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The One-Eyed Man (3)
Continued from here: The One-Eyed Man (2)

“I may have lost an eye,” the man replied to Finn’s muttered comment, “but my hearing is fine. You’re fortunate I don’t take offense.” He shrugged, “Besides, you had that situation well in hand.”

Finn curled his lip and rook a few swift paces towards the newcomer. In a swift motion the man reached up and drew both swords from the sheaths on his back and took a ready stance. He didn’t flinch for a moment.

“Wait!” Malik called out to them and ran across the courtyard to stand by a pillar between them.

“You’d best sheath your weapon ‘Finn’,” the man spoke menacingly as he gripped the swords he held in his hands, “I wouldn’t enjoy leaving your wizard without protection.”

“Two blades won’t give you an edge,” Finn shot back, “Even that fancy armour of yours won’t…”

“Will the pair of you just stop?” Malik shouted. His raised voice caused both men to turn their heads away from each other and towards the young mage. “We don’t want to fight you,” Malik said to the man, and gave Finn a stern glance, “we’ve been looking for you.”

The man looked back to Finn, who returned the stare. “Why?” he asked.

“I’ve been asking myself the same question…” Finn muttered, but Malik cut him off.

“Master Kalgoran asked us to find a one-eyed man who is questing for his lost vision,” he explained, “He carries something coveted by a powerful woman, and agents of Domania are on his trail. They will kill him if we don’t find him first and bring him to Dorn.”

“And you think that’s me?” the man questioned.

“You’re the only one-eyed man we’ve met,” Malik shrugged. “Master Kalgoran’s foresight is never wrong.”

“Oh, well, in that case I should trust you without question,” the man laughed.

Malik slumped his shoulders and then shrugged. “Sarcasm doesn’t work on me,” he said calmly. “We can’t make you come with us. If you’d rather face Domanian centurions, or worse, on your own, that’s up to you. Finn and I will be on our way.” He turned away from the man and took a hold of his brother’s arm. “Come on, Finn, let’s go. Maybe the God of Luck will smile on him…”

“Wait…” the man said loudly. Malik smiled to himself, an expression that didn’t pass unnoticed by his brother. Then he sobered his expression before turning back to the man. He was returning his weapons to their sheaths as he spoke. “I guess I could… come with you… I was headed to Dorn anyway…”

“That sounds reasonable,” Malik nodded. “My name is Malik Kestral, and this is my brother, Finn. What’s your name? We can’t keep calling you ‘one-eyed man’…”

“Hunter,” the man replied. “Hunter of Elystrl…”

“Oh!” Finn interjected, “A mountain man! I should have known…”

Hunter reached back for one of his swords, but Malik stepped in front of his brother, placing himself between them. “Finn!” he spoke sternly, “You didn’t like it when Brannon called you a farm-boy before he knew you were my brother, just because we’re from Herlindain. Do you want to lower yourself to Brannon's level?”

Finn dropped his eyes to his boots and sighed. “Sorry,” he muttered.

Hunter lowered his hand from the hilt of his sword. “Apology accepted,” he said.

“Good,” Malik nodded. “There’s a travel circle not far from here. We can…

“I’m not taking a circle,” Hunter interrupted.

“Why not?” Malik asked. “It’s the safest and swiftest way to get to Dorn.”

“I don’t trust those cloud-skiers,” Hunter replied. “Blue-haired, silver-eyed aliens…”

Malik shook his head. “I don’t understand… they saved Rengarth in its darkest hour. The world was being torn apart, being consumed by the demons of the D’Z’rn… why wouldn’t you trust them? They gave us the travel circles.”

“They come from that hell,” Hunter replied. “If you knew what I’ve learned, you wouldn’t trust them either. I’ll come with you, but we take the river road through Avathos Forest, or we part ways here and now.”

“But…” Malik tried to protest, but Finn laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“No, it’s fine, Malik,” he said. “We can take the road. It’s just a day and night at a brisk pace. As long as Hunter here can keep up with us.”

Hunter smirked. “Oh, it’s on, Finn Kestral.”

Finn smirked back. “Challenge accepted!”

Malik sighed. “Children… I’m travelling with children!”

