Sytravious: The Lost Warlock Of Moruz (The Oathbreaker Book 1) (32 page)

“The King is gone, our king is gone

Lost to love's heartbreak

And out of Nocturna’s ash

Comes the feared VanDrake.”

“With pain and hate comes Daegon's rage,

And Griever's used to rule

Fighting for his stolen heart

Is the lost princeof Moruz.”

“Here are we, the legionnaires

Know not love like you

Bound to that fateful night

Known only to us few.”

“With pain and hate comes Daegon's rage,

And Griever's used to rule

Fighting for his stolen heart

Is the lost prince Moruz.”

The eerie song entranced everyone, especially Raiven, but she still noticed when Hellios’ gaze darted up from his lute and settled on Sytravious. 

“A day will come that all will fear

When a ruse becomes the truth

The return of the dragon's flame,

And the lost warlock of Moruz.”

He sang the last verse without breaking eye contact with Sytravious, which piqued her interest.  When he finished the song, he gave her a weak smile.  She applauded with enthusiasm, and he bowed his head in return.  Nysight clapped Hellios on the shoulder and looked at Sytravious.  Raiven felt odd as she watched the silent exchange going on between the men.  She could not pick up on what they were communicating to each other, but at this point, she did not care.  Her tiredness from the day’s events had caught up to her, and she felt her eyelids become heavy.  Sytravious glimpsed down at her with an adoring expression.  She grinned at him, resting her head against his chest once more.  The noises of the crackling fire and the falling rain helped her drift into a deep sleep as she closed her eyes.

Chapter 27

A Painful Truth Revealed

E
arly the next morning, Sytravious awoke to the sounds of birds singing at the sunrise.  The storm had passed some time during the night, and morning dew clung to the flowers and grass outside the cave’s entrance.  The others still slept inside, so Sytravious scouted the area around their camp.  He decided to search for fresh water for them to drink.  The journey ahead would be a long one, and they needed their strength if they hoped to be in Springdale by nightfall.

A few hundred feet into the woods, Sytravious found a small pond with an abandoned mill next to it.  After searching the building, he found it was empty, with the exception of a soft bed and a few tools.  He found a few buckets and filled them with water before returning to the camp.

After the animals had their fill, he went to return to the pond to refill the water skins, but instead, decided to check on Raiven first.  If she were awake, perhaps she would join him on the walk to the pond.  Tiptoeing into the cave, Sytravious made his way to her bedroll without alarming the others.  She was lying on her side with the exposed flesh of her back facing the cave entrance.  The backless dress she wore was ivory and tattered from the long journey and her smooth thigh stuck out from under her blanket.  Sytravious stared at her flawless skin, resisting the urge to touch it.  Instead, he moved his attention to her face and pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She opened her eyes, and looked a bit disorientated.  He used his shadow to block the incoming sunlight from her face, and placed a finger on his lips.  Raiven gained her bearings, and smiled up at him.  He motioned for her to follow, and helped her stand up.  They exited the cave and snuck out to where the horses were grazing.

“Good morning, my priestess.  How was your rest?”

“I have slept better, but for a cave it was not too bad, I suppose.” 

She stretched her arms out and yawned.  Sytravious watched the arch of her lower back as her arms were up in the air.  He was now able to appreciate it more without the white temple cloak covering her.  She was up on her toes, inhaling the morning air as she finished her stretching. 

“Do you want to accompany me to a pond I found in the woods?  Maybe we can freshen up like old times,” he offered.

Raiven smirked at him and nodded.  His heart began to beat faster, knowing they would soon be alone together again without the anxiety of being caught anymore.  He had daydreamt about the first time they would have privacy beyond the city walls.  However, now that the moment was upon them, he was not sure if he had the nerve to try anything so audacious with the priestess.

Even after all this time had passed between them, her beauty still disarmed him.  He loved the way her cheekbones rose when she smiled, or how they flushed pink when she focused on him.  He looked at her, watching as the morning breeze danced through her hair.  She seemed in better spirits today.  Her warmth was contagious, causing his own mood to ease.

