AA3 52 - Atonement I (Kai)

Kai impatiently watched the Kranjir hurriedly prepare for the upcoming attack on the Darjee camp.

Logically, he knew they were moving quickly and that not much time had passed since Macha had passed on the information she’d gathered with her crows, but that didn’t matter to his heart.

He’d been ready when they sallied out, ready to hunt down the twisted giant responsible for the Thralls attacking them, but it had fled too quickly.

Kai had been so close to abandoning the Kranjir and setting off after it alone, but that would have been a pointless death. The oath he’d sworn drove him on, but in order to fulfil it, he had to stay alive.

Kai took a deep breath, letting the ambient Aether flow into him and be changed into Essence through the lens of his soul. Gaining his second element had empowered him, giving him the strength he needed to combat most threats.

These Gormagyr were not the usual enemy, though. Kai had only recently learned that the hard way.

Hedda’s aid had given him the chance to kill one last time, but Kai had failed to capitalise on it. He wouldn’t make that mistake this time.

-**-

Considering that the force that had been pulled together had so many differing loyalties within it, the whole thing was surprisingly cohesive.

Every Chosen was taking part in the assault, and with them were all their thearns. Almost a full third of the town’s shieldguards were coming with them as well, which had initially caused some mutters among the thearns.

In the end, though, they all knew that what was happening here was well beyond the normal, and they would need every fighter they could get.

The risk to Dunkirn was high with them all leaving, but while Kai saw a few worried expressions among the townsfolk, they knew the reality of the situation.

Kai was currently walking with Verdan in his usual position, three steps behind him on the right, ready to cover him if anything happened. Barb would normally be in a matching position on Kai’s left, but instead, she and Benlen were riding herd on young Dirk.

Kai understood the need to prioritise the young Wizard, but he wished they had someone else to replace Barb.

Verdan was surprisingly durable for a caster, but no defence was perfect, and an extra set of eyes could be the difference between life and death.

Kai’s eyes lingered on Benlen and the rest of the Mhorgain thearns for a moment. They were a professional group, veterans all and used to working together. Benlen, in particular, was a terror with his spear, and the rest were better than the average fighter.

The slightest smile touched the edge of Kai’s mouth as he recalled their spar last night. Benlen was no match for Kai with his Sorcery, but when he restricted himself, the older Kranjir was a more than adequate training partner.

A motion to one side drew Kai’s attention, as Magnus came jogging over to join them. “Wizard Blacke, the Keeper has approved my intent to join this attack, but only as part of your retinue. May I join you?”

Magnus braced to attention to receive Verdan’s judgement, but Kai could tell that the answer wouldn’t be to his liking.

Compared to some of Kai’s past compatriots, several of whom he had put in the ground himself, Verdan was a novice at hiding his thoughts and emotions.

Right now, the Wizard looked at Magnus like a civilian to be protected, not as a warrior to be encouraged on.

Kai’s eyes drifted to that gap in their formation again, and he cleared his throat softly before giving Verdan a pointed look and meaningfully tapping a finger against his spear.

Understanding flashed through Verdan’s eyes, and he nodded slightly before shifting his gaze back to Magnus. “Very well, you’ll be with Kai, but first, I will enchant your weapon and armour.”

“Thank you, Wizard,” Magnus enthused, his eyes bright as Verdan muttered some spells under his breath and did his thing.

Kai had heard these Words of Power enough by now to recognise a few stock phrases that Verdan used. If he was right, Magnus now had the same basic enchantments that Verdan had given the equipment they’d come north with.

Verdan’s attention shifted as soon as they were done, his gaze going distant as he pondered some problem or other. Lifting a hand to catch Magnus’s attention, Kai waved him over and began to explain what he wanted from him in low tones.

Thankfully, Magnus seemed eager to take part in whatever capacity he could and took Kai’s instructions without question.

Satisfied with that outcome, Kai went back to looking over the assembled Kranjir as they made their last preparations, his gaze eventually falling on Macha.

The crow Witch was pale-faced but was determined to join them, her features set with obstinate determination as she argued with Gwen.

