.”
In an instant, Terrick’s expression sobered as he leaned in placing his foot beside the door so he could not close it, “What is disgraceful, ‘Lord’, is the way you’re treating that young woman,” he glanced passed the man in hopes of finding Delphinia.
Delphinia sat in a straight backed chair, her arms tied behind her, her head slumped, hair falling in a curtain around her. Growling, the man reached for his side, yanking free a small metal blade, “This is not your concern! And if you value your life, you will walk away!”
“I cannot,” he answered, “No Lord should treat a woman as you have been treating this one. You will release her to me,” Terrick straightened, his free hand ready to catch the man’s attack should it come.
“Release her to you?” A laugh escaped, and the man shook his head, “You've no idea the circumstances you've found yourself in. You want her? Come take her.”
Terrick studied the man a moment. He was at a disadvantage, choosing his sheathed sword instead of the dagger at his side while his opponent already had a knife drawn. Releasing his sword, he raised his hand in faux surrender. Taking a step back as though he were leaving, he, instead, used that foot to launch himself into the man before him, one hand immediately reaching for the wrist to gain control of the blade.
The feint worked, to some degree, and the lord assumed, arrogantly enough, that he'd warded off the advance. When the knight lunged, Vadrigan swore and stumbled back, but as the fingers curled around his wrist, he fought, growling.
Using his momentum, Terrick drove the man into the room with his shoulder, allowing the door to shut behind them. With control over the knife, he took a step back, balled up a fist, and struck at the man’s face.
Vadrigan swung his arm back up to try and block, and the fist grazed his cheek, his elbow twisting, aiming to free his wrist and the knife, “You have no idea what you're meddling in, you fool! Let go!”
Terrick grunted as he tried to follow the flow of the elbow. Stepping in, he placed his foot behind Vadrigan’s and tried to push him to the floor, “Let go of the knife!” he ordered.
“Not until it's buried in your chest!” He shoved against the pressure, fingers curling tighter around the hilt, eyes narrowed.
“Fine,” Terrick growled and allowed Vadrigan to raise the knife up. Twisting, he stepped under the elbow and brought it down hard upon his shoulder.
A growl echoed from Vadrigan, whose fingers uncurled from the blade, the metal clattering to the floor.
Kicking the dagger away, Terrick drove his elbow toward Vadrigan’s abdomen and released his arm, “I just want the woman. We don’t need to do this,” he tried to reason.
Stumbling back again, Vadrigan's eyes flashed as he looked from the knight to Delphinia, and bending, he reached down into his boot, grabbing a second, smaller blade. Straightening, he hurled it at the knight.
Terrick should have expected it. The man had no honor in how he treated the woman. The knife soared through the air, and despite his best efforts to dodge it, it sliced into his shoulder. He could feel the blood sliding down his arm. With a growl, he drew his own dagger and started after Vadrigan.
“This won't end well for you, boy! You've no idea what you've stumbled into!” As Terrick lunged, he ducked and staggered for his own knife, where it had slid across the floor, “The world is about to change and that girl is all a part of it.” Rising, he held the knife out, ready, “If you insist on drawing this out… let's go.”
Looking beyond the man toward the door, he shook his head, “I’m taking her out that door, and I won’t let you stop me,” Terrick side-stepped, flipped the dagger so that the blade pointed down, and sliced up hoping to catch Vadrigan’s arm with it.
As Terrick slashed upwards, Vadrigan propelled forward, he own blade held upright. Rage reflected in his eyes, a blind, primal rage.
Terrick’s eyes widened. Vadrigan had thrown strategy to the wind as sure as he had thrown himself at Terrick. Dropping his own dagger, Terrick side-stepped, snatched Vadrigan by the wrist and then slid an arm to the inside of Vadrigan’s elbow. Using the man’s own momentum, he drove Vadrigan’s on blade back and into his chest with a sickening thud. To ensure death, Terrick pressed hard, driving it deeper before dropping Vadrigan to the floor.
Taking a step back, he looked down at the lifeless body of a Lord of Grendania, the nation he was sworn to. He had just signed his own death warrant by killing this man. Picking up his own dagger, he stumbled over to Delphinia and knelt before her. Pushing her hair from her face, he gently tapped her cheeks hoping to stir her.
Like ice water poured overhead, Delphinia gasped and straightened in the chair, wide blue eyes searching wildly for a moment, before falling first to the still form of Vadrigan, facedown in a growing pool of red, then Terrick, gaze filling with emotion as she fought against her bonds, “Is he…?”
Following her gaze, Terrick nodded, “He is,” a certain disheartened tone in his voice. Circling around, he cut her loose with his dagger and then stood, returning it to its home on his hip, “Can you stand?”
Somewhat shakily, Delphi rose, staring at Vadrigan now with unmoving eyes, “Thank you.” Breathing out, she turned to Terrick, “You saved my life.”
And lost my own…, he thought.
“Not if we don’t get out of here. Take only what you need,” he moved to the door and peeled it open to look into the hall.
Nodding, sparing no thought to hesitation, not daring to question his suggestion, “Vadrigan and his servant have horses, stabled outside. His man is one room down, to the left.”
Sighing, Terrick nodded, “Then we go see him first. The last thing we need is for him to be after us. I will tend to him. You will follow me in and ensure the door is closed. Understood?”
Breathing in, she nodded again. It wasn't what her heart wanted… For him to put himself at greater risk, but he was right. They could not risk being followed. She… could not, “I understand, Sire.”
Terrick led the way into the hallway and drew his sword. After knocking on the door, and as soon as it was opened, Terrick drove his blade through the man’s stomach. Covering the man’s mouth he pushed him inside and drove him to the floor.
Standing, he waited for Delphinia to enter, “Take anything he might have that we need then lead the way to the horses.”
