Carmine

The air cornered as the moon lost the fight to the heat of the raising sun, that and my beating heart. It was hot on the trail to damnation. To think this would happen, to think we would find ourselves like this.

It was asked of me to fight for my life, but why were so many men desperate to take it? I tried to slow my breathing, but the pressure shackled me. Three men in cloaks stopped in front of us.

I fidgeted, but fear ripped through me when I noticed one of them staring at me. Valor merely stood there and watched the men.

His hand hovered on his axe with its short handle, yet that metal was engraved with drawings of birds that swirled around the edge of the gleaming metal.

I wondered who crafted such an axe for him. Here I thought he was a simple sell-sword. He might be of import to be carrying around such dangerous artistry.

Nothing moved, while the bush near us shook in response to our monotonous standoff.

Afraid to breathe, I barely mustered an exhale as my legs shook at the thought of my possible death.

“Tch!” I heard from one of them.

“Hand over the lass and we let you live,” the man across from us said.

“Take her from my cold dead hands,” Valor replied. I shuddered at his potent words, for I knew my situation was dire. Far from the edge of a dream, this was a nightmare.

He tried to round Valor who remained still. A spilt second later, the man’s face took a vicious slice. Blood spilled from the epicenter.

Valor’s foot hooked the back of his leg dragging it forward then he cleaved the axe into the man’s knee. It enlisted a shattering scream that set the two others to rush him.

One sidestepped Valor and came at me. I froze. The man shook and fell face first.

He dropped before my stiffened foot and his blood spattered across my old linen trousers. I winced at the axe logged in the back of his head.

The axe was lodged in the back of his head. Half of it, anyways; I swallowed hard as my throat flooded with saliva and I looked away, while lightness clouded my thoughts.

I breathed out and tried to focus. My chest heaved from the tension and I riveted to the marrow of my bones as dust tickled my skin. The wind blew and segregated into currents after it slammed into Valor’s unmoving figure.

The other guy held his side, the ground drenched with a steady stream of blood.

Valor gripped his neck and drew him in close.

“Who sent you? Tell me and I will end the pain now,” Valor said. As much as I did not like the sound of that, I said nothing.

“Arrgh…ah..ch…” his chest heaved to the pressure to speak much less breathe. “Erot…”

As in the God Erot?

“I see.” Valor took out a knife. I looked away. His dismal cry for life ended with a yelp and gurgle.

Why did so many people want me dead?

“Carmine,” his voice called to me, so sweetly.

I stared into his face, while drops of blood rolled down some parts of it. His eyes were serene. His smile remained me of how my father stared at me, with pride. A mumbled curse escaped my lips, for I never imagined I would miss such a thing.

“Come on, we have almost reached Septilon,” he said.

“Here I thought we would never reach.”

He came close taking the bag out of my tight grip. The pain eased off my fingers. I had not realized how tight I held it.

“Like I would let that happen,” he replied.

I said, “So that you may bring me to this person who can do, God’s knows what with me?"

He smiled. “Think of it this way, I said I would carry you there. After that my loyalty to him ends. Anything you do after that, does not concern me.”

I quirked an eyebrow at him, but left it at that as my cold body got sheltered in the cloak he offered.

“Also, when we are almost there, I need you to do something for me.”

“That is fine with me,” I replied.

We arrived at Septilon after a short ride on his horse. The hills and the rocky path were behind us now. A three-sectioned battlement wall stood before us. One stood on top of the other.

The spikes fortified the bottom of the stone wall; a mosaic of light and dark rock. Steeples rounded the structure as the open crenels all contained an archer or soldier by their side.

This was not a big city, but it was an important one at least. Beyond here lied the border between here and the Deadlands. Beyond that was Elam to the east.

No one dared go east; it was safer to go south. You could touch through Ulyia or Baska.

We stepped into a short line that hovered close to the large menacing door. Eyes peeled over our bodies as we stepped up to the guards. It was obvious Valor attracted too much attention.

