by Rob Donovan
He connected with his arm and felt the vibration ricochet up his own arms. His blade bit into Xandemon's wrist but nothing more. It was a strike which should have seen hand separate from arm. Xandamon grunted in pain the Prince scrambling to his feet and struggling as his injured leg threatened to give out underneath him.
His father reached Xandamon and aimed his attack to connect at the same point as his son’s. The King's blow was truer and his sword bit deeply into its target. This time Xandamon roared in pain, dropping his scimitar and lifting his arm to the air. His hand flopped uselessly down, connected by no more than a few tendons. Upon seeing this, Xandamon howled in rage, the noise so deafening that those immediately surrounding him ground to a halt. Even the Glooms hesitated.
"Unite!" Althalos yelled as loud as he could. "Frindoth unite!"
"For your region, for your loved ones, for your future, unite!" his father shouted.
Xandemon grabbed his injured hand with the other and with a ferocious yell ripped it away from his arm. He hurled it at Jacquard who blocked the limb with his shield.
"Kill the Glooms," someone shouted and a roar of approval greeted the cry.
"Fuck Lakisdorea," another yelled and received equal encouragement.
Althalos nodded. He could sense the mood of the battle changing. The war which had seemed a lost cause for so long now had an element of hope to it. He saw the gelatinous Gloom disappear amongst a cloud of swords and men. He saw Lakisdoreans begin to retreat, terror in their eyes as Snowlanders and Meadowmead warriors turned on them.
Unperturbed by the sudden turn of events, Raoul Seth continued to rain down blows on Atikass. It was the first time Althalos had witnessed someone who could equal his brother; he decided he didn't like it. A custodian crashed into the ground mere feet away from them sending a shower of stones and mud over Althalos. Another fell to the mud, riddled with arrows, blue blood spewing from the wounds like ink blots.
He did not know how long the winged allies would last in this war but without them the outcome would be bleak.
Raoul Seth rallied his nation calling them to him and then fending off the newly formed allied enemies. Likewise, the Glooms, no longer hindered by restraint in which they could kill, turned even more feral.
Xandemon surveyed the action as his Glooms ripped into all who opposed them and then looked at Althalos and his father.
"I saw it, for the briefest of moments you had hope, didn't you?"
Chapter 30
Something had happened the second the Custodian had lifted Norva into the air. It was like a bolt of lightning had shot through her veins.
She could tell the Custodian was as shocked as she was, as the creature lost concentration briefly and dipped in its ascent. For her part Norva was equally surprised. She sensed the nervous energy the winged creature possessed, the proudness of its race, how uncomfortable the creatures were engaging in such a bloody conflict.
You can understand us.
Norva struggled to think as the warriors fought beneath her. Ahead, King Jacquard and the others raced towards Xandemon and Cordane. She could understand the Custodian, then why was she only sensing this now? She had visited the Marshes of Night twice and been carried before but had never detected anything. Was she supposed to speak out loud? That was how she communicated with Clarabelle, yet was that out of habit? Often the panther understood her thoughts, especially over long distances. She knew the large cat paced on the edge of the battlefield waiting to enter the fray if Norva would allow it.
I guess, she thought lamely.
Your beast kinship.
I don't know what that is.
You can understand animals.
Yes. Well sort of. I get a sense of their feelings.
You are undeveloped. Limited for one so old.
I can understand you.
Yes, peculiar.
Norva did not know how to take that. She did not have time to contemplate it. She watched horrified as Cordane flew through the air towards Marybeth. The pair collided in a sickening impact and hurtled to the ground. She prayed Cordane would die in the fall but as she was pulled through the air, she saw the warlord already slowing his descent.
The Custodian emitted a few clicks and suddenly another Custodian appeared close to the Ghost Assassin. It studied her and Norva sensed its interest and…also...animosity. Before she could convey her displeasure, the Custodian veered away.
Norva probed the Custodian that carried her and was rewarded with talons digging into her shoulder blades. She winced.
