CHAPTER 3

Present time

He had the same nightmare again. He was falling. The sky grew smaller and smaller until only darkness remained. And somewhere in the distance, he heard her voice. And her laughter. Nio opened his eyes. The bitterness in him receded and the echo of Thea's laughter grew quieter and quieter. His thoughts turned to Teria'n. The very thought of him made him growl with hatred. He took a deep breath to calm himself and smelling roasted meat he turned his head.

"I hear your stomach from here": Shieena said smiling.

A big rabbit was roasting on the fire and the woman cut a piece and handed it to him. While Nio was eating, the little goblin took the rest of the rabbit off the stick and cut it. She divided the meat into two parts using large fleshy leaves as plates, took a smaller part to herself, and laid the rest in front of the elf.

"How did you get the slingshot? Considering you were a prisoner.": Nio asked curiously.

"The slingshot was in the possession of one of the goblin slaves. The bastards killed him because he tried to escape and then they made me bury him. I found the weapon and hid it. Fortunately, none of them like to touch goblins, so they never searched me.”: Shieena replied.

“Resourceful.”: Nio grinned.

After a much-needed rest, they continued their journey, walking quickly and energetically through the green landscape. Nio was in a good mood. As he grappled the dirt, rocks, and fallen branches, he could think of nothing but revenge. So close.

The frozen sun made measuring the time of day problematic. The genius of a human wizard overcame that obstacle. The pocket watch had a small amount of magic in it and a tiny metal disk inside traveled in a circle, mimicking the path of the sun. Nio opened his. The tiny sun was showing sometime after noon. They made good progress.

The forest in front of them began to change. It was thicker, darker and much more impassable. They were approaching Velas. In Raal, there were no traditional borders, but there were natural ones. The southwestern border of Malfer and Velas was marked by the largest forest in Raal, Sene. Sene was one of Raal's great wonders. Thousands of years old trees with big dark green leaves. Even the constant sun could not fully penetrate this natural fortress.

As they approached this dazzling wonder, Nio sensed danger. He stopped. Going around Sene would mean wasting days of travel. No, straight was the only way forward.

He looked at his companion and said: "Stay close, I feel danger in the woods."

Nodding, the little woman's eyes lit up with excitement.

The forest was dark and inhospitable. Huge ominous-looking trees towered over them as they progressed deeper and deeper inside. Nio's internal alarm screamed, but he couldn't see anyone. The goblin also looked scared, but she didn't stop.

Half an hour later, she touched his hand and whispered: “Vampires. Above us ... "

As the little goblin finished the sentence, a swarm of dark creatures descended upon them. And then everything froze. Eyes wide open, Shieena watched the terrifying creatures float motionless in the air above them. Some of them were almost on top of them, with bared teeth and bloodshot eyes, with a mask of hunger and savagery on their faces.

Shieena glanced at the elf, but this time there was no dark energy around him. The magic he used was the simple elemental kind, not the horrible whirling death like last time. The branches of the old trees began to bend, giving way to the sun above them. The forest around them curved and meandered until the hot rays of the sun found their way to the ground. And in their first virgin journey from the sun, they touched the frozen vampires turning them to ash. It was all over in an instant. It always was when using magic.

Shaking off the remains of the vampires, Nio and Shieena continued northwest, through the now very quiet forest.

They had been traveling through Sene for three days now without any new attacks. Shieena’s fear of the elf began to wane. He didn't talk much, but he was careful and considerate. If she was hunting small game, he was looking for water or shelter and the two companions worked well together.

One evening while Shieena was skinning an unfortunate rabbit and Nio was lighting a fire, she asked: “What kind of dark magic did you use back in the village? I've never seen anything like it."

Nio stared at her for a moment, thinking about the question, then replied: “Hmm. It's not dark magic. It’s just a different kind of magic. More powerful magic."

Shieena did not understand: “But I thought there was only elemental magic. What you used was not elemental magic. Elemental magic cannot be seen. Yours is visible. And, and I could feel it."

Nio smiled: “Yes little goblin, you did see it. It's called raw magic. That's what you get when you mix all the magical elements together."

Shieena still seemed confused: “I felt ... like I wanted to die. As if there was nothing but death. How can you control something like that?”

Nio was curious because he had never experienced raw magic that way. All he felt was desire. Desire to become one with that energy. Desire to absorb everything around him and become more. To become everything. Now he knew how others felt in its presence. How do you explain something like that? He had been alone for so long that he really enjoyed her company. But how do you explain that power and his fears to her?

When he left the hospital in Malfer, he remembered a story his mother had once told him. He was too young to understand it then, but after the hospital his mother’s words echoed in his heart, leading his broken, lost soul back to the light. Enough not to go crazy again.

