Tainted Blood Anthology

by Jeff Gunzel

  With no memory of ever removing her clothes, Bella found herself completely naked. Like a dream, everything was happening so naturally, effortlessly. Lost in a blaze of passion, their bodies merged as one. Her hands clutched the back of Rishima’s neck, their eyes remained locked on one another. Those perfect dark eyes sprinkled with flecks of gold, they held her soul as strong as any spell. In an instant, she had gone from never wanting to be held, to never wanting to let go. If I am dreaming, may I never wake.

  *

  Sitting up with his back pressed against a thick oak, Jarlen waited in the forest just off the main path. Alone with his thoughts, he listened to the birds chirping in the treetops. A nearby squirrel chittered angrily, possibly suspicious that the stranger was here to steal his stores of food. All around him, the forest teemed with life, yet he had never felt so alone. He couldn’t help but snicker at the irony. This “freedom” was what he had craved more than anything, even leading him to betray his own flesh and blood to attain it. And now that he was a free man in this wide-open world, the loneliness of it was becoming crushing reality. With no goals, no purpose, or reason to push towards, what would he do now?

  He could still see Viola’s face in his mind, those accusing eyes burning into his soul the moment she knew he had betrayed her. The hurt, hatred, and anger she must have felt. A part of him knew he would never escape those eyes. They would follow him for the rest of his days, that final image of her, burned into his mind as a constant reminder of what he had done. Who could ever forgive such a vile act?

  “I do not seek your forgiveness,” he growled to no one, sweaty fists balling up the fabric of his pants. He glared at a nearby tree as if somehow it were to blame. “You did this to yourself. The strong will always find a way to survive while the weak fade into dust. That is the way of things. That has always been the way. Your trusting nature was your downfall, not me. I am a survivor. I do not apologize for that.” He though that saying the words out loud might help convince him they were true.

  Rubbing his temples, he tried to suppress the painful memories beginning to surface. Searing pain unleashed by the collar whenever his captors chose. Night after night of torture they happily referred to as training. And now his own sister had been pulled into that world. He knew what they would do to her, and it sent chills down his spine. It was a world he would wish on no one, yet he sent her there willingly. “I’m a survivor,” he muttered once more, a final attempt to stave off the guilt and justify his actions.

  He turned at the sound of rustling bushes. Assirra popped through the brush, her hair a tangled mess and her clothes covered with burrs. Her heavy breathing made Jarlen bolt up straight, suspecting she might be being chased. But her glare was more that of an angry woman whose patience was running thin than that of someone being pursued by danger. “Your time is up!” she growled, tossing a sack at his feet. Two pieces of fruit rolled out, one tapping the side of his heel.

  “I thought we agreed I had one more day,” he grumbled, slouching back against the tree.

  “What would you do with an extra day anyway? Lean against that damn tree all day waiting for something to happen? No, we’re past that now, and I need you to make a choice. Do you still not realize what you’ve done? Do you know what is happening to Viola right now?” He flinched and looked away. “Do you?!”

  “All too well,” he growled under his breath.

  “This is your fault, and once again I find myself having to clean up your mess.” She took a deep breath to compose herself. “I will be leaving for Shadowfen in the morning.” She paused a moment as if thinking about her next words. “I need you to come with me.”

  “What? Never!” he bellowed, leaping to his feet. “I lost years of my life to that forsaken city. I was treated like an animal. Worse than an animal! I’m never going back there.”

  “I do not doubt your words,” she said calmly. “I know what they did to you.”

  “You know nothing!”

  “But I do,” she continued. “And not a day went by that you weren’t in my thoughts. I know they treated you like an animal, forced you to fight like some rabid dog whose life meant nothing. But you did it anyway. Day after day you found a reason to push on, to survive just one more day, one more week. Jarlen, no matter how hard they tried to break you, they couldn’t. You have an inner strength that is far beyond any mortal’s. Well, I ask you, where is he now? Where is the man they couldn’t break? Where is the man whose strength has no bounds? Because I need him now more than ever.”