She had been unconscious when Vadrigan had met his sticky end… yet the grisly nature of his fate had met her when she woke, driving a spike of uneasiness into her chest. Seeing his servant meet a similar fate… Actually seeing it was something else. She froze, and the color fled from her cheeks as she stared at the figure on the floor.
Pulling his blade free, he turned and frowned, “We do not have time for this, m’lady. Take what is needed and lead the way please,” he spoke with urgency.
Blinking, she forced her eyes up and with a nod, moved to search through the saddle bag lying beside the chest of drawers. The content inside proved useful enough that she opted to grab the whole thing, slinging it over her shoulder, “Their horses will be inside the stable… he paid for two stalls.”
“Good, that means there will be a horse for the both of us. We’ll grab the horses and the I must gather my things,” he dropped his head, a sad air about him, “I’ll not be safe here either.”
“I… I'm sorry.” She breathed out, turning back to him. Her eyes flickered to the dead man again, then back up to the knight, “I never meant…” but she had, hadn't she? She knew what she was doing… “I owe you a great deal, Sir Knight.”
With a nod, he returned, “We can worry about that later when we are safe,” he gestured toward the door, “Lead the way.”
Heading for the door again, she lead Terrick from the room, and to the stairs. The inn had quieted as night fell in the city, and at the bottom of the stairwell, she gestured to the small hall that would lead to the servant's exit and out into the stables.
“Follow me to my home. I will grab what I need and then we ride as far away from here as possible,” Terrick offered a hand to Delphinia to aid her in mounting before he jumped up onto his. Spurring it on, he headed toward the west and away from the inn.
Terrick didn’t say much on the way to his home. Everything that had happened played over and over in his mind and his shoulder began to bug him. He’d have to wrap it before he gathered his thing. Tying the horse off just outside his house, he quickly slid off and headed inside. Just as he had planned, he headed for the linens in order to wrap his arm. However, it was harder than he had hoped, “Delphinia is it? Could you give me a hand?”
She hadn't said much during their ride, either, but for a quiet thanks as he helped her onto the horse. It had been some time since she'd gone anywhere but on foot, yet she rode with grace and assurity, remembering well how she was taught.
As they arrived, she lingered, watchful, while he gathered his things and only when he called for her did she leave her place by the door, “Delphi… please. Delphinia draws far too much attention. How can I help?”
“I can wrap these around my arm, but because the cut is so far up, it’s difficult for me to tie it off. Would you mind?” He held out the wraps, “Tie it tightly, please. The pressure will keep it from bleeding.”
Nodding, she took the wraps, “You'll have to talk me through it. I've never…” Shaking her head, she unraveled the bandage, “You never told me your name…”
“You just wrap it around,” he made the motion with his other hand, “then tie it really tightly with the knot over the wound,” he paused and watched as she began, “Terrick. My name is Terrick.”
Uncertainty washed over her, but carefully, Delphi began to wrap the wound, her eyes watching her work, “I am in your debt, Terrick.”
“I do not regret what I did,” he lifted his arm to allow more room for her to wrap, “I just hope I did not throw my life away for nothing. I will be a wanted man in Grendania now, as I am in Bycrest.”
Her eyes shifted to his and blinking, she paused, “I know that this might be difficult to believe… but you may very well have saved the world, Terrick.” Resuming her work, she turned her gaze to his shoulder, “But it isn't safe… with me. When we've gone far enough, you should take the horses… Sell them and buy purchase on a ship. Get as far from these lands as you can.”
He studied her as he mulled over her words, “Nowhere in Valinar is safe for me, and I’m not one for the seaman’s life. No, I shall stay with you, especially if what you say is true. You could use a sword. Just so happens I am a sword without a Lord.”
Smiling delicately, without meeting his eyes, she tied off the bandages tightly, “Then how about a Lady? You’re right when you say, I could use the aid… And I will see to it you are well compensated, Sire. I haven’t much, I left in a hurry, but you may have what’s in Vadrigan’s purse, and I’ve some jewels I can barter…”
“Save your coin for now. We’ll need it simply to survive,” he paused to check her work, and when he was satisfied, he started towards his room and started gathering his armor, “Did you say you were a Lady? Forgive me, but you are not dressed as one,” he called out to her.
Hesitating for a moment, Delphi considered her next words carefully before she spoke, “...My name, Terrick… is Delphinia Allora Aramaes… Princess of Anglion, beyond the Wall.” Looking down, brushing straw from her skirts, she breathed out, “I borrow them… the clothes. From one of my serving girls. Only her shoes were too big. My boots. They’re how Vadrigan recognized me.”
Terrick stuck his head out of his room with a furrowed brow, “Anglion? Beyond the wall?” His head disappeared and he reappeared with a bag filled with his belongings, “The only walls I know are the ones that surround the cities. I know all of those cities even the ones in the neighboring kingdoms. I have never heard of Anglion.”
“...How far have you gone, to the edge of Grendania, Terrick?” She asked, fiddling with a string on the edge of her cloak, “West… towards the cliff?”
“Aye,” he nodded, “I’ve travelled all of Grendania. It was part of the training my parents put me through. I know the land like the back of my hand.”
“And you’ve never wondered? What lies beyond the cliff? If you were to ascend..?”
“It has crossed my mind, but the cliff is impassible. No one can survive the journey up it.”
“...Because it is designed that way, good sir. But impassible? No…” Breathing out, she leaned back against the door frame, looking over her shoulder out the door they had come in through, “I come from the other side. From a world you can only imagine in your darkest of dreams.” Curving her arms across her chest, she shivered, “There, my brother is king… Driven mad by power. He… he seeks to destroy the Wall between our worlds, and bring Anglion’s wrath upon all of Valinar.”
