The next day brought an end to the rain and blue skies greeted them in the morning. As always Lieut did not sleep during the night and woke Fairris early to be on their way. Fairris woke in a good mood and after she had a bite to eat they began their typical early morning sparring session. Lieut noticed that Fairris’s high spirits aided her during their mock fight as the elf attacked and defended with more enthusiasm and lasted longer than she had done previously. But it was starkly obvious that Fairris’s overall skill level had only slightly improved. It would be a very long time yet until she would ever be close to his level of ability, if at all.

They set out shortly after the sparring session with Inüer shining at their backs. The farms around the area had become less and the terrain had become rockier as the road moved along the foothills of the Gaia Mountains. Ahead of them a staircase of water gushed down from the mountains and carved into the earth causing the road to move down a gentle hill and across a long stone bridge, before winding back up onto the flat on the opposite bank. The creek was the beginning of the Yorna River that ran to the south and emptied into the ocean at Port Na’brath. Along the banks of the Yorna grew great green trees that crowded the waterway, but on the other side of the bridge the bank was wide and flat where there were only rocks and grass. As Lieut and Fairris moved from the bridge a trio of travellers came from the top of the hill ahead of them.

Lieut instantly recognised one of the travellers, the bald head and shoeless feet of the Head Hunter Elardōre was a sight not many would forget.

“Not him again,” Lieut grumbled, not slowing his pace. “How is he even alive?”

“My wayward fugitives,” beamed a tall man with short black hair and blue eyes.

The man wore a dark green uniform with a darker overcoat and across his breast shone the silver wolf of the Gaianaus coat of arms. Atop both shoulders were metal guards, similar to the one Fairris wore, except this man had several lines of rank upon both of them.

“Rathgard,” sneered Fairris, a dark cloud coming to her features.

“So you are the Regional Commander of Gaianaus,” Lieut remarked as both groups of travellers stopped, several paces from each other.

The Regional Commander nodded his head slightly.

“It was you who shot me down?” Lieut asked seriously.

“I gave the order, yes,” replied Rathgard evenly.

“You admit the betrayal?” Lieut’s eyes narrowed.

“The betrayal was from you and yours,” the Regional Commander snapped back. “What did you expect us to do? Your arrival was not agreed upon.”

“Kill first, ask questions later.” Lieut clenched his jaw. “How weak.”

Rathgard pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. “It no longer matters, communications have been made and our people have come to an agreement. Did you not hear about that? I have not come to interfere with you, but to tie up loose ends.”

“What?” the soldier beside Rathgard asked in surprise.

Lieut recognised this soldier as Liuden De’Vaan, the same guard they had seen at the Anduěr Monastery.

“You charged this man with treason yourself, Regional Commander,” Liuden argued.

“Enough,” Rathgard commanded, and the guardsman bit his lip.

“Yes, enough with the talky-talky and chitter-chatter,” Elardōre whined. “Can’t we just kill the bloody elf and Vythie already?”

“Indeed,” agreed Rathgard.

Elardōre let out a triumphant laugh, but his mirth soon turned to anger. “Hey, where in the Abyss is Vythie?”

“In Lancer by now, no doubt,” Lieut said as he drew his sword from its clips.

“Curse him!” Elardōre screamed, and a large Fog battle-axe appeared in the man’s hands.

“Why do you fight?” Rathgard cut in, a look of confusion upon his face. “I just told you that the conflict between us is resolved.”

“You destroyed my craft. Marooned me in a forest,” Lieut replied evenly. “This wound on my head is a result of your foolishness. Nothing is resolved between us. Only blood pays for blood.”

“But we are working together,” Rathgard blurted out in fear. “You fool.”

Lieut took a step forward, his golden eyes unblinking, and Fairris right beside him with her gunblades in her hands.

“Rathgard is mine,” Fairris growled her lips tight.

“Kill Fairris, Guardsman De’Vaan, and that Captaincy is yours,” Rathgard commanded Liuden as he backtracked away.

Liuden visibly sighed and summoned a sword and shield to his hands.

“Isn’t Regional Command more to your liking, Liuden?” Fairris asked, causing Liuden to look at her curiously, a hint of a smile in the corner of his mouth.

Lieut turned his attention solely on Elardōre who was looking at him wildly.

