The Journey to Auleruad

Mareus: Another Failure

42nd Day of Rising Fall
Mareus felt bad for this Marasun person. Maybe, if he had stayed with her, he could have saved her life and Emara might still be alive. Miraleo noticed the depression that had been going away these past few days returning to Mareus.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault," she said. It didn't seem to help.

"It's another person I let down," He said simply. Miraleo was at a loss at what to say, but the sounds of hooves in the distance distracted them.

"What's with that?" Miraleo asked. Horses we rare in the Shadowlands, as only the wealthy or the military could afford to take care of one, and that many horses, judging by the noise they were making, usually meant the military was up to something.

"If it's those Empirans, I'm gonna kill them till I drop," Mareus said menacingly. Miraleo thought about how grief could bring out the worst in people.

"Here they come," Mareus said. Sure enough, about 15 Shadian horsemen came into view and galloped towards them.

"We should get out of here," Miraleo said, thinking about the renegade Shadian groups that had been popping up recently.

"Too late," Mareus said as they were surrounded. He wasn't fearful of renegades, however, because he recognized one of the Shadians. Lord Miaford.

"Calvary! Halt!" He shouted. Mareus remained unimpressed, but coughed a little from the dust.

"Did you come here to kick dust into our faces?" He asked, remembering his last meeting with the Lord of Jans.

"Silence, boy. The king seeks an audience with you and the Empiran assassins are looking for you also. We must leave," Lord Miaford said urgently.

"You know, I'm not-" Mareus began to say, but a loud thud and a horseman falling to the ground with an arrow in his chest stopped him.

"Calvary! Form Lines!" Lord Miaford ordered. Mareus and Miraleo were frozen, staring at the dead horseman.

"Mareus! Take that horse and ride to Jans! Get there quickly!" The lord cried, deflecting an arrow with his shield. Mareus grabbed Miraleo's hand and took her to the riderless horse, where he helped her into the saddle before getting on himself. An arrow cut through the shoulder of his tunic and cut a few locks of Miraleo's hair.

"Go now!" Lord Miaford yelled before leading his calvary into battle with an Empiran phalanx. They were hopelessly outnumbered, but Mareus knew he could do nothing. Instead he urged the horse into a gallop and hurried towards Jans.