Adventures of the Cohort Ch. 03

It was a recognisable landmark for merchants and travellers and many passed by this way every day. This was how Mikael had known it, a strange but harmless formation of rocks, and he was still adjusting to its actual role as a gateway into a dangerous world.

But now he looked upon it in a different light. He could see the fiery glint in the shining surfaces of the rocks and could smell the faint essence of scorched earth and smoke. Where before had stood impassive black stone Mikael could now detect a burning intensity writhing through the air nearby.

"I can't believe I passed this by every year without noticing the power it contained," Mikael said, awestruck. It was only now occurring to him just how blind he had been.

Lucinda smiled reassuringly. "Do not be ashamed. There are very few of us who know of its true nature. Those who are not touched by the Gods cannot know, for fear would grip their hearts. Only we who are appointed to protect can understand its power, its intensity. And besides, Mikael, you know now."

"True," he breathed, the shimmering waves that flowed through the magical field permeating the outcrop setting his senses alight. "The border between worlds is most certainly a fine one here."

"And weaker than usual, now. Which is why it is our first port of call," Ria'torr replied. "When those on the Plane of Fire try to break through, this is where they do it."

Mikael stood there a moment, taking in the enormity of his new-found knowledge, and did not say a word. His Sisters, too, looked upon Scorch's Point in silence.

"I don't mean to alarm anyone, but does anyone else notice anything strange? Or am I being paranoid?" Kristine said suddenly, her voice quiet as her hand twitched slightly towards her greatsword.

"No, you're not," Ria'torr agreed with a whisper. Her nimble elven fingers had unhooked her bow and notched an arrow without Mikael even realising. "Something's not quite right here."

He looked around. His Sisters were right; whilst on his arrival he had been to overawed to pick up on it, he could now tell that something was amiss. He searched the foreground, his eyes scanning quickly over the stones as he tried to figure out what was wrong.

Lucinda crouched low to the ground, placing her palm flat on the surface and cautiously surveying her surroundings. Where before she had worn a slight smile, her face was now creased with solemn concern and her eyes darted over the sides of the hill.

Quintia closed her eyes and Mikael could feel her reaching out with her mind, probing the area for anomalies. Her efforts were hindered by the power that radiated out from the outcrop, clouding her magical senses, but she persevered.

Mikael breathed deeply and stared into the night sky. He knew something was amiss, something was wrong, but he could not place it. This latest encounter with Scorch's Point was so different to the others that any small changes were overwhelmed by the new light in which he viewed the rock formation.

Before, he had seen people amongst plain stone, a constant stream of fascinating travellers and traders, the individuals he met being the focus of his attention - not the rocks themselves. The nobleman, the monk, the beautiful spice-trader. These were the things he remembered Scorch's Point for, the merchants and pilgrims who passed it every day, and... where were they?

It hit him with a flash, the realisation striking him cold.

"There's no one here," he hissed at his Sisters, the six of them kneeling to a crouch in the heather that overlooked the point. "There's never no one here."

"Then where is everyone?" Melissa said hurriedly, her voice edged with worry. "And what's keeping them away?"

Quintia's words flashed, appearing on the back of a rock that faced them, hidden from those who could be looking from the outcrop. Invisibility. I can sense recent magic here.

Mikael nodded. "Me too. Someone -- or something -- is trying to hide from us."

A nervous silence descended on the Cohort and Mikael and his Sisters looked at one another as they tried to think up a course of action.

"Look out!" Ria'torr cried as a loud twang sounded in the night, launching herself into Mikael with all the force her small body could muster. It was enough, and as she knocked him over Mikael saw an arrow flash through the space his head had occupied scant moments before.

He lay there a brief moment, the Cohort shocked, before Ria'torr climbed nimbly off him. His Sisters were spurred into action and they readied themselves for battle.

"To arms!" shouted Kristine, unclipping her greatsword and bringing it to bear. Mikael jumped to his feet, withdrawing his longswords with a snarl. They crackled faintly with magical energy as they sensed they were needed, and he scanned the near distance for his foes.

