The Immortal One

Chapter Four - Heartless

The Immortal One led them to an expansive and old forest. In the ancient myths of mankind, it was home to great spirits and powerful creatures. The legends called it the woods of the forgotten world. She had read about it and seen it on maps, but this was her first time seeing it in person. The traveler stopped beside a stream.

"So...what should I call you? Do you have a name?" She asked him.
Säyä relished the feeling of the cool water coursing between her toes. It was high noon, and they had walked without rest since dawn. She was particularly tired, as she had traveled a great distance the day before and had hardly been granted a moment's rest. The Immortal One spoke very little, and she was hard pressed to keep with his pace. His stamina was incredibly abundant, even now he seemed to have stopped only for her sake, and of course, to refill their canteens with fresh stream water.
"I have been given many names. It matters not. Call me what you wish."
She felt like protesting, but dropped the issue. She could only imagine what life must be like for someone like him.
How long has he been alive? I wonder. A hundred years? A thousand? What must it be like to never fear death? He could make himself a King, or convince people that he was a God. What does he - do? What does he live for?
The traveler finished filling the containers and then began to drink by scooping water into his hands. He made certain to remain fully aware of his surroundings.
Säyä decided that she would consider carefully the name that she would give him, and opted to wait.
"Where are we going?"
"Nowhere in particular. We must stay one step ahead of those who pursue us."
"About that. Why do they want to kill you?"
"I..." He hesitated. She could tell that his natural response was to avoid questions, to remain distant and secretive. Yet she also felt connected to him, and she wondered if he too felt the bond.
"I killed several soldiers in Saekän. They were protecting a group of slavers that were transporting captured mages to be brainwashed or harvested in their dungeons. I freed them."
Säyä sensed that there was more to the story. She could feel the conflict within him, a schism that ran deep.
"Why did you decide to save them?"
Their hearts resonated, the link felt almost tangible now. It was happening so quickly that the comfortable familiarity that resulted felt paradoxically uncomfortable.
Why do I feel this way? As if I have been waiting for him my entire life. As if I was born to meet him. Being with him feels...so right. As if all is as it should be.
He averted his gaze and said only, "I am not...a hero."
With that, he rose to his feet and gathered the gear. It was time to move on.

They were not far into the forest when she heard the howl in the distance. The Immortal One broke into a pace that was swift but steady as Säyä did her best to keep up. She recognized the sound of the creatures, they were Mäbän warhounds; they were fast and had an amazing sense of smell that could track their prey regardless of most weather and distance. They were ferocious, and she deduced that there would be many soldiers along-side or riding atop of them. Outrunning them was not an option. The traveler knew this and stopped at the banks of a nearby river.
"Conceal yourself in the running water, use the hollow reeds to breathe. Do not emerge until I come for you."
Saya did as she was told and submerged herself. She wished to see him in battle, but her intense curiosity gave way to his word. However, she positioned her body so that a part of her head was elevated above the water, allowing her to hear. She tracked the sound of armored footfalls and barks until she was reasonably certain that they had surrounded the traveler's position.
A gruff voice shouted a command and the sounds quieted.
"Aetós Älder, I presume." His tone rang of entitlement and arrogance, with the added spice of a sadistic love for his job.
"The Magistrates of Saekän are quite interested in you. They've sent a..." He chuckled, "Formal invitation. Why don't you come with us?"
Aetós Älder. His name...Säyä thought. She felt the vibration in her Heart intensify, pulling her to his side as if by magnetism. She raised her head above the water so that she could see him.
He raised a single finger,
"One chance." With his back to her, she could not see his eyes - but she knew all too well the terrifying weight that the soldiers must surely have been feeling. The warhounds began to whimper and cower away, and the soldiers looked to one another in confusion, plagued by the strange power that he was exerting.
"One chance to walk away. If you do, then I shall spare your lives."
Three of the men in the rear broke rank and fled. Their actions sent a wave of panic through the lot of them.
"Stand your ground!" Beckoned their leader. "Pin him down and bind him!"
Säyä gasped. They know that they cannot kill him, so they plan to restrain him for capture instead!
The soldiers moved in.

She never saw him move. One moment he was standing before them, nonthreatening. The next, something tore into the men, sending them soaring through the air and scattering them in all directions. It was like an invisible tidal wave, or explosion, had erupted out of him and laid waste to his enemies. Half of their force was felled in an instant.
Säyä focused like she had never focused before. All of her attention trained upon Aetós.
She barely caught a glimpse of it - his hand touched his sword, and then came a moment where it seemed to disappear, and then it returned. A flash.
A second wave finished off the lot of them, the ground was ravaged as if giant tills had tore into and raked it.
She submerged herself, and waited until he came and pulled her out of the water. His expression told her that he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue.
"There will be more. We must go."
Säyä's clothes were drenched, she was not looking forward to running in such a state. Her vest was all that was not holding the water. She treasured it. It had been made by her mother, and it was gilded with several crystals in special patterns.
Standing close to him once again, she felt the power of the attraction between them increase. His gravity was irresistible. She reached out and took hold of his sleeve.
"Please, tell me...how did you do that? Are you a mage?"
He fought against his instinct to remain closed-off from connections. For the first time in a very long time, he felt a bond with someone strong enough to overcome that protective habit. He knew not why. It concerned him.
"I am not a mage. I am a swordsman. I did not slay them with Majik. The speed of my blade breaks the sound barrier, and creates a backlash that I then direct."
Her eyes widened in awe. "You did that...with sound?"
"Yes."
"Your name...it is Aetós Älder?"
"I have had many names in the course of my days. It is as good as any other.
I know of a path that will deliver us from their reach. We will make our way to a darker part of the forest." He intensified his gaze to stress his next point. "Do not draw your dagger, or any other weapon. Your life depends on it. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
He nodded and moved off once again. Loyally, Säyä followed. She could not help but feel that this would be a much simpler matter for him to resolve if he was not concerned with finding a way to keep her safe. Already, she had become a burden to him. Why had he let her come along? He must have known that these soldiers would continue to pursue him, and that she would slow him down.
Still, Säyä refused to allow herself to be disheartened. She would do her best, and with that resolution, she raced to keep his pace.