The Hungering Saga Complete

by Heath Pfaff

  Even with me on her back, Malice moved at a full run, seemingly unburdened by my extra weight. An uneasy silence hung over us as we traveled. Tyvel hovered behind us, seemingly as comfortable as ever, but both Malice and I were quiet. I didn't feel at ease talking with my green-eyed companion in the company of the one who had betrayed us to the king, and I guessed that she felt the same. I only hoped that Tyvel would not think our silence unusual. That thought almost made me laugh at the situation, though it would have been a bitter laugh.

  Even before learning that Tyvel was a traitor, Malice and I had not been on the best of terms with each other. There was a gulf between us that had been present ever since I'd recovered Kyeia from the villa two years before. It had gotten worse while we lived in the cabin, but I had never stopped thinking of her has a dear friend.. She had always been good to Kay and me, especially to Kay. Likely it was my fault that we had grown distant over the years, as it had been my fault that I had not been as close to Kay and Wisp as I should have been. I resolved to correct that with Malice. Laouna, I made myself say her true name in my mind so that I might better remember it. I would not risk having regrets where she was concerned, not while I still had the chance to make that right. When an opportunity came, I would apologize for my long line of callousness. Perhaps being so close to death, I thought, would make of me a better person.

  It took us five days to reach the border to the lands of men. We kept a good pace, but my weight was enough of a detriment to Malice that it did slow us down considerably. Tyvel was constantly with us as we traveled, ever reminding us that we could not cross into the lands of men until two weeks had passed. I had grown better at hiding my contempt, but his constant reminders, which I now knew were simply him enforcing the edict of the king, often raised my ire.

  I still did not know why I was forbidden from meeting with the king for two weeks. Every hour of waiting took its toll on Malice and me. I feared what they were doing to my daughter while I waited for those two weeks to pass. I desperately wanted to believe that they would have no cause to hurt my daughter, but I knew the king's ways all too well. Kay, because of her mother and me, was an anomaly that the king's researchers would love to study. Their experiments, in the name of the progression of the kingdom, and the ways of magic, were cruel and inhumane. My daughter was a half breed, born of the mixing of Uliona and Human blood in a way that had never been thought possible. Her potential was impossible to guess, and that made her a target for those who would exploit the unique nature of her parentage.

  "We should wait one more day to be certain. We wouldn't want the king's men thinking we had entered the kingdom too soon, and hurting Kay because of it." Tyvel's voice broke into my musings, interrupting my mental torment.

  "Perhaps that is best." Malice said. I could tell by the way she spoke, and the timbre of her voice, that she was agreeing because she knew, as I knew, that Tyvel was not making an idle suggestion. He was passing down orders in his own way. His words were just the echo of those dictates passed through him. A slight panic touched my mind as I thought over a prospect that had first occurred to me over a week before. If Tyvel was spying on us for the king, and delivering orders in the form of suggestions, had his fury at our trip to see the Kaziem Wolves actually been the anger of the king manifesting? If that was so, was it possible that the king would order poor Kay punished for my disobedience? I hoped that such would not be the case, but in my heart I feared that it would. The torment of thinking about it made me want to break down and cry until my body could no longer produce tears, but I forced a calm I did not feel. If I broke down, I would be of no good to anyone. Though, in my damaged state, I didn't see how I could be of any use either way.

  Malice sat me down on the ground, and I stood for a time on my own. My more serious wounds from the battle with Whisper of the Mist, though their scars were only on my insides, were finally beginning to heal, and I could feel the weakness in my chest fading. My heart still beat irregularly, as though it were trying to remind me that it was running on stolen time, but at least I was recovering to a point that I might one day be able to fight on my own if need be. However, the unfamiliar and uncomfortable beating in my chest served as one more reminder among many of my long line of failures that had marked my progress through life so far. I had made many bad choices, and I was paying for them, I thought. I just hoped no one else would have to. I desperately needed for Kay to be alright. I wasn't sure what I would do if I reached the king and discovered otherwise.

  "We can make our camp here for the night." I said quietly, distracted, my mind still circling endlessly on problems that held no solutions. "There is a stream of water running nearby." My ears had oriented on the sound of their own volition, those wolfish features stolen from the Fell Beast functioning far more keenly than any human's ears ever could. I pointed out the location for the others, and we began walking that way. To my sincere gratitude, Malice did not offer to carry me again. We hadn't far to walk, and I was tired of feeling weak and in constant need of support. For a while at least, I would stand on my own feet. I looked at the red bands of fur that circled my wrists, another piece of the Fell Beast that had become a part of me. Such a strong and fearsome beast, I wondered now how I had ever defeated the monster.

  I was unique for having those red bands of fur. Such markings were unheard of on Fell Beasts before the one that had attacked me in the frozen wastes near the homeland of the Shao Geok. Lucidil had brought me to that confrontation, deceptively luring me into harm's way so that I might become more powerful, and a better weapon for his purpose. I still remembered the terror of the moment when he had hewn the limbs from my body with his keenly edged weapon, and the feeling of those dead chunks of flesh from the fallen Fell Beast being attached to my bleeding stumps. Kyeia's eyes had served me well then, their innate magic joining the monster's dead parts to my living torso, and forming me into a creature far more terrible than I had been before. Such was the nature of the Knights of Ethan. Such was the nature of the Broken Swords. Such was the nature of whatever it was that Malice and I were. What humanity remained to us?