Terrick blinked a moment, uncertainty evident in his body language, “Let’s just say I believe you, and I’m not sure I do, but let’s pretend I do. Have you taken news of this threat to the King?”
“I cannot…” Pushing from the door post, she looked to him, “My brother… if he finds me, if I am discovered, and taken back to Anglion… he will kill me. I… I have seen…” Pausing, she trailed off and wariness stole over her, “Vadrigan intended to return me. When you arrived to his room, he was sending a message to my brother. Going to your king… it will only draw attention to my presence here.”
Silently, he walked passed her and tied his bag to his horse. The clanking of the plate inside gave away its contents. He was deep in thought as he considered her words, “I could not go to the King at this moment either. I killed a Lord to save a woman that I am uncertain is even in her right mind. But it seems I must trust you, because my life is in your hands and yours, it seems, is in mine. I have many more questions, but I cannot ask them now. We really must be going. Putting a whole night’s distance between us and our soon-to-be pursuers would be quite advantageous.”
Heading for her own horse, Delphi ran her hand along its mane, frowning in thought, “It would be a great risk… but I could ride with you to your king. I could explain to him the nature of your attack on Vadrigan. Surely he would have to see reason if you were seen to be coming to my defense?”
Shaking his head, Terrick checked the bag to ensure it was rightly tide off before moving to Delphi’s horse, “The King expects unquestioned loyalty. He would hear your tale and think me a mad man to bring you in to try and convince him it was in defense of your honor. In his eyes, I should have left Vadrigan to do as he saw fit. I would be made an example for others to avoid. No, we do not go to the King. We run and pray that all of Grendania does not fall upon us because there is no where else to hide.”
Frowning, she shook her head, “There is no grace left in the world among those who rule it. What makes you any less significant than a Lord? A despicable, cowardly Lord. I will find a way to fix this, Terrick.” Apprehensively, her hand covered his forearm, “You've my word. I will not allow your nobility to go unseen, nor allow this injustice to stand.” Turning to the horse, she gripped the reins, “We'll journey west. To the crossroads before the wall. We may not be so hopeless, yet.”
Terrick shook his head as a chuckle escaped, “Unless you know something that I do not, this situations is all but hopeless. You are in the escort of a man who’s murdered a lord and has killed men from Bycrest. There is no where we can go where there will be hope. Not for me,” he took the reins and steered it to the west, “But if you want to go West. We’ll go west. Just don’t expect to find hope there.”
“There is always hope, Terrick. Even in the darkest places, light can shine. And as long as my brother stands on the other side of that wall, not all is lost. Would you?” She added, gesturing to her horse.
“Yes,” he nodded. Locking his fingers, he lowered so that she could use his hands as a step, “Hurry, my Lady.”
Stepping onto the knitted hands, Delphi raised herself up onto the horse and swinging her legs round, gripped the reins, “...Ready.”
Three weeks passed in back roads and beneath bridges, in long, frigid nights and cold, rainy days. As they traveled, Delphinia keyed Terrick into life beyond the cliff, and while she couldn’t determine whether the man believed her entirely or not, she was nevertheless grateful for his presence. His company had proven to be a great comfort, particularly on the hard, sleepless evenings, when terrible dreams haunted her and robbed her of rest.
Whiteridge was but a few miles out when with a spark of lightning scored the sky in two. Overhead, a rumble of thunder was heard, and softly, Delphinia’s whispered, “No…”
No rain fell, for nearly no clouds darkened the crisp blue of the sky. It wasn’t a storm that threatened the crossroad village in the mouth of the river… but something else, entirely. Something so much worse.
Looking to Terrick, fear caught in her gaze, Delphi shook her head, “...They’ve broken another one… Another seal. We must hurry! There’s no telling what they’ve unleashed...”
“How can you be so certain?” he asked while he gripped at his reins with a gauntleted hand ready to spur the horse at a moment’s notice. The lightning had reflected off of his battle-tested plate, “How do you know it was another seal?”
Tears stung her eyes, and her hands trembled as she tightened her grip on the reins, gaze skyward, “...Because I have seen this before. A storm with no rain… Soon, the sky will darken, and it will come. The trial. From the seal…”
Terrick racked his brain recalling the lesson the trials that the Lady Delphinia had given him during one of their many chats. None of them were anything that he hoped to ever face, “Is..Is there a way to know which seal is broken before hand? So we know what must be done.”
“...The first seal, in Anglion… I had crossed through the rift, before I could see what the consequences were. Any one of them would bring devastation to the nearest villages… even beyond. We won’t know until--” A second growl resonated from the sky, but this was not thunder… and paling, Delphi nearly sank from her mount, “By the gods… what have they done…”
The second sound was like nothing Terrick had ever heard even on his hunting expeditions with other noblemen. Tearing his eyes from the sky, he looked to Lady Delphinia just as she slipped from her mount, Shifting on his own, he reached down and slid an arm securely around her, “I’ve got you,” he reassured her as he tried to help her straighten on her horse, “What was that?”
Her hands looping tightly around his arm, she shuddered as her eyes remained fixed skyward, shaking her head, “...He will doom us all.” Turning back, she looked to Terrick, “The Summoning Seal has fallen.”
Straightening, releasing his arm, she swung her leg around to slip from the mount, landing harder than she meant to, but with purpose, “The horses… We need to leave them. It will come straight for them… If we’re fast, it might not see us.”
“Leave the horses? If we’re fast? We won’t be faster on foot than we would be on horseback,” he couldn’t see the reasoning, but if everything Delphinia had told him was true, he had no reason to not trust her word. Sliding from the mount, he took a knife to the strap that held what was left of his gear not wanting to waste time untying it, “You sure we need to leave the horses?”
“If we don’t, it will only find us fast.” Looking up again, she frowned, “Do… do you have legends, Terrick? Stories your parents told you, as children? Of creatures… dangerous creatures…?”