When they arrived to the pond, she lifted her dress above her knees to walk into the shallow edge of the waters.  He got goosebumps at the sight of her perfect legs.

“Raiven, are you really going to go in there?  I was only kidding earlier.”

“I will, if you do,” she said, and then dove head first into the pond.  “Oh, my!  It is so cold, but refreshing at the same time.”  She waved him over.

“I said I was joking.  I do not know how I feel about going into freezing water.”

Raiven rolled her eyes and started splashing water at him, missing him by a few feet.  “Is
the
mighty Sytravious scared of getting wet?  I suppose that is my fault though, right?  You have been traumatized by my little spell from last time.”

Sytravious laughed at her attempt to tease him.  He pulled off his shirt, kicked off his boots, and ran in after her.  Seeing Raiven in her soaked white dress reminded him of the first day they met, except now she was unashamed to be swimming with him. 

When she took notice of how transparent her dress had become, she dipped down into the water and gave him a shy smile.  Even though he wanted to keep staring, he respected her privacy and turned his back to her.  “It is nothing I have not seen before, but I understand.” 

He noticed she did not offer a reply and listened to be sure she was still swimming behind him.  He could hear the slow sounds of her breathing.  “Does this not remind you of our spring?  I was so mesmerized by you that morning, and I would be lying if I said I did not feel the same way right now.”

“Mmmhmm,” was her only response.

He smiled, knowing she would not be impressed with flattery.  However, he did not say those things just to sweet-talk her, he had meant every word, and wished she knew how much he yearned for her.  He glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of her in his peripheral vision.  “You think I jest?  Raiven, you are
everything
to me, the reason my heart still beats in my chest.  If I ever lost you, I do not know what I would do.”  He paused before whispering, “I imagine I would die inside.”

At that moment, a soaking wet garment flew over his head and splatted onto the shore in front of him.  It was her dress.  His eyes widened in astonishment as he stared at it, and then he felt Raiven’s arms wrap around his waist from behind.  She embraced him, pressing her bare breasts against his back.  Sytravious could not believe her bold actions.  He inhaled sharply and tensed up, unsure of how to proceed.  He grabbed her small hands in his, and lifted them to his lips, placing a warm kiss on her fingers.

“Tell me again…that I am everything to you.”

Sytravious spun around and took in the sight of her uncovered beauty, which glistened with water.  He held her face in his hands.  Her warm, golden eyes stared up at him.

“You are everything to me, always and forever.  I love you more than I love myself, and I would do anything to be with you.  I would face an army, battle across time, and abolish anything that stood in our way.  I will
always
be yours, Raiven.”

“Kiss me, Sytravious.”

He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her with more passion than ever before.  He was lost in his love for her, the tender touch of her mouth brought a feeling of complete ecstasy, and before he knew it, Raiven’s legs were wrapping around his waist.  He held her up, feeling the softest parts of her in his strong hands.  They were engrossed in each other, fully devoted to their love.  They spent the next moments enjoying the solitude of the pond by using their bodies to take the final step in sharing such deep feelings for one another.

No memory would be sweeter or purer than the one he was creating with Raiven that morning in the pond by the mill.  He knew at that moment that he would die for this woman, and devote the rest of his life to her happiness.  His destiny was clear to him.  No matter where he was or what he was doing, he would always strive to protect Raiven.

“Were those really womachs?”  Raiven asked, with fear and curiosity in her voice.

Sytravious had stayed back with her and Bryce, while Nysight and Hellios dealt with a small pack of the beasts.  He had heard many tales of the womachs that controlled the southern lands of Valcrest beyond the mountains, but had never seen one up close.  The four-legged creatures were covered in thick layer of brown fur and were a head taller than any man he had ever seen.  The manes of hair around their snarling faces gave them a commanding presence.  They were layered with muscle, and to his surprise, more intelligent than anyone had let on.

