Free-write story 9/2010-10/2010 Part2

The day passed on, for what seemed like forever. Must've been around sixteen hundred, when I spotted something gray down along the horizon. We were still following the tracks. Luckily, wagons, or carriages, usually travel over manageable terrain, so the going was rather smooth.

Irina was becoming increasingly anxious, it seemed, as we neared what we could now see was a grouping of buildings, likely a town. Can I blame her? She lived in a cave with weird old people for who knows how long. Would do her some good to be among civilized folk.

As we came up to the village, I noticed some low stone walls on either side of the path, I guess acting as an entrance to the location.

Ahead, I noticed several colonial-themed houses. Some had signs out front, denoting services available. One was a blacksmith, one a trader of sorts, and the last, a clothing shoppe. No inn? Odd.

"I don't like this place, Argh," she said with a terrified expression.

"Who said you could use my name informally! And I had thought you forgot it, actually."

No answer. She was clinging tight to my left arm. She wouldn't let me move without her.

"Listen, we need to check in with someone here, to find a place to sleep, and to find out where exactly we are, haha!"

"....lets us find a spot to sleep first, an then you kin go an chat with people, ok?"

"Alright, fair enough. I'll head into the trader's shoppe, you wait outside. Don't run off, okay?"

"I won't."

I went inside. The door was heavy with snow and ice. I could see my reflection in glass. I looked positively awful. What would she say about me now? "Oh, my Arghness, you look like you've been to hell and back!" Yes, she would say something like that.

A bony man, probably in his thirties stood behind a wooden counter. Many things were for sale, but since Irina was waiting, I decided not to peruse.

"Sir, might I ask where I have found myself?"

"You would happen to be in the humble mining town of Rzhevka."

"I see, and where might I go to seek lodgings for a night or two?"

"There is no dedicated place, I am sorry to inform you, but each person may extend the courtesy of letting guests stay in their house."

"Oh, I see. Do you know anyone who has room to spare."

"I do, actually. A friend of mine has a very nice room, that you can use. He is out of town currently, so I will let you use it, in his stead."

"How very kind of you, good sir! I shall make sure you are paid for your decency!"

"Think nothing of it. We are happy to make our guests welcome. Will the girl you came into town with be staying with you?"

"Aye, that she would. She is quite shy; she does not meant offend."

"I understand. We will keep our distance."

"She's not dangerous or anything, just shy."

"Even so, those who are wary of us, deserve equal treatment. Though, if she is with a gentleman such as yourself, we can extend to her the same hospitality."

"That is much appreciated. Once again, I am very grateful for your kindness. What would be your name?"

"Trader Peter, they call me."

"Aye, thank you kindly, Peter."

I headed out of the store, to find an agonizing Irina very relieved to see me.

The house was on the southernmost building. From the outside, even, it looked quite spacious. There was a bay-window, frosted over, yet still quite fancy compared to many of the other houses.

I can't help but notice that there are no other people here. I mean, not visibly anyway. Seems like there's an aura of fear and suspicion here.

As I entered the house, I began to realize how truly fantastic this house is. There's a hearth! And a basement! Two giant beds downstairs! Oh, this place is simply fantastic.

Irina was not exactly fascinated. She sat at the large wooden table that would be to your left as you entered the abode. From the table you would have a clear look out the bay window, were it cleared of frost. She just gazed, listlessly at the window. I was in pain just watching her.

Well, never mind her, for the moment. What a great house! I'm going to start a fire!

I went on back outside, and to my delight, there was a pile of firewood around the back. I grabbed a few choice logs, and headed back in.

Irina had gone downstairs, probably to sleep.

I put the logs in, and some kindling I had gathered along our journey from my pack.

The fire was made; its ethereal glowing hands licking the top of the hearth. Now this was a fire!

Oh, how I could relax in this house forever. And if I could, I really would.

Unfortunately, I am quite tired now, and it is an hour or more after sunset now. I should go check on my companion.

I went down the small stone stairs to the basement. Not a very elegant room, but it had quite the amenities. A barrel of water, with a tap. Many candles, and even a desk, with some paper. Whoever lives here is my kind of person!

After surveying the room, my eyes came to rest on my sleeping companion. This time, she did not look dead. She seemed to be at peace. Perhaps it is the security of a house? I can't be sure.

