Warbringer

by Aaron Hodges

  “They’re out there, Archivist,” Lukys said beside her, as though reading her mind. His eyes were on the trees.

  “We’ll find out soon enough,” Erika whispered.

  She started as a bugle cry carried across the Illmoor. Hairs stood up on the back of her neck and she swung back towards the water, wondering why the Flumeerens would sound a horn. If there were any Tangata in the area, it was bound to draw their attention.

  Her heart lurched in sudden understanding, and she spun to face the trees. Sharps darted amongst the shadows, then the Tangata emerged, one by one, until five stood at the edge of the forest. They did not move to attack immediately, though the grey eyes watched the humans with terrifying intensity.

  No, they’re not watching us! Erika realised, following their gaze to where Cara stood bound.

  Romaine and Dale were already pushing the girl to the ground and fastening her bindings. Then they strode forward to join them, though the Calafe would surely struggle to wield his axe with one hand. And that was if he could ignore the pain from his severed hand.

  Catching movement from the corner of her eye, she swung back as one of the beasts suddenly rushed them. Instinctively, Erika’s arm came up, the magic spilling from her palm, lighting the growing darkness. The Tangata staggered as the light fell upon it, its headward rush faltering. A scream echoed in the twilight as it collapsed, thrashing against the damp ground.

  “Kill it!” Erika screamed as another leapt towards her, forcing her to divert the magic.

  Too late, Lukys and Dale responded. Lifting shields and spears, they charged the fallen creature. Snarling, the beast clambered to its feet and leapt away, carrying it out of range of Erika’s magic. The second had only made a feint, coming close enough to draw her attention, but not enough to suffer from her power.

  Erika cursed beneath her breath. Even after all these weeks, she didn’t know enough about the gauntlet—how far its magic stretched, how long it took to kill. She should have tested it long ago, despite its potentially fatal effects.

  Lukys and Dale joined shields and extended their spears, then moved between Erika and the Tangata. It was a brave gesture, though futile—without her magic, they couldn’t hope to resist the creature’s strength. Heart pounding, she stepped forward so she stood beside them. Romaine joined on their other side a moment later.

  “I’ll do my best to keep them back,” she whispered, “if you can kill the ones that drop…”

  The Tangata watched them from across the clearing. Erika’s magic seemed to give them doubt, though that could not hold them back long. If they attacked all at once, she and the two recruits would be overwhelmed. Maybe if…

  Screaming their rage, the Tangata rushed them. They moved with a deadly grace, seeming to slide across the earth rather than run, though even amidst her terror, Erika noted they were far slower than the creatures they had awakened beneath the earth. What about the passage of time had so weakened them, made them more…human?

  Then the beasts were upon them, and there was no more time to think. Raising her gauntlet, Erika drew on its power and swung her hand in an arc. A brief touch would not be enough to seriously harm any one of them, but she hoped to at least slow them for the soldiers to fight.

  Her hunch was proven correct, as each of the beasts reeled beneath the magic light, momentarily stunned. Seeing their opening, Lukys and Dale roared and leapt forward as one, targeting the beast at the centre of the Tangata line. Their spears flashed out, catching their foe in the chest and throat just as it recovered.

  Shock showed on the beast’s face, and snarling, it reached for the spears that had impaled it. But Lukys and Dale were already retreating, dragging back their weapons and presenting their shields to the enemy. The injured Tangata made to follow, but only managed a step before blood loss dragged it down. The remaining four retreated out of range of Erika’s magic, their movements cautious now.

  “If we could do that four more times…” Lukys said lightly, though he did not smile and his eyes did not leave the remaining creatures.

  “Time to trade Cara for our lives, you think?” Dale asked.

  “No,” Lukys said.

  Erika might have argued, but at that moment the Tangata attacked again. This time two angled directly for her, moving with terrifying speed. She had only enough time to direct her magic against one of the beasts. It collapsed with a scream of agony, while the other kept on, eyes locked on Erika, fingers raised to tear out her throat…

  Dale and Lukys leapt between her and the beast, and a sharp thunk followed as it struck their raised shields. A groan came from Lukys as he staggered back, but Dale remained standing, and with a thrust of his shield he threw the beast back. Straightening, Lukys lanced out with his spear, catching the Tangata a blow to the hip.

