A Little Bit of Traveling

--Gatix--

I expected the world to reappear in a flash of light, but I was proven wrong. A blink of an eye changed the woods into a wasteland, with the halo-sun now high in the sky. Pyramids of bones dotted the lifeless planes as far I could see, with a distant tower breaking the other-wise flat horizon. Nothing scurried between the piles, and no birds of prey circling overhead. The only sound I heard was a howling wind.

“Let's go,'' Ms. Queen remarked as she started walking. “The route is straight from here, but it won't be long until we enter the nullification zone.''

“Odds of something attacking us?''

“No. Skin-walkers hate coming here, and void-born feeds upon the world's magics as a food source. We cannot live where magic is actively cancelled out.''

“Won't that affect you?''

“I can survive in the zone for two days at maximum, but I won't be able to use magic.''

“Explains why you need a bodyguard.'' She turned her head slightly towards me, her expression unreadable. “Will the null zone affect me in any way?''

“That depends on what exactly you are.''

“Just an ordinary guy in a strange world.''

“I can't be sure without you removing that armor.''

“Can't do that, sorry.''

“Any particular reason?''

“Other than a litany of security reasons, I'll stick with the most basic one: I can't.''

“Why?''

“It's bolted over my body, assuming you know what a bolt is.'' She cast me a pained look. “Right. I can't remove this thing. The only way you're seeing what I look like is if you break it apart.''

Her smile showed some teeth. “Is that an invitation for a second round? I did seem to manage the last time.''

I scoffed. “Only because you caught me by surprise.''

“Yet you seem like the type of person that would do the same if given the opportunity.''

“Got me pegged, eh?''

“Previously physically, and now verbally.'' She laughed. “I await the day I get the opportunity to see you without the visor.''

“But now it's my turn for a question.''

“You've been asking nothing but.''

“You asked the last one.''

Again, she cast me a side glance, but the smile remained. “Go ahead.''

“Both you and the Knight called me a Dread Knight. What is that?''

“Huh, guess it makes sense an outsider wouldn't know.'' She blew out a breath. “Well, they were a ma-'' She cut herself off with a sudden hiss.

Huh? The sight of her hunched over, hands on her knees, raised an eyebrow. “You okay there?''

“Just a second.''

I turned my attention to my surroundings but didn't feel the urge to un-clip Scythe. They were as dead as before, with the tower slightly bigger.

“Okay.'' Turning my attention back to my escort revealed her standing, but still unsure of her balance.

“Anything I should be worried about?''

“If you didn't feel it, one of my questions has been answered.''

“Which is?''

“Whether there's any magic in you.''

“Any magic... did we cross into the null zone?''

“Yes. Void-born don't take well to losing our connection to magic.''

“You need a minute?''

“No, I am fine, if weaker than before.''

“Just means I have to pick up the slack,'' I replied as I fell in beside her, noting she was walking slower than before. “You were saying?''

“Sorry, what was your question?''

“The Dread Knights.''

“Ah, yes. A caste of void-born created over a century ago during a desperate time in the war.''

“You've been fighting since then?''

“No. The fighting only picks up when the blasted goddess sends a knight to kill me. There is an uneasy ceasefire otherwise: the skin-walkers don't feel confident attacking us without a knight.''

“Then get rid of him?''

“As you've no doubt seen, the goddess keeps resurrecting him. The only lasting way to kill a knight is in the absence of magic, like these planes, but they're scared of places like these and tend to avoid them.''

“Then what, you fight until the knight dies of natural causes?''

“Rarely. Being unable to kill me, the knights gave up after a decade or so. Their strength starts to wane by then, so they shack up with a companion, barmaid, or once the town prostitute. They grow content and notice I won't attack if they leave me in peace.''

“How long has this one been going after you?''

“About three years, if I had to guess.''

“I see. How many have there been in total?''

“Eh... I can name at least the last twenty, and there were more before that.''

That made me cast a glance at her in return. “And that makes you how old?''

“It's impolite to ask a lady her age, you know.''

“Ladies don't have horns, scales, or a tail where I come from.''

“A boring existence, but I can assure you, I fall under the female category.''

“I have little doubt.'' I chuckled. “I distracted you. Dread Knights.''