He decided to tell the goblin that story: “I will tell you a story that my mother told me when I was little. There was one poor human village somewhere in Malfer. An even poorer peasant lived in that village. All he had was a small rundown house and a few chickens. One day, this peasant, let’s call him Vel, stumbled upon a magic wand that gave him tremendous power. Before the wand, Vel was a kind, hardworking and humble creature. He had a small garden, he had his chickens and though there were days when he was hungry, he could still enjoy the sound of rain falling on the leaves and the sound of children laughing in the distance. But now with all this power in his hands he can't help himself. When you have power, you use it, don't you? Vel decided to take the neighbour’s wealth for himself. In doing so, he killed the neighbour. Unfortunate, but still ... Does it stop? No. He wants more land. He begins to conquer other villages. Soon the whole region is his. He killed hundreds in the process, but at that time his heart did not even remember the sound of rain early in the morning. Or the laughter of children. He is willing to burn the world for his petty desires. Why? Because he can."

"It's an instructive children’s story, but I don't understand what it has to do with your magic": Shieena said.

Nio smiled and replied: “Everything. You asked me how I could control that magic. The answer is I can't. Not if I use it like in the village. It's too much for me. I can control it in smaller quantities, but if it weren't for you back there, ancestors, I don't know what would have happened. I got angry and lost control. Your voice brought me back. Luckily for both of us. When the vampires attacked us, I could have used raw magic again. I did not. I used elemental magic. Do you know why?"

“Why?”: Shieena asked.

"Because I don't want to become Vel.": Nio replied with a big smile on his face.

Shieena stared at the fire, shaking her head: “Seven years ago, a dwarf patrol in Zanestor captured my family. I was nineteen. My brother and my mother were sent to the dwarven mines in Canestor and I was sold to a slave caravan. They sold me and resold me like a beast. They beat me, abused me, exploited me to the bone, until you came. You could have killed me or left me in Malfer. You did not. I don't think you'll ever become the peasant from your story."

"Ah little Shieena ... you know nothing. But I have to admit, having you as a companion is proving to be a good thing. I'm much calmer and more careful with you around. Strange.”: he said.

Shieena said nothing, she just stared into the fire as tears streamed down her cheeks. Sadness washed over Nio. Seven years in that hole hardened his heart, but there were still cracks. And this little creature managed to find one of them. Family. What would he give if he could have his mother back? But she was long dead.

“Tell me about them. Your family.”: he said quietly.

The forest echoed in their voices and just as they finally fell silent, they heard another sound. A call for help. Nio jumped looking for a target, but they were alone.

He sat down again taking the last piece of roast when Shieena said: "You're not planning on helping, are you?"

Nio shook his head.

"If you don't want to see if anyone needs help, I will.": Shieena was determined.

She picked up her slingshot and headed in the direction of the cry.

Women. Regardless of race, they always think they are right. He sighed in disbelief and picking up their meagre belongings followed her. After a few minutes of wrestling with vegetation and thick branches, they reached a small entrance to a very dark cave. Nio opened his mouth, but after seeing Shieena's determined look, he closed it.

"Wait here.": she said and disappeared into the cave.

As he pondered whether to stay put or follow her, she returned: “It’s a vampire lair. But without vampires. Maybe you killed them all. I found a human man inside. He is in poor shape. Come."

He entered the cave and waved his hands. Dozens of bright lights appeared, hovering in the air above them. The cave was now flooded with light.

The inside of the cave was a filthy, gruesome place. Piles of bloodied bodies lay all over the ground or hung from primitive human-sized racks, while stinking makeshift beds were crammed into every corner of the cave. A wooden cage, large enough for a dozen prisoners, stood in the centre of the room, but currently had only one occupant. The man inside lay in his own faeces and blood. Nio found a rusty sword and broke the padlock on the cage, but when he got inside the disgusting stench made him come out quickly. He composed himself and tried again, managing to pull the man out of the cage and out into the woods. It was not easy; the man was built like a bull. Shieena watched the whole scene with tears in her eyes, her face contorted in a mask of anger and disbelief. The cave was truly a horrible place.

It was impossible to determine the extent of the man's wounds. He was covered with layers of dirt and blood. Nio spotted an old handcart near the entrance and after much effort managed to shove the unconscious man into it. They dragged the cart through the woods with a little help from Nio's magic, finally reaching the stream they had passed on their way to the cave. They immersed the man in the water and Shieena washed him as best she could. He had a large number of bites on his body, but no other visible wounds. It was clear the vampires were feeding on him. He lost a lot of blood and probably didn’t eat for days, maybe even weeks. They spent the rest of the night by the stream. Shieena returned to the vampire lair to find some clothes for the man. His were completely unwearable.

Nio fell asleep and when he woke up Shieena was busy lighting a new fire. She washed the clothes found in the vampire lair and put it near the fire to dry. The man was still asleep, completely naked, except for Nio's cloak that acted as a blanket. If the goblins had the gift of night vision, the elves had the gift (or curse) of a superior smell. Nio was no exception. Well, he thought, so much for my cloak. There is not enough water and soap in Raal to wash away that putrid smell.