They held out their hands and stopped us after they let a cart man through. There were two guards at the gate, so this should be easy enough. I only had to remember my part which instructed Valor to bow as I stood straight to show my authority.

My clothes were different now. I wore a blue tunic with white lace, gold woven in the inner border of the torso.

Silver clips sat on the collar of my cleavage, while my undergarment was a darker shade of blue with arm braces that flashed a fashionable glint. I wore dark trousers and leather square-mouthed shoes, so It was not a dress.

Since I traveled with only Valor, it would have been odd if I wore a dress. This was the best compromise. A suit that made me important by appearance, while it was still practical for the occasion.

The guard nodded and motioned to his partner who gazed his eyes over me.

“Nice axe, my Lady, he is?” the guard pointed at Valor.

“My guard,” I said. The guard nodded, so he looked back. He nodded at his partner, and after that, he looked me dead in the eye.

“Lady, sure he ain’t a heretic?”

“I am sure, he is pure. Check him,” I replied.

Terisons were few in those lands, fewer yet in most places. A Shyia could grow up without ever seeing a Terison not once in their lifetime.

Because of how little we saw of them, the usual rumor was that he or she must be from Elam.

Elam was the country my chamber servants whispered duppy stories to me at night about. It was the country of witches, wizards, harpies, and goblins. Terisons were more prevalent in Elam I heard. They hardly found safety elsewhere and if I was evil enough I would reveal him to the guards and take my freedom back.

I decided not to, for he was not the only one that wanted my life. Being out here alone in this land scared me, besides, Valor never harmed me, so he was trying his best to complete his mission. He was a professional and if I could trust him with that then I could wait until we got close to his destination.

That was when my betrayal would become complete.

The guard patted Valor down, looked at his knife and axe even swung them a few times. He had Valor partially disrobe. Nothing on his skin to indicate he was from Elam.

I knew that witches and wizards used tattoos in witchcraft in some manner, yet I did not know how it was done, but they did it.

Valor said he was a Champion, so if he was associated with witches in the past he was not practicing it now. I guessed he might have been a servant or a guard or a slave, which I heard slavery was a very important part of their society and it was in many places inclusive of my country.

The useless or weak served witches as slaves least they be offered to the devils as sacrifices as the stories went.

In a way, we used slaves as well. When I was growing up, a few of my servants were slaves. They became slaves, because of punishment, or debt owed by a family member, so the slave served as compensation.

“Alright let them through,” the guard said.

We passed him. I stepped pass the last man who gave me a respectful nod.

“Oh, one more thing!”

I froze and Valor almost hit into me, but he rounded his frame as did I. The guard spat on the ground and looked at his comrade.

“We have a rule, no weapons in the city, my Lady."

I replied, “He is my guard. He cannot do his role without his weapons. Can you not make an exception? I do not want my blood on your city’s floor…least your lord hears of that.”

“Our city is quite safe, my Lady.”

There were two big carriages, one looked tightly secured by retainers. If I made a scene here I could look demure and get away.

“My apologies, here they are. I am deeply sorry and do not want to cause any trouble for my Lady.” Valor bowed low with axe in hand.

The man smiled and took it eagerly. This greedy bastard, I restrained the shivering in my arm when I clutched my fist in anguish. I saw ‘red eye’ was not solely in Ascus.

We left with speed, but humiliation plagued my mind. I even ripped into Valor about how easily he gave up.

He responded, “Then we attract way too much attention? No, it hurts, but I must protect you. You are the priority here. I will buy a weapon once we get further inside the city. We need a horse for you too. You know how to ride one?”

“Yes, but you should have let me handled him.”

“Do not worry so much. Besides, I was able to avoid giving them the knife.”

I wanted to call him an idiot, but I let it go. We got attacked a while ago.

He was right. It was not smart to attract too much attention. I hoped no one attacked us before he bought a weapon.

That little knife would not help us against long swords and axes in the hands of strong men.