He cursed them under his breath and looked around for signs of danger. Thankfully for the moment, they seemed to be alone and undetected.
He was just about to pull his pack from his shoulder when an excited Trish caught his arm.
“Rone, look!” She exclaimed as she pointed to the far side of the river.
There they could see the smoke of fires burning and the shapes of men standing on the banks of the river. Their outstretched hands producing wave after wave of magical energy, shooting downward into the river itself.
“What are they doing?” Rone asked, looking at Trisha with concern.
“It’s the Crimson Order,” she said with a smile.
“If I have to guess, I would say they are trying to place wards of protection to keep the poison from the river.”
“Will it work?” Rone asked, looking again at those across the river.
“Only for a short time. Chimera poison is different than most. It stems from a beast of magic itself. So, it will eventually eat its way through the wards no matter how strong they make them.”
“Then we should hurry,” Katrina said, looking worriedly toward the forest.
“The sooner we are done, the sooner we can leave here before the Orcs find us.”
“Why Kat, if I didn’t know any better, I would say you are afraid of the big bad Orcs,” Traijen said with a smile as he adjusted the belt across his chest that held his throwing knives.
Katrina only shrugged in response, but in truth, it wasn’t the Orcs she was afraid of. It was the mage that worked with them. She knew they were not ready to face someone of Zannith’s power. And she did not want to think about what Rone would do if Zannith revealed her secret.
Rone dropped his pack from his shoulder and quickly pulled out the leather sack that held the heart. Before he could open it, however, Fang began to growl and snarl towards the woods in front of them.
As they watched the tree line, three figures emerged from within the shadow of the trees, a man in a hooded cape accompanied by two large Orcs.
As they approached, Rone felt his blood both boil and run cold at the same time. The larger of the Orcs wore a feathered crown upon his head and carried a massive battle-ax slung over one shoulder.
But it was what adorned the necklace of bones around his neck that Rone could not stop staring at. For around his neck was the dried and mummified head of Tobias Longbranch.
Rone cursed the Orc and pulled his bow from his back. He would see that brute dead for what he had done to his brothers and sisters.
As he notched his arrow and took aim, the man in the robe dropped his hood and held his hands up in a sign of surrender.
Katrina immediately moved to stand beside Rone.
“I recognize that man Rone. He is an exiled prince from Luna’Dwell. Do not trust him; he is as powerful a mage as ever was.”
Rone adjusted his aim to be on the DokalFae now instead of the Orc but was stopped in his tracks as the dark elf began to speak.
“Hold your arrow HoloFae. Unless you want to see your friends all die.” With that, the mage made his hand into a fist and then pointed towards the companions.
When he did, a heavy barrage of arrows soared just over their heads and fell harmlessly into the river behind them.
“That was a warning HoloFae. There are hundreds of my friend's clansmen hidden in the trees before you. Even if you could make it to the river, their arrows would see you never came out again. I only wish a moment to speak with you.” Zannith stopped and waited for Rone’s answer before he proceeded toward them again.
Rone relaxed the grip on his bow a little and pointed the arrow toward the ground. Though he did keep it at the ready just in case, he needed it in a hurry.
Katrina gripped Rone’s arm even tighter, and the fear she felt was plain upon her face as Rone looked at her.
“So, I see my apprentice has done her job after all.” The dark elf prince said as he drew closer to the companions.
“You had me, worried dear, I thought they might have discovered our little ruse and done away with you.” He said, smiling at Katrina, who stepped forth angrily.
“You know damn well what happened. I chose to stop helping you. You will not harm him, Zannith! Not as long as I draw breath.”
Rone looked at the others and then back at Katrina. The hurt in his eyes only compounded the sorrow and guilt she felt.
“Ho now, could it be? He didn’t know you work for me, did he?” Zannith said, laughing outright at the confusion on Rone’s face.
“Katrina? Rone asked, looking at her with tears in his eyes. How could she do this? How could she betray him this way? His mind raced for answers he knew he would not find.
“By the way, Katrina, how is that frail little sister of yours?” Zannith asked, looking even more like a cat toying with a mouse.
“I’ll kill you, you bastard!” Katrina shouted as she slung shards of magical missiles toward the mage. That bounced harmlessly off of the magical barrier that he quickly called up to protect himself.
“Oh, be still little apprentice, I would have a word with your lover. And your constant defiance is growing tiresome.” With that, Zannith flicked his wrist, and Katrina crumpled to the ground in agony.
“What did you do to her?” Rone asked, rushing to her side.
“You still care? Even after what she did?” Zannith asked with a smile.
“What is it you want, mage?” Rone asked, looking like he might attack the mage at any moment.
“First off tell your little spell slinger there if she wants to see the sunset today, she should stop whispering those words of power.
You are nowhere near my level of mastery, SolFae. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Trisha immediately stopped her whispering and came to stand at Rone’s side.
“Now, let's do this as civil as possible, shall we. I want what you want, to stop the spread of the poison from going any further. After all, what good is a new kingdom to my War chief friend over there if it’s all dead.
I know what you carry within your pack. I would see it used to cleanse this forest. Then I would see it handed over to me. Refuse and not only does the forest die, but so does all the lands the river touches as well as yourself and your friends. Agree, and you can save them all. I give you my word. You may leave here unharmed once the cleansing is finished.”
Suddenly the mage whirled around and with another flick of his wrist, brought Fang to a standstill. The great wolf had blinked behind the mage and was stalking his way to him in the tall grass.
Another flick of the wrist and Fang was sent flying through the air into the river. Rone yelled his anger and drew his bow but stopped again as Katrina screamed out in pain.
“Your beast is fine, Ranger, only a little wet for wear. But draw that bow again, and your lover will die before you can release the arrow.”
As Rone lay his bow on the ground, the mage smiled then raised both hands into the air. As he did, a barrier of magical energy sprung from the ground and encircled them on all sides.
“There, now we can have a bit of privacy. Even your friends across the river will be unable to aid you inside my barrier. Before you think it an advantage for you, know that if I fall, so does the barrier which will signal the Orcs in the woods to release their arrows. You may be able to get me, but in the end, you will all die as well.
So, what say you HoloFae? Will you cleanse the poison and relinquish the heart to me?”
Rone stood staring at the mage, his anger and frustration making it hard to think clearly. What choice does he have? If he refuses his friends, the forest, and in fact, all the lands, the river touches will die. And the mage will get the heart from his corpse.