Cycle of the Stars

Shadows Cast by Moonlight (2)

Kentraes found himself paired with Halais, a female pyromancer, as they ventured deeper into the heart of Lavla. The company of mages always unsettled him, but pyromancers, in particular, ignited a unique discomfort.

Every child learned to avoid playing with fire, a lesson ingrained for survival. Yet, the pyromancers showed no inclination toward such common sense.

Halais, a Zharaqi woman, stood at an unimposing 5'6, her hair cascading in loose curls, a departure from the common locs of their people.

Glancing to his left, Kentraes observed Tiernan riding alongside another pyromancer. The casual ease with which Tiernan had accepted the plan to raze the town frightened him. But self-doubt clouded his thoughts—was it his place to judge, given his active participation in the mission?

Besides I've killed dozens, perhaps hundreds of men on the battlefield, he thought, I'm no better myself.

Two days of continuous riding had passed, with few breaks. Although the others might not have noticed, Kentraes sensed an undercurrent of nervous energy in Lerae. The general frequently cast glances over his shoulder and the camps were dismantled with an urgency that betrayed an unspoken tension.

"We should be coming up on the mountain pass soon!" Officer Oldaris shouted.

Lerae raised his right arm, signaling an abrupt stop.

"As Ordaris says, we are nearing the pass. It's better to split up now, lest someone sees us together. We reconvene at the end of the pass."

"Yes, sir!" they shouted in unison.

Kentraes watched as the group fragmented, riding off in pairs.

"Won't they notice that a bunch of duos are riding through the gate and get suspicious?" he asked.

"I doubt it. Gates like these lack strict security; they're merely there to be closed in case an army approaches," Lerae explained.

For our sake, I hope he's right.

An hour later, the gate came into view, standing a few meters high, with rusted metal doors left wide open. The guards stationed there seemed they would rather be anywhere else.

"It's disappointing, isn't it?" Halais remarked.

Kentraes nodded, "The general kept mentioning how difficult it would be to pass, so I assumed it would be huge, kind of like the Forest Wall."

"Makes our job easier," she shrugged.

Taking no chances, they walked their horse through the gate. However, their caution proved unnecessary, as the guards paid little attention to their passing.

"It appears they were worried for nothing," Kentraes said as they mounted their horse.

"Wait!" one of the guards suddenly called out, a large man with puffed-up curls. "There's a fee to cross here. The king needs coin for the war, ya know."

"Sorry, we weren't aw... "

"Does the king need coin or you?" interrupted Kentraes.

In a heartbeat, the other guards began closing in, surrounding them like wolves circling prey.

"What ya tryin' to say?" the man growled.

"Let's just pay, It's not worth it, Kentraes." Halais urged.

"I'm not paying these fake soldiers anything," Kentraes growled, "They have no honor, taking from refugees of war."

"You're better off listening to your lady; at least she's got some sense in her. You're lucky I'm being polite."

The lead guard unsheathed his sword, its blade glinting in the moonlight, almost making the man look like a competent soldier, almost.

Halais sighed and tossed three bronze coins to the bandit.

"That's it.?" asked another guard, eyeing Halais.

She tossed a silver coin in front of him.

"Let us go now," she demanded.

"Alright, men, let 'em go," the large guard declared.

For the rest of the ride toward the rendezvous point, Kentraes remained silent.

"Are you mad I wouldn't pay those scum their money?" Kentraes finally asked.

The silence persisted until the bubbling anger within Kentraes reached its boiling point.

"Those men are the type to pick on the weak, spineless fools," he exclaimed.

Halais remained silent like she was picking her carefully, when she finally spoke her voice pierced through the night air.

"I've heard your story, the honorable blade they call you. The men of the fifth infantry look up to you, you're like the Republic's golden child." she began.

"Equality, freedom, chivalry, and honor, you're probably one of the few people soldiers to truly believe in such fantasies. But me, I know the truth."

"And what truth is that?" Kentraes demanded.

"There is no honor in battle, nor equality in life. Those are the ramblings of con men and fools. Us regular people don't get such noble dreams."

The rest of the ride was shrouded in silence, save for the gallop of their horse, and the sad weeping of the wind.