A flash of white light to his right caught his attention and he squinted as Quintia's gem burned brightly. An explosion of radiant energy burst out of his blue-haired Sister, sweeping down over the hill in a wave of glowing power.

He watched as it passed over the ground and with a flash in its midst a man in dark red armour appeared. More flashes swiftly followed, and soon at least twenty warriors stood there, their eyes trained intently on the Cohort and weapons held tightly in their hands. One was notching another arrow, his eyes wide with surprise as he ceased to be hidden by his spell, and it was clear he was the assailant who had only moments before narrowly missed Mikael.

Before he could react to his sudden visibility the man was staggering backwards with a strangled cry, one of Ria'torr's arrows stuck firmly in his throat. The other warriors looked shocked, their presence revealed, and Ria'torr took the chance to loose another shaft.

Mikael and his Sisters charged forwards as their assailants gathered themselves, another falling to his elven companion's arrows before they even reached them. It did not take them long to cover the ground, however, and soon a vicious melee had begun.

With a cry Mikael's first foe drew within striking distance and as the man desperately parried one blade Mikael's other cut through his stomach. The warrior fell forward, Mikael ending his agony with a sweep of his sword.

Another came at him from the right and Mikael gracefully dodged the blow before he stabbed backwards with his weapon. The pained cry of the warrior followed and Mikael withdrew the blade from the man's back as the body crumpled to the floor, dead.

He raised his head in time to see Kristine decapitate another assailant before she turned to parry a blow aimed at her neck. She did not notice the third warrior who came up from behind her, however, the man's sword raised high as he prepared to thrust it between the paladin's shoulder blades.

The man was thrown backwards as a bolt of solid rock smashed into his side, Mikael's eyes intently focused as he cast the spell. Whilst he remained more adept at using blades, his magical prowess was improving all the time, and he summoned another boulder which crushed the warrior's skull.

He raised his head to locate his Sisters and saw Ria'torr and Quintia stood side by side. The elf's bow sung as it was plucked, each movement of her arms sending another arrow hurtling towards their foes, and warrior after red-armoured warrior was killed by the unerring accuracy of those deadly missiles. Quintia's hands were outstretched as magical blasts fired from her fingertips, streaking towards a woman who stood on the opposite hill, her own hands held aloft. Mikael guessed that she was the mage who had cast the invisibility spell in the first place. He almost felt sorry for her; there would only be one winner in that arcane duel.

Melissa, too, was aflame with holy light. Her main domain was that of healing, Mikael was aware, but she could fight if she needed to. It always struck him as odd watching the medic battle, but she channelled the Gods directly and as a beam of pure divine power smashed into a foe he could see she was quite capable.

Another warrior charged at him then, hacking out wildly with a snarl on his lips. The man's red armour soon ran crimson with his own blood as Mikael withdrew his blade from his heart, the reckless assault halted with a simple thrust of Mikael's sword.

Elsewhere, he could see Lucinda slicing through her opponents, her glittering swords swinging in deadly arcs that cut through her foes with ease. She was surrounded, but it did not bother her, and the warriors were driven back by her graceful but relentless assault.

Kristine, too, was embroiled in the bitter melee and her greatsword smashed into the assailants foolish enough to attack her. Her build was deceptive to them; her slim figure was evident through her shining mithril armour. It was obvious to her foes that she possessed a lithe, slender body and they assumed therefore that her choice of a heavy weapon was a grave mistake.

In actuality the mistake was theirs, something they realised too late as Kristine cleaved them in two with her blade. She was a whirlwind of justice, the warriors facing her cut down as they attempted to escape her holy wrath.

Mikael slashed outwards as another two assailants reached him, his two swords both parrying incoming blows. His opponents moved either side of him and he struggled to monitor them both.

These are not amateurs, he thought as they attacked in tandem, one with a broadsword, the other with a mace. He jumped backwards to avoid the twin attacks and once more they moved to surround him with the precision of battle-hardened warriors.

This time, they did not attack together, and as Mikael dodged the mace that was swung the sword thrust out. He deflected it, barely, and spun away, regaining his footing as the two warriors came at him once more.