“You’re surprised I am alive?” the bald man asked him, nodding his head quickly. “I would not be if it were not for luck. When that cursed Vythe knocked me from the cliff I lost all consciousness and believed meself a goner. But then I awoke, stiff and cold and lying in snow, but alive.” The man’s eyes became distant. “With just enough strength in me to cast a warming spell I managed to stay that way. I then returned to the Regional Commander. Why you ask? ‘Cause I was hired to kill you, and kill you I will.”

“I am waiting,” Lieut replied and a thin smile came to his face.

Elardōre’s eyes widened and the corner of his mouth began to twitch. The strange man let out a maniacal scream and lunged at him with his axe.

Lieut easily deflected the swing and countered, but Elardōre turned out to be more cunning than he had anticipated. The bald man swept low and flung a handful of dirt at Lieut’s face as he rose. Lieut quickly twisted away from the cloud of rock and dust and darted back inward. Their blades locked together before them and they glared at one another.

Suddenly Lieut felt the push from Elardōre increase tenfold and he struggled to hold his footing, the Head Hunter was using magickal buffs to enhance his strength. Lieut beared his teeth in anger and flexed his muscles, pushing back against the weight of Elardōre’s attack. Just as Elardōre tried to push back Lieut twisted to the side, causing the Head Hunter to fall forward.

Elardōre managed to drop into a roll to regain his balance, but Lieut was upon him in a flash. Just as Elardōre turned to face him, Lieut drove his sword through the smaller man’s face. But what remained was only an after-image conjuration of the Head Hunter.

Lieut quickly turned around just in time to see the real Elardōre attack him. Only his lightning fast reflexes saved him and he backpedalled quickly, his sword picking off each of Elardōre’s attacks. Metal called out in a constant thrum and he moved quickly to regain a strong attacking stance, but Elardōre saw the advantage and did not relent.

Out of the corner of his eye Lieut saw a flash of energy from Fairris’s fight and a magickal shard scorched towards him. As the ball neared, his sword sucked up the Fog and Lieut turned the power towards Elardōre. Although it was not that strong the blast was enough to send the Head Hunter back a few steps and allow Lieut to set his feet in a correct fighting stance.

Lieut pressed towards Elardōre, his sword slashing and darting at the Head Hunter. This time it was Elardōre’s turn to retreat from the onslaught of strikes. Lieut then went into a spin his sword flying at Elardōre at every conceivable angle. Staggering on his heels Elardōre desperately defended against the blur of attacks, a look of fear came across the man’s face and he began to whine.

Lieut could see his victory. Elardōre was at the point of simply using the flat of his wide axe to defend the attacks. With every blow the Head Hunter let out a grunt or wail, and with every ten blows five would slip past Elardore’s defence and bite into skin.

The Head Hunter could see the end coming, Lieut could tell. In an act of desperation Elardōre threw a ball of energy towards him. Lieut smirked for as soon as the wave left Elardōre’s hand it was absorbed by his sword. Once again Lieut sent the power of the Fog towards Elardōre.

The Head Hunter staggered backwards and fell onto his backside, a bewildered look on his face. Lieut was quick to seize his chance and his sword slammed under Elardōre’s chin. But once again his blade hit nothing but the ghostly form of Elardōre.

Suddenly his legs buckled as Elardōre’s shoulder charged into the back of his knees, sending his tumbling to the ground and his sword jarring from his grasp.  Twisting onto his back Lieut turned in time to see Elardōre’s axe descend towards him. As quick as the blink of an eye, Lieut’s feet shot up and caught the blade before it blasted into his chest. Elardōre snarled and put more weight into the attack, gnashing his teeth and growling madly.

Lieut’s hand moved blindly around the area where his sword had tumbled, quickly trying to find the handle of his weapon. Just then his fingers felt the lion’s head pommel of his sword and he clutched onto it tightly. With a smile he swung his sword towards Elardore’s head, but suddenly the bald man was flying over the top of him.

Lieut was quick on his feet, his sword in both hands, just as Vythe raced past him.

“Elardōre is mine,” Vythe said coldly, his dark eyes fixed upon the bald man who was jumping to his feet.

Lieut was about to protest, but he changed his mind and decided to let Vythe resolve the issues between him and Elardōre by himself.

Lieut looked to see if Fairris had finished with Rathgard yet, and he was disappointed to see that she had not. He shook his head and walked towards Fairris’s battle just as Vythe and Elardōre began theirs.

