by Cara Violet
“The Daem-Raal.” Arlise said.
She squinted, trying to get a better look. On the ledge, a man was bound. His hands were tied out beside him on a wooden pole and his shaggy hair was muddled over his face. But he was wearing what looked like a white Liege chestplate and robe.
After a moment with his mouth wide open, Arlise whispered: “Father?”
Kaianan’s jaw dropped. What? This man was Arlise’s father? This was Dersji Brikin? She knew Arlise adored his father, but she did not know how he would react to seeing the guy: it had her slightly fearful, and her worry escalated when he suddenly moved away, looking like he was about to skin a Seevaar alive.
Holom she had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well. “Arlise,” she quickly said in his earshot, regaining her breath and standing up. “Arlise.” She got to him and touched his arm, and all he displayed when he turned to her was a face full of fury. Maybe he was willing to skin her alive too? “Arlise, we can do this together …”
“And then what?” He said scornfully. “Perish? No, we must set up a diversion.”
A diversion? He was currently boiling like a tasty Ebel after being cooked al dente, how was he in the right state of mind to plan anything? She looked back to the mountain ledge, trying to assess entry and exit points – then she stopped and gulped – at… it couldn’t be. A tall foreigner who stood next to the bound Dersji Brikin, had twisted round to show his full face in her direction. His pointy ears, black eyes and long platinum blonde locks immediately sent the hairs on the back of her neck up. This was the creature that had appeared on Earth, that had her sister captive in chains—Levon.
“What do we do?” Kaianan whispered to Arlise, attempting to avoid acknowledging the thumping going on in her chest, “That’s Levon. He kidnapped my sister.”
“Let’s go north, this way,” he said and started carefully moving.
She nodded but her body took over and tore her eyes back to the sprite. There were several entry points she could use to take Levon by surprise. Although with the amount of Daem-Raal present they would have to be almost invisible before arriving. Couldn’t be too hard, she was trained—
And just like that, her thoughts deserted her with a rush of blood through her cheeks. Her eyes held their sight on a small box enclosure just behind Levon. What was that inside?
When thin, fragile and suddenly familiar hands began clawing at the bars, Kaianan nearly went into cardiac arrest. She, herself was willing to start skinning Seevaar’s alive, and boil screeching Ebel at the sight—
“Chituma,” Kaianan breathed out.
There was no beat in her chest. It had stopped. She advanced forward in haste and after one step, had tripped over her own feet, sending her body falling to the rocks. There was a loud noise from the thud, and frantically trying not to displace any more pebbles, she looked up. It was too late, Levon had spun around, and spotted her.
She got up and kept running.
“Kaianan, we need the higher ground; we will get slaughtered if we don’t move.”
Her neck jerked sideways and somehow Arlise was running beside her.
“Higher ground? Right,” she said more to herself.
It took her almost a minute to realise her body was radiating a violet skin of flames, and with an unexpected sinking feeling gurgling in her belly, she snapped her eyes shut. Her body dropped; it was like falling through the ground, down she went. After a long moment, she reopened her eyes and the purple ‘port out vanished into her skin.
“Kaianan,” Dersji heard Chituma cry and then watched Levon jolt his head round. Dersji could not believe he had just seen Kaianan use Kan’Ging and then ‘port in right behind Levon. What had possessed her to leave herself out in the open, vulnerable? And she’d just ‘ported? Stupid wench of a female; he felt like whacking her across the head.
“You used to be wise, Menial,” he said sharply, frowning at her.
“Quiet, Felrin,” Levon said, kicking the wooden box with Chituma in it further away from the two of them.
Kaianan, who gave Dersji a puzzled glance, produced her blade from her scabbard while Levon brought his red aura up around him. Dersji was struggling to stop himself from sniggering at the sight, meanwhile having the time to unwrap one of his feet free from the post he was tied to.
