Spear and Shadow

PART 7

He awoke to find Nora staring down at him with a concerned look on her face.
"What happened?"
He blinked rapidly and groaned. His head was pounding. Nora snapped her fingers a few times infront of his face and he shook his head.
"Anri. They took Anri."
The color left her face.
"What?"
"These two men, they took her."
"Why did you follow two random people?"
He shook his head and winced as bolts of agony fired through his head.
"One of them could change their appearance. He made himself look like Cervas and tricked Anri. We've got to go after them."
She nodded and pulled him to his feet.
"we'll go back to Cervas's place. He went back to see if Anri was there."
"There's no need for that."
They turned to see Cervas standing in an alleyway. His nose and chin were bloody and his left eye was bruised.
"She wasn't at home. But there was a letter. Arvin, were the men who attacked you wearing a crest?"
He nodded and tilted his head.
"Yes. Why?"
"A scythe with a snake coiled around it?"
He nodded again.
"That's the one."
Cervas glared.
"I thought so. That's my crest. Well, My old crest before I was disowned."
Nora raised an eyebrow.
"Your family abducted your child? Why?"
He shook his head.
"Not my family. My father would have no part of this. My mother would though."
She sighed.
"That still doesn't answer tell us why though."
"Because she's like me. When she's older she'll be able to use and control two types of magic. That's something that is very important to Elves, an indicator of the Royal bloodline if you will."
She groaned.
"Well that's just dandy."
He narrowed his eyes.
"I'm going after them. You two can wait for me with Wick."
He cocked his head.
"Who said I wasn't going to help you?"
Nora laughed.
"We were hardly going to let you go on your own after you saved our hides in Hamikstead were we?"
He smiled.
"Thank you but I need to do this on my own."
He shook his head.
"Anri won't go near you. Not after what she saw."
Cervas tilted his head.
"I don't follow."
"One of the men that took her could change their appearance but it was gruesome. The poor girl saw someone who looked like you pull their skin off and turn into someone else. She'll be afraid of you."
He paled.
"But she'll be able to tell."
"How?"
He stared at the him and sighed.
"we'll work something out. Do you know where they are?"
He nodded.
"They're in a cave a mile north of here."
He smiled.
"that's good. Now what're we going to do about weapons?"
Cervas smiled a little and pulled a bag from his shoulder.
"I brought some stuff to give you so you'd at least be armed. It's not much it'll help."
He pulled a sword and hatchet out and grimaced. It had been six months since he'd held weapons like this. The thought of his friends flashed across his head and he shook them off as he looped them into his belt. He glanced at Nora who was staring at a pair of long knives. She shot him a look of apology as she slid them into her belt.
"Also, Arvin, I brought this for you seeing as you'd been walking around the last few days wearing a bloody shirt full of holes."
He grunted as Cervas threw a black jacket at him. It was long and came down to his knees.
He raised an eyebrow a Cervas
"Where'd you find this?"
He shrugged as he secured a greatsword to his back.
"It was just lying on the floor on the way here."
He laughed as he put it on.
"Thank you."
"Don't worry about it. Anyway, we should get going."
He stretched and glanced at Nora.
"You Ok?"
She nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah, it's just, I didn't want to pick up a knife again. At least not so soon. Plus I still feel bad for stabbing you."
He shrugged.
"Eh, I wouldn't worry about it. You were only following orders. Sorry for hitting you."
She glared at him.
"I'm not joking."
He nodded as he began to follow Cervas, who was now marching ahead of them.
"I know. Look I don't blame you for stabbing me. You were just following orders. I understand that. So don't worry about it. Ok?"
She nodded and he smiled.
"Ok. Glad we got that out the way."