The third time he was ready and as the mace swung out the other warrior thrust his sword at Mikael's back. He noticed as he prepared to dodge the mace, readjusting his balance and leaping forwards instead. The mace whistled barely an inch over his head and as he tumbled he stabbed outwards with one of his magical blades.

His thrust was rewarded with the sound of a desperate cry, the mace-wielder dropping his weapon as Mikael's blow sliced open his gut. Mikael let go of the blade as he stood back up, turning to face the remaining warrior holding only one of his twin swords. His assailant hacked forwards but Mikael deflected the blow, knocking her off-balance. Yet where he would normally have ended his foe with his other weapon, he found himself short of a finishing stroke, and so instead kicked the woman hard on the chin. Her head snapped upwards and as she stumbled backwards Mikael brought his sword down onto her exposed neck.

He pulled it out as the warrior fell, turning to sever the mace-wielder's head as the man writhed in pain. There was no need to make him suffer and Mikael ended his agony before reaching down to remove his other sword from the man's stomach. He wrenched it free, taking a brief moment to wipe it clean of gore on the grass beneath his feet.

He spun just in time to raise his sword, blocking the blow of a ferocious woman whose small frame belied her obvious strength. He sliced upwards with his free blade but she dodged the attack, rolling to her side before again springing to her feet. She regarded him with obvious hatred and she stabbed forwards once more. Mikael parried the thrust but his own counter swipe was deflected by her sword. She moved so quickly that Mikael had a hard time stopping her own blows, and his counterstrokes were knocked away in turn.

She flashed towards him, her actions as fast as Mikael had ever seen in an opponent, and he could barely move out of the way as her blade grazed his chestpiece. He took the opportunity to slice downwards with his own blade but only air remained where she had been split-seconds before. She came at him again from behind, her eyes ablaze as he parried her blows.

She cried out as Mikael dodged her attack, in turn avoiding his swipe, and their swords clashed against each other over and over. She lashed out with her foot but his boots stood firmly planted on the ground, her attempted trip leaving her vulnerable for a split second. He tried to take advantage of her misjudgement but she recovered too quickly, her balance restored before he could react.

They stayed that way a short moment, locked in a battle that Mikael was struggling to win. The woman was his equal in swordplay, her blade glittering as it reflected the moonlight and the powerful glare of Quintia's spells. They circled one another, each looking for an opening, and Mikael became aware of a lull in the fighting. All their other assailants were dead and Mikael's Sisters ran towards him as he did his best to keep the fearsome warrior at bay. They're too far away, Mikael thought, his arms growing weary. The warrior facing him showed no signs of relenting and Mikael began to wonder if she would get the better of him before his Sisters could arrive.

His eyes widened with shock as a cloud of black smoke appeared behind her, and before he could react it had taken the shape of a person. A tall, dark-skinned man shimmered near-instantaneously into being, a dagger held tightly in his grasp, and stepped towards the woman from behind. The weapon sliced across her throat and she collapsed to the floor, her face still contorted with rage even as her blood spilled over the ground. This had taken mere moments, Mikael and his Sisters barely able to move in the time that had elapsed.

Mikael raised his swords to the new combatant and his Sisters swiftly surrounded the man. All the red-armoured warriors were dead, but Mikael did not relax. Instead, he pointed his longsword directly at the newcomer's throat. Like Mikael, he was tall and well-built; not gigantic but lithe and strong. Mikael was also fairly certain this man would be considered very handsome in more forgiving circumstances. His eyes were deep brown and his head was clean-shaven, and he unquestionably held the aura of a fearsome warrior.

"Drop your weapon," Kristine ordered, motioning towards the ground with her greatsword.

"Easy now, I come in peace," the man replied in a smooth, rich voice as he lowered his dagger to the grass. He glanced at the corpse of the woman. "To you, at least."

Lucinda eyed him carefully, clearly wary of any movement the warrior might take. "Who are you?"

"The person I bet you're looking for," he responded with a grin, his composure laudable in a situation Mikael would not have enjoyed himself.

"Three fierce human women, an elf, a Sensei, and a man who can take on a Firebound Champion without being torn limb from limb..." he continued. "I think you may be the holy warriors I was waiting for."