With confusion on his face, he looked to her, “Yes, of course we have legends and tales our parents told us simply to keep us in line. What does that have to do with this?” he adjusted the back on his shoulder and rested his hand upon his sword should he need it.
“...In Anglion, Terrick, they’re real.” Pulling her eyes from the sky, she looked to him again, shaking her head, “And that is what he has unleashed in this world. That is what’s up there. It will come for anything it can see… anything it can reach. We have to move as quickly as we can.”
Sensing the urgency in her tone, Terrick drew his sword with a ring that filled the air around them, “What are we talking about?” he turned his eyes skyward, “Whatever it is, I shall cut it down before it can cause you any harm, My Lady.”
“From the sound of it… a dragon. Please…” Reaching, she clutched his arm, eyes pleading, “We cannot fight it. Not alone. We cannot hope to. It is stronger than ten men… with skin like iron. Please… We must go.”
“A d-dragon?” Terrick’s mind went to rows of sharp teeth as big as his head and fire hot enough to melt steel pouring from its maw, “Let’s go,” he nodded, now understanding why they were to leave the horses behind. They were a larger, more appealing snack, “Run, Lady Delphi, Run!” He gestured toward Whiteridge.
Delphi did not need to be told twice. Fear roiled through her, and her feet moved almost before the words had left his lips. There was still a great deal of distance between their location and Whiteridge, and it seemed only to grow as a third growl split the air above them, a shrieking howl, that pieced to the core of her. Her eyes moved upwards, a black streak cutting across her vision, “It’s heading for the village!”
Reaching out, Terrick tried to grab her by the arm before stopping suddenly, “Then we are not.”
Without warning, his hand caught her arm and Delphi jolted to a stop, spinning around to face him. For a moment, confusion wracked her features, before determination stole over them, “This is my brother’s doing… That thing will destroy that village and anyone in it! And they won’t even know it’s coming. We have to warn them!”
“We would never make it, Lady,” he argued, “it’s larger, and faster than we could ever be...even on horseback!”
Eyes roving up to the skies, filling with desperate tears, Delphi shook her head, “There must be something we can do… We have to try...”
He shook his head, “The only thing we will need to try to do is help them pick up the pieces afterward before returning to our hunt to save the other seals. We will not be able to do that if we die to this one,” he paused, “I know it hurts..the prospect of just how many lives are about to be lost, but ours will not be counted among them.”
Her head dropped, her breath a shudder as she closed her eyes against the onslaught of emotion, “...This is all my fault. I… I should have seen it, I should have known. All those people…”
“No,” he said with surety, releasing his grip on Delphi’s arm, “This is not your fault, Lady Delphi. Far be it from your mind to blame yourself for your brother’s sins,” another roar tore through the sky, causing Terrick to look toward Whiteridge. He could hear the faint ring of the warning bell, “All of these deaths will be on him, and him alone.”
Eyes opening, they turned to the village, “...We have to stop him.” The peal of the bell rose into the hills and breathing in again, she tightened her jaw, hands balled into fists, “We will stop him.”
Suddenly, another ride swung from her right and crossed in front of her, and a cry erupted as she fell backward, landing hard. The horse reared, with a shriek, then settled, and their rider dropped down, smooth black boots hitting the ground with a thud.
“I really wish you hadn't made us chase you so far, Delphi. So much time wasted, Little miss… And the journey back will be quite cold.”
“I'm not going back!” She replied with eyes narrowed, “I have seen into his mind and I will not be his victory!”
Stepping closer, the man dipped down beside her, his dark eyes skimming over her, “You are… so important, Delphinia. You've no idea what he'll do to ensure your return.”
As he reached for her arm, Delphi lashed out with a balled fist and caught the man in the jaw. Pulling back with a roar, he struck out, the back of his hand smacking hard against her cheek. Delphi sprawled left with another cry, tears springing to her eyes, blood seeping from a split in her lip.
“He demands your return. He made no claims of importance as to your level of safety. If you do something stupid like that again, you'll regret it, greatly.” His fingers curled roughly around her arm and he yanked her to her feet, “Now, move.”
Their destination was an inn, and as they entered and the bell overhead announced their arrival, the man led Delphi along to the counter, shoving her into a seat while he approached the owner.
“I need a room. Private. No cleaning. No meals. No whores. No one interrupts. Am I clear?” As he slapped a handful of coins on the counter, Delphi bolted and the man spun, grabbing a fistful of her hair. He yanked and Delphi yelped, dropping down into the chair again. The innkeeper looked from the man to the coins, and an edge of trepidation came to his eyes, but he nodded, turning to find a key on the wall.
There had been laughter and a merry attitude that went with the mug he gripped between his hands on the table. There had been jokes and retellings of war stories, but the moment the woman at the counter tried to leave and was jerked back harshly by her hair was the moment Terrick pushed all of that aside in the name of a concerned curiosity.
“Terrick?” asked the man next to him. When he saw that Terrick was distracted, he followed Terrick’s gaze and quickly reached out, placing a hand on Terrick’s arm, “That ain’t none of your business, Terrick.”
He watched on, his eyelids narrowing for a moment as he contemplated arising from his chair, “I suppose it’s not, Gentry,” he glanced toward his companion and smirked before taking a swig of his drink. When he placed it on the table, he stood from his seat against the silent pleas of his friend.
“Terrick,” Gentry breathed as he watched the Knight walk toward the counter, “Gods,” he shook his head and went back to his drink, his eyes never leaving Terrick for long.
Meanwhile, Terrick approached the company at the counter, his wrist resting on the pommel of his blade, “Don’t think I’ve ever seen you lot around here?” He spoke to the group, but his eyes studied the small woman before him, “Pallos giving you a hard time with your rooms?”
