The Sword of Sabinus - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

There was a sweet odor in the breeze as it brushed across Sean's face. His eyes flickered open and blurred colors returned to the world. With each breath he took, searing pain ran through his chest.

His arms and legs were numb, but with some effort, they moved grudgingly. He stared down at frigid hands and made sure that he was still in one piece.

As he raised his neck, pain disappeared from his mind. Everything around him looked different. Huge snowcapped mountains shot up into the sky where none should have been.

Desperately, he tried to find something familiar. The cabin, field, and everything else had vanished. A thick fog clouded his thoughts and despite his efforts, he couldn't remember how he had gotten there.

All he knew was that he wasn't close to home and the towering mountains weren't the only signs of it. It was colder than it should have been and Sean found himself shivering uncontrollably.

The only thing he had on over his clothes was a light windbreaker. And all that seemed to do was hold in the cold air. He still felt like he was walking in a dream, but the bitter air and frozen ground felt real enough to him. But, how could any of it be real?

"Matt? Ashley?" he called out, hoping to find his friends. No answer came except for the wind's shriek, and the gusts were becoming stronger and more frequent.

Overhead, the sky was one shade of dull gray, and the air smelled like it normally did before rain. The wind caressed Sean in its icy embrace and sent a shiver through his body. The wasn't any shelter nearby and it looked as though a storm was brewing.

Climbing to his feet, he started to walk forward when his foot caught on something. Moments later he was on his knees again, breath knocked from his lungs. As he rolled aside, Sean searched for what he'd tripped on.

Lying across the ground was a long, curved sword. Its blade shone brightly, reflecting the sky. He'd never seen anything like it outside of movies. Being careful, he wrapped his hand around the leather hilt. Carved just below the blade were symbols he didn't recognize.

On one side, there was engraved a small triangle with a star hanging above it. Courage, Truth, and Heart. The words came from a forgotten corner of his mind. Sean wasn't sure how, but he knew that was what the symbols meant.

He realized that he was lucky he hadn't fallen on the sword and impaled himself. The blade was razor sharp and there was no scabbard for it. If he decided to take it, he would have to be careful.

After thinking a few moments, Sean chose to bring it with him. It was too beautiful to let it waste away in the woods. And maybe it would come in handy. He had no idea how far the nearest town was.

Suddenly the fog clouding his thoughts was blown away and memories slammed into him like a fist. He remembered the knights. Matt and Ashley; they'd been taken. He had to find them and make sure they were safe. Could it all have been some dream? But how had he gotten there?

Maybe he'd drunk too much at the party and Ashley had gotten him to try some of the 'gifts' her friends had brought. Sean shivered, but not from the cold. Could those kinds of things be doing this to him?

Sean realized that he wasn't getting anywhere just sitting around. It would be better if he at least started walking. This was the first time he'd ever been truly lost, and despite what he'd been told, Sean didn't plan on sitting around till someone rescued him.

He stood up and stretched his joints, working out the aches. There was no change as Sean tried willing heat into his legs. His skin felt like porcelain and he was afraid that the slightest bump would make him shatter.

With his back facing the mountains, Sean started walking. At least with the peaks out of sight he could almost imagine being near the cabin. Almost.

Sparse groves of evergreens were scattered throughout the area. They looked different than the ones he remembered near the cabin, but he wasn't an outdoorsman. He'd stayed inside for most of his life, only going outside at night to look up at the sky.

He tried to focus on other things besides being lost, but couldn't quite calm his mind. Aside from the mountains, the whole area was rather dull.

Despite the remoteness, there weren't any animals. Even the air was clear of bird songs, but maybe that was from the strong winds.

Light drizzle began to fall, conforming to Sean's mood perfectly. He guessed that it was a little above freezing, but not much. The wind added to the bitter cold.

When he topped the crest of a small hill, a smile lit up Sean's face. There was a narrow dirt trail the wound its way across the land. The tracks looked unfamiliar, but any sign of civilization was welcome. After flipping an imaginary coin, he headed left down the path.

The light dimmed as the hours passed. Sean hardly noticed when the rain ended, but the air only grew colder as night approached.

He spotted a small ravine near the side of the train and stepped down into it. At least it looked like it would shield him from the wind. Doubting he'd have much better luck farther along the path, Sean decided to spend the night there.

