“Give me a mother fucking break!” I groused to whoever the hell was listening.
I stopped at the foot of the short steps to the Bridge and urged the girls on. As soon as they were up, I sighted in on the advancing monsters and fired off two careful shots. One dropped like a hot brick, and the other had a misstep. Biting back a curse, I sighted in and made the kill shot, sending the gangly creature tumbling forward.
The spent brass casings clattered on the ground as I ran up the steps, encroaching roars coming from the bowels of the gutted academy. The clock was ticking now. A few stragglers were manageable. Only so long as I kept the advantage of range.
“Fell?” I barked as I met them in the center of the big stone circle. Head whipping around, I did a quick survey. Several of the ruined pillars left crisscrossing chains of ruble over the intricate and colorful network of stones. Everything looked like a mess.
The fox-woman, however, looked up from where she was kneeling, her dirty and sweaty face split with a goofy grin. Babbling and trembling, she upended her bag and began getting everything ready.
“Deshí, Oliver!” Meriel cried suddenly.
Spinning on a dime toward where she pointed with her dagger, I fired at a four Corruptions just as they crawled over the wall to our side. I nailed three, their corpses dropping into the earth like stones. The fourth scrambled dangerously close to the base before I finished it off with a sloppy burst that kicked up more dirt than flesh.
Meriel cried out again and smacked my shoulder. Still looking down the sights, I pivoted toward a handful of Corruptions racing up the steps.
Aim small, miss small.
Fuel by self-preservation and adrenaline, my field of view narrowed, and I picked off heads with each pull of the trigger. The bolt carrier locked back from the spent magazine while one last monster continued advancing. Cool as a cucumber, I swapped for my pistol and did a triple tap, the lizard-looking Corrurition dropping just ten feet away.
Fell shouted for mine and Meriel’s attention over the concussive blasts. At the sight of the grenade in her hand, we were at the moment of truth. And rightly so because a pack of Corruptions raced from the academy.
Faced by such an overwhelming mass, I abandoned accuracy and emptied my pistol to slow them down. Reloading, I fired off the last nine-millimeter magazine, then tossed the now-useless weapon. As I pulled my second to last rifle mag from my waistband, I saw Fell in the corner of my eye with one hand planted to the ground, and the other cradling the grenade in a cradle of water that had a tendril wrapped around her wrist like a grounding wire.
With all the pieces in place, Meriel reached for the pin. Time stretched, seconds turned to minutes and minutes into hours as her slender fingers neared the pin. Caught up in this mad state of chrono-limbo, I took in all their majestic features, grateful to have had their companionship when everything around me crumbled.
Should there be an afterward, I’ll never let them go.
Just as Meriel looped her finger through the safety pin ring, time came crashing to God’s pace like a freight train, neurons exploding across the synaptic gap within my skull like the flashes from my muzzle. All my fear, all my anger, all my despair, everything came out as a deafening roar that rivaled that of the heinous horde closing in not even forty feet away.
Over the noise of spent casings dancing off the ground like wind chimes in the wind, a distinct metallic ping sliced through everything else and drove right through my eardrums while I loaded the absolute last of my ammunition and counted down from four.
Descending and unrelenting, Corruptions were all around us.
I stared into the face of evil spawned from infernal darkness, ready for my light to end in a great flash, and for them to choke on shrapnel should our only way be a dead end.
The countdown ended, and a shockwave rippled through my body, followed by a violent tremble strong enough to make the very earth below my boots to split. Golden light chased away the monsters and the academy and the very world itself, blinding me as if bleach had been poured directly into my retinas. Overwhelmed by an indescribable sensation, I was left feeling like I was no longer real, as if everything was imaginary.
Suspension in maddening ambiguity came to a violent end. All my senses assaulted from a painful overload from the sudden stop.
Air stinging as it rushed into my lungs, I stumbled around blind, embracing the pain. If everything hurt, that meant I was alive. Or in hell.
