“You still plan on joining the Finarthian army?” asked Jonas, breaking the silence.
“I do,” Fil replied looking up at Jonas. “I have nothing left anyway. My choices are limited. I talked with Landon about it and he said that King Gavinsteal is a good king and that he would be a good ruler to fight for. He also said that King Kromm from Tarsis is a ruler worthy of my vows and that he is a mighty warrior king who is unbeatable in battle. But we are heading to Finarth now, so I think I will give King Gavinsteal my allegiance.” Fil tossed a stick into the fire and looked at Jonas, who was obviously in thought. “What’s on your mind, Jonas? Are you changing your mind about joining with me?”
Jonas looked up at the question. “No…I don’t know. I was thinking,” he hesitated, “about maybe going to Annure and trying to be a cavalier.”
Fil leaned back, startled by the response. “A cavalier? Do you know how hard it is to become a cavalier? Few are accepted and even fewer make it through the training.”
“I know. I talked to Cyn about it. You could come with me. We could try together. I know we could do it, Fil,” Jonas said, trying to convince himself as much as Fil.
“No, not me, I’ve never had much faith in the gods, Jonas, and I certainly have less now, considering what has happened to us.”
“You blame the gods for what happened to us?”
“Yes I blame them. Our entire town was massacred, Jonas, and for what?” Fil said angrily. “We did nothing to deserve this and the gods did nothing to stop it. I will not put my faith in gods who do not earn it.”
“The gods sent Airos to help us, and he died trying to save us. He was a first rank cavalier, Fil. The gods use cavaliers like Airos for their most important missions. They tried to help us. Our town was destroyed and our families killed, but don’t forget that Airos killed a Banthra, no small feat in itself and definitely a blow to the evil that is threatening our lands. You can’t blame the gods for actions of evil men and beasts,” Jonas said with conviction.
“That may be, but I just don’t have the faith. I’m sorry. And faith is definitely something you need to be a cavalier. If you want to attempt to become one, then you’ll have to do it on your own.”
They sat in silence for a few moments and then Fil stood up from the fire. “Let’s get some food”.
***
That night Jonas’s sleep was plagued by nightmares, boargs were again attacking their town, men and women were being torn to pieces. He could hear the horrifying screams of his friends and family which seemed to go on endlessly. In his restless sleep he twitched and kicked next to the smoldering fire.
Suddenly he felt a searing pain in his chest. It felt like hundreds of tiny needles stabbing his skin. He bolted upright, his left hand absently rubbing his stinging chest as he tried to calm himself down, his heavy breathing resonating in the deathly silent night.
He glanced quickly around the camp to see if anyone had noticed him. Why was his chest stinging again? Was it another warning? He looked around trying to shake off the fogginess of sleep that wouldn’t disappear.
Something seemed amiss. The air was heavy, almost suffocating. Everyone was sleeping soundlessly and a thick fog was slowly drifting around the camp. It was too still. The usual night sounds were absent. Animals, birds, insects; all were silent.
He got up slowly, grabbing his hunting knife. It was dark, and clouds had moved in to cover the bright moon and stars. He could barely see anything, but the burning embers of the fires reflected a reddish glow on the immediate surroundings. Something was wrong, he could feel it. He felt sluggish and frightened; the fog was floating around them like a wraith as he moved from fire to fire noticing that everyone was sleeping, including the guards who were supposed to keep watch.
The darkness seemed to get heavier and his body felt slow and lethargic. He felt disorientated and his mind whirled with dizziness. Then his chest burst with pain again, a stinging pain that hammered the dizziness away and he began to think clearly.
Something was out there, in the darkness, and it was not good. He had