Ascension

by B F Rockriver

  Shaking too violently to control himself, Eli’s hands slipped, causing his axe to hit the ground. Bending at the waist, he grasped his quivering knees for support. Forcing himself to take deep, deliberate breaths, he tried to calm his mind, piecing together what happened. Wayland was a good man, he thought, tears pooling in his eyes. Looking down at the axe now lying next to the body, its blade covered in reddish black ichor, he realized what he had just done. Eli had killed the smith with his own axe.

  “He would have killed me,” he said sobbing, “That wasn’t Wayland, not anymore. That wasn’t Wayland,” he repeated, as tears left streaks through the gore and grime that covered his face. As he wept, something landed on his foot. Still looking down, he realized what it was, and shouted, “Oh, come on!”

  Wayland, or rather his torso, was crawling across the ground with one arm trying to find Eli’s leg. The ruined mouth still clicked away as it tried to bite anything it could find. Shaking the hand from his boot in disgust, Eli stomped his foot down on the creature’s already fractured skull. The flimsy bone casing burst like a melon falling from a table, as a chunky gray-brown mush exploded onto the forest floor. Decayed brains curled around Eli’s reddish-brown boot, as the creature’s arm fell limp for the final time. Reaching for the fallen axe, Eli’s movements were slow and hesitant. While trying to avoid coming in contact with the torso at his feet, he slipped in brain matter. The sudden shift caused Eli to stumble and flung the sludge onto the handle of his weapon.

  Well, I’ll have a mess to clean up later, or Kata will kill- The thought died as he rushed towards his family, grabbing his bow on the way.

  Branches snapped and dry foliage crinkled underfoot as he sprinted towards his cabin. Eli knew that it would take him twenty minutes if he sprinted to get back to his family. Images of zombies shambling into his peaceful clearing flashed into his mind. The thoughts were like waking nightmares—visions of Kata and the twins being attacked by undead horrors sent adrenaline coursing through his veins. I need to get home. If there’s one, there may be more.

  His wife could defend herself better than he could. Hell, she taught him most of what he knew. But she had two children to protect. The more people you have to look after, the harder it becomes. As Eli ran, his mind raced, thinking of what could be causing the dead to rise. It’s that cursed temple, I know it.

  Trees flew by as he ran, their branches scraping shallow cuts into Eli’s flesh. His legs burned from the strain of sprinting for over two miles. Closing in on the clearing, he could see a bright orange glow slipping through the gaps in the tree-line. He sprinted faster, his muscles pleading with each step. The tips of fire danced above the tree-line like wisps to a melody, growing larger with every stride. Shrill screams shattered the late afternoon sky, breaking the eerie quiet. They came from the direction of his once peaceful glade; they came from his home.

  “No, stop. Don’t harm her. I’ll give you whatever you want.” Kata’s voice filled the air, her voice firm, but pleading.

  Eli stopped at the edge of the tree-line, being sure not to expose himself. Not knowing the situation, he looked out over the small open space to check for threats. Flames roared as their cabin burned, bathing the area in intense light. All of their livestock lay dead in their pens, their throats slit or heads crushed. Three armor-clad figures stood in Eli’s vegetable garden. They were across the fields from Eli, but well within bowshot.

  One man stood nearest to the blazing structure, while two others flanked Kata. Eli looked on at the slight frame of his son’s broken figure. Eric’s ruined body lay at the feet of the person closest to the cabin, bleeding from several wounds. His face savaged, spewed blood from his nose and eyes. Unsteady breaths caused the boy's chest to lift and fall slightly. The person standing above him was a pale ghostly looking Cloud Elf draped in scarlet robes with a black lining. His left arm wrapped itself around Savannah’s neck, like a python coiled around its prey. A dagger floated inches from her left eye, lifted by an unseen current of air.

  Tears rolled down Savannah’s face, but she stood calm and unmoving, teeth clenched. Her eyes were open, cold, and devoid of fear as they shifted from place to place. Eli stepped back, deeper into cover, not wanting to give away his position. Any sudden movement could cause a panic that would lead to his family’s death. Being sure to make no sound, he reached for his bow. As he prepared himself, he kept his eyes trained on his wife.

