Rampage Read online

  RAMPAGE

  Land of the Elementals

  Book One

  AARON OSTER

  For myself. Yeah, I dedicated this book to myself. I did all the work, so I’ve earned it!

  1

  Arbor swung his ax into the tree with a resounding thud, the blade biting deep in the trunk and lodging there. He pulled the blade out with a grunt and swung again. Sweat beaded his brow as he worked, swinging the ax methodically until the tree came down with a splintering crack. Arbor left the ax in the tree stump, wiping his brow with a rag as he sat down, leaning against what was left of the tree. He leaned to the side and grabbed his waterskin, taking a long draft. Keeping the water in the shade had kept it cool despite the heat of the day, and Arbor enjoyed the feeling of the liquid running down his parched throat.

  It was a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly overhead, and he breathed in deeply, the scent of the forest around him relaxing him in a way that nothing else could. A breeze wafted through the clearing, rustling the treetops and making sunspots dance on the ground. It was always nice this time of year, and Arbor loved spending his days outside. In his mind, there was nothing like the peace and tranquility that came with being alone in the forest. It always made him feel small, but also as if he were part of something greater than himself.

  It was nearing the end of the summer- at least that’s what his mother had said. She said that the summer moon would only shine for another week or two before the dark moon came. The thought made him shudder, and a chill ran down his spine, despite the warm weather. He didn’t know why, but the four months between the summer and winter moons always made him feel uneasy. He wasn’t the only, one of course. Four months when the night was so dark that you couldn’t see a foot in any direction was quite disconcerting. The lack of a moon in those months gave rise to all sorts of superstitions.

  His mother said that the four months with no moon was the Almighty’s way of reminding them to pray. Arbor didn’t believe in that, but he just nodded whenever his mother talked about it. She was a hard woman to argue with.

  He looked at the pile of logs, grimacing. He knew that he was only halfway done for the day. He also knew that if he wanted the house ready by next week, he would have to get up off his lazy ass and put in the work. He got up, his muscles groaning in protest and he stretched his arms and back, trying to work out the stiff muscles. He put the stopper into his waterskin and pulled the ax back out of the stump. He looked around for a moment, before finding one of the trees he’d marked and headed over to it.

  He adjusted his grip and was about to take his first swing when he saw a deer wander into the clearing, not five yards from him. He stood stock-still as the deer watched him calmly, its ears flicking slightly as it bent down to begin grazing. The tranquility was ruined instantaneously by the loud voice of his sister. “Arbor!” she yelled, coming into the clearing, “Mother wants to know when you’ll be home!”

  The deer bolted at the first sound of her voice and Arbor sighed, setting his ax down again. Karria was fourteen, just two years away from adulthood, but he swore she still acted like a child sometimes.

  Despite his annoyance at having the tranquility of the forest ruined, he couldn’t help but smile as she came into view. At just over five feet tall, she was a pretty young girl, with bright green eyes, a small nose and lips, and long brown hair falling in curls down her back. She had a small splash of freckles across her nose and a mischievous smile that got her into trouble on more than one occasion.

  “You don’t need to yell, you know. It’s very unbecoming of a proper young woman,” Arbor said, laughing as she came running up to him and launching herself at him. She wrapped her arms around him and planted a kiss on his cheek.

  “Propriety can kiss my ass. I don’t see any proper women, do you?” she asked, letting go of him and flashing him a grin. “You’ll be gone in a few days, and I’ll never see you again, so I have to take every opportunity I have left to tease you.” She ended her sentence with a faux pout on her face.

  “First of all, language!” Arbor scolded, “And secondly, I’m getting married, not moving across the kingdom.” He laughed. “The house is less than a mile from here. I bet that it didn’t even take you ten minutes to walk over.”

  “I know,” she said, still pouting. “It just feels like I’m losing you. You only seem to have time for Florren now.” She wrinkled her nose when she said Florren’s name, as if she had smelled something unpleasant.

  “Florren is a wonderful woman. You know I love her, but that doesn’t mean that I love you any less,” Arbor said sternly. “And just because we will no longer live under the same roof, doesn’t mean that I won’t visit. I’ll be over at least once a week.”

  “Promise?” Karria asked, looking up at him, her eyes watering.

  Mother really has taught her well in the art of guilt-tripping, Arbor thought to himself, suppressing a grin.

  “I promise,” he said, patting the top of her head. “Now, you can either help me chop down trees, or you can tell Mother that I’ll be home before sunset.”

  Karria stuck her tongue out at him. Then, giggling, she ran towards the edge of the clearing. “I’ll let mother know that you’ll be back for dinner! I’m a proper young lady, remember? I’ll leave all the hard, sweaty labor to the big, strong men like you!”

  Arbor sighed and shook his head as he watched her go. She had a serious mouth on her, but that was a problem for his parents to deal with. He picked up the ax and grimaced again. He still had a lot of work to do before night fell.

  2

  The sun was already beginning to set when Arbor felled his last tree. He tiredly slung the ax on his shoulder and headed down the path leading back to his house. Long shadows stretched out in front of him, and he could see the orange summer moon already rising.

