Champion, Chapter 20: A Sudden Gust of Wind That Calls for Death

AidanThe RealmsSecondday, 3rd week of the 9th month, Age of the Chosen 1Mid-MorningThe Lord's Quarters, Caer Macht, Mistvale Highlands

Aidan finished lacing up his shirt and gave Brighid a kiss. "I'm going to head out, love. There are a few things I need to do before the rest of the tribe gets here. Make sure you clean up before going off to work."

Brighid nodded and nuzzled his hair. "Yes, Sir."

He smiled and kissed her again before turning away. He took one step, then stumbled as a notification forced its way into his vision.

Aidan absorbed the words, paralyzed by shock, but before he could process them, another window opened in his mind.

"Shit!" Aidan swore. "New plan! Brighid, get your armor on! LLWYD!"

"Aidan?" Came his love's voice from behind him, but he was focused on his vassal as the centaur stormed into the room.

"Llwyd, go get Fionn NOW. The Starchaser convoy is about to be attacked."

"At once!" Llwyd ran off, charging through the hallways with breakneck speed.

"Under attack? What? How?" Brighid was still confused at how suddenly things changed on her.

"No time, love. Armor, now! I'll help once I've got mine on. Move!" Brighid whirled and darted for her armor stand. Aidan concentrated, sending his awareness into Caer Macht and giving new orders to his Passion Elementals, then ran to join her.

AidanCeallacht Macht, Mistvale Highlands

It only took them a few minutes to arm and armor themselves and run out into the morning sunlight, but Fionn was already waiting for them.

"What is going on?" the grizzled veteran called out to Aidan as they emerged. "Llwyd said the others are under attack?"

"Yes," Aidan confirmed. "I received a notification from the Throne and a quest from my Patron." He checked his quest status and grimaced, "And we've already lost twenty people."

Fionn's weathered face formed into a grim mask. He raised a horn to his lips and blew out a short series of notes, then let it fall back to its place at his waist. "The warriors will assemble with all haste. Do you know who or what it is?"

Aidan shook his head and growled. "No, it's just identified as 'the invader'; I think it's a single entity because I have an option goal to 'kill the invader,' but that doesn't fill me with confidence. The quest also warns me not to be too hasty because this is as dangerous a threat as the Taig."

Fionn nodded, all business. "That is good to know, even if it is not good news. We know the route the others are taking, so we will not need to search for them. I am not sure how far away they are, however; we will have to gallop."

Aidan eyed his optional objective counter; it was down to 274/306. "Just once," he muttered, "I would like not to have to charge blindly into a dangerous fight because there's no time to do anything else."

"I agree, but needs must."

While Aidan waited, patience worn through with tension, for the warriors to form up, he swung himself up onto Brighid's armored back. Above him, twenty fiery elementals swirled momentarily before streaking off to the south. "I sent the elementals on ahead," Aidan said for Fionn's benefit, "with orders to distract and hinder the attacker. I don't know how strong they are, nor how powerful the invader is. I can't give them better orders than that without more information."

"Understood. We will hope for the best and plan for the worst."

LailFourthday, 1st week of the 8th month, Godless Age 597Pre-dawnOutside Ceallach Macht, Mistvale Highlands

A horn sounded, a low, angry call to action. Lail leveled her spear at the approaching horde of undead. Three short notes filled the air, and she began to move, accelerating into the gap made by the archers' formation splitting apart. The enemy army covered the entire valley below them, but Lail felt no fear; Fionn and the Council knew what they were doing.

Even when the centaurs charged so deep into the manikin swarm that the enemy completely encircled them, Lail fought with stoic confidence. She wasn't one of the elites, but she was with her brothers and sisters in arms. They were fighting against a dark and evil foe—what more proof did she need than the soldiers it used for its army?

But as the fighting continued for long minutes, as new manikins writhed into the gaps left by the ones they slew, Lail felt her confidence begin to slip. There were only a few hundred Starchaser warriors against thousands of these undead monstrosities. She fought on even as her muscles began to ache. She fought on even as the warriors to her sides took wounds and fell back to the center. She fought on even as friends started to die.

Then everything went wrong. Shouts and screams came from behind her, but Lail was too closely engaged with the enemy to turn and see the cause. She fell back, fighting desperately as manikins surged toward her in an unending wave of danger. Then something wrapped around her hind leg and jerked. She felt her leg snap and screamed in pain as she collapsed to the ground. Something dry and raspy snaked around the barrel of her lower torso, dragging her backward. Lail struggled, trying to rise, to stand and fight, but found her limbs entangled and restrained.

She watched in terror as a manikin approached her bound form. Desiccated vines waved in the air, stretching toward her. Lail screamed to see Death come for her. Ropy strands of decaying plant matter looped around her neck, tightening, preparing to break her spine. She closed her eyes.

LailSecondday, 3rd week of the 9th month, Age of the Chosen 1Mid-MorningCeallach Macht, Mistvale Highlands

Three notes blasted from somewhere nearby. Lail trembled to hear the call to arms. She saw the dark vines again, felt them seize her by the throat. She closed her eyes and forced herself to remember what came next: how everything stopped and went silent for a heartbeat, followed by a brilliant light and the sound of a pile of wood catching fire all at once. She felt once more as the vines binding her turned to ash.

