Ashborn Primordial

Chapter 8: Rudvik—Of Brij

The day started with a rustle and a chill.

After having spent much of the night on guard duty, Rudvik entered the tent as quietly as he could managewhich was to say, not quietly at allto cook up some breakfast.

Neither Vir nor Maiya had gotten much sleep, so they were already up when he handed them bowls of hot soup through the tents door. Vir had so many thoughts on his mind that falling asleep had been impossible, even ignoring the cold. Maiya just wasnt used to sleeping on the bare forest floor; shed been tossing, turning, and shivering all night. They ate in silence inside the tent, just happy to be putting something warm into their bellies.

Vir left the tent first. The soup had filled him with an inner warmth, but the morning chill still nipped at his fingers and his toes.

Wed best move quick. Deeper we get inta the Godshollow, the better, Rudvik said, staring off into the distance. Even now, hardly any light penetrated through the thick canopy, leaving the forest floor a place of perpetual darkness.

The forest grew denser and darker the deeper they went, so pathfinding wasnt too difficultassuming all you wanted to do was go deeper.

When theyd packed up camp, Rudvik kicked dirt over the campfire and swept leaves and sticks over the entire site. Dont wanna give those knights any ideas, if ya catch my drift. Mights well make it hard to follow our trail.

What if they have hunting bandies, though? Maiya asked.

Well then, nothin we can do bout that, can we? Rudvik said, hoisting his heavy pack. Now lets be off. Got a full day of hikin ahead of us.

They set out at a slow, even pace, with Rudvik taking the lead. Of them all, Maiya was the least suited to navigating the wilderness, so she was in the middle. They didnt want to risk getting separated if she started lagging behind. Vir brought up the rear.

I dont think those knightsll be able to bring their cavalry in here, Maiya said while they walked. Hard enough just to even walk here.

Right you are, Crimson. Oughta slow em even further. Were makin pretty good time. Strangers to the Godshollow wouldnt be able to cut through like we have. That said if were ever found, whatever ya do, dont resist. Those men are highly trained warriors. Neither of yad stand a chance.

Vir wanted to argue, but he really couldnt. He didnt have an ounce of combat training, and while Vir was good at throwing pebbles, he somehow doubted hed win a battle with a professional knight with his lobbing skills alone. The only weapons they carried were their bushcrafting knives and Rudviks tree ax. Against swords and spears, only Rudvik would stand a chance.

Conversation petered out as they penetrated into the Godshollows depths. Vir soon began to pant and sweat, but he toughed it out. Hed grow cold more easily on account of all the sweat, but he absolutely refused to slow the group down.

Lunch couldnt come soon enough. It was a welcome respitea quick affair of stale bread and oranges. They barely stopped for a half hour before picking back up, but it was enough for Vir to recover his energy. Not long enough for Vir to go hypothermic from all the cooling sweat, thankfully.

He felt safer the deeper they got, though Maiyas fright only continued to mount. She scanned their surroundings every few seconds. No doubt looking for the Ghost of the Godshollow, Vir smirked.

Did you hear that? Maiya whispered, halting.

Vir strained his ears, but all he heard were the eerie voices, the same as usual. He started walking, then noticed that Rudvik hadnt budged. The mans gaze was fixed on a certain spot, behind them and to the left.

Uncle Rudvik?

Somethins out there, Rudvik said.

Virs blood went cold. He forced himself to calm down. This was a forest, after all. A lush, vibrant forest. There were all manner of animals around. He couldnt just assume it was a knight.

Who? Maiya asked. Or, what?

Vir could hear them now. Multiple sounds in the distance. Moving slowly. Cautiously. Prana beasts? Or something worse?

Bandies, Rudvik declared. Several o em.

But Ive never heard of Bandies in this forest! Maiya whispered.

Scuz there aint, Crimson. Were bein followed.

How!? Vir couldnt understand how someone couldve found them so quickly. With Apramor leading the knights astray, they shouldve had days, not hours! Theyd come across no signs of the knights this entire time, either. Both Rudvik and Vir were pretty good at finding footprints and signs of trampled foliage: theyd seen none. It was almost as if as if theyd been here all along.

The lumberjack glanced at Vir, then at Maiya. Come close, ya two. Ready yer knives.

Vir already had his out. It wasnt muchjust simple ironbut it was his trusty companion of many years. The rust only gave it more character.

