***
Psydra darted through people, down the street and turned down into a damp alley. She approached a thick wooden door where she made three heavy handed knocks.
A low call returned through the great oak barrier, "Who is it?"
"Myst."
"Psydra?" Charles Korzax, opened the door. He was an older man closer to her father’s age. Charles had the air of distinguished royalty and striking hawk eyes. He pulled the visitor close and held her there. "I thought he got you. I didn't know."
"Good to see you, too," said Psydra as the powerful man released his hold.
"I'm so glad you're here. How long can you stay?" Charles said.
"Not long Charles. I'm leaving tonight, with Carter."
"No time at all," Charles said sadly as he turned and walked into the dark room and seated himself in a chair.
"I had to tell you, we have him with us now," Psydra said.
"I don't care. I left long ago."
"You do care," Psydra said. A long pause filled the room with silence. "We need you, Korzax."
"So long, it has been, since I fought with you. I am no good to you. I will only get you killed."
"Where is the fearlessness you showed in my youth? Where did it go?" Psydra asked.
"You know where."
"Xero killed her, you couldn't stop him then, but we have the one of legend. We have the son. With him you can avenge her, you can avenge Mia." Psydra pleaded.
"Don't speak that name near me again! You feel free to avenge her, I will not fail again. I will not watch others die because of my failings." The anger was well restrained on Charles's face.
"He’s on a rampage that is unlike anything he’s ever done. This may be our last chance."
“I thought you had the hero.” Charles threw back his arms. “Your father of course will be able to stop him for a time, he hasn’t failed at that yet.” Charles looked away from her and sighed.
“Talin isn’t going to stop him, Charles, Talin stayed behind with the rest of your old companions buying us time. Xero destroyed them without a doubt, now the army of entire resistance has been routed. No one is standing in his way now. Our last chance is this boy. We need your help, I need your help.”
Charles took in a slow, deep breath. “I heard Xero is going to destroy us all in time. I am going to stay here to die; I have been prepared to die here.”
Psydra’s heart sank heavy in her chest as she left. It was hard to hold her head up. The man that had been like a brother to her, he was overcome with failure. It was clear there was nothing left of what he had once believed in.
When Psydra returned, Raunst and Jake sat on a wood railing lining the water’s edge by the dock. Raunst had been subject to several stories of the archer’s exploits in her absence. Quite a few he heard before told by others in taverns. Such stories were often told with grand detail, but not so grand as when told by Jake. Psydra read the exhausted look off his face as he scanned the grief from hers; she passed straight by and boarded the ship. Raunst didn’t hesitate to follow.
It was not long before the ship took up its anchor. Captain Carter navigated the vessel into the open water of the sea and then set up north along the coast. Once they hit the Cradle Jetties they would turn east into the open sea to Tiris and then sail further east to the Blackwoods region.
After an hour, the watched called out from the nest. The few passengers on the deck gazed over the stern. It took the distant scene time to rise before those on the deck could confirm what was called out. The far off glow grew and grew emerging not as a steady light, but a violent torrent of raging flame. Feltin was burning. The Captain could not find a word to comfort those on board. Instead Carter focused on keeping the desperate vessel clear of the rocks. Onward through the night, they crept steadily north with the shore winds.
The agile vessel traveled long across the sea of endless blue the next day. The far side of the great sea came into view by the late afternoon. The favorable winds had them docked at Tiris with an hour to spare before sundown.
Raunst was eager to debark and discover the secrets that awaited at Enfirus. The distant assault the night before had created a new anger in him. The destruction must come to an end. Xero clearly had much to do with it. The monster claimed many dear lives.
The uncertainty of the exchange between Carter and Psydra yesterday had left him uneasy, though. Talin had been a stoic and reasonable man, speaking on unquestioning authority of the boy's certain destiny for power. Even Psydra’s words had taken some side with Carter’s own plea that the boy’s power may not be as certain as Talin had made it out to be. If he truly set his sights on defeating Xero, would he stand the chance?
The passengers congregated on the deck and the gangplank was set. Only a handful of passengers disembarked. Carter's crew had already stocked enough provisions and Carter could not bear to waste time in the rural port.
As Jake and Raunst headed out, Carter made a final request to Psydra for them to come along. He appreciated both their lives as well as the extra swords on board. Psydra took a moment to give a polite decline for the group, and wish her old friend well.
On shore, Jake noticed Raunst deep in thought. "You okay?"
"No, no I'm not." Raunst’s frigid response caught Jake off guard.
"What is it?" Jake inquired.
Raunst's mind churned like the windy sea before him. "Nothing.”
