by K T Munson
They soon entered the walls of the town and other members of the village gathered around them. Someone gave a relieved cry at something Francis Drake said. Instantly the village came to life. The people began to scurry about. Apparently they were leaving.
It took them some time to pack and load onto the great ship. Nobody went to the shore as they loaded provisions into smaller boats. Francis Drake seemed the most pleased as they discussed some of the items. Ralph explained something that seemed to make the sailor happy. He stayed until the last of the supplies were loaded and the last of them had boarded the ship. They at least were safe from the Soul Eater and it meant that he could finally sleep.
Exhausted, he slowly picked himself up from the shore as the massive ship sailed toward the horizon. He wandered into the woods and laid his head down under the widest tree he could find. He imagined what the heat of the sun felt like, dreamed of it. It did not take long for him to fall asleep.
When he awoke, spring had left him and the bright green of summer was in full swing. At first he wasn’t exactly sure what had woken him from his sleep. Then he heard the scream. Vaulting to his feet, he ran back toward the village, following the path in the moonlight. The walls were still there, but it looked mostly empty. He scurried around the side and through the main gate.
He immediately stopped when he spotted the crumpled bodies of at least a dozen men. The tan men had returned, and with each death by their axes and arrows, the Soul Eater became stronger. As the bodies were dragged away, he tried to find a familiar face but found none. Nobody did not know the men; they were not a part of the original group. He only hoped they were the last of the men who would come to the island.
He heard a whimpering noise. He looked up to find the source of it and saw that one of the pale men was still alive. An arrow protruded from the fallen man’s abdomen. Blood poured out black in the moonlight as he clung to life. It wouldn’t last, and Nobody knew what came next—the Soul Eater. Despite the dread, Nobody marched across the courtyard dotted with corpses to stand over the dying man as he struggled to breathe.
It wouldn’t be long now.
Moments passed before the man’s last breath went out of him and his eyes glassed over. After the body stilled, a spirit began to rise from the fallen body. A movement caught Nobody’s eye, and he glanced up to see a blurry image of a man. He had a long narrow face and sharp features. As he floated across the encampment, his hair was as dark as his expression.
The tan men carried the bodies away, but the Soul Eater kept the souls. He took a step back as the Soul Eater began to consume another soul and his body became a little more solid. Their eyes met as the soul screamed, and Nobody could see nothing but pure hunger within them. He was like a starved predator, but instead of meat this creature devoured spirits.
Chapter 37: Morhaven
Selene watched Kerrigan as she slept. She had never seen anyone from another planet before. The dots along her hairline were beautiful. Unlike beings from other places, most Lyreani knew about the gates and the Netherworld. Not much specific, but they knew of their existence. The Guardians of the Gates and leaders of Hystera, Oran, and Tym Resh kept it from their people, but not in Lyreane. They knew because of their dark history—they were the birthplace of the World Eater and the Shadow Clan.
Selene wasn’t sure about Ashlad. Ashladians seemed to know more than other planets, but not know all at the same time. While most Hysterians were kept in the dark, Kerrigan had known about the Gate Guardian—she had called him Troy—though she didn’t know exactly what kind of gate he was a guardian of. She knew more about the Keepers and spirit animals—all of which Selene had asked questions about until she couldn’t think of any more. Selene, in turn, had told her all about the gates and had explained what the Netherworld was.
Kerrigan hadn’t known about the Divine Court, although she said she’d heard Jinq mention the Chaos Clan. She was in awe with the concept of the Divine Court—as much as Selene had been when she had first arrived—and wanted to see more of Morhaven. Apparently her friends had kept many secrets from Kerrigan, which hurt her. Selene could see it in Kerrigan’s eyes.
There came a knock on the door, which roused Kerrigan from her sleep. “Come in,” Selene called out.
Kerrigan rubbed the sleep from her eyes and the little throw blanket slipped off her. Selene watched her with curiosity. She was very pretty, and Selene liked the way her lips puckered when she was sleepy. Fanta stuck her head in and peeked at both of them before hurrying into the room. She closed the door behind her with a sharp snap.