  Kata stood before the two remaining figures with a short sword in her right hand and her boot knife in the other. Blood seeping from multiple wounds on her body and face gave her a grim look. She had been fighting all three before the marauders captured the twins. The sight filled Eli with panic, anger, and no small amount of pride. His wife was a force of nature; she had held herself against three Adventurers.

  “Hey, Chris,” a stout dwarf-like figure clad in heavy, darkened, chain mail armor called back to the lanky wizard, causing the thin man to grimace, “I mean Koldun. I don’t see any Hunter here, just this chick and her kids.”

  “He’s here, and you better fucking find him.” The man’s order came out in a slither as if his tongue was forked.

  The remaining two figures stood waving their weapons towards Eli’s wife. The Dwarf in sturdy armor wielded an odd-looking scepter in his left hand and a relic with sharp angles in his right. A plaited leather helm protected his face, preventing Eli from getting a good look at his facial features. The second figure was seven feet tall, wore very little armor, and no helmet. His size made him look like a giant next to his companion. The hulk’s rounded bunched together facial features reminded Eli of a pig. Two large horns sprang from the crown of his head, curling in a spiral pattern to the rear. He looked like an oversized orc or half ogre. In his hand, he held a long two-handed claymore with the ease of someone holding a twig. As he swung his weapon, his grip shifted from one hand to two in a practiced motion. The Stonekin looked out of place in Scorn, as they were not on good terms with humans, or wolffen.

  Koldun called out from behind Savannah, his grip on her throat tightening, “I told you, we’re just here for some information and your stuff,” he said while waving his free arm in smooth arcs. The caster’s movements caused the dagger to swoop in the air. “If you would have told us what we wanted and handed over your belongings, this never would have happened.”

  The being holding the massive sword took a step closer to Kata, “You stupid NPCs don’t know your place. Just give us the damn quest and location of the Temple of Aeryntorr. Then we’ll leave.” He smiled, “After taking your shit.” The tip of his sword danced in quick circles as he spoke, “That blacksmith told us you would know how to find it. Sent us looking for someone named Eli.” His scratching voice paused as a grin formed on his face, “Right before we split him from ear to ear.”

  Anger and hatred filled Eli’s soul, his hands reaching for the quiver slung to his back. They did that to Wayland. They attacked my family. They burned down my home, he thought, his fist tightened around the bow, enough to cause the wood to strain. At that moment, he knew he would kill these men. He had to.

  Eli watched on, ready to attack, but before anyone could act, Kata sprang into action. Her knees bent like a coiled spring before she leaped at the man with the massive blade. A quick feint of her sword shot towards the man’s unarmored chest, causing him to block. She then sidestepped to his right, moving into his guard. Her movements blurred together as she sliced her knife deep into the exposed flesh of the Orc’s forearm. Kata’s grip loosened for a moment as blood trickled down her enemy’s arm, severing tendons. Unfazed by the crippling attack, the man smiled. It was as if he felt no pain.

  He mumbled at the Dwarf under his breath as a strange golden glow enveloped his body, “I don’t need your help. I got this bitch.”

  The massive warrior glanced at his wound as it healed in an instant. Shaking his head, he shot the Dwarf a stern look, then got into position. A moment later, the stout man with a scepter clenched his relic
in his fist and chanted under his breath, creating another wave of golden light. Crap, he’s healing him, Eli thought to himself, training an arrow on the man holding Savannah. But I’ve got to save the kids. He let his grip loosen slightly. Before he shot, Kata turned her head slightly, as if she knew he was there and gave him the signal to hold.

  Eli watched in fear and indecision. He knew that his wife was right. They didn’t know he was there, and they were looking for him. If he were to make his presence known, the adventurers would kill his family. Suddenly, the Dwarf’s chanting stopped, and the Stonekin’s wounds vanished. When the healing glow faded, the heavily armored man planted his feet and rushed his foe. The cleric’s stocky legs generated momentum at an alarming pace, allowing him to close the distance between him and Kata in a blink. Noticing the on-coming attack, she slid forward into her enemy’s reach, while leveling her sword at his chest. Inches from impaling himself, he shifted his weight, sidestepping the blade. Now, parallel to Kata, he aimed his heavy spiked cudgel towards Kata’s exposed face. Lifting his weapon, twisting at the waist, he attacked. The force behind the crushing blow was enough to smash a small boulder.

