by Zel Spasov
Once, she had come back to the Starosta manor after a long and tiring mission. Cayden had been the first to run out of the house to greet her. He had leaped into her arms, shouting, “Aunt Penny’s back!” Persephone wasn’t comfortable with physical contact and ordinarily didn’t allow people to touch her. And yet, little Cayden’s hug had made her feel like she wasn’t the worst person in the world. It had made her feel… loved. Although she wouldn’t admit it, not even to herself, this memory was one of her greatest treasures. It gave Persephone her humanity back.
Her eyes teared up. The day Persephone had found out that Cayden was her next target, she had gone into shock. For some time, she had worked on locking away her feelings connected to him. She couldn’t let emotions get in the way of her job. If the sign of providence had singled him out, it meant he was destined to become the vessel for the next great evil to befall the world.
***
At the palace of Agapea, King Fraud paced nervously in the throne room while Count Porcius bit his nails. A guardsman entered the hall.
“Well?” the king asked impatiently.
“There's no news from the headhunter, Your Majesty,” the watchman replied.
Fraud scrunched his fingers into angry cannonballs. How could the headhunter he’d sent after Cayden have failed? The Red Evil was growing restless with every minute that he remained free.
If Fraud succeeded in delivering Starosta to the Evil, he could pursue his own goal undisturbed—absolute power over Agapea and Windhaven. Only after gaining control over the two cities could he live peacefully as Lucrecia Fraud. He dreamed of the day when his subjects would accept his real, beautiful self, dressed in a stunning, silky dress. And if they didn’t, he would behead them.
He’s only option now was to go to war, take over the city of Windhaven with the Evil’s help, capture Cayden, and deliver him to it.
“Count Porcius,” the king said, “we march to Windhaven.”
Then he instructed the guard, “Take the following message to the generals: line up the soldiers in the main square. King Fraud will hold a speech.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” said the guard and left the room.
“But, but, the Festival of Nine Moons!” said Count Porcius in protest.
“To hell with the Festival!” said Fraud. “Porcius, I don’t know if you realize this, but your life is hanging in the balance. Put on your armor!”
He didn’t mean it as a threat, but as a warning. Because his own life depended on capturing Cayden Starosta as well. It was true that, for some, the Festival was a sacred time; the declaration of war during the holiday meant offending the gods. But their opinion didn’t matter. The Red Evil was the real master here, at least for now. When the time came, King Fraud was going to remove It from its throne...
***
Agapea's army had gathered in the main square in front of the palace.
In Windhaven, Queen Mira's army was lined up and waiting for its leader's speech.
The citizens of Agapea had come to hear the king speak.
The crowd consisted mainly of mothers, children, and those who were too old or sick to fight.
The mass was buzzing with excitement and anxiety simultaneously.
Tension hung in the air.
King Fraud's servants helped him put on his armor inlaid with a roaring lion in gold.
Queen Mira's subordinates put on her a silver breastplate decorated with the coat of arms of Windhaven.
Couters, cuisses, and greaves followed.
Queen Mira took her sword, propped it up on a table, and walked over to the purple curtains, behind which was the balcony from where she would hold her speech.
Fraud drew the curtains, and the sunlight blinded him.
Mira squinted into the distance and stepped onto the balcony.
The crowd fell silent.
The soldiers stood at attention.
Fraud took a deep breath...
“Citizens of...” Queen Mira said in a loud voice.
“Agapea...” Fraud’s voice soared above the crowd.
“… soldiers of this great city!”
“Two days ago, the Windhaven scum attacked us during the sacred Festival of Nine Moons!”
“Many of our brave warriors died that day.”
“Mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters lie dead today because of this attack.”
“But today, justice will triumph!”
“Today, we will send our answer!”
“Today the corrupt Agapeans...”
“The wretched Windhaveners...”
“Will pay for their actions!” Mira raised her metal fist in the air.
“We fight for freedom!” The crowds in Agapea rejoiced.