If you attempt to seek our secrets I will drop you.
Why?
We know of the past, the now and what will be. Knowledge which is sacred and overwhelming.
But if I am beast kinship as you say, then you deny my nature.
The creature was silent for a moment. Even without reaching out to the Custodian, Norva could tell its mind was working hard to seek a suitable answer. More sharp clicks were met with a frantic response. Up ahead, the Custodians carrying royalty began to descend. Norva's Custodian followed suit. She closed her mouth as the wind resistance on her face increased. She focused on her enemy. Below them, Xandemon watched their approach. He seemed unperturbed by the squadron of Custodians carrying warriors towards him. He calmly descended his horse and then aimed his axe at the Prince. His aim was true but at the last minute the Custodian lowered itself so it caught the brunt of the blow and saved the Prince's life.
The air was filled with loud clicks and clatter. Norva sensed the despair and grief of the collective Custodians and could not help but share their sorrow. Their grief surprised her. For some reason, she expected creatures of such knowledge to be more philosophical about death, but the overpowering sense of sadness was unlike any she had ever experienced.
As the Prince fell, the other Custodians followed his path and Norva heard the King cry out at his son's imminent death, but Norva knew he was in no danger. The Custodians had already decided they would save him.
Norva descended rapidly in perfect unison with the others. She readied her sisters but then had an idea. She was not a warrior. She was an assassin. Her forte was not hand to hand combat (although she was better than most) but stealth.
Pull up, Norva formed the thought as clear as she could and willed it on the creature that carried her. The effect was immediate; the Custodian shifted its course and veered sharply upwards, taking Norva's breath away. She saw hundreds of black spikes protrude through the feathers and fur.
Do not seek to influence me, The Custodian's thoughts in her mind had been wispy almost ethereal, but now turned sharp. Norva sensed anger tinged with a little fear. The Custodian had never met such a strong- willed human before. Several other Custodians drew near.
I'm sorry, I am underdeveloped, Norva said. If the Custodians understood sarcasm they did not show it. The creature carrying her seemed to accept her apology as a genuine one. The spikes retracted immediately. What is it?
I am an assassin, with your help I can strike from above and then withdraw again. The enemy will not know where to look.
Like a viper?
Yes! Just like a viper striking its prey. Norva thought of the snakes in her room as a child and the horrified looks her parents had given her. Looks she had thought were concern for her safety and not because of who she was in their eyes - a freak.
The Custodian sensed Norva's pain but decided not to probe. The Ghost Assassin appreciated the respect went both ways.
Where?
The pair circled in the sky briefly. A winged Gloom attacked but the Custodian shifted out of the way allowing one of its brethren to deal with him. Norva swung helplessly in the creature's grip, her legs swinging outwards and then back again like a human pendulum.
Norva surveyed the ground. She saw the one enemy she wanted killed above all others - Raoul Seth. The King of Lakisdoria had not only betrayed the hundred-year peace treaty but had also colluded with Cordane in breeding monsters. He had warped Atikass
' mind through project Blackthorn and as a result instigated this war. She did not know if the man was responsible for corrupting Scamp's mind but it did not matter. He was part of the same initiative and such villainy needed to be eradicated. Atikass had already made a beeline for the King across the water. For the first time, Atikass seemed to be struggling; Raoul Seth was a formidable foe who dealt with everything the outcast Prince threw at him whilst forcing Atikass back. Behind him two of the Lakisdorean Princes easily dispatched the warriors who engaged with them. Norva’s instinct was to rush to Atikass's aid no matter how much that notion seemed bizarre.
Common sense prevailed however; to attack such accomplished enemies would be suicidal. Whenever she took a job on she always rehearsed what she was going to do and scouted the location and pattern and calculated any extenuating factors which might impact on the kill. She would not have that luxury today, but she could practice.
Practice? War is no place for practice. The Custodian was so incredulous that Norva felt stupid for contemplating the idea.
