Sorcerer in a fantasy world
Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Chapter 69

"They’re here!" Come shouts from outside.

We walk out to investigate. Once again, we saw a new kind of Unseelie.

"Straw Axes."

They rode skeleton horses with thick harnesses. Covering their entire bodies were thick black robes. Their name I guess came from the large masks made of straw covering their faces and all the top half of their bodies, also, twigs stuck out from the top of their heads and out to the side.

Each had wicked axes at their side, each enchanted with vile curses.

The leader, taller and broader than the rest. They carried Beth’s broken body. She looked like a snap twig, and the shock didn’t hit me. Maybe I was numb to it at this point.

I thought only that I didn’t know a human body could be twisted like that - she was a wrung towel now.

At least she wasn’t hurting anymore. She was dead and I wouldn’t let them raise her against her wishes.

"Why?" I asked.

"Ha...ha ..."

Morgana interrupted them, "Why is a stupid question, my Champion. You should have asked what."

Morgana stared at them with eyes as pitiless as mine. Oh, teasing them are you, my raven-haired beauty?

I rolled my eyes, and said with mock anger, "At least try to take them seriously. Give them space to give their speech before we kill them all."

"My bad. I’m not sure they are worth the thought you give them, my champion."

I grinned, "Indeed."

I called my staff to hand and fired lightning down onto the leader.

They cast a spell in reflex that absorbed the bolt.

"A sorcerer." They growled. "You will make a fine servant, once you’re dead."

They unleashed a blast of necrotic energy that batted out of the way with my staff.

It was then that I saw Làidir gliding down behind the Straw Axes. I didn’t see how she got there though. But, my look of surprise must have shown on my face because a few turned around to face her.

"Welcome to your graves." She shouted.

Làidir flung herself into battle. Gutting out their lungs from their ribs and cutting heads from their necks.

"Leave some for me!" Morgana shouted in fury. She charged covering the distance in less than a second and hewed a Straw Axe in twain.

"Fight, blood your staves and sacrifice their souls to Clavile!" Their leader roared.

I blew a Straw Axe to dust. They took the blow for their leader, unwittingly.

I stepped forward, but I felt a bump from behind me.

I was struck in the back of the neck, by a terrified villager. I almost killed him in response. All it would have taken was a flick of my finger. But I am not a monster. They were innocent and in theri panic reacted... I was too powerful for them to harm me.

I turned and said, "Leave, while I feel merciful." I told them.

They broke down sobbing.

"I don’t have time to take care of you. Try to survive foolish person. I have a battle to win."

My mercy was wasted as Umbra breathed in the poor villagers ear. Whatever spell she cast made them unalive themselves. It was brutal in its efficiency and terribleness.

"No one touches the Master."

"Fuck."

I tried to forget about that problem and focus on the danger at hand.

Large scale magic was out of the question. I would slaughter the very people I was trying to protect. In an unorganised bloody brawl like this, precision was a no go. Not without preparation.

It wasn’t like we were losing. Iris protected people. Morgana and Làidir killed ruthlessly, but I wasn’t going to be left out. The tyranny over this village ended tonight.

"I’ll free this village and I will crush every last one of you scum to do it." I said before I fired down blue bolts of death.

The Straw Axes fell quickly to our overwhelming power. It really wasn’t a fair fight. By the end I said to the Straw Axe leader’s corpse, "You’ll murder no more..."

The village was freed and we left at dawn as Morgana had said.

We rounded up and chained the Straw Axes who had surrendered.

Beneath the robes was a festering decay that wilted under the light of day. Sunlight was as perilous to them as salt to a snail. The villagers had no kindness to give them.

How they wailed!

Some of the villagers came with us as we left, but many stayed behind. It is not easy to leave one’s home. However, foolish it was to remain.

At first sight I realised that Elkilbour wasn’t quite a city in the modern or mediaeval sense. It was more of a fortress for many farms. It was an amazing sight and I didn’t know anything like it back on earth.

I think a city on earth usually has some sort of temple, and has lots of buildings close together. Elkilbour did not have a temple, but it did have a Circle of Stones. There was also a large stone pillar where a flying, wooden ship docked at the top. I later found out about a complex underground cave network dedicated to the druids.

It was the White City mentioned in Morgana’s prophecy.

The white washed, thick, stone walls were even more impressive than the kind seen in a castle or temple back home. Magic and druidry were interwoven with the stone that was carved to give humans a final refuge. A last barrier against a giant or dragon coming for a feast.

We got in easily enough with Làidir and Tomlin the Druid with us. Làidir, especially, commanded a fear among the guards that made them act swiftly and without question.

"Come the quicker we drop off the refugee the faster we can duel." Làidir said with her one track mind.

"Do you think of anything other than fighting?" I said jokingly.

She looked me up and down with a rather vulgar attention.

She cracked a smirk, "Sometimes."

Oh boy, she’s trouble.

"I want to see the Kings first." Morgana said. "Our negotiations with them will determine our future here."

"I would like to visit the Druids and pay my respects." Iris said in counter.

"We have to ensure everyone is safe and together. The people should be our first priority." Rebecca said.

"The will of the Resurrected One comes first and from his deeds good things follow." Gainor decreed.

"Gainor is right. What do you wish for, Master?" Umbra asked.

One of the first things we had done in arriving at Ferisdarm was talking to Galen its Chieftain. My friendship, if our brief time can be called that, had proven fruitful. But, Rebecca was right to, and Iris’ wish was fair.

"Iris, I cannot head to the Circle of Druids first. We have too much responsibility, but you and Samyia can go with Tomlin."

"If you have any trouble, set a big fire and we will come running, okay." Morgana said with a wink.

"You trust me to go?"

My eyes narrowed. She had been emotionally manipulated by Bomdall. She could have overpowered him, but was mentally overwhelmed by him. It was a risk.

Morgana and I pull her into a hug, acting in sync, sharing with her with our warmth.

"We’ve got you if there is any trouble, my precious." I reassured her.

"Go show them that they shouldn’t mess with my love, Iris." Morgana encouraged her.

I said to everyone there, "Umbra keep an eye on them. Gainor and Rebecca look after everyone. Morgana and I with Tara will talk to the Kings of Gelt. See what our situation is here."

"I like it." Morgana said with pride and good cheer.

Rather than an urban sprawl, Elkilbour was more of a series of interconnected farmsteads that stretched tens of miles around. It had a population of over ten thousand which in comparison to a modern town let alone city was tiny.

I knew little of the geography of Albion, let alone Alba the northernmost region. Having only seen a glimpse during my battle with Maradon from outside the planet. I know more people live outside of cities than before industrial cities, so I guessed with little evidence that Alba had more than one hundred thousand people.

Likely due to Druidic influence this was a city that lived with nature. The smells of the city were also fragrant and varied. Much more pleasant than a modern or mediaeval city.

However, that also meant it produced far less than what an industrial or exploitative power could rob from the earth.

Elklibour was surrounded by two rivers on each side and a complex system of river dykes protected the city from the power of the sea. Fisherfolk caught what they could.

Elkilbour or so I was told was an ancient city with legends as fabled as Camelot. It held the largest and most powerful gathering of Druids in Albion and one of the greatest on the planet.

It was also where the Kings of Gelt, the most powerful rulers in Alba resided. There were there rivals the Queen of Avitun to the west and further west still where the pirates on isles off the coast of Alba. Then to the North the clans of Tinu were fractious allies to the Gelts.

In peacetime, the city was more than large enough for its citizens, but between the Romans and the Unseelie refugee’s like us had swarmed to hide behind the walls of Elkibour.

Walking through the city towards its centre, I saw how severe overcrowding had become in the masses of homeless people. They looked fed, but sick and tired from the cold. The showers of rain certainly didn’t help their situation.

At the centre of the city was a hillfort of stone. Great siege crossbows manned by stone golems waited in ready. All in all, it seemed less sized for humans than for giants. Which was in fact the case.

"Yes, Elkilbour was made by Giants and Druids long ago." Morgana confirmed. "Only Camelot forged with dragon flames and magic surpasseses this city’s defences in all of Albion."

"Are those Golem’s functional?"

Morgana rubbed her chin, "Yes, but it seems strange to keep them to the hillfort, and not protecting the outer wall."

Morgana told me about the people of Alba.

How further north the people lived a more pastoral life. In Elkilbour they farmed whatever they could and gathered what they could from the forests both within the city limits and beyond.

It seemed safe inside the walls, but outside anguish, terror and a brutal death awaited. I understood Erec’s anger a little more seeing the peace inside the walls of Elkilbour. I can’t say for sure he is right, for they take in refugees.

I wonder if the city could stand against a determined attack by the Unseelie or the Romans. It wouldn’t fall easily, but if I had to bet it would fall. That is, without us as allies, but now we were here I was confident Elkilbour would stand.

I would know for sure once the Romans tested us.

I didn’t want to set down our roots within the city walls, it seemed overcrowded enough as it was but nearby would be perfect. Close enough to the city so we can work together, but far enough that we don’t step on each other’s toes.

I was not so hopeful that I stopped believing in the wretchedness of humans. Meredith’s betrayal during the darkest hour at Ferisdarm came to mind. Bomdall’s plot was at the heart of all the disasters that had happened since I first arrived.

Something would go wrong, but I had a vague goal. Morgana would help me make it happen. Together we would keep Iris safe. I would sort out Umbra and who knows what else. Maybe finally fuck the maid silly.

The buildings near the Hillfort and closer to the docks were noticeably bigger and grander than the ones near the edge of the city. Farmstead, roundhouses and the like were closer to small mansions than a house as I knew it.

The buildings were interwoven with shrubbery, trees and wildlife. The animals like boar, deer and more that I thought would live in a forest moved freely, but did not harm humans.

The force of druidry in the building of this city was evident.

The Hillfort, while far smaller than the outer walls, was thicker still with spells of even greater intricacy and complexity. You could throw a bomb at it, and they would stand.

The walls were only one layer of protection. Moss-covered the walls as well as hanging vines, sprouting flowers, beastial plants, beasts of all kinds guarded and painted the outside of the Hillfort. A druidic line of defence, I imagined and that was what was visible.

Morgana, Tara and I walked inside the stone Hillfort guided by two lines of warriors that made Galen’s people look like toy soldiers. However, looking closer with my magic eyes, they lacked the muscle of the warriors of Ferisdarm.

I knew from experience each one of our warriors were tested and legends in the flesh. Looks can be deceiving, afterall. Perhaps these warriors of Gelts were naught by toy soldiers. Dressed finely with shiny cloaks, fancy paint and gleaming weapons.

Time would tell.

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