“We fight for justice!”
“We fight for peace!”
“And when we go our way into the battle...” Mira's eyes flashed with rage.
“… we shall be accompanied by the spirits of our slain mothers and butchered fathers, our murdered sisters and strangled brothers.”
“The path we have chosen is full of danger, as all paths are.”
“The cost of peace is always high, but Agapeans have always paid it.”
“And in this battle, we shall break the enemy...”
“… and justice shall prevail!”
“For Windhaven!” Queen Mira raised her sword.
“For Agapea!”
Among the rejoicing soldiers was also George, who was beyond exhausted.
Victor, the man who had helped Monsieur Gèroux sneak into Windhaven, was one of the few who didn’t scream enthusiastically after Queen Mira's speech.
George hadn’t slept for the past two days, except for his regular blackouts.
Victor saw nothing good in the coming war. He was afraid for his wife and daughter. He had almost lost them in the past, and now this conflict threatened not only their lives but the lives of all Windhaveners.
George was shaking with fear. He wanted to cry, but he didn’t have the strength to do it.
Victor used all his remaining energy to not collapse.
As the gates opened and the army marched east to Windhaven, George noticed the fearful faces of his brothers in arms. At that moment, he had a sudden insight.
Victor, an experienced soldier, knew that celebrations, upbeat speeches, heroic stories, and legends of great battles weren’t the real face of war.
The real face of war was that of the scared soldiers, who, despite exhaustion and fear, fought against an invincible enemy—death.
The problem was that death always prevailed.
Always.
Chapter 15
T he trees thinned as the group, led by Cayden, neared Agapea, its city walls emerging in the distance. The burbling of the River Toska stayed behind them, replaced by the thundering yet rhythmic sound of a marching army. The sun had already risen, and slowly but surely was climbing into the sky, its rays gleaming off of the armor of Agapea’s soldiers. The purple flags they carried, decorated with Agapea’s coat of arms, a roaring lion, flapped in the air. They poured out of the city like ants advancing toward Windhaven.
“We're late,” Cayden said.
“We can still stop the war!” Charles said. “If we defeat the Red Evil, this madness will stop!”
The Rabbit was right, but first they had to figure out a way to sneak unnoticed into the city.
“Where is Bernard?” Cayden asked when he noticed that the wolf was gone.
He looked around. The headhunter was sprinting toward the army as fast as his condition allowed him, waving a sword and shouting something.
“He’s going to give our position away!” Charles said.
Badgers erupted from the ground around Monsieur Gèroux and immediately overwhelmed him, pinning him to the ground. Despite his stubborn resistance, the wolf couldn’t free himself from the small beasts’ iron grip.
“Let me go, you miserable...”
“I ca
n’t say I'm surprised,” Charles said. “What else were we expecting to happen? He told us he would betray us once we get to the city walls.”
Jean the Frog was with the badgers. Cayden was glad to see that he’d survived, even if it was just because they needed the extra frogpower in the fight against the Evil. Nothing else mattered now.
The Frog was accompanied by another wolf, who looked remarkably like Monsieur Gèroux. His eyes gleamed with the same kind of strength as those of the headhunter. Unlike Bernard, this wolf radiated cool calmness and equanimity.
“Captain Zacharie Gèroux,” he said, extending his hand.
The identical last names were probably not a coincidence. Cayden didn’t know if all wolves looked alike, but the captain and the monsieur were definitely related. Bernard was like fire, and Zacharie was like ice. They were like two sides of the same coin.
“Cayden Starosta.”
“I know who you are.”
“He isn’t a... subject of the Evil?” Charles asked, gesturing at the captain.
“He met the Old One. Now he’s like new,” replied Peter, one of the badgers.
“And Monsieur Gèroux...?” Cayden asked.
“Is my brother,” said Zacharie.
“Ha!” Bernard laughed. “Some brother you are. You’ve allied yourself with these rodents, and now you’re leaving me in their hands. I would’ve never done anything like this to you.”