  He rolled his eyes up to meet her pained expression. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “This man you speak of. He died in the pit years ago. Best you come to terms with that.”

  With a blink, her glistening eyes released, sending tears rolling down her cheeks. “Very well,” she said as her voice cracked. “Then I will go alone. Be gone by daybreak and don’t ever return. I never want to see you again.” She spun away, dashing back into the brush.

  “Assirra, wait.” But a swaying branch was the only remaining evidence that she had just been there.

  *

  Still plenty dark, the room began taking on an orangish hue as early morning light crept through the window. With eyes wide open just as they had been all night, Assirra quietly rolled from her bed. Moving past the small table in the corner, she reached out and tapped the sealed envelope containing her written letter. She could plainly see it hadn’t been moved, but felt the urge to touch it anyway as a sort of symbolic gesture. Her instructions to the tarrins in her absence were clear enough and in no way unreasonable. Day-to-day dealings would be carried out as usual. She was not to be followed under any circumstances. She would return as soon as she could. It was Odao’s will that she be left alone to partake in this personal task.

  Adding that last bothered her a great deal. In truth, it had been some time since she had felt his presence. She had no idea how Odao felt about the task she had taken upon herself. It was as if the gods themselves were simply going to let the mortals fend for themselves during this dark time.

  After snatching the stuffed pack in the corner, she tiptoed her way through the temple and down the winding stairs. It would be best if no one saw her leave. She wasn’t in the mood to answer any questions.

  The sleeping village of Eldham was so quiet that she flinched at every crunch of dry grass under her feet. Now and then came the call of a screeching bird, threatening to draw attention to her. It wasn’t long before she was just beyond the village borders and out on the main trail. Ducking off the trail when she recognized her marked spot, she found her saddled horse tied and waiting for her. A sturdy beast, she’d handpicked this one from the stable the night before. Although certainly not the fastest, he could handle the wear and tear of a long trip while being weighted down. After attaching her bags, she trotted off.

  Clopping up the path, she could already feel the loneliness of the open road seeping in. What am I doing? she thought to herself. I’m no hero. What can I possibly do to help her? But the nagging thoughts didn’t stop her. She was going to try. Somebody had to try! She couldn’t just sit back and let this injustice take place. Not if there was some small chance she could help Viola.

  When she passed the overgrown path leading to where Jarlen had been hiding, she reluctantly stopped and hopped down off her horse. Not even knowing what she wished to find, she pushed through the brush and out into the small clearing. He was gone, just as she had instructed him to be. “Good,” she muttered, eyeing three apple cores near the tree where she had last seen him. Already swarming with black ants, they must have been there a while.

  It was good that he was gone. Let him go and wander the world alone while she pushed on without him. But if it was so good that he was gone, why did she feel like crying? Reappearing from the brush, she hopped back up onto her horse and clopped on down the path. It was time to focus. She needed her mind on the task at hand. Suddenly she stopped, smiling without ever turning around.

  “Do yo
u...we...have a plan?” Jarlen asked, wandering up from behind.

  Not wanting him to see her grinning like a child, she kept facing straight ahead. “Like you, I was never very good at planning things. Shadowfen is several days’ ride yet. I’m sure we will think of something before we get there.”

  Chapter 7

  The unlikely pair traveled on through the day, Assirra riding while Jarlen jogged beside her. For him, the measured pace was easy to maintain. Determined to make as much progress as possible, Assirra insisted they ride on without stopping, at least for the first day. Nibbling on dry rations from her bag, she largely ignored Jarlen, who wasn’t exactly pressing her to make conversation either. Both distracted by their own thoughts, neither was really in the mood to chat.

