The moment the gates to the city closed behind the cavalry, bursts of obsidian smoke spread across the group and birds of all types shot into the sky. The shifters flew in and out of the dark clouds, cutting through the light drizzle of rain.
Brown flecked eagles danced with pure white doves. I noticed the swan shifter from the first night, her wingspan the largest out of all the shifters amongst her. She opened her beak and let out a sound that boomed across the sky, louder than thunder.
“I made sure Fadine only allowed them to shift outside of the city walls. I could only imagine the reaction if the city folk witnessed it.”
“I understand. It took me a while to get used to seeing it,” I replied.
“And when was that?” he asked, his eyes trained on the road ahead.
“It’s a long story.”
Hadrian laughed, “Well, luckily we have a long journey ahead.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled the fragments of images through the haze in my mind.
“It was during one of the worst winters I’ve ever experienced back home. Snow piled up so high it covered the windows and blocked the doors. It was near impossible to leave the house and if we did, we’d never navigate the streets. The cold had seeped into everything, our bricks, clothes, even the fireplace and just when we needed food the most, the Goddess seemed to answer our wishes. One of our villagers was a shifter. His form was a bear, the mightiest one I’d ever seen. It brought, to every house affected, bags filled with stale breads and ale that he’d held between his jaws. Once the snow fall settled he even helped clear the streets into paths. I’d heard about shifters before, but that was the first time I saw one.”
“I can only imagine what that must have been like. I wish I could say the first shifter I saw was a bear, instead mine was something more terrifying. I had a nanny as a child who could shift into a spider. Now that was terrifying,” Hadrian said. I could feel him laugh as my arms were wrapped around his stomach.
We talked about shifters for a while, yet he still didn’t ask about me. I was so caught up in the conversation that by the time I turned around and looked behind us, Olderim was nowhere to be seen and the rain had ceased.
“I want to ask you something,” I said, releasing my grip around his waist.
“Ask away,” he replied.
“The attacks? Why now? There hasn’t been a war between the continents since the treaty and the end of the druids.”
His shoulders shrugged. “That is a question that I do not have an answer for. We have only captured two Morthi, both who came with their tongues gouged out. So, you can understand how that makes our methods of obtaining information almost impossible.”
“The first time we heard of an attack was almost four months ago, it was the first and only one of its kind until a week prior to the feast. Since then they seem to be happening more often. Too often.”
“I’m still confused. The Morthi are allies, they helped defeat the druids. Why turn against us and break the treaty?”
“I know. Father sent a representative for an audience with their King. To justify their actions and remind them of the clauses in the treaty, but it did not go as planned…”
“Surely the Alorian elves will respond to the attacks? Has there been no word from their shores, will they aid us?”
Hadrian removed his helmet, shaking his head to loosen the strands of hair stuck to his neck from sweat. “We have heard nothing from them. I should not be telling you any of this, but they ceased trading with us after the first Morthi attacks. They either want nothing to do with the conflict or, like father believes, they are in on it too.”
“But I don’t understand why. What is their reasoning behind the attacks?” I questioned.
“If I could tell you, I would. And if I find them in Nasamel, I will be getting answers.”
I didn’t speak any further on the subject, nor about anything else. Hadrian stared ahead and I kept my eyes trained on the path. The landscape was a view of endless fields and hills. In the gloom of the day, everything seemed colourless and odd, only adding to the intense atmosphere.
Hours passed by and I fought against sleep. Elmirr’s elegant movements lulled me into a deep relaxation. I leaned my head against Hadrian’s back, and allowed myself only a short moment to close my eyes. I was surprised when I opened my eyes to see that the sky was no longer light, but that dusk had arrived.
A shifter squawked from the skies above, diverting my attention to the plume of grey smoke in the distance.
Nasamel. We’d arrived.
“Did you know you snore?” Hadrian said.
“Can’t say I do.” I yawned, my eyes trained to the smoke ahead. “We made it.”
“What is left of it…”
A sudden flurry began to fall in the air around us, dusting across Hadrian’s back and hair. I reached a hand trying to catch one, but it crumbled the moment it landed on my palm, turning into nothing more than dust.
My stomach sank at the realization of what it was. Ash.
The flurry grew heavier when we gained on Nasamel. A sudden stench overwhelmed me, a mix of burned wood and something else that I didn’t want to dwell on.
Someone was retching off to the side of their elk ahead and others coughed. I copied Hadrian by pulling a piece of my cloak and covering my nose and mouth.
We stopped at the bottom of the hill below, far enough from Nasamel that no one would see us, but close enough to take in the horror of what was left.
My body was stiff when I climbed from the back of Elmirr, joining the rest of the group who stood around waiting for the next command.
Hadrian jumped down onto the ash covered ground and whistled three times.
In response, I looked up to see a white dove flying towards us, its body standing out against the grey sky.
The shifter sank a dagger of sadness into my chest and twisted it with each word he said.
“Destroyed, everything is destroyed.”
AS SOON AS the words fell from the shifters lips, the entire cavalry exploded in angry shouts. Hadrian called out once to still the noise, but no one heard him. Not until he shouted again, his voice fuelled with the same anger, that he battled to silence.
“ENOUGH!”
It was hard not to flinch from his command as he stared everyone down, eyes bulging wide. “Let the boy speak.”
With that, he turned to the stone-faced shifter, allowing him to carry on.
“It’s completely empty, I couldn’t see anything left from the skies,” the elfin said. Aside from his grief-stricken face, he was a handsome boy. He looked young, a crop of blond hair, and two large piercing blue eyes.
“Has Nasamel’s surroundings been scouted? The forest and hillside?” Hadrian’s brow creased.