The man twisted at the voice, dark eyes narrowing. He glanced briefly to Delphi, a brow raised, before returning his gaze to the knight, “We're quite settled, thank you.” He answered coolly, “Delphinia… let's go.” Came a bark, as he reached for her arm.
“Woah,” he started with a smile, “What’s the rush?” he turned his attention to Pallos, “Think we could have a round of drinks?” Turning his attention back to them, “Stay and chat a bit, would you?”
Frowning, the man lowered his arm and something flashed across his face. At the same moment, Delphi breathed in, and there was no mistaking the note of relief in her eyes.
“Thanks all the same.” He muttered, “But I'm in rather a hurry. You enjoy your drink, though. Delphi. Now.”
Rising, she let the breath escape, nodded, “Thank you, anyway.”
“You will keep your tongue behind your lips, if you please. Let's go.”
“She was just saying ‘thank you’,” Terrick shifted, “same as you,” he sighed, taking note to the split in her lip, he nodded slightly, “But maybe next time?” He decided to not push in hopes of not making it worse for the young woman.
Taking the key, the man gripped Delphi by the arm again and shoved her less than gingerly, to the stairs, his voice a hiss, “If I have to tell you one more time to do as I say, Delphinia, I will make sure you know the meaning of pain. Am I understood?”
“Of course.” Delphi muttered, “I would never dream of it, Lord Vadrigan…” He turned as the door opened and in that moment, Delphi dared to look back at the knight, desperate hope in her eyes.
It took all his strength to restrain himself in that moment. His fingers white-knuckled atop the pommel, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep from speaking. Even as she turned to look back at him, he could see her silent plea for help in her eyes. Terrick had to tears his eyes away to keep himself from doing something stupid. He had heard her correctly. She had called the man a ‘Lord’, and for him to raise a hand against a Lord was a dishonorable thing to say the least.
However, even after returning to his friends and allowing time to pass, Terrick could do little more than see those eyes and that split lip over and over in his mind. What else was the man doing to her if he was willing to treat her with such disdain in front of all these witnesses? Unable to take it anymore, Terrick arose from his chair and approached the counter once more. After convincing Pallos to tell him the room number, he started up stairs, this time his fingers wrapped around the hilt ready to be drawn should the need arise.
Knocking on the door, he rolled his shoulders and head to loosen up before putting on his drunken act, “Who locked my door?” he called out.
There was a sound within the room, a growl of irritation, and after some fumbling, the door was yanked open, “I distinctly said no interruptions! If you can't-- You?? What is this??”
“Heey!” Terrick wore a grin too wide for anyone sober, “What are you doing in my room?” He tried to push his way through the doorway.
A hand shot out, blocking Terrick, his eyes narrowing, “Wrong room, you drunk idiot. Perhaps next time you should consider a measure of limitation, hm? Disgraceful.”
In an instant, Terrick’s expression sobered as he leaned in placing his foot beside the door so he could not close it, “What is disgraceful, ‘Lord’, is the way you’re treating that young woman,” he glanced passed the man in hopes of finding Delphinia.
Delphinia sat in a straight backed chair, her arms tied behind her, her head slumped, hair falling in a curtain around her. Growling, the man reached for his side, yanking free a small metal blade, “This is not your concern! And if you value your life, you will walk away!”
“I cannot,” he answered, “No Lord should treat a woman as you have been treating this one. You will release her to me,” Terrick straightened, his free hand ready to catch the man’s attack should it come.
“Release her to you?” A laugh escaped, and the man shook his head, “You've no idea the circumstances you've found yourself in. You want her? Come take her.”
Terrick studied the man a moment. He was at a disadvantage, choosing his sheathed sword instead of the dagger at his side while his opponent already had a knife drawn. Releasing his sword, he raised his hand in faux surrender. Taking a step back as though he were leaving, he, instead, used that foot to launch himself into the man before him, one hand immediately reaching for the wrist to gain control of the blade.
The feint worked, to some degree, and the lord assumed, arrogantly enough, that he'd warded off the advance. When the knight lunged, Vadrigan swore and stumbled back, but as the fingers curled around his wrist, he fought, growling.
Using his momentum, Terrick drove the man into the room with his shoulder, allowing the door to shut behind them. With control over the knife, he took a step back, balled up a fist, and struck at the man’s face.
Vadrigan swung his arm back up to try and block, and the fist grazed his cheek, his elbow twisting, aiming to free his wrist and the knife, “You have no idea what you're meddling in, you fool! Let go!”
Terrick grunted as he tried to follow the flow of the elbow. Stepping in, he placed his foot behind Vadrigan’s and tried to push him to the floor, “Let go of the knife!” he ordered.
“Not until it's buried in your chest!” He shoved against the pressure, fingers curling tighter around the hilt, eyes narrowed.
“Fine,” Terrick growled and allowed Vadrigan to raise the knife up. Twisting, he stepped under the elbow and brought it down hard upon his shoulder.
A growl echoed from Vadrigan, whose fingers uncurled from the blade, the metal clattering to the floor.
Kicking the dagger away, Terrick drove his elbow toward Vadrigan’s abdomen and released his arm, “I just want the woman. We don’t need to do this,” he tried to reason.
Stumbling back again, Vadrigan's eyes flashed as he looked from the knight to Delphinia, and bending, he reached down into his boot, grabbing a second, smaller blade. Straightening, he hurled it at the knight.
Terrick should have expected it. The man had no honor in how he treated the woman. The knife soared through the air, and despite his best efforts to dodge it, it sliced into his shoulder. He could feel the blood sliding down his arm. With a growl, he drew his own dagger and started after Vadrigan.
“This won't end well for you, boy! You've no idea what you've stumbled into!” As Terrick lunged, he ducked and staggered for his own knife, where it had slid across the floor, “The world is about to change and that girl is all a part of it.” Rising, he held the knife out, ready, “If you insist on drawing this out… let's go.”
