De'Vas Chronicles Book 4: Chapter 4

Ash had followed the orcs for several hours through the dense woods of the Markal Forest along a path beaten through the overgrowth. They had called it a ‘game trail’ when they led him to it some distance from where he had spent the night.

“You walked a decent way from this path to find me,” he said.

Eva looked back at him, her mid-length black braid still draped over her shoulder. Compared to the orcs back in District 114, she had a leaner build, more athletic than muscle. She was also the most social of the trio of orcs.

“We caught sight of the smoke from your fire,” she said, still walking while looking back at him. “Our war party leader thought you’d be an easy mark. He was wrong.”

Ash sighed.

“I hoped my friends would see it,” he replied.

Eva raised an eyebrow at him.

“I’m sure the whole of Markal Forest saw. Most try to keep their fires hidden, so as not to invite trouble.”

Her tone held a hint of criticism, and Ash guessed he deserved it. It wasn’t like he had built a fire before, let alone knew how to hide one. The closest he had come to camping was when he set up a tent in the backyard as a kid. He was still recalling that memory when Eva’s eyes grew wide, and she adverted her gaze.

“I meant no disrespect, my lord,” she said.

Ash shrugged.

“It was an ill-thought-out plan,” he admitted.

Ash made his way to walk beside Eva. The orc woman tensed as he approached closer, but maintained her pace. He didn’t say anything until he saw her start to relax.

“So why is this place called Markal Forest?” he asked.

The question was more about breaking the ice than about any real interest.

“It was once the Markal Kingdom, hundreds of years ago, back when the forest elves truly had an empire. The elvish rulers of the Kingdom enraged a dryad grove, and plants consumed everything, driving them from the land.”

Eva pointed at some ivy covering something amongst the tall trees. Ash narrowed his eyes at it and noticed the mass vegetation was oddly square-shaped.

“Ruins,” Eva stated. “The plants hide most of it, but if you know what to look for, you’ll spot them everywhere. Warchief Mullin even cleared out the growth from the Markal Castle and took over the ruins as his...”

Eva frowned.

“For his slave camp,” Ash finished. Joel had said the place was heavily fortified.

Silver would call me an idiot for going there. Do I even know what I’m about to get myself into?

DANGER. ABOVE. MOVE!

Ash grabbed Eva and pulled her back at Sparky’s warning. A massive man fell from the tree tops, plunging a bone spear into the ground where he had been standing. Dark brown eyes glared at him through a mess of black hair under the animal hide hood he wore. The man snarled as he shifted his footing, and Ash reached for Riptide, expecting him to charge. Then he saw the earth start to shape itself before the man.

Ash pulled on his magic in his other hand, forming a Lightning Claw. Three earthen spikes followed the man in his charge, as two shot from behind him at Joel and Ken. Ash saw the two male orcs turn to run as his Lightning Claw tore through the earthen spikes coming at him, and Riptide met the bone spear. The magical blade made short work of the crude weapon, but it didn’t stop the man. He dropped the broken spear and started slashing at Ash with clawed hands. The fighting style was one Ash had seen a few times in District 114.

He’s a beastkin!

Ash backtracked, avoiding the sharp claws as best he could, though he felt one strike tear through his shirt into his skin. He made a fist with the hand holding Lightning Claw and slammed it into the side of the man’s face, sending a few pulses of Lightning Magic when the punch made contact. The man in animal hides fell to the ground, his hood falling away and showing bear-like ears.

After the brief but intense exchange, Ash caught his breath as he looked to where the two male orcs had been.

“Shit…” Ash cursed.

Joel was dead, half his head punched in with an earthen spike, and Ken was nowhere to be seen. He looked behind him and saw Eva sitting on the ground, the orc woman looking between him and the unconscious bearkin. He wasn’t sure if she tried to run and just tripped or if she had seen the earth spikes form and hit the deck.

“Who the hell is that?” Ash asked, adrenaline still pumping through his body.

Eva looked at the bearkin.

“The Old Bear,” Eva answered as she stood. “He’s been ambushing those from the camp since Warchief Mullin came to Markal Forest.”

Ash pushed against the bearkin with his foot, making sure he wasn’t faking being out cold.

“So, he doesn’t like slavers,” Ash said, then looked at Eva.

The orc woman was staring at the bearkin, her hand holding a knife.

“Eva. Put the knife away,” he said sternly.

She looked away from the bearkin and met his eyes, only to look back at The Old Bear and point the knife at him.

“He will tear our throats out the first chance he gets!” Eva declared. “He killed Joel and many others from my clan!”

