Malleus grunted and slammed his elbows down on Cain’s shoulders, dropping him to the stones. His foe grabbed him by the hauberk and kneed him in the chest. He kneed him again before slamming a gauntlet in his face and tossing him aside.
Cain rolled to a stop and climbed to his feet, head dizzy and sight darkening. He managed to deflect a punch with both hands and drive a fist into Malleus’ nose. He blocked the other arm and narrowly avoided a kick to the groin.
Cain jumped to the side as Malleus charged and slammed his knuckles into the Blood Guard’s throat. He punched again, again, rage howling inside him.
Malleus grabbed Cain’s fist and smashed a gauntlet into his gut. Cain collapsed, held up only by Malleus’ crushing grip. The Blood Guard smirked and threw all his strength in a final uppercut into Cain’s gut. The powerful blow sent his opponent tumbling backward, his head meeting the stone floor with a crack.
Cain looked up through bruised and bloodied eyes to see his foe approach, Ceerocai in hand. As Malleus descended upon him, Cain reached for the discarded halberd and spun.
The blade slammed up under Malleus’ breastplate, freezing him in his steps. He stared down in disbelief at his own weapon. Cain fumbled to his feet and shoved the blade deeper, twisting. Malleus Taraus then fell to his knees, and with a final gasp of air, collapsed to the stones. Ceerocai fell with a clang.
Cain spun to Adriel. “Adriel!” He trampled over his defeated foe and stumbled toward her. He stopped and reached out with a tentative hand.
Her skin stuck to his fingers, the dried blood, tears, and sweat forming a muddy mixture on her pale face. Her head hung limp in his hands.
Cain stepped back in horror. Her head returned to its resting place.
No. He ran for his sword, a dull light returning once more to its veins as his fingers wrapped around it. He swung Ceerocai into the chains around Adriel’s ankles. With a second blow, he shattered the chains binding her hands and she crumpled into his arms.
Cain laid her gently onto the ground and rolled her to her side. He whispered her name, shaking her.
Then, as if she heard his pleading, her eyes opened. Cain stared down in disbelief as she blinked up at him.
The two locked eyes. Cain brushed her hair from her face as the pain returned, sending her body into tense spasms. “I knew you would come,” she managed to whisper through her tears.
“Come on, I’m getting you out of here.” He returned his sword to its baldric and slipped his hands beneath her. She grimaced, her arms still locked behind her. Cain laid her over his shoulders, his own pain returning. Sharp agony jolted through his body. His ribs felt like they were crumbling under her weight. He managed a step, then another. Slowly, painfully, he carried her past Malleus and through the tower. Together, they left the keep and stepped out into Alkanost.
The full moon hung like a blazing beacon in the night, illuminating the shining swords of thousands of men clashing below.
Cain staggered up to his forces. His men noticed him, cheering. They began a gradual withdrawal, forming shield walls against the pursuing Acedens.
Adriel wriggled in his arms. “No, there are people back there. We have to save them!”
“I’m sorry, Adriel. There’s too many. We can’t save them.”
“Lanaya,” she mumbled.
The Alliance made their way back through the fort to the outer ring. They had made brutal work of the Aceden defenses here, and now most had abandoned their positions to make for the other hilltops. Few dared to stand in their way, but all around them bells tolled, and armies gathered for a counterattack. The Alliance hurried through the streets as arrows hailed down on them and Acedens gave chase.
They eventually stepped onto the shore. Their fleet had already assembled here, and the men made for them, pushing through the shallow waters to mount their gangplanks. Arrows shot from the ships, dropping the pursuing Acedens. The Acedens held their ground for a time, exchanging arrows with the retreating men and ships. At last, a bell rolled its notes, and the Acedens pulled from their attack and slipped back into the fort.
Cain lumbered through the water and up a gangplank. He collapsed to his knees on the deck and set Adriel up against the ship’s mast.
“Cain,” she muttered. “I—I just….”
“Save your strength.” He wiped her face of blood. “Your arms. They’re out of place.”
