The Auric Insignia Read online

  - I didn’t know who or what you were.

  Refaz looked as if he reprimanded himself for the blunder, most likely brought on by exhaustion. He raised his hand to show three dead rabbits hanging limp and still from his grasp.

  - I’m sorry.

  - It’s fine, it’s just that, last time i was surprised, alone in the forest like this, I walked away from the meeting with some difficulty, and some broken ribs.

  As if his ears had been burning, a rustle told of his arrival and before Roarke could raise his weapon, Ama joined them with some dead rabbits of his own, panting from his journey.

  - Your ribs look fine to me, human.

  - No thanks to you though.

  Ama didn’t bother to continue their banter and instead turned to his brother.

  - So?

  - No luck, I’ve followed trails that end in the middle of nowhere and I’ve found some that could turn out to be the right one. Honestly though, I don’t know, I mean Roarke was following this trail as it’s the one we think most likely at the moment but in reality, we can’t be sure, can we? How did it go for you?

  Ama’s body language answered the question when his words did not. Ears standing tall and a tail that stood straight out, told Refaz and Roarke that the wolf Kappa had not been more successful in his pursuit. Letting out a low growl, Ama threw the dead critters on the ground, their limbs flailing without will, in an attempt to vent some aggression. The dead of the night overtook as the three seekers got lost in their own frustrated thoughts, until Roarke postulated a question that was simple in its construction, but that demanded a difficult answer.

  - So what do we do now?

  The query hanged in the air, its solution eluding them, like trying to catch smoke, it seemed so close but just out of reach, no matter how hard they tried. Time, also, was not on their side, for every moment that passed, their enemy moved further away, every passing hour making it less likely that the trio would find them, and in turn, their vengeance. Roarke observed the brothers, so close but so fundamentally different at the same time. Refaz who, in the warm light of the fire, looked like he was on fire, flames shrouding his shape. The red and brown hues in his coat springing to life in a vibrant blaze of color. In comparison, his brother Ama looked like the ash one got when the fire had died out and lost its energy. His bleak tones symbolizing the pain he still carried, a tender wound still fresh in his heart. Roarke looked at his hands, covered in the armor he had found, he saw the hands of a warrior in place of his own, new and untested. Minutes passed and Roarke’s question went unanswered until Roarke spoke again.

  - We keep going. What else is there?

  Trading their precious time for rest, all of them settled by the fire in order to try and get some shuteye. Roarke drifted off, looking into the fire, seeing images of horror and battle. Old faces of memory blurred together with new ones spawning from his tired imagination, mixing and twisting within the flames until his eyelids grew too heavy, and he finally entered the realm of sleep.

  ***

  We keep going

  - You all know I’m not usually the one that asks the tough questions in this group, but uhh, what do we do now?

  Marel’s nonchalant and jovial personality crashed with the grim circumstances of their journey, putting him outside his preferred zone, consisting of dirty quips and silly jokes. Plista, their de facto leader and unspoken target of Marel’s question, had been distant since their group had split up, after their discovery of the massacre of the inhabitants of Brightseed. The old Kappa’s subdued mien more than anything, was the source of the group’s discomfort. Plista had never been accused of being a jester but he had always had hope, hope that had truly soared with the new wind under it that was their journey. Wind that had now vanished, leaving Plista and subsequently the others, disheartened.

  - Oh no, I’ve turned into a ghost! Hello, can you see me? Vaya, Ippan, anyone? Can you hear me? Oh cruel fate!

  Korri, Vaya and Ippan smiled with restraint, genuinely amused but as if they felt guilty for being so. Marel saw the opening and took his opportunity, starting to tease and joke with Vaya, with Ippan joining in. Meanwhile, Korri joined Plista at the front where he was walking by himself.

  - Marel just wants everyone to be happy.

  - He has the ability to lighten hearts, Korri. An invaluable gift in times like these.

  - Nobody blames you know, for being, uh, down, I mean.

  - Appreciated, truly, my dear, but that does little to aid us in our current situation.

  She faced him as they walked, their serious conversation posing as a bizarre contrast to the mirth going on just a few feet behind them.

  - How do you mean?

  - I mean, I may be guilty of being a fool with a fool’s dream, but that does not make me completely blind to the harsh truth when it is spoken. At the accursed square of Brightseed, such a truth was spoken, a truth glaringly obvious to anyone with an open mind and a sensible view of the world around them.

  - Stop Ippan, that tickles! Stop!

  They were traveling south, traveling close to the road that ran from Brightseed, down to the next settlement, the town of Mark, as Roarke had called it. The five of them walked together in a group, with Stari flying above, scouting and reporting intermittently.

  - There is only nine of us, six at the moment. You and I both know that even if we could call on our respective species, no great numbers remain. Besides, I fear that in a battle with Gota’s human disciples, the few of our species that do remain, would perish, making any possible victory, a pyrrhic one. Our one strength, one could argue, was stealth, the element of surprise. However, the vile message we received in Brightseed tells us that our presence was expected and that the hopes of a clandestine coup, seems slimmer by the second.

  - Vaya, what do you call a reindeer with only three legs?