Maiya removed her much nicer knife from its sheath, but Vir was afraid shed drop it with how much her hands trembled. Then again, it wasnt like hed ever used his knife on a live animal before, either. He doubted hed fare much better.

I reckon theres about six of em. Sound right ta yer ears, Vir?

An entire pack, Vir affirmed. They were close now. Rudvik had been right not to flee. Neither Vir nor Maiya were cut out for sprinting through the forest. The only question now was just who they were up against. A knight? Or perhaps some other party that just happened to be in the woods with their bandies?

The Ghost of Godshollow, Maiya whispered. Vir was now genuinely worried about her knife.

Youre going to hurt yourself. Get a hold of yourself! He warned.

Maiya took a deep breath and calmed her jitters, but she was clearly spooked. So was he

Looking up, Vir scanned the great trunks of the Godhollows, soaring hundreds of paces in the air. Their enormous boughs offered the promise of safety, but only for him.

What about Neel? What about Maiya and Rudvik? They couldnt climb like he could, and he doubted even his bandy could scale such enormous heights. He refused to abandon everyone to save himself.

Neel started barking incessantly. The voices of the forest went silent.

Here they come! Rudvik roared, swinging his ax. Several forms blurred out of the forest, barking and yipping.

Rudviks ax smashed into the leading bandys stomach, throwing the animal against a nearby tree where it fell, limp.

Vir began lobbing rocks one after another. His encounter with Camas' bandies the other day had honed his throwing skills against moving targets. Or rather, the voices in his head had guided him somehow. Just as they guided him now.

One of his projectiles hit a bandy right in the eye, forcing it to abort its attack. But these animals behaved differently from the ones in the village. They were tougher, more organized. Even when hit on their snouts, they barely noticed, pressing relentlessly on.

The animals were close nowmany of his strikes missed, forcing him to dive away as two bandies beset him and Maiya. All thoughts of throwing any more pebbles disappeared the moment he saw their lithe forms leaping through the air, a mere pace away.

Flight instinct took over, and both he and Maiya dodged the Bandies vicious paws by a hair. Maiya hit the dirt hard while Vir broke his fall with a roll. Hed already begun heaving from the exertion.

Barely even fifteen seconds had passed.

Neel was embroiled in a fierce grapple with another Bandy, and both of them bled from claw slashes.

Rudvik roared again, attracting the beasts attention, giving Vir a moment to look around.

Maiya had fended off a bandy all on her own, inflicting a wound on the animals leg.

Three bandies circled several paces away, calmly looking for opportunities to engage. Their discipline and coordination proved that these werent mere hunting Bandies These were highly trained attack animals. Specially bred for hunting people. And there was only one organization who bred bandies for war.

The military.

Vir leaped and narrowly avoided another attack. His desperation continued to mount At this rate, it was only a matter of time before someone got injured. Rudvik apparently felt the same.

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You two! Were running.

It was a poor option, but it was clear to Vir that staying here was worse.

Rudvik sent another bandy flying with a great swing of his ax, then the three of them took off.

Neel! Vir yelled as he started running. The Bandy didnt hear him. Neel! He yelled again. This time, it noticed. Neel barked once and threw off his opponent. Vir wasnt worried; he had every faith that his bandy would catch up. It was himself he was more concerned about.

Cough!

Vir could barely breathe. He realized that if he was going to make it, he'd have to do something differently. He focused on his breathing, taking deep breaths to calm his heart. He chose every step he took with care, trying to minimize the amount of effort he expended.

It worked, for a while. Vir's breaths grew less ragged, but only by a hair. As he ran, he realized that even with his optimizations, his body simply couldn't keep up. His heart threatened to burst, and he fell behind the others. Neel barked, concerned.

I know! He looked back to see five bandies in hot pursuit, all intending to sink their fangs into him.

Badraks Balls, grak it! Maiya, Vir! To me! The lumberjack ordered. With his trunk of a left arm, he scooped up the fleeing Maiya, eliciting a shriek from the girl.

When Vir registered what was happening, he was already in the lumberjacks arms, being carried like a barrel. The lumberjack barreled through the Godshollow far faster than before.

Vir could scarcely believe what was happening. Rudviks carrying us both!?

He didnt know how much strength it took to carry two young adults, but he could scarcely lift Maiya himself And she wasnt a big girl, not even close.