Adriel nodded and laid down, face against the planks. She gritted her teeth, eyes closed. Cain inhaled and grabbed one of her arms. He pushed, snapping it back in place with a violent pop. Adriel howled, a teardrop rolling down her cheek.
Cain grabbed her other arm. It was now his turn to close his eyes. With another excruciating snap, her arm slid back into its socket. She screamed again, the boards dampening her cries.
Cain pulled her into his arms and she sobbed into his chest.
She continued to weep, muffling her gasps in the folds of his armor. Cain rested his cheek atop her head and simply held her. They stayed in each other’s arms long after the chaos of battle faded into the winds of the open ocean.
The Perfect Monsters
The sun dripped gold over the Eraeos, its bright rays splitting off the masts of ships. Cain stood at the bow of the lead transport, the evening sun basking him in warmth.
He’d saved her. He didn’t know the extent of what she’d endured, but one look at her and he could guess. What would’ve happened to her had he not chased after her? Best not think about that.
He felt worn down, ground to dust by the gristmill of his emotions. Weeks of frustration, of anger and helplessness, had pulled him a hundred different ways. And when he finally held her body in his arms, broken and alone, he’d nearly succumbed to that deeply buried rage and self-hatred. But seeing her eyes open… oh, that had been the most incredible thing he’d ever seen. It was as if a light had blossomed inside him.
He had her back. That realization made him want to weep with joy.
Aren approached and stopped at his side. He leaned against the railing, that look of unease in his eyes. “Our scouts still haven’t seen much of the enemy. The whole country seems to be holding its breath.”
Cain shook his head of the swirling mix of emotions. “They’re getting ready for the siege. They’re gathering, preparing. They’ll want to avoid conflict until they have us in their hands.”
“Even so, it seems odd. If they’re preparing for the siege, then they would’ve had more men and ships at Alkanost. Why kidnap Adriel, why set a trap for you? What could they possibly gain from that when they know you’ll be at Brunein? Besides, they didn’t seem very prepared; they didn’t have the men to defend. They didn’t even have their walls finished.”
“It does seem out of place.”
“Unless it was to keep your eyes off Brunein while they attack.”
Cain turned to his friend. “I told you, as long as I’m not at Brunein, then they’ll be safe. Iscarius only wants me. Before Adriel fell asleep, she told me that Malleus set the trap. I think he wanted the credit for being the one to kill me.”
Aren gazed out over their men spread across the deck, many of them wounded. “We got her back. But at what price? If she knew how many men we lost to rescue her…”
“We have her back.”
Aren nodded. “And I’m glad for it. But Cain… we can’t keep fighting like this. We lose too many men just following our orders. We’re sent across the country to gather forces, only to lose them. We’re intentionally kept from protecting civilians. And this siege. It’s all… I don’t know. Hopeless, maybe. I feel like we’re just pieces in someone’s game.”
Cain clapped his friend on the arm. “No, not hopeless. Not yet.” That light inside seemed to grow. It wanted to spread, to fight against his uncertainties and insecurities.
Aren frowned, obviously unsatisfied with his answer. “Well, you need to take better care of yourself. You’ve hardly slept since we left Alkanost three days ago.”
“Yes, mothe
r.”
“And look at those bandages. When was the last time you changed them?”
Cain glanced down at the bandages wrapped around his arm and peeking from the tears in his tunic. “I’ve had worse.”
“Barely. And you look like you’ve been laying bricks with your face.”
His head felt like it too. “Well, good thing I’ve got a thick skull.” He tapped his head, only to find a tender bruise. “Honestly, Aren, I feel fine. My ribs hardly even hurt anymore.” That was the truth, he did feel like he was healing a little faster than normal. Maybe it was only his muddy mess of emotions distracting him from his pain. “I’m going to check on Adriel again.”
He left Aren and walked across the deck, weaving between groups of men and their evening meals. He descended the stairs to the hold and adjusted a nearby lamp to illuminate the room. Cots and hammocks filled the hold, crates and kegs and barrels stacked in organized piles throughout.
