Blood Moon Cycle

Solidus removed the dagger from Rielle’s back and tossed it aside. He whispered a few words and a soft light covered her wound, stopping the bleeding, but her breathing did not improve and she did not wake. Solidus stood straight and called to the soldiers around the entrance of the Great Northern Gate.

“Who is in charge here?” He asked quickly. A man in chain mail armor stepped forward. He was mostly clean shaven save for some reddish stubble on his chin, and his deep green eyes watched Solidus warily.

“I am Captain Vesth, I command these soldiers that patrol the Northern Gate.” Solidus nodded.

“Good, gather some of your men and take this young woman to the command pavilion and ensure she is comfortable until I arrive to heal her. The rest of your men should pull back from the gate.” The captain looked at Solidus with great distrust.

“I will not jeopardize this camp by abandoning the gate.” Solidus rounded on the captain, anger in his eyes.

“I don’t have time to argue with you. Pull back your men or be responsible for their deaths when I pull down the mountain to block the pass.” Solidus’s voice was like thunder. The captain took a step back in surprise and eventually nodded under Solidus’s commanding stare. “All companies pull back to the main camp!” He yelled, turning and pointing at several others.

“You men, take the woman to the command pavilion.” Solidus nodded when the captain turned back around.

“Good, now stay with her until I come to heal her. She is Rielle Lyvinius, an ambassador from Hortaal. Give her diplomatic respect.” The captain saluted and then turned as the soldiers carefully put Rielle on a stretcher and then lifted her and carried her off at a double march, as the captain marched behind giving orders.

Solidus turned towards the gate and closed his eyes. His right hand was held in front of him, palm facing up, with his left hand resting carefully on top of it. Ancient words poured from his mouth as he gathered his will and inner power together. He lifted his left hand and an orb of energy formed in his right. The energy twisted and turned in every direction before collapsing in on itself to create a dense coalescence of energy at the center of the orb.

For several minutes Solidus stood chanting, energy building in his hands. The wind picked up around him, blowing sand from Telatia through the pass to tear at him. Solidus paused in his chanting.

“You cannot stop me from that distance.” He mumbled. Then he gripped the ball of energy in his right hand and threw it into the gate pass. He quickly twisted and danced as if fighting some unseen enemy and silver strings shot from his fingers to follow the orb under the gate and into the pass. With a shout, he released his clenched right hand and a roar shook through the ground, those nearby feeling a deep vibration shake them to the bone.

There was an earth shattering explosion as great pieces of rock sheared off from the wall of the mountain and were pulled inward, toward the center of the pass. Solidus continued to twist and turn, manipulating the strings in his hands. Several minutes passed before Solidus finally dropped his hands to his sides, the silver strings disappearing.

He looked at his work and nodded with satisfaction. The wall of rock that filled the Northern Pass was almost identical the one in the south-west. Giant boulders packed tightly together in an almost sheer cliff. Solidus took a deep breath to calm the rapid beat of his inner power and then turned and made his way to the command pavilion.

All along the way, soldiers stood respectfully to the side of the path. Some saluting, some simply staring in awe. Solidus swept into the command pavilion and motioned for the soldiers to leave. Once they were gone only three people remained. The army commander, a wizened old man in medic’s clothing, and Captain Vesth. The medic turned to look at Solidus.

“This is a mortal wound, there is nothing that can be done for her.” Solidus nodded. “Thank you, you may go.” The medic harrumphed and nodded, then left the pavilion with his bag of supplies.

“I am sorry she cannot be saved.” The commander stated. “I have met Ambassador Rielle on a few occasions and she is a great loss for her kingdom.” Solidus shook his head.

“She can be saved, though doing so will take my body.” The commander, a tall man with graying hair and wide shoulders, looked at Solidus.

“But the wound is mortal, it is a miracle she has survived this long.” Solidus shook his head again.

“Not a miracle. Magic.” The commander’s eyes widened and Captain Vesth took a step back, touching his forehead to ward away evil.