  Korri thought about what Plista had said. She searched her mind for a way to move on, to win in the battles against the foes that were sure to come. Plista and Roarke was right, their position wasn’t great and never had been, but it had taken a rude awakening to see it. She looked at the small, old Kappa walking beside her, even for her with her long life, he appeared eternal. For as long as she could remember, he had been there, a mentor, a friend, and one of the last dreamers of this dying world. Now those dreams of his had taken a hit, and was faltering, teetering on the edge. Should they suffer another blow, they would truly break under the unrelenting weight of the brutal reality around them, pushing on.

  Seeing her rock, one of the genuinely grounded entities in her life, suddenly standing on shaky ground, in danger of crumbling, broke her heart.

  - We keep going.

  Plista was pulled from his heavy thoughts and looked at her with sad eyes that were trying to smile.

  - I am sorry, Korri, I was lost in thought. What did you say?

  Korri stopped in her tracks, forcing the trio walking behind them to halt both their motion and their mirth. Having been virtually oblivious of Korri’s and Plista’s talk, Ippan, Vaya and Marel now looked to Korri for answers to their sudden stop. Korri turned as to face them all, and spoke up.

  - Sure, you are a dreamer, but what’s the harm in that? The world needs dreamers as well as realists, they complement each other. Roarke is right, the odds are not exactly in our favor, it’s true. But if not for you, Plista the dreamer, we would all still be in Vanalf, hiding from our enemy, and hiding from our responsibilities. At least now we’re trying, and we might fail, we all know that, but we might also succeed. If we don’t try, we will have already lost, sitting in Braida, wasting away, while the world around us fades along with us, the world we swore to protect. I don’t know about you but I would much rather go down fighting for a chance to do the right thing, than cowering in fear as evil spreads, infecting all we know and love.

  As she finished, Korri got a bit self conscious, waiting to see how her words would be taken. All her concern vanished quickly however as she saw the warm
smiles of her family. The pride on Plista’s face as he looked at her. Vaya’s love was plain on her face, looking at her dear sister. Ippan, her, like always, silent brother, gave her one of his signature nods of approval. Marel started laughing, which escalated to him shouting and applauding.

  - Huzzah! Splendid! Kalim Kalee!

  -What the fuck is this shit? You’re having heartfelt speeches without me?

  The voice came from up high, drawing their attention towards the sky. Sitting on a branch above them was Stari, dangling her legs in the air as she watched them.

  - Well if you’re done hugging it out, I got some news.

  Everyone focused and silently waited for Stari to tell them what she knew.

  - There are people coming up the road.

  ***

  The hunt is on

  Like if fingers of death was caressing his face, Roarke was enveloped in a cold, raw feeling. He slept uneasy, his half dormant mind not understanding the signals his body was sending out. He tossed and turned where he lay on the ground, finally whipping around to the other side, hitting his face on a rock. Waking with a jolt, Roarke felt his jaw paining him and in the veiled state of the newly awakened, he wondered if he had been punched out, before his eyes had adjusted and he could see the perpetrator lying still on the ground, covered in moss. Rubbing his face to vanquish the last of his drowsiness, he noticed that his face was wet.

  - What? No!

  He blinked repeatedly to rid his eyes of the excess water but it did little to help him.

  - No, no no no!

  It was raining, pouring down on him beneath canopies beaten by the million tiny needles of the storm.

  - Fuck!

  He looked around him to try and find Ama and Refaz, seeing Ama standing still some distance away, looking off between the trees, his fur soaked by the rain.

  - Fucking shit. Hey? Hey Ama!

  Ama turned his head only to frown at Roarke before turning back to stare off, ignoring Roarke. Roarke rose and stumbled the first few steps, his legs feeling dull and tingly at the same time. Walking by the now drowned fire that they made as the stopped for rest, just like they had done for three days now.

  - It’s raining, we got to get moving! Where’s Refaz? Ama!?

  - He is out.

  Why didn’t you wake me? The trail will get washed away in this weather!

  - Do not teach me in the art of tracking, human. I’ve hunted since long before you were born.

  That set the spark, and Roarke exploded. He yanked on Ama, who, caught by surprise, twisted around before he could parry, redistributing his weight. He snarled as he was pulled around, held by a fistful of his wet fur. Coming around, Roarke’s fist impacted with Ama’s black nose, whipping his head back.

  - My name is Roarke, not human. Got it!?

  As he realized what had been done, he reacted with his own pent up frustration, mixed with pure instinct, taking over. After letting out a mix of a bone chilling howl and a vicious growl, he jumped on Roarke, taking him down to the ground. Roarke, though physically weaker, did not cower under Ama’s rage but instead matched it. They tumbled around in the wet grass until Ama inevitably got the upper hand, grabbing Roarke and throwing him against a tree trunk. Roarke’s armored body flew through the air until it stopped instantaneously, like it had hit an unmovable object. Not knowing up from down in the quick moments that mattered, Roarke could do nothing to lessen his incoming collision. Instead of breaking upon impact, his body bended, aided by his mysterious armor that seemed to absorb the greater part of the blow.