He worked through the maze of provisions and sleeping men to the back wall and knelt beside a bundle of furs in the glow of a lantern. Adriel stirred in her coverings.
“I don’t want to stay down here,” she whispered.
“Sure. I can move you up to the deck, if you want.” Adriel moved to rise. “Just take it easy, you’re safe here.”
She laid back with a groan and watched the flickering light of the lantern.
Cain untied his water skin and tipped it on her lips. Adriel drank small, shaking gulps. Nearly drained, he set it by her head and fed her bits of bread and dried fruits from a satchel.
After a few minutes of thoughtful chewing, Adriel sank back in her furs. They stayed in silence for a time.
“I’m so weak, Cain. I feel…”
“Like a piece of you was left behind.”
Adriel closed her eyes.
“You have nothing more to fear.”
“How can that be, when there are monsters in this world like Malleus? Lanaya, Henrik, Sonja… he killed them all. It’s my fault. I failed them.”
“I won’t lie to you. The world is full of monsters, in every shadow and brightly lit palace. It’s how you defy them that matters. You can either run, face them, or become them.”
“How can I fight them if they’re everywhere?”
Cain smiled down at her. She was so frail, yet so strong. “It’s not about how you fight them. It’s why you fight them that matters.”
Adriel watched the sunrise through the trees. The morning was quiet, the occasional thud of boots on the deck, the whispers of men as they ate, the steady rhythm of ores breaking the water. It felt good to be out in the open air after spending so long locked away. She held her face to the gentle breeze.
Did she deserve this freedom? She’d failed the slaves. She’d promised them she’d get them out, only to lead them to their deaths moments later. And all the other innocent people she’d left behind. How many were there? How many people had the Acedens enslaved?
She refused to let this happen, she’d find and free them all. She refused to fail anyone again. And perhaps a small part of her needed that motivation. The fear and loneliness threatened to swallow her up. That feeling of helplessness closed around her, goading her to give in. She wouldn’t surrender to the despair, not again. Not after what she’d endured, not after the horrors of her childhood where she’d surrendered to her pain for so very long.
She squeezed her eyes shut against those memories. She could still feel the beatings she’d suffered. She could still see the fangs of arzecs as they feasted on—
“I have something you might want,” Cain’s voice said.
Adriel looked up. The nightmares vanished when she peered into those dark, tortured eyes. They melted away like mists banished by the sun.
She found herself smiling. How easy it was to smile when he was around. Cain knelt beside her and held out a bundle of cloth. Adriel stepped forward and lifted the covers.
Her bow! She reached out with trembling fingers and wrapped her hand around its familiar handle. Her strength seemed to pour back into her.
“I can’t believe you found it,” she breathed. “This bow has always been a part of me. Thank you, Cain.” He smiled again and helped strap the quiver to her belt.
“I don’t suppose you found my sword or armor by chance?” Cain’s frown gave her answer. “No matter,” she murmured. She had her bow. That was all that mattered. Well, no sense in wasting anyone’s time. She rolled over onto a knee and made to stand.
Cain stood, hands on her shoulders. “You don’t have to walk. Take it easy.”
Adriel gripped the railing and pulled herself up. “No. I don’t have to. But I will.” She managed to stand, body shaking, pain threating to steal her breath and throw her to her feet.
“Are you sure about this?”
She rubbed her shoulder, the movement causing her to stumble against the railing. “I’ve never felt better.”
“Just take your time, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I have to walk eventually.” She released her support, balancing uncertainly for a moment. She took a testing shuffle forward.
“I promise you Iscarius will pay for this.”
Adriel dared glance away from her feet to Cain. His eyes smoldered like coals. “He’s going to march for the rest of Tarsha…”
Cain blinked. “How did you hear that?”
“I met an Aceden who was quite the talker.”
He grunted, a smile tugging at his lips. “You think it’s true then?”
“You think it’s not?”
Cain shook his head. He reached out an arm and she accepted, using it to steady herself as she shambled. One foot sliding before the next, agonizing inch after agonizing inch. “If Iscarius could destroy Inveira so handily, why stop there? Perhaps Silas was right; perhaps we should’ve stayed in Erias.”
“Perhaps. I don’t know why, but I think this is where we need to be right now.” Adriel collapsed, and Cain grabbed her before she hit the deck. He eased her down against a rail. Curse this! Curse Malleus!
“I hate being weak,” she whispered.
Cain frowned. His eyes watched her, knowingly. “Just rest, we’ll try again later. I’ll go refill your water skin.” He turned and left her.
She was alone again. Alone with her thoughts. No! She would not give in. She dragged herself from the edge of those horrible nightmares and watched Cain go, a smile growing on her bruised and bloodied face.
The gray dusk left the trees in a dreary gloom. A breeze rustled the leaves, punctuating the quiet. Soldiers finished their evening meals and retired to the holds of their ships. A few remained on the decks, playing games and chatting amiably. They lit the torches, their warm glows lighting their way down the lower Eraeos.
Cain stood at the bow of one of the transports. He looked down at Adriel who lay asleep at his feet. He squinted into the creeping dark, his smile fading.
He raised a hand and soon the oarsmen backwatered and slowed the ship to a halt. The rest of the fleet followed likewise, and men gathered on the decks, whispering and searching.
Valerik approached with a look of unease. “What is it? Our scout ships didn’t report anything up ahead.”
Cain pointed over the treetops in the distance. Thin trails of smoke curled over the trees, just visible in the pale light. “Our scouts are focused on the river, that’s far enough out that they wouldn’t have noticed it until right on it like we are now.”
“It could just be a couple campfires? Refugees, maybe?”
Cain turned to the soldier. “Or Acedens. Let’s go check it out.”
Valerik nodded and moved off to gather a few companies. The men collected into formation, boots thudding on the deck.
“Where are we going?” Adriel asked from her bundle of furs.
“We’re just going to check out some possible activity. We’ll be back soon, just rest.”
Adriel threw her furs aside and shakily made to stand. “I’m coming with you.”
/> “There’s no need. We’re just—”
“I need to move around. I can’t stay cooped up on this ship forever.”
Cain helped her to her feet and the two met up with Valerik and fifty men on the riverbank. Valerik waved and led the troops through the trees, Aren, Cain and Adriel trailing after them. Adriel managed to walk now without collapsing, but her steps were slow, weak, and she still shook with uncertainty. Cain and Aren walked alongside her, arms out to catch her if she fell.
A scout came out of the dusk and stopped to walk alongside Cain. “Sir, there’s a village ahead. All of it is burned down. We saw bodies.”
Cain sighed. He’d known what that smoke meant. “Form a perimeter around the place and have Valerik and his men move in. Look for anyone still alive.”
The scout saluted and ran off. Eventually, they came to a clearing in the trees.
The remains of a large village sprawled out before them. Scores of timber buildings lay broken, their vestiges spread across ashen hills. The soldiers cautiously picked through the rubble, ember and smoke lifting from their feet. Lumps dotted the debris, bodies encased in ash. Ravens hovered in the smoky sky.
Adriel fell from Cain’s grip and retched.
Aren knelt beside her, ignoring the vomit. “We can take you back to the ships, Adriel,” he said. “You don’t have to—”
“No.” Adriel wiped her mouth and stood. “I have to see it.” She stepped forward and the two men followed her. Ravens burst from the bodies and cawed at them as they passed. Flayed rags of skin dangled in the charred trees. Heads swayed in the breeze.
A lone tree stood at the heart of the carnage. Bodies decorated the tree like ornaments, meat hooks punched through ribcages. Chains pinned a woman’s body to the base of the tree. Her stomach lay open, her innards splayed out over the ashes. Ravens covered her like a black burial shroud.
Cain flinched at this and turned from the gruesome scene. Adriel fell to the ground, her face white with horror. “Who could have done this? What kind of monsters could do this to their own kind?”
A New Reign Page 21