“Yes. The Knight about a hundred years ago was a master strategist and nearly succeeded in eradicating the void-born. We lost about eighty percent of our territory, with my stronghold the only bastion to survive. With our survival at stake, we resorted to desperate measures and created the Dread Knights. They were the strongest fighters, overpowering even my royal behemoths. We managed to drive the skin-walkers back, but it came at a price. The magic used to create them was unstable: it was not long before they went berserk.

“They started slaughtering everything in their path, skin-walker and void-born alike, threatening to become a third faction in our enduring conflict. One close to impossible to stop. The casualties of their rampage were staggering. So, for the first time since the war broke out, I reached out to the Knight, and we made a deal. The skin-walkers would lend their skills to eradicate the Dread Knights, and the void-born would give up half our remaining land in return.

“The conflict was brutal and lasted for almost a year. The land itself became damaged as the conflict dragged out and became unable to sustain life, resulting in several bone yards.'' She gestured to the area we were walking through. “If I remember, the fight here at Shoeful alone wiped out fifteen percent of our combined forces. In the end, our alliance was successful, and we slew the last Dread Knight on the hills of Kofoka, but their legacy of terror remain.''

“In the aftermath, both armies were too decimated to continue fighting, creating a truce for the next thirty years. I offered the skin-walkers their promised land, but the Knight turned it down, saying there were not enough skin-walkers left to work it. Moved by his words, I did something I'd never done before or since then. I gave the Knight a gift from my personal collection. A horn, if blown, would summon me to his side no matter where he was. He assisted me in my time of need, and I vowed to be there for him.'' She smiled at the memory. “I never spoke with the Knight again, and he never blew the horn. If rumors were true, he found himself a family and passed away peacefully in his sleep several years later.''

“Never thought the great demon queen, hated by all those that walk on two legs, would be a romantic at heart.''

“Hmph.'' Her eyes widened for a second before she turned away from me. “Good actions deserve to be rewarded, is all.''

I was glad she couldn't see the grin inside my helmet. “I'm guessing my armor resembles a Dread Knight, which is why everybody is scared to death of me?''

“Yes.'' She turned her gaze forward. “The current Knight is enthusiastic and won't hesitate to attack you, and while very few very skin-walkers from that era are still alive, the legacy remains. As for the void-born, our lifespans are longer. Some might remember the Dread Knights and the rest will be weary. You won't incur many favors but will be unharmed as long as you don't attack.''

Good thing I didn't shoot that family. “And you?''

“Me?''

“Not only do you remember the history, you experienced it, yet you risked striking up a conversation. Why?''

She shrugged. “Dread Knights were incapable of speech and would have attacked me on sight. While you, most rudely I might add, pointed your fireball thrower...'' Her grin showed some teeth. “... in my direction, you didn't attack. You displayed a curiosity unlike your peers, which piqued my curiosity.''

“Your logic has some flaws. A century has passed since the previous fight. I could be a more advanced model.''

“Which is why I watched as we passed into the null zone. A Dread Knight's existence is based on magic, yet you didn't realize we entered the zone. You are assuredly not one, bringing me back to my original question.''

“Like I told you. Just an ordinary guy in a strange world.''

“Without a peek into that armor of yours, I can't be sure.''

“We call that a pick-up line in my world.''

She winked.

Didn't see that coming.

“Agent, I believe the appropriate term for this is `flirting'.''

Nev!

A sentiment shared by the flirt originator. “Your spirit guide needs to learn some tact.''

“I'll take it up with his master.'' The growing tower provided the opportunity for a topic change. “I'm guessing the tower over there is our destination?''

“Yes, the Seer should be at the top of it.''

“Is this seer a skin-walker?''

“Not even close.''

“Then how can he live inside the null zone?''

“He erected the wards. He must have excluded himself somehow.''

“I see. Have you visited the Seer in the past?''

“The last time was five years ago.'' She seemed to frown at the memory. “I don't like coming here, but this is the first time I set off without a companion.''

“Lucky me, then. Do you think he can help me?''

“I struggle to think of anyone else that can.''

“Was his advice helpful to you in the past?''

“More or less.''

“I'm filled with confidence.'' I sighed. “Better than nothing. Anything I should be aware of?''

I heard a chuckle form my side. “We should be good if you don't blow his head off.''