  Howling, the beast retreated, blood running down its side. Screams came from its companion, still pinned by Erika’s magic, but Dale silenced them with a thrust of his spear.

  A cry from their left reminded Erika of the remaining Tangata. Gasping, she swung the gauntlet towards the sound. Fatigue struck her as she summoned the magic once more, and she staggered, but thankfully the threat had passed for the moment.

  Romaine crouched nearby, shoulders heaving, great axe buried in the chest of a dead Tangata. The second was retreating with its fellow, a knife embedded in its shoulder. Shocked, Erika stood gaping at the Calafe warrior, unable to believe her eyes. Injured and alone, he had fought off two of the Tangata?

  Then she saw the blood seeping through his shirt, and knew the skirmish had not been without cost.

  A thunk came from nearby as something hard struck the ground. Lukys still stood beside Dale, eyes on the remaining Tangata, but he had let his shield fall. She saw with shock it had been split in two by the last attack. Ignoring the loss, Lukys took a two-handed grip on his spear, then shared a glance with Dale. The second recruit tossed aside his spear and gripping his shield, stepped up beside Lukys.

  “Romaine, get back to the shore,” Lukys hissed as the recruits moved to put themselves between the axeman and the remaining Tangata.

  Erika followed them, though her vision swam with the movement. Her eyes were drawn to the gauntlet, and she saw now how its glow had dimmed. She’d used too much of its magic, too quickly. Again she cursed her lack of experience. Would it kill her, drain all her strength, if she continued using it?

  Coming to a stop alongside the axeman, Erika fought to clear her mind, to bring back the magic. The gauntlet brightened somewhat. She prayed it would be enough. Beside her, she could hear the rattling of the axeman’s breath. She didn’t need to look beneath his shirt to know the injury was bad.

  “Can you walk, Calafe?” she hissed, eyes still on the Tangata.

  A groan whispered from the axeman, then movement came from alongside her as he staggered to his feet. Somehow he had managed to drag his axe from the Tangata corpse, though he didn’t seem to be strong enough to lift it any higher. Blood dripped from the steel tips.

  “Must…fight,” he rasped.

  “Get to the riverbank, soldier,” Erika snapped, flashing him a glare.

  Romaine grunted. “Don’t take…orders…from you.”

  “By The Fall, you’re stubborn,” Erika gasped. She grabbed him by the arm and shook him. “But by the blood of my father, your Gods-cursed king, you will obey!”

  “Your…father?” the warrior mumbled. His eyes were bloodshot, face growing pale. He swayed on his feet, managing to look confused. “That’s…what?”

  “Let’s discuss it over tea sometime, shall we?” she snapped. “Go!”

  Finally, miraculously, he obeyed. Erika watched him as he staggered away, and couldn’t help but think how like her father the man was—or perhaps it was all Calafe men. Stubborn, proud to a fault. Determined to stand their ground no matter the cost. Maybe if her father hadn’t been so foolish, he might have survived, might have returned from that disastrous southern campaign…

  She sho
ok herself, returning attention to the Tangata pair. What did it matter to her? Erika’s mother had only ever been the man’s courtesan. They would have been sent away eventually, regardless. His death had only hastened their fall from grace.

  “You okay, Archivist?” Lukys said, glancing over his shoulder. “Don’t think we can defeat these two without your magic.”

  “Thought you were superstitious, soldier?” she snapped.

  Regardless, she looked again at the gauntlet. Its light had died again, and silently she ignited its glow, then stepped up on Dale’s other side. Somehow, he would have to protect them both with his broken shield. A low growl sounded from across the clearing as the Tangata approached again, slowly now, testing their own resolve. They flinched as she raised her gauntlet, eyes drawn to the device, but they did not stop.

  Then their foes split apart, one sliding to their left, the other two the right. Erika shared a glance with the two recruits.

