Fear, Fanatics and Fighting - The Order: Part 1

Fear, Fanatics and Fighting
The Order: Part 1

(Intro, feel free to skip till --- part)

   The magnificent library of the Keepers swallowed the Reoseans for a couple of days as the topsiders utilized their newfound abilities of reading the storage crystals. Strangely enough, Cailu didn’t usher them forward as he usually did, but eventually, Aethone started asking questions. Cailu seemed to wish to avoid the topic, but once Meline also realized what’s off about her Haedian companion Cailu gave in and admitted they should probably head on. The only one who shared similar interests with Cailu regarding staying at the Keepers was Caelan, as there was no force strong enough in the whole of Reos to drag this scholar out of an academic paradise. To Cailu’s dismay, Aethone and Meline were eager to explore further as they agreed with Khaldor and his young assistant that they can come back whenever they wish to.

   Cailu’s steps weren’t as energetic as usual and he seemed to be troubled by his thoughts. Meline decided to wait a little in hopes the Haedian would explain soon enough what’s wrong, while Aethone was busy listening to her surroundings. She could swear someone, or something, was following them.

   This someone happened to be an Empyrian named Roihiran, who got lost in these vast caves and tunnels. He had been wandering around aimlessly for Holy-knows how many days, surviving on scraps he managed to steal here and there as he was looking for his way out while trying to avoid confronting these new underground creatures. To his luck, he happened to be near the Keeper’s territory when his eyes stopped at Aethone, then Meline, and lastly at the gloomy-looking critter they were following somewhere. In Roi’s head, he believed the scenario that Aethone managed to intimidate the Hae with brutal threats enough to show them the way out of this forsaken maze, so he decided to follow them in shadows in hopes he’ll get to see the sweet-sweet daylight any time soon.

“Cailu, you’ve been acting weird, what’s wrong?”

   Meline couldn’t keep her mouth shut anymore, so she trotted next to Cailu, looking at him with a genuine worried expression. Cailu sighed and stopped, gathering thoughts for the answer for a few moments. Aethone remained behind to listen closely to the suspicious soft rustle coming somewhere behind her. The cause of the rustle, Roihiran, had ended up on a spot where he could see Meline and Cailu but not Aethone. Frankly enough, he didn’t even notice one being missing as he was trying to eavesdrop on what the creature was talking about with the other Empyrian.

“Well, the next clan we’re heading to… isn’t known for their hospitality. In order to get to my clan, we need to cross their territory but they have every right to stop you at their gates. I’m trying to figure out how to solve this situation.”

“Hmm, but they’d let you cross, right?”

   The gears in Meline’s head started to turn, while Aethone had snuck a few steps back, trying to track the stalker. She picked up Roihiran’s scent and silently, like a skillful hungry predator, lurked closer to his position without alerting him of her presence.

“Only me, yes. If I wanted to get you across, I’d have to call for someone else to escort you, I don’t have enough power to hold the Order back.”

“The Order?”

   Meline blinked her eyes a few times, waiting for further explanations. Before Cailu could answer, a loud surprised shriek echoed over the tunnels, followed by a brief tussle which resulted in Roihiran being pushed out of hiding and him making an elegant landing on the tunnel floor, and by elegant, it looked like an elephant tied to a boulder while falling down. Fortunately it wasn’t too high up above the floor, but hurt nevertheless. While Roi tried to heave himself up, shocked gazes of Meline and Cailu locked on him, Aethone made her way down to him and pinned him to the ground, growling deeply in his ear to make sure the fishy fella wouldn’t try something funny.

“Oookay, who are you? And Aethone, please take it easy, you’re going to snap his wing!”

   Meline was the first to react, getting closer to the other two while Cailu stayed where he was, ears perked in the opposite direction.

“Get your filthy paws off me!”

   Roihiran seemed to have quite some fight left in him as he swiftly raised his Scorpion tail and used it to slam into Aethone’s side. She winced at the impact, but this only made her press down harder on his wing while her snarl stretched wider.

“Ow ow ow ow ow, stop! Okay, stop! I’m sorry!”

   Roi’s apology was far from sincere, but noticing Meline’s disapproving gaze made Aethone reluctantly step off him. Roi got up, brushed off some dirt and then locked his cold yellow eyes with Aethone’s, both throwing daggers at each other.

“Hey, you, stop it. Who are you and what do you want from us?”

   Meline stood between the two, preventing them from going at each other’s throats again. Before she could get any answers, a new, chilling voice interrupted the standoff.

“My, my, Cailu, what do you have here?”

   When the three topsiders’ attention was back at Cailu, they saw him being surrounded by three heavily armored Haedians, who were much bigger than him. Before Cailu could say anything, the three newcomers calmly walked to the visitors, surrounding them as one of them spoke.

“You know better than to drag… outsiders right at our doorstep. Did you bring them as sacrifices? Or training dummies? Oh, I would love to have a go with the big one here.”

   Her unfriendly grin grew wider as she stared at Aethone, who was grimacing back at her with clear disapproval. Meline wasn’t sure what to do, so she stood still, frantically looking around in hopes they wouldn’t flat-out attack them here. Roihiran lowered his stance, raising his tail above his head in a defensive position, but that didn’t seem to keep the armored Haedians too far away from him.

