{"id":5881,"date":"2018-01-30T06:38:10","date_gmt":"2018-01-30T11:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=5881"},"modified":"2018-02-08T07:42:36","modified_gmt":"2018-02-08T12:42:36","slug":"lavos-final-night-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/lavos-final-night-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Lavos and His Final Night, Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lavos and his Final Night
\n<\/strong>A Story by Aaron Canton
\n-Part Two-<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the woods slowly receded behind Lavos and rolling hills rose in front of him, the lagano found himself matching Illria\u2019s brisk pace without even trying. Thoughts of his imminent execution had been subsumed by those of the current march and the upcoming battle. He shifted his grip on his sword, straightened his back, and felt a small flare of pride. Though it was the eve of his execution, he would do his tribe proud.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre we there yet?\u201d came a jokey voice behind Lavos, who turned to see the three warriors Illria had managed to recruit. The speaker, a stocky lagano named Ferrik, wiped his brow dramatically and began to walk with an exaggerated stagger. \u201cIf you\u2019d said it was this far away, we could have just died at home and not gotten all worn out beforehand!\u201d<\/p>\n

Illria frowned, but Lavos waved her off. \u201cSorry,\u201d he told Ferrik. \u201cI\u2019ll send the Hillslash tribe a very harsh message demanding they move their mercenary camp so we can attack it more conveniently.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSee that you do,\u201d said Ferrik, holding a stern expression for a few seconds before dissolving into laughter. \u201cOh, lighten up, Illria. We\u2019re all probably going to die; you can at least let us joke beforehand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Illria rolled her eyes, but Lavos saw a faint hint of amusement on her lips. \u201cFerrik may joke around,\u201d he said, \u201cBut I\u2019ve known him since I was little. He\u2019s reliable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course. I wouldn\u2019t have picked him otherwise.\u201d Illria snorted. \u201cThat said, he could stand to take this a little more seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can we not take it seriously?\u201d asked the quiet voice of Tarkel. She was short, slight, and one of a few warriors in Lavos\u2019 tribe that had some magic ability, mostly due to her relentless study of spellbooks pilfered from other tribes and captured from merchants, nomads, and even a few bandit groups. Without her spells, though, she was an utter pushover in combat. \u201cYou said it would be dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExtremely dangerous,\u201d said Illria. \u201cThere\u2019s still time to turn around if you don\u2019t want to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Tarkel shook her head quickly, almost dislodging the spectacles Lavos had once arranged for her to get as her share of the spoils from a defeated bandit party. \u201cI might be a little scared,\u201d she stammered. \u201cOr a lot scared. But I can\u2019t leave Lavos behind…\u201d<\/p>\n

Lavos could feel his skin grow brighter from a warm blush, and despite the dim lighting, he could tell both Illria and Ferrik noticed. Illria gave an almost possessive snort, and Ferrik just laughed. \u201cHey, if we survive this, maybe you two can have a quick date before tomorrow morning,\u201d he joked. \u201cI know this great hillock.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDate?\u201d Tarkel blushed and looked away as if suddenly fascinated by the surrounding hillside.<\/p>\n

Lavos shook his head slightly and turned to the final member of the group. Rozzar was the largest member of the party, and the battle-axe he bore on his back was more massive than all the other weapons the group had put together. Rozzar had hated Lavos for years and had been known to mutter that he\u2019d make a much better chief in the future than \u2018some runt who just happens to be the chief\u2019s son.\u2019 Lavos had been stunned when Illria had brought him on the team. But he was there now, and he hadn\u2019t complained yet, so Lavos was willing to go with it.<\/p>\n

They neared the top of the hill, and Illria raised a hand. \u201cWe should be getting close, so keep quiet and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Lavos took one final step to crest the hill and walked right into a group of five humans.<\/p>\n

The two gawked at each other for a long moment, and then everyone frantically drew their weapons. The humans wore light armor and carried swords, except for one clad only in mage robes who held a staff, and they all had tassels on their sleeves with the lion-and-harpy logo of the mercenary group the Hillslash tribe had hired. But Lavos didn\u2019t have time to think on that\u2014the nearest warrior was already striking at him, and it was all he could do to knock the blow away.<\/p>\n

He sensed movement and felt his party forming around him. Illria dashed ahead on his left and ducked under the lead mercenary\u2019s next swing, then jumped and smoothly stabbed her enemy in the joint between his helmet and breastplate. At the same time, Rozzar thundered past Lavos and smashed downwards with his axe at another mercenary. That human raised his shield, but the axe carved through it like butter, and the man was almost cut in two as Rozzar\u2019s strike sliced into him. Then a third human stabbed at Lavos, and he felt a burst of pain in his side as he tried to dodge, but he pushed that aside as he\u2019d been trained and thrust his sword as hard as he could at a weak point in the human\u2019s armor. The human staggered as Lavos\u2019 blade pierced his side just under the shoulder, and when Lavos pulled the blade back, the human collapsed in a heap.<\/p>\n

And then it was over. Lavos looked around and saw the human mage sprawled dead with a crossbow bolt sticking out of his neck and the last human warrior stood still with a relaxed stance. Illria waved a hand in front of the human\u2019s face and turned to look at Tarkel, who shrugged. \u201cI cast the first thing I could think of,\u201d she said. \u201cA charm spell.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA charm spell?\u201d Rozzar growled. \u201cYou should have just killed him! What\u2019s the point of charming him?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ferrik chuckled. \u201cWell, humans do throw the best parties\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, human,\u201d interrupted Lavos, knowing Ferrik would tell jokes until the charm spell wore off, and probably until the sun rose, if left to his own devices. He felt Illria moving besides him and dabbing at his side with something, but he ignored her and focused on the prisoner. \u201cTell us where your camp is and how it\u2019s defended.\u201d<\/p>\n

The human nodded and spoke slowly, as if from a great distance. \u201cWe\u2019re camped at the base of a big hill half a kilometer north. We have five guards patrolling the perimeter. There\u2019s also a big fence with warded entrances…\u201d<\/p>\n

Lavos turned back at the others. \u201cThis is useful information,\u201d he said. \u201cGood job, Tarkel.\u201d<\/p>\n

The lagano mage bowed. \u201cThank you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Illria quizzed the human for a few minutes, until he had explained every facet of the mercenary base, and then quickly slit his throat. \u201cI\u2019ll scout ahead to make sure the camp\u2019s where he said it was,\u201d she said. \u201cYou four stay here.\u201d And then she was gone in the tall grasses.<\/p>\n

Tarkel sagged to the ground and drank from her water skin, but rather than follow suit, Ferrik approached Lavos. \u201cYou okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cConsidering I\u2019m going to be executed tomorrow, sure.\u201d Lavos managed a thin smile. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou got cut pretty bad.\u201d Ferrik reached out and touched Lavos\u2019 side, and Lavos immediately winced in pain. He\u2019d been slashed by the human\u2019s sword earlier, he realized, and Illria had been trying to tend to it with an herb or potion or something while he\u2019d interrogated the human. \u201cMight even scar over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lavos snorted. \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be around long enough to worry about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell…\u201d Ferrik dropped his voice. \u201cLook, Illria\u2019s not here. If you want to go, we could just… go. I mean, I\u2019ll follow you anywhere, and I\u2019m sure Tarkel will too. We don\u2019t need to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExcept if I run away, Hillslash will say we broke the terms of surrender and use that to further hurt our tribe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ferrik shrugged. \u201cThat\u2019s not your problem, is it? I mean, they don\u2019t care if you die. You really care that much about them?\u201d<\/p>\n

Lavos\u2019 next words caught in his throat. Ferrik was right; he could leave and start his life over someplace else. Someplace where he wouldn\u2019t be at risk of being killed for political reasons. None of the tribe warriors or elders were there to stop him; even Illria had gone away. He could just go, and whatever happened next, at least it wouldn\u2019t be his neck on the line.<\/p>\n

But it would be the necks of his tribe.<\/p>\n

Silence stretched between Lavos and Ferrik, and Lavos realized they were being eavesdropped on. He turned to see Rozzar staring at them. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he runs, you going to try to stop him?\u201d asked Ferrik, his tone indicating he would fight with Lavos in that instance.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not.\u201d There was heavy amusement in Rozzar\u2019s voice. \u201cI won\u2019t do a thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Ferrik frowned. \u201cThat\u2019s nice of you\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Lavos shook his head, understanding. \u201cHe\u2019s not being nice. He\u2019d love to be able to report back that I fled and he didn\u2019t. It would discredit me and my father; he\u2019d be the next chief for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

The big lagano grinned. \u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lavos looked at Rozzar for a long moment. \u201cMy father taught me a real leader looks out for the lagano he commands\u2014whether that\u2019s a battle squad like this or the entire tribe. He doesn\u2019t secretly hope for the leader to fail for his own advancement. He fights to protect, defend, and advance his lagano.\u201d Lavos clenched a fist. \u201cI\u2019m not running, Ferrik. I\u2019m staying to fight. To do the only thing I can for my lagano. And if this one has an ounce of warrior spirit,\u201d he gestured at Rozzar, \u201che\u2019ll do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure?\u201d murmured Ferrik. \u201c\u2018Cause, remember, even if you win they still execute you. There\u2019s no shame in running away.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lavos shook his head. \u201cEven if I thought running would work, even if I thought I had a chance of escaping the Hillslash tribe\u2019s trackers… no. I wanted to do something to help my tribe. This is the only thing I can do.\u201d He sighed. \u201cIf I don\u2019t do this, then whether I\u2019m executed or in hiding, Hillslash rules my tribe for the foreseeable future. If I do… my lagano have a chance.\u201d He was silent for a moment. \u201cBut if you want to leave\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo way. I\u2019m with you to the end. You want to go on a suicide mission, I\u2019ll be right beside you.\u201d Ferrik chuckled. \u201cProbably complaining the whole time, but still.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t have it any other way.\u201d Lavos grinned at him.<\/p>\n

Illria returned a few minutes later and gestured for the others to gather around her. \u201cThe camp\u2019s where he said it was. We can be there in a few minutes.\u201d She eyed the others. \u201cThis is everyone\u2019s last chance to back out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group was silent, but Lavos stepped forward. \u201cI\u2019m going,\u201d he said. \u201cFor our tribe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll go too!\u201d said Tarkel quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd me,\u201d added Ferrik. \u201cYou need someone to lighten the mood.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really don\u2019t,\u201d said Illria, but she smiled as she said it.<\/p>\n

Lavos fixed his gaze on Rozzar, who glared back at him for a long moment. But evidently something he\u2019d said before about duty had resonated, because the big lagano finally sighed and growled something that sounded like assent .<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all in,\u201d Lavos said. \u201cIllria. Lead the way.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lavos and his Final Night A Story by Aaron Canton -Part Two- As the woods slowly receded behind Lavos and rolling hills rose in front of him, the lagano found himself matching Illria\u2019s brisk pace without even trying. Thoughts of his imminent execution had been subsumed by those of the current march and the upcoming […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[145,146],"tags":[273,266,1600,149],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Short-Story-Panel.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-1wR","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5881"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5881"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5881\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5882,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5881\/revisions\/5882"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}