Splintered Fate (12 page)

“
Thank you for saving me from… Who
were those men?” She asked Kaiden, referring to the two Rami who
had confronted her.

“
The shorter one was Seff and the
other one, his name is Garin.”

Lana looked down at the ground a
moment in thought. She had heard him say that name before, a long
time ago. She paused, “Your brother?”

“
Yes.”

Lana only nodded in response to his
affirmation. She was beginning to put things about the encounter
together.

“
You taught him to control his
power like that.” It was not a question. Lana knew most Rami had no
true control of their abilities. They shot out energy with no
finesse and little control, endangering everyone around them,
including themselves. The only one, or so she thought, who was ever
able to hold and control the power from within, so that it could be
condensed into a sphere, was standing before her and the only
reason he ever possessed such capabilities was because of
her.

In an instant she felt angry. Her
time with Kaiden at Ucu had led to a vile Rami such as Garin having
such great control of his strength. The Rami’s inability to control
their powers was one of the Madonian’s main advantages against
them.

Lana turned to Donn. He and his grandkids
stood in silence watching the exchange between Lana and the strange
Rami.

“
Thank you for staying but you
must go to safety. It has become too dangerous now. The Rami are
combing through the forest around their camp. They are military
men, not refugees. Take your grandchildren and get out of
here.”

“
What will you and your friend do
now?” Donn replied calmly.

That’s when Lana noticed he was oddly
comfortable around Kaiden. Most Madonian’s would run or try to kill
a Rami on sight, at the very least she should be able to sense some
unease from him. But Donn seemed fine, not at all distressed, and
even called him her friend.

“
You’re not frightened of him?”
Lana asked Donn.

Donn chuckled before placing a hand on a
shoulder of each of his grandkids. “Oh no, these little one’s seem
skittish but they will get over it. I have been around many Rami
people in my life.”

Kaiden now seemed interested in
the old man. “Where have you been around so many Rami?” he
questioned.

Donn turned to address Kaiden with an almost
whimsical look, “In Alogrin, my boy.”

Lana stepped closer to the old
man, her eyes wide. “You have been to Alogrin?” She asked in
disbelief.

“
I have,” was his only
reply.

I thought that place was a myth.
Madonians have searched for years and it was never found. Can it be
real?

Ardin studied
the old man along with Lana.
I don’t know,
but the stories must have come from somewhere.

Alogrin was a place where Rami and
Madonians once lived together, away from the troubles of the world.
Where the great kings of the lands once lived and ruled over both
races, under one single rule. The city’s location had always
remained secret. Only the kings and their most trusted people lived
in Alogrin, along with the golden army. The golden army was the
highest caliber of the king’s forces, highly skilled and trusted.
They protected their king fiercely.

This was before the wars destroyed everything.
After the fall of the last great king the golden army was never
seen again. It was rumored that they fell into hiding in order to
protect the unborn son of the late king, but those were only
rumors.

The public had no knowledge of how
to get to the great city, besides for the few who took its location
to their grave. Alogrin became a fairy tail that parents would tell
their children. But even those stories of the once upon a time
kings and talented fighters, stories of a peaceful time and a
hidden city began to fade. But the stories never faded from Lana.
It was a place she had desperately wished to be real.

Donn moved his arms to cradle each of his
grandchildren, pulling them a bit closer to himself. “That is where
we will be heading. I have a home there, but for these little ones
it will be a first time trip.”

“
I thought Alogrin was a myth.”
Kaiden spoke what Lana was thinking. She peered at him, it seems
that the stories of Alogrin were told amongst both
races.

“
Oh it’s very real, I assure
you.”

“
You live there?” Lana questioned,
unsure if she believed him.

“
Ehhh, I have a home there, but
haven't lived there long term. With the way things are, I figured
it would be the safest place for the grandkids, for the time
being.” Donn looked at them, all-staring back at him wide-eyed in
disbelief. “I can take you there, though it will be tricky. They
have never allowed a Council member through their gates
before…”

“
Is it truly as great as the
stories lead it to be?” Lana asked eagerly, her apprehension was
being overwhelmed the possibility of Alogrin being real. There was
a flicker of hope at the prospect of it. A grand city, one with a
golden army, an army that could stand against this war. A place
where Rami and Madonians can live without fear.

“
It is even more remarkable than
the stories, my dear. Rami and Madonians live there without
bloodshed, it is a small haven away from this cruel
world.”

“
I’ve heard that they are great
warriors.” Kaiden stated.

“
The best.” Donn said with a wink,
as if he knew a secret about their warriors.

“
Why do they stay hidden away? Why
not come out and be known and help the people of our lands? Where
is Alogrin?” Lana began asking, her mind racing with
questions.

“
They have their reasons and
opinions.” Donn replied lifting an eyebrow while he watched her.
"As for where they are, that is a complicated answer. Alogrin is in
the mountains by your lands, Ms. Casteel. The city is hidden
amongst the Selvirian mountains."

Lana looked down in thought. To go
to Alogrin would be amazing, but what of everything in Selviria,
everything in all of Madonia? She would have to talk to her father.
“I cannot leave my people and--” Lana was cut off from finishing
her thoughts by Donn abruptly turning away from her. He looked
towards the forest behind him.

“
It has started,” the words
hauntingly left his lips.

What?

Ardin too now turned, his ears up
and pointed.

What is
it?
Lana asked her
Aorra.

War.

“
WHAT? What do you mean
war?”

“
It seems a battle has started
outside of Abder.” The old man spoke while scratching a small
balding spot on top of his light grey head. “It seems we have
luckily somehow avoided the Rami moving towards Abder.”

