The Crimson Claymore

The Crimson Claymore: Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Searon rushed to help the weak man and strained his back in the process. He was still injured from the blow to his lower back, but he knew that the human in front of him was weaker. With an easy touch, Searon was able to shift the human onto a log. His claymore still resided in his hand, and he put the no-longer-glowing weapon into its scabbard.

The man tugged at his long black hair now tangled with waves. It hung just past his shoulders and appeared that it should be tied in a ponytail. His eyebrows were thin and his face shaved clean. Even with the days he'd been unconscious, there was still little facial hair to be noticed. He had a baby face as if he was young, but his slanted eyes told his age of long experience. They were hazel and harder than any warrior Searon had known. His body seemed fragile with barely enough meat to cover his bones, but there was still muscle in his arms. Still, he held his pointed chin high with pride. Muscles were only seen if he shifted the right way or likely if he flexed.

"Thank you," Searon shifted his gaze to look deep into the cold hazel eyes of the man.

Searon was amazed that the man held enough strength and courage to strike down a draeyk when just waking up from a coma. He may have seemed thin and weak, but his strength went beyond his muscles. It seemed the warrior had heart, and that was one thing that Searon himself was lacking.

The man only nodded silently with obvious strain. Sweat drizzled down his face, and his long black hair frizzed with moisture. His hand pulsed in effort to make a fist, and he stared at it blankly. Strength would not come back to him, though, as it seemed he used the last of it to save Searon.

Searon held his bottom lip down and whistled deep into the wind. In a moment, the gallop of his horse could be heard. Stripes appeared within minutes and nudged at Searon's hand. He smiled, briefly petting the animal behind the ear. Reaching in the saddlebags, he pulled out dried meat and an apple, which he handed to the man. At first, the man looked at the food with a blank stare before reaching for it. With barely a chance to swallow, the food disappeared into his mouth.

Karceoles stalked up slowly with his zylek. He put out his hand to assist the man to his feet. The man looked at him reluctantly before accepting his help. Strangely, the wizard gave up his zylek to the human, who gratefully accepted it. Karceoles appeared strange in brown robes without his zylek in hand. He appeared weaker as he hunched over, but he still stared down his nose to look at the human.

"What is your name?" Karceoles asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My name is Andron of Guerettos," he said in short breaths. Karceoles noticed the man had dark bags under his cold eyes. His accent sounded nasal, as if he spoke more through his nose than his mouth. Each word seemed to connect together with barely a definition of sound from one word to the next, and that gave his voice a flowery tone.

"What are you doing this far west?" Starlyn broke in with wonder.

It was strange to see humans that crossed the Aedth Desert. Most who attempted such a feat were later found as bones sprawled out on the desert floor. The Aedth stretched on for so many leagues that it was deemed an infinite amount by the standards of humans. Starlyn stared at him strangely as if he was the first human she had met. Likely, Andron was her second. There were also rumors spread throughout Calthoria about the other side of the Aedth being more dangerous than the desert itself.

"The village I come from is strong, but it was attacked by savage draeyks. The finest warriors were gathered and sent out to cleanse the land surrounding us. We were led astray until we became so lost that we had no choice but to continue traveling." He paused briefly to wipe sweat from his brow and catch a breath. "Our numbers dwindled, but we could not stop. Everywhere we went we found draeyks, and our bloodthirst was great. We were destroying the creatures that brought chaos and fear to our homes. It seems I am the only survivor of the hundred sent."