Children of the swamp

An Azurnaylia tale of survival.

      Devoraun reached the edge of the swamp and ducked behind a Cyprus tree, where he hoped to avoid being seen by his pursuers. There was a rustling in the bushes just to his right, he glanced the tail of a serpent as it slithered away from him. Letting out a shaky breath Devoraun pulled his arm away and thought, ‘Stupid, stupid me! This wouldn’t have been a very good escape if I got bit by a Wrack Viper.” 

     It had been near a fortnight since he and a few other young men were abducted from their wagons in the middle of the night. The night sky lit only by the stars as both moons were in their new or shadowed stage. The lack of substantial sleep and one meager ration of food a day made Devoraun feel as if his mind was in a fugue.

     Taking care to observe his immediate surroundings including the moss strewn branches above him Devoraun didn’t see anything that would pose an immediate risk to his life. He could barely hear the distant call of “Rooma” by his Shardreath puruers as they slowly made their way towards the swamps edge, Devoraun hoped that they would call off their pursuit once they realized where he was going.

     The low rolling hills and scrub brush only slowed down the Shardreath for they were expert trackers and hunters. Devoraun searched for a reasonably safe patch of swamp land that led away from the shore and deeper in to the swamp where no sane person let alone his captors would dare follow. 

     Other concerns the Roma had to consider were the other hazards of the swamp beyond venomous serpents who’s bite caused such intense muscle contractions that a victims bones sometimes snapped while they writhed in such agony that they could only hope for a quicker death.

     Alligators also hid themselves in the shallows to ambush any prey unlucky enough to venture close to their murky domain. There are also plants like the Hood of Kyrathos, a simple pitcher plant with a barb that injects a single seed in to anything unlucky enough to brush up against it. That seed then consumes the host from within, killing it slowly before growing another Hood of Kyrathos from the corpse and starting the process all over again.

     The wild boars that roamed near the swamps were dangerous as well if they were protecting their young or their escape route was cut off. Occasionally someone from the Roma community would bring one of these beasts down and the meat would be distributed amongst the others.

     Listening for his pursuers Devoraun saw a glimpse of light several yards up the northern shoreline that swayed like a lantern as its unseen owner made their way deeper in the swamp. This was his one chance to escape provided the person was friendly. Or at least ambivalent towards he and his people, they weren’t well liked.

     Rubbing his eyes then blinking them rapidly, Devoraun stained to see if the light was still there. It seemed so as the person continued deeper in to the swamp. Its now or never so with a slight limp the Roma began heading towards, what he hoped was a passage to freedom.

     A loud whooping came from his right, the Shardreath had finally found him. A hobbled jog was the best Devoraun could do as he crossed the water laden sod of the swamps edge. His jailers weren’t running straight at him but at an angle, they intended to cut him off. A fear induced adrenaline rush propelled Devoraun forward. It wouldn’t last.

     A smaller path, barely visible led to the main trail so Devoraun took a chance and took it. Something whistled past his head and the distinct thud of an arrow hitting a tree startled him. Maybe the Shardreath thought he was too much trouble to bring back. Just easier to kill him than following him in to the swamp. For unknown reasons they feared the swamp.

     Devoraus stumbled forward, landing on his belly after his foot found an exposed root. The ground knocked the air out of him and arrows flew past and would have found their mark if he hadn’t fallen. “Just a little farther!” He frantically thought as he pushed himself up off the ground.

     Finally reaching the main path Devoraus followed it deeper in the swamp. Once he felt he was out of bow range he looked ahead and frantically looked for the lantern bearer. Up ahead the person had stopped and waved their lantern as if beckoning him to follow.

      “What do I have to lose?” Devoraus asked himself and began walking towards his benefactor. Every few steps he’d look back to see if they were being followed.

     The diminutive lantern bearer kept an even distance away from Devoraus. “Excuse me ser, if you could wait up so I can thank you properly I’d appreciate it.” The lantern bearer didn’t respond, instead they kept walking regardless if they were followed or not.

     The sounds of the swamps became louder the further in the swamp the Roma got. The bellowing roar of a nearby bull alligator made him freeze and look about. The Lantern bearer stopped and seemed agitated that he had to stop as well.

     Devoraus hadn’t realized he had gotten closer to the lantern bearer but he could now see some features. The person appeared to be a human child around eight to ten years of age. He definitely wasn't a dwarf. Rustling of some brush some yards away caught the Romas attention.

     One of the Shardreath with spear and round shield was heading in the general direction that Devoraus had come from. Falling to the ground purposely, the Roma hoped he wasn’t spotted. What was a Shardreath albeit a young male doing in the swamp? He couldn’t be much older than ten or eleven.

     Devoraus and his people all knew that the Shardreath feared entering the swamps. Could they have set up a trap to catch Devoraus? The boy never looked in the direction of the escaping Roma. Slowly he got up and hurried to catch up with the lantern bearer.

     Looking around Devoraus lost track of the lantern bearer. He was surely close enough that if the man walked away he would of heard him. Some light in the distance blinked in or out and some seemed to bob up and down.

     Hurrying to where Devoraus hoped was a house, he paid little attention to wethwr or not he stayed on the path. The house, if that’s what it was seemed to be moving further away from the Roma the quicker he walked to reach it.

     “That’s so weird, a house can’t just move on is own. Maybe I’m hallucinating all this.”

     “No, you are not.” Said a voice from behind, causing the Roma to jump and turn around.

     The owner of the voice stood there a few yards away with his head cocked to the side in a funny way. Devoraus took a step back, all hopes of escape dashed as he watched the lantern bearer grin malevolently. With slumped shoulder and defeat clearly written on his face, Devoraus sat dejectedly upon the ground.

     “Fear not boy, even the Roma are considered an acceptable sacrifice by the dark queen of the Unseelie.”