“Excuse him. He's the passionate type,” said the captain.
Cayden nodded. He had witnessed Bernard's fiery temper firsthand.
Zacharie ordered the badgers to release him.
“It’s been a while,” the headhunter said sarcastically. “What happened? Were you fired? I knew you were unfit to be Captain of the Guard. Your place is with this scum.” Bernard nodded at the badgers, who bared their teeth in response.
“I saw the truth,” said Zacharie. “The Red Evil has corrupted all Agapea. This war is its fault. Thousands will die if we don’t stop it.”
“Is that so? And who’s paying me to be interested?”
“After the war, there will be no one left to pay you,” his brother replied.
The tension reached dangerous levels as sparks started flying between the two brothers. Cayden watched them anxiously, worried that they would lunge at each other at any moment.
“You’re all crazy,” said Bernard. “You've invented this Red Evil to justify your actions. Can’t you just admit that you want power and money like any ordinary crook?”
“That has nothing to do with it,” said Zacharie.
“Speak for yourself,” said Monsieur Gèroux. “And now what? You’ll tie me to a tree and leave me here?”
“No,” said the captain. “We’re giving you the choice to fight on our side.”
“And if I refuse?”
“Then I can’t help you.”
Bernard looked like thunder. Surrounded, he couldn’t fight or escape. The rational decision was to join them. Cayden saw the logic of it, but he couldn’t be sure the wolf would feel the same. The headhunter scowled, glaring at his brother. After a few moments, his angry expression faded to one of resignation.
“You leave me no choice,” he said. “I’ll fight on your side, then.”
“And the Corruption?” Gregor, another badger, asked. “We still need to cleanse him..—”
“We don’t have time,” Peter said.
“Bernard is the strongest wolf I know,” said Captain Gèroux. The monsieur’s eyebrows shot up. “If there’s anyone who can defeat the Corruption with the sheer power of his will and stubbornness, it’s him. I trust him. If he says he’s going to fight on our side, then he is.”
“It’s true,” said Jean the Frog. “He’s strong and keeps his word… on the rare occasions he promises something.”
Jean and the monsieur shared a look filled with intensity. As far as Cayden could tell, there was some backstory there as well, though he didn’t know what exactly. It seemed that the Frog had decided he could trust Bernard for now.
“Jean, I’m glad to see you’re all right,” Cayden said. “I never thanked you for your sacrifice. I remember everything from before. I’m sorry for what you had to go through after my disappearance.”
“Mmhm,” said the Frog, giving him the same look he had given Bernard. “So you remember now, do you? You remember how you abandoned us at the mercy of the Evil?”
“I understand it caused you a lot of pain,” said Cayden.
“Then you understand why I can’t trust you completely,” said the Frog.
“I do,” said Cayden. Jean the Frog was one of many who still doubted him. “I will make it up to you once this is all over. Right now, we need to work together to destroy the Evil.”
The Frog nodded in agreement.
“What's the plan?” Cayden asked.
“This passageway leads to an abandoned warehouse in Agapea,” said the captain, pointing at a medium-sized hole in the ground. “From there, we'll sneak into the palace. Its defenses are weakened, as most of the soldiers have been mobilized in the army. We’re going to find the Red Evil and defeat it, thus freeing everyone from its shadow and stopping the war.”
“That sounds simple enough!” Charles said.
The badgers entered the tunnel, followed by Jean, the brothers Gèroux, Charles, Cayden, and the Sloth. The only light underground came from the torch that the captain was carrying. As they walked in the gloom, Cayden thought of Mira. His meeting with her had almost broken him. She had sentenced him to die without even giving him an opportunity to explain himself. Not that he knew what to say. Although the wall separating him from his memories had cracked, he still didn’t remember everything. The last piece of the puzzle was missing. He couldn’t tell what it was, but he felt it was somehow connected with the red strip.