Just once on those warriors over there. The enemy she had selected were a group of archers who fired relentlessly into the masses. She watched their routing as they nocked their bows, paused, aimed high and then fired. Norva reckoned there was four seconds between each arrow being unleashed. “Now”, she ordered the Custodian.
The advantage of having a Custodian that could read your mind is that it had already heard your thought process. The creature dove just as the latest set of arrows was fired. Norva readied her medium knife and prepared to strike. The Custodian attacked with frightening speed, reaching the archers in less than two seconds. The men were in the process of nocking their arrows when Norva swooped across them, her knife slitting the throats of many. As the Custodian ascended away from danger, she saw at least five of them gyrating and reaching for their throats, blood seeping through their fingers.
Effective, The Custodian thought. Norva could not help but agree.
I'm ready, Norva thought. The Custodian arced around and prepared to attack Raoul Seth when a horrible buzzing filled the air. Norva saw hundreds of faces look to the sky searching for the source of the sudden din. She tapped into the Custodians around her and only sensed the same confusion she felt mirrored in their behaviour.
Surprisingly it was a human that spotted the source of the noise first. Norva saw the outstretched arm pointed to the west; she saw the man back away terrified and then turn to run. The Custodians picked up on this and turned to face the threat. Norva gasped at the sight of dozens of new Glooms taking to the sky. They were reminiscent of hornets, but their sheer size was awesome. Each carried a small bolder gripped in their legs.
"By the Tri-moons," Norva whispered. How were they supposed to deal with such a threat? She detected the apprehension Clarabelle felt and recalled how much the cat hated bees. She had once stumbled upon a hive and had been stung several times trying to flee the scene. Norva had tried to calm the insects but was met with a wall of rage. There were some creatures she could not get a handle on and insects were definitely in that category. Run Clarabelle, get away from here, she sensed the panther's fear but also its determination not to leave Norva.
Please. Run. She could not see her friend but knew that she had not budged. Clarabelle was pacing up and down, bearing her teeth in anger at the sky.
I need to put you down. I need to rally with the others.
Norva nodded. She felt the overwhelming urge to form a line of defence against the new threat.
The Custodian that carried Norva could do nothing but obey the others. Norva did not know if there was a leader amongst the majestic creatures or whether it was a collective consciousness but it was clear that no one individual could disobey the mass mind. The Custodian dove towards Raoul Seth as he stood over Atikass and battered away at the outcast Prince's shield. Norva readied her blade as she had against the archers. Nearby, a boulder crashed to the ground crushing a group of warriors. As she neared the ground the Ghost Assassin noticed that Cordane's army had deserted him. The forces of Snowland and Meadowmead had turned to face the common enemy of Glooms and Lakisdoreans. The small change in the battle made her smile but one look at the flying Glooms dispelled any hope she may have had.
Raoul Seth was too consumed with ending the outcast Prince's life to notice Norva’s approach. She drew a second one of her sisters for good measure. She visualised striking deep in to the back of Raoul Seth's neck and then striking him in the chest as she rolled passed him.
Good luck Beast Kinship, the Custodian thought as it released her when she was less than three feet from the ground. Norva shifted the grip on her blade so she held it face down ready to hammer it into Raoul Seth.
"Father, lookout!" one of the sons had seen her approach. Raoul Seth did not need any more warning than that. He ducked and rolled away without even glancing at the threat. The instantaneous response saved his life. Norva missed her target by inches and had to adjust in mid-flight to avoid killing Atikass instead. The outcast Prince raised his shield and she bounced off it and came to an unceremonious halt in a crumpled heap on the ground.
One of Raoul Seth's sons charged at her, rage etched on his face. She dodged the first strike aimed at her neck and then stepped out of the way of the follow up strike. This angered the son even more who was not used to being denied his kill nor was he accustomed to fighting an opponent so small. Norva hurled a blade at him and then another underarm. He successfully deflected the first but had not expected the second. It caught in his shoulder and span him around slightly. Before he could turn back, Norva had reached for needle, her slimmest sister, hidden in her hair. The son turned to her just in time to receive a leaping Norva on his chest. She screamed as she thrust the needle in to his eye and then into the roof of his mouth as he screamed. She withdrew the blades including the one from the fallen man's shoulder. She scrambled around for the third.
