The Roots of Wrath

by B. T. Narro

  He was powerless to stop Gourfist’s aggression as the beast destroyed tall buildings and even tore through the flesh of a child. Gourfist was completely unhinged. Airinold wished he had the power to kill the beast, but he didn’t even have the ability to stop witnessing all the death and destruction.

  Then a young man landed near Gourfist, two spears in his hands, looking as if he had come to stop the beast on his own. Airinold couldn’t believe it at first. Not even Valinox or Souriff had attempted to face Gourfist alone.

  Airinold wanted to slow down Gourfist as much as he could during the fight, but there was absolutely nothing he could do but watch. He was dazzled by the bravery and physical prowess of this young man as he flew around Gourfist with dvinia, not dteria.

  Gourfist chased him into a castle Airinold had not seen before, proving that at least a few decades must’ve passed since he was last awake, most likely more. Airinold screamed in frustration, his voice only heard when Gourfist decided to roar in anger. However, it was not a human sound but an animalistic screech. Only Airinold’s pain got through in the message.

  It was even more unbelievable to see Souriff land in front of the young man as if to protect him.

  “Looking for me, brother?” she said, then took off across the sky.

  Gourfist chased her until the beast was too tired to go on, returning to the crater at the center of the forest. Again, Gourfist lay down to rest. He didn’t know what was happening in the world, but he could tell one thing. He no longer had any control over dteria. He couldn’t even tell if it still existed. It was as if someone had usurped control from him.

  How long had it been since he’d transformed into Gourfist? Had he stopped wars during all this time? Did that mean Caarda was ready to return?

  Gourfist did not sleep for long. Airinold woke up with him as he felt his siblings approaching at high speed. The beast lifted its weary head.

  A sudden cold wind assaulted Gourfist. Snow began to fall, hindering the beast’s view. Gourfist beat its wings to rise off the ground, roaring in frustration. It did not need to see. Even Airinold, trapped within the beast, could feel Failina and Souriff just in front of it.

  Surprise came when the same young man who had defended the city shot forward through the air. He weaved out of the way as Gourfist tried to snap its beak shut on him. Landing on Gourfist’s back, the young man set the beast’s feathers on fire as he had once before. The cold wind suddenly stopped, the snow clearing.

  Airinold could feel Gourfist’s pain, the agony, as if fire was spreading over his own body. But he welcomed it. This was it. He and Gourfist would finally perish. He hoped Failina, not Souriff, would one day find Caarda and wake him from his long slumber.

  But Gourfist was not yet done. The beast swiped at the human, who swiftly flew out of the way. Failina sprinted at its head, a massive wall of fire growing in front of her. She cast the immensely powerful spell with a grunt, the fire blasting Gourfist in the face. It hurt, but it didn’t do much to disable the beast as Gourfist slashed its claws across Failina’s body, nearly splitting her in half.

  She screamed and fell away, blood pouring out of her torso. Souriff scooped her up and flew back, hiding her among the trees. There was one being left in front of Gourfist, the slender young woman who had awoken him and entered the rift some time ago. She fled for the nearest trees, but she seemed unable to fly and was quite slow on her feet. Gourfist was just about to give chase.

  “Hey!” yelled the young man from behind.

  Gourfist spun around and faced him. This mortal wielded a sword the likes of which Airinold had not seen before. Brightly reflecting the greenery of the forest, the metal was difficult to look at directly.

  Gourfist’s resistance, although greatly weakened, was still strong enough to put out the fire that had been slowly spreading over the feathers along its back. Gourfist swiped at the young man, but he leapt over the beast with help from dvinia. He kept rising, floating high and threatening to land on Gourfist’s head. Gourfist snapped its beak at him, but he lurched away.

  “Now, Souriff!” yelled the man.

  There was a blast to one of Gourfist’s back feet, knocking the beast forward and onto its stomach.

  Airinold felt the man land on Gourfist’s head and drive his sword deep through feather and flesh. Gourfist screeched in pain as it got up and shook the man off, but he simply rose higher into the air rather than fall to the ground.