“I am Grandmaster Solidus, The Ageless Hermit Mage.” The commander’s eyes widened further and he quickly bowed at the waist.

“I had no idea that you had been found. We had lost hope of you coming to our aid.” Captain Vesth stiffly followed his commander’s example and bowed. Solidus motioned with his hand.

“We do not have time to waste at the present. I must heal Rielle quickly. When I do my body will fade and disappear. I will no longer be able to protect her from harm. When she leaves this place, I would ask that Captain Vesth accompany her as an escort.” The commander nodded immediately.

“Of course.” Solidus glanced at the captain. The captain bowed again.

“It will be an honor to escort the ambassador.” Solidus nodded.

“It will be a few days at least. Even with my healing, it will be sometime before she recovers. Now I must act. Remember what I have said.” The Commander nodded and Solidus stepped to Rielle’s side.

He placed one hand on her forehead and the other over her stomach, finding the faint pulse of her inner power. Slowly he chanted, speaking in a language that caused those who heard it to tremble. Solidus raised his eyes as if speaking to someone across the bed from Rielle. Slowly, at first, and then faster, a glow began to cover Rielle. Light poured from her in rivers and waterfalls, and the more the glow grew in brightness, the more translucent Solidus became. The glow continued to build until it was blinding and the commander and the captain were forced to turn away. Slowly the glow faded back to nothing and the two men were able to turn back and look.

Rielle lay alone on the bed, breathing evenly and stably. On the floor beside the bed lay a cloak, a bow, and a sword. The commander shook himself and looked up at Captain Vesth.

“Get some men and set up a diplomatic tent for the ambassador. Then carry her, bed and all, to her tent and post a guard in case she wakes.” Captain Vesth saluted.

“Yes commander.” He left the tent and could be heard shouting orders. The commander turned back to look at Rielle again.

“What now? What do we do now that the Hermit Mage is gone?”

Rielle woke with a throbbing pain in the center of her back. She laid there, trying to remember what had happened, but was unable to think through the haze. Trying to sit up only made things worse, and she was forced to lay back with a groan.

Immediately she heard someone enter the tent in which she was laying. She tried to look over but could only make out a vague image of a soldier in chain mail.

“Ambassador, it is good to see you are finally awake.” The soldier said. Rielle tried to speak but nothing came out the first time. She carefully cleared her throat, causing another sharp pain in her back, and tried again.

“Where am I?” The soldier waved his hand behind him.

“You are at what is left of the camp near the Great Northern Gate.” Rielle thought back carefully and then spoke again.

“How did I get here?” The soldier suddenly seemed nervous.

“I will summon the Commander and Captain Vesth. They will be able to explain everything to you.” Rielle nodded slowly and managed to wave her hand dismissively. The soldier quickly saluted and left the tent. Rielle heard words exchanged outside and then footsteps running into the distance. Eventually she gave up trying to sit and just laid on her bed, examining what she could of the room.

The tent she was in was large and well furnished, with a table and chairs along with a larger, padded chair at the head of the table. It was almost identical to many diplomatic tents she had stayed in during discussions on neutral ground. The tent itself was nothing to get excited over. A simple canvas tent, soaked in oil to make it waterproof, with a pole in the center and flaps on the ceiling to let the light in.

Rielle sighed, and then caught her breath as the pain in her back returned. She did not have to wait long before two men entered her tent, each saluting and then bowing once before pulling a chair over next to her bed.

“It is good to see you awake Ambassador Rielle.” Said one soldier in plate armor with gold leafing across his shoulder.

“Commander Thereon of Gentry, I am pleased to see you are well.” The commander half bowed in his seat.

“Thank you, but it is you who I am pleased to see well. For a while we almost didn’t think you were going to make it.” Rielle’s eyebrows drew together.

“What happened, I cannot piece together the memories.” The commander coughed once uncomfortably.

“Well, I don’t know the whole story, just since you arrived here.” Rielle’s eyes widened and her shock grew as the commander told her of how she and Solidus had appeared out of thin air before the gate with a sound like thunder. She had been mortally wounded with a knife in the back, the commander said. Solidus had placed a spell on her to keep her alive and ordered her to be brought to the commander’s pavilion and then proceeded to use his unimaginable powers to destroy the Northern Gate.