Looking beyond the man toward the door, he shook his head, “I’m taking her out that door, and I won’t let you stop me,” Terrick side-stepped, flipped the dagger so that the blade pointed down, and sliced up hoping to catch Vadrigan’s arm with it.
As Terrick slashed upwards, Vadrigan propelled forward, he own blade held upright. Rage reflected in his eyes, a blind, primal rage.
Terrick’s eyes widened. Vadrigan had thrown strategy to the wind as sure as he had thrown himself at Terrick. Dropping his own dagger, Terrick side-stepped, snatched Vadrigan by the wrist and then slid an arm to the inside of Vadrigan’s elbow. Using the man’s own momentum, he drove Vadrigan’s on blade back and into his chest with a sickening thud. To ensure death, Terrick pressed hard, driving it deeper before dropping Vadrigan to the floor.
Taking a step back, he looked down at the lifeless body of a Lord of Grendania, the nation he was sworn to. He had just signed his own death warrant by killing this man. Picking up his own dagger, he stumbled over to Delphinia and knelt before her. Pushing her hair from her face, he gently tapped her cheeks hoping to stir her.
Like ice water poured overhead, Delphinia gasped and straightened in the chair, wide blue eyes searching wildly for a moment, before falling first to the still form of Vadrigan, facedown in a growing pool of red, then Terrick, gaze filling with emotion as she fought against her bonds, “Is he…?”
Following her gaze, Terrick nodded, “He is,” a certain disheartened tone in his voice. Circling around, he cut her loose with his dagger and then stood, returning it to its home on his hip, “Can you stand?”
Somewhat shakily, Delphi rose, staring at Vadrigan now with unmoving eyes, “Thank you.” Breathing out, she turned to Terrick, “You saved my life.”
And lost my own…, he thought.
“Not if we don’t get out of here. Take only what you need,” he moved to the door and peeled it open to look into the hall.
Nodding, sparing no thought to hesitation, not daring to question his suggestion, “Vadrigan and his servant have horses, stabled outside. His man is one room down, to the left.”
Sighing, Terrick nodded, “Then we go see him first. The last thing we need is for him to be after us. I will tend to him. You will follow me in and ensure the door is closed. Understood?”
Breathing in, she nodded again. It wasn't what her heart wanted… For him to put himself at greater risk, but he was right. They could not risk being followed. She… could not, “I understand, Sire.”
Terrick led the way into the hallway and drew his sword. After knocking on the door, and as soon as it was opened, Terrick drove his blade through the man’s stomach. Covering the man’s mouth he pushed him inside and drove him to the floor.
Standing, he waited for Delphinia to enter, “Take anything he might have that we need then lead the way to the horses.”
She had been unconscious when Vadrigan had met his sticky end… yet the grisly nature of his fate had met her when she woke, driving a spike of uneasiness into her chest. Seeing his servant meet a similar fate… Actually seeing it was something else. She froze, and the color fled from her cheeks as she stared at the figure on the floor.
Pulling his blade free, he turned and frowned, “We do not have time for this, m’lady. Take what is needed and lead the way please,” he spoke with urgency.
Blinking, she forced her eyes up and with a nod, moved to search through the saddle bag lying beside the chest of drawers. The content inside proved useful enough that she opted to grab the whole thing, slinging it over her shoulder, “Their horses will be inside the stable… he paid for two stalls.”
“Good, that means there will be a horse for the both of us. We’ll grab the horses and the I must gather my things,” he dropped his head, a sad air about him, “I’ll not be safe here either.”
“I… I'm sorry.” She breathed out, turning back to him. Her eyes flickered to the dead man again, then back up to the knight, “I never meant…” but she had, hadn't she? She knew what she was doing… “I owe you a great deal, Sir Knight.”
With a nod, he returned, “We can worry about that later when we are safe,” he gestured toward the door, “Lead the way.”
Heading for the door again, she lead Terrick from the room, and to the stairs. The inn had quieted as night fell in the city, and at the bottom of the stairwell, she gestured to the small hall that would lead to the servant's exit and out into the stables.
“Follow me to my home. I will grab what I need and then we ride as far away from here as possible,” Terrick offered a hand to Delphinia to aid her in mounting before he jumped up onto his. Spurring it on, he headed toward the west and away from the inn.
Terrick didn’t say much on the way to his home. Everything that had happened played over and over in his mind and his shoulder began to bug him. He’d have to wrap it before he gathered his thing. Tying the horse off just outside his house, he quickly slid off and headed inside. Just as he had planned, he headed for the linens in order to wrap his arm. However, it was harder than he had hoped, “Delphinia is it? Could you give me a hand?”
She hadn't said much during their ride, either, but for a quiet thanks as he helped her onto the horse. It had been some time since she'd gone anywhere but on foot, yet she rode with grace and assurity, remembering well how she was taught.
As they arrived, she lingered, watchful, while he gathered his things and only when he called for her did she leave her place by the door, “Delphi… please. Delphinia draws far too much attention. How can I help?”
“I can wrap these around my arm, but because the cut is so far up, it’s difficult for me to tie it off. Would you mind?” He held out the wraps, “Tie it tightly, please. The pressure will keep it from bleeding.”
Nodding, she took the wraps, “You'll have to talk me through it. I've never…” Shaking her head, she unraveled the bandage, “You never told me your name…”
“You just wrap it around,” he made the motion with his other hand, “then tie it really tightly with the knot over the wound,” he paused and watched as she began, “Terrick. My name is Terrick.”
Uncertainty washed over her, but carefully, Delphi began to wrap the wound, her eyes watching her work, “I am in your debt, Terrick.”
