by Jeff Gunzel
Milo couldn’t find his voice. Stunned, he couldn’t even move as the giant’s meaty fingers rose up to clench the sides of his head. Although the effort seemed minimal, Diovok’s iron grip was like that of a grizzly. Mouth gaping wide open, the king slapped and clawed at the giant’s meat-hook hands. “Diovok, please,” he gurgled in a strangled voice, eyes rolling up into the back of his head. Lifted off the ground, his body convulsed, legs quivering in spasms. With a crackling crunch, the sides of his head caved as both eyes popped free of their sockets. Diovok dropped the sack of wet meat, letting it fold down to the ground like a spongy blanket.
Although not a small man by any measure, the king’s corpse seemed tiny now, crumpled and limp like a noodle. As a puddle of red pooled out from the crushed head, Diovok stepped over the corpse to stand before the clerics.
One would think the mousy little men might run in terror, begging for their lives after what they had just witnessed. But they did no such thing. Many of them smiling, not a one looked surprised by the outcome. “Welcome back, my Lord,” one cleric said, dropping down to one knee. Without hesitation the others followed his lead, all dropping down with their heads bowed. “We worked hard to bring you back, and now we only wish to serve you.”
Confused, hardly able to believe what had just happened, a few of the soldiers made a break for the exit. But when Diovok raised his hand, the door slammed shut. An invisible force picked up one of the soldiers and sent him flying into the far wall. The impact was so great that his bones crunched into dust, leaving a wet red splotch against the stone. Running wildly with no real direction, one by one the others met similar fates. Panicked soldiers rose up off their feet before soaring across the room.
Metal armor bent, ribcages imploded, and skulls flattened until all the king’s men were little more than crumpled piles of flesh and broken bone. With all of them dead, there was not a single witness left to report what had happened here today.
It came at the sacrifice of some of their brothers, but the red clerics had completed what they set out to do. What they had always intended to do. King Milo was no longer the ruler of Shadowfen. It was time for another to step into power. They had now chosen that leader.
Chapter 19
Viola ducked just as the weapon flashed above her head, then dove into a forward roll, easily evading the next two that came stabbing in. Springing back to her feet, she spun back with her weapon ready. Crack. She stopped the third wooden sword cold in its path. “You missed your opportunity!” Viola said, evading another clumsy strike before kicking the woman in the shin. The blow was not hard, but it was enough to disrupt her balance, sending her stumbling back.
Stepping away to reset, Viola twirled her wooden sword in one hand while eyeing her students. “I was vulnerable for a full second, an eternity on the battlefield. Yet you never seized the opportunity.” Since she was taking on five lerwicks at once, it was hard to be sure who she was scolding in particular. All of them most likely. “A moment’s hesitation can be the difference between life and death. Remember that.” She slapped her sword against her thigh before dropping into a low stance. “Again!”
After only a brief hesitation, two rushed her head-on while the other three tried to flank her from each side. Clumsy and unskilled, the lerwicks came in at all angles, flailing and stabbing in chaotic fashion. Had they displayed any competency at all, they might have overwhelmed her by sheer numbers alone. But the awkward display was more like children swinging sticks at bees than anything resembling a skilled sparring session.
But it was just as well. Viola recalled when she, too, had had no idea how to handle a weapon. They had to start somewhere. At this early stage she would not judge them on their skill, but on their heart and determination. So far, the signs were encouraging. Their skills would increase as long as they were willing to put in the effort.
Viola spun left and right, her blurring blade solidly deflecting blows she shouldn’t have been able to see coming. Wooden swords rained down on her, each deflected blow occurring only a fraction of a second before the next. Any coordination at all would have made the group effort indefensible, but their lack of teamwork allowed Viola to show off her highly tuned swordsmanship. Timing their strikes, sensing their unwavering patterns even if they themselves were not aware of them, Viola kept in tune with the whirling pattern.