Just as everything was coming down to bearable levels, the resonating chimes of bells ringing out forced me to cover my ears and choke back a scream. Confusion and pain almost made me overlook the approaching blurs. Though horribly discombobulated, I knew by some sixth sense Meriel, and Fell were behind me. Deadset on protecting them from the shadowy things, I pulled my hands from my ears and felt for my rifle.
Bizarre noises all around me and closing in. Feeling the familiar grip of my rifle, I swung the barrel high and fired off a round.
“Get back!” I roared at the shifting mass of shapes. “I’ll blow you away, I swear to God!”
More noise was the only response, and I could hardly hear it over my climbing heartbeat. Drowning in panic, I aimed into the heart of the mass and tried to keep from hacking up my guts. Tension at fever pitch, I was to make good use of my last few rounds when something sent me into a grinding halt.
“Do you assholes want to get shot!” a voice shouted, carrying over everything else.
Exhaling and blinking rapidly, the shroud of confusion fell away and my senses clicked into place. Staring toward the voice, I saw another regular guy wrestling with a bunch of people dressed in colorful robes.
Though I could see clearly now, I couldn’t quite believe it.
“You!” I called out, aiming square at the guy’s chest.
Looking my way, the blood drained from his face and he held up his arms.
“Whoa, whoa, friendly, friendly!” he frantically pleaded.
He knows what a gun is?
As we stared at each other, the crowd fell silent. Heart rate falling, I kept my sights on him for a moment longer, then lowered my rifle.
“American?” I asked.
Standing straighter and slowly lowering my arms, he answered, “Illinois.”
No. No fucking way.
Overpowered by the sheer absurdity of everything, I smiled like a crazy person. This wasn’t real; he wasn’t real. I stared at the man, looking for any abnormalities to confirm that this was all imaginary. Aside from the dated shirt and pants, and what looked like a black stick strapped to his hip, he looked normal. He was tall, maybe an inch or two shorter than me, and sported a strong build. Medium-length hair of jet black-framed his face, the guy looking like an Italian Bruce Campbell from the first Evil Dead.
Still conflicted, I stumbled up to him slowly, watching for discrepancies. When I was only a foot away, and he still looked real, I wrapped one arm around his neck and hugged him. Overwhelmed from his very tangible body, I was overwhelmed with a mixture of sheer joy and horror, letting out chuckles as a fear tears slipped from my eyes.
“We didn’t die, right?’ I asked to mollify my doubt. “You’re not God trying to make this easier?”
Patting my back, he chuckled, then said, “Had the same fucking thought when I came here. But what the fuck happened to you, man?”
No. This isn’t about me.
Stepping back and fixing him with an urgent look, I hastily said, “They’re still alive, they're still fighting. Help them, please.”
He turned his head away, staring at a group of women consisting of some blonde, a woman with long black hair dressed as a witch with huge hooters, a red-headed lady with wings and a scaly tail, and what looked like a chick who was part dog. Looking back from the crazy party, he simply asked, “Who?”
“The Lamia of Elesrora. They’re still alive in the mountains.”
His mouth hung open like he was caught on a word, confusion clear on his face.
“The Isusi,” I exclaimed, panic rising in my voice when reminded of their fleeting time. “The Isusi— one of the lamia tribes in forests near Elesrora. They’re alive and need help. The Null have pulled back when the Marker fell, and they don’t have a means of escape, and their food supplies are scarce, and— and—” I stopped and gasped for air, feeling light-headed and sick again.
The mysterious American reached out and steadied me. “It’s going to be okay, pal. We’re going to them help.” He looked around the immediate faces of the crowd, where I just realized how a good portion of them weren’t human. “Uh… Um… Fuck it. Would somebody please get Julika or Merula!”
The red-head stepped forward and spoke gibberish to the guy. And by some sort of fuckery, he replied like he understood.
“He said the Isusi of Elesrora were alive, and something about the Null and this thing called a Marker falling.”
Her head whipped towards me, her crimson, reptilian-like irises narrowing. And at the same time, everyone around gasped. Several people broke away and rushed out of the crowd and toward a monolithic fantasy castle thing that looked as big as some of the skyscrapers in Chicago. The sight was such a drastic shift from the nightmarish cathedral that I had to rub my eyes to be extra sure.