Curling up into a tight ball, he wrapped the windbreaker over his shoulders as tight as possible. The sword stuck up from the ground a few feet away where he wouldn't roll into it.

Sean's stomach growled loudly, but he ignored it. Thirst had dried up his throat, but there was nothing to drink. He laid awake for a few hours, staring up at the sky. The clouds parted, letting the stars shine overhead.

At least they still looked the same, he thought before drifting into sleep.

~*~

Strange dreams filled Sean's mind while he slept. In each of them he was running from something unseen. He wasn't sure what he was fleeing from at first, but it felt like his life depended on escaping it.

Thick roots grew up from the ground and twined around his ankles. Sean fell to the ground and more roots began wrapping around his arms, keeping him from escaping.

A silent stalker came into his view. It was the curved sword, suspended in the air. The blade pulsed softly, giving off a melodic hum. Thin roots grew up through his hand and forced his fingers to open.

The hilt glided down until it rested on his palm. Sean convulsed in pain as icy blasts shot through his body. The entire world erupted into blinding colors and his skin felt as if it was turning to ice. He could feel the sword slowly draining him.

Suddenly the pain ended. Both the sword and light vanished. He sat in a large chamber with marble walls and a polished granite floor. All around the room hung spears, axes, shields, swords, and weapons that he'd never seen before.

Set back into one of the walls was a small case. Inside hung a suit of armor, black as midnight. Sean shivered when he saw the familiar sword hanging inside the case as well.

It seemed lifeless now, so he approached the case warily. The same triangle symbol was embossed on the breastplate of the suit.

He reached out and brushed a hand across the black metal. Images of blood, pain, and death flooded his mind. It was tainted thickly with darkness. Sean pulled his hand back and rubbed numb fingers. He'd felt the same pain the sword had given him earlier.

"Prophecy is very odd."

Sean spun on his heel to face a young woman dressed in a light blue dress. She moved across the room toward him, but her eyes were focussed on the armor.

"Do you agree?" A slight smile formed on her lips.

"What do you mean?" Sean tried to look at her, but the eyes...he felt like they would pull him in and drown him.

"So many ways of completing it." She stopped beside Sean and still kept her eyes locked on the armor.

"Who are you?"

"You've known me before, child."

"I think I'd remember you." She carried an aura with her that made Sean cautious around her.

"I don't blame you for not remembering."

"What do you mean?"

"It doesn't matter right now."

Sean didn't know what to say. He stood, gazing at her for a few moments.

"What is this place?" he asked.

"The Temple of Elders in Ekiel."

"Ekiel? Where is that?"

"To the South."

She stood, staring in silence. Puzzles and mysteries had never interested Sean very much. He rarely had the patience for cryptic riddles. He wondered what could be so interesting that she'd stare blankly for so long.

"What's your name?" It was a simple enough question.

"Alessandra."

"I'm-"

"-Sean," she finished.

Well, it was a dream, so it didn't surprise him much that she knew his name. Her eyes finally left the armor and centered on him. Again he felt the drowning sensation and backed up a step.

"Perhaps you should pay more attention to dreams."

Sean shook his head and tried to convince himself it was unreal, but the icy pain of the armor had felt real enough. He wished that when he woke up, he'd be home in his own bed.

"You are home, though I'm sorry it's not where you wish it to be."

"Why should you be sorry?"

Alessandra smiled at him again. But slowly her lips curved down and she spoke with a tone of regret in her voice, "If I hadn't betrayed you, you'd still be in your home."

"Betrayed me? How?"

She turned away and began to walk away from him. Her light blue dress trailed in her wake. "Return, child."

Sean watched her walk across the room. She vanished when she came into contact with the wall and left him alone again. He turned, wondering what to do now.

A thin line of silver hung inches from his face. The sword rose and slashed downward in an instant, causing the scene to shatter.

~*~

Sean came around slowly. The sun shone down into his eyes, forcing them to close again. He rolled over onto his stomach and pushed himself up onto cramped feet.

The air was still coo, but the wind had died down. From the sun, it was easy to tell morning had ended a few hours ago. It was noon, if not later.