Levon retrieved not his bow and arrow but a long sword from his own scabbard and Dersji was sure it was over for his former Menial. She stood like an unkempt court jester, no elegance to her at all. Then the sprite threw his blade at her and, in one swift movement, kicked her in the stomach; she fell back, tumbling to the rock surface, rolling to Dersji’s feet.
Looking down at her stop, face up, and analysing those big green eyes of hers, a mixture of emotion overcame Dersji. He saw below him, instead, a girl who used to call him names and scream at getting beat at swordplay, to a girl who used to cuddle his leg and become sad when he would depart for the weekend, to a girl who he would set alight or attempt to drown, in practice for her Shiek Verticals… why did he suddenly feel this, this weird sentimentality?
By some means, his cheeks had spread and his lips had formed into a smile. “If I knew any better, Kaianan, I would say you will lose this fight. Have you had your transformation ceremony? Leave the Kan’Ging, it has deserted you.”
She frowned, lifting herself up, a hollow look captured her eyes. “Who are you?” she asked, and with that, Dersji knew her memory was still well and truly trapped inside her.
“That’s a great question. I’m Dersji Brikin,” he beamed, clutching his hands against the wooden pole, trying to yank his wrists free.
“Me!” Cuki called out from somewhere.
Dersji rolled his eyes watching the little critter make his way toward them. Several times the tiny Daem-Raal had pestered Dersji in that case during the time he had been captive. Talking to him about how slow and stupid the others thought of him. Truth was, they were all stupid and slow. Yet Dersji’s revelations made the creature grow fonder of him and he started bringing things to him. He felt somewhat guilty when he started asking, but, if it gave the Daem-Raal purpose, why wouldn’t he help a runt out? Plus, he wasn’t as bad company as he first thought. Well, maybe he was, but he didn’t deserve a death sentence because of that. “Cuki, now is not the time; bugger off,” he growled.
He took his eyes back to Kaianan as Cuki scurried safely off in the distance. This time, he sorted his cognition out, removing the emotion, and made some proper calculations about her—she had ‘ported here (which meant she again was given a gift not suited to her race), was noticeably worse at her blade work than usual, she definitely didn’t remember him, was still just as dim-witted as ever and finally, the amount of growth she had made since he had seen her last, was next to none. What the holom had she been doing? No growth? No progression in any form? Eighteen years of careful and dedicated teaching, he huffed, for what? For nothing.
In any case and trying to look on the brighter side, things could be worse: she was, at this moment, still alive. Even though that was more a discredit to her pursuers than a credit to her, Dersji was undeniably thankful that Arlise, for once, had listened and was accompanying her. He just needed to figure out how he would be able to manage them—hearing Kaianan shriek—especially when they were both as senseless as each other.
“Kaianan, you really need to develop a plan to hone in on your skills,” he said.
“Why are you saying that to me?” she said, running by him. “Shouldn’t you be doing that and trying to escape?”
“Ah, the attitude is fresh off the—”
“Nice reunion we have here,” Levon interrupted, walking closer to them.
“Getting a bit lippy are we, Levon?” Dersji said.
Levon blasted an aura beam through the Siliou at the oblivious Kaianan. Dersji, with one leg, kicked her out the way and, with both his feet free, clutching to the horizontal post with his hands, flipped his lower body upward. The beam soared, hitting and destroying the middle of th
e post that was restraining him, and immediately Dersji tore away the ropes and pieces of broken wood to free himself.
“Ah, thank you, good sir,” he said, saluting his hand across his forehead. “Now, where were we?” He looked around at Kaianan, crouched down at Chituma’s cage, frantically trying to release her sister. “Ah yes, protect the half-wit inattentive, heedless Menial …” He looked further down Rook Mountain and saw Arlise trying to fend off hundreds of the Daem-Raal. “… ah, make that two.” He snorted. Dersji stretched into his back and tried to pluck his hidden sitch blade out from a pocket of his chestplate.
“Blast,” he cursed its absence.
Then Cuki appeared and held up a diminutive blade to him. “Cuki help.” The Daem-Raal beamed.