  As he walked, he couldn’t help but marvel at the colors in the sky. There were always beautiful sunsets in the summer, but this one was especially spectacular. Streaks of red, orange, and purple lit up the sky, and he almost tripped over a tree root as he walked. He laughed to himself and decided that keeping his eyes on the path ahead was probably a good idea.

  It got noticeably darker as the canopy overhead thickened as he walked, until he was squinting at the path ahead and stumbling every now and then as he made his way through the woods. His parents lived in a clearing and he was only about a quarter-mile away, but the thick tree cover let in almost no light.

  Arbor sighed and resolved himself to bring a torch the next time he decided to work late. He stopped suddenly, his ears picking up a faint rustling in the undergrowth. He quickly turned around, scanning the nearby trees and trying to pierce the darkness. He kept looking, his heart racing as he imagined all sorts of wild beasts coming out of the darkness to attack him.

  There had been reports of some unusual activity in the area as of late, and he didn’t want to be caught unawares. He stood motionless for a few more moments before letting his shoulders relaxed.

  “Must have been the wind,” he muttered as started down the path again.

  ***

  Just a few yards from the path, a man dressed in black leather let out the breath he’d been holding. It wouldn’t do to get caught so close to the operation, and his boss was not someone to trifle with. The man shivered at the thought of what would have happened had he been spotted.

  Probably a swift death, if he’d been lucky. A long, drawn-out one, if he wasn’t. He stood up slowly, backing into the brush, careful not to make any sound this time. As soon as he was back on the game trail behind the main path, he turned to head back to their camp. He had a report to make.

  ***

  A few minutes later, Arbor could see the faint flicker of torchlight coming from the clearing where his par
ents’ house stood. With a sigh of relief, he left the forest and entered the clearing. He laughed at himself for getting so worked up and imagining wild beasts attacking him. It was considerably easier to do, now that he was out of the surrounding forest.

  “I’m home!” he called out, opening the front door and coming into the entryway.

  “Wait! Don’t come in yet!” he heard his mother cry, frantically. “Florren is here. Go back out and come around the other side!”

  Arbor exited in a hurry when he heard that and walked around to the back entrance. It was a tradition as old as time in the settlement of Woods’ Clearing. A husband and wife-to-be could not see or speak to one another the week before their wedding. Arbor thought it was a stupid tradition and he missed Florren dearly, as he had not seen her in the last six days.

  “Is she gone?” he asked as he cracked the back door open. “Wouldn’t want to call the wrath of the gods down upon us for breaking tradition.”

  “Yes, she’s gone, my boy,” he heard his father’s deep voice call out in answer. “And there’s no need for that snark. It’s tradition!”

  He came in, hiding an eye-roll and headed into the dining room. His father and Karria were both sitting by the table. Karria was trying to hide a smile behind her hand but was not doing a very good job of it.

  “You could have warned me that she was here,” Arbor grumbled as he sat down across her.

  “But what fun would that be?” she asked, not even trying to hide her smile now. “You should have seen her face when she heard you come in! She just about crapped her dress!” Karria said, now laughing so hard that tears were coming out of her eyes.

  “Language!” both Arbor and his father yelled, at the same time.

  Karria just waved her hand, continuing to laugh at his future wife’s expense.

  “I don’t think I’ve seen someone go that red since the first time you two met!” Karria was laughing so hard at that point that she started wheezing and trying to catch her breath.

  “I’m glad you thought it was so funny,” Arbor deadpanned.

  “That wasn’t very nice of you, Karria,” his father said, but Arbor could see the corner of his mouth twitching.

  He heard the front door close, and a few seconds later, his mother came bustling in. Karrin was a slightly plump woman standing at around five and a half feet. She had sparkling green eyes and brown hair, now slightly graying at the temples. She was still beautiful, of course, and it was easy to see where Karria had gotten her looks, though where she’d gotten her sense of humor was still a mystery.

  “Why did you come into the house?” His mother placed her hands on her hips and stared at him with a disapproving glare. “You knew that Florren was going to be here! You were supposed to knock first and then go around back so I could get her out!”

  “How was I supposed to know? No one told me anything about this!” Arbor retorted.

  “Karria told you! I sent her over earlier with a message!” His mother returned, just as loudly, then stopped. She looked from Arbor’s outraged face to Karria, who was still laughing, and sighed.

  “I suppose the next time I want an important message sent, I’ll have to do it myself,” she said while shooting Karria a glare. “Don’t think you’ll be getting away with this, young lady. I’ll have to think up a suitable punishment for you.”

  She turned back to Arbor then, her tone softening. “Go wash up. Dinner will be ready soon, and you look filthy. I won’t have that at the dinner table.” With that, she bustled into the kitchen and started stirring a pot sitting on the stove.

  Arbor headed up into his room and closed the door. There was a small wooden bed frame with a straw-filled mattress on top. His sheets were most likely still hanging out on the line, as they weren’t on his bed. He grabbed a chair and sat down heavily. Leaning down, he began unlacing his boots, wincing as he noticed the mud clinging to the bottom. His mother would give him an earful for tracking it through the house.

