The Hungering Saga Complete

by Heath Pfaff

  "I'll tell you this because I love you, and for no other reason. I'm sure Tower would appreciate this information gets no further." I told Laouna, my face just inches from hers.

  She smiled, leaned forward and kissed me. "No one will hear a thing from me." The green-eyed beauty assured me, and I was helpless to keep anything away from her in that moment. My heart fell into her eyes, and I would have given her every secret the world possessed, if I'd had them to give.

  "Tower is in love with Snow." I said, before explaining the conversation I'd had with the love-struck Knight.

  To my surprise, Laouna laughed. "I already knew that Tower had feelings for Snow. There are few who have seen him when he's around her that do not know that already."

  I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

  Laouna laughed again, put both her arms around me, and kissed me once more, her lips soft and welcoming against mine. "You need to pay more attention to the things that are happening aboard ship." She chided.

  "I suppose I do." I answered, feeling a bit foolish. I supposed keeping things a secret was a moot point.

  A cloud seemed to pass over Malice's face, and her smile faded.

  "I had a strange dream last night, Lowin." She said softly. "I didn't remember it when I woke up, but while I was eating supper, it started to come back to me."

  She'd been having more and more dreams since returning to my room. Sometimes they were just nightmares of the hungering, but other times they contained pieces of the memories she had lost. I often had to wake her from vicious nightmares that left her thrashing about in the bed as though she were being physically assailed. Once awake, usually the dreams would fade in a matter of minutes, and she would return to sleep, passing the remainder of the night in peace. I rarely slept, and so I lay as silent witness to her torments.

  "What did you dream of this time?" I encouraged her to talk to me. I always hoped that she might recover more of what she'd lost.

  "I was in a dark place, and I couldn't see anything. I heard someone crying, so I tried to move towards the sound, but no matter how close I came, the sound moved further away. I began to panic, and run, because the person crying sounded like they needed help, but I couldn't get to them. Suddenly there were lights everywhere, torches, and I could see.

  "I was in a cave, and there was a little girl in a cage. She looked like you, Lowin, but her eyes were human, yet they were so purple that she couldn't have been human. When she saw me she called out my old name, Malice. I tried to run to her, but all these hands grabbed me and held me, powerful hands with claws, driven by burning red eyes. I tried to break free from them, but I couldn't. The little girl in the cage was carried away and I could do nothing to stop it. She disappeared, and the light went away." Malice delivered her story in a flat tone, but tears seeped from her eyes. I lifted my hand and wiped them from her cheek.

  She seemed surprised. She reached up and wiped the tears away as well, she smiled, an expression that seemed odd through the tears. "I don't know why I'm crying." She tried to explain, and laughed weakly. I wrapped my arm back around her and squeezed her tight to me.

  "You've just remembered Kaylien." I told her, feeling a lump in my throat as I said my daughter's name. "You've just remembered the person that we're making this journey for."

  Malice's smile faltered once more, replaced by a look of frustration. "Why can't I remember everything, Lowin? Every time I see that little girls face, my heart hurts, but I don't remember anything more about her. What is wrong with me? Why did I forget so much?"

  I kissed Laouna's cheek. It was warm, and the salt of her tears flavored her soft skin. "I don't know the answer to those questions. All I know is that I love you, and we'll be together whether you remember what has happened in the past or not."

  Laouna tucked her head into my shoulder. "Will you tell me about her, Lowin? Would you tell me about Kay, and about Malice . . . I mean, me, before all of this?"

  I nodded. "I'll tell you anything you want to know." I began the telling of the story of Malice, to the woman that had been Malice.

  The entire world exploded. I was in the commons with Malice, nursing a glass of fresh water, when suddenly the ship jolted so sharply that I, and the few other crew members in the room, were tossed into the air. We'd grown use to the rigorous shifting caused by the monstrous swells of the storm raging above, but never had the boat been so powerfully struck. My body reacted on impulse slowing the world about me, so that I was able to stop myself from striking the low ceiling of the commons. I was still hard pressed to get my legs back under me before the ground surged up to meet me again. As soon as my feet touched the floor, I sprung for Malice.

  She was laying flat on the ground, a trail of blood trickling from her brow line. My heart jolted in panic.

  "Malice?" I called her name as I ran my fingers down the side of her face. Her eyes fluttered open, she blinked, and I saw her gaze focus on me. Her green eyes were surprised, but sharp and clear. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  "What happened?" She asked, sitting up, and holding her hand to her head.

  I held a hand out to her, helping her to her feet. "I don't know." I answered. The ship listed heavily to one side, and I had to grab on to the nearest table to keep from tumbling over. I waited for the angle of the ship to right itself, but it didn't happen. The wood hull groaned.

  The others in the room were pulling themselves from the floor with the aid of anything that was bolted down. Tower and Silver were there, as were a few of the human crew, including Captain. I looked at the oldest of our human sailors, searching for some indication that he knew what was going on. His face looked grim. A moment later, a loud ringing sounded from above decks. It was one of two bells located onboard ship. One bell was to be rung in the event of an attack. The other was only to be rung when it was time to abandon ship. It was that second bell that I heard ringing. I'd only ever heard it one other time, and that was when it was first shown to the crew. I didn't know who was ringing the bell, or why, but I knew that matters must be serious.

