Siege Of The Questing Stone 4

Part 4: Evade

During the fighting, Taaxa and Ravius managed to slip over the Temple wall and run for the reaches of the Heidus Tem jungle. Just as they were at the jungle’s edge, they saw the lighting behind them and felt a great sorrow in their hearts. “...no...” whispered Taaxa, “Not him. Not the First.” Ravius stood openmouthed while Taaxa stifled a sob.

Shaking himself, Ravius grabbed Taaxa’s arm and started dragging her towards the jungle, but she resisted, reaching out towards where the lightning flashes had originated and crying in earnest.

And the still-discomforting time lapse came over Ravius again. He heard several thwupping sounds and saw, in slow motion, several arrows sail across the moonlight. Still slowed, he pulled Taaxa’s arm and she stumbled towards him. Four arrows thunked into the ground around her, while a fifth went through the palm of her outstretched hand. Immediately she came to her senses, yelped in pain, and tore off towards the jungle just behind Ravius. She pulled the arrow through as she ran, tossing it off to one side and speeding forwards.

More arrows slammed into the ground around them as the jungle rushed nearer.

It appeared one of the Neligan wasn’t satisfied with simply arrows: a lightning bolt glanced off Ravius and struck a tree.

“Dammit!” Taaxa swore. “Why can’t we get away?”

Ravius tried to speed himself with Jackalope’s power, but the twist in his gut was stopped by something. He growled under his breath, spun around and drew his bow.

Taaxa stopped. “Ravius! What’re you doing?” She wrapped a bandage around her hand as she spoke, covering herself from arrows with a fallen tree.

“Being true to my name,” he replied, and let loose an arrow. There was a squishing noise, followed closely by a thud.

Taaxa smiled, tying off her bandage, and said, “You know, sometimes you don’t make sense, Ravius, but it’s those times I admire you most.”

Another squish, thunk, thud as Ravius let fly another arrow. “That’s all right,” he replied, readying another shot, “a lot of this doesn’t make sense to me.” Thunk. “Like what the High Priest said about faith.” Thunk. A scream. “I couldn’t use magic because I believed I couldn’t.” Thunk. A gurgling sound, followed by crashing brush. An arrow zinged over his shoulder. “Now that I’ve been chosen by Jackalope, I don’t think I can.” Twang. Another scream, and the sound of one man running away. “That is, except for what I can gather from walking the Nimble Jackalope’s Path.” Twang. The running man stopped. “And what about who I am? Where I’m from? How did I get here?”

Taaxa shrugged. “Sometimes the gods call us to great things.” She paused. “Think they’re gone?”

“Yeah, they are,” Ravius replied. “We should set up for the night. I’ll take first watch.”

The night passed uneventfully, though Ravius’ dreams were filled with Jackalope-Who-Fears-No-Magic, teaching him about the Path of the Nimble Jackalope, Horjinic magic, and the language of the jackalopes.

When Ravius woke, he sat up to see Taaxa boiling some water and putting together a poultice. She spoke without turning. “I did a little scouting, looted the bodies of those Neligan, gave them a decent burial. Look what I found.” She indicated a pile of miscellaneous odds and ends. Curious, Ravius sifted through it. He found several short bows, a few quivers, three long knives, and a roll of parchment covered in unfamiliar runes. “What’s this?” he asked.

Taaxa shrugged, wrapping the poultice around her hand. “No idea,” she replied, “but I thought the High Priest would find it interesting.”

Ravius nodded. “Probably would. You got the Stone?”

She patted her pocket, then pulled a blade out of the boiling water. “One of the Neligan carried this.” The dagger was ornately wrought, hooked on the end, and was engraved with several runes. Looking closer, Ravius realized those runes as the word for “Eversharp.”

“Let me see that,” he said. Taaxa handed it to him on a piece of leather, saying, “Watch out, it’s hot. I sterilized it.”

He looked at the detail of the blade, his gaze traveling down to the grip. He jumped as he realized that it was ivory carved to look like a tiger. A worn tiger, but a tiger nonetheless. “This is Horjinic! Why does a Neligan have it?”

Taaxa stared at him. “That’s what I was wondering.”

Ravius touched the blade gingerly, and found that it was already cool. “Wow, this thing’s obviously enchanted with something.” He looked at it once more, and said, “Mind if I hang on to it?” Taaxa shook her head. “You’re awfully quiet today, Taaxa. You alright?”

She hung her head. “...not really,” she whispered. “The First was a good friend of mine.”

Ravius sat down next to her, sheathing the knife, and put his arm around “I’m sorry,” he said as she nuzzled into his shoulder momentarily. The action seemed to reinvigorate her, as she stood up and said, “Come on, let’s find something to eat.”