Continued here: Stealing Sight (1)

Description
The One-Eyed Man (3)
Continued from here: The One-Eyed Man (2)

“I may have lost an eye,” the man replied to Finn’s muttered comment, “but my hearing is fine. You’re fortunate I don’t take offense.” He shrugged, “Besides, you had that situation well in hand.”

Finn curled his lip and rook a few swift paces towards the newcomer. In a swift motion the man reached up and drew both swords from the sheaths on his back and took a ready stance. He didn’t flinch for a moment.

“Wait!” Malik called out to them and ran across the courtyard to stand by a pillar between them.

“You’d best sheath your weapon ‘Finn’,” the man spoke menacingly as he gripped the swords he held in his hands, “I wouldn’t enjoy leaving your wizard without protection.”

“Two blades won’t give you an edge,” Finn shot back, “Even that fancy armour of yours won’t…”

“Will the pair of you just stop?” Malik shouted. His raised voice caused both men to turn their heads away from each other and towards the young mage. “We don’t want to fight you,” Malik said to the man, and gave Finn a stern glance, “we’ve been looking for you.”

The man looked back to Finn, who returned the stare. “Why?” he asked.

“I’ve been asking myself the same question…” Finn muttered, but Malik cut him off.

“Master Kalgoran asked us to find a one-eyed man who is questing for his lost vision,” he explained, “He carries something coveted by a powerful woman, and agents of Domania are on his trail. They will kill him if we don’t find him first and bring him to Dorn.”

“And you think that’s me?” the man questioned.

“You’re the only one-eyed man we’ve met,” Malik shrugged. “Master Kalgoran’s foresight is never wrong.”

“Oh, well, in that case I should trust you without question,” the man laughed.

Malik slumped his shoulders and then shrugged. “Sarcasm doesn’t work on me,” he said calmly. “We can’t make you come with us. If you’d rather face Domanian centurions, or worse, on your own, that’s up to you. Finn and I will be on our way.” He turned away from the man and took a hold of his brother’s arm. “Come on, Finn, let’s go. Maybe the God of Luck will smile on him…”

“Wait…” the man said loudly. Malik smiled to himself, an expression that didn’t pass unnoticed by his brother. Then he sobered his expression before turning back to the man. He was returning his weapons to their sheaths as he spoke. “I guess I could… come with you… I was headed to Dorn anyway…”

“That sounds reasonable,” Malik nodded. “My name is Malik Kestral, and this is my brother, Finn. What’s your name? We can’t keep calling you ‘one-eyed man’…”

“Hunter,” the man replied. “Hunter of Elystrl…”

“Oh!” Finn interjected, “A mountain man! I should have known…”

Hunter reached back for one of his swords, but Malik stepped in front of his brother, placing himself between them. “Finn!” he spoke sternly, “You didn’t like it when Brannon called you a farm-boy before he knew you were my brother, just because we’re from Herlindain. Do you want to lower yourself to Brannon's level?”

Finn dropped his eyes to his boots and sighed. “Sorry,” he muttered.

Hunter lowered his hand from the hilt of his sword. “Apology accepted,” he said.

“Good,” Malik nodded. “There’s a travel circle not far from here. We can…

“I’m not taking a circle,” Hunter interrupted.

“Why not?” Malik asked. “It’s the safest and swiftest way to get to Dorn.”

“I don’t trust those cloud-skiers,” Hunter replied. “Blue-haired, silver-eyed aliens…”

Malik shook his head. “I don’t understand… they saved Rengarth in its darkest hour. The world was being torn apart, being consumed by the demons of the D’Z’rn… why wouldn’t you trust them? They gave us the travel circles.”

“They come from that hell,” Hunter replied. “If you knew what I’ve learned, you wouldn’t trust them either. I’ll come with you, but we take the river road through Avathos Forest, or we part ways here and now.”

“But…” Malik tried to protest, but Finn laid a hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“No, it’s fine, Malik,” he said. “We can take the road. It’s just a day and night at a brisk pace. As long as Hunter here can keep up with us.”

Hunter smirked. “Oh, it’s on, Finn Kestral.”

Finn smirked back. “Challenge accepted!”

Malik sighed. “Children… I’m travelling with children!”

Continued here: Stealing Sight (1)