Devon, Jerik, and Ione found an exit through a drainage tunnel and after a brief struggle with an ancient iron grate, found themselves outside of the main keep's walls.
The town was a frenzy of activity. Frightened villages were being ushered roughly through the muddy streets by steel faced soldiers. They carefully made their way through the town using back alleyways for cover. An hour later they found themselves at the village gate.
Ione used an invisibility shield to get them to the other side unseen. She found it difficult to maintain the spell for more than just a few moments, but it was long enough to go unnoticed by the guards.
"We must get away from here quickly," Devon said as they took cover just off the gate road within a stand of trees, "they will be searching for us as soon as they discovered we have escaped."
"I must stay behind," Jerik said solemnly. He glanced briefly at Ione and then dropped his eyes, "I have unfinished business to take care of."
"Very well my friend," Devon patted him on the shoulder.
"I will find out all I can," Jerik responded, "about what the hell is going on."
Ione embraced him in a great big hug and sent a hot rush of blood to his face after a moist kiss on his red cheek.
"Where are we headed?" Ione asked after they watched Jerik dissappear.
"South," He said with a sigh and pulled his cloak tighter around him, "It will be very dangerous but I fear things are more dangerous here being so close to the Nureaytumea."
As they began their journey down the main road leading away from the village Devon's thoughts turned again to the Regent, the Nureaytumea's unfortunate victim. He still wondered why he remembered at all, even though it was only a wisp of a memory.
Saybon.
He struggled to recall the name, but he refused to let it go.
He knew if he did he would end up losing all memories of even where he was headed. Without the the existance of the Regent, he would have never made this journey in the past, and would not remember the way here in the present.
It was all a delicate house of cards wanting to be forgotten.
The paradox was beginning to give him a headache.
"And who is it we are to see?" Ione asked studying the far off look on Devon's face.
"A Svorvesome named," he struggled for the name and found it very difficult to pull from a rapidly dimming memory. He snatched at it before it slipped completely into the darkness.
"Favreau."
Five days of less than uneventful journey found them at the edge of a tree shrouded village. It was hidden from the road by a ridgeline of thick underbrush and foliage. As they neared the treelined timber wall of the village the gate cracked open and out walked an ancient looking fellow dressed in a white cloak.
He approached the two companions and waved at Devon.
"It is good to see you my old friend," The elder man said, "I was hoping you could hold on long enough to afford me a visit before I slipped from your memory altogether."
"Favreau?" Devon asked not remembering the Svorvesomes face.
"I see you remember my name, very good. You are much stonger than I anticipated. This is good news."
"How is it I can still remember it when no one else can recall the world before the Nureaytumea?"
"Ah my boy," the old man put a hand on Devon's shoulder, "that is a very good question. Which brings me to my very good question for you."
Devon answered the statement with a dumbfounded expression.
The old man's lips parted in a sly smile and his gaze turned to Ione who blushed and looked down at her feet.
"Who is this beautiful fiery aparition?"
Favreau lead Ione away towards the village gate leaving Devon standing in confusion.
He shot a glance at the old man who shot him a wink back over his shoulder.
"Are you coming my boy?" He said with a warm smile, "Or would you care to join the Reichtling as dinner."
Devon shivered as he recalled the brief encounter he and Ione had had just two nights before with the crazed half human, half beasts. He slowly followed the others through the village gate that quietly closed on huge wooden hinges behind them.
------------------------------------> Meanwhile back at the Village of the Keep<-----------------------------
Captain Hauk huddled in the corner of the dank basement of the small house. He was drenched with sweat after his mad dash from the scene of the battle.
He and twelve men loyal to him decided they would not become one of the Generals "subjects" and decided to resist. Captain Hauk felt good about his chances for General Moncrede had sent all his battle hardened soldiers to the western front. All he and his men would have to fight would be the village folk.
He had been a soldier all of his thirty two years and he had never seen anything like he had seen today. He and his men were able to put up only a meager ten minute fight against their number in towns folk. He was all that was left of that group.
These people their black eyes shining, were possessed. They took out veteran warriors with twenty years of battle experience like they were green pupils on thier first day of weapons training. He saw a seventy year old farmer with a pitchfork take out his best swordsman in just two minutes. This was impossible he cried to himself.
His breath suddenly caught in his throat as he heard russling outside of his hiding place in the cellar. He froze everymuscle straining not to make a single sound. He could hear the clink of armor.
"Captain Hauk?" He heard the familiar young voice. It was one of his guards. He waited a moment before answering. Maybe he was not alone after all. He cursed himself for being such a coward. He gathered himself up and stepped from hiding.
Before him stood Sealic one of his younger guards standing at attention.
"Report Sealic!" The Captian ordered.
"I managed to escape sir," The soldier answered staring straight ahead, "and follow you here sir."
Something struck Captain Hauk as strange about Sealic's manner. He took a few steps closer to study the boys face in better light.
As he stepped closer Sealic held up his closed fist.
"I was told to give this to you."
The Captain froze in his tracks. It was as the boy spoke these last few words he noticed the eyes. They appeared as dark reflecting globes staring back at him. The same dark eyes the village folk and the General's subjects possessed. The boy opened his fist palm up and there coiled within his hand was a small black scaled snake.
"General Moncrede requires your services."
"No!" Captain Hauk cried throwing his arms up as the small snake suddenly lunged through the air. It landed on Hauk's armored shoulder. He tried vainly to swat at it and watched with wide eyed terror as the snake burrowed right into the shiny metal of his shoulder guard. He felt the snakes slimy under belly against the naked skin of his shoulder making it's way up the back of his neck.
He fixed his eyes on the soldier before him.
"Damn you to the underworld!" He cursed at the soldier who greeted the slur with an evil grin.
He felt the two needle like stabs in the back of his neck and felt the icy venum spread quickly through his veins.
His vision suddenly sharpened and the darkness within the basement seemed to light up.
All fear, all emotion, all independant thought dried up as he became one with the collective conscience of the Nureaytumea.