A few hours later they were staring down a cavemouth in the middle of the woods.
"Well. This is not the evil lair I was expecting."
Cervas glanced at him as they walked in and raised and eyebrow.
"What were you expecting? I told you it was a cave."
He nodded and lowered his voice.
"Yeah you did. But still. I am disappointed."
Cervas began to reply but stopped as they entered the caves main cavern. Tents dotted each ledge and piece of open ground. They ducked behind a large rock as one of the many sentrys looked their way. He pulled the hatchet out of his belt and peeked around the rock. The sentry had turned back around and was talking to someone. He aimed the hatchet towards the sentry and grunted. His arm wouldn't move and his vision swam. He felt sick and his head pounded. Nora grabbed the hatchet and he turned to her. She shook her head and smiled as she pulled the hatchet back down. He sighed as he slid it back into his belt.
"You can stop hiding. We know you're here."
They tensed as the voice echoed around the cavern.
"Come on out, Cervas."
Cervas narrowed his eyes and stepped out from behind the rock.
"Hello Mother."
They stepped out and Nora snarled as someone pointed a spear at them.
The voice gained a hint of surprise.
"Oh. The girl has some spine."
Cervas groaned.
"You can stop that now. We've shown ourselves. Now it's your turn."
He jumped as a woman appeared behind him.
"Well. Here I am."
He narrowed his eyes. She'd had them right where she wanted them since they entered the cave. It pissed him off. The woman stared at them. She had the same black hair as Cervas, but hers was longer. Her red eyes gleamed as she gave them all a wide grin.
"Why are you all looking at me like you want me dead."
Cervas twitched.
"You know damn well why. Give me back my daughter."
She laughed.
"Ah. Yes. I thought you'd be along to collect her sooner or later. She really is quite remarkable you know. Did you know she can already display some influence over ice?"
Cervas's face went white.
"What?"
She laughed.
"Oh yes. Your little Anri is quite the cryomancer."
Cervas stared at her and Arvin watched as something broke inside him. The woman turned her attention to him.
"You, you're Arvin yes?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"You've heard of me?"
She nodded.
"Oh yes. Even we Elves heard your sorry tale. You served in the Angvangese war. And you lost. Everyone. Even her."
He tensed and the corner of her mouth twitched upwards.
"Of course that story isn't important right now is it?"
She pointed towards the largest tent in the Cavern.
"Please. I would like a private conversation."
He winced as the cavern blurred.
"Ah. That is so much easier than walking don't you think?"
He glared at her as she sat down in one of the many chairs.
"So Arvin, I've been hearing a lot about you recently. And going by your scent, I'm guessing it's all true."
He stared.
"Depends what you heard."
She leaned forward.
"You aren' t human. Not anymore."
He smiled.
"Cervas told us about you. He never said that you had a sense of humour though."
She nodded.
"Well I am a woman of many talents."
"Humble too."
She rolled her eyes.
"Anyway. I want to offer you a deal. You tell me how you became whatever you are now and I'll let Anri go."
He twitched as a familiar bloodlust scratched at the edge of his mind.
"I told you I'm nothing more than human."
She groaned.
"You're a terrible liar. You've died once already. I know that for a fact because a certain friend of yours told me. A rather strange fellow. Varow, I think his name was?"
His eyes widened and he fought to keep his reaction hidden. He sighed.
"Ok. You got me. I'm not Human. But you know what?"
She tilted her head.
"What?"
He slammed his hands on the table and she jumped a little.
"I won't tell you a damn thing. You think you can just barter with peoples lives like that?"
She laughed.
"Oh and what are you going to do about it. I doubt you'll kill me seeing as you had such a hard time with the prospect of killing that sentry. Are you going to glare at me for a really long time?"
His hand moved towards his sword as red began to cloud his vision. He took a deep breath and stared at her.
"Why was Cervas so effected by Anri using Cryomancy?"
She smiled.
"Cryomancers are something of a rarity in our society. Every time a Cryomancer has appeared, the world has changed."
He raised an eyebrow.
"And what? You think Anri's going to change the world? She's just a little girl."
She shook her head.
"You misunderstand. Anri isn't going to change the world. She's merely a sign that the world will change. Soon."
He nodded.
"Ok. Thanks for the warning."
She smiled.
"You're welcome."
He nodded as he stood up.
"Now that's enough talk. Give me Anri."
He raised an eye brow as a pain began in his stomach. A moment later he doubled over and braced himself against the chair. A voice began to echo in his head.
"I told you. Blood must be consumed. That was the deal."
He screamed and his vision went dark.