“He’s killing slavers,” Ash said as he walked over to Joel’s body and took the pack. He watched Eva closely as he opened it and fished out a rope. “What do you think I will do when we get to your camp?”

Eva’s eyes widen.

“The whole camp… I thought you would try to buy your friends, or…”

She turned a lighter shade of green and looked at the ground.

“I don’t like slavers,” Ash said as he approached the bearkin and began wrapping the rope around his arms.

“I know. You were standing on her right in that painting…my lord,” Eva said softly. “But you didn’t kill me, Joel or Ken. Just one of us could have guided you.”

He looked at the woman.

“The three of you didn’t try to fight me. I’m not going to slaughter people that aren’t a threat to me,” he replied as he finished tying the knot.

Eva frowned.

“He’ll break out of a weak knot like that as soon as he wakes up… my lord.”

Ash sighed.

“Okay, I’ll admit I don’t really know how to tie someone up,” Ash said. The last time he tried was when Faylen wanted to try something new in the bedroom. He felt an ache in his heart and shook the memory from his mind. “Eva, do you mind taking over?”

***

“Bastards!” the bearkin growled as the water poured down his aged face. His hood was pulled back, showing the touch of gray in his hair.

He glared up at Ash and fought against the ropes binding him. Ash returned the cork to the water skin and handed it to Eva. He had to admit, he was glad Eva had retied the bearkin’s bindings. The strength he was using to fight against them made it clear that the knots Ash knew wouldn’t have lasted.

“Don’t try to cast any spells,” Ash warned as he summoned a few jolts of lightning between his fingers. “If I even think you’re trying to cast something, I’ll start casting.”

The Old Bear’s lip curled up, showing the enlarged canines common to most beastkin.

“You slaving bastards!” the Old Bear spat at Ash, which thankfully he dodged.

The man struggled against the bindings until he fell to the ground, lying on his side.

“First, I’m not a slaver,” Ash said.

The Old Bear growled and looked at Eva.

“She is, and so were the other two with you. Orcs from the clan that’s invading these woods.”

Ash hooked a thumb at Eva.

“She was, and her party tried to take me, but I killed their leader. Then made her and the other two take me to the slave camp when you ambushed us.”

The bearkin stopped his struggling and glared up at Ash.

“Is this some kind of trick? Why the hells would you want to go to the slaver camp?”

Because I’m an idiot… That’s what Silver would have said anyway.

“I was separated from my friends when we arrived in this… these woods,” Ash quickly corrected himself, almost saying this world. That was a can of worms he didn’t want to open right now. “The slave camp is the biggest threat to them and my best shot at finding information on where they could be.”

The bearkin narrowed his eyes at Ash and Eva.

“You say that as if you plan to attack the camp.”

Ash nodded.

“I do.”

The Old Bear laughed.

“You’re going to storm the castle? That monster Mullin has had ramparts packed with soldiers since the stone dragon sighting. The bastard is probably paranoid that the dragon or whatever it was fighting will attack.”

Ash caught Eva staring at him when the bearkin mentioned the stone dragon. He should have guessed those in the forest would have seen his and Victor’s fight. It was probably quite the air show.

“He’s a vassal of the Nightmare Queen,” Eva stated before Ash could respond to the Bearkin. “He carries a small portrait of her. It has him standing on her right side.”

The Old Bear frowned as he looked at Eva.

“Queen Blackthorn is dead, may the divine rest her soul, and her Queendom is shattered. That’s why you slavers are here! Her decrees have fallen, allowing you to hunt and chain beastkin and others to sell on the reemerging slave markets!”

Eva shifted uncomfortably.

“That was what Warchief Mullin had led our clan from the mountains to do. He is Warchief and his word is law,” Eva stated.

The Old Bear huffed.

“Cleo’s not dead,” Ash said firmly. “She’s just been in my… homeland.”

He fished out his phone and scrolled to the picture of Cleo with him and Selena, then showed it to the bearkin.

“Odd clothing,” he stated. “And odd painting. I’ve never seen one so life-like, I can’t even see the brush strokes.”

His eyes widened as Ash hit the power button and the screen went black before he slipped the phone back into his pocket.

“So, you now know I’m not with the slavers. Why are you ambushing them?” Ash asked.

A more sorrowful expression took hold of the bearkin’s face.

“They have my mate. She’s all I have left in my life after the loss of our children.”

Ash stared at the man, reading the pain and anger on his face.

“She’s being held in the camp?”

The bearkin nodded.

“Want to help me attack it?” Ash offered.

Vengeful eyes looked up at him.

“Yes.”