Quill

635. Warning Signs

Sleeping alone in the small, former armoury was weird. The walls blocked sound quite well, so he did not have the familiarity of an army camp and its noise helping him fall asleep in lieu of anothe...

634. Parting Ways

The next day, soon after they received breakfast, the door to their little dwelling opened again. Shadi stood outside, and she stepped back to let them join her in the sunlight. "I have been allowe...

633. Threads Bound Together

"You can speak, you know. That is the whole reason you and I are here." Shadi laughed a little, and in that moment, he recognised his old friend.

"It feels like I last saw you a lifetime ago,...

632. Native Asterians

Days passed where the two Asterians neither saw nor heard from Azar. His adjutant, the one who spoke their language, appeared each day and accompanied them out of camp, giving them the opportunity ...

631. Supper with the Enemy

When Martel woke, he found himself in complete darkness, which immediately made his heartbeat double in pacing. Only Eleanor's rhythmic breathing made him feel calm again, and he recalled where the...

630. Azar

The sun had about an hour left before it would sink behind the horizon. Already, the sky was growing red in colour as the small band of eight Khivans and two Asterians walked towards a fortified po...

629. No Fighting

A band of eight Khivans moved through the forest. Half of them carried muskets, the other half had swords. They talked among themselves in casual manner with the occasional laugh. Despite the proxi...

628. Beset on All Sides

Martel woke as the first, which was unusual. He looked at Eleanor's sleeping form and saw no reason to disturb her; if she could get more sleep than him, all the better for her. He chewed on a few ...

627. Between a River and a Hard Place

Martel did not know Eleanor could track. Not to this extent, at least. He could spot a footprint and see where it led, of course, and if he saw another, he knew to follow it as well. Eleanor read b...

626. Living Free

Martel woke, feeling refreshed. While he had spent half the night keeping watch as usual, there had been no need to wake up early this morning to continue a hurried flight. Eleanor had let him slee...

625. Walking on Water

They went as far into the marshes as they could before nightfall and slept a third, miserable night among the cold and damp. Keeping watch, Martel had time to consider their new strategy. At a glan...

624. Swimming in Lakes

They walked for a full day, going deeper into the marshes while keeping to a north-western direction. Although they cast many anxious glances behind them, they saw no sign of pursuers. Either the l...

623. Familiar Lands

In desperate flight, the pair of deserters galloped away. In the distance, the walls of Esmouth manned by archers faded from sight, but one of their arrows had struck Martel's steed; they did not g...

622. Return of Red

Martel found little rest, waking through the night. He was accustomed to rough sleeping, but his chains left him in an uncomfortable position that kept him awake. Each time he drifted away, his dis...

621. Left in the Dark

Martel sat in disbelief. He was alone again, left in darkness except for the faint illumination that could struggle its way up the stairs. Despair and anger wrestled against each other for control ...

620. A Solitary Sunray

Esmouth had no prison as such, but an abandoned house had been repaired sufficiently to serve as one. Martel sat on the top floor with hay strewn to serve as a bed, his chains locked to a ring on t...

619. Bound by Action

A warm bath, a hot meal, and a proper night's sleep did wonders for Martel's well-being. Life in the camp was simple, but all these things felt like a luxury is compared to the last month. He consi...

618. A Warrior's Fame

The walls of Esmouth were a welcome sight to what remained of the fifth and sixth cohort of the Tenth Legion. Martel shared the sentiment; he had more than once feared that he would never make it b...

617. A Memory Burnt

Martel felt like his body was on fire. A strange and unfamiliar sensation to him; these days, his skill with the element meant he would have to stick his hand into the furnace of a foundry if he wa...

616. The Firebrand

For three days, the Khivans hounded the fleeing Asterians. Martel felt himself exhausted by each day's end; the long marches drained him of strength, the repeated skirmishes required all of his spe...

615. At the Heel

Martel stood pressed up against the trunk of a tree, trying to keep out of sight. Several paces to the right, Eleanor did the same. Behind him, although he could not see, his magic told him that fo...

614. What One Hand Does

That same night, two mages snuck through the dark to approach the Khivan camp from the southern side. The enemy had pulled back their men from the advanced position just outside the Asterian encamp...

613. Boiling Over

The charge and the sacrifice of thirteen legionaries had bought the Asterians time. More Khivans had arrived from their camp, but they did not advance beyond their initial position; they had exting...

612. A Hundred Stings

This time, an attack seemed guaranteed, and although it felt agonisingly slow to do so, Martel and Eleanor took the time to don their armour. Only once ready for battle did they run westwards, in t...

611. Firmly in Place

By next day, the situation became apparent; the Khivan column was marching straight towards them. The mood in the camp became alarmed, though the prefects and junior officers did their best to supp...

610. A Tableau of Spells

Morning light revealed a gruesome sight. Martel had seen plenty of corpses after battles, and much greater slaughter than this; yet somehow seeing the dead horses felt worse. Maybe because the anim...

609. Like Lambs to the Slaughter

The sentinels spied the returning legionaries from afar. Even from a distance, it could be seen that they had reduced numbers, which drew many to the walls, watching and speculating loudly what had...

608. The Building Storm

Returning to camp in the first hours of night, the two mages found everything quiet. Likewise, the distant sound of cannon fire had long since ceased. The guards on the watchtower by the gate haile...

607. Reading the Signs

Still rubbing his eyes, Martel walked alongside Eleanor through the camp. The sun had just begun to rise, slowly dispelling the twilight that lay over their surroundings. Around them, everything br...

606. The Embrace of the Forest

After their training, Martel went to the river again. Besides washing himself, he also spent a while looking for herbs along the riverbed. Although he had done plenty of this in the marshes north o...