I, myself, am so very tired right now. But, while all this traveling had done my body and mind in, I can't imagine the effect it has had on her. She's not even an adult....but she had lived her whole life this way. I don't think she's used to it, or that she COULD even be used to it. I don't know how she does it.

Oh well, off to the land of my dreamworld. I don't dream much when sleeping on rocks and dirt, but most certainly on a warm bed.

A flaming meteor hurtling past stars and planets alike. Red with hatred. Black with despair.

The sky lit up, the clouds parted, the sun extinguished; the moon cowering behind the horizon. It came closer, closer. Bearing down upon the planet. We, we can't survive. This meteor will be the end of us! It's too big! The atmosphere can't stop it.

PANIC. MANIA. FRENZY. The world was awake. It knew.

The giant mass of pure despair stuck the atmosphere. Its descent was halted for moments. The world gasped.

The meteor was crowning, just as a newborn baby's head. Flames, sparks; the instrument of our demise was even more red-hot. It looked genuinely angry.

As it pressed on, through the last barrier of defense, it broke! It broke into three large, almost equal pieces.

No, this was not a victory, this was its plan. Strike three times for one descent. The pieces even looked to sharpen their faces, as to become like a bee's stinger, to pierce the world.

DOOM.

The spires of destruction made landfall. One far beyond my vision. One behind me, equally far away. The last....the last was bearing down on me. A flaming hot crescent sped unendingly toward earth. It was not going toward me, I am not its target. I am merely just another insect that will be a casualty of this beast trampling everything in its path.

The sky was gone, the light gone, my life all that existed, until.

NOTHING.

I awoke in a blur, a stupor. The smell of sweat and salt in the air. Ah, that dream again. How long must I suffer?

After I had regained my composure, I looked to my right to see if she was there. Gone. Probably upstairs.

I found myself thinking where we should go from here. Of course, nothing has changed. We still have the same goal; the same destination. Why is it that I don't really feel like it's urgent anymore?

I walked up the stone steps and found Irina sitting at the table, once again staring blankly at the window.

She spoke, "when can we leave?" with a frightened and anxious demeanor.

"Right as soon as we stock up on some supplies, as well as repay and thank the gentleman for letting us lodge here for the night."

"Can you do that? I''ll stay here. Be careful, mister, please."

I gave her a sort of confused glance, showing that I didn't have the slightest clue what she's been all worked up about.

I grabbed my pack, but left my gear behind at the house. I walked outside. Oh, what a nice day! The sun was shining, glistening on the snowed rooftops, the icicles dripping from underneath. This is traveling weather, no doubt! It must only be eleven hundred now. The sun is high, but not past its mark yet.

Down the beaten carriage-path, the one that ran directly through the middle of the probably ten or twelve total buildings, was freshly snowed over. It was still apparent, but clear that no one had come or gone recently. Still, no one was out. It was quite, yet not serene. I wasn't sure if the chills were from the cold, or the sense of discomfort put off by the area.

I walked back down to Trader Peter's establishment. I found him standing in exactly the same spot.

"Oh, hello there, Trader Peter! What a grand day it is!"

"Aye, yes it would happen to be a fine day. Did you enjoy your rest?"

"Indeed we did. I am so very grateful for your letting us stay in your friend's house. Please accept this coin, and perhaps I can interest you in this fine valise I picked up a while back?"

"A fine casing; most certainly I will take it off your hands. Less to carry, right?"

"You would be correct!"

"Now, is there anything else I may assist you with at this present time? Are you heading out soon?"

"Yes, I should think we will leave quite soon. I would like to purchase some medicinal herbs, some bandages, and perhaps some dried food for our long journey ahead. If you have even one or two of these things, we would be eternally grateful."

"I have an abundance of all of these, actually, and I would gladly give you these as a gift. You have been most courteous and gracious in your dealings thus far, and I appreciate the manner in which you conduct yourself."

"Oh, you are most kind, but that is not necessary. I would very much like to pay for goods tendered."

"If you so insist, then it shall be done posthaste. I will have your goods ready for you in perhaps an hour from now. Can you ready yourself by that time?"

"Yes. I will take my leave currently to make arrangements. I will see you then, Peter."

I exited the building. Boy, this cordial talk sure does give me an ulcer. I feel like if I don't say the right thing, I'm going to get stabbed or something. Urgh.

I headed back to the house to find Irina standing alert, ready to leave, with my things also prepared and ready.