  There was another blast of dvinia from behind, knocking Gourfist over once more. Gourfist seemed to know what their plan was and flipped over as quickly as it could to face the man flying at him with the point of his sword out.

  Gourfist slashed the man out of the air, knocking him away like an annoying fly. But without any trees in the vicinity to throw the moral into, he hardly seemed injured from the blow.

  The young man landed calmly. He caught his breath as he stared at Gourfist and waited. The beast got back on its feet and looked behind it as Souriff backed away nervously. Airinold knew to look for Failina, because she was probably the only one who could actually finish off Gourfist, but the beast didn’t seem to care that she was nowhere in sight as it roared, then flew after Souriff toward the trees.

  Souriff attempted to defend herself with a massive force of dvinia, but it merely blew Gourfist back for a brief moment before the beast flew after her again.

  Someone landed on Gourfist’s back. Airinold recognized Failina’s voice.

  “If you’re still in there, Airi, then I’m sorry for this.”

  Fire felt like it was tearing into Gourfist from its head down to its back. The beast did not try to fight but roared in fear as it took off toward where it knew the nearest lake to be. The fire spread quickly across its feathers, too many flames for resistance alone to stop. The torment was unbearable to Airinold. He needed for this agony to be over, for Gourfist to finally fall dead even if it meant Airinold would likewise never draw breath again.

  Neither he nor Gourfist realized until then that the human had attached himself to one of the ankles of the beast. Gourfist was too busy landing upside down on the water in hopes of putting out the fire to care about the human climbing on the underside of his belly.

  The fire was just about out when the human must’ve driven his sword deep into the belly of the beast. The metal tore through the soft flesh like a knife through paper.

  It wouldn’t be long now. Gourfist, gushing blood, crawled out of the water after the young man. The beast thrashed at him a few times, but there was little fight left. The young man backed away and waited.

  It went on for a long while, Gourfist stumbling and then picking itself back up as it spent its last moments seeking revenge, but the young man kept a safe distance while the demigods came over to watch.

  Something changed within Gourfist. With the beast about to perish, Airinold finally felt like he had control over Gourfist again. He could die with the beast, or he could do something about it.

  He wasn’t done yet.

  CHAPTER NINE

  As I watched Gourfist bleed out, I did not fear that Valinox might now be coming for us. The three of us could handle him, I was pretty sure. I only worried that Eden was using this opportunity to stash Induct stones because I didn’t know where she was.

  I would have to deal with her later. For now, I would watch to make sure Gourfist died.

  The creature let out one last shriek before a chunk of its body became detached, as if sliced off by an invisible guillotine. Another chunk came off on the other side of Gourfist’s body. Then a third. The creature was coming apart like he had been physically put together in some sort of ungodly experiment.

  I might’ve been disgusted by the sight of so much blood and innards if I wasn’t so intrigued as to what the hell was happening. The two demigod sisters stared in silence beside me as more pieces of Gourfist separated off.

  Soon there wasn’t much of him still attached. The last piece was his long neck, the head at the end still
moving about with a horrified look in those massive eagle eyes. I was relieved when I heard Eden’s voice behind me.

  “Disgusting! What the fuck is happening?”

  She was just in time to see Gourfist’s neck detach from what little was left of his body.

  “Oh, I can’t look!” she yelled, but I wouldn’t look away.

  The last remaining chunk of Gourfist was indistinguishable. There was too much blood to see what it was. But this thing morphed into something else, sucking up the blood into it like a bundled cloth dropped into liquid. It took shape, sprouting the head of a man, then four limbs. The red color of its body went pale as skin suddenly covered it from head to toe.

  Fully formed and completely naked, the man collapsed into the pool of Gourfist’s blood and did not move.

  Souriff jammed the hilt of her dagger into my hand. “Kill him quickly,” she ordered.

  I took the weapon and started toward what looked like a human man, but I knew who it had to be.

