Oracus: The Lavorian Rider

Thirty-One - The Black Forest

Oracus came around to salty water lapping his face. When he opened his eyes, he realised he was floating on the ocean, face down beside Bandor on Catania's broken dresser.

The memories from the palace all came back to him at once – Catania killing Alticon, Jowra almost destroying the palace... himself firing an arrow into his mother's chest. He looked around for the palace but could see nothing except a few mountains in the distance with stormclouds churning above.

"How long have I been out?" he asked Bandor.

"An hour or so," his Lion's voice purred back at him. "I was worried about you."

"I'm fine," Oracus said. "But my body is sore."

Oracus looked down at himself and saw blood was seeping from the wound on his arm that Gravaz had dealt him. He felt pain in his back too, and in his legs where he had been trapped under rubble. He fidgeted to find comfort, but only succeeded in splashing himself with water.

"Do you think they managed to hold the city?" Oracus said hopefully.

"I think it was already defeated before we left," Bandor admitted.

"Then do you think everyone got out safely?"

"I'm sure all the women and children are already in the mountains," Bandor said. "But I don't know where they will go."

"To Afarra probably," Oracus answered.

"The other side of Pharia. It'll be a miracle if Jowra's soldiers don't intercept them on the way."

A feeling of dread crept over Oracus's body. Thousands of innocent people would be captured by Jowra because he and the other Riders had failed to defend Tallarin. And thousands of soldiers had already lost their lives because he hadn't been able to protect them.

"I hope Kivali is with those who escaped," he said.

"She was still alive when I came to help you. She's tough, it'll take a lot to kill her. And she won't let anyone come to harm."

"I should be with her," Oracus said. "She'll need help."

"It isn't worth worrying about," Bandor said. "There's nothing you can do. We're adrift in the middle of the ocean and nobody is looking for us."

"Then we need to get back to land. We should swim back to Tallarin."

"The current has carried us all this way in an hour, Oracus. We'd never make it. And you're injured too."

"Then do we just drift until we die?"

"Maybe. But we're heading west," Bandor stated. "There's a chance we'll reach land eventually."

"But there's more of a chance we won't."

Oracus's thoughts turned to Garrin and Afarra, and whether his friend knew Tallarin had fallen. What would Torvanon do when the news reached them – send his army to Melzor, or set up a defence and hope to survive?

"Do you think Jowra has other forces spare that he didn't send to Tallarin?" he asked Bandor.

"Are you wondering if he'll need to regroup before attacking Afarra?" Bandor enquired.

"I guess so," Oracus admitted. "I hate the thought of Jowra taking control so swiftly. If we do make it back to land alive, I'd like to reach Afarra before all my friends are dead."

"There's no guarantee Jowra would defeat Afarra if he did attack," Bandor said.

"Did you see the way Mammat broke down the wall at Tallarin?" Oracus replied. "He would step over Afarra's wall and trample the buildings to dust."