I told her we had an hour yet before we could make our way.

"No! Can't we go now! I've had enough of the tension here! Where are all the people?! This isn't a town, I don't know. I just don't I don't like it!"

"Calm yourself! Please, until then, let us talk. It'll get your mind off your troubles."

"What about?" she said inquisitively.

Time to find out some stuff I'd been wondering about for a while. I THINK she trusts me, but who knows, I guess I'll see.

"Irina, how old are you?"

"Uhhh not zactly sure. My gramps said it wasn't that 'portant."

"So he is your grandfather? Had you always lived at that cave?"

"Yep, I guess so," with a look like she was trying to remember back as far as she could.

"So, your 'friends' those men who were down at the bottom of the cave. Do you know who they were?"

"They lived there to, they sure liked to talk lots. They were more like my gramps buddies, I guess. They treated me nice though."

"So what do you think about the fire that happened?" I said, but quickly I realized I probably shouldn't have.

"What about it? It happened," she said with a sort of sneer. Not very ladylike, I thought.

"Alright...so had you really been out of there, to a town or anything?"

"Nope, this is the first town I been to in furever."

"But you knew it was a town, and you got all weird about it even before we got there. You must have been to a town before."

"No. My gramps sure did like to talk bout them, though. He talked about how he used to live in a big ol town, petersburg or sumthin."

"St. Petersburg! That's where we're heading, Irina!"

"Is that right?" she said with a sort of disinterested tone.

"We're going to see my family, and maybe you have family there too!"

"Don't think so," she said so very abruptly that it caught me offguard.

"er...why? Why don't you think so?"

"Cuz, it's gone. The big town is gone, gramps sed so."

"WHAT? What do you mean, gone?! You're spouting nonsense!"

"Don't yell at me, argh! I'm just telling yu what he said!!!"

I calmed myself.

"Alright, I'm sorry for getting upset, but I can't believe he would say something so blatantly outrageous like that.

"he sed lotsa things, sure did. I don't know if you shud believe it or not, but I'm just sayin' is all"

'I can't, I won't believe something that outlandish until I see it firsthand. Come, we must get going, surely it has been an hour by now."

"YES, let's go!" she said with enthusiasm.

We ventured down the freshly covered pathway after picking up the supplies from Peter. There was something terrifying about creating new tracks in fresh snow. Paving the way into the unknown, though I knew very well that this was an oft-traveled path. Just an unnerving feeling.

Speaking of unnerving feelings, Irina gasped and grappled herself to me shortly after we left the town. I looked at her, and he face was of pure horror. I turned to see what she was seeing, and my eyes beheld many, probably at least twenty, dark figures looming outside the town behind us.

The townspeople or demons, I couldn't tell. Had they been hiding during our stay there? What an odd sight.

"Don't be afraid, we've left, Irina," I said to her, reassuringly.

"......"

She was still panic-stricken. I turned her face toward me.

"Calm down, it's okay. They can't hurt you from there. They're gone, forget about that town, we're moving forward."

She sighed and gave me a trembling hug. I'd never seen her so vulnerable. The hug must have lasted thirty seconds. Finally, she broke the hug and began speaking.

"We need ta get goin', argh. Nuff dawdlin' mmkay?"

Heh, already back to her old self.

And off we went, toward the city of St. Petersburg. I pulled out my tattered and dated map. The town we had just encountered was most definitely not on the map, OR we were just not where I thought we were.

"DAMN!" I yelled.

"What is it?"

"I forgot to ask for directions! I got too caught up in the mystery of the town, and being a gentleman, that I forgot to do something so important!"

"It's alright, will jus' keep goin' this way, see wurr it goes, okay?" she said with an adventurous smile. She puts on a really good show. Fearless. So fearless that it makes me that much more afraid of the journey, not sure why.

"Heh, well why don't we just turn around and ask the whole lot of weirdos where to go??" I said spuriously.

"The hell we will!" she said as she punched me.

Off we go, with the good portion of a day to go. To where, one can not be certain.

/16 Rise of Darkness

Well, if you were paying more attention, you'd figure it out./

Whoosh. The sound of an arrow narrowly missing my head. Crack, snap. The sound of it hitting a boulder to my left. I whipped around to my right to see three figures standing hostily under a birch tree.

I shoved Irina behind the aformentioned rock, and brought out my mace-flail. This was the ideal place to use this weapon.