You really can do anything, cant you? Vir muttered. It'd be handy to be that strong.

But as strong as Rudvik was, Vir knew he couldnt keep this up forever. He would eventually tire. Bandies could run all day long. It was clear who would win.

Theyre catching up! Maiya warned. She had her knife extended, her face set with determination. But rather than look gallant, she just came across as ridiculous, being carried by Rudvik.

You cant keep this up, father! Put us down!

What kinda father Rudvik gasped between breaths, cant defend his own children?

A frantic minute later, they broke out into a small grove where the trees were less dense. The sun broke through the canopy, high above, painting the forest floor with gorgeous shafts of light.

For a tiny moment, Vir forgot all about his fear, stunned speechless at the beauty of this place.

Then a bandy pounced upon them. Then two.

From his awkward position, Vir tried to lob pebbles at them, but it was hard to hit things when you were being jostled around.

One took a bite out of Rudviks shoulder, while the other slashed a paw across his face.

Gaaahhh!! The lumberjack went down, but somehow managed to protect both Vir and Maiya from being crushed by his weight.

Neel valiantly jumped into the fray, occupying the two bandies long enough for Rudvik to recover.

If the man was in pain, he didnt show it.

Listen! We can do this! Rudvik shouted as he righted himself. Only five of em left. Ill handle the ones that come from the front. You two guard my sides. Keep yer backs together. Ya hear? We got this!

Vir and Maiya nodded as the five bandies surrounded them. The beasts circled the three, eyeing them with both indignation and fear.

Well cmon! Get on with it! Rudvik shouted.

Not a single one responded to his provocations.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

All eyes turned to the stranger who emerged from the woods, clapping slowly.

Well, well, well! And what do we have here?

Vir felt they had a fighting chance against the bandies. It wouldnt have been an easy fight, and he might have gotten injured, but they had a chance. The man's presence was worrisome, but perhaps not a death sentence.

When Vir saw the emerald and gold of the mans armor, all hope left him. Hiranyan military.

It would seem that our dear priest has led us astray, after all. Captain Vastav was right to suspect him.

Whore you?

A scout for the Third Knight Legion. You are Rudvik, I presume? The lumberjack? And this must be Apramors daughter, eh? Flaming red hair, rebellious attitude And of course, our infamous Ashborn. Do you have any idea how much trouble youve caused us, young man?

Vir backed away instinctively. This knight was dangerous. He didn't need the loud whispers in his head to tell him that.

It wasnt just his vicious-looking poleax or his battered-and-mended brigandine armor. The man had a look that spoke volumes about the many battles hed seen. Vir could tell. This man had killed before. Many, many times. Vir could practically smell the stench of blood oozing off of him.

He backed up another step.

Wed been getting reports of an Ashborn in this area for ages, you know? the knight continued. No one really cared until now. Only, our new high priest is adamant that we bring you in, er, for protection.

If youre trying to protect me, why would you sic your bandies on us?

Ya call yerself a knight in the employ of Hiranya, and yet ye point yer blade at children? Rudvik shouted, pointing his axe at the man as he eyed the bandies encircling them.

The knight responded with a sad smile. Friend, I hear you. Believe you me, I take no pleasure in such actions. It is, he cut himself off with a sigh. Orders are orders, Im afraid. It wouldnt be the first time Ive had to carry out distasteful acts in the name of the greater good. I reckon it shall not be the last, either.

Neel, who had been growling at the soldier ever since he appeared, finally acted. He pounced upon the soldier, who calmly flicked a chakram at the bandy without even flinching.

Neel! No! Maiya shrieked, diving to protect the animal. Neel startled at the sound of his name. The flying disk missed by a hairs breadth, coming to rest deep within a nearby log..

Maiya grabbed Neels collar and glared at the soldier. Youre despicable.

Girl, I granted you a mercy by approaching you like this. I had hoped you would be reasonable. As I said, I do not enjoy this task. But as scout of the Third Knight Legion, I am under orders to use any means necessary to bring the Ashborn back alive. The lumberjack is hereby sentenced to death for obstruction of knightly affairs. The priests daughter will be brought to Daha and shall serve the kingdom for the rest of her life as penance for her parents actions.

Maiya blanched. What did you just say?

