Chapter Fifteen, 'Scorch'

Alicea cut through the first warrior. The man they were attacking was the first Nielda she'd ever seen, she wasn't about to let him die without answering a few questions.

"Get back yeh redheaded lass! These pups be mine."

The man swung his staff upward. He brought it down against the ground and a wave of fire issued from it. Then he thrust his hand outward and a stream of fire balls demolished the pair of warriors before him.

Three more charged towards him from behind. Nond stepped out of the trees and grabbed two by the heads. "Nallion bornain, blich stoun." Nond's dry lifeless voice incanted the familiar spell. The warriors' blood froze in their veins and their death was silent and painful. The third warrior froze of panic, and his death was heralded by the crunch of bone as the sages foot connected with his skull.

Alicea's surviving opponent fled. She did not give chase.

"So then young lady, what be yer business here?"
Nond replied first, "Your staff is known to me; you are the grandson of the flamewarden."
"Golem, can ya not see that real people be talkin?"
"The day your father prepared you for has come flamewalker. This child shall succeed my task; phase two is in effect."
"I ain't me father. The old man spent his life tendin the shrines; I ain't wastin me time with your 'task'."
"The shrines are accounted for. The days of wandering are concluded. Phase two is in effect."

"Excuse me, if guarding me is phase two; what was phase one?"
"Phase one was to maintain the balance; phase two is to establish hierarchy."
"Does the steely coot always speak like this?"
"As best as I can tell. I'm Alicea, I'm looking for the Nielda."
"Names Mcraw, but yeh can call me scorch. Wish I could help ya more lass, but I've not seen another one of us in fifteen years. All that's left is a few outposts in the mountain valleys, and they don't take kindly to my sort of artistic preference."
"You mean pyromancy? Never really thought of it as artistic. For now at least I plan to end a warlock's reign of terror in the tower near sickle ear lake."
"Well lass, I don't normally travel with companions, but I don't feel right leavin you alone following that golem... is he absorbin their armor?"

Nond had taken a few scratches and a nasty ding sometime during the fight. Apparently he had the ability to repair himself. It was kind of creepy watching the flow of iron from the warriors to the sage, the fact that the bodies were still fully upright and paralyzed wasn't helping. She could have sworn she could still see them twitch occasionally. She made a personal note to only crystallize blood like that after it was bled; everything about that death looked cruel.

"Yea, is that normal for a, Golem was it?"
"It seems likely lass. A golem's a magicians creation; single mindedness and failure to communicate intelligently be one of their main traits. I figure that explains why he be such a blunt bunch of armor. And no, that not be normal. If we meet a mage or a witch somewhere I'll get her to check it's enchantments. I'd do it meself but my strong suit be more attuned to fightin then to drawin circles and muckin about with herbs and the like."

"They are returning, and in far greater numbers. Strike true, battle shall be joined."
"Looks like the furry devils want a little more of us lass."
"Why exactly do they want you dead so badly?"
"Decree of their whats-his-fur; says to kill Nielda. He's offering money for complete skeletons. It be makin travel even more dangerous."
"Why isn't the empire at war yet?"
"Lass, only about a couple thousand people in the whole empire have even been to war. The pups have been fighting while we've had peace, I don't think most people even think it's an option."
"Really? You'll have to explain this to me if we pull through."
"Sure lass, just be sure to pull your weight in this fight. I'll not be carryin you against yon horde."