  Struggling with an urge to change targets, Eli kept his bow trained on the wizard while Kata held her own against the two powerful adventurers. With the grace and speed of a dancer, Kata lowered her stance and swept a leg towards the squat figure, halting his advance. The maneuver caused a momentary break in combat, as the flow of battle reset itself.

  “I told you, we know nothing. You can keep what you find here, just let the children go,” she snarled at the on-coming assailant. “There’s no need to fight,” Kata shouted with rage. “At least one of you will die here today.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Eli could see the stocky figure, as he sidestepped behind the taller man, attempting to get into Kata’s blind spot. As soon as he disappeared from view, the taller man swung his sword in a large horizontal arc, causing Kata to roll to her right, leaving her wide open. Kata twisted away from the attack, taking her eyes off of the Orc to follow the healer’s movements.

  Eli wanted to scream a warning as the warrior used the Dwarf’s distraction to slam his gauntleted fist into her face, but he stayed silent. He had to trust his wife to recover and stay in the fight. The force of the blow knocked her to the ground. Noticing another opening, the Orc followed up with a knee aimed at her jaw. Kata flung herself backward, landing on her back, with her arms pressed against the ground. The devastating attack had missed her chin by less than an inch. Seeing his wife out of immediate danger, Eli released a sigh.

  Eli knew what would happen next. She had done this to him in training a thousand times. As expected, she launched herself back to her feet with a deft spring and a fluid attack. A flick of her wrist sent dirt and rocks into the eyes of her opponent, followed by one of her boot knives. Stepping back a few paces, the large adventurer lowered his sword and clutched at his face.

  “Fuck.” The word hung in the air as the man roared in annoyance, scrambling to remove the debris from his temporarily blinded eyes.

  The belt knife sheathed itself to the hilt in the overgrown man’s neck, cutting off all sound, and dropping him in an instant. He wasn’t dead, but he would be out of the fight. With the man down, Eli pulled the string of his bow, checking his aim. You only get one chance to surprise an enemy.

  “Enough,” the robed figure shouted, the floating knife inching its way towards Savannah’s eye.

  The tip of the sinister blade caused her to blink, and a shallow cut opened up on her skin. A single drop of blood seeped from her eyelid.

  “Drop your weapons, and give us what we want,” the magic-user hissed as he kicked Eric in the ribs. The attack halted the child’s breathing, but he was still alive. “Or your children die.” Eli saw his enemy’s head move slightly. A nod followed a wink in the Dwarf’s direction. “Don’t worry, though, after they die, I’ll need some new minions. So, I’ll bring them back,” he said with a grin. “Then, we’ll hold you down and force you to watch as your children eat the pieces we carve from your body.”

  Eli changed locations, looking for a better vantage point, one with a clear shot on the thin Elf. Savannah was still standing, unwavering, while one eye sat closed. The thin streak of blood dripping from its lid pained Eli, making him furious. He could not wait any longer.

  His agony grew as Kata dropped her blades with a sigh of resignation. “Let my children go. We will do whatever you ask. But,” she hesitated, “ we do not know where the temple is.” While she said nothing of Eli, she wasn’t lying. He had never told her of the temple’s location.

  A burst of uncontrollable laughter filled the air. “Now that’s a good girl.” the Elf said as he released his grip on Savannah. The blade still hovering in front of her eye as he continued. “But if you have no information, you have no use-,” The man’s words were cut off as Eli’s arrow slammed into his chest.

  Time slowed for Eli as a chain of events unfolded in sequence as if choreographed. Looking down at his chest, an arrow sprouting from his heart, the Elf grimaced. A single, imperceptible twitch of slender Elven fingers caused the floating dagger to move as if stuck in molasses. A fount of blood followed whimpers of pain.

  Eli roared, “No!”

  His vision was blurring from the volume of the voice escaping his mouth. His hand loosed another arrow, sending it rocketing through space. The stocky figure slammed his scepter into the side of Kata’s face, dropping her to the ground. Savannah’s body dropped to the earth, a dagger sprouting from her still closed eye.

