Fools Rush In

by **Azmere** on April 21st, 2018, 2:17 am

72nd of Spring, 498 AV

“No, son. You are not ready.”

The handsome young man looked down as a shadow fell upon his face. His Ankal has twice refused the lad’s request for a chance to prove himself. In the pavilion, those who cannot hunt or track must forage and tend the herd. Azmere despised being treated like a child. He felt he was above the simple tasks of cleaning pots and rinsing pans. He resented that he wasn’t give the respect one of his lineage deserved. Such arrogance was fueled by stories told to him by his entire family including his mother. A gentle woman, she was sprung from a line of men marked by Zulrav’s hurricane; Stormwardens. Azmere clung to these tales like a soft blanket day and night. As he slept, the winds of Zulrav’s voice rang within his dreams as massive storms and triumphant victories. During the day while farm tools sat idly in his hands, every breeze held the promise of these dreams.

As he was staring off into the Sea of Grass, his older half-brother Cassander kicked the stool from underneath Azmere’s weight and sent him toppling to the dirt. Azmere, ever smaller than his elder, sprang to his feet and squared off with the seventeen year old. He lifted his fierce gaze to meet the mocking grin of Cassander who returned the strong stance with a mocking pat on Azmere’s head.

“Oh, little bastard, one day you’ll get your chance to die in the tall grass.” Cassander went to pat Azmere on the head again but was quickly rebuked. Azmere lifted his arm and blocked the patronizing gesture with his right and then made a straight palm strike with his left to his brother’s sternum. The blow caused Cassander to take several steps back. He drew back a fist but was caught at the wrist by their Ankal.

“Enough! Both of you.” Their father, Cypher Moonbow, loomed like a godly statue over his sons. Truly, as one of the finest warriors in the Diamond clan, he was a giant among men. Cypher stood over six and a half feet tall, was chiseled of muscle and weighed nearly three hundred pounds. The boys both snapped to attention and stared straight ahead. There was a fear that held them in check and rightfully so. Cypher stood a moment and allowed his presence to set in with his spawn. “Cassander leaves before sundown for his trial and you!” Cypher turned his eyes to stare at Azmere. “You will wait for your trial until I say you are ready.” Having said that, the patriarch turned and left so he could attend to pavilion matters.

Cassander dusted his shirt and gave a hoity glare to his sibling. “Don’t worry, bastard. When I’m Ankal, I’ll make sure you get a good fork to bed the cattle.” He left the young man to fume. Azmere picked up his pitchfork and went back to bedding the stalls.

-----

“This aaaand…this aaaaaand…” Azmere looked back and forth in his corner of the tent. “Where is it?!” His volume scared him a bit. The realization of discovery caused the boy to freeze. The cease in movement gave him clarity. Azmere reached under the blanket and found the small knife he’d been searching for and tucked it into his pack. He double checked his gear and gave a nod of approval. He had a few days of rations, a spare change of clothes, his skinning knife and some dried scraps for the dog. Azmere donned his traveling cloak, a quiver of ten arrows and grabbed his bow. He ducked out of the tent being careful to avoid the pavilion guards and went to the kennel. He went to find Abednego who was more of a brother to Azmere than any of his siblings. The beast was both loyal and attentive but also intuitive and clever.

Azmere never feared while he was with his friend. He waited for the patrol to pass and then released his hound. They went off into the tall grass under the cover of night. He stopped, his heart caught in his throat. The brilliant blue eyes turned and looked back to the grounds where the striders were kept. He had bonded but was an inexperienced rider still. If he took Hephiestian, everyone would surely know that he had gone. With a sadness, the boy decided it best to leave his horse behind. He would need the bells’ worth of a headstart much more than he would need his mount. Firm in his decision-making skills, the small head nodded to no one then turned and disappeared into the untrampled grasses with his canine companion. Azmere would have his trial.

by **Azmere** on April 21st, 2018, 2:18 am

By the light of the moon and stars, the pair sat in peace and stared at one another having an unspoken conversation. The boy and his dog seemed like there was no truer home than under the endless sky. Azmere was lost in thought as he idly stroked the neck of his companion. His mind was straying to the wondrous tales he had been taught of Zulrav and Semele. Of the heroes of his people and the rest of Mizahar, the boy allowed his mind to wander. In these musings, Azmere found himself drifting off to sleep. He slid down against his pack and curled into Abednego’s warm body. Dreams came as easy as the breeze across the plain. The boy slept without fit or disturbance until his warmth shifted. His pet, friend and guardian smelled something and sat up. Silently the fur along Abednego’s spine rose to its tips.

The tall grass rustled under the weight of careful steps. Apparitions moved with the breeze so that even a careful eye would not spot the approach. The canine did not need to see, however, since his olfactory senses picked up the odor while it was a hundred feet away. Abednego did not rise but used his muzzle to nudge the arm and ribs of Azmere. After multiple attempts, the boy finally stirred. A soft whimper escaped his lips but seeing the tension on his dog gave the young boy pause. Something was wrong. Azmere patted Abednego on the side of his neck three times and instinctively the animal rose to all fours. His lips did not quiver in a growl nor did his tail wag to disturb the grass. Azmere rolled onto his side and took hold of his bow and quiver. Slowly, he curled his legs beneath himself and moved into a crouch. Without a sound and while his eyes scanned the area, Azmere laid the quiver over his head and across his chest. He drew an arrow and notched it carefully but did not draw back.

Abednego made a sidestep that brushed his leg against the foot of his master. Azmere turned his head and found his canine was one his feet in an attentive crouch. Nose to nose, the boy leaned forward and rested his head against Abednego’s snout. “It’s just the wind, buddy.” Azmere said softly and relaxed his hold on the arrow and bow to a single hand. Abednego stutter stepped and twisted away from his keeper. The relief Azmere felt was brief. A loud crash interrupted his moment of peace. Abednego set about barking and using his body to shove Azmere to the side. In the commotion and dim light of the Leth, it was difficult for the boy to discern what was happening and he lost his bow in the shuffle.

