Chapter 5: The Piercing Light

“Bayne! I got an idea!!!”

Bayne turned to his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “And that would be..?”

“Go back into the camp, take some food, you have to eat.”

Bayne looked at the camp, his eyebrow still perked. [b]”Hmmm… Indeed. C’mon Hades.”[/b] Beckoning his dog with a gesture, bayne turned and walked back into the military camp, absent mindedly stepping over the corpses inside. [b]”So tell me Birdman, where are we going?”[/b] The Birdman didn’t reply, and simply snickered. [b]”Now answer me! I’ve done what you’ve said!”[/b]

[i]”Heh heh heh, So you have, so you have, heh heh heh…”[/i] Bayne stopped in his tracks, fustration hitting it’s limit. He stood as still as possible, considering he was seething with anger. Hades instinctively began to growl, pressing his ears back and extending his tail. [i]”Oh Bayne, you’re no fun. We’re travelling to Nospe.”[/i]

Relaxing, Bayne and Hades continued to walk through the camp. [b]”Nospe? Ha! Yeah, so what? I can get burned at the stake?”[/b]

[i]”Pfft, such an uncreative limited mind. You know nothing Boy. Nospe is the most superstious of towns, but it is that way for a reason. Centruies ago, at the time of Elp Yaleasare –“[/i]

[b]”Elp Yaleasare?”[/b]

The Birdman sighed, annoyed at the interxruption. [i]”Yes, Elp Yaleasare, your great-great-great grandfather. At his time, Nospe was a centre for many Dark Arts. The city was originally constructed, for the fact that it was a focal point of energy. Any type of energy. Course, the goodie-goodies never thought to use it. A group of ambitious necromancers realized it’s potential, and formed the first Army of Might, which was composed of various undeads”[/i]

[b]”Hmm…”[/b] Bayne would have questioned the Birdman further, but the 3 noticed something, the sound of hooves pounding a dirt road.

[i]”Reinforcements!” [/i]
[b]”I know!!!”[/b] Bayne made sure his hood was pulled up, and slipped into the nearest tent. [b]”They won’t be a problem. Hades and I here wiped out their comrades, right?”[/b] The Birdman said nothing. [b]”Right?!?”[/b]

[i]”Ahem, well. See Bayne, here’s the thing. This base here, is a training camp, right? You uh… Just slaugthered some rookies.”[/i]

[b]”Hmm… I see what you mean, but I don’t think we’re fine. The rookies weren’t even a challange. None of their weapons can touch us!”[/b] Bayne spoke trimuphantly, full of confidence.

[i]”True, true, but, um… One small problem. The reinforcements. They have a mage with them. A mage with the powers of Light.”[/i]

Bayne paused for a moment, considering. [b]”Well, Hades here will just kill their mage right off the bat!”[/b]
Bayne turned down to look at his faithful companion, who sat there grinning at the talk of potential combat. But, in a flash, Hades disappeared, as the suns first rays broke through the horizion.

Bayne sat in silence, realizing the danger of his prediciment.

[i]”Don’t just sit there retard! Get up and move! Out of here!”[/i]
Before having a chance to respond, Bayne was up and out of the tent, running for the other side of the camp, away from the approaching horses. As Bayne neared the gates on the other side, he realized something very dreadful. There were no gates on the other side.

[b]”There’s, only one way in! Damnme!”[/b] Bayne spun on his heel, towards the gate far behind him. He could already see the dust cloud, and he knew it was too late. Within a second, the first horses galloped through the gates, knights in full armor, weilding swords, spears, morning stars, and bows. Every cutting edge of their weapons glowed with a light that made Bayne’s stomach wretch.

Following the first line, was a man who wore a cloak of white. His eyes were closed, yet Bayne could feel his gaze, searching throughout the camp. Bayne stood up erect, lifted his chin towards them, and raised his left forearm, so it ran across his ribs. His Yaleasare pride coming through.

As if sensing him, the man in white’s eyes flared open, and he looked down at Bayne. “There he is!!!” The knights followed suit, and galloped towards Bayne.

[i]”Bayne, ummm… you know that uh, your powers are useless right?” [/i]

Bayne could now see the sun, as it broke through the morning clouds. [b]”I do. But I also know, that they will not harm me.”[/b] Bayne stood his ground confidently. Despite being in his late sixties, Bayne appeared quite young, even by human standards. The knights closed in around Bayne, forming a circle. The knights with spears drew them down and pointed them towards Bayne. But Bayne cared not about them, or their light enchanted weapons. He focused ont the man in white, who was slowly trotting towards the group, the circle parting slightly to let him in. He brought his horse to stand in front of Bayne, who only stared at him.

“You know your crimes fiend. What say you?”

Bayne raised his upper lip in a smirk. [b]”It was fun? I’ll do it again?”[/b] The knights around Bayne shifted. Some from being uncomfortable, and some from wanting to avenge their comrades.

The man in white stared hard at Bayne. “You will face a fate worse than death for your crimes.”
Bayne shrugged. [b]”Alright. Let’s go.”[/b] The man in white’s eyebrow twitched, and it seemed he might order the knights to kill Bayne where stood. But his anger soon passed, and he smiled at Bayne.

“This way.”