  “You take the one to the left,” she whispered.

  Lukys and Dale nodded and she turned away, attention focused on her enemy, the female of the pair. She clenched her fist and was satisfied to see the light grow brighter. A smile touched her face. It seemed at least some of her energy was returning. Lengthening her stance, she beckoned the creature forward.

  Smiling back, it raised a fist.

  Too late, Erika noticed the rock it held. Snarling, it hurled the projectile at her head. Instinctively, Erika raised her spare hand. A sharp crack followed as the rock struck her wrist and a scream tore from her lips. Red flashed across her vision and the magic died. She staggered back, and for a moment, pain washed away all thought, all reason.

  Her senses returned.

  Fighting through the pain, Erika forced her eyes open, just in time to see the Tangata leap. Adrenaline swept through her as she raised the gauntlet. Light burned in the gloom and a bloodcurdling scream rent the air as her magic struck the beast.

  But the Tangata was already airborne, and though her power drained it of reason, she could not avoid the blow it struck as they collided. The weight of its impact drove the breath from her lungs and toppled them both into the mud.

  The magic flickered out again.

  Howls came from alongside Erika as the Tangata thrashed, free of her magic’s grasp but momentarily disorientated. Its fingers reached for her, trying to stop Erika from summoning the power again.

  Gasping, yet unable to inhale more than a whisper, Erika scrambled away. Her vision spun and pain seared up her broken arm, threatening to steal away her consciousness. Cries seemed to come from all around her, but she could no longer tell which direction was the forest, which was the river.

  Air brushed against her neck and instinctively Erika threw herself to the side. A boot slammed into the mud where she had lain and she clambered backwards, staring up at the Tangata. Red streaked its eyes and its face twisted as it started towards her again, yellowed teeth bared.

  Erika screamed and opened her fist, directing everything she had left at the beast. Its shriek mirrored her own as the power struck. The Tangata staggered back, clutching its ears, shaking its head in violent convolutions, as though something horrible were trying to drill through its skull.

  Erika did not relent. Pushing herself to her knees, she kept the gauntlet poised, bathing her foe in its ghostly light, until finally the Tangata collapsed and lay still.

  Gasping for breath, she sat back on her haunches and looked around, expecting to see the final Tangata approaching. Instead, she was shocked to find Lukys and Dale still standing, though the beast they faced had retreated once more, apparently deciding it could not face the three of them.

  “The ship!”

  A cry came from Romaine behind them, and Erika spun to see the white sails of a ship rearing overhead. A thud came from the riverbank as a plank slammed into the earth. Soldiers stood at the railings, shields and spears at the ready. Her heart soared to see them.

  But they did not advance.

  Erika frowned as she realised they were not coming to their aid. The soldiers were only going to defend the vessel. If those on the shore wanted rescuing, they would need to reach the ship themselves.

  Following her orders, Romaine was already staggering towards the ship, Cara somehow swung over one shoulder. But the ship had landed some thirty yards downriver. They needed time, needed to ensure that the last Tangata did not pick them off as they retreated.

  Heart pounding, Erika came to her feet and faced the beast. Dale and Lukys still stood strong, but the two were little more than boys. They wouldn’t even be here, fighting for their lives, if not for her.

  Light ignited in the palm of her hand.

  “Get to the ship,” she said softly. “I’ll hold it off.”

  32

  The Recruit

  Blood pounded in Lukys’s skull as he watched the last Tangata. He still couldn’t believe they were alive, that they had managed to defeat four of the things. Sure, the Archivist’s magic had helped, but still…

  He risked a glance over his shoulder. Romaine was staggering towards the ship, but his injuries and Cara’s struggling hampered him. Lukys glimpsed the desperation in her eyes as she looked at the last Tangata. He shook his head—how had he ever thought of her as a friend?

  “Get to the ship,” the Archivist said suddenly, striding past them. “I’ll hold it off.”

  “What?” Lukys asked, swinging on her. “Not a chance, Erika. We stand against it together.”

  “Together,” Dale agreed, joining them.