“I had to carefully get away,” Fanta said, glancing over her shoulder as though she expected someone to burst through the door in pursuit of her.
“What did you find out?” Kerrigan asked, immediately jumping to her feet and coming around the bed.
“Elisabeth went through the forbidden gate,” Fanta whispered as though the walls had ears.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Kerrigan muttered under her breath.
“Why is it forbidden?” Selene asked as she sat down in a plush chair, wondering what her cousin had gotten into.
“We must not speak of it because it is prohibited, but rumor is that the banished prince has gone for her. To bring her back to face the King.” Fanta once again glanced over her shoulder as she whispered her response.
“Who is this banished prince?” Kerrigan asked.
“The wordless one, cursed for his disobedience. He spoke out against his father—and the words spoken led to his death,” Fanta said. Selene found herself leaning in to hear the words.
“Why would he send someone he banished after Elisabeth?” Kerrigan asked, clearly troubled.
“They are known to each other,” Fanta responded.
“Let me get this straight,” Selene interjected before Fanta could say more. “My cousin has stolen from a king, started a Wild Hunt, befriended a banished prince, and gone through a forbidden gate?”
Fanta nodded. Kerrigan laughed disbelievingly. “You’d have to meet her to understand that it is all perfectly normal.”
“She has done all that and more,” Fanta insisted with an enthusiastic nod of her head.
“They all sound like terrible things. I wonder at this cousin of mine who steals things, befriends killers, and goes places that cannot even be spoken of.” Selene sighed and settled back in the chair.
“She stopped the darkest evil,” Kerrigan said sharply, and Selene heard the shake of emotion in her voice. “She is a hero.”
It made Selene wonder about Kerrigan’s story as much as Elisabeth’s. Kerrigan wouldn’t speak about how she’d come to be nothing but a spirit. She spoke briefly of how her friend died and how she had come to be in the Netherworld, but she wouldn’t talk about what had happened before, beyond what Elisabeth had done for her. Selene knew all about traumatic experiences, and they were etched deep in Kerrigan’s eyes and words.
“I have never seen a half-breed like her,” Fanta agreed, though Kerrigan gave her a disapproving look at the word half-breed.
“What exactly does she hope to accomplish by doing all of this?” Selene asked.
Fanta and Kerrigan glanced at each other. An understanding seemed to pass between them. Selene watched the exchange as she uncrossed her legs and re-crossed them the other way.
Kerrigan was the one who turned back to explain. “When the darkness was defeated, it was at the cost of another. Elisabeth won’t abandon him. When I spoke to her last, she said that the man saved her that day as much as everyone else, but that she was only able to accept having been saved because of her friends.”
“How long had they been friends?” Selene asked, curious about how long it took before someone risked their life for another.
“Well…” Kerrigan began and glanced at Fanta for help.
Fanta smiled excitedly, like she knew the answer. “He is her assassin.”
“She has her own assassin, too?” Selene asked, shocked, and sunk furthe
r into the chair’s cushions.
“Well, that is how it started out. He was going to kill her, but he couldn’t, and they became friends. They are very similar, actually, according to Elisabeth—both different from everyone else and unsure about their place in the universe. Then again so am I, even if I didn’t know it at the time.” Kerrigan rushed to explain in one breath. “She is a really good person.”
Selene felt her mouth drop open in disbelief. After Kerrigan finished, it took her a moment to process everything she had heard. “You mean…but how…that doesn’t make any sense.”
“That is who she is. She was alone and couldn’t really make any friends. Nanette is really nice. She came and visited me once with Elisabeth. Jinq told me that Elisabeth had saved Nanette from the Netherworld and brought her back home. Then, when she nearly had to stay in the Netherworld, Elisabeth claimed her and saved her soul from a lifetime of servitude.” Kerrigan smiled broadly.
“Technically it is eternal servitude.” Fanta corrected.
“That’s worse,” Kerrigan replied.
“No one could do all of that. No one,” Selene replied with more finality than she was feeling.