“Deraka, they are guests and they seek an audience with the Matriarch. Please let us pass, we mean no trouble.”

   Cailu tried to remain calm but he obviously wasn’t good at it. The one he called Deraka didn’t let herself to be phased by his request at all.

“You know that’s not up to me. Come with me.”

   She started heading further towards the tunnel, Cailu behind her, then the three topsiders and finally the two other armored Haedians, making sure the strangers followed Deraka without causing any more trouble. Throughout the journey, nobody peeped a word, the only sounds sending them were their footsteps and clinking of the metal armor sets.

---

   The glowing crystals turned into an ominous red color, definitely not helping to ease the heavy atmosphere that started crushing on Meline, Aethone and even Cailu. Something was wrong with the place they were heading to, and they had no other way but to follow the three armored Haedians escorting them. In addition to the screaming sensation in the backs of their heads, the air started to smell of incense, smoke from tarred torches and blood. It was obvious enough why Cailu was reluctant about coming here, and internally, Meline wished she just stayed with the Keepers instead. Aethone and Roihiran kept occasionally glancing at the two Haedians behind them, just to check how dedicated they are at their jobs but unfortunately they didn’t leave any opportunity to catch them by surprise or just run to escape through some sideway tunnel. With that, they carried on deeper into the heavy unpleasant air ahead of them.

   After a turn, a large cavern opened up, which was guarded by two enormous pillars carrying a carved statue of an ox each, and between the pillars was a gate, guarded by several elderly Haedians wearing darkened chains around their necks, limbs and tails. Their attention was on the approaching party as they stood completely still, light of red crystals and burning torches behind them casting ominous light and creating spooky shadows.

   Their escort Deraka stepped up to one of them, briefly explained the situation to which the elder’s sunken eyes stopped at the newcomers, examining them briefly from head to toe.

“Halderis, I bring greetings to you and your God. Please allow me to pass the Order territory together with the vi-”

“Silence. You may go, but that’s the furthest they go.”

   The elder interrupted Cailu’s request without moving or blinking his eyes.

“Halderis, please, I-”

“I won’t say it twice. Go.”

   Cailu’s eyes narrowed in frustration, while Meline, Aethone and Roihiran stood still, anxiously waiting what would become of them.

“Let me talk to Shira.”

   Cailu stood his ground, but everyone could smell the adrenaline pumping through his veins. The elder’s attention snapped back at him, and to the topsiders’ dismay, he summoned the most chilling grin anyone had ever seen.

“Say, this is a good idea. You, big green one-”

   His head jolted back towards Aethone’s direction, a creepy glint appearing in his eyes as he spoke.

“Do you walk in the shadow of Oris?”

   Oris? It was the first time Aethone heard such a name or thing. Her one brow raised as she was trying to muster up an answer, but the elder seemed impatient.

“Well, yes or no?”

“Uhh… no, I’m not even sure what it is.”

   Aethone couldn’t come up with something better under all this tension, and her answer seemed to disappoint the elder as he shook his head, darkened chains rattling. Cailu realized where this was going but he didn’t dare to interrupt any more, so with a worried look his eyes were on his companions.

“Shame, you would be a worthy servant… But you two, winged ones, do you serve Oris?”

   Meline’s heart skipped a beat when the Haedian looked at her with his crazed eyes and Roihiran’s eyes narrowed to the question. The name was familiar to him, but he let Meline speak first. Poor girl had seen the name mentioned in some ancient tomes back on the surface, but she had just skimmed through these parts of the book and not read closer what the writings told about Oris.

“I’ve seen this name mentioned, but unfortunately I’m in the same situation as my companion Aethone, I’d be happy to learn mo-”

“Enough, heretic. Not only has your presence disturbed our way of life, you also bring the disgusting scent of light with you to our holy grounds. You, skinny one, do you have something better to say?”

   He didn’t forget about Roi, who sneakily tried to hide behind Aethone but wasn’t skilful enough to pull it off. He grumbled, took a step away from his potential hiding spot and looked straight in the elder’s eyes.

“Oris brings nothing but trouble. You’re fools if you follow Him, this God-”

“Shut your insolent mouth, pup!”

   The elder’s thin patience snapped and the rest of the armored Haedians didn’t seem to approve of the received answers either. They bared their teeth and spread the gliding wings to indicate their readiness to tear the topsiders to tiny shreds, chains and armor clanking eerily in the red light. Aethone and Roihiran responded with defensive stances, staring at the Haedians surrounding them to catch anyone making the first move while Meline hunched down, ready to press herself off the ground before anyone could claw her wings to shreds or bite down at her body.

“Halderis, stop. Please, call Shira, let me talk to her.”

   Cailu summoned all the bravery he had to step between the angered elder and the three visitors. In a way, the elder seemed to respect Cailu standing up to him, but that didn’t mellow his mood at all. He hissed at Cailu, then raised his snout towards the seamlessly inexistent cave ceiling in the smog and let out a loud bellow, which sounded far into every direction around them. For a moment, everything became dead silent before the grumpy elder grinned once again at Cailu.

“Have it your way. I hope you’re not too attached to your new ‘friends’.”

   Having said that, the air around them became heavy as a huge boulder on their shoulders while they all anticipated what’s next to come.