I do not enjoy this, girl. My duty is to protect our citizens, not to hunt them. As for you, I truly do not wish to harm you. Please come quietly. However, he said, locking eyes with Vir, traitors to humanity must be eliminated at all cost.

Virs fright evaporated in an instant, replaced by an icy anger. Their talk of protecting Ashborn had all been a lie. They meant to murder him. His anger blossomed into fury.

Rudvik stepped forward. I will not allow it.

The knight appraised Rudvik with a bemused expression. You!? Dont embarrass yourself, lumberjack. What combat training have you had? Have you ever even taken the life of another man? Will you behead me with that ungainly tree ax of yours?

Ye know grakkin well Ill do whateer it takes!

Sic! the knight yelled. At once, all the enemy bandies leaped at Rudvik.

The lumberjack was ready. He ducked low, barely avoiding the snapping jaw of a bandy, while he brought his ax to bear on another, gouging deep into its belly. But his weapon was not an agile one. Built for hacking at trees, its weight was ill suited for combat. While Rudvik worked to dislodge the blade from the bandys body, two others ripped into his arms.

Father! Vir screamed. He desperately thrust his knife into the closest bandys hide, but a paw swipe disarmed him, flinging the weapon aside and making his fingers bleed. The bandy hadnt even bothered to look at him

Rudvik whirled, throwing the bandies off one by one, but not before they took a chunk of his flesh with them. Blood poured from several wounds, staining his overalls crimson.

Run! He bellowed. Ill hold em off!

You think wed abandon you? Vir said in indignation, picking his knife back up and charging a bandy with reckless abandon.

Distasteful, the knight said with an exaggerated sigh, taking two steps forward in the blink of an eye. With a casualalmost boredmotion, he thrust his poleaxe forward.

There was no time to dodge. No one had even seen it coming, despite the weapons massive size.

The speartip met with Rudviks chest, and like a blade through water, passed through unimpeded.

Right through his chest, grazing his heart.

Maiya and Vir froze, their eyes glued to the blade as it penetrated all the way through Rudviks back, stained red.

WhaHngh! Rudvik looked down in disbelief. Pinned by the weapon, he couldnt move an inch. Most men wouldve crumpled right away, debilitated by the pain.

Not Rudvik. He grabbed the polearm with his left hand, preventing the knight from escaping. He swung his ax with his right.

He hit nothing but airhis reach simply wasnt enough to hit the knight at the other end of his long weapon.

Rudvik grunted. He repositioned his grip on the ax, and with the last remaining bit of his strength, hurled it at the knight, forcing the enemy to let go of his weapon to dodge. The ax sailed just past his neck, nicking it, and embedding itself into a nearby tree.

Vera curse you, backwater chal! The knight roared and jumped away, hastily drawing his talwar.

The lumberjack finally crumpled to the ground, but not before locking the knights abandoned weapon in a death grip.

Not a moment later, the four remaining bandies set upon him, tearing into his flesh.

Rudvik locked eyes with Vir, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. Run He whispered. His eyes glazed over, hands still holding his opponents weapon.

Unable to even shed a tear, Vir stared blankly at his father, transfixed.

The knight sheathed his sword and tried to yank his primary weapon from the lumberjack, one hand pressed against the wound on his neck.

Vir stared right up to the moment Rudvik shed his last tear and passed from this world to the next.

Then he screamed. His vision turned red as primal fury overcame him. Blinded by thoughts of revenge, his body moved on its own, charging the knight.

The knight looked up in surprise, still trying to dislodge his weapon.

Then an unseen force held Vir back. Unyielding. Like a wall.

Someone shouted at him. Heknewthat voice. Maiya?

Vir jolted back to his senses to find Maiya desperately clutching his clothes, knees on the ground, doing everything she could to stop him.

What are you going to do!? she wailed, tears flowing out of her eyes. Y-you want uncles sacrifice to be in vain!? Get a grip!

Hot shame coursed through Virs veins. Hed lost control of himself at the most crucial moment, nearly getting both of them killed.

He glared at the chal whod killed his fatherstill fussing over the weapon clutched within Rudviks handsand burned the mans face into his memory. Then he took a great breath and locked his emotions away, somewhere deep within him.

Now was not the time for guilt. Or grief. Or remorse.

To survive, he would have to act. And so he did.

Vir grabbed Maiyas wrist. We run.

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