Knowing just where and when the high strike was coming from—having already seen it done multiple times in a row—Viola quickly dodged two more strikes before exploding her weapon into the predicted spot. With tremendous force, Viola’s blade arrived a split second earlier than the other. It caused the lewick’s sword to shatter in her hand, sending hot vibrations rattling down her wrist.
Kicking the woman in the chest, Viola sent her sliding back along the ground. Barely recovered from the direct assault, she looked up to see Viola’s flesh blade pointing right between her eyes. “What have we learned?” Viola asked, not really expecting an answer. “Hesitate on the battlefield and it might cost you your life. But if you become predictable, you are dead for sure.” They all nodded, although it was unclear whether or not they really understood. But that was all right too. At worst, it only meant they were eager to learn. Viola could live with that. It would take time, but she would make soldiers out of them yet.
“You five,” Viola said, handpicking three females and two males. Because the lerwick sexes were so different physically, she wanted to mix them during the drills. They needed to get used to working as a unit. Strengths and weaknesses would balance out once they figured out how to work together.
Hamas, Owen, and Liam stood near the far wall, watching the sparring session with great interest. Despite Liam’s extensive military experience, he promised himself that he wouldn’t get involved. This was Viola’s time to make her mark. She had grown so much since their paths first crossed. For better or worse, her legacy was being built right before his eyes, and he wasn’t about to stand in her way.
“Is this how you imagined the future you created?” Liam asked, watching as the next group surrounded Viola. Little doubt this next session would end the same, but they would be better for it. The sourly inexperienced group needed the work.
“I’m not sure what I imagined,” Hamas admitted with a chuckle. “One tends to check their expectations when trying to play god. Believe it or not, even my ego has limits.”
“I was beginning to wonder,” Liam laughed. Hamas’s point was well taken, and hardly an exaggeration by any measure. He had indeed done the impossible and managed to play god in many respects. “But you must have had some result in mind, correct? There must have been some foresight, some vision, a goal you were trying to achieve.”
“I suppose I did, at first, anyway,” Hamas said, the pitch in voice softening somewhat. “When I first began my work, my intentions were good. Pure. My goal was to find a way to deal with an inevitable reality. I knew the ghatins would be a problem someday. If not necessarily in our lifetime, then for a future generation to be sure. One day they would need to be dealt with, and if I could somehow contribute in some small way...”
“But...” Liam said, turning away from the sparring session to give Hamas his full attention. “Why do your words have the feeling of a confession?”
Hamas sighed. “In many ways, I am a prideful, arrogant man. As the failures mounted, I began to grow more and more frustrated.”
“Failures?” Owen chimed in. “I’m not sure anyone has ever thought of creating life as an easy task. Why, if I go a day without getting slapped or having a drink thrown in my face, I consider that day a success. I think ye standards might be just a touch too high.”
“The highest!” Hamas said sharply, not all that amused by Owen’s joking about such a serious topic. “You just don’t understand, do you? I am not like you, or like anyone for that matter. My mind is not average by any stretch. I have read entire books in under an hour, then recited the words back almost word for word. I have solved math equations th
at have plagued our scholars for decades. I do not fail at anything. Instead, I succeed where others fail. Furthermore, I did not create the lerwicks. That had already been done centuries ago. I was only attempting to bring them back, a feat that should have been easy for one such as I. I thought it would be easier, but when it proved to be more difficult than it should have been... I...”
His vacant eyes drifted away to a far-off place as the memory came back to him. “I became obsessed. I wasn’t used to disappointment, yet I seemed to be dealing with it on a regular basis. And then there was maybe the biggest reason of all. I am old.”
He shook his head as if saying the words out loud had forced him to face his own mortality. “My years are numbered, a reality we all must face sooner or later. And what had I accomplished up to that point? I mean really, truly accomplished. Yes, a few folks might remember the brilliant old man who astonished people with his clever mind. But memories of that old man would fade soon enough. I wanted to leave my mark on this world, to do something no one had done for hundreds of years. Before I knew it, I had become obsessed. I wanted my name to live on long after I was gone.