Lucinda slowly lowered her swords as her beautiful face relaxed, a relieved sigh escaping her lips. She smiled and returned her weapons to their sheaths "Evening, guardian. A dramatic introduction indeed. I'm impressed."

"Please, call me Victor," the man bowed, his smoothly shaven head faintly reflecting the moonlight. He took her hand and lightly kissed it, before standing straight once more and addressing the rest of the Cohort.

"I am the guardian of these stones and I am glad you are here," he said clearly, his eyes moving over Mikael and his companions as they listened. "There is a disturbance in this place, as I'm sure you know, and the Gods have called you here to address it. But first, I will take you to my home. You must be tired."

"Lead on," Lucinda said, flashing a broad smile at the black warrior.

Victor nodded graciously, his eyes moving over the rogue appreciatively for a fraction of a second. "Of course. I shall introduce you to my companion when we arrive."

"There are two guardians here?" Ria'torr asked, surprised. "It is not often that is the case."

"Indeed not, but this is not a normal situation. I am an accomplished fighter, it is true, but these stones are powerful and it takes one who is at ease with the element of fire to truly listen to their call."

Ria'torr smiled brightly. "A shaman? I am yet to encounter a shaman of elemental fire."

"You will not be disappointed then; my partner is a very talented woman indeed."

"I look forward to meeting her," Mikael said as he and his Sisters reclaimed their packs.

"Oh, I bet you do," Kristine laughed. "Show us the way, Victor."

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

The journey was short, and for that Mikael was glad. He was eager to rest after their trek which, whilst it had not been overly strenuous, had still been somewhat tiring. Victor led them quickly through the darkness away from the outcrop, over the crest of the tallest hill overlooking Scorch's Point. There, on the other side, they found a small cave and Mikael was not surprised to see them enter it. He had seen such a sanctuary before, on the very first night that he met Lucinda, and she had said then that there were many such entranceways hidden away in the world.

Victor strode to the back of the small cave and with a small incantation he waved his hands delicately through the air. A low rumbling filled the dark cavern and with the sound of falling rocks the back wall began to move away from them. Mikael had been expecting the floor to move but he was not overly surprised to see this one entered in a slightly different way.

After a few moments the back wall had duly retracted and a small passageway could be clearly seen behind it, lit by lamps that burned brightly on the walls. Mikael supposed that they, like the lamps in his Sanctuary, were magical to some extent, and they cast a bright light over the narrow stone corridor.

"Here we are," Victor said with a bow, a broad smile on his face, and Mikael and his Sisters nodded back. They stepped forwards, the passageway only really large enough to walk comfortably in single file. Mikael went last of the Cohort with Victor following up behind, sealing the entranceway as he did.

They wandered down the stone passage for a short while before they came across a set of steps that descended further. They were not particularly deep but they were deep enough to conceal the end of the passage from its start, and Mikael wondered where exactly they were heading. They climbed down the steps, eventually reaching the bottom, and reached another, shorter passageway. At the end of this was a solid wooden door and they made their way towards it.

"Hang on one second," Mikael heard Victor say from behind him. He turned to see the warrior shift once more into a vaporous cloud, which moved quickly past him to the front of the group. There he reformed, a broad smile on his face.

Mikael laughed. "You've got to teach me to do that."

"Unfortunately I cannot," Victor chuckled. "It is a product of my heritage, not my training. Only those from my family line are able to do it."

"Bugger, then, I suppose." His joke met with a hearty laugh from his male companion.

Victor turned to the heavy door and with a push it swung open. Mikael and his Sisters moved through the archway and he was surprised at what he saw. A very well-furnished living area lay before him, more lamps on the walls, and with lush carpets and bookshelves giving the room an opulent air. The room would not have looked at all out of place in a plush mansion and Mikael was somewhat taken aback by the luxury. It was no more exuberant than the main Sanctuary though, Mikael supposed, and Victor did make this his permanent home. A little comfort was not entirely unexpected, all things considered.

"This is very nice," Melissa said appreciatively.

Victor smiled and bowed low again. "Thank you, fellow agent of the Gods. It is my home. I try to keep it in good order."

"Please, call me Melissa." The medic's brown eyes twinkled as she regarded him.