The Storm Witch was seemingly trying to convince Macha to stay behind, but when all the other Witches were coming with them, Kai doubted it would happen.

Eventually, Gwen gave up and turned away, her eyes meeting Kai’s for a few long moments before he looked away.

Part of Kai wondered what he’d see on her face if he looked back now, but he dared not. He had to be true to his oath; he couldn’t live with himself if he wasn’t. That meant that whatever he felt, she was better off without him.

Closing his eyes, Kai focused on converting Aether into Essence and maintaining his breathing pattern. The Chosen were mustering their troops now. It was time to get moving.

-**-

“Try to relax. You’ll wear yourself out otherwise,” Kai said as they made their way through the woods to the west of Dunkirn.

The trees were old and tall here, their canopy forming a thick barrier between those marching below and the skies above. Pools of shadow and shrouded areas were common, providing plenty of places to ambush from, which Magnus seemed to be fixating on.

“I’m trying, but what if there are Darjee hiding out there?” Magnus asked, looking over at Kai anxiously.

“There’s a difference between being alert and being jumpy,” Kai said firmly, furrowing his brow enough to convey his disapproval. “Right now, you’re wasting energy worrying over it all. Assess dangers and trust in your companions doing their part.”

Magnus nodded reluctantly and was about to say something else when Kai held up a hand and focused on Verdan. The Wizard had just done something and was now intently staring off to one side.

“Verdan, is everything okay?” Kai asked, shifting his grip on his spear as his gaze flicked from the Wizard to the area he was looking at.

“I thought I sensed some abyssal energy, but if I did, it was only the smallest amount,” Verdan said, his eyes narrowing in thought.

“Could it be an enemy hiding from you?” Kai asked, moving forward to put himself between Verdan and the area he’d identified.

“Perhaps,” Verdan said slowly before lifting his staff. “Canfo hyn.”

“Anything?” Kai noted a few of the nearby thearns were reacting to his own tension, so he motioned for everyone to stay calm for the moment.

Verdan didn’t answer for a few moments before his eyes seemed to flutter, and his expression grew serious. “Got them. I’m counting a few dozen Thralls and Darjee, and one of them is carrying a totem of some sort to hide them. It worked against my ward, but they have nothing to protect against detecting the magic they use.”

Kai ignored the slightly offended tone that Verdan used, unlike the Wizard, he was more than happy for the enemy not to be perfect with their magic.

“Magnus, get over to Ciaran and explain the situation,” Kai said, looking over at the Kranjir with a fierce smile. “Ask him if he’d care to join me on a little hunt.”

-**-

Kai’s spear cut clean through the Thrall’s body, bisecting the disgusting creature with a burst of fire before he put the spike on the rear of his spear into its brain.

When Kai killed one of these things, he was going to be damn sure they couldn’t be patched up and sent in again.

“Is that the last of them?” Jarn called out as he pulled his hammer from the broken body of a Darjee.

“Looks like it,” Anag Galstan, the Captain of the shieldguard, called back after seemingly conferring with the crow on her shoulder.

This was the third group they’d hunted down since Verdan detected that first attempted ambush, and they’d refined their method with each one.

Verdan was still using his magic to detect traces of abyssal energy, and then Macha was finding the patrols with her crows and assigning one to the hunting group to relay information.

It wasn’t a precise process, but it worked well enough that they’d ambushed this group, killing all of them without taking any injuries on their side.

This particular group was a mix of thearns and shieldguards, led by Jarn and Anag, respectively, with Kai tagging along to provide some extra support.

Jarn was currently boasting about his higher number of kills to the burly Captain, who in turn was highlighting the smooth discipline and performance of her shieldguards.

It was an odd image, the two of them arguing with each other while still maintaining strict command over what was happening. They clearly had strong feelings for each other and were happy to be working together.

For a moment, Kai let himself imagine such a life and dream of how it would be if he were with Gwen. It was tempting, oh so tempting.

In the end, though, she deserved better.

Repeating that to himself as a mantra, Kai followed the group back to the main force. They were almost at the Darjee camp, he needed to focus.