  With the western sky turning a deep orange, Assirra finally decided it was time to stop. Numbness in her inner thighs and backside flared into outright pain when she hopped down from her saddle. Hobbling around just to relax her muscles, she paced back and forth while slapping at her legs. She wasn’t used to riding much at all, let alone for a whole day straight. Eventually, relief came slowly as the flaring cramps became more of a pins-and-needles tingling—till not very comfortable, but at least a more tolerable sensation.

  Jarlen set down a handful of stones around a bare patch of soil and set about starting a fire. Soon, the small pile of kindling and dry leaves was crackling away. Of course, Jarlen made it mostly for Assirra. Aside from the modest amount of added light, he benefited little from the extra warmth.

  Sitting near the flame with her legs crossed, Assirra munched on the food from her bag, which was little more than a combination of nuts and raisins. She hadn’t thought to pack much else, seeing as she would reach her destination within a week or so. Chomping on the tasteless mix, she now regretted that decision. The thought of not a single proper meal for days to come was a bit depressing, to say the least.

  Sitting near her, Jarlen stretched over to grab a handful from her bag. She hardly seemed to notice, her eyes fixed on the small fire. With each consecutive handful, he inched just a bit closer to her. When their hips were almost touching, she scooted away.

  “Do you plan to ignore me for the entire trip?” he asked with a sigh.

  She spared a glance his way wearing that same neutral look. It was so hard to tell what this woman was thinking sometimes. “What is there to talk about? Do not mistake me; I’m grateful you’ve decided to help. But I need time to think. I need to come up with some semblance of a plan, preferably before we reach the city.”

  “I understand. Then please allow me to ask you just one question. Answer, and I won’t bother you the rest of the evening.” A slow blink was apparently all the answer he was going to get. “Why did you send me away in the first place? Why did you turn me over to Shadowfen?”

  Assirra sighed, throwing one hand up in the air. Holding a handful of nuts up near her mouth, she tossed them on the ground near her feet. “Why? Why must you do this now of all times?”

  “Oh, are you too busy to answer the one question that has haunted my dreams for a decade?” He swung his body, looking around with outstretched hands. “We are in the middle of nowhere, preparing to embark on some impossible crusade. I’m here, by your side, and willing to help in any way I can. Forgive me if you think I have overstepped, but the least you can do is tell me why you betrayed me, why I was caged like some kind of wild beast!”

  “Because I was afraid of you!” she blurted out, rising to her feet. After a pause, she softened her voice. “I loved you, Jarlen, but for a long time I literally feared for my life. I feared what you might do to the other tarrins if you ever lost your temper around them.”

  “I would never have hurt you,” he replied, the hurt evident in his voice.

  “No? Have you forgotten what you did to those merchants? You tore them apart right before my eyes!”

  “I was protecting you!”

  “I did not need protecting!” Assirra smacked her hands over the top of her head and spun away. “Men died because of you, because of your uncontrollable rage. Protect me? What did you honestly think was going to happen? Did you actually think my life was endangered to the point where murder was the only available option to you?”

  “Well, I wasn’t about to stand there helplessly, waiting to see what they might do. You know these humans can’t be trusted.”

  “You still don’t get it, do you?” Assirra asked, rushing up so they were face to face. Jarlen didn’t think he had ever seen her this angry. Probably best he stop talking.

  “Your inability to control yourself has cost you everything. I am more than aware of the shortcomings of humans, but they are not as dangerous as you think. Certainly not as dangerous as you are. Greedy by their very nature, they don’t commit to anything unless they’re motivated. They are only dangerous when they have something to gain. Otherwise, they’re more arrogant than dangerous.

  “You killed those men in cold blood! They weren’t going to hurt me. Humiliate me, perhaps, maybe even rough me up a bit. But that would have been the end of it and they would have lived. That is your problem: You take every conflict as some sort of personal challenge, one that must end with you as the clear victor even if it means death for another. Were you planning to spend the rest of your life proving how physically dominant you are when compared to humans? We know you are, and what has it proven? Are you better off now that your hands are stained with so much blood?