  “This is Airinold?” I asked with a look back.

  “It is,” Souriff confirmed. “Get rid of him now.”

  Failina had her hand up as if she was about to stop me, but she didn’t. I held her gaze for a long while as she seemed to be undecided.

  “Do it!” Souriff told me. “Before he wakes up and becomes a threat.”

  “Failina?” I asked.

  Souriff’s eyes practically bulged out of her head. “What reason do I have to lie, Jon? He created dteria. Isn’t that enough for you? Kill him now!”

  I agreed that Airinold should die, but I was still going to wait for the demigod I trusted to give the order. Failina chewed on her lip, however, looking between me and Airinold.

  “I’ve seen him kill innocent people in the form of Gourfist,” she said. “He could kill many others if we let him live.”

  I knew Souriff wanted me to do her dirty work because she was scared of violating the oath. I could do it; I had it in me, though I was still undecided as I walked through the blood, feathers, and innards of Gourfist, trying to ignore the wretched smell. I walked through it all until I was standing over the naked demigod.

  Airinold looked frail as he lay with his eyes closed. He seemed…mortal, with his plain blond hair. It was only his size that tipped me off to his true nature, for he looked taller than any man I had ever seen.

  His eyes fluttered open, and I recognized the same strange and otherworldly color of his irises that all demigods seemed to share, though the hue varied between them. His were bright green like emeralds catching the light. That’s when I realized a sunbeam had broken through the forest canopy and struck him, and it was I who cast a shadow over the rest of his body. I had never felt so sinister, as I stood over him prepared to drive this dagger into his heart.

  “Wait,” he muttered weakly, barely with the strength to put up his hand in defense. “Souriff is a murderer. I was only trying to kill her and Valinox.”

  I halted and looked over my shoulder. The demigods stood too far away to hear his soft voice.

  “I saw everything through the eyes of Gourfist,” Airinold whispered. “I even saw you stand up to the beast outside that castle. You are a good man, whoever you are. If you want to do what’s right, you will kill Souriff and not me.”

  “Stop hesitating and do it!” Souriff yelled.

  I figured the demigods couldn’t see that Airinold was moving, given the tall piles of disgusting flesh all around him.

  “You created dteria,” I whispered to him. “You killed innocent people.”

  “Only after I lost control of Gourfist. While I had control, I eliminated those who refused to stop using dteria and no one else.” He seemed to be regaining strength as he spoke. “Dteria was used for peace.”

  If I was going to do this, it had to be now.

  I hesitated.

  “You can’t possibly be trying to convince me that you created dteria for good.”

  “How is that not obvious?” But then he seemed to realize as he gasped. “My siblings. They must’ve spread lies to the mortals.”

  “Even Failina?”

  “She misunderstood my purpose. Let me live, and I will explain everything to you. I don’t—” he coughed violently. I stepped back as he spat up some blood. “I don’t know what’s happening these days between mortals, but I’m sure Souriff and Valinox are to blame if there is any strife.”

  I was surprised to hear him mention Souriff first. To my understanding, Valinox had started this war while Souriff was only trying to end it.

  It sounded like there might be more history to their rivalry than I had been told.

  Souriff landed beside me and grabbed Airinold by his hair. She took the dagger from my hand and held it up to his neck. Airinold grabbed her hands and tried to free himself, but he looked about as weak as a small child.

  “What lies is he telling you?” she asked me. “Did he say that dteria was made by someone else?”

  “No,” I said.

  “I gave him the truth, Souriff! I told him that I don’t know what’s happening in the world right now, but I’m sure you and Valinox are to blame. You always have been. I was just trying to stop the two of you from bringing about the complete destruction of every mortal.”

  “Valinox has taken control of your dteria and is using it to wipe out every human who doesn’t bow down to him! Now tell me I’m to blame for that?”

  “What? Let go of me!”

  Souriff threw him into the puddle of blood.

