Interlude: Crimson and the Amazons (12)

The Leviathan slowly drifted away leaving Crimson standing on the beach. He had changed into normal seamen clothing before disembarking but still carried his crimson garb at the bottom of his pack. He stared back once toward the departing ship before scanning his surroundings.

“Not very cautious.” a female voice remarked. He spun around to face the voice as a blade of blood formed in his hand. The weapon froze an inch to the right of Marina's exposed neck. She was smiling softly at him without fear. The blade slowly melted back into his body as he stared in shock at her.

“What are you doing here?” he finally croaked out.

“I am here to help you.” she answered. Her voice was calm even if she faced death only moments before. “You have not travelled upon the land for many ages.” she stated. “A person of this time could guide you easier than your out dated memories.” she added. He continued staring at her dumbfounded.

“Thank you.” he whispered softly. She nodded back with the same smile she had worn when he had first turned to face her. It was the same soft smile she wore while sitting guard over him during Kestrel's absence.

“I suggest you hold back forming another weapon.” she informed him. Her smile turned into a business like mask. “We have company that appear to be Amazons.” she continued in a whisper. “Be calm while I am your voice to them.” she added. She casually moved passed him to face the dozen female warriors approaching them at a quick pace.

“Are you the man known as Crimson?” the lead Amazon asked. Her group formed in a loose triangle behind her.

“He is.” Marina replied. She avoided placing her hand near the cutlass that hung at her waist. “What is your purpose here big sisters?” she returned calmly.

“Protectors and escorts.” the leader answered. “Queen Aurora stated that Crimson would be alone.” she told them. “The first ranked free man requested our presence as assistance from our Queen.” she continued calmly explaining. “He is to be treated as an honoured free man while in Amazon presence.” she added.

“If your Queen is the noble Aurora Nightshade, I know of her honour and strength.” Crimson responded quickly. The leader nodded as the troop in unison pounded their right fist to their heart then toward Crimson and Marina with a flourish of their open hand.

“Our warrior's heart and oath to guide you safely free man Crimson!” they shouted in one voice. He moved to Marina's side as he dropped to one knee and held his arms outstretched at his side forming a male Amazonian bow.

“Blessings to thee and to the Queen.” Crimson responded. “And I humbly request, if it is her will, that little sister Marina be allowed to accompany us?” he continued formally. He remained in the prone position with his face downcast waiting for their answer. “Did I misspeak or improperly performed the bow?” he asked without moving. “Unfortunately, Lord Kestrel only had an hour to prepare me for this first encounter.” he added softly. The Amazon leader began laughing at the scene. Crimson head slowly rose to look at her directly.

“No error in your actions or words.” she answered. “And allowing little sister to select her own path shows great nobility to us.” she continued. “It was not needed since we are ordered to act as you are an equal to the first rank of free males.” she explained calmly. “But giving you true teachings of our society and giving little sister Marina a chance to be accepted as an Amazon warrior would be acceptable if you wish it.” she added. She bowed stiffly to them.

“I am assured that is a motion you rarely do before a male.” Marina stated softly.

“I am honoured by this favour.” Crimson returned. “It is truly a gracious offer.” he added. He slowly bow fluently in a fashion Marina did not recognize. His legs remained straight together as his upper body bent forward until his head nearly touched the ground. His right arm stretched behind him as a counterbalance while his left was bent at the elbow at his side with his hand in a talon form palm downward.

“I will accept learning of your society.” she stated politely. “But I require time to decide if I could even qualify as a warrior of the Amazon calibre big sister.” she concluded. She gave a sailors salute and half bow combination usually reserved for captains. The leader smiled as she nodded back to them in turn.

“We can discuss and decide all these issues once we reach our camp site.” the leader told them. “My name is Ashstar and my squad will introduce themselves once we are in camp.” she continued. “It is a quarter days journey through dense jungles.” she informed them. “The animals should clear from our path but beware the pigmy hunters who's territory we must cross.” she concluded.

“Stealth is not a skill practised by seafarers normally.” Marina explained nervously. She glanced back at sea where only the sails of the Leviathan showed in the distance. “But my path lays as assistant to Crimson.” she muttered softly. Her eyes returned to Ashstar's. “I will do my best to learn quickly.”

“I dare not doubt your skills at stealthing.” Crimson commented. The Amazons saw the crooked smile on his face hidden from Marina. “You were able to jump ship and place yourself behind me without being noticed.” he reported. “You have more stealth in your movement than you realize, little sister.”

“And with opened eyes, little sister will learn many more skills than simple stealth.” one of the squad stated. Crimson nodded back to her.

“Best we start soon since light is short under the canopy.” Ashstar commented. Crimson glanced at Marina to time his nod with hers.

Ashstar stamped the butt of her short spear in the sand before turning to jog toward the treeline. The squad formed around the foreigners as they paced behind the squad leader. They moved in silence at a quick pace down barely noticeable paths. The squad divided and regrouped in twisting patterns as they snaked around trees and thicker clumps. Crimson kept pace behind Marina who moved as Ashstar's shadow. The two seemed to step in sync with Marina's feet landing in the leader's footprints in a nearly perfect match. Crimson's attempt to duplicate this feat was as imperfect as Marina's even with his longer stride possibility. They continued travelling this way through alternating moments of false twilight caused by the great trees around them and shafts of light.

Time was lost to them as they moved from patches of light to patches of darkness and all the shades of shadows between the two. All they heard was the song of the forest around them clearly because of the degree of silence they possessed. Ashstar slowed then stopped suddenly in a crouch without giving a halt signal. It was only thanks to Crimson's hand firmly grasping Marina's shoulder that saved her from tumbling forward into their leader's crouched form. Ashstar held a risen fist making the group collect closely together.