  “I couldn’t keep you around me, around those I cared for. In fact, you’re just as dangerous to yourself as you are to others. For everyone’s sake I had to have you taken away. I loved you, yet I couldn’t trust you!” She pointed an angry finger in the direction of Shadowfen. “I had to lie to the humans about what I knew about you. They think those vile acts were committed by some savage child who didn’t yet know his own strength, not a grown man who knew exactly what he was doing. Not a man who was simply—” She swallowed the word, then wiped a tear from her eye. “Evil,” she finished, unable to look him in the eye.

  “I am not evil,” he protested, but his weak words came out like soft air.

  “I dared not tell them you were once my lover.” She winced, the pain of that admission obvious on her face. “Even with you gone from my life, I find myself still lying to cover for you. Not evil, you say? You traded the life of your own sister just to free yourself. If that was not evil, I don’t know what is.”

  Viola, he thought, clasping a hand over his mouth. It was as if it had just sunk in, even though he was fully aware of what he had done. Long-suppressed memories came flooding back. Thoughts tucked into the farthest corners of his mind, hidden deep so as to never to be remembered, came surging from the shadows to assault his senses in a flood of torment. Trembling, he dropped to his knees, his eyes filled with horror. He began reliving those moments all over again, crystal-clear visions of pain as if it had just happened yesterday.

  “Jarlen. Jarlen!” He could feel his body jerking violently, but his mind was somewhere else entirely. “What’s wrong with you? Jarlen!” A series of open-hand smacks pulled him back, brought his eyes back into focus. He looked up at Assirra confused, as if seeing her for the first time. With one hand gripping his shirt, the other poised to strike him again, she slowly lowered it. “Jarlen?” she whispered, unsure if he was with her or not.

  “You’re right,” he said, his eyes wet, lips quivering with fright. “I am evil.”

  “I was just angry. I-I didn’t mean that.”

  “Yes you did, and it’s true. Viola!” His eyes were wide with crippling panic. “What have I done?!”

  Having never seen him like this, Assirra had no idea what to do. Always so confident, so arrogant, he was suddenly just a shell of that man. What had they done to him? What had he endured to cause him to break? Pushing off his shoulder, she rose to her feet. “Wait here.” She practically ran to her tied horse and began rummaging through her bags, spilling much of its contents along the ground in the pr
ocess. She sprinted back, holding an object in one hand. “Here,” she said, running towards him before sliding up on her knees.

  He eyed the syringe, but shook his head from side to side. “What you hold there is a thing of the past,” he mumbled. “I no longer require that serum.” Assirra’s eyes bounced back and forth between Jarlen and the syringe in disbelief. He no longer needed his serum? Since when? What had they done to him? She had never seen him in this much pain. “You’re right, I betrayed my own sister. And now they’re going to do the same thing to her that they did to me.”

  “What?” she whispered, afraid of the answer. “Do what?”

  His watery eyes came into focus, a fire returning she hadn’t seen in ages. For a fleeting moment he became the man she remembered from so long ago. “We have to save her. This is my fault! I have to get her out of there!”

  She cradled the back of his head and pulled his face into her chest. “We will, Jarlen. You and I together will find a way. I promise.”

  *

  Viola woke to a hand gently touching her shoulder. With only the slightest shake she bolted upright, eyes wide open as if waking from a nightmare. She could have been having a nightmare. It was hard to tell anymore, seeing as how both dream and reality seemed to blend together as of late. Neither one felt real, yet she always felt herself hoping to wake. “It’s time to eat,” said Salina, trying to force a smile for Viola’s sake. “Come on, the others are gathering. They’ll eat your share if you don’t hurry.”

  “The others,” Viola repeated, more to herself. What others? She had sparred an entire day with the survivors of that ruthless test, yet couldn’t picture any of them. Only one face came mind. Those wide-open eyes, accusing, loathing her even in death. It was no more than she deserved. She knew those eyes would haunt her the rest of her days.