Rielle noticed that every time the commander mentioned magic, the captain that stood just behind and to one side of him made a sign to ward away evil. The commander continued and told how the camp medic had said there was no way to save Rielle, but Solidus had sacrificed his own body to heal hers.

Rielle laid numbly on the bed, using all of her will power to avoid showing any emotion at all, though tears welled up in her eyes.

“What is to happen now, commander?” She asked. The commander shrugged his shoulders.

“I am not certain. Master Solidus said you would need to be escorted by Captain Vesth when you left.” He motioned to the man behind him, who nodded stiffly. “But when and where you would go I do not know. When Master Solidus healed you, his body disappeared, leaving only his cloak and his sword and his bow.” Rielle nodded carefully.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“A full week.” Captain Vesth finally spoke, his voice hard, but oddly sympathetic. Rielle nodded again.

“Then we must hurry. What time of day is it?”

“Early morning.” The commander answered. “Half the camp is not even awake yet.” Rielle thought silently to herself for a few moments.

“We should leave by this afternoon.”

“Are you sure you will be able to travel so soon?” The commander asked. Rielle nodded. “I have no choice. I must speak with the king in Serriana and then sail back to Hortaal and speak with the High King there. If you will provide me with a horse, I do not think I will find it hard to travel the distance.” The commander nodded and then turned to Captain Vesth. “Prepare your horse and another for the ambassador. If you ride out at a steady pace you should reach Serriana in two days. Accompany her on the ship to Hortaal and then your charge will be done and you may return here.” The captain saluted without a word and then bowed to Rielle before leaving the tent. The commander sighed.

“Most of the men in camp were shook up by your arrival with Master Solidus. Most believe that everything is well because you are an ambassador from our allies in Hortaal, and Solidus healed you from a mortal wound. But unfortunately there are some, like Captain Vesth, who believe that no matter how it is used, Magic is a vile and evil practice.” Rielle sighed, this time the pain was not enough to cause her breath to catch.

“Evil is sealed in the Mercury mountains. If magic was evil, it would have been sealed there as well. Solidus taught me that.” The commander nodded.

“If my men could be convinced of that I would not be so worried.” Rielle turned her head and looked at the commander.

“You think Captain Vesth may try something?” The commander quickly shook his head. “Not Vesth, no. He is fiercely loyal and will follow every order without question. Even if he does not like magic, he will endure being near it to follow his orders, for a time at least. It is the others that worry me. Not all of them are as disciplined and principled as Vesth.” Rielle tried to sit up again. This time she succeeded, though a groan still escaped her lips. The commander placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her then stood and walked to the tent entrance.

“I will send someone with food and drink for you. And the medic to ensure you are alright before you head out.” Rielle nodded.

“Could you also have Solidus’s things brought to me?” She asked. “I wish to keep them.” The commander bowed.

“Of course.” He turned and swept through the tent flap and was gone. Rielle slowly, using the chairs as support, managed to drag herself over to the large padded chair and sit down, reclining back in its soft support. A soldier came in carrying a large tray of food and a pitcher of water. He placed it on the table with a bow and then turned to go. Before he got halfway to the door, however, he stopped and turned back. Rielle read his face immediately.

“He is disgusted with me.” She thought to herself.

“I was raised as a good upstanding lad.” The soldier said. “Always taught the difference between right and wrong.”

“He is going to attack me.” She realized. “What can I do? I am too weak to run, and if I call for help he will kill me before help arrives.”

“I was always taught that the purge was necessary to keep us all alive.” The soldier continued. “Magic drives all its users mad, and all those it is used on become an infectious disease that kills and maims.” Solidus’s words flowed back to Rielle. If you are in a situation you have no experience in, you must assess the situation. If you are in harm’s way, you must protect yourself accordingly.

“Well, I am definitely in harm’s way.” Rielle quickly looked for her inner power.