  In a few minutes we were near enough the water that the others could hear it as well. We made our camp along the shore of the small stream that we all knew flowed into the Iol Adjot River, the most powerful run of fresh water in the lands of men. It was at that river that we would face our first real challenge. The river was impassable by ferry, and most people did not have the resources to build a structure that would span the entire length of the powerful flow. This meant that passing across the river had to be done at one of two prominent bridges crafted by the king, and manned by a large number of guards and Knights of Ethan. At each bank of the two bridges was a fortress with a large gate in the center. The gates were kept closed, and only traffic permitted by the king was allowed through uncontested. My last journey through one of the bridge checkpoints, though not the one we were approaching, had been a harrowing experience. I remembered Brutal's look of betrayal as I had run him through with my sword, an act I'd committed in desperation to save Malice's life. Brutal had been a companion, if not a friend, and my actions on that day still haunted me.

  I looked to Tyvel, who had betrayed us all, and wondered how different I really was from this creature that called itself a ghost. We were both guilty of betraying those who believed us an ally. Did I have any right to hate him as completely as I did? Whether or not I had the right, I couldn't change how I felt. In the shadow of my stolen daughter and slaughtered sister, I could feel nothing but contempt for the shade that had once been a friend.

  I turned back to the bridge crossing. I only hoped the king would allow us safely through without trouble, since he had been the one to coerce us into a meeting. I couldn't understand the man's motivations, and only knew that he had sent a brutal band of men to my house to kidnap my daughter, and they had, whether at his order or not, brutally raped and killed my sister. Would such a man as that allow us to pass unmolested through his borde
rs? I didn't know. I was feeling old, worn by my experiences.

  By many standards I was still young, only nineteen years of age, but I had lived through much for one of so few years. Most men my age were fathers, working in the trade passed on to them by their fathers before them. My life had started out the same, but after being taken by the Knights of Ethan, it had all changed so quickly. I had already been imprisoned, fought in multiple battles that should have taken my life, killed men and monsters, lost my heart's first love to vicious tragedy, had my daughter stolen away, and had my sister killed. I had lived too much in my short nineteen years of life, or possibly I had lived too little. Could years so full of pain and suffering be construed as really living at all? If I could but save Kay, I might yet recapture some joy, some purpose.

  We made our camp near the stream, building a small fire that would not put up a great deal of smoke, so as not to attract the attention of any forest predators, or possibly signal the guards at the Iol Adjot checkpoint. Sleep was something I needed little of since taking Kyeia's eyes, but when a time arose to actually rest, I tried to make the most of it. After eating a meal of stewed meat and vegetables, a normal traveler's fare, I laid down upon the ground, using my pack as a place to rest my head. In a moment Malice joined me, huddling close, but not for warmth since our cloaks kept us comfortable. I believed she wanted the comfort of physical closeness, and so I did not dissuade her. I also sensed that there was something she wished to talk about, but she did not speak as we lay.

  Tyvel hovered nearby, seemingly keeping watch through the night. I wondered, though, if he wasn't simply watching to make sure we didn't try and sneak across the bridge before sun up. I supposed that was more likely than assuming that he was working in our best interest. It took some time, but eventually I slept.

  The first light of dawn woke me from my slumber, and I sat up feeling stiff from the hard ground that had served as my bed. Having slept in such a fashion many times before, I was familiar with the effect, and knew that it would wear off quickly once I was up and moving. I noted that Malice was not at my side, and ran my eyes across our campsite. I found her standing over the fire, her eyes on a small travel pot set above the flames. Tyvel was with her.

  "The king cannot be trusted. We know naught what lies he might try to weave once we reach him. It is vitally important that we be ready to take action quickly if things do not go as we anticipate." The ghost was saying to Malice.

  I stood up and walked over to the pair, my curiosity piqued. Malice withdrew the pot from the fire and carefully doled out servings to both of us before walking over to the water of the stream we'd camped near to clean the cookware. I barely noticed her actions, as I was busy wondering what game the ghost was playing at. He had betrayed us to the king, and yet he seemed to be intentionally antagonizing us. Surely having us on edge was not in the king's best interest.

  "I had already considered that possibility, Tyvel. Should the king betray us, we will take appropriate measures to ensure that Kay and the rest of us can get free." Malice answered with cool indifference as she returned her cookware to her pack and started in on her cooled bowl of food, but I could see that she was troubled by Tyvel's comment as well. It did not fit in with what we suspected of his motives. I remembered my own bowl, which I'd been holding dumbly without looking into it. It was full of a warmed gruel, probably unsweetened. I took my spoon and began eating, not savoring the taste, but knowing that the energy it provided would be worth the sacrifice my tongue was being forced to make.