“I do not regret what I did,” he lifted his arm to allow more room for her to wrap, “I just hope I did not throw my life away for nothing. I will be a wanted man in Grendania now, as I am in Bycrest.”
Her eyes shifted to his and blinking, she paused, “I know that this might be difficult to believe… but you may very well have saved the world, Terrick.” Resuming her work, she turned her gaze to his shoulder, “But it isn't safe… with me. When we've gone far enough, you should take the horses… Sell them and buy purchase on a ship. Get as far from these lands as you can.”
He studied her as he mulled over her words, “Nowhere in Valinar is safe for me, and I’m not one for the seaman’s life. No, I shall stay with you, especially if what you say is true. You could use a sword. Just so happens I am a sword without a Lord.”
Smiling delicately, without meeting his eyes, she tied off the bandages tightly, “Then how about a Lady? You’re right when you say, I could use the aid… And I will see to it you are well compensated, Sire. I haven’t much, I left in a hurry, but you may have what’s in Vadrigan’s purse, and I’ve some jewels I can barter…”
“Save your coin for now. We’ll need it simply to survive,” he paused to check her work, and when he was satisfied, he started towards his room and started gathering his armor, “Did you say you were a Lady? Forgive me, but you are not dressed as one,” he called out to her.
Hesitating for a moment, Delphi considered her next words carefully before she spoke, “...My name, Terrick… is Delphinia Allora Aramaes… Princess of Anglion, beyond the Wall.” Looking down, brushing straw from her skirts, she breathed out, “I borrow them… the clothes. From one of my serving girls. Only her shoes were too big. My boots. They’re how Vadrigan recognized me.”
Terrick stuck his head out of his room with a furrowed brow, “Anglion? Beyond the wall?” His head disappeared and he reappeared with a bag filled with his belongings, “The only walls I know are the ones that surround the cities. I know all of those cities even the ones in the neighboring kingdoms. I have never heard of Anglion.”
“...How far have you gone, to the edge of Grendania, Terrick?” She asked, fiddling with a string on the edge of her cloak, “West… towards the cliff?”
“Aye,” he nodded, “I’ve travelled all of Grendania. It was part of the training my parents put me through. I know the land like the back of my hand.”
“And you’ve never wondered? What lies beyond the cliff? If you were to ascend..?”
“It has crossed my mind, but the cliff is impassible. No one can survive the journey up it.”
“...Because it is designed that way, good sir. But impassible? No…” Breathing out, she leaned back against the door frame, looking over her shoulder out the door they had come in through, “I come from the other side. From a world you can only imagine in your darkest of dreams.” Curving her arms across her chest, she shivered, “There, my brother is king… Driven mad by power. He… he seeks to destroy the Wall between our worlds, and bring Anglion’s wrath upon all of Valinar.”
Terrick blinked a moment, uncertainty evident in his body language, “Let’s just say I believe you, and I’m not sure I do, but let’s pretend I do. Have you taken news of this threat to the King?”
“I cannot…” Pushing from the door post, she looked to him, “My brother… if he finds me, if I am discovered, and taken back to Anglion… he will kill me. I… I have seen…” Pausing, she trailed off and wariness stole over her, “Vadrigan intended to return me. When you arrived to his room, he was sending a message to my brother. Going to your king… it will only draw attention to my presence here.”
Silently, he walked passed her and tied his bag to his horse. The clanking of the plate inside gave away its contents. He was deep in thought as he considered her words, “I could not go to the King at this moment either. I killed a Lord to save a woman that I am uncertain is even in her right mind. But it seems I must trust you, because my life is in your hands and yours, it seems, is in mine. I have many more questions, but I cannot ask them now. We really must be going. Putting a whole night’s distance between us and our soon-to-be pursuers would be quite advantageous.”
Heading for her own horse, Delphi ran her hand along its mane, frowning in thought, “It would be a great risk… but I could ride with you to your king. I could explain to him the nature of your attack on Vadrigan. Surely he would have to see reason if you were seen to be coming to my defense?”
Shaking his head, Terrick checked the bag to ensure it was rightly tide off before moving to Delphi’s horse, “The King expects unquestioned loyalty. He would hear your tale and think me a mad man to bring you in to try and convince him it was in defense of your honor. In his eyes, I should have left Vadrigan to do as he saw fit. I would be made an example for others to avoid. No, we do not go to the King. We run and pray that all of Grendania does not fall upon us because there is no where else to hide.”
Frowning, she shook her head, “There is no grace left in the world among those who rule it. What makes you any less significant than a Lord? A despicable, cowardly Lord. I will find a way to fix this, Terrick.” Apprehensively, her hand covered his forearm, “You've my word. I will not allow your nobility to go unseen, nor allow this injustice to stand.” Turning to the horse, she gripped the reins, “We'll journey west. To the crossroads before the wall. We may not be so hopeless, yet.”
Terrick shook his head as a chuckle escaped, “Unless you know something that I do not, this situations is all but hopeless. You are in the escort of a man who’s murdered a lord and has killed men from Bycrest. There is no where we can go where there will be hope. Not for me,” he took the reins and steered it to the west, “But if you want to go West. We’ll go west. Just don’t expect to find hope there.”
“There is always hope, Terrick. Even in the darkest places, light can shine. And as long as my brother stands on the other side of that wall, not all is lost. Would you?” She added, gesturing to her horse.
“Yes,” he nodded. Locking his fingers, he lowered so that she could use his hands as a step, “Hurry, my Lady.”
Stepping onto the knitted hands, Delphi raised herself up onto the horse and swinging her legs round, gripped the reins, “...Ready.”
Three weeks passed in back roads and beneath bridges, in long, frigid nights and cold, rainy days. As they traveled, Delphinia keyed Terrick into life beyond the cliff, and while she couldn’t determine whether the man believed her entirely or not, she was nevertheless grateful for his presence. His company had proven to be a great comfort, particularly on the hard, sleepless evenings, when terrible dreams haunted her and robbed her of rest.