  My clothes were already pretty much ruined. I took off my coat and gave it to Airinold to cover himself. Failina had landed near us by the time he was done.

  “It’s true,” Failina said, clearly overhearing the conversation. “Valinox has taken your dteria. Is there any way you can regain control?”

  “Failina!” Souriff snapped. “It wouldn’t be any better under Airinold’s control. For the sake of all that is good, he must to die right now. Jon, I’m ordering you to kill him. Later we are going to destroy Valinox. That’s the only way.”

  She pushed the flat end of the dagger against me until I took hold of it again.

  “Don’t let Airinold poison you with his lies,” she said. “You’ve seen what dteria has done to this world. Kill him.”

  Airinold looked into my eyes. “You seem like the kind of mortal who wants the truth. Let me explain it, then you can decide who to kill.”

  Is he implying that Souriff should be the one to die?

  “He created dteria, Jon. He created it!” Souriff repeated, then grabbed me by the back of my neck and shoved me a step toward Airinold. “Kill him!”

  I looked back at Failina. She still seemed undecided.

  “Lina,” Airinold said. “You must remember what I was like, even after all these years.”

  “I do.” Failina nodded. “I’m sure you have your reasons, but what you did was wrong—”

  “I’ll do it myself!” Souriff interrupted. She wrapped dvinia around Airinold’s neck and made a squeezing motion with her hands. “I’m sure Father will understand.”

  Airinold couldn’t make a sound as he tried to pry off the dvinia, his face quickly turning red.

  “Souriff, let him go,” Failina said.

  She didn’t.

  “You have to at least hear him out.”

  “You’re only saying that because you were in love with him.”

  What the hell? Aren’t they siblings?

  “He is not a threat to us anymore! Look at him!” Failina yelled. “He doesn’t even have the power to stop you right now!”

  It was true. Airinold’s face was turning blue as he thrashed hopelessly. He didn’t cast a single spell of dteria, of anything. I didn’t see the harm of letting him live, especially if his words might be true.

  I looked at the dagger in my hands. I could kill Souriff right now. I could stab her in the heart.

  I would give anything to know the right answer. The only thing that remained clear was that Valinox ne
eded to die. I couldn’t tell about the rest of them.

  “Let him go!” Failina screamed as she grabbed Souriff’s arm.

  Souriff shoved her sister back. “You’re letting your emotions get in the way!”

  “I said let him go now!” Failina’s eyes seemed to catch fire as she held up her palms in front of Souriff. The demigod of dvinia’s face fell as she noticed Failina’s expression.

  “You wouldn’t,” Souriff said.

  “Don’t test me!”

  Souriff groaned as she released Airinold.

  He coughed as he grabbed his throat. “You haven’t changed at all, Souriff,” he said in a raspy voice.

  “She was the first one to stand against Valinox when he took control of your dteria,” Failina told him with subdued rage. “Then she convinced me to join. Souriff is doing everything she can to ensure that he is stopped.”

  “Because she wants control, like she always has,” Airinold said.

  But Failina shook her head. “You have been Gourfist for centuries, Airi. You couldn’t possibly know everything that’s happened.”

  “The world couldn’t be worse off now compared to before I transformed.” To me, he said, “I made dteria accessible because it was the only way to stop the constant fighting.” He glared at Souriff. “I was going to kill Valinox, then Souriff, and then every corrupt mortal who had sought power through dteria. When all was done, I would destroy it. But my siblings were cowards. They ran from me. I hunted them for years, but I couldn’t find them. That’s when I became Gourfist. I should’ve transformed back to myself when I began to lose power over the beast, but I had already stopped everyone from using dteria by then and would no longer be strong without Gourfist. Without the beast’s form to keep me safe, I knew I would be killed by my siblings. I was going to get rid of dteria as soon as I put a permanent end to Souriff and Valinox, but I just couldn’t find them. That is the truth.”

  “What were Souriff and Valinox doing before you created dteria?” I asked as I noticed Eden trying to make her way toward us with her pants rolled up above her knees.