Before anyone could reply, the door opened suddenly and they all jumped. Fanta meeped and tried to hide behind Kerrigan.
Torhu came rushing into the room and slammed the door behind her. She leaned against it as the fire in her hair burned brightly.
“There is an unclaimed demon at the gates of Morhaven demanding an audience with King Nauberon,” Torhu exclaimed. “Everyone is in an uproar.”
The conclusion of her sentence was overshadowed by the sound of a great horn. Fear laced through Selene’s veins as she slowly rose to her feet. Her heart pounded in her throat and her mind filled with the rush of blood, pounding like war drums.
“Arawn,” Fanta gasped.
“Another Hunt?” Kerrigan whispered.
“Only a single call. A battle cry—Arawn is calling his hunters within the palace.” Fanta nervously worried her hands.
“It is the Mad Dog,” a voice said behind them, and they all jumped.
Sitting in the chair was a woman in a long flowing robe, her face half-covered by a hood. Her beautiful hair curled around the lower half of her face, and her hands rested gracefully in her lap as though she had been there some time.
Fanta and Torhu fell to the ground instantly and bowed to her wordlessly. Kerrigan tipped her head down. Selene faced this strange woman without bowing—she would never bow to another person again. Not to a man or a woman, not even to a god. The woman tipped her head back, and Selene could just make out her nose.
“What is a Mad Dog?” Selene asked.
“Ah yes,” she said softly. “You know him by another name. Malthael.”
Gasps came from throughout the room but Selene was lost until Kerrigan spoke. “Elisabeth’s father? What is he doing here?”
“Demanding to see his daughter,” the mysterious woman answered softly.
“But she isn’t here,” Kerrigan answered, glancing at everyone else for support.
“He doesn’t know that,” she replied with a curl of her lips.
“What is going to happen to him?” Kerrigan asked. Her face visibly paled.
Before the woman could answer, guards could be heard in the hall. Kerrigan glanced between them and then bolted out the door. Fanta and Torhu both gave a cry and rushed after her. When Selene glanced back to the chair, the woman was gone. She was beginning to get the distinct feeling that a game was being played, that the mysterious woman had shown up at exactly that moment to elicit that exact response. Selene had seen it many times in court on Lyreane to get the King’s favor.
Something to consider, she thought, following everyone out the door before Kerrigan could get too far away.
Chapter 38: Unknown World
“Try that way,” Elisabeth said, pointing at the path that brought them closer to the water.
Nanette tried hard not to glare. She knew it wasn’t Elisabeth’s fault, but Nanette was sore, tired, and hungry. Glancing back at Ki’s body, which she dragged behind her on a makeshift cot, she glowered at him too, though it wasn’t his fault that he was so heavy. The worst part was that he didn’t look like he should weigh that much—he was all sinew and not that much taller than Elisabeth.
Elisabeth scouted out ahead to find the best path. The sun was already waning, a reminder of how far she was from home. It wouldn’t be long before it sunk below the horizon. She understood Elisabeth’s urgency. She didn’t want to be caught out after dark either.
Ignoring the urge to collapse, Nanette took another step, her petite hands wrapped around the wood that connected to the cot. Behind her, a trail of their progress marred the otherwise pristine sand. She shifted her hands again and knew she would get blisters. It was their second such conveyance for Ki—the first one had disintegrated when Elisabeth touched it and it was touching Ki. After that, she had given them all a wide berth. They didn’t have the time to build a third one, and Nanette couldn’t possibly carry Ki.
Elisabeth came back and redirected them from time to time, but they continued at a slow pace. Nanette didn’t have the strength or size to do this kind of labor-intensive task. When the sun started to set, Elisabeth insisted they take a break. Nanette collapsed and instantly considered taking a nap. Her feet throbbed. They were only half way, and she was utterly spent.
“I’m sorry,” Elisabeth whispered.
Nanette snacked on some old jerky as she grimaced at the blisters on her hands. Elisabeth had brought some rations with her, but not much. Elisabeth had caught a fish the night before for dinner, but that seemed like an eternity ago.