Overhead was a clear blue sky, and life flourished all around me in the form of people and colors. Gazing around, I took in the awe-inducing splendor of the intact pillars around the Bridge, the unblemished geometric patterns at my boots, and the roaming fields of grass and flowers all around.
Turning around to take in more scenery, my eyes stopped at Meriel and Fell. At the sight of them stirring on the ground, alive and kicking, a wave of relief passed over and left me feeling lighter than a cloud. I went to take a step towards them, only stopping after one heavy step that nearly sent me toppling.
“Whoa, buddy,” the other American said, coming behind to steady me. “People are on the Elesrora issue. Why don’t you let me get you some help.” He gave me a head to toe inspection. “Looks like you’ve been through hell and back.”
Slowly knocking my head back, I uttered a sigh so long that it felt like I breathed out part of my soul.
“Sounds about right,” I murmured absently.
Still doubting the reality of everything around me, I took a few moments to breathe and get a feel for my own heart steadily pounding away in my chest. Everything felt surreal; the calm in the air felt artificial and unsettling. I came to terms with my mortality, completely ready to die with Meriel and Fell by my side.
Now, I'm just confused and wanted nothing more than to hold them.
Reaching out, I gave the man before me pat on the shoulder. “I’m… good. I think I’m just going to check how my friends are doing.”
Taking a step back before he could reply, I turned and started towards the girls, looking forward to embracing them and showing how proud I was.
Stupid smile in place, I took one step, and the world tilted, dimmed, then went black.
Chapter 27
My eyes fluttered open. Tiny particles of dust floated lazily overhead in the tangerine glow of the late afternoon sun. After blinking a few times, a jolt ran through my body and I sprang upright in a panic. The thrashing only lasted for a second when I felt hands on my body and whipped my head to the side. The sight of Meriel and Fell was enough for my heart rate to drop below two hundred. Their pretty faces were free from the ash-like dust from the forest and their tattered clothes and armor replaced with snow-white robes.
The pair slowly sat down on their chairs once I had calmed down. Smiling gently, Fell worked her fingers in Meriel’s hand, then she tenderly rubbed her hand along my forearm.
We’re safe.
Dropping my head, I took a second to take a few breaths. Things came into focus, and I stared down the sheets bundled over my lap, realizing that I was in bed. I was in an affluent looking room paneled in fine wood, featuring a high vaulted ceiling. Other vacant beds were across the room and more sat behind the girls in front of the tall arched windows.
I didn’t get to take much else in when I looked to my other side and saw a man who looked like he ate a grizzly bears for breakfast sitting on the adjacent bed. The bed frame had to have been made from enchanted wood or something to support his mass. His ashen hair was cut short, and amidst the dense network of wrinkles on his face was a ghostly-looking white scar that started on his left cheek, left a wide gap in his sideburn, and ended near his ear, where there where a piece of cartilage was missing. Despite the man’s advanced age, all I could see was dense muscle under his gray linen shirt. His arms were like tree trunks with boulders attached to the end to serve as fists.
He cocked his head to his side, his coal-colored eyes roaming me as I did him.
“Tha thu am measg charaidean,” he said in a rumbling voice that sounded vaguely Nordic.
Mouth still open, I just stared at him.
Nodding his head, he grunted and said something to the girls, who each gave a brief response. Unclasping his hands from his lap, he waved a meaty mitt to the side. The imposing mountain of man had completely overshadowed the presence of a woman who was off to the side.
How the hell did I miss her?
Standing in front of a wheeled cart and wrapped up in a fine azure robe with white accents was a tall, elegant woman with hair like golden waves. She was striking in the face department, but what stunned me was her pure black eyes and large butterfly wings. The gossamer appendages and their intricate pattern of white and yellow looked like they were ripped from a giant bug and just slapped on her back.
Despite getting close to an elf, a fox-woman, and several lamia, I was still surprised to see the wings lightly flutter behind her.