Mountain peaks still loomed above in the distance, reminding him where he was. Home was nowhere near.

A faint fumbling sound drew him out of a daze. There was a small horse-driven cart tumbling down the trail toward him.

On top sat a middle-aged man who looked like his mind was somewhere else. He hadn't noticed Sean yet.

Sean stepped out onto the trail and shouted at the man. The driver's eyes shot over to Sean and he pulled up on the reins, bringing the horses to a halt.

"The bloody hell are you doing out here, kid?"

Sean struggled with the accent, but managed to understand the speech. "I'm sort of lost, sir."

"Lost, boy? Well, you don't look like you do belong around here." The man scratched his chin, "You from up north?"

Sean thought for a moment, "I guess you could say that. This is the south?" Sean had no idea how he could have ended up in the south, but the knowledge gave him a bad feeling in his stomach.

"I'll say. Ekiel is only a couple hundred or so miles away."

Memories from the dream came back to him at the mention of Ekiel, "Any idea how far it is to the nearest town?"

"A few miles back that way," he pointed in the direction he'd come from.

"What's the name of it?" He had dim hopes of recognizing the name.

"Lokorra village. Isn't the most pleasant place."

Sean sighed. The name was of no help, "Thanks."

"Am surprised to see a Northerner all the way down here."

"Why?"

"With all the tension and threats of war, didn't think there'd be much border crossing this season."

"There's going to be a war?"

The driver nodded, "Bastards up in Milosia are threatening the Lord of Ekiel."

"Milosia?"

The man chuckled, "You must be from a farm to be so outta touch."

Sean nodded, but didn't say anything more.

"They say those bloody Bearer-loving' fools are going to try and reclaim the Temple."

"I'm sorry...but don't know what you're talking about."

Sitting on the cart, the driver sighed, "Suppose it doesn't matter too much. I'm fine with you as long as you aren't one of those bloody heretics."

Sean nodded, but stayed silent so the cart driver wouldn't ask any more questions. The man had said the town was only a few miles away. Maybe he could reach it before evening if he hurried.

"Some of the Lord's men rode through Lokorra a few days back. Had two Northerners with 'em. Looked like children."

At this, Sean regained some hope, "What did they look like?"

The driver scratched his chin, "Only got a passing glance at them, but it was a boy and gal. Bout the same ages, I'd guess."

He dared to hope the driver was speaking of Matt and Ashley, "Are they still in Lokorra?"

"Nay, the Lord's Riders only stayed at the Inn for a night. But they did leave a few men behind for some reason."

"Do you think I could find out more from them?"

"You might, but they've been known to be tight-lipped."

Sean signed and thought how everything was becoming too complicated.

"I could give you a ride back to Lokorra."

Finally some good luck, he thought, "That'd be nice. Do you have anything to drink?"

The man reached behind where he sat and tossed Sean a small flask. He unplugged the flask and threw back his head, gulping down the liquid. But, it definitely wasn't water. He could smell alcohol in the bottle, but at the moment, anything was welcome to wet his throat.

After quenching a little of his thirst, Sean tossed the flask back up to the driver. Suddenly he remembered the sword. After the dreams last night, he had trouble thinking of it without being chilled. Still, he walked over to the ravine and grabbed it, then went back to the path.

"Strange for a boy to have-" the driver stopped mid-sentence.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't I feel like a fool."

A moment ago the man had been cheerful and a welcome change in the atmosphere. Now he just stared warily at Sean.

"I don't understand. What's wrong?"

The man laughed sharply, "Since you seem to be either ignorant or stupid, I'll forget about all this."

"But what about the ride to town?"

"Isn't far to walk, kid. I have places to be."

"But what's wrong?"

The driver jerked the reins twice and started the horses moving once again. He turned around and shouted back at Sean, "I'd get rid of that Sword before reaching town if I were you."

Afterward, the driver said nothing more. Soon the cart disappeared over a small hill, leaving Sean alone once again.

Sean continued down the path on foot. The scenery along the trail didn't change much as he walked. It was still a desolate, barren landscape.

Around dusk, Sean reached the edge of the village. As he looked down on the small wooden houses, and saw women hurrying about in long gowns, and men rushing about in long tunics, his hopes of reaching home were extinguished.