“So frail,” laughed the Vrykol. “So foolish.”
The Vrykol feinted left, then right, throwing Gewey off balance, then swung its sword in a wide arc. Gewey just managed to bring his sword up in time to deflect the blow. He could feel the flow draining from him as the beast pushed forward. Soon he knew he would be defenseless. He tried to counter, but his blurred vision caused him to strike off target each time. A wave of sudden nausea wracked his body, and he fell to one knee. Gewey glared up defiantly, jaw clenched tight.
“You see,” the Vrykol jeered. “You are not even a match for the servants of the Great Lord.” He kicked Gewey's sword from his hand.
Gewey leaned back on his knees and held his head high, readying himself for the final blow. He heard the whip of a blade approach. But instead of feeling the slash of steel, the Vrykol roared with anger, a small dagger protruding from his left shoulder. The beast spun to meet his attacker, but Linis was upon him before it could react. Linis' long knife cleaved off the Vrykol's leg, just below the hip. It toppled back and fell to the ground. Without missing a step, Linis swung again, this time decapitating his enemy. Thick black blood oozed from the wounds, hissing as it touched the soft forest turf.
Gewey smiled with satisfaction and slumped over. The cut on his neck burned with an evil fury. He looked at the head of the slain Vrykol. It was twisted and scorched, but clearly human. Its skin blackened, as the others he had encountered, but not nearly as badly. He thought about how the first one looked and sounded. This one was most certainly…better. Definitely stronger. But why? These thoughts vanished from his mind as another wave of nausea took him. He emptied his stomach with a groan. Linis was at his side in an instant.
“Poison,” Linis spat, examining the cut. “Red Spider Blossom, from the look of it.” He smiled. “Nothing to worry about. It is meant to incapacitate, not kill.” He reached to his belt and removed his flask.
Gewey drank greedily, nearly draining it dry. The jawas tea was cool, and instantly settled his stomach. His wound still throbbed, but the burning slowly subsided. He sighed with relief. “And the other Vrykol?”
“I don't know,” Linis admitted. “They seemed to have retreated. Why I could not say, but I take it as good fortune. We will need to rest for at least a few hours. You cannot continue until the poison wears off.”
Gewey shook his head. “We rest until I can regain my feet, and not a second more.” He tried to let the flow pass through him, but it was sluggish and weak.
Linis looked at Gewey, disapprovingly. He thought to object, but could see that Gewey would not be dissuaded. He closed his eyes and placed his hands on the wound.
Gewey felt as if a blade of ice had shot through his neck. The shock made him gasp. “What-” Then the intense cold became a pleasant cool sensation. The cut on his neck ceased to throb and his head began to clear. Linis kept his hands on Gewey for several minutes before finally removing them. He breathed heavily, and opened his eyes.
“You should be ready to travel soon,” said Linis, wearily.
“What did you do?” asked Gewey, touching his neck gingerly. The wound was nearly closed. It itched a bit, but the pain was gone.
Linis rubbed the bridge of his nose and lowered his head. “I have channeled my flow into you. You are healed, but I am drained.” He squeezed his eyes shut.
Gewey placed his hand on Linis' shoulder. “Will you be all right?”
Linis looked up and smiled weakly. He took the flask from Gewey and frowned as he found it empty. He reached in his belt and pulled out another. “I will be. Though I will not be able to travel as fast or fight as well for at least a day. But do not fear. I can move fast enough for our purpose, and I'm still more than a match for our prey. Just give me a little time to regain some strength.” He crossed his legs and bowed his head. “Go back to the path. I must focus. I will be along shortly.”
Gewey sat there for a moment, then struggled to his feet and retrieved his sword. Though still unsteady, his strength was returning and he slowly made his way back to the path. Nearly an hour had passed by the time Linis rejoined him. Gewey scrutinized the elf for a moment. If he was unable to continue, it didn't show. As for Gewey much of his strength had already returned. He had been listening for signs of the other Vrykol, but just as Linis had said, they were gone.
“I think we should follow them,” said Linis. “I do not believe that this encounter was a coincidence. They will lead us to Kaylia.”
Gewey nodded sharply and focused. The trail the Vrykol left was clear and easy to follow. “I'll lead.”
Without another word, the two raced off after the Vrykol. Gewey could tell that Linis was struggling to keep pace, but he knew that they could ill afford to slow down. They had already lost too much time. For more than three hours they continued without pause. For a while, Gewey could still feel the fatigue left from the poison, but as the flow continued to course through his body, it vanished. From time to time he reached out for Kaylia, but he found that her mind was still shrouded.
As the sun waned, they had come no closer to catching the Vrykol or Kaylia. Just as desperation returned, Gewey was flooded with Kaylia's presence. It nearly caused him to lose his footing. He ground to a sudden halt.
Linis nearly ran into him. “What is it?” he panted, the evidence of his diminished condition obvious in his voice.
Gewey held out his hand to silence the elf. He closed his eyes and concentrated with all his power. “She is near,” he whispered almost inaudibly. His eyes shot wide. “And she's in danger.” The sinews of his legs burst to life, propelling him forward with such speed that Linis had no chance of catching him.
The forest was a blur as Gewey ran headlong in Kaylia's direction. She was near but heading away from him. But there was something else; a Vrykol pursued her. Its velocity was great and he knew Kaylia would not be able to escape it.
He unsheathed his sword and power exploded within him. This caught the Vrykol's attention. It was only a few hundred yards away and standing between himself and Kaylia. The beast turned to Gewey for an instant, then back around. Gewey could feel the hatred spewing out of the creature. Hatred for everything. The creature raised its sword arm.
It was then that Gewey spotted Kaylia. He knew the Vrykol intended to heave its blade at her, and he knew that he was still too far away. He let out a scream and with all his might thrust a burst of power directly at it. He feared the Vrykol would block him, as before, but it didn't. The strength of the flow flattened the Vrykol to the ground. But Gewey had not been fast enough and the blade flew from its hand. With one last burst, Gewey tried to change the sword’s direction, but instead pushed it straight forward.
“No!” His cry shook the ground as the sword struck its target: Kaylia.
Kaylia flew forward and fell to the ground, the hilt of the blade nearly crushing her skull. Gewey leaped over the flattened body of the Vrykol and was at Kaylia's side without pause. She was face down, blood pouring from the wound on the back of her head. Immediately, he tore the sleeve from his shirt and pressed it tightly over the wound, trying desperately to stop the bleeding.
“I will not lose you,” he cried. “Not now.”
Gewey closed his eyes and let the flow rage through him. Slowly, he allowed it to pass into Kaylia, focusing his mind on her injury. At first he wasn't sure anything was happening, then he felt it. The wound was closing and the flow of blood lessened to a trickle. He could feel that it was draining him, making him weaker, but he didn't care. When the wound had closed completely he stopped and gently turned her over. It was then he heard Linis approach. The elf paused beside the Vrykol, and beheaded the mangled body.