The Truth Behind It All
The wind seemed to be unusually cold and biting despite the bright sun shining down on Zena that day. Ergon pulled his hood tighter around his head as he watched another wagon passing by on its way out of town. The wagon was on its way to a meeting. The meeting was about offensive and defensive tactics concerning all of the discovered lands. ..The meeting was about the new threat of the mysterious Dretch.
Ergon held his lance tighter, lips pressing into a thin line as the wagon shrank into the distance. Why did everyone feel like they had to get together in order to talk about that which they knew nothing of? Surely it would make more sense for everyone to remain in their own lands to protect their homes. What could they possibly learn from the other races about the threat when it was well known enough that nobody seemed to know anything? All he saw was a big target on the backs of those influential leaders gathering in one place. Unless the Alkidike creeps deemed themselves worthy of making an appearance.. and even then, did those creatures really know much themselves?
Looking around at the rest of those who had also stopped to watch the wagon leaving, he shook his head as he turned back to continue his way to work. Someone had to keep the local flow going while the leaders headed off in their futile efforts. If the other races learned anything useful, they could send couriers and letters and any assortment of information! It was a waste of resources to go all the way out to the meeting, surely.
At the least, maybe the other races would feel better having Zenans there at the meeting? He had to admit that coming together as a whole land had benefited them in the past. Considering the various wars, many sections of land had risen together to fight the threats they had faced, and had been successful with their combined strengths. The other possible advantage was that now they had the resources of Yael and Belrea as well. Yael did not seem like anything special. It was a bunch of exiled descendants with glowing eyes. Belrea might prove useful though. They had different technology than the rest of them did. If they could integrate that into their security…
He could not deny that the other races did have some semblance of complex thinking, but this situation was way over everyone’s heads. Monsters who could appear out of the air as though they had doors that no one else could see? Striking their victims dumb with a touch in order to drag them through those invisible doors? Add to it that there was no sign or word of those who went missing. Why were they being taken? Where were they being taken? Where had the Dretch been hiding? How powerful were they really?
..If anyone could answer even one of these questions at the meeting, it would be a miracle in his eyes.
The biggest miracle would be the leaders coming to any sort of valid conclusion as to the way forward in this mess. Any conclusion that was better than ‘move in groups’ and ‘be aware of your surroundings’ would be welcome. Heck, it was as though an avalanche were falling right toward them from the other side of a wall of trees, and the only warning yelled out was to be careful! That just would not be enough in either scenario. How could you avoid what you could not see coming? How could they ‘look out’ for someone who could appear out of the air?
Looking around at the bustling town where younglings were playing and adults were working, Ergon felt his jaw tighten. Their lives were here. He had grown up here; born and raised. He could not imagine his beautiful home being destroyed by the Dretch. He could not imagine this sparkling, lively town turning into an empty ghost town of Zenans gone missing… The meeting was sure to be useless, but if they stuck together in the territories they knew, they could find their advantage. The Alkidikes had been freaky bug monsters once upon a time. ..They were still freaky, but they were no longer unknown. The Dretch would surely meet the same fate. Eventually, they would know who and what these Dretch were, what they wanted, and where they lived. It was only a matter of time. And surely, it would be the bright minds of Zenans that would figure out the answer to the puzzle.
Word Count: 764 *5points