Your
father,
Ardin said as he began running
through the woods, knowing Lana would have sent him anyway. Kaiden
and Donn both turned to her in question of Ardin’s
disappearance.

“
My father is there. Ardin is
going to go find him.” Lana spoke as she walked over to the white
horse, pulling her sword from the mare and strapping it to her
waist while panic began creeping in. “Donn, may I borrow her once
more?” Lana asked urgently, regarding the horse.

“
She is all yours, you can keep
her.”

Kaiden gently grabbed Lana’s arm
forcing her eyes to meet his. “You should not go. You were just
attacked.”

“
And now I am all better, thanks
to your donation of strength.” She owed him her life yet she felt
betrayed that he taught his brother things from their past. Things
that she thought were only between the two of them. She turned to
get on her horse.

Kaiden held his grip on her arm.
“I only gave enough for you to feel better not fight a
battle.”

“
Every moment I am here discussing
this with you another one of my men is being killed. I am a part of
the Madonian council. I disobeyed my father’s wishes and he is
probably only a part of this in his attempt to find me. If anything
happens to him… I must go”

His hand dropped from her arm.
“Let me go then, I’ll find him.” It was a preposterous
proposition.

“
No. Madonians will try and kill
you on sight, besides you have no idea who to even look for. I must
go. Keep an eye on Donn and the kids, please. I’ll return once this
is over.” Lana quickly swung a leg over and gave her horse a sharp
kick, taking off before Kaiden could oppose again.

Her heart raced in her chest while
the horse carried her in the direction Ardin instructed. Fear
nipped at her heel and she gave the horse a kick, as if trying to
outrun it. She had to be strong, fearless, if she wanted to dive
into whatever was going on, to find her father. In her gut she felt
that something was incredibly wrong. It was more than the fact that
Rami and Madonians were coming to blows on the outskirts of the
city of Abder. Something had been wrong since the moment the day
had started.

It was not long before Lana came across a
battlefield. Taking cover near a tree and some brush, she observed
the mass of men fighting in a small opening within the woods
between Abder and the Rami camp. She could see the silver of
Madonian armor and the tanned flesh of the Rami moving in the
clearing. Sounds of screams, groans, and clashing steel drifted
through the air.

Where is
he!
Her inner mind shouted to Ardin as she
scanned the scene in front of her. Blood raced through her veins
faster and faster with every moment that passed. Flashes of fiery
light lit up the space as Rami and Madonians fought. Amongst the
ringing of steel swords, the Rami would release bright sparks which
the Madonians and their Aorras would block.

I am looking, Lana. I am trying to
get something from the other wolves but there’s nothing, it’s very
odd.

And
Earmon?
Lana scanned the horizon near a
tree where the two sides fought. There was no sign of him. She
searched from the center where she assumed he might have been, but
again saw nothing.
ARDIN!?
Lana called out.

I cannot locate him.

Lana felt as if she were in a free fall. Her
stomach was in her throat. Ardin’s words resonated in her mind.
Normally Ardin should be able to find Earmon in this situation,
they had a way to open up to each other and work together, like a
pack of wolves. Ardin’s words echoed throughout her, what it meant
if he could not reach Earmon. She could hardly breathe.

Ardin raced around the edge of the
fighting men until he picked up on a familiar scent. He flowed the
information to Lana. Almost instantly she knew where to go,
thankful of how close Valdor was.

Her father was on the edge of the
battle, close to the forested area around the small opening. Lana
climbed down off her horse, leaving it at the edge of the woods.
She didn’t want to ride it in to the battle and draw unnecessary
attention to herself. Instead she began running on foot, against
Ardin’s wishes for her to wait for him.

Lana broke into the clearing and
saw her father in the distance. He stood alone fighting three Rami
and not doing too well. His right arm had been badly cut, leaving
him to fight with his left. Lana pushed herself to get to Valdor,
her feet moved underneath her in a surprisingly slow pace. Her
heart galloped, pushing adrenalin through her. She felt Ardin
running to catch up to her.

As she darted through the mess of
moving bodies, weaving through the battle she felt a presence, as
if eyes were watching her. That is when she noticed that she had
drawn the attention of a Rami warrior. He was making strides
towards her, with crazy eyes that were focused only on her. Lana
stopped running and braced herself, waiting for the Rami to get
closer, sword in hand.

She held up her silver blade as
his came down. The Rami’s strength behind his swing shook her and
her sword slipped through her fingers, flying away from her. The
Rami shot a pillar of fiery light at her. She jumped out of the
way, barely dodging it. He positioned himself between Lana and her
sword, that now lay on the ground behind him.

The Rami’s breath was quick,
muscles glistening with a brown mixture of wet sweat and blood, and
his eyes stared at Lana with a wild craze. His lip curved up, like
he knew that he had her caught. A sound like a proud grunt came
from him.

Weakly, Lana stood before him, her
knees shaking. A blade slowly formed in her hand. The pull of
energy that it required from her to create the weapon made her head
spin and ears ring. Her entire body seemed to tremble. Loosing her
balance, she kneeled on the ground, mustering up just enough
strength to lift her newly formed sword in order to block the
Rami’s attack. Leaving the clash of their steel ringing in her
ears.

Struggling with all her strength
to stand, Lana shoved the Rami away from her. He stepped a heavy
foot back before swinging another blow at her, causing her to lose
her grip as her sword yet again fell to the ground. Releasing the
swords form, it ruptured into the dust it came from, but the
release of the energy used to hold the weapon together did little
to add to Lana’s strength. The world was spinning out of control
and only steadied itself long enough for her to see the blood lust
eyes of the Rami now standing directly in front of her. She tried
to send a surge of energy into her palm, but a blade was too slow
to form. The Rami raised his sword hand.