One foe had a bow an arrow, without an arrow nested. One, had a silvery knife. And the last, who looked to be the leader had an very polished cutlass. The archer should die first. There was no escaping for me. Perhaps she could, though.

I ran headlong at the leader. A feint. As I spun and reared to swing at the leader, he lifted his cutlass to guard. At the last second I changed the course of my demolition object toward the archer. It struck his neck, and the sharpened spiked drove in as the blunt force crushed his trachea. One down.

The leader smiled, and retreated a few steps. He motioned for his knife-minion to advance. My flail was still stuck in the archer's neck, so I drew my knife.

He thrusted forward with his knife, toward my neck. I evaded, and sliced his forearm before leaping backward. He wailed, though merely switched hands. I knew he couldn't have been coordinated with his offhand, but I was wrong. He had deadly accuracy, unlike his first strike.

He had apparently succeeded in slicing gashes on my right shoulder, right breast, and a long one across my abdomen. I need to make a move.

Before that, he lunged toward my heart, with a crazed look in his eyes, like a shark that had just smelt blood. I narrowly parried and returned with a swift shin-kick to his left knee. His knee cracked and buckled, and my shin was no better. I seized the opportunity created by his pain and confusion and struck a deep gash across his throat. He went down promptly.

Only the leader remained, but I could see that I was not intimidating to him. He looked a very suave gentleman with his upper class clothing and sliced back hair. He wore no armor, just his clothing and his beautiful weapon.

In reality, it was I who was intimidated. His smirkish smile and confronting eyes were matched by my panting and probably horrified expression. This was dire.

My last weapon was my woodcutting ax. No use against a sword. He struck a pose, with his sword straight out in front. He was taunting me. He had every right to.

Just then, from above, I heard a wail. Irina came raining down and landed a swift kick to the back of the leader's head. This disposed of his equilibrium, and he wobbled to the left and stabbed his sword into the ground for stability. I rammed his underarm with my knife. I dragged it downward to open a wound.

He regained his balance and swung his cutlass toward me as I bounded backward. He managed to slice me, though only minorly across the abdomen, next to the slash from the knifeman.

Irina then flung herself onto his back, and began to choke him. His sword was useless at this distance, yet that did not stop him from trying. He swung over his left shoulder toward her and she would move to his right, and vice versa. She wasn't able to keep a steady so I knew it was up to me. I unleashed my ax and thundered toward him, raising my weapon steadily, until the time to bring down its judgment. He was so focused on his wrestling match with my companion that he failed to even recognize my assault. My ax landed on his upper right breast, and he seized. A few more swings and he stopped. I leaned up against the tree who had witnessed it all, and slumped to the ground. Weary, fatigued and bloody. The world was beginning to fade. Again, again...

Dim, in the distance, the lone object in the fog of my mind. A dead tree, with a thousand ghost arms shooting in every direction. A mannequin of death. What did it mean?

A flame began to course up its old limbs until the entirety of the figure was ignited. I watched in a dull horror, as this is the only thing around. No, the light from the fire has illuminated, no, contrasted the beings that were hidden in the darkness. They were ghastly, wailing creatures. The dead, but very much alive. They seemed to be in awe of the tree, as I.

They silently beckoned me to come over, closer to the focus. I refused.

..........

I awoke. Night time, I saw. No way to judge the time. The events previous to my blacking out came back to me. I clutched my chest, breast, and shoulder. The wounds were wrapped, albeit crudely. Irina, must have been. Where is she?

I stood, and noticed the corpses of the men were no longer here. There appeared to be trails of blood leading in a direction away from the road we were following, past the tree.

I grabbed my mace-flail, knife, and ax. It was the night, and I was in no shape for a fight. Hungry, to top things off. Well, at least I got some sleep!

The trail led on and on, though the amount of blood decreased steadily. They were dragged right nearly after death, or else their blood would have stopped a while ago, I thought.

Finally, it ceased to exist. And, in the middle of a field. No pointer as to which way they were taken. To my left was a large grouping of woods; could have gone there. To my right was a rocky outsetting; probably not there. Ahead of me, no. I gasped. The dead tree from my dream.
I did not want it to be. I ran for a short while in the opposite direction before being drawn back to its power and mystery.