As Lieut headed towards the battle, Fairris raced towards Rathgard’s lackey, Liuden. The guard was slumped to his knees looking exhausted, several metres in front of Rathgard who looked as if he was amidst the preparation of drawing in the Fog’s power to create a ball of energy.

Lieut was completely taken by surprise when Liuden cupped his hands and launched Fairris over his head to catapult into Rathgard, Fairris’s gunblades leading the way into the Regional Commander’s chest.

They both tumbled to the ground, Fairris screaming and her weapons firing an endless stream of magickal bullets into Rathgard’s body. Blood and bone showered into the air covering Fairris in gore, but she continued to fire until all her anger was played out.

Fairris stood up, breathing heavily, her face set with grim satisfaction. Liuden also jumped up, apparently not so exhausted, a smile across his face. That smile disappeared when Lieut levelled the tip of his sword inches from the man’s throat.

“Lieut, wait,” Fairris called out, before he could decapitate the guardsman. “Let him live.”

Lieut looked at Fairris curiously, her face and hair covered in blood and bits of skin and bone.

“We have an agreement,” Fairris said to his questioning look. “He is not our enemy.”

Lieut continued to look at Fairris curiously, but he lowered his sword and Liuden let out a sigh of relief.

Suddenly an explosion sounded behind Lieut and dirt and debris showered down. Lieut looked to see Vythe and Elardōre with their weapons locked, glaring at each other. They broke apart for a split second before engaging again with a flurry of attacks. Elardōre was now wielding two smaller axes and getting the upper hand against Vythe and his spear.

Elardōre knocked Vythe’s defences high and blasted him in the chest with a ball of energies. Vythe flew backwards up the hill and spun in the air to land on his feet. As soon as Vythe landed and looked back at Elardōre the Head Hunter launched one of his axes towards Vythe. As the weapon flew through the air it turned into a ball of magicks leaving a trail of Fog in its wake. Vythe blocked the attack with his spear, causing the energy to explode in a cloud of Fog, but as soon as the first attack hit Vythe, Elardōre threw his other axe. This too turned into a ball of magickal energy, and this time Vythe jumped unnaturally high into the air, his spear spinning above his head. Elardore’s attack blasted into the ground and exploded just as Vythe descended towards Elardōre.

The Head Hunter looked exhausted and all Elardōre could do was cross his arms across his face as Vythe slammed down a few feet in front of him. As Vythe landed he drove the tip of his spear into the ground, sending a wall of dirt and grass through the air and a wave of energy into Elardōre.

As the dust cleared Lieut saw Vythe kneeling upon a small podium his spear still in the ground. Around Vythe’s small stand a wide and shallow crater could be seen carved into the earth. Not surprisingly Elardōre also stood on a small podium of grass amid the crater that had carved around him. Amazingly in the air around them both floated the chunks of earth and rock that had been ripped up when Vythe had attacked.

Elardōre laughed in a high-pitched tone and his large axe once again appeared in his hands. But Vythe moved quickly and spun towards Elardōre, ripping his spear from the ground in the process. Around the tip of Vythe’s spear a large clump of earth had formed and Vythe swung it with all his strength into Elardōre.

The Head Hunter’s axe disappeared from his hands as Vythe’s earthy cudgel blasted into the man, exploding in a shower of dirt and sending Elardōre tumbling to the ground.

With a wave of his hand Vythe sent the clumps of dirt and rock that floated in the air spinning towards Elardōre. Every time the Head Hunter tried to stand a clump of earth or rock sent him back to the ground. With a stream of crude curses Elardōre continued to try and stand in vain. Finally the Head Hunter’s attempts were stopped forever when Vythe made a motion with his hand that caused the rocks and dirt to group above Elardōre’s head before tumbling down atop him.

As the final rocks tumbled down around Elardōre, Vythe let out a deep breath and collapsed to his knees, his spear vanishing from his hands.

Lieut, Fairris and Liuden slowly walked over to where Vythe was kneeling, though the guardsman was a bit more hesitant.

“That was incredible,” Fairris remarked as she knelt beside Vythe and helped him to his feet.

“I thank you.” Vythe smiled as he brushed the dirt from his trousers and sleeves. “I do not apologise for stealing your fight away from you Lieut. I had to kill Elardōre myself.”

“It matters little,” Lieut said with a shrug.

“Who is this?” Vythe asked Fairris nodding towards Liuden. “The guard from the Monastery?”

“Yes,” replied Fairris. “His name is Liuden De’Vaan, we were acquainted at the prison when we were both guards there.”

