Yspaddaden - Chapter 11

Ynwfn, Dinas Preservation.

Yspaddaden heard the scream of the Dinas and knew he was close. He had spent enough time in their midsts to know the difference between a hunting call and a scream of fear. This type of encounter was much worse than the former.

Dinas generally kept to themselves. It was rare that they met a sentient person and then only when they were being hunted by one. The giant preserve where they lived housed over ten thousand of the creatures and was used as a sporting arena for the brave. Considered to be one of only a few semi-sentient races, self aware and capable of making tools but having no speech, it was widely acceptable to hunt them as common animals, making a sport out of it. Standing anywhere from ten to eighteen feet tall and covered in fur, the Dinas posed a very formidable threat and they were quite hard to kill. Yspaddaden had heard that the record for one person was only six kills, by a Minotaur from Finngal. Whether that number was true or not was debatable. Another scream pierced the air, drawing Yspaddaden out of his revery.

He kicked the unicorn toward the sound and grasped the hilt of his sword. If Kady was trapped or under attack by one of those beasts, the sooner he got there the better. Yspaddaden himself had never killed one of the creatures, but he was prepared to. The unicorn barreled into the dense forest, then stopped short, braying wildly. Yspa could see no reason why the beast would stop, and so dismounted. He tried calming the animal, rubbing his nose and holding his head close to his neck. The unicorn slowly settled down, breathing heavily. Once he did, Yspa took the reigns and tied him gently but firmly to a large tree. The large beast snorted in protest, but showed no signs of fleeing. The Dinas screamed again and the unicorn did not react, giving Yspaddaden the courage to leave him there while he investigated. He patted the beast once more on the neck and headed in the direction he had been traveling before.

He pushed his way through the underbrush and eventually came upon the large fence that surrounded the preservation. He reached out and gently touched the wire, jerking his hand back in pain as it bit his finger. So the rumors were true about the magic that surrounded the fence. He stepped back and surveyed the fence. It stood at least fifteen feet taller than his head, and he could see no easy way over it. No doubt it ran deep under the ground, which ruled out tunneling. The Dinas cried out again and Yspaddaden decided to head in that direction. Kady might be on the other side of the fence. Maybe there was a gate of some sort.

He followed the barrier down toward where the noise was coming from, hoping that Kady was alright. Their stupid fight pushed from his mind, the only thing he could think about was her wellbeing. He was careful not to touch the fence, but he had to stay close to it so as not to lose it in the dark. He could hear a slight hum that emanated from the wire, and that helped to keep track of it. The Dinas screamed again and his grip around the hilt of his sword tightened. He moved faster.

He followed the fence until he reached a spot where a tall tree had fallen down on top of it, creating a makeshift passageway to the other side. He stepped over the fallen wire and stopped, listening. He did not move as he tried to determine where the Dinas was, and possibly Kady. There was not a sound. The entire wood was deathly silent. Not even the wildlife and birds dared make a noise. Yspa stood still, relying on the Dinas to lead him on. He waited patiently, eyes closed, sword steady.

Then came the scream and Yspa leapt forth. His large feet pounded the ground and his hands slapped away the branches as he charged through the trees, intent on his target. He knew exactly where the beast was, and it was still frightened. Yspa grew hopeful. Dinas were not scared by dead bodies. Kady must still be alive.

He ran around a particularly large tree and stopped short. The ground sloped upward, leading directly to a large rock wall that had a strange tree growing out of it. Kady stood with her back to the stone, no where to run. The Dinas towered over her, not making any threatening moves, simply staring her down, snuffling, moving back and forth in agitation. Yspa was directly behind the beast, and it took Kady a minute before she noticed him standing there. Her eyes grew wide as she spotted him and Yspaddaden put a finger to his mouth to tell her to be silent. She nodded slightly, not moving. She was being very smart, not moving, squatting firmly on the ground. Dinas were frightened and threatened by loud noises and quick movements and tended to attack when provoked. As long as she didn't move, she should be safe. Now, how to get her out of this situation?

Thankfully, Dinas did not have very good eyesight. The main reason the beast knew Kady was still there was by her scent. As she stayed still, it confused it even more, not being able to see her movements. Yspa knew it was only a matter of moments before it smelled him and detected his presence. He had to act fast.

His sword was no match for the large claws and giant arms of the Dinas, but he was reluctant to set it down. He decided to try a few, quick attacks while its back was still turned, to confuse it. He shuffled up to its back leg and jabbed, driving his sword deep into the beasts ankle. He didn't account for its quick reflexes though, and found himself spinning through the air, his back slamming against the rock wall as the Dinas swatted him away. Yspa fell to the ground as he heard Kady gasp in horror. He pushed himself up to see the Dinas facing him now, looking down on him. Yspaddaden rose slowly, trying not to make any sudden moves. The Dinas growled at him and reached back, extracting the sword and tossing it to the side. The blade hit the ground and skidded through the dirt to come resting underneath a bush. Yspa and the beast stood there, facing each other, each trying to stare down the other. It was Yspaddaden's advantage though. He could see better. The Dinas kept swaying back and forth, trying to see his form against the equally still background. Yspaddaden stood his ground and did not move, also trying not to make any noises that would scare it. Well, at least he had drawn its attention away from Kady.