Hellios explained that the womachs controlled the shortcut to Springdale that they were traveling and since he and Nysight had experience dealing with their kind, they were the ones to negotiate their passage.  Several daggers and pounds of food lighter, they were allowed to pass without any incident of any kind.

“I believe so.  Though, they do not appear to have been the aggressive packs that raid the farmlands,” Sytravious replied.

“They will slit our throats as we sleep with the daggers we gave them,” Nysight objected.

His stepfather had been against negotiating with the beasts, but Hellios convinced him it was best to give them what they asked for instead of adding a clan of womachs to their pursuers.

              “Maybe they will remember us fondly next time we pass through.  There are fewer creatures you would rather have on your side than a womach,” Hellios said.

Sytravious peered back at the large creatures, thinking over the legionnaire’s words.  He had to admit, they would indeed make a strong ally.  “Too bad they are so barbaric or they might be ruling Valcrest by now.”

Hellios laughed and continued to lead the way through the thick shrubbery.  The womach’s path was narrow, but proved true, as they reach the outskirts of Springdale a few hours later.  By the time they reached the seaside city, the sun was setting.  The small town was closing the gates for the day, so the group decided to camp out at the foot of the mountains along the south side of the city.  It had been another long ride and everyone was ready for supper, especially Sytravious.  Distracted by his wild thoughts of Raiven, he had hardly eaten since that morning.

After quite some time by the pond, they had ended up inside the abandoned mill, where they laid together on a soft bed until Nysight called on them.  He could not shake the perfect memory from his mind.  He glanced at the priestess and her cheeks turned a rosy pink as she smiled back at him.

“Hopefully, this will be our last night sleeping on the ground,” Hellios said.

Nysight was surveying the land before them as he insisted they camp on the higher ground closer to the mountain.  Sytravious was glad to see his stepfather talking a little more.  Since he told Nysight about Nyxseous’ death, his stepfather’s overall demeanor had changed.  It was as if the cold general of the Fifth Legion had returned, forever leaving his kinder self in Havencrest.  Sytravious was grateful that Raiven was there to take his mind off his somber thoughts.

She waved him over, inviting him to sit with her by her bedroll.  He walked over and sat down.  He noticed she had a set of parchments in her lap, and seemed excited to share them with him.

“What have you got there?”  He pointed to the parchments. 

“I stole these from the temple treasury a while back; before I knew you would be joining the guardians.”  She seemed both ashamed and proud of her deed at the same time as she whispered to Sytravious, while grinning.

“What are they?”

“These are enchanted parchments from the old ages before Vesalys’ temple reigned supreme in Valcrest.  Their use is forbidden, but they were kept as study material for more advanced priests.”

Sytravious was still clueless as to what she was getting at.  “So, what are they?”

She snickered and replied, “Well, these two parchments are sisters, bound forever by the same spell.  I do not understand the magic behind them, or how it works, but watch this.” 

Raiven handed him one of the blank parchments, while she kept the other.  She pulled out a golden feather from her bag.  When she began writing on her paper, he was amazed to see words appear on his parchment.  The note read, “
Can you see this?  If you can, I love you.  -Raiven.”

“That is incredible!” he said.

She giggled, and wrote him several more messages in which the content would have made her blush had she said them aloud.  They took turns exchanging notes, one parchment to the next, until supper was ready.

Hellios made a delicious stew, using cabbage and the delightful meat he had given Sytravious back in Havencrest.  Nobody dared inform Raiven or Bryce that it was bacon, and instead, let them enjoy their meal in peace.

“I wish we would have had those all along.  Imagine how much easier things could have been?”  Sytravious said to Raiven as he sat down with his bowl of stew. 

“I agree, but I was never daring enough to take them before.  I guess your dauntlessness is having an effect on me.”

Hellios cleared his throat, interrupting their private moment.  The legionnaire eyed Sytravious with a serious expression.  It was apparent Hellios had something important on his mind.