“Simple guard no longer,” Liuden declared with a smile. “I will be Commander of the prison now, and very possibly the new Regional Commander soon.”

Vythe did not say anything and studied Liuden closely.

“Hopefully you will bring the prison some much needed improvement, Liuden.” Fairris strained a smile.

“That is what I intend,” Liuden replied with a nod. “I shall start with reinstating your rank Fairris, and the ranks of your fallen friends. None of you should have been branded as traitors.”

Fairris looked away from the guard. “Thank you. Do you leave for the prison immediately?”

“No,” replied Liuden. “I think I will join you to Midway and rest at the inn first, it is not far from here.”

“If you must.” remarked Vythe flatly. “Shall we be off then? I think I should like to reach the Midway Inn before dark, so I may receive some much desired rest.”

“Decided to accompany me, Vythe?” Lieut asked.

“No.” Vythe shook his head, but a smile came to his face. “I decided to go to The Port, so if you are going in the same direction perhaps we can travel together?”

Lieut smirked. “If you must.”

Vythe laughed at that and joined Lieut as he headed from the dell and back onto the road. The dusty track wound up from the low area next to the river and onto wide flat grasslands. The Gaia Mountains stood high in the north as did the Yineth Uplands to the south. The road stayed close to the river Yorna before it turned towards the south and got lost in the trees. More farming lands passed by between them and the Gaia Mountains with fenced paddocks and large houses near the foothills of the peaks. The land rose and fell before them and Inüer began to blind them as it fell towards the western horizon.

“Vythe, what is the history between you and Elardōre?” Fairris asked curiously. “There seemed much hate between the two of you.”

“I have told much of our past together already,” Vythe replied sadly. “We were once friends, but he betrayed me and killed someone very close to my heart. He then decided to frame me for the murder.”

“Was he always so insane?” Liuden asked.

“No,” replied Vythe as he glanced over his shoulder at the young guard. “He became that way after we escaped from the Void together. Before that day he was as normal as the next man. Together he and I made names for ourselves as the greatest thieves in the known world. We stole from the vaults of kings and the archives of Aierthian.”

“Wait,” Liuden interrupted. “You snuck into Aierthian? How? And what do you mean you escaped from the Void?

“One question at a time.” Vythe smiled, seeming to enjoy the guard’s astonishment. “Yes Elardōre and I snuck into the city of Aierthian. But how we did it I will keep a secret.”

“But Drakkas Etherian sealed the city himself so he and the other Magi could work without the kings demanding that they share their secrets.” Liuden baulked. “It is said great stone golems guard the gates and Drakkas placed a magickal field over the entire city. You can only get in if you have been personally invited by Drakkas.”

“All you say is true,” Vythe said to Liuden, still smiling. “But Elardōre and I did it. As for your second question, we ventured into the Void entirely by our own volition. It had been a slow year and our popularity was diminishing so we were looking for an amazing exploit to boost our status, and it just so happened we heard of a group of Magi that had opened a stable door into the Void. As it turned out it was quite a foolish idea. For we soon became lost in the endless cloudy plain of the Void, only by luck we managed to escape. It was soon after that when Elardōre began to become strange, and I announced that I wanted a break for a while and returned to Port Na’brath. Evidently that did not sit well with Elardōre.”

“Incredible.” Liuden laughed. “I have never heard of this before.”

“You have heard of the legendary thief Vorn, no doubt?” said Vythe shooting a sly eye towards Liuden.

“Well of course I have,” Liuden replied, then his mouth fell open. “You don’t mean to say that you are Vorn? But you must be. Well this is incredible.”

“Vorn was in fact two master thieves: Elardōre and I. I do trust you will keep it a secret?” asked Vythe, a smile on his face.

Liuden nodded eagerly. “Of course I shall. And to think I grew up hearing the legendary feats of Vorn, and here I am meeting him. Well, half of him.”

Vythe wore a wide smile as they pushed on into the coming evening and light conversation continued to flow among the group.

But Lieut did not join in.

*********************************************************

So Vythe has returned, a confusing development but also a very timely one.

Now that the trio are back together, and the pesky Head Hunter out of the way, what new adventures await our heroes at Midway?

Find out next week.

Be sure to check out the previous chapter on my profile if you haven’t already, and if you simply cannot wait until next week to read what happens next you can get Chaos of Choice  from any good online bookstore in both kindle and paperback editions.

Thanks for reading.