  "What if we get there and he refuses to give us Kay back, or worse, denies that he even has her?" Tyvel asked. I had a sense that the conversation we were having was one that had been rehearsed and fine-tuned. I felt that we were being goaded, but I knew not to what ends. "We can't simply abandon the child if he is deceiving us!" The would-be ghost spoke with a surprising vigor.

  "Why would he do such a thing?" I blurted, confused by Tyvel, and angry at what his line of questioning might imply. Was it possible the king might try such a ruse when we arrived? Why would the king deny having Kay when he had clearly left a message saying that he had taken her and asking us to come see him? What purpose would such actions serve, and what was it that Tyvel was trying to get from us?

  Tyvel shrugged his transparent shoulders. "I'm probably just being paranoid. I am worried about Kay. I want her back safely, and I do not trust the king."

  "We will do what is in our power to do. Kay will be freed, and those responsible. . ." Malice let her words trail off. I could tell by her tone that she was as shaken by Tyvel's confusing outburst as I was. If the ghost was working for the king, why would he be trying to push us into action against the king? I felt a stabbing pain of worry in my stomach. I knew already that Malice and I were being lead into some kind of trap, but Tyvel's strange actions were making me feel that knot of confusion in my middle all the more keenly. I finished the last of my breakfast, letting it settle like a flavorless weight in my stomach.

  "Now is not the time for 'what if,'" I told the others, eager to leave such a confusing line of conversation. "We have a bridge to cross, and I suggest we do so as quickly as we can. Now that our time of waiting is passed, we need to reach our point of meeting as quickly as possible for Kay, and so that we might end this mess once and for all."

  Malice nodded her head in agreement, and Tyvel nodded as well. She too had finished her breakfast, eating quickly while we talked.

  "Agreed, the time for waiting has passed." Tyvel said, and I thought, for a moment, that I noted a hint of excitement from his attitude. I couldn't be certain. The phantom creature's moods were ever difficult to read.

  Malice and I proceeded to the stream and rinsed our bowls and spoons before returning them to Malice's pack, along with our single pot. It was time to be on our way. She turned to offer me her back, but I hesitated.

  "No," I said firmly. My heart still beat irregularly, but I felt that I could run again, and I did not want to approach the king's lands on Malice's back, even if Tyvel had already told them of my weakness. "I will be alright for now." This time, I actually did feel that I could manage on my own. I still felt weakened by my heart, but my body was strong, and running was not nearly so taxing as fighting.

  Malice turned back to me, seeming to consider my assertion. Her eyes swept over me for a time, lingered on my chest, and finally she nodded. "Let us run."

  We took off together. The pace she set was hard, but not as hard as I would have liked. Malice, who was leading, was holding back for my benefit, I knew. For the time being I was willing to let her do so, but only until we made it across the bridge. At that point, I would either have to keep up with our fastest pace, or subject myself to the embarrassment of being carried along again. I told myself again and again, repeating it in my mind, "You will not give in. You are stronger than this." My heart thudded irregularly in my chest, sometimes beating too fast, sometimes too slowly, but it stuttered along without trying to fail. I needed my body to believe my mind.

  We reached the bridge well before the sun had even climbed to its zenith. The morning was chill enough that every breath we took created puffs of white mist. Tyvel drifted amidst us, almost seeming nothing more than an errant exultation of breath that had taken human form. This second great bridge across the Iol Adjot looked much like the last one I had encountered in my travels. As we drew nearer, winding down the road that we knew would lead to the gate, it became obvious that the two bridges built by the king had been constructed from a similar set of plans.

  Our side of the bridge was surrounded by a massive wall, structured like a keep, with towers and a wide walkway atop it for men to post a patrol. The wall was tall, and the stonework was well done, leaving gaps that no normal man could hope to use for climbing. When I had assaulted the other bridge, further east of where we were now, with Brutal, we had simply scaled the wall. It had been necessary to gash our own hand holds into the stone at times. Even with our exceptional strength the walls of th
e bridge gatehouses were difficult to climb. The gate itself was worse yet. There were actually two sets of wrought-iron gates, and the entry way into the keep that comprised the wall was set in between those two gates. This meant the only way into the keep was to have someone already inside open the gate. Of course, with enough time and the proper gear, it would be possible for a skilled and persistent person to work their way inside. At least, it would have been possible had there not been a constantly rotating, and ever vigilant, guard detail on duty.

  However as we drew nearer, I noted that the gates of the bridge were not down, and indeed I could see no movement whatsoever. Everything seemed eerily quiet and still. It was Malice whose nose first picked up on the foul smell drifting on the breeze created by the rushing Iol Adjot River.

  "Death." She said quietly as we drew nearer. "This place reeks of death."

  I was, not for the first time, fool enough to reach for my sword that was missing from my side. As we drew nearer the familiar bridge structure, it was almost possible for me convince myself I was once more on my quest to save Kyeia, Kay's mother, from where the king had imprisoned her in his research facility. A few irregular beats of my heart were all it took to jolt me back to the harsh reality in which I existed. I was not that man any longer, and that was a time far passed.