“Oh, now, don’t mistake my ramblings for an apology. I have nothing to be sorry for. The lerwicks needed to be brought back and I was the man who could do it. But in the end, I was doing the right thing for the wrong reason. Time will tell if history will remember me as a hero or a villain. But either way it will remember me.”
A scream drew their attention back to the sparring. Perhaps Viola had gone a little too far that time. But no, the sparring had stopped and heads were twisting about in search of the source. A second cry rang out, the hissing screech seeming to come from everywhere at once. Catching everyone off guard, a running tackle knocked Viola to the ground. Just barely able to grasp the attacker’s wrists in time, Viola pushed back against the woman. Her teeth clicked, snapping at air as she tried to bite into Viola’s neck.
Liam and Owen sprang into action, quickly wrestling the girl off Viola. With the thirst taking hold as it had, she was difficult to restrain even for one as strong as Owen. What’s more, she now had two new human targets to choose from. Turning her face from side to side, she viciously tried to bite each of them in turn. Each time she moved one way, the other was forced to compensate by holding on to her tighter. The back-and-forth struggle became a dangerous seesaw battle, each snapping lunge coming down to a matter of inches no matter which way she turned.
“Grab the serum!” Liam cried out, pointing with his foot towards the corner of the room. Hamas ran towards the sack sitting on the floor, his quivering fingers fumbling around the drawstring to open it. Finally, he retrieved one of the syringes and came running back with it. “Stick it in her neck,” Liam ordered, his voice strained. With her strength substantially enhanced by the thirst, keeping her immobilized was becoming nearly impossible.
Holding the syringe with a shaky had, Hamas jabbed it towards her in a timid fashion. It was obvious he had no idea how to administer the serum. “Here!” Viola said, snatching it from his grasp. Not being the least bit gentle about it, she jammed the needle into the woman’s neck. Instantly, her thrashing stopped as her eyes went wide. Pulsing black veins spidered up her body, covering her neck and face in a dark webbing. Calming, she blew out an icy-cold breath as her eyes rolled back. Liam and Owen carefully lowered her back down on the floor.
“I thought you made sure that each of them was taking the serum,” Liam scolded, carefully slipping his hand out from behind the woman’s head. “You were lucky we were here, otherwise she could have caused a lot of damage. Maybe even killed a few of you.”
“I know!” Viola said, not in the mood for a lecture. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and shook her head, looking down at the woman. “But...of course, you’re right. I should have been watching closer. This is my fault. If I had just been—”
“You are now a recognized figure who holds a position of power and rank,” Liam said, stepping in close so only she could hear. Viola braced for the inevitable scolding she knew was coming, but knew she deserved. “Which means you must try to find the good in any situation, no matter how badly things went wrong. What’s done is done, so your only option now is to make sure the lesson has been learned.” With a subtle gesture, he tipped his head towards the lerwicks. “This is not a time for apologizing, nor is it a time to look weak in front of those you command. Do you understand what I am saying?”
Nodding her understanding, she stepped away and stood at the center of the room. “I assume all of you saw that?” she said. “I warned you of the thirst and the hold it has on our kind. At least some of you seemed to heed my warning.” She pointed down to the now unconscious woman. “She, however, did not. And look at what happened! Taking such a risk is unacceptable. Defying my orders will not be tolerated.”
“But it’s never happened to any of us before,” one man protested while nervously twisting a hand on his wrist. He was obviously quite shaken by what he had just seen. They all were.
“That is because your keepers,” she flashed a look towards Hamas, “always made sure you were given enough blood to stave off the thirst. It doesn’t take much, only a few drops in most cases. But that is why none of you were even aware of this infliction. A drop or two in your food and you were none the wiser. However, this is the real world. I will not shelter or coddle you. Follow my instructions and we will not have a repeat incident. Forget to take your serum,” she eyed the woman once more, “and I will put you down myself. Am I clear?” Their silence was answer enough.