  Death, death, death.

  The Tangata’s eyes narrowed as it looked past them to where Romaine was nearing the ship. Lukys could see the longing in its eyes. For whatever reason, these creatures wanted Cara back. Well, they couldn’t have her. She would answer for her crimes against humanity.

  A growl came from their foe as it started towards them. Lukys realised it was trying to put the two recruits between itself and the Archivist’s magic. He stepped sideward to join with Dale, while Erika shifted to the right so that they stood apart. Whether the Tangata attacked Dale and Lukys, or the Archivist, it would be exposing its back to the someone.

  Lukys didn’t allow it the chance.

  “Now!” he hissed.

  Dale responded immediately, and they surged forward together. Lukys aimed his spear for the creature’s chest, hoping to run it through. The Tangata were hardy and such a wound might not prove fatal, but it would at least slow the beast long enough for them to escape.

  A rumble came from the Tangata as it leapt to meet them. Apparently, it had no misgivings about tackling two humans—it was the Archivist’s magic it feared. Its hands snatched for the spear and almost caught it, forcing Lukys to retreat half a step. Snarling, it chased after him, but Dale blocked its path, thrusting out with the steel brim of its shield.

  The blow connected with the Tangata’s forehead, staggering it for a brief second, and Lukys attacked again, this time aiming for its throat. At the last second it twisted, avoiding the blow, though the spear tip still scored a mark on its arm.

  Its hand swept down again, and this time it managed to catch the haft of Lukys’s spear. Before he could react, the Tangata pushed back, driving the butt of the spear hard into his chest. Breath exploded between his teeth and Lukys felt something go crack. He stumbled, struggling to keep his feet, even as the spear slipped from fingers.

  Looking up, he saw the Tangata leap—then Dale was there, shield slamming into the creature and hurling it aside.

  Death, death, death.

  Dale leapt back as the beast swung on him. A smile spread across its lips as it saw he was unarmed. Snarling, it started towards him.

  Pain radiating from his chest, Lukys wanted nothing more than to lie down and surrender to the release of oblivion. But the thunk of flesh striking wood drew him back to his feet. Dale was retreating from the beast’s fury, his shield now splintered and broken, useless. A sound like laughter came from the Tangata as it a
dvanced.

  Seeing his spear lying nearby, Lukys swept it up and followed them. But the pain from his chest slowed him and he couldn’t keep a moan from escaping his lips. The creature swung at the noise, eyes widening to see him back on its feet. Then the smile returned and it drew itself up, preparing to spring…

  …and collapsed to the ground as the Archivist finally managed to unleash her magic.

  Face gaunt, glowing hand extended towards the creature, she advanced past Dale. A tremor shook her, then a second. Realising she was close to collapse, Lukys staggered forward and drove his spear through the creature’s chest.

  Silence.

  Unable to believe they had truly won, Lukys stood gasping for breath, spear still clutched tight. Staring at the dead thing at his feet, he found himself unable to look away. With its eyes closed, the thing could have been human, might have been a young man little older than Lukys.

  If he had not been cursed by the Gods.

  Finally Lukys tore himself away. Dale had slumped to the ground nearby, face pale as he sucked in great lungfuls of air, though he seemed unharmed. The Archivist met his gaze and offered a nod, her face grim. They had won—but what did it matter, when so many others had been lost?

  Stop, stop, stop.

  Silence had fallen over the riverbank, and looking back at the Illmoor, he saw that Romaine had made it onboard with Cara. Despite their victory, his heart sank. They had succeeded, but he still could not shake his sadness. They would have to hand Cara over to the general. It just didn’t seem…right.

  “Lukys!”

  His gaze was drawn back to the ship as a voice carried to them on the breeze. He frowned. Why…were the soldiers pulling up the gangplank? The danger had passed, hadn’t it?

  Spinning towards the forest, Lukys watched in horror as more Tangata emerged from the trees. Dozens at least—more even, as he glimpsed movement further into the shadows. The hope that had swelled his chest evaporated. An army. Too many to fight, even with the soldiers on the ship.