"And they say I am the savage," Atikass said handing her the blade as they turned to face Raoul Seth.
"Who says that? I always thought you were a pretty man who liked to paint himself."
To her surprise Atikass grinned. It was a charming smile considering the war paint and blood caked to his cheeks.
"I knew when I trained you that you were a weakling. Not only did you desert us but now you need a woman to do your work for you." Raoul Seth said to Atikass. The King across the water stared at his fallen son and then at the pair of them. His nostrils flared in anger; a bubble of snot expanding and contracting as he breathed.
"Two sons down, only one left your highness, best you flee whilst you still have a family of sorts." Atikass taunted.
"Allow me father," the last of Raoul Seth's sons came to stand by his side. He had his father’s flat nose but unlike the custom of Lakisdorea, his head was bald.
"Ah Ammar, you know you were always your father's least favourite, don't you? He once confided in me that he wished I was his son rather than you."
Ammar's jaw locked as Atikass continued the taunting. Standby beside his son, Raoul Seth remained silent but Norva could see from the way the King tensed that the words were true.
"I am going to enjoy ending your life Stasiak."
Atikass shrugged. "Even if you do, I will be classed as another one of your failures."
A boulder landed nearby crushing one of the Lakisdoreans who had paused to stand by his King. It caused a mass panic as men began to flee the battlefield in all directions. For the first time pockets of space could be seen across the plain. Norva saw the witch and the warlock embroiled in a bitter cast of spells. Even closer, Xandemon towered above dozens of warriors who rushed to defeat him. A thunderous boom caused them to turn around as several boulders thumped against the white walls and sent them crumbling to the ground.
On the outskirts of the battle Clarabelle revelled in chasing those that fled. Norva sensed the satisfaction as the panther bit down on a victim's neck and shook him like a doll, but the panther always had one eye
on the flying glooms.
One of the Lakisdorean generals screamed at his men to stay and fight but only a few heeded the command. For the majority, the war was over and a haven from the falling boulders was all they sought.
Prince Althalos and King Jacquard charged in unison at Xandemon darting in and out of his legs in a coordinated attack. Both narrowly survived being struck. The outcome of the ground war was balanced on a knife edge, but the war in the sky had only one winner as the wasp-like Glooms overpowered the Custodians by volume alone.
Norva watched a boulder fall and a Custodian swoop down and deflect it away from some stranded men. Archers she had just been attacking now aimed their arrows at the Glooms. They found their targets and a few of the abhorrent creatures fell from the sky.
She took all this in within seconds before Raoul Seth and his son charged at them. Both men aimed their attack at Atikass, but Ammar was forced to change his focus towards her when Norva stepped in front of the Prince. Ammar may have been slight but he was strong. Norva’s blades were made of strong metal that would not shatter, but whether her arms would remain as strong was another matter as Ammar pounded blow after blow at her.
As in the tavern all those moons ago, Clarabelle sensed Norva was in danger. The panther stopped its attack on those in flight and came racing to her aid. Norva tried to warn the panther away but she needed all her focus to be on the man in front of her. She felt a sharp sting on her shoulder as his sword nicked her skin. She was lucky it had not been her eye.
It appeared Atikass fared little better; he was once again on his knees struggling to get to his feet. Ammar came again, this time swiping low with his scimitar in an attempt to cleave the Ghost Assassin in two. Norva danced around evading each attack but it was clear this was a contest she could not win. Ammar was too skilled, too well trained. His life had been about fighting; everything Norva had learned about fighting she had taught herself. She may have been competent, she may have been able to best most but when it came down to fighting the very best, she had little chance.