The dog understood. He shielded the young man from a pair of intruders that burst into the campsite. He had sniffed them out and was now trying to fend off the creatures that threatened his master. The birds were massive. Azmere had seen glassbeaks before and quaked with fear from the goosebumps under his hair to the tendons that held his bones. He had heard many stories of the apex beasts but to see one so close at night, struck sheer terror in his heart. Their shadows paced themselves back from the dog. The beasts held such an advantage that the dog’s early warning was of little consequence or concern. Yet even at a fraction of the size, Abednego with his bristled fur and ferocious growl made him an adversary to take seriously.

They stalked about in the tiny area almost teasing their meal. It seemed that there was a small dance that involved the canine who seemed to be slowing down as he jumped from side to side blocking the direction of the glassbeaks. This wasn’t the dog preventing an attack. It was the birds being smarter than the dog by wearing down his body thus reducing a risk of injury to themselves. The glassbeaks took turns lashing out with their long necks and strong legs trying to catch the hound off guard. Azmere took advantage of this and slipped away to retrieve his weapon. He drew an arrow to notch but found his position overrun by the huge body of one of the glassbeaks.

The bird rammed his head down to tear off the boy’s face but Azmere had enough sense to block it with his bow. The resulting impact sent the boy sprawling backwards and left him vulnerable. He gasped as the glassbeak reared for a second attack but it screeched in pain as Abednego lunged forward and tore into the thigh of the creature. This came at a high price. During the attack, the other glassbeak tore into the dog’s side just behind his front leg. Abednego let out yelp that snapped something inside the boy. He fumbled from the ground while his glassbeak was distracted. Both birds were now focused on the wounded hound.

by **Azmere** on April 21st, 2018, 2:19 am

Azmere felt the temperature drop and heard the not-so-distant rumbles. He lifted his arrow and prayed that Zulrav guide his arrow into the glassbeak. He let go and the arrow sailed a bit high. Azmere’s adrenaline had caused him to overdraw his bow. The tip of the arrow passed through the muscle between the beast’s wings sending it into a frenzy. It spun around nearly knocking over the other glassbeak. Azmere glimpsed his dog in a flash of lightning. Abednego was bleeding badly and growing weak, even his growls were becoming soft. The boy fumbled around his quiver for another arrow but was slow as his eyes welled up with tears. He prayed again but this time there was a great stir of emotion that went along with it. As the wind kicked up dust around the skirmish, Azmere called out to his god. “Zulrav, hear me!” He loosed the arrow as the glassbeak charged his voice.

An explosion ripped through the area. Lightning struck the beast at the very instant the arrow left the boy’s fingers. The delivery of a lightning bolt was incredibly terrifying; blinding, hot and a wave of pressure unlike anything Azmere could ever imagine. The bolt incinerated the glassbeak and sent pieces of it flying in all directions scaring the other bird into running away in terror after picking itself back up from the impact. A piece of fat which held the feathers in place beneath the skin flew out and stuck to Azmere’s face, neck and shoulder. It was superheated from the lightning and seared to his flesh. He let out a scream that was hollow and choked out like the pain was stealing the air. In agony, he clawed at the burning sensation while flopping about on the ground. Abednego whimpered from the ground not far from where they had been lying. The dog was stained from the pool of blood that had formed under his wound. Azmere crawled using his right arm to the dog. Lightning continued to flash giving Azmere light to see that his dog was still bleeding from the wound he had suffered.

Azmere was fading in and out as the wind began to sweep tiny droplets of rain upon them. He looked about and grabbed some of the sizzling fat from the ground and stuck it over the wound. His eyes looked deeply into the gaze of his pet and friend. The dog held no judgment of the boy. He didn’t blame him for endangering them both by taking on this fool quest. The dog nestled into itself and passed out. Azmere wept from the eye now sealed shut by fried glassbeak fat and set about tending to his friend. He pressed his hand upon the wound hoping to cauterize it as he had seen his father do with heated iron. Azmere whispered a soft prayer to Zulrav for sparing their lives then curled around Abednego. The two huddled together as darkness overtook the boy.

-----

A warm wind blew dirt against his face causing the boy to spit and cough. It was this fit that brought to a quick realization the extent of his wounds. Pain ripple from his face and neck in the form of burning waves of agony. Azmere gurgled as he gasped for breath with a dry throat and hoarse voice. Abednego stirred from the ground and rose on shaking legs to nuzzle up against Azmere’s ribs. Both of them were wet and filthy but the rising sun was beginning to chase away the chill. Azmere struggled towards his pack but found it twisted up in a pile of grass that had been matted down by visceral material and rain. He dug through it to find his water skin and find it he did. It had a hole torn clean through it by what seems to have been a glassbeak talon. “Perfect.”

Azmere turned around and raised his arm to pet his struggling companion only to feel the tug of scar tissue forming over his burns underneath the seared flesh. “Ahh!” He reached up his right hand while lowering his left. It was excruciating. Azmere had never known such pain. Worse still, the pain from seeing what he had caused on Abednego. Loyal friend, the dog was gaining more strength with the sun and moved over to a piece of half-cooked glassbeak. He ate it greedily and quickly then returned to Azmere’s side. Licking his chops as he did, Abednego brought a smile to half of Azmere’s face. The other half would not move and the attempt brought about more pain. The boy knew his life would be changed forever. At this moment, however, he had no idea just how much.

by **Azmere** on April 21st, 2018, 2:20 am

Grades

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