  His body fell to the ground, all lethal damage luckily avoided but still sore from his crashing introduction to the sturdy trunk. Roarke was on his knees and elbows, coughing, as the rain fell on his back.

  - Is that the best you got?

  - What are you doing!? Stop it!

  Ama stopped in his step, on his way towards Roarke. Refaz’s words giving enough of a distraction to let him get his anger under control.

  - Roarke! Roarke, are you okay!?

  Refaz ran up to Roarke, kneeling beside him.

  - *cough, yeah, never been better.

  - Are you hurt?

  - I don’t think so, or I might already be dead and I just don’t know it yet.

  - Your back should have broken like a twig by a throw like that! Can you stand?

  Roarke shifted his weight and tentatively started to stand.

  - Ama, what are you doing!? I leave you two alone and this is what I come back to!? Have you completely lost your mind!?

  Ama looked like he felt that powers unknown were conspiring against him, like he had failed the expectations put on him, not only by his brother, but by himself as well. Seeing this, Roarke felt bad, seeing Ama feeling the same way he himself had felt, more times than he could count.

  - No Refaz, it’s fine. I threw the first punch, I let my temper get the better of me, Ama just defended himself.

  - Still, he could have killed you!

  - But he didn’t.

  Refaz looked, first at his brother, standing silently, almost in shock, secondly, at Roarke, who was cracking his neck.

  - It’s fine, Refaz, just a stupid brawl, okay?

  Ama’s and Roarke’s eyes met, Ama’s filled with questions and surprise. He looked at Roarke as if he was seeing him in a different light, somewhat brighter than before. Refaz stood in the middle, tired and soaking wet. He didn’t quite understand what was going on, but his exhaustion made him accept the easy solution he had been given, and he moved on.

  - The real problem is the rain, Ama said you were out. Doing what?

  - Like you said, this weather could not have come at a worse time. It will wash away all chances we had of tracking the pack.

  - So what were you doing out then?

  - I was just following our strongest lead, memorizing the way, to give us something to go on, until I came across something. A smell.

  - A smell?

  - Yes brother, a smell unlike any other, it was strong, almost like it was defying the wind and the downpour.

  Now it was Ama’s and Roarke’s turn to look dumbfounded.

  - What do you mean?

  Refaz crinkled his nose.

  - It lingers, even though I left it behind some time ago, I can still feel it, burning.

  - Burning?

  - I’m telling you, it wasn’t natural. That’s when I decided to go back here.

  - How far off was it?

  - A couple of hours, following the trail we switched to yesterday.

  - Haha!

  The Kappas looked at Roarke as if he had gone mad, laughing in the rain, seemingly at nothing.

  - Roarke, what is it?

  Roarke stopped laughing, even though a spark remained in his eyes.

  - It’s progress, gentlemen, it’s progress.

  Without further ado, Roarke went and retrieved his spear where he had left it before his rest. The fire in his eyes burning bright once more with the addition of new fuel.

  - The hunt is on.

  ***

  Truce

  It had almost been two hours since they had left their latest campsite. The rain had faded, from an all out rainstorm to nothing as they moved westward, the sun on the rise over the sky. Roarke didn’t smell anything out of the ordinary, and he guessed he would probably be the last of the three to do so. Refaz was taking the lead, tracing his way back whilst Ama and Roarke followed after. When he saw that Refaz was far enough away, Ama broke the silence.

  - Why did you do that?

  - What do you mean?

  - You know what I mean. You could have lied and said I started the fight, you could have explained the situation, anything, instead you told the narrow truth and even defended my actions.

  - I’ll take that as an insulting observation of my character.

  Ama didn’t respond to Roarke’s sarcasm and Roarke saw that he was uncomfortable.

  - Look, you don’t like me and that’s fine, I’m not crazy
about you either. However, I’m not your enemy. We’re on the same team, if you will.

  - Then why did you hit me?

  - I’m, pff, I lost my temper, okay? I got angry and I regret it, sounds familiar?

  Ama grunted something Roarke couldn’t discern.

  - I thought so. Like I said, we are not the best of friends, and we don’t have to be. But if we’re going to have any chance of success, I have to know that you’ve got my back, and you need to know I’ve got yours.

  Roarke extended his hand towards Ama, as a sign of his willingness to make peace. Ama looked at Roarke’s, to him, small pink hand, hanging in the air, waiting for a partner. Hesitant, partly because he seemed to consider the logic in what Roarke had said, and partly because he was confused by the distinctly human gesture.

  - Well?

  Ama finally caught on and extended his own hand, larger and armed with black claws, dwarfing Roarke’s, making it look thin and dainty.

  - Okay human, truce.

  - Peace, not a truce.

  Roarke tightened his grip in an attempt to match Ama’s iron vice. Ama’s strength far exceeded Roarke’s but he seemed to respect Roarke’s effort and spirit.

  - Fine, peace between us, Roarke.

  - Roarke? No reason to get mushy.

  Ama let go with a low growl, resuming his stride.

  - Humans.....

  - That’s more like it, I was getting worried there for a second.