The trance ended when the woman stepped forward and sat on the edge of my bed. She spoke in a bizarre tongue, nothing like how the girls or the big man spoke, and then reached out to my face. My natural response was to pull away, but Meriel set her hand on my shoulder and spoke some soft words that felt like assurance. Maintaining a wary look, I nodded to the ethereal woman.
She closed her eyes and brought a hand to her mouth, whispered a sequence that was more noise than sound, then pulled her hand away from her mouth and extended her index finger to my forehead. The pad of her finger barely touched the spot between my eyes, but her finger sent a dizzying hum through my skull. Everything felt pleasant up until it felt like she rammed her finger through my skull and sent me into a blinding white haze.
I wanted to spank the shit out of the butterfly-woman, but I couldn’t hear of see anything. Head full of cotton and the world lost in a perpetual white noise; I was lost. The pain was like a brain freeze after downing four Slurpees back to back.
Very slowly, the pain dulled, and my senses returned. White haze dissipating, I blinked and saw the butterfly-woman’s face inches from mine. She pressed herself into my side and had one hand draped over my shoulder as she spoke to the giant. Her mouth was moving, but there wasn't any noise right away.
“…orary, perhaps another moment or two,” the butterfly-woman said in a satiny voice. She returned her gaze to me and smiled demurely. “Or now. Do you understand me, sir Oliver?”
I pulled out of her grasp and checked for a hole in my forehead. “What the fuck, lady?”
She was stunned for a few beats, then her brows knitted with a glare.
“It appears his mind and ears have opened up, Lyaen,” the big man said with a bit of a heckle in his voice.
The woman, Lyaen, stood with a huff and returned to her spot at the foot of the bed. My gaze snapped to the girls when I felt their hands on my arm.
“Fell? Meriel?” I asked, making sure the elf didn’t have any more scars, or that any freckles were out of place on the fox-woman.
“We’re just fine, Oliver,” Fell said, her grip tightening around my forearm.
“Well,” the other man started after a big draw of air, “I do believe introductions—”
Spinning around and swinging
my feet over the bed, I faced him head-on and said hastily, “The lamia of Elesrora— the Isusi— are still alive in their temple on the western side of the mountain chain, south of Elesrora, roughly eighty miles, and there was a Marker located within the valley, but it was destroyed. We have a map and all the details. If you do something now—”
The man set a great hand on my knee and said, “Calm, Oliver.” He gestured to the girls. “My subordinates have handed over all the maps and letters, and have given us an extensive report of the situation.
“Now, as I was saying, I am Sigemond of—”
“Is this Scintillion? You guys got all the power, right? Please, if you coordinate, then you can help the Isusi now. And where’s the other American?” Pausing to catch my breath, I looked down to my bare chest, then peeked under the covers. “And where’s all my shit?”
Quirking his bushy eyebrows, Sigemond stared back at me as I breathed heavily. “Lyaen, if you could,” he asked.
Exhaling through her nose, Lyaen prepared a tall glass of water from the pitcher then held it out for me. A second of hesitation, I accepted the glass. Sigemond waited until I was drinking before he spoke again.
“Information regarding the Isusi has already been dispatched to the Arms in Elesrora. You are in Scintillion, Lucinia’s medical ward, to be exact. Our healers checked you over after you collapsed from exhaustion.
“All your belongings have been safely set aside; Meriel and Fell mentioned how your… unconventional armaments can be dangerous in negligent hands.
“The other native you speak of is Al, and he cares very much for your well-being. He’d like to speak with you as soon as possible. However…”
Sigemond looked out the window. Following his gaze, I saw him staring down at the Bridge the girls and I arrived from. It looked like an entire platoon of people was guarding the magical monument.
“Your sudden arrival has stirred a great deal of concern among our people,” he said, continuing his thought. “Ensuring the well-being of our people is my duty, so I'd like to have some of your time before you see anyone else.” Sitting forward, Sigemond clasped his hands together. “My subordinates have shared their prices. How about you share your account, Oliver.”
Heart of the Resonant- the Soldier's Tale Page 35