Nanette shrugged and instantly regretted it when her arms throbbed. “It will be over soon.”
“Why don’t you rest a while?” Elisabeth suggested.
“Can you break open one of those?” Nanette asked, pointing at a coconut on the ground.
Elisabeth shrugged. “How hard can it be?”
Nanette fought back a smirk as Elisabeth chopped and hacked at the fruit for twenty minutes. “Why am I doing this?” she asked, panting slightly from exertion.
“The water within the coconut is sterile,” Nanette said. “It will help prevent infection when I clean my hands.”
Elisabeth took a deep breath before whacking at it again. This time, the outer edge cracked. Sheathing her sword, she carried the coconut over. Some of the liquid had been lost, but Nanette was able to clean out the dirt. Wincing at the slight stinging, Nanette set the two halves down before moving more into the sun.
“Better?” Elisabeth asked as she sat beside her.
“I will be after a short rest.”
Nanette turned over on the hot sand. The sun warmed her back and filled her with a sense of calm. She sighed as she chewed the last of the jerky and dozed. She didn’t need to be told twice. The next thing she knew, someone was shaking her awake. The first sensation she felt after being startled was coldness. Nanette gazed up at the moon and shivered. Elisabeth’s shadowed face smiled down at her, crowned by thousands of stars.
“We should make it the rest of the way tonight,” Elisabeth told her.
Nanette nodded. She stretched and yawned before getting up. When she did, she noticed her body had left an imprint in the sand. It was the only imprint.
“Did you sleep?” Nanette asked.
“No,” Elisabeth replied. “I kept watch.”
Nanette studied her friend. Elisabeth stood tall despite their long day and had no droop that normally came with exhaustion. Instead, there was a flame of hope within her. She seemed to steal glances at Ki periodically, but she kept well enough away. Nanette felt for her. It had to be so difficult to be so close yet have to stay away.
Resigned to her fate, Nanette took the short steps to him before lifting the two poles. She adjusted her handholds slightly before trudging forward. Immediately the sores on her hands hurt, but she ignored them. They would be back to the
spot on the beach soon and she could sleep again. By the time morning came, they’d probably be able to swim out and go back through the gate. Maybe they’d be home in time for Tiss’s evening meal. The thought made Nanette’s stomach growl.
Sometime later, Nanette heard Elisabeth whisper, “It’s beautiful.”
Nanette looked up from her endeavor to see the water glowing. She gasped at first, certain a monster was there to attack them. Instead, she realized it was a swarm of sea creatures. She’d never seen anything like them. She nearly dropped her handholds she was so in awe.
“What are they doing here?” Nanette whispered, afraid her voice would scare them.
Elisabeth opened her mouth to respond, but when she turned her head, her face froze. Her eyes grew wide, and Nanette’s throat fell into her stomach. She swallowed as Elisabeth reached for the hilt of the sword on her back. Nanette couldn’t breathe. She didn’t want to turn around.
“Start moving.” Elisabeth said as she took careful steps toward her.
“What is it?” Nanette whispered.
“A giant crab.” Elisabeth came to stand beside her. “Get moving.”
Nanette glanced back over her shoulder. A giant pale crab shone bright in the moonlight. It would have nearly blended in perfectly with the white-gray sand were it not for its size. It was twice the size of a horse and had one massive pincher that looked as though it could cut a man in two.
“They are territorial,” Nanette whispered, remembering watching them fight when she was a child. “We must be by its burrow.”
Elisabeth nodded as Nanette crept forward. In an instant, the crab charged them. Elisabeth leapt forward and blocked the downward sweep of the crab’s massive arm. Nanette rushed further down the beach, adrenaline pushing her forward even when her arms and legs protested. The sand hampered her movements, and for all her effort she hadn’t put much distance between them.
As she glanced back, she saw Elisabeth roll out of the way as the crab swung around. The smaller claw cracked Elisabeth across the leg as she attempted to dodge, and she landed on her back instead of on her feet. Nanette was about to cry out when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. In front of her, a second shape appeared from the water.