  "All hands to life rafts!" Captain called out, doing what I should have done as soon as I heard the bell.

  Malice, Tower, and Silver all looked at me, as if needing my command before following any other order. I nodded once, and we moved as a group. We let the few humans go before us, though it was a difficult process, since the ship was still tilted at an unusual angle. A loud rumble rattled through the wood of the ship as the deck suddenly jolted beneath our feet again. It wasn't as severe the second time, but there was no denying the amount of force that must have exploded against the hull to make such a terrible pressure.

  A human sailor fell, and went tumbling down across the deck back towards the bolted down tables and chairs of the dining area. I caught him as he fell past me. It was only as he rolled down the slanting floor that I realized that the list of ship was growing worse. The man's eyes were full of panic as they met mine. I lifted him, and set him back on his feet, making sure he had good hold on the ship again before I let him go.

  "Thank you, Sir." He said, shaking where he stood.

  I nodded. "Get moving." He snapped to the order and was crawling out through the door in a moment. Once all the humans were safely in the hallway, the rest of us fell in behind them.

  "Where are Telistera and the others?" Malice asked.

  "I'm sure they're getting to the escape boats just as we are." I answered calmly, though I understood her concern. I was worried for the others as well. We all knew what to do. I would have to depend on them doing what was necessary to get free of the ship, even as we were doing the same. The vessel was going down. That was the only reason that second bell would be rung. The craft that had been our home for nearly two years was sinking, and I was still months out to sea. How would I ever reach Kay without the ship?

  I had to push that thought away. Down that road of thought lay only desperation, and I couldn't afford such a bleak mindset at a time when I needed to protect those around me. A
n explosion sounded, dulled by the hull, and a light tremble rolled through the deck.

  "Are we under attack?" It was Silver who spoke.

  I didn't know how to answer that question, so I didn't. The answers, I knew, waited for us above. It was a long trip up to the top deck, following behind the humans who had difficulty moving through the heavily slanted halls without the aid of claws and inhumanly powerful muscles. The dangerous extent of our situation was not clear until we reached the world outside. The wind whipped across the deck with a terrible ferocity, driving the rain against one's skin so hard, that it felt like needles piercing flesh. To make matters worse, occasionally a massive ball of hail would fly down from the sky and crash into the deck, leaving a dent as it hit. If such a ball of ice struck a person, it could severely injure or kill them. Luckily, they were infrequent enough occurrences that they were not a continuous risk.

  I turned to look in the direction in which the ship was listing, and staggered backwards in shock. There was a smoldering black hole in the starboard aft section of the ship. The hole was large enough to drop two complete carriages down, side by side. The bell was still ringing, and I looked for the bell tower to see who had sounded the alarm. I briefly saw a glint of silver hair through the open window in the small building. It was Telistera.

  "Man the life boats!" I called out, having to yell at the top of my lungs to be heard over the torrent of rain. I could see no sign of an enemy ship, or any apparent cause for the damage that had been wrought. Some of the life boats were already being lowered, though on the surging seas it was a difficult task. The black cloaks were working on several boats for themselves, and the human crew, with the aid of tower and Silver, had started on another. Each boat could comfortably keep twenty-five men, and there were ten such boats.

  "You should get to a life boat, King Noble." I spun at the words, yelled just behind me. They were difficult to hear in the storm. It was Ethaniel. I had not seen him since our last fight. I felt Malice press close to me, and I turned back to look at Telistera, still desperately ringing the bell, calling to any who may not have heard the warning. Did she know she'd rung the bell enough? Why wasn't she abandoning ship as well?

  "Ethaniel," I turned to the old Knight. "Please, see that Malice makes it aboard a boat. I will be back in a moment."

  "No!" Ethaniel and Malice called out together with the same angry retort.

  "You need to get safely aboard a boat." Ethaniel barked.

  "I'm not letting you go off alone at a time like this." Malice retorted angrily, their explanations, while completely different, were spoken at the same time.

  Tower approached, his imposing figure like an immovable stature in the powerful wind of the storm. "I'll go with you." He said.

  I nodded to Tower. His strength, and his size, would make him an asset. I didn't know what it would take to get Telistera out of the bell tower, but it couldn't hurt to have his muscle aiding the cause.

  I looked at Ethaniel and Malice. "I have to do this." I said. "Tower will be with me. We will be fine."

  Ethaniel shook his head, his facial expression still full of anger. "You're a fool, Noble. Hers is one life. You would risk two for hers alone?"

  I pointedly ignored Ethaniel. Malice looked worried. She was worried enough that she hadn't even been bothered when I referred to her as Malice, and not Laouna. I leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

  "Damn you Lowin, sometimes you really are a fool." She said.