Raunst strolled down the lane and into a local pub. He sat down at a stool by the bar. The bartender took his time getting over. Raunst had spent the last day and a half feeling like a caged animal on the crowded ship, all he craved now was a quick drink. The unshaven barkeep flashed a half toothed grin but took another few minutes joking with another patron. The barkeep strode up to the bar and put his hand out to greet Raunst.
"What d'ya' like?" his scratchy voice reminded him of the old woman.
A sudden flair of rage flashed through Raunst. He grabbed the bartender's collar and hoisted him over the counter. He pulled the man across the counter and dropped him to the floor. Raunst put one foot on the man's throat before he replied, "I’m through with you, beast!"
The lanky barkeep’s eyes were white. Beads of sweat formed on his pale forehead. Raunst stepped off at once, his body shivering.
The man retreated back, “Take, take anything!” The barkeep escaped the rear door, into darkness. The other people waited for Raunst's next move, silent. The paralyzed Raunst looked over his arms and hands. The man had seemed almost weightless in his grip. It had taken him no time or effort to render him down. The apprehension built in his bones. He escaped the tavern and bumped directly into Jake. The archer took the heavy force of the collision and fell backward to the ground.
Raunst extended his arm to assist.
Jake shook his head. “What was that? You must be built like a brick wall!”
“I had the door handle, you just lost your balance,” Raunst said.
“Not in my life, you are something else.” Jake accepted his hand at last; Raunst pulled him to his feet.
Psydra walked up on the two. He locked his eyes in hers. Raunst moved close and put his arm around her. He pressed his lips to hers. Raunst pulled away from her eyes fielding a standoffish glare.
"And that was?" Psydra asked.
"I don’t know, it just seemed right." Raunst did not feel fully sure himself.
"Are you okay?" Psydra asked.
"No," he said. He wasn’t feeling at all like himself. "I," he cut himself short. "How do we get to the old kingdom?"
"We’ll make much better time with horses," Psydra said. “It’s about two days, riding hard.” She studied him for a moment. It was impossible to tell how and where, but her gut said something had changed with him.
"There is a snake tongued trader who lives on the edge of town. I’ve heard he can get you what you need but can drive a hard bargai
n.” Jake said. He had come through Tiris just a year back under some leaner times and had almost approached the man then. “He goes by, the Baron.”
“Do you know another way?” Raunst directed his question at Psydra.
She shook her head.
“We shall see this man on account of three horses then,” Raunst concluded.
“Four horses.”
"Korzax." Psydra whispered. Her ears had recognized the voice right away. It had a shallow vigor to it, it was slight, but more certainly than the last time she had heard it.
Raunst watched Charles approach. Charles dressed in a dark cloak similar to Psydra’s but the armor beneath was steel, not the black crystal plate. A belt rest loosely around his waist. Slung from it was a heavy two headed axe. Its massive blades wrapped in a leather sheath laced up the sides.
"A pleasure to meet you. I assume you are Baltir’s boy," Korzax said. "Definitely like your mother."
"This is Charles Korzax," Psydra said. "Charles this is Raunst Baltir and this is Jake Stokes."
"Surely," Charles said extending his arm to Jake. "I thought you were older."
Jake firmly squeezed the man’s hand in welcome. "You'd be surprised how much I hear that."
"Oh really." Korzax removed the cowl exposing his dark auburn hair. "Raunst Baltir, do you believe in this quest, like your mother, before you?"
"You knew my mother, too, huh?" Raunst asked.
"I knew your mother, very well."
Psydra could not wait for their discussion to mature. She jumped in, "Then you mean to join us?"
"I would not have come here if I hadn't planned on it." Charles fought down his sorrow and put forth a tender smile. He knew that Psydra now felt the burden of being the last survivor in her family, like her companion Raunst. Korzax knew those feelings well in his own heart.
"Exactly how did you get here?" Psydra asked not remembering him on the ship.
"I saw him come on board in Feltin before we left," Jake said. "I had eyes on him as he appeared to be trying to blend in."
"Indeed, it did not assist me with you." Charles said.
"Four horses it is then.” Psydra looked to Raunst.
Only days before, Raunst’s quest had been solely to serve the appropriate justice for his father’s death. Unraveling before him now was a design much grander, yet much more terrifying. In this short time he had gained these three companions and a viciuos adversary he had yet to meet face to face. It was time to go and seek the legend. Raunst took in each face one by one. They were strangers still in many ways, but his he felt trust for them. He took a deep breath and cleared his head. The barkeeper's white face returned in his mind. Then his sudden kiss. Neither action had a basis he could find.
Raunst realized that his three companions were staring at him. "Yes?"
"Are you okay, Raunst?" Psydra asked.
Raunst nodded.