Destiny

by Jason A. Cheek

  “Sorry about that, I meant Doctor Evans.” Waving her free hand towards the weapon belt, “Have you ever heard that you look a lot like the hero in Crypt Creeper?”

  “Asks the Agent in black body armor with two samurai swords strapped across her back.”

  Rocking back on her heels at the venom in the Doctor’s voice, Beth held her hands up defensively. “Whoa, what just happened here?”

  “Never mind, I just get that a lot.” The Doctor’s apologetic eyes suddenly hardened as the corner of her lips turned down into a frown. “Agent Kurwoski, this task force wasn’t sent to take over my dig by accident. I think it is time you started explaining what the bloody hell is going on here?”

  Before Beth could answer, battle horns began blaring near the end of the pier. Turning towards the shore, they both watched in horror as the demon’s formation began forming a ring around the end of the pier, when Beth heard the Doctor’s harsh exclamation.

  “What are those things doing now?”

  Beth’s heart caught in her throat.

  “They’re blocking the only escape route off the island.”

  ***

  Location Earth / Lar Sestius Natalinus:

  “Attack formation Omega, advance!”

  Decanus Lar Sestius Natalinus’ nostrils flared as the shrill cries of battle whistles passed along his orders up and down the line, while the Legion’s horns blared in defiance at the demons arrayed against them. Immediately the clanking sounds of Wolf Gauntlets transforming into blue glowing spikes of tinnearlian death filled the air as the battle lines shifted around him. Again Lar’s voice bellowed out orders as their hooves pounding on the rocks turned into a low thunderous roar.

  “Open melee formation, double time!”

  In response, the demons roared back as the runes of their black metal fist-blades began glowing with a wicked red light. Fighting back the instinctual fear that welled up in his soul, Lar prayed to Akras for fortitude as he ran. Out of all of the Tuonellian Horde, these soul eaters were the worst.

  Holding the coils tightly to his chest one-handed, Lar struggled under the heavy weight of the priestess as he brought up the rear. Although he knew Decanus Atius Furia had been correct when he said that Lar’s needed to protect his charge first and foremost, it still galled him not to be leading his bulls on this last run.

  Still this was their only chance. Even the surviving humans that had been fighting along beside them had understood that simple fact when the second line of demons began advancing down the slope behind them. Most of the human warriors had armed themselves with battle-axes from the injured or dead. Lar wasn’t sure how effective the weapons would be against demons. Traditional ironidium blades had difficulties penetrating even the Scourges’ natural armor, but anything was better than those puny little black things they used for weapons. Maybe the odd human Paladin’s red glowing aura would be enough to make up the difference. Next to him the human woman he’d come to respect, Decanus Driscoll, looked up at him fearfully yelling to be heard.

  “Tell me again we’re not all going to die.”

  Barely controlled rage burned in Lar’s eyes as he met the human Decanus’ unflinching gaze. “Many of us will die, but some will live to make it through. Just remember we have one chance. No matter what happens don’t stop running until you reach the ship.” Looking back to the demons, Lar raised his gladius into the air bellowing at the top of his lungs.

  “For the Imperium!” As one the legionnaires echoed his battle cry, “For the Imperium!” as the front of the charge slammed into the demons’ formation.

  Almost instantly the first two ranks were smashed into bloody pulp from the demons’ great sweeping fist-blades as each hit scattered bull body parts into the air like chaff in the wind. As the blood and guts rained down on the legionnaires’ lines, the rest of the survivors threw themselves at the hulking beasts with wordless bellows of fury.

  Unlike a normal enemy the demons didn’t feel pain nor did they tire. Their incredible strength wasn’t something born from bone and muscle but was an aspect of their magical construction. Except for being much more powerful and remotely controlled by eldritch energies, the demon bodies themselves weren’t much different than remote controlled drones, only much more powerful. Ignoring the physical blows tearing into their bodies the demons hammered their fists down onto the embattled Minotaurs like hyperactive King Kongs.

  There was no Legion to back him up. None of their allies had survived the invasion to fight beside them, except for the lone Gorgones priestess held in his arms. Neither had any of the vaulted Klavikian Paladins made it in time to help fight against the Priestesses of Loviatar. All that Lar had to uphold the honor of the Imperium were four ragged contuberniums, a handful of human warriors and a single human Paladin in training.

  Up and down the line Lar watched helplessly as his brothers paid with their lives. Even mortally wounded they fought on slashing and clawing until their last dying breath to make a hole in the demons’ formation, but it was taking too long. Even though the demons were being whittled down to useless lumps of flesh, their wrecked bodies still effective blocked any chance of escape. The demons didn’t have to kill them all to win. If they didn’t break through in the next few seconds, the battle was lost.

  Glancing over his shoulder at the approaching wave of demons nearly on top of them, Lar made a critical decision. Looking at the anxious humans around him, Lar saw the fear in their eyes, but at the same time, he saw the raw determination of warriors in them too. Meeting Decanus Driscoll’s grim face, he spoke urgently.

  “If Akras wills it, I’ll see you on the other side.” Hefting his glowing gladius into the air, Lar bellowed his pent up rage. “Strength and honor!”

  “Hoorah!” Lar didn’t need to speak their language to understand the human warriors’ yell. As one, they charge the demons together.