  I smiled. "I can't help it." I turned and walked away. Tower fell in at my side. Ethaniel would see that Malice was safe. I had to hope he would do as ordered. Of course, Malice could take care of herself, so long as she didn't do anything stupid like try and follow me. I had confidence that she would be safe.

  Tower and I ran across the deck towards the tower, the bell still blaring loudly through the darkness of the storm. A bright red flash erupted in the distance, and a loud, concussive explosion sounded afterwards. The ship shook with the blast, though it had been quite far away. I had seen only a flash of red, and only for an instant so fast that I was barely sure I'd see it at all, but my eyes, sensitive as they were to movement, held onto the traced path of that bolt.

  I had seen lightening many times, spidering its way through the sky so quickly a blink might cause one to miss its passing, but the red streak was faster. Telistera's father had told the truth. The hole in the ship was the result of one of those legendary events. No doubt remained in my mind. What an unearthly power, that could rip our ship asunder with such terrible ease and speed. Red streaks were real, and they were terrible. I wondered if they were some form of magic, or just another monster of the natural world that lay unknown beyond the realms of men.

  I don't know what triggered my next move, but suddenly the world slowed around me, and I found myself diving backwards. A piece of ice the size two fists held together slammed into the ground where I had been standing a fraction of a second before. I watched it shatter, exploding into tiny fragments of shining slivers, and a cloud of ice dust. Sped up as I was, it was a beautiful destruction. Whether it had been my hearing, or perhaps something I had seen out of the corner of my eye, I didn't know, but in that moment my preternaturally sharp reflexes had saved my life. I let the speed carry me forward, flashing across the remaining distance to the bell tower, and scaling it as quickly as I could with one hand.

  Tower sped forward as well, though he moved slowly through the abyss of speed in comparison, and I reached the top long before he did. Telistera was ringing the bell for all that she was worth, a look of panicked desperation on her face.

  I slowed down as I pushed open the door to the small room.

  "Telistera, we need to leave now. It's time for you to go as well." I told her. She jumped as I spoke, oblivious to my presence until that moment. Her free hand kept ringing the bell. The other hand was wrapped around the handle of her staff weapon.

  "We must make sure everyone knows." She said. Her face was tear streaked. I realized then that she wasn't just suffering the loss of our ship, but the loss of every ship she'd seen go down on her first voyage across the endless seas. How many of her people had died in that damned journey? How many did she feel directly responsible for? Telistera was a warrior of her people. They had put their faith in her protection, and in her eyes she had failed them. I had seen it in her before, just beneath her silver gaze, a haunted look that never quite left. I had seen that same look in my own eyes often enough. I had given up on mirrors, tired of seeing myself, and what I had become in them. Had Telistera done the same? Did she see only her own failure to protect her people when she looked at herself?

  "Everyone knows, Telistera. Please, we too need to leave now." It was Tower who spoke this time. His voice was uncharacteristically strong as he spoke to the silver-eyed woman, perhaps because he'd found his strength in action, or perhaps simply because it had to be to be heard over the crush of the rain pounding on the wood of the bell house.

  Telistera seemed to come to. Her hand stopped on the bell. She withdrew it.

  "Of course, I guess it's time to abandon ship." She said, she looked empty, as though she had rung out the last vestiges of her spirit with the tolling of the bell.

  We hit the deck running. Tower dragged Telistera with him, holding her hand so she did not fall away. We ran for the side rail of the ship, even as the deck slanted further into the sea beneath us. I didn't know which boats we were running to, I just hoped we would find the other Knights there when we arrived. My ears twitched, and the speed enveloped me.

  I drew my sword and leapt into the air even as my conscious mind became aware of what I was doing. My blade hit a massive piece of ice that had been barreling toward the unwary backs of Tower and Telistera. The ice chunk split against my steel and smashed harmlessly to the deck to either side of them instead. I rolled to my feet coming up in front of the other two. To their credit, they did not slow pace. We reached the railing, and found a boat still waiting below us.


  I saw the other Knights of Ethan holding position for us. Distantly, almost entirely hidden by the torrent of rain that caused my motion sensitive vision to be confusing, I could see what I assumed was another life boat further out to sea. Would the fragile seeming little boats be able to hold up to the storm around us? What if one was struck by a red streak? I didn't know. I didn't want to think about the consequences of abandoning our ship. We had no other choice.

  I saw the look of relief on Malice's face when I leaned over the railing to make sure there was a rope down which Telistera could descend. I put the rope in the silver-eyed woman's hands, and made sure she was paying attention to me by touching the side of her face with one hand. I saw her eyes sharpen, though I couldn't be certain they were focusing on me since they had no pupils, there was definite change in their attention. I hoped that meant she was watching me.

  "No one else gets off this ship until you are safely in the life boat, do you understand?" I asked her, making sure she knew that Tower and I would be remaining on board until she was safely in the boat below. I didn't want her doing anything foolish. She nodded numbly. She'd heard, though I still felt that she was leaving some part of herself behind with our sinking ship. I watched over the rail as she descended. Tower stood at my side. As she reached bottom, and I saw Snow and Malice taking her to the back of the boat, I turned to Tower.