  The arrow flew as Eli’s hand whipped back to grab another. His vision muddied as a fountain of tears sprang forth, mixing with the dirt, blood, and grime from his previous battle. He could still see his target. Two arrows stuck in his chest like the branches of a tree. With a wound that would kill any normal man, Eli’s target looked down, peering at his chest, refusing to fall—refusing even to blink. The thin man tore an arrow free, a slight spurt of crimson following its head.

  “Who the fuck is out there?” The Elf called out in frustration. Then the realization hit him, bringing a toothy smile to the man’s face. “It’s the Hunter, find him.”

  Eli’s third arrow slammed into a newly formed field of shimmering magical energy. Unphased, he fired another arrow to the same effect. He knew that his attacks only gave away his position. As he turned to circle his enemies, he fired another arrow, this time at the man’s head. His projectile smashed into the shield, cracking it. Before he could reach back for another arrow, something firm and leathery wrapped around Eli’s chest. Someone grabbed him, pulling him deeper into the woods. He had no time to react, and even less to struggle.

  Falling backward, off-balance, a twinge of pain erupted in Eli’s back. A sharp, cold object ran through his armor with ease, tearing through muscle before sinking deep into his chest. They stabbed me, Eli thought. The image of a needle being pressed into a balloon came to mind as something burst in Eli’s chest. There was no pain, only the loss of breath as he coughed blood into his hands. Looking down at his burning cabin, the strength drained from his knees, causing them to buckle.

  A strange tingling sensation washed over Eli, like a limb falling asleep. The dagger lingered as unfamiliar sensations began spreading through Eli’s body, radiating through him in waves. A sense of calm washed over him as the object slid out of his back in a slow, steady motion. Thick warm liquid poured from the hole it left, filling the inside of his sturdy leather armor. His assailant pulled him close, wrapping him in a gentle embrace.

  “Eli, I’m sorry.” The tender voice of someone familiar whispered in his ears. “I had to do this.”

  Eli knew the attack was fatal. The thought somehow reassured him as he watched his wife stand, scream, and charge the tall mage. She ignored the chanting of the cleric who was now hovering over his fallen companion. Kata released her fury into every quick step, while Eli watched on, amazed at her ferocity. As she ran, the Elf stomped
his booted foot, snapping Eric’s neck with ease. The subtle rising and falling of his son’s chest stopped, his body going limp. Savannah’s lifeless body sagged as she fell forward. No longer supported by her murderer, she hit the ground.

  The corpse of Eli’s daughter laid crumpled over her brother’s, as if in a loving embrace. With another flick of the mage’s wrist, pillars of bright emerald light erupted from the ground, directly beneath Eli’s wife. Kata screamed in agony, her body covered by searing green flames in an instant. Her steps continued as she pushed through the pain, trying to reach the man who had slain her children.

  As his world crumbled and burned around him, Eli watched with wide eyes. He had failed. His family was dead or dying, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Eli seared the image of this brutality into memory. He etched the physical features of the three adventurers into his soul. Then, with every ounce of his spirit, Eli prayed to whatever gods would listen and cursed these adventurers. He wished for their souls to be damned, for their kind to be stripped from the land, and burnt to ashes.

  Eli’s body gave out as he too fell forward, his breathing shallow, and the blood coursing through his veins slowing to a halt. As his eyes closed, Eli’s anger broke like a fever and regret set in. No one would avenge him or his family. These adventurers would never see justice. Even if they did, they would be reborn. Acceptance set in as the painful tingling that crept over his body gave way to a cool feeling and a sense of dissociation. His mind broke, as his soul was extracted from its mortal shell. Kata’s screams were the last thing Eli heard before the world fell silent, and his vision faded to black.

  Chapter 3

  Eli floated in an ever-expanding void of nothingness, for what seemed like an eternity. His psyche fractured and rebuilt itself an uncountable number of times. Each torturous second drew out as if it were a lifetime. Memories and abstract notions, such as his sense of self, shattered into countless grains of sand, before being spread throughout a vast desert. Each fragment appeared so small, yet so very important. Time became nothing more than a concept, unflowing, and unyielding. He existed in this nightmare realm, and there was nothing more. He was just another idea, split into its parts, along with the billion pieces of his past. Just another thing being broken down, sorted and rearranged.