She opened her eyes, tears staining her cheeks, and turned to the battered armor beside her bed. With hands still trembling from fear, she worked her way into it, tightening straps and adjusting the fit with habit borne of long practice. Lail would not shirk her duty, no matter the cost.

AnwnOutside Ceallach Macht, Mistvale Highlands

Anwn held her breath, feeling the breeze against her fur and adjusting her aim in minute increments. She knew Starsong and Windrunner were flanking the herd of elk, but she kept her eyes focused on her target. Anwn allowed herself one breath, then inhaled, held, sighted—

A horn she hoped never to hear again rang through the air, echoing off the hills. The elk lifted their heads and smelled the wind, then bounded off at a run. Anwn hesitated, one small part of her wishing to follow them, to flee into the wilderness. Then the rest of her seized that part by the scruff of its neck and dragged it along. Her birth-pack needed her. She whistled, calling her pack-siblings to her, then took off at a gallop.

AilisCeallach Macht, Mistvale Highlands

Ailis stirred her tea. A spoonful of honey today, I think. Everything has gone well recently; Aidan is doing well at his studies, the tribe is about to be collected and safe again, and it is a fine morning. I can reward myself just a little. She reached for the small pot containing her hoarded sweetener, only to pause as Fionn's war horn sounded. The pattern was clear—two short notes, then an extended one. Enemies approach; gather and prepare to fight.

"Oh, Aidan," she murmured, "I hoped this would not start so soon. I am sorry for ever dragging you into this." Then she stood and fetched her staff, leaving a cup of tea steaming on the table.

Aidan

Aidan did his best to wait patiently while the Starchasers assembled. He knew that he needed to focus on the coming battle, but he couldn't help but check his quest every few seconds. Each time the counter ticked down while he sat astride Brighid's back, doing nothing productive, a dagger pierced his heart. Only 212 civilian Starchasers remained now, and Aidan knew that even should they win the coming battle, he would have more names to remember, more victims to add to his list.

"What happened?" came a familiar voice. Aidan looked over to see Ailis trotting up to him.

"Invader," he said, voice thick. "I got a warning and a quest about fifteen minutes ago. It's attacking the second part of the convoy."

"Do you know what—"

"No," Aidan cut her off. "Pretty sure it's just one thing, not an army, but the quest says it's as dangerous as the Taig, and I'd earn a million experience for killing it. The actual quest objective is to drive it off."

She hissed in surprise. "Not good. I will help however I can, my Lord." She lifted her staff and incanted spell after spell, layering protections and enhancements on him and Brighid. "That is as much as I can give you both while leaving enough Concentration to heal with. I wish I could do more," she said, eyeing the crown of pale light adorning Aidan's brow.

"Stay alive," he told her, "and protect our people as best you can. That is all I need from you right now."

Something flashed through Ailis's eyes, but it was too fast for Aidan to decipher. She bowed her head to him, murmuring, "As you command, my Lord Aidan." She reached out to touch the back of his hand, then turned her attention to her daughter. "Keep him safe, little spark, and yourself as well."

"I will."

Fionn coughed, drawing Aidan's focus to him. "Everyone in fighting shape—and a couple who I would chase away if I had time—is ready. We should get going."

Aidan flicked his eyes over the assembled centaurs. "Where's Anwn?" he asked.

"She will meet us on the way, I am sure."

"Very well. We have no time to spare."

Fionn lifted his horn to his lips again and blew another sequence of notes, then led the Warband off into the morning mists.

They were met just outside the city limits by Anwn and a large wolf that Aidan didn't recognize. The pair fell into stride beside Brighid and Fionn.

Aidan decided to answer her question before she asked. "Something is attacking the civilian convoy. Dunno what, but it's dangerous." He eyed the wolf and added, "Who's your friend? I don't think I've met him."

"This is Hunts-The-Darkness. His pack claims the land around Ceallach Macht as their territory. When my siblings and I came to establish a new home here, he invited us to join his pack, and I accepted."

Something about Anwn's explanation felt off to Aidan, but he didn't have time to ferret it out now. "Are you sure it's a good idea to bring him along?"

"I do not control his actions, Aidan. He is the Patriarch of the pack, not a pet."

"Of course, I didn't mean to imply that. It's just..." Aidan's voice trailed off. Yeah, sure, remind her of all her lost family right before a big battle where she's going to lose more people she knows. Great idea!

But Anwn knew what he left unsaid. "I know," she said in a quieter voice, "but as I said, I do not control any of them. I convinced the others to stay, but Darkhunter wouldn't be dissuaded." The wolf let out a sound halfway between a growl and a snort. Anwn looked at him and blushed but didn't say anything further.

Just then, Aidan spotted something in the distance. A great winged shape rose into the air, long and sinuous. Immense wings flapped, sending it streaking high, then it arched and dove back toward the ground. Lightning streaked from the front of the shape, striking the ground in a spiderweb of fulminating destruction. A heartbeat later, thunder pealed across the Highlands.

"Fionn," Aidan asked, "I thought you said a drake wouldn't attack a group as large as one of the convoys?"

"A drake would not," Ailis said, voice cold with fear. "That is not a drake; it is a dragon."