  Ahead of him, Lar saw his close friend, Decanus Atius Furia, lead his contubernium into the center of the storm. Instead of trying to hammer through the demons’ heavy armor, Furia had his bulls hack the demons’ limbs, focusing mainly on their lightly armored legs. Within seconds, the Minotaurs’ glowing fist-blades had taken the center down to legless stumps as their numbers were decimated to a just handful of bloody survivors. As Furia threw himself at the lead demon, Lar saw the human Paladin clinging to the demon’s back one-handed, while his other hand swung a two-handed axe at the demon’s thick neck.

  “Hhhuuurrraaalll!” Lar’s glowing blade took off the lead demon’s arm at the elbow as its black blade split Decanus Atius Furia in two. Lar watched his friend’s body collapse to the ground as the humans swarmed the last two demons blocking the gap on either side of him, most using the weapons they’d acquired from the legionnaires. As the lead demon fell forward onto its oozing stumps, Lar looked into the creature's glowing red eyes as his gladius cleaved the demon’s head from its shoulders.

  A ragged cheer rang out around him from both Minotaurs and humans throats alike as Lar climbed atop the demon’s headless corpse. “Ad navem!” (To the boat!) Before he could take a step towards the dock, the ground shuddered violently beneath his hooves.

  Slamming his gladius into the demon’s hide for balance, Lar road out the shockwave watching unbelievably as the entire mound at the center of the island collapsed into itself. All around him demons, humans, and Minotaurs alike were thrown to the ground. Lar couldn’t have said how long the earth shook under his hooves. It could have been a minute or five, but however long it was it didn’t seem to be going away.

  SSSHHHRRRIIIEEE

  Lar’s head whipped around at the loud whistling shriek that suddenly came from the harbor. As the strange whistle shrieked into the air again, the human Paladin yelled out urgently in his strange language waving for them to follow him as he stumbled and staggered towards the pier. Although Lar didn’t understand the words, the meaning was clear enough. They were about to lose their ride. Calling out to his brothers to follow Lar ran after t
he human.

  On the dock the swaying, jolting motion was even worse. The gangplank had been pulled, but some sort of thick mesh was draped over the side of the massive ship as the humans on deck called out urgently for them to hurry. Lar didn’t understand why the ship was starting to pull away if they wanted them to come aboard, but whatever the reason was it must have something to do with the quaking ground.

  Gripping the last pylon Lar and the Paladin worked together to get their people, humans and Minotaur alike, across the ever widening gap between the moving ship. There were still stragglers headed up the dock when the Paladin urgently began pulling at Lar’s arm. A quick look over his shoulder showed Lar that the tail end of the ship was quickly approaching. The distance seemed to have noticeably grown between the pier and the ship from than when they’d first arrived. Without a second thought, Lar scooped up the skinny human into his arm and leaped.

  Somehow they made it across the gap to the fast moving ship. Lar’s hooves were dragging in the water, but he’d still managed to reposition the human and priestess to hook one arm through the netting before they all plunged into the water. The meshing was the oddest thing he’d ever seen. If his arms hadn’t been full Lar might have been able to get his hooves to balance on the thin strands that made up the strange material, but as the great ship picked up speed even that became unlikely. Luckily by then strong hands were already pulling them up onto the deck.

  Both familiar and new faces greeted him as Lar climbed over the railing still guarding his precious cargo. While many of the new faces looked to belong to more of the human Paladins, the rest were from his legionnaire brothers that had made it aboard the ship.

  Quickly uncoiling the priestess from his body, Lar gently laid her against the bulkhead before starting to count. One, two … five … twelve. Standing up straight Lar’s eyes searched the deck as he slowly began to realize that this was it. Out of the six thousand bulls of the Ninth Legion that had made their way to the Gorgonean Republic, only twelve survivors were left.

  For a long moment, Lar could only stand in shock looking at his brethren’s stricken faces. Many of his bulls openly wept, while others stoically refused to give into the pain of their loss. Strange un-Minotaur faces stared back at him as the exhaustion and wounds seemed to overwhelm him. Falling back against the railing Lar’s head spun as he focused on breathing in deeply through his nose and out through his mouth. All in all, it was almost too much to take in.

  Lar flinched at a touch on his bare skin of his arm. Whipping his head up sharply Lar belatedly realized he recognized the old human soldier talking at him. It was the human Centurion. Although he didn’t understand what the human was saying, he did understand one word, “Driscoll.”

  Standing up straight Lar gripped the human Centurion’s shoulders looking around the deck for his human translator. “Ubi est Decanus?” (Where is the Decanus?)

  Again Lar didn’t understand the string of excited words. Why this race didn’t speak at least basic Irlendria was anyone’s guess. The male’s waving arms and excited voice was starting to draw a crowd when the human finally gestured back towards the pier. Looking out across the water Lar was surprised to see the pier hanging in midair.

  “Quod in nomine Akras” (What in Akras name?) Arching his heavy brows in surprise Lar studied the unusual sight. The water level was several yards above the waterline, yet the rocks below the hanging pier were still wet. Instantly he realized what was happening. The island was rising up around them.

  Staring down at the water on the side of the ship, everything started making sense. The quaking earth. The fleeing ship not waiting for the survivors. The why wasn’t as important, Lar knew nothing was impossible where magic and gods were concerned. Again the insistent hand tugged at his arm as the word “Driscoll” was repeated urgently. Squinting his eyes, Lar looked again. This time, he noticed the group of Minotaurs and Humans struggling to escape their demon pursuers far below where the water level had previously been. Immediately he recognized the shock of red hair that could only be Decanus Driscoll in the lead.

  “Lar!”

  The urgency in the familiar musical voice rocked Lar back