“What the holom are you—give me that.” Dersji snatched the blade from Cuki and shooed him, “now, scat—or wait, go help—”
He couldn’t finish: something hit him in the gut. With a heavy thud, Dersji was fighting for breath on the ground. In the last instant before keeling over, he swept his right ankle out and tripped his assailant—Humkar could barely get hold of his staff before he was up-ended and lying next to the Felrin. The chances of the Mercury still eating away at his stomach (and his body rejecting the herbs that were trying to heal him), was highly likely; Dersji clenched his fists in anger at the revelation he was running, at best, at thirty percent.
“I’m going to get you out, Chit. Okay.” Dersji overheard Kaianan say behind him, he turned to see her still fumbling with the box and trying to wrench Chituma out. At that second, he was tempted to clobber her over the head with his fist—but Levon beat him to it, clobbering her in the jaw with the hilt of his blade, resulting in Chituma screaming, Kaianan spitting blood and Levon laughing like he had joined the court jester show that was on display—Kaianan its star.
Dersji let out an irritated groan. “Guard your perimeter,” he said to Kaianan, fixing himself up and kicking Humkar’s body down the mountain, “Have I taught you nothing?”
She brushed the dirt off of her clothes, readjusted her bloody chin and said, “Yes, you’ve taught me nothing.”
“Don’t give me that,” he said, jumping a few strides her way and then slamming into Levon’s much larger blade with the one Cuki had supplied him. The only good thing it did was wipe the smirk off the sprite’s ugly face.
“Mr Brikin,” Levon circled Dersji, spinning his sword in a figure of eight. “How are you the most annoying little prick in my side when you’ve been downcast by so many? It’s beyond me.”
“Good gracious, you really have outranked yourself.” Dersji sniffed. “You my friend, are closer to a Mugadeer in talent, dexterity and flair than anywhere near the standards of a Liege.”
Levon’s face contorted, then he smiled through gritted teeth and said, “says you.”
“Yes, says me.” Dersji charged and aggressively threw his blade out, not focusing on his running rate which had probably dropped to twenty percent. This meant Levon had time to safeguard himself from the attack, using his blade and Dersji was an angry mess at his own incompetence.
“Why don’t you go back to your world?” He said to Levon, like he was possessed. “Or is that because the last I heard, the civil war between the Sprites was being lost by the south?”
That worked out well for Dersji, he had endeavoured to get Levon’s temper going, and the sprite was swinging his sword out in apparent ferocity, shouting: “When that door is open, and the Pernicious are released, this whole galaxy will burn!”
“Holy—” Dersji let his smile fall when he heard Kaianan yell.
“I’ll kill her,” he said, watching her cavort like a Mugadeer away from Humkar’s oscillating staff. “Use your Felrin swordsmanship, Kaianan,” he said in between throwing clashes at the Sprite. “Get grounded and set up your foundation. And where the Holom is Arli—”
Levon’s blade had swiped his arm, a small incision dripped blood down Dersji’s wrist. The shock confounded him; energy, he did not have, skill, deserted him, concentration, whittled—was death close by? And how was he going to get them all out of this situation? “Dammit, Kaianan,” he said, deflecting another of Levon’s attacks and booting the Sprite in the stomach.
“What are you talking about?” Kaianan who was huddled low at Chituma’s box, had a sense of guilt wash over her. What did Dersji just say? Something about Arlise? Where was he? She quickly scanned down the mountain and her heart leapt. Arlise was running into the forest, fleeing the Daem-Raal, who were now returning up the mountain. “Looks like he’s getting to safety—”
This time pain shot through her jaw; Humkar’s staff had connected with her cheek and had thrown her sideways.
“You think you’ve come here to take her away?” Humkar’s eyes lit up while Kaianan scrummaged around on the ground looking for her blade. “You’ve come here to help us free our master.”
“I’ve come to free the innocent you have detained.” She spoke into the rock surface and spat blood.
“She was purchased.” This time Humkar swung the staff above Chituma’s box.