Inside the tunnel, Cayden lost track of time. After some minutes, or maybe even hours, they finally reached a ladder leading up to the abandoned warehouse, where a considerable number of badgers had gathered. With the fighters of the Resistance, their group had a chance of defeating the Evil.
“Does everyone know the plan?” Gregor asked.
“It's not much of a plan,” said Theodor.
“Guys,” Peter said.
“What?!” the other two asked.
“We have company!”
Guards swarmed in from the wide doors on either side of the warehouse. The soldiers formed lines, their weapons pointed at the members of the Resistance. The badgers bared their teeth, growling.
“Members of the Resistance,” a guard said. “Opposition is futile. Surrender!”
“You surrender!” Charles said.
The guards looked confused.
“N-no,” said the guard, scratching his head. “You’re the ones who are surrounded. You must surrender.”
“That makes sense,” Gregor said.
“Enough talk,” Theodor said and charged the enemy.
The badgers followed him, slamming into their ranks.
The brothers Gèroux fought side by side, cutting down soldiers by the dozen. Cayden joined them, swinging his sword wildly. The more he fought, the more his memories of the sword fighting classes his parents had made him take returned to him. Charles, Jean, and the Sloth followed them. The sounds of clinking and clashing steel filled the warehouse.
There was a pause in the onslaught of the guards, and Cayden took the opportunity to look around the battlefield. For a moment, he thought he was in another place, far away from here. He blinked. The guards seemed to be wearing white clothes, and his companions had transformed into people in pajamas. He shook his head. The distraction had allowed an enemy to sneak near him. The watchman hit him on the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him down. He pointed his weapon at Cayden's heart...
***
Charles paced nervously in the dining room of Mercy Psychiatric Hospital. They still hadn’t come up with an escape plan, and Cayden wasn’t showing any signs of recovery. Mo
nsieur Gèroux was sitting at one end of the room, hands tied behind his back. They were in a stalemate.
“Lenny, we have to do something!” he said to his large companion, who didn’t respond. Charles buried his head in his hands. “You aren’t being very helpful right now...”
A noise of approaching steps came from the hallway. The sound grew louder as orderlies and the security staff shouted something. Doctor Dimitriou’s attack was coming.
“Go to the barricade!” Charles shouted.
The patients lined up at the doors, ready to defend the dining hall against the assault of the staff. They weren’t going to last long without help. Persephone’s forces would break through the barrier and lock them in their rooms. Cayden would be in Doctor Perfect’s clutches by the morning.
Someone turned on the radio. “My Generation” by The Who was playing, the sound of electric guitars and drums reverberating in the air. The orderlies and the security staff pushed against the doors with all their might. The barricade buckled beneath the blows but held with the help of the patients. Sooner or later, however, the orderlies were going to break the barrier and rush into the room.
One after another, ladders appeared at the windows. The direct attack had just been a distraction. While the patients were busy defending the main entrance, the enemy was going to flank them, bypassing the barricade.
Charles and “The Sloth” looked out the window. Dozens of techs and guards had gathered at the bottom and were already climbing up. Charles pushed one of the ladders, knocking it down along with the people currently on it. Lenny did the same, but the orderlies on the other ladders reached the top and started entering the room. The first enemy was greeted by the crushing embrace of “The Sloth,” who grabbed him and threw him out of the window. Two more came in his place. Charles ran to Lenny’s aid, but an enemy stood in his way and grappled him. The two fell to the ground. While they were rolling around, Charles noticed something alarming. Amid the chaos, Monsieur Gèroux was untying himself, unnoticed by the other patients. Charles’s opponent used his distraction to grab him by the throat and choke him. After unsuccessfully trying to get the assailant off of himself, Charles felt around for anything he could use as a weapon. He pulled the foot of a table near him, and a metal thermos fell on the floor. Charles grabbed it and hit the tech on the head with it, knocking him out. It turned out that metal thermoses were very good for laying people out.