Vayda and Machik travel South East
An exploration of Vayda and Machik's relationship as they travel further East, into lands poisoned by the maledictions of the dead all-seers as the High Council of the Fifteenth tries to stop them from reaching the far Eastern shore, and Machik suffers greatly under his curse as he begins to take on the dog form more often.
“Thou knight, why doth thine eyes shed tears?”
“I am no knight.”
“Thou knight, why doth your heart beat so fast?”
“I am no knight.”
“What is thee, oh man of upturned earth, unloved, forgotten by thine mother?”
“I am… I don’t, I don’t know your eminence…”
“Thou art but a boy then.”
“I’m scared.” The uneasy pause lingered for a moment too long. He began doubting a reply.
“Are you? Oh dear child, we all are. But thine fear will kill thee, it will gnaw thou alive, and thou will wilt away. For who doth thou bow to if not for thy own sins? Lay thee head down at the next road crossing, and any man daring enough will take thou fears, and thou head.”
The High Council of the Fifteen spoke in unison and then silence fell in the great dark halls of The Crows Ravine, nursing the man into silence.
It would not be a moment remembered by him, not in his human nor beast form.
“Machik, are you crying?”
And he awoke, the rubble of the council rooms walls falling around him, unearthing him from such terrors one could only dream of. He was keeling over on the cracked floors of an abandoned chapel, breathing unevenly while Vaydas hand rested on his back. Though it wasn’t her hand, just the cool phantom touch of her carved armour that lingered for a few moments longer.
“Am I?” He brought a hand up to his cheek, patting at the wet trail cascading down his face. “I don’t remember…”
“Who were you speaking to?”
“What do you mean who? Didn’t you see them, the others? Where are they?”
“Machik, it’s just us…”
The man scrambled up to his feet, blindly swinging in several uncoordinated directions. Vayda remained on the floor, hand coming to rest on the handle of her sword as a precaution.
“What do you mean just us? Vayda?”
“Do you not see the destroyed chapel around us?”
“There were others. I spoke to them, of what I don’t remember, but we spoke of many things, for eons it felt like.”
“We’re beyond the eastern borders of Sajh, we’ve yet to reach the abandoned tower Ki’fylk and the Wastelands. There is not a soul for miles.”
He decided to let her words hang in the air, like the traveling spiderwebs one would spot out in summer on the Cliffs of the Western Sea Beds. She sat there, leaning heavy on the cool steel, waiting out for a reply.
“My heart hurts Vayda. I’m scared.”