“By all rights, miss ambassador, you should be dead a long time ago. But the man used magic to keep you alive.” The soldier quickly made the sign to ward off evil. Rielle started to will her power to beat faster.

“The man used his evil powers to bring you back to life.” The soldier reached down to his side and took hold of his sword handle. Rielle directed the power to her arms and let it start to build.

“Solidus was not an evil man. He was trying to save all of us.” The soldier shook his head.

“If you think that way then obviously the evil has started to effect you.” He drew his sword and took a step towards Rielle.

“Please don’t make me hurt you.” Rielle said, almost begging. The soldier smiled sadly. “You can barely keep yourself upright in that chair miss ambassador, I don’t think you will be hurting anyone.” Rielle found that she was slouching badly. As your energy builds stand straight and tall, as if in the presence of royalty. Solidus’s instructions floated back to her from her memories. She forced herself to sit up straight. The soldier’s sad smile turned into a frown. “At least you will die with dignity.” He said, then he leapt at her, sword raised above his head. Rielle’s anger boiled within her and a single shout escaped her lips.

“No!” The image of her shield filled with power and a shining purple barrier leapt up around her. The soldier crashed into the shield and was flung backwards onto the floor. Rielle felt the pressure in front of her grow as the soldier was thrown and the strain made her lose her shield. She laid back in her chair, panting, almost sobbing with the pain in her back. The soldier quickly stood and stared at Rielle with a mixture of fear and disgust.

The soldier took a step as if to attack again, but a hand grabbed his sword arm and pulled him off balance. Captain Vesth stepped into the tent and struck the soldier hard, breaking his nose. The soldier dropped to the floor again, clutching at his nose with his empty hand as crimson blood gushed from him. Captain Vesth stepped between Rielle and the soldier.

“Why do you attack the ambassador? Are you trying to start a war with Hortaal?” Captain Vesth asked. The soldier stood.

“Captain, she has been touched by magic and is tainted. We are all in danger if she is allowed to live.” The Captain stood his ground.

“The commander ordered that she would be protected as long as she is in this camp. Are you going to disobey orders soldier?” The soldier looked between Captain Vesth and Rielle. The he pointed his sword at Rielle

“But she used magic too Captain!” Captain Vesth looked over his shoulder at Rielle with an unreadable expression.

“Will he attack me as well, now that he knows?” The captain turned back to the soldier. “That is irrelevant. Our orders say we protect her, and protect her we shall.” The soldier stammered and didn’t look as if he would back down.

“Or would you rather face me instead soldier.” Vesth carefully laid a single hand on the curved sword at his side. The soldier trembled for several moments before his sword dropped to the floor.

“No, Captain, I would not.” Vesth nodded and his hand left his sword.

“Good.” The Captain clapped once and two guards came in from outside. “Take him to Commander Thereon. Await my arrival before the commander places judgment.” The two guards saluted then took the soldier by the arms and led him from the tent. Vesth turned around and looked at Rielle with that same unreadable expression. Rielle met his gaze evenly.

“What will you do, now that you know, Captain Vesth? Solidus began training me before he… died.” It was still difficult for Rielle to admit. “All I can do is raise a shield around me that can protect me from physical harm. I will not hold it against you if you wish to let another be my escort.” Vesth watched her carefully for several moments before speaking.

“Master Solidus asked for me to protect you by name. As much as I despise magic, I would not defy his orders, even in death.” Rielle thought she almost saw a flash of fear and respect play across his face. “And Commander Thereon has also commanded that I act as your escort. I will fulfill my orders as they have been given.” Vesth turned back towards the door. “The horses are ready. Eat your fill ambassador, we will leave as soon as you are able.” Without waiting for a response, he marched out of the door. Rielle let out a deep breath she had been holding.

“I think I am going to have to work on that one.” She thought to herself. “Befriending him would be much better than simply making him follow orders.” Satisfied that she had, at least temporarily, escape danger, Rielle settled in her chair and began to eat from the tray that had been brought for her.