The way the branches swayed and reflected the moonlight was ethereal. I was mesmerized. I walked slowly toward it, dragging my suddenly sluggish legs onward. When I was probably ten meters from it when I saw a dark figure creep from behind it. A wolf. Two wolves!

I let out a sort of scream. These were the same wolves from....from...back then. Not only had they followed me, but they had dragged the bodies of the men to this hallowed ground. I couldn't move.

The female wolf laid down, and the male wolf sat quietly. Time passed, I did not know how much.

The wolves then both stood up to an alert pose, before promptly bowing. Irina came walking from the direction of the wooding. I was very much confused.

"Hey, argh, you're alright! I thought you sure was a goner!"

After a time of staring stunned, I managed to stammer, "WOLVES!"

"...Yes, thurr my friends though, so don't hurt them none!"

"Friends?! Wolves!"

The wolves proceeded to lay down and roll over, as if to appear harmless.

"Oh no, you're not going to trick me!" I yelled as I started toward my companion.

"What yurr doin' argh?"

"We're going to find a safe place to stay until the night's over, that's what."

"We already did, mister argh. It's just inside the forest there, nice little hovel we sure did find."

"I'm not staying anywhere near wolves!"

"Oh yes you are! From whats they told me, they been goin' easy on you, since yurr friends with me in' all."

I had began to think back to my encounters. They did seem to leave me well, alive.

"Well, whatever, but I'm sleeping with one eye open."

She seemed really excited and gave me a hug.

"How are your cuts?" she asked sympathetically.

"Not so bad, thanks for wrapping them."

And so we went into the forest and made a fire. Another night was ours.

I did not sleep until many hours after she. I had become accustomed to watching her face as she slept, and her short, seemingly troubled breathing. In a world such as this, peace and security were scarce. A pity, really, that she has never known the comforts of a warm home, and a loving family. Only the wilderness and wolves. I covered her with my wool garments. Her lips curved to a smile. A little peace can sprout out of nowhere, I guess. She does have her protectors, I suppose.

I was not only watching her, but the two wolves as well. Lord knows what they will do when our defenses are down. But, I couldn't help but get the feeling that they were really here to help. Though the whole concept of being so close to such beasts was completely foreign to me.

Eventually I also had slipped into a slumber of sorts.


....

Warmth. A roaring fire. Lying on a fur carpet, letting the warmth of the flames melt my soul. I swam in the embers. Yellow, orange, red, purple.

....

Morning. Irina greeted me warmly.

"Good morning! I see yurr fell asleep. Gettin' used to my friends already, I see!"

"Something like that..."

"Well, argh, where are we headed off to today!"

"Same place as before. Still, not sure if we're going to the right way, though."

"I think if we shud follow the road from before!"

"And get ambushed by more bandits, I think not!"

"Oh ya, yurr right. Maybe let's go past that old tree and keep following that way?"

"I suppose so. Can't hurt us to get lost being lost already. Though, I'm starving! Let's get some food."

"Done already, mister argh. Me friends got up earlier'n us and brought us some fresh kills."

"Wonderful!"

I was really hungry. Still recovering from the scuffle yesterday.

/345 Frost's Fall

Two MORE companions. Looks like we have a party now. Keep having weird dreams. Not sure what to make of it./

We ate and were sated. Then we set off down the trail.

"Off we go, with a good portion of the day to go, to where, we don't know...." I found myself musing to myself. Irina overheard and started singing along too. Looked as though it was to be a good day.

After three or four pretty monotonous days of journey, we came upon a medieval castle. It was very large, daunting even. The walls and front gate seemed to be very much frozen over. The full moon was reflecting off the ice covering its mezzanines and smaller bastiles.

Myself, Irina, and the two wolves, which were apparently nameless, were to head inside. I wasn't thrilled, but we needed a place to stay. Irina wasn't fearful in the least. She rather liked the look of the structure. Strong, menacing, yet civilized and comforting with its promise of security.

The night was approaching rapidly, and all that surrounded the castle was thick wooding. Our best bet was also our biggest unknown.

I could hear thundering beats from inside the walls. They were ricocheting toward the trees and back to our ears. The beat of a drum, it sounded like. Curiosity was winning the battle.

I hailed those inside from the gate. No answer. Irina then screamed. I was taken aback. My ears rang with the sheer volume of the shrillness. I covered my ears.

The gate had begun to open, much to my surprise. Three armed men stood inside. Their eyes were full of terror and suspicion.