Whiteridge was but a few miles out when with a spark of lightning scored the sky in two. Overhead, a rumble of thunder was heard, and softly, Delphinia’s whispered, “No…”
No rain fell, for nearly no clouds darkened the crisp blue of the sky. It wasn’t a storm that threatened the crossroad village in the mouth of the river… but something else, entirely. Something so much worse.
Looking to Terrick, fear caught in her gaze, Delphi shook her head, “...They’ve broken another one… Another seal. We must hurry! There’s no telling what they’ve unleashed...”
“How can you be so certain?” he asked while he gripped at his reins with a gauntleted hand ready to spur the horse at a moment’s notice. The lightning had reflected off of his battle-tested plate, “How do you know it was another seal?”
Tears stung her eyes, and her hands trembled as she tightened her grip on the reins, gaze skyward, “...Because I have seen this before. A storm with no rain… Soon, the sky will darken, and it will come. The trial. From the seal…”
Terrick racked his brain recalling the lesson the trials that the Lady Delphinia had given him during one of their many chats. None of them were anything that he hoped to ever face, “Is..Is there a way to know which seal is broken before hand? So we know what must be done.”
“...The first seal, in Anglion… I had crossed through the rift, before I could see what the consequences were. Any one of them would bring devastation to the nearest villages… even beyond. We won’t know until--” A second growl resonated from the sky, but this was not thunder… and paling, Delphi nearly sank from her mount, “By the gods… what have they done…”
The second sound was like nothing Terrick had ever heard even on his hunting expeditions with other noblemen. Tearing his eyes from the sky, he looked to Lady Delphinia just as she slipped from her mount, Shifting on his own, he reached down and slid an arm securely around her, “I’ve got you,” he reassured her as he tried to help her straighten on her horse, “What was that?”
Her hands looping tightly around his arm, she shuddered as her eyes remained fixed skyward, shaking her head, “...He will doom us all.” Turning back, she looked to Terrick, “The Summoning Seal has fallen.”
Straightening, releasing his arm, she swung her leg around to slip from the mount, landing harder than she meant to, but with purpose, “The horses… We need to leave them. It will come straight for them… If we’re fast, it might not see us.”
“Leave the horses? If we’re fast? We won’t be faster on foot than we would be on horseback,” he couldn’t see the reasoning, but if everything Delphinia had told him was true, he had no reason to not trust her word. Sliding from the mount, he took a knife to the strap that held what was left of his gear not wanting to waste time untying it, “You sure we need to leave the horses?”
“If we don’t, it will only find us fast.” Looking up again, she frowned, “Do… do you have legends, Terrick? Stories your parents told you, as children? Of creatures… dangerous creatures…?”
With confusion on his face, he looked to her, “Yes, of course we have legends and tales our parents told us simply to keep us in line. What does that have to do with this?” he adjusted the back on his shoulder and rested his hand upon his sword should he need it.
“...In Anglion, Terrick, they’re real.” Pulling her eyes from the sky, she looked to him again, shaking her head, “And that is what he has unleashed in this world. That is what’s up there. It will come for anything it can see… anything it can reach. We have to move as quickly as we can.”
Sensing the urgency in her tone, Terrick drew his sword with a ring that filled the air around them, “What are we talking about?” he turned his eyes skyward, “Whatever it is, I shall cut it down before it can cause you any harm, My Lady.”
“From the sound of it… a dragon. Please…” Reaching, she clutched his arm, eyes pleading, “We cannot fight it. Not alone. We cannot hope to. It is stronger than ten men… with skin like iron. Please… We must go.”
“A d-dragon?” Terrick’s mind went to rows of sharp teeth as big as his head and fire hot enough to melt steel pouring from its maw, “Let’s go,” he nodded, now understanding why they were to leave the horses behind. They were a larger, more appealing snack, “Run, Lady Delphi, Run!” He gestured toward Whiteridge.
Delphi did not need to be told twice. Fear roiled through her, and her feet moved almost before the words had left his lips. There was still a great deal of distance between their location and Whiteridge, and it seemed only to grow as a third growl split the air above them, a shrieking howl, that pieced to the core of her. Her eyes moved upwards, a black streak cutting across her vision, “It’s heading for the village!”
Reaching out, Terrick tried to grab her by the arm before stopping suddenly, “Then we are not.”
Without warning, his hand caught her arm and Delphi jolted to a stop, spinning around to face him. For a moment, confusion wracked her features, before determination stole over them, “This is my brother’s doing… That thing will destroy that village and anyone in it! And they won’t even know it’s coming. We have to warn them!”
“We would never make it, Lady,” he argued, “it’s larger, and faster than we could ever be...even on horseback!”
Eyes roving up to the skies, filling with desperate tears, Delphi shook her head, “There must be something we can do… We have to try...”
He shook his head, “The only thing we will need to try to do is help them pick up the pieces afterward before returning to our hunt to save the other seals. We will not be able to do that if we die to this one,” he paused, “I know it hurts..the prospect of just how many lives are about to be lost, but ours will not be counted among them.”
Her head dropped, her breath a shudder as she closed her eyes against the onslaught of emotion, “...This is all my fault. I… I should have seen it, I should have known. All those people…”
“No,” he said with surety, releasing his grip on Delphi’s arm, “This is not your fault, Lady Delphi. Far be it from your mind to blame yourself for your brother’s sins,” another roar tore through the sky, causing Terrick to look toward Whiteridge. He could hear the faint ring of the warning bell, “All of these deaths will be on him, and him alone.”
Eyes opening, they turned to the village, “...We have to stop him.” The peal of the bell rose into the hills and breathing in again, she tightened her jaw, hands balled into fists, “We will stop him.”