She tapped the side of her hand against her hip followed by pointing at her eyes and the area before them in a wave. With a another wave to a trio of her squad, she sent them farther to the left and repeated the process sending another trio to the right of their path. They nodded their understanding in complete silence. They moved at a crawl forward pausing often as Ashstar waited for signs from her scouts to proceed. Marina and Crimson now moved side-by-side behind a pair of Amazons. The five formed the spearhead as the remaining Amazons followed in an alternating staggered pattern for the shaft of a great spear. True dusk slowly crept upon them as they moved into a clearing. The pair ahead of Marina and Crimson split to the sides as Ashstar's pace quickened. One of the vanguard slipped between Marina and Crimson who returned to the single file rush. The second vanguard slid in behind Crimson as their pace increased. The soft slap of their feet turned into a dulled pounding drum as the column continued to accelerate into a full run. The scouts came in to bracket the foreigners in an oval box without missing a step or slowing down. The sounds of the jungle vanished when the reached the other end of the clearing.

Ashstar darted to a stop behind a tree. The scouts grappled Crimson and Marina to drag them behind trees. As the Amazon dodged for cover, a popping sound was heard against the trees that hid them. The popping continued for a few minutes as they stayed crushed against the trees in silence. The leader waved to each of them who returned the signal with chopping motion in the air beyond the tree. They stayed immobile against the trees for many minutes waiting in silence. Once the song of the jungle returned, Ashstar signal with two fingers to her squad to start moving. They returned to their jog that had started their travel reaching the clearing that was converted into a camp site. Six more Amazons came to greet them as they entered the camp. All of them wore a mix of leather and metal armour carrying hook bladed spears with a metal covered shield upon their back and twin swords hanging from their waist.

“Any problems sister?” one asked. They came to a halt before this taller woman.

“We simply have an extra guest to escort sister.” Ashstar returned. “I did not ask yet if they are willing to share a tent.” she reported.

“It can be dealt with after the meal.” the other returned calmly. She turned to face Crimson and Marina. “Welcome to our hunting camp brother Crimson and little sister ...” she stated.

“Marina.” she supplied quickly.

“Well meet little sister Marina.” the tall woman stated. “I am Talon, Ashstar's first spear bearer.” she continued. “I will find armour for you but our supplies are limited for males.” she informed them. “I will keep them at my side while you return to your proper armour and weapons my sisters.” she added quickly. She signalled the two to follow as the two armoured Amazons walked with them. Crimson glanced at them as they moved noting they had formed a triangle around them. He and Marina followed in silence as they walked around tents.

“Best you go first Marina.” Crimson stated. The trio of Amazons turned to look at him. “They would have a greater selection for you which may require time to decide what is best suited for your fighting style.” he continued calmly. The Amazons glared at his words. “And I do not need external armour.” he concluded. A red hue formed around his feet and slowly crept up his body leaving behind blood red armoured plates that shined like finely polished metal. The helm that formed had a hawk bill nose-guard and crimson feathers etched in the false metal.

“That is blood magic.” one of the other two Amazons stated. She stared wide eyed at him as the colour faded from her face.

“It is only my own blood I can used to do this.” he told her. Talon looked at him from head to toe.

“Not a good style for running through jungles or while on the ships in the seas we must cross.” she remarked casually. “We will show you after little sister gets armour to fit that sword she carries.” she continued with a nod. He returned her nod as the armour shimmer and flowed back into his skin leaving his sailor's guise tinted red. “A very useful gift you have.”

“It is a power lost to our world.” Marina explained. “It is why I followed to be his guide.” she continued. “Try armour like Lord Kestrel wore.” she added toward Crimson. She dunked into the tent with the pale one following her. A crimson version of Kestrel's leather breastplate formed on Crimson's body. Talon signalled him to move with her a dozen paces away from the tent.

“Please do not take Thea's reaction as an insult.” Talon whispered to him.

“She used a word I did not recognize or understand.” he returned quickly. “Magic?” he stated quietly. She stifled the laugh that nearly escaped her. His confused look turned the laughter in disbelief.

“But you performed magic forming your armour.” she returned. He continued to stare back in silence. “Using an ability that most if not all humans cannot without divine or demonic blessings.” she explained. Crimson nodded back slowly.

“For me, it is a mental trick.” he returned softly. “I visualize the item in my mind's eye then push my blood into that mental form in reality.” he explained easily. “Similar to visualizing the arrow hitting the target before releasing the bowstring.” he added.

“It is an odd method of perceiving your powers.” she returned pensively. “You did mention that you can only use your own blood, correct?” she remarked slowly.

“It is part of myself giving me full control of it.” he answered.

“But does it mean you are too weak to use the blood of others?” she said slowly. “Or simply have you never tried to do so?” she added quicker.

“Neither sister Talon.” he replied with a half smile. “It is not part of my skill to use others' blood.” he told her. “It is against my belief to perform an act that would violate their body.” he continued. “If I tried such an action, my own blood would flow as a fountain of blades to destroy me.” he concluded.

“You have seen this?” she remarked. A small smile formed on her face as he nodded his answer. “Speak of this to Thea since she has seen one killed by a blood mage.” she ordered quickly. “She fears you because you use blood like those barbaric despoilers do but you are not of there kind.”

“I will follow your command sister Talon.” he stated.

“It can wait until morning.” Ashstar remarked. She had approached noiselessly on them now wearing mixed metal and leather armour. The style appeared old but shone like new. “Evening meal and to bed with those travelling in the morn.” she ordered calmly. “Little sister Marina can join us at the fire once she is prepared.” she added. She signalled Crimson to follow as she walked away. Crimson followed in silence to the central fire pit where he sat across the wide circle from Ashstar.