Fan Fiction ❯ Summoner ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2

 

 

It was late the next morning when the pair were awoken by raised voices from inside the barn. Nix awoke with a start, but his yelp was stifled by Carver, who but a finger to his lips and peered slowly over the wooden divider. The serving girl that had helped them in the previous next was crying and moved to stop an Elvish soldier who was searching the stalls, and received a harsh back-hand for her efforts.

 

They were trapped.

 

“We need out of here. Now.” Carver remarked as he turned about, searching for any possible exit. There was none, all the walls were solid wood and exiting the stall would lead them right into the Elves field of view. The straw-strewn floor was too solid to dig out of, however near the back there was a sunken area. The larger man grabbed Nix and shoved him none-too-gently down, grabbed a clump of hay from the feed hanging against one wall, scattered it over his cloak and jumped on top of Nix, then pulled the cloak over them both. Nix's breathing sounded heavy in his ears, and he could feel his own heart pounding through his chest, against the smaller human's ear. The barn was full of shadows, so if they were lucky the dark cloak might just save them.

 

The footsteps paused outside their stall, but carried on past without remark. The relief was almost palpable. The pair gave it a good five minutes once the Elves left before they snuck out and stole some supplies from the unattended kitchen of the Inn, then proceeded into the forest.

 

“You think we'll find someone from the resistance willing to take us in at Hyllyard Heights?” Nix asked as they picked their way through the undergrowth, his eyes down watching his feet.

 

“Doubtlessly. They need every fighter they can get, I'm sure we'll be put to good use.”

 

Carver's response was typical of him. Closed. Nix was used to it though, the pair had been friends since they could walk and he knew that underneath the stoic exterior beat the heart of a very deep person. As a result, there were a lot of comfortable silences in the friendship.

 

The mountain itself was hardly a mountain, more of a mound and the entrance was actually disguised as the entrance to a stream. The pair had to crouch to get in, but found the side passage and struggled through the narrow crevice to a small circular chamber lit by blue orbs inlaid around the perimeter of the wall. The ceiling was painted in now-faded colours depicting Raine and her participation in the third oceanic wars, leading a fleet of Water-working ships against the now-extinct Ice-Drakes. In the centre of the chamber was a circular tablet around three meters in diameter, and when the two teenagers stood on the patterned stone, it lit up, tracing an electric blue line of light around the perimeter. With a shudder, the tablet slowly descended, plunging the two into darkness as the reassuring blue glow from the orbs left them.

 

For what seemed an eternity they descended until finally they stopped, and fumbled their way down some steps, and hit the unrelenting heavy wood of a large door. For a moment there was silence, then, with a shuddered groan, the doors parted, blinding the pair momentarily with a stark blue light. The sound of trickling water swept past them, and cutting through that like a melodic birdsong was another voice.

 

“Welcome, I am Nikolai, keeper of Hyllyard Heights. You are here to enquire about the resistance?”

 

His voice was warm, inviting and confident, speaking from a great many years experience. As their visions got used to the soft blue lights coming from the blue orbs inlaid into the walls, they took in a large ante-chamber, much like the one above, only the paintings on the ceiling were much clearer. Again, they depicted Raine's triumph in the third oceanic war, but this time the clarity was accompanying it with beautiful renderings of her willowy frame dancing through some ritualistic summoning, and the Ocean spirit wiping out the opposing fleet. Her face was distant, emotionless, and passive all through the dance, until the end where it depicted her kneeling, weeping at the death of so many people by her hands.

 

Carver stepped forward and nodded. “We'd like to join the fight our people have endured for so long, we've just come of age and are willing to do whatever it takes to free the race of men.”

 

Nikolai smiled, although there was a tinge of sadness to his expression. He gestured behind him and two tall men sporting blue chain-mail armour and clothing stepped forward. “These men will take you to Captain Grody, he'll get you started on your training.

 

Nix and Carver smiled in gratitude and followed the guardsmen further into the Keep. Nikolai watched after them before being joined by a feathery near-human who shared a fair few features with avains, such as a large beak and fantastically coloured feathering.

 

“Is it him?” The creature asked from under his dull-brown robe, an almost mocking gesture to his beautiful plumage.

 

“I think so, Fellip. We'll have him go through the training regime, and then see for ourselves. If it is, there might just be hope for us yet.”

 

“As long as they don't find our retreat here, for if we can't learn from history, then we're doomed to repeat it.” The quirky creature said in a strangely melodic voice. Nikolai nodded in silent agreement.