  Tugging them off, he placed them in a corner. Then he stripped down to his underclothes. He dropped the dirty clothes into a bin beside his bed, then grabbed a rough towel and a clean set of clothes. He opened the door to his room and headed to the washroom at the end of the hallway.

  He was going to miss this room most of all. Arbor’s parents had apparently known a Mage in their earlier years, a person capable of using magic, and he had done them a few favors when they’d moved in. He had enchanted the waterspout in the wall, to ensure they always have hot water. Sitting down on a low bench, he turned on the spout. The entire room was made of stone, unlike the rest of the house, and there was a small drain near the far wall to allow the water to run out.

  Steam quickly filled the room, and he grabbed a bar of soap and lathered himself up. He immensely enjoyed the feeling of washing off the day’s dirt and grime, feeling the hot water ease the tension in his sore muscles.

  Once he’d finished drying himself, he walked to the looking glass hanging on the far side of the room. This was another thing that most people didn’t have, and they were considered to be lucky to have one. Arbor looked into the glass and turned his face from side to side. He was being neglectful and definitely needed a shave. He walked back to where he’d left the soap and grabbed it, along with a small bin. He filled the bin with steaming water and brought it back to the looking glass.

  Lathering up his hands, he spread the bubbly substance across his face and picked up his razor. He dragged the razor across his cheeks and chin, dipping it in the steaming bucket from time to time. Then when he was finished, he washed his face vigorously and examined his work.

  Not too bad looking, he thought.

  He had the same dark brown hair as his mother and sister, and light gray eyes. He had a straight nose, a strong jaw, and well-rounded shoulders. He turned his face a little to the side to see if he had missed anything when he heard a pounding on the door.

  “Stop staring at yourself in the mirror; I’m sure you’re pretty enough! Mother said that supper will get cold, so you better come down!” Karria yelled into the crack between the doorframe.

  He could hear her sniggering, even through the door and sighed yet again. Karria’s teasing was one thing he definitely would not miss.

  3

  The next day was a hectic one, with everyone rushing to get ready for the wedding. Arbor was forcefully shaken from his slumber before the sun had even come up, only to be rushed around getting his hair cut and his wedding coat fitted. When he finally got back to his family’s home around midday, he felt about ready to drop from exhaustion.

  The clearing around the house had been transformed while he’d been out getting ready. Tables were now set up in neat rows, white cloths adorning each. The tables were decorated with vases of wildflowers, and rows of candles sat in small glass bowls filled with water. There was a raised stage on the far side of the clearing with a row of chairs neatly arranged before it. The chairs were split down the middle, and a long white cloth stretched through the center. He could see torches spread throughout the clearing to provide light for the long night of celebration.

  He decided to sit down and relax for a bit. After all, the wedding ceremony wouldn’t be starting until just before nightfall. He put his back against a tree on the edge of the clearing and closed his eyes. Arbor was exhausted. He’d had a difficult time falling asleep last night. The excitement of the following day had kept him up, tossing and turning for hours. Now that he was sitting down for the first time all day, he couldn’t help but begin to nod off and was soon fast asleep.

  “Wake up, sleepyhead! That is, unless you want to sleep through your own wedding!” Arbor slowly cracked his eyes open. The sun was already beginning to set, and he could see that torches were being lit around the clearing as night fell.

  Karria stood in front of him with her hands on her hips and a look of amusement on her face. She was already dressed for the wedding, in a long blue dress with white lace stitched around her wrists and nec
kline. The neckline dipped, in his opinion, just a bit too far for a girl her age. The was also a large white bow tied around her waist, and her usually curly brown hair had been braided with white and red lilies.

  “How much longer to the ceremony?” Arbor asked, standing up and rubbing his eyes. “Guests are already arriving, but the ceremony isn’t for at least another hour,” Karria said, then narrowed her eyes at him.

  When that failed to prompt a response from him, she rolled her eyes and prodded, “Well?” She gave him a meaningful look.

  “Well, what?” Arbor asked, covering a wide yawn and blinking a few times.

  Karria sighed loudly, then did another exaggerated eye roll. “My dress,” she said with obvious annoyance, “How do I look?”

  She did a twirl for him, her skirts swishing and billowing out as she completed the turn. She looked at him with an expectant gaze.

  “You look beautiful, Karria. You’ll be the envy of all the other young women here tonight. And I’m sure you’ll have those boys fawning over you non-stop,” he said with a smile.

  “You really think so?” she asked in a small voice, her cheeks going slightly pink.

  “Yes, I do. But if I catch any of them trying to make a pass at you, I’ll break their legs and make them crawl home!”

  Karria snorted out a laugh.

  “I’d pay good money to see that!”

  Arbor snorted out a laugh as well.

  “Oh, come here, you bloodthirsty excuse for a lady!” he said, then wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. He held her for another minute until she began squirming.

  “Let go of me!” she said, struggling in his grasp. “You’ll wrinkle my dress!”

  Laughing, he let her go, and she stood back from him, smoothing out imagined wrinkles. She was quiet for a moment, then she spoke, her voice low and all hints of playful cheer gone.