The Dinas decided to pounce, and came toward the spot where Yspaddaden stood, arms waving, claws extended. Yspa leapt out of the way, but in so doing, the Dinas spied him and changed his direction, swinging brutally at him. He let out a bellow and almost caught Yspa by the arm, but the giant was quick. He dove for his sword and came up out of the bush with it in his hands, slicing it quickly at the beasts ankle yet again. It happened to connect with the opposite foot and he cut open the Dinas's ankle, crippling it. The beast cried out in pain and fell to one knee, shaking the ground as it hit. Yspaddaden struck again, creating a deep cut in the beasts side. It yelled in anger and tried to knock Yspa out of the way again, but failed to reach him this time. Yspa danced forward and stabbed the beast in the leg, extracting not only a fountain of blood but also a cry of anger and pain. It was weakening and Yspa had barely done anything to wound it so. He wondered for half a second if the mysterious crystal in the pommel of his sword was helping at all, then dismissed the thought. The blade had never appeared magical before, and he could think of no reason why it would become so now. Then he realised why the beast was appearing weak.

The Dinas surged forth, grabbing Yspa around the waist and flinging him to the side. Yspaddaden hit a tree hard and fell to the ground. So the beast was only playacting to appear less strong then he really was. Well, two can play that game. Yspaddaden turned over onto his back, moaning and holding his stomach. The Dinas leapt forth with surprising agility and swatted him to the side, knocking his head against another tree. Alright, maybe that tactic wasn't the best. Maybe he should lie still and play dead? But no, he thought to himself as he flew through the air, back down to the ground. The Dinas seemed very catlike in its joy in tossing around its dead prey. Yspaddaden had to think of something else.

Thankfully, he didn't need to. As he rose off his stomach, blood trickling out of his mouth, the Dinas came at him. Yspa was ready to do whatever necessary to keep the beast distracted while Kady could escape. It seemed escape was not on her mind. As the Dinas advanced on Yspa, a feral scream pierced the night air and the yellow blade of Yspaddaden's sword, Dreck, shone as it pushed its way through the tough skin of the beast's belly and sat there, protruding, blood encircling it then escaping and flowing freely down the furry body, dripping onto the ground and pooling there in a puddle of red life. In a puddle of red death. The Dinas started, then looked down in shock at the sharp metal that shone in the moonlight. It grasped the blade, trying to pull it out, but the hilt only caught on his back, making the wound worse. The blood gushed forth, staining the grass and dirt. It gave a painful moan, and Yspa almost felt sorry for it. The large beast fell to its knees, then, with one last cry to the sky, it fell onto its chest, dust erupting from underneath it. The pool of blood slowly became still and stopped growing as the beast died.

Kadyriath stood there, hands covered in blood, seeming in shock at the events that had just taken place. Yspaddaden hurried around the beast and went over to her, taking her in his arms and embracing her. She leaned into him, not making a sound, simply standing there, arms crossed over her chest, face buried in his. He rubbed her back and they remained there for a few minutes, their wordless conversation being enough to convey everything they wished they could say. Kady eventually pulled away from him and walked slowly over to the beast. She stared at it for a second, then reached forth and grasped the hilt of the sword, pulling it from the body. It made a terrible rasping noise as the metal grated against bone. The tip dripped red and the blade shone yellow. To Yspaddaden it was a very contrasting sight, seeing her there, covered in life, covered in death. He realised for the first time how strong she was. And, he suspected, she was realising it herself. They both stood there, her hands full, his head full. She stared down at the animal she had killed and he stared at her, admiring her, praying for the courage to finally be able to tell her the truth about the quest he was on, and why she was needed so desperately.

She brought his sword over to him and he wiped it on the grass. His shirt was now covered in blood as well. They both looked at each other and a small smile played around her mouth. He grinned and she laughed and he felt gratitude. She reached out her hand and grasped his briefly, holding it firmly in silent thanks, their eyes staring into the others.

No words were needed tonight.

Kadyriath

They sat in silence on opposite sides of the campfire, neither one speaking, both staring at the other, wishing the other would speak, wondering at what they would say, and hoping that the silence continued forever.

Kady still felt a certain animosity towards Yspaddaden, but her heart had softened towards him after the events of the night. She thought back, and realised that this was the third time she had been kidnapped, the second time Yspa had rescued her, and the first time she had been able to rescue him. It was curious the places life brought a person. She wondered if she would still be sitting here, with this man, if her mother had never moved to this continent. Would she be here even now if she had not taken the job at the compound, become who she was? It was a curious thing indeed.

Yspaddaden stood and walked around the fire to her. Kadyriath shifted to face him, crossing her legs underneath her. He sat down across from her, legs crossed as well. He hesitated, then placed a hand on her knee, caressing it gently. It felt comfortable, right. Her anger at him abating by the second, she took his hand in hers and held it firmly. It was then that he raised his head and gazed into her eyes. His were full of tears.

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to lie to you. I wish I could tell you how important you are to me, but it is difficult to put into words I can speak. I've known you long Kady, longer than you have known of me. Our lives intertwine more than you can imagine. I wish now I had told you the truth from the start, but I didn't think you would believe my words. I hope you can forgive me and that you can listen to the things I have to tell you. My story may seem like fantasy, but I assure you, it is truth. It hurts me, knowing I hurt you. Can you accept my apology? Can you forgive me?"

In response, Kady reached up and gently wiped away the tears that had escaped his eyes. She took her wet hand and dried it on the hem of her skirt.

"I realise that you are sorry for hurting me, and for that I forgive you. I feel that you are truly sorry for it, and I thank you for coming to me. I understand that you did not mean to hurt me in what you did. But I cannot forgive your lying to me until you tell me the truth. Tell me why you lied. Tell me which of your words were lies. And tell me what is true. Why are you so intent on this prize? What is my purpose in your quest? Why do you feel you need me so badly? Don't lie to me anymore Yspa. I don't think I could bear it."

Yspaddaden nodded and glanced at the grass. He seemed to be composing himself. He looked once more into Kady's eyes.

"What do you know of your past?"