The door swung open and in rushed Bella and Rishima. Viola’s heart sank. How had they heard about the incident already? This wasn’t fair. She had it under control...mostly. They promised they wouldn’t interfere with her methods, so why were they... No, the looks on their faces was not anger or even disappointment. It was horror. Shock. Something had happened.
“The curse has been lifted!” Rishima blurted out, rushing up to them in a panic.
“What?” came nearly everyone’s reply at once.
“The ghatins,” Bella chimed in. “We have received word that the ghatins have sacked your home city.” Her gaze shifted between Liam and Viola. But although both were from there, she was speaking mainly to Viola. “The city has been purged. None were left alive.” If either of them was emotionally crushed by the news, they didn’t show it. “And...the ghatins are still in the city.” Liam’s eyebrows climbed a bit higher, his first show of emotion. “They used no ash, and they have yet to return to the volcano.”
“Other reports are coming in as well,” Rishima said, finally regaining enough composure to keep speaking. “Towns all over the realm are being attacked. There was no warning, no ash, and the ghatins are occupying the towns they take. It is just as we have always feared. The curse is broken and the ghatins are free.”
“Good,” Hamas said. Heads turned, stunned at the old man’s position on this terrifying news.
“And why is this good?” Owen asked, the question all were struggling to voice through the shock of the news.
“I see we are not all in agreement,” Hamas replied, the wrinkles around his eyes scrunching together with his amused grin. “I suppose I just don’t see the point in fearing what we all knew was coming. I understand that most of you hoped this day would never come, but I’m afraid that destiny cares little for the hopes and wishes of fools. I, on the other hand, was the only one who was prepared.”
“That is because you are directly responsible,” Liam growled. He knew the only way they could have broken the curse was by sacrificing one of Hamas’s lerwicks.
“I assume I have moved the date of their escape closer, if that is what you mean.” He shrugged. “But there was no other way. What I did was a necessary evil, if you will, in order to prepare for the inevitable. How long do you think it would have been before the ghatins freed themselves without the aid of my life’s work? A few years? Maybe even a century or more? Perhaps. But the end result would
not have changed. Either we as a species defeat them here, now, solidifying our places in history as the victors, or we wait. We wait for a future generation to face the same danger with no possible chance of defeating them.
“I made sure that we had a fighting chance, and I will not apologize for that. You all seem to think that the ghatins have been released into our world. Well, I say they’re trapped here! No longer can they slip away into the night after applying their hit-and-run tactics. No longer can they flee to go hide in their fiery prison. Do not fear them, my friends. Our ancestors beat them once before, and now it is our turn to do the same. But unlike those generations before us, we will not imprison the demons. This time we will annihilate them and make sure they never return.”
He stepped over to Viola, throwing his hands up on her shoulders. “This is why you are here, Viola,” he said softly. “Your mother gave up everything so you could be standing here today. But although I gave you the gift of life, I assure you that gift comes with no strings attached. From the moment you took your first breath in this body, you have been your own person. You answer to no one, not even to me. Be true to your heart and there is no way the choice can be wrong.”
Hamas turned to the other lerwicks. “And that goes for the rest of you as well! You were created for a single purpose, yet I cannot force you to fulfill your destiny. Each one of you is different, unique with your own thoughts and feelings. The gift of free will is just as precious as the gift of life. And both are yours to do with as you wish.”
He sighed and lowered his voice. “But understand this. If you choose to go your separate ways and leave the humans to their well-deserved fate, then you will most likely doom yourselves as well. You may flee to the countryside, hide in the forests of Ayrith, but sooner or later the ghatins will find you. Scattered and unorganized, they will pick you off one at a time. You either face them now as a united force, or end up on the wrong side of a widespread witch-hunt. But face them you will.”