Kaianan screamed and so did Chituma. Chituma’s petrified face sent Kaianan into an unnerving frenzy, the likes of which she had felt before and given the circumstances, she wasn’t surprised when her body lurched upward in an eruption of green light.
Dersji’s jaw dropped. Glowing in green light in front of him, his former Menial was spinning in the air.
Suddenly, slithering serpents began to appear out of Kaianan’s cranium, small tiny snappy snakes hissed as they pierced her skull and greeted the air. Dersji was in shock. A gold chestplate, spinning in green light, then wrapped around her upper frame with a locking click. A Gorgon tail morphed her two legs together and shot out to a three-metre length. Swiftly she revolved as it formed, using her tail to smack Humkar in the abdomen, and send him flying across the Rook Mountain clearing.
Dersji froze. The light had dropped from her and he could see the light green skin all over Kaianan’s body. Even though he was over a thousand years old and alive when Medusa was born, he had never actually seen the fully formed Gorgon hybrid. Drawings and carvings, yes. But the real thing, no. Here was Kaianan, a Gorgon, a Menial, his Menial, the defiant girl he had come to know, an actual anomaly. A hybrid. No part of him could believe it.
“Pretttttyyyyy …” Cuki said, pointing at the bright colour of green shimmering around and out of her.
Dersji blinked. “Yes, even the snakes coming out of her head.”
Cuki nodded, missing the sarcasm and grinning in agreement.
“Anything is pretty to you, ugly swine. What are you still doing—”
Dersji let his eyes get the better of him; his ribs were pummelled in sending him soaring backward, and all he could do in reflex was grasp onto the assailing leg that hit him, and bring his assaulter down the rock face with him.
“Blast!” Arlise had been calling out to the others, but no-one was listening. He had no choice but to seek cover. He was regaining his composure deep in an area of dead habitation in the forest. Something was wrong. Something was stopping him using the Siliou. He couldn’t muster any type of power to take down the Daem-Raal or assist the others. Was it being back here that stripped him of it? Had being a captive Relic on Croone for twenty years taken away his capabilities as a Conductor? He knew he was better than this. He squeezed the hilt of his blade and knew he had more fight in him than this.
“Did you sees him?” He heard one Daem-Raal say to another. Arlise leant back against the thick tree trunk he was hiding behind and turned his head. There was only two of them.
“I thinks he went that way,” the other pointed.
“Masters will be happy mes thinks, if we bring back the Relic.”
“Masters only wants the Door open, silly. The Felrin is doing that … no, no the girl. Yes, the beast is the sacrifice.”
Arlise gulped. He couldn’t hear anymore. Was he really going to stay here and avoid this fight? Even t
hough he was thrust into the situation by her, it seemed fitting that he should fight. He was beginning to warm to the girl and her death would be tragic …
Would it? Did he care? With her terrible manners and dominating personality? No way. But his father needed help and if he had to fight off hordes of these creatures with only the physical capabilities of a preform, then so be it. He just hoped his training hadn’t deserted him after all these years. Only one way to find out. He moved out from behind the tree and ran for the two Daem-Raal, with the only goal of getting back to the mountain and back to his family.
Kaianan was unsettled. Her body was not used to being in Gorgon form. She was frail and relied purely on her aura to support her. She clenched her Silver Rapier. “Move aside, Chituma.”
Her sister did as she was told and edged toward one side of the box. Kaianan levered her tail and smashed the side of the crate. It fell apart on impact and Chituma scurried out freely.
“Kaianan, watch him, he’s coming for you!” Down the mountain, the cry emerged. Had Arlise come back or was it Dersji Brikin? Before she could even register who the voice was talking about, she was seized from the rear and felt a sharp point on her skin. Levon’s blade was pressed in the middle of her back, just out of reach of her serpents.
“Now,” he whispered, “I have our sacrif—”
A poisonous sound had hit them all at once.
It was a sonic wave of painful, high pitched noise and the spectators on Rook Mountain keeled over in torturous agony, clutching their ears. What was going on? Kaianan gasped at the bodies falling to the ground around her.