The scout sent upfront General Gellius camp, sat on a rock, he had a water satchel made from the thick of a wild boar clutched firmly in his quivering hand.
"Speak of that which troubles you!" Franco, his mate questioned him with a stern look.
The troubled scout had his head downwards, he'd tried severally to mouth the words of what had befallen his eyes but his mouth bore no sounds when his lips parted.
"Did you stare down the face of hell?!" Franco joked and gave him a nudge in the head with his knee.
Blath, the scout, jerked uneasily at the words.
"Next time, don't send an infant to do a knight's duty," Franco said between chortles.
Not long into his fun fest, Gellius dropped his fist on his head and pushed him to the side.
"If you find humour in the distress of your fellow, then you deserve to have heated metal emptied down your guts," Gellius said with a scowl as he appeared from behind. A scar ran down from his temple, over his left eye and to the upper corner of the left side of his lips. The incident resulting in the scar had rendered his left eye blind and white pigment had formed across his pupil.
Franco quietly stepped out of the way, he had his forehead wrinkled in a frown. Hoping Gellius would be moved by his scowl, the result turned against his favour as his gaze met Gellius'. He could truly feel the hairs on his skin tingle in fear as Gellius' face had an intense killer intent to it.
"Have you a word to contend with me?" Gellius said in a daunting manner as he gazed upon Franco from the corner of his eyes.
"N-n-no, Sire." Franco stuttered.
Gellius ignored Franco and moved over to Blath. He still sat in place, cowering in fear as the water satchel shook nervously in his hands.
"What came upon your path?" Gellius spoke, his voice still but had authority lurking in every word he spoke.
"T-t-t-th-the g-g-ga-gateway of d-d-death."
Everyone had their ears fixed to the words of Blath as they escaped out his mouth in stutter.
He rose the satchel to his mouth and took a gulp then continued. "I-I let down a flaming torch down the belly, positive for a base to settle on b-but, it. . ." He paused and clutched firm to his head, rustling his fingers in between his sweaty hair.
"But what?!" Gellius said sternly.
"It-it ceased to find any. The flame grew faint by every second it fell until I saw and heard nothing of it."
SNAP!
Blath gasped aloud and steered his gaze behind him, into the thick of the night.
So did everyone stare straight into the dark, not a man dared to let the air escape out his nostrils hum louder than the evil eyes that stared back from the dark.
"Hyuaaaan!!" A loud, excited shriek creaked as the image of a grey demon goblin came into view. A mischievous smile on his crooked face revealed his jagged dentition and his right hand clutched a knife made from the tooth of a dragon.
Straight, it lurched at Blath, the knife aimed for his neck.
"Diiiiieeeee pesky huuumaan. . ." It hissed with excitement gleaming in its pine-coloured lustrous eyes.
Swschwwwwtt!
"Huh?!" The goblin stopped suddenly in its track. Its face had lost its thrill and had its bloodstained hands held out. Only then did it comprehend what had happened as its head slid down its neck.
Blath broke the silence with a scream as he fell back from where the goblin's decapitated head laid.
Gellius returned his sword back into the scabbard that dangled by the side of his waist. "Ready the horses. We're riding out." He said almost in a whisper, but audible enough for every able man to get on the move.
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
Deeper, into the thick of the night they ventured at a time when no man wishes to be found wandering the lands without a death desire.
In an orderly manner, they rode, their formation snaked long from Gellius leading the trail, down to the last of the foot soldier. Their torches glimmered in the dark, illuminating enough area for their eyes to gaze upon.
"Gellius, if our suspicions are valid then what we fear the most is true." Darvan, one of Gellius generals, said in a low tone. He'd picked up the pace, closing in the gap between Gellius steed and his.
"If it is, then we'll have to deal with it within ourselves without the Niners awareness," Gellius replied without casting a look at Darvan.
"Then that'll mean. . ." Darvan paused and pinched his chin softly. Not a second later, he let out a gasp with eyes widened.
"Just assume it. Don't dare say it." Gellius replied quickly to his suspicion. And Darvan was smart enough to read meaning to what Gellius meant.
Gellius placed his left fingers in his mouth and whistled out. Quickly, Franco raced forward and pulled back the reins just enough to be at the same pace with Gellius.
"Double the pace, double the view. Let out a cry when you stumble upon anything suspicious."
"Yes, Sir." He replied and started as commanded, the night breeze kicked back against his armour as he dashed into the deep.
The glow of Franco's torch grew faint until the darkness swallowed that which remained of it.
"And King Hiris's knowledgeable of this?" Darvan inquired, the questioning arc of his brow backed up the curiosity that lingered in his voice.
"Thirty-four years and counting, nothing can be done about it. You swore an oath to the Church. . ." Gellius conveyed the rein to his right and held up his left arm, just enough for the symbol of Euporieus engraved onto his skin by a hot rod to come into the red glow. ". . .any who dares go against the Words of the Niners, is deemed a traitor and the penalty is death."
"Damn our lives! What has become of Euporieus?" Darvan had his hand up to his chestplate, where the emblem was charred to his flesh, his consciousness could feel the mark against his chest eat through his conscience.
Far, far, ahead. A faint fiery glow appeared amidst the dark, waving at them tirelessly, from where Franco had gone. Not too long had the signal gone up, the glow abruptly got gobbled up once more in the darkness.
Then came a loud cry.
Not of a signal. But, of help as a beast descended upon Franco, plummeting him into the dirt.