Raine on the Road Series

[Kaleb (Raine) he/him]

Raine on the road:
I’ve been on this road for days. My destination is Fort Lokala. I received a request from a contact from my brief mercenary days who now resides there. Ky has asked me to help them for a few weeks while they are looking for a new mage for their company. The letter was brief but it seems their last mage was targeted, someone doesn’t want them having access to magic.
Wait… I hear no music. Not from birds, trees, even the wind has stilled. I’m not alone on this road. I look above at the canopy of branches, they’ve stilled, shadows stretch around the trees, a thump, thump, thump begins ahead… behind… afar… right next to me. PAIN. A slash across my arm. Thump. A stab in my thigh. Thump. A pierce in my chest. Thump. My body slumps to the ground; I have a 4 count before the thumps come back. 1. What can I do. 2. I’m going to die. 3 &. No!
“🎶With each dawn, brings the sun, we’ll be fine, we’ll be fine, we’ll be fiiiyyiiinnnneee, we’ll be (breath) fine.🎶” My voice drowns out the percussion as I sing a spell of protection. A crack in the very air sounds and the music of nature returns and beside me a humanoid shape of darkness dissipates. Time to heal. Ohhhh, last leg of my journey and someone really doesn’t want magic at Fort Lokala.
Raine on the road 2:
Ah, the flag of Fort Lakala, I see it at last… I smell… burning and blood upon the wind. I rush to the high walls and towers. Bodies upon the grounds, riddled with arrows. Looking closer, these bodies are distorted, discolored, wrong. All wrong. Who made them so? Fiends who once were humans. An arrow lands inches from my foot. “Hold, soldiers, I come upon request from Captain Ky. Tell him Raine arrives.”
“Not a moment too soon my friend! Open the gates!” A booming voice calls from the top of the walls. Ky. I always likened him to a ship mast, strong, thin, and taller than most. He bounds down stairs as the gates open, grabs me by the hand, and hauls me inside. “We just fought off another wave and I have fighters in need of healing. Thank the spirits you’ve arrived!”
“What are those bodies that line the ground?” I managed to gasp out as his lengthy legs push us onward.
“Our foes. Dark magic is involved. We’ve seen them for weeks. First, just scouting parties noticed them in pairs around the northern woods, then they started gathering at night just out of bow shot. Recently, the monsters have begun attacking. They’re being directed by some dark figure we’ve only gotten glances of. When it withdraws, the monsters still, when it approaches, they are frenzied and attack. The latest attack had a few able to climb the very walls which led to injuries. Here we are.”
A dozen beds set up in an infirmary with just a few occupied, thankfully. I go to each with a song on my lips and heal those that most need it. “Thank you, Raine. I feel I can breath now that you’ve chased away the threat of death.” Ky says as he starts to stumble. “Ky! Sit here, look at me. You’re fevered and your breath is labored.” Others standing in the room begin to stumble around us, similar symptoms. I hear calls for help back through the open doorway.
What state have I found these people in??
Raine on the road #3:
They are all down. All of the people at the fort have the same symptoms. Fever, weakness, dizziness, and in and out of consciousness. I’m exhausted. I’ve spent the past few hours getting all 52 people that are here at Fort Lakala into beds, onto pallets, and such. I found the source of their ailments. I could feel the wrongness of the water within the well as soon as I stepped up to it. My siren blood recoiled. Poison within the water. I scoured the infirmary for supplies and tested different antidotes within multiple buckets I drew. With jewelweed, charcoal, and a bit of magic I was able to wash the water clean within the well and get some within the residents. With Ky and everyone else down, I looked to his journal for his daily reports. They didn’t start seeing these fiends until after their last mage was found dead. She was killed by multiple slash wounds and no sign of any weapon. The soldier that found her was startled by the sound of drums. Drums. Like what found me upon the roadway… The attacks have been happening only at night. The numbers of fiends have grown steadily; getting harder and harder to repel the waves. I put down the journal. I walk along the high walls of the fort, stopping at the parapet above the front gate. I’m the only one standing. The only one able to fight. The only one that can keep these monsters from the downed people within. The sun sets.
I hear drums.
Raine on the road #4:
As I stand alone upon the walls of Fort Lakala with the setting sun… I hear the sound of drums. As the last ray of day ends, a dark specter explodes from the tree line and zooms towards me. A shade with slashing blades for hands zooms through the air. It’s upon me in an instant and explodes as it hits my protection barrier. I will not be caught unawares again. The tempo of the drums change. The sound coming from the woods all around. Then looking out I see humanoid figures emerge from the shadows of the trees. They are as the bodies I saw upon the ground as I arrived this morning. I see humans, elves, dwarves, and more shambling forward. But they have been warped… changed… decomposition! These are reanimated corpses! Someone dared to defy nature and desiccated the bodies of scores of people. They slowly move closer to the walls; the fort is surrounded. The tempo of the drums shift again, a riotous primal beat. A change washes over the corpses, they become frenzied! Start clawing at the walls, some beat upon the gates. A few begin climbing upon others to get higher up, reaching for the top, trying to get into the fort. The music stirs my anger at what has been done to these bodies. I fear for the downed and ill people within, my friend Ky. I look out and at the trees I see the red eyes glowing, movement in time with the beat of the drum… that’s the monster who has caused all this. Who killed a mage, tried to kill me before I arrived. Why does it fear the presence of magic so? I see bodies reaching the top of the walls, pulling themselves up, three so far, I point to each in turn knocking them out. I don’t want this for these bodies, I want them to rest, to find peace… Peace! The simplest of spells… calm emotions. I sing with all the breath I can muster. A strong calming melody to drown out the drums. I will be HEARD! I am heard. The bodies lose their frenzy. They still. Standing as statues. A roar sounds from the trees… the eyes are angry. It emerges. A vile, twisted creature with two hooves, clawed hands, an antlered skull upon its face, and those eyes. Hide drums are upon its waist. It comes toward me atop the walls. As it closes, I feel my blood boil. This monster has caused harm to the very soul of the natural world. It has killed. Defiled the bodies of the past. I see it and seethe. I will end this creatures evil. I raise a hand towards it and cast. I call upon an element I’ve never used before. A new spell to me. I call fire. Flames erupt from my hand and bathe the creature in heat and destruction. It screams as it ignites. A fiery hole burned through it. I watch it burn. Moments later each of the bodies fall upon the earth, where they belong.
I’m awakened by a weak Ky as he lifts my head from the wooden palisade. They are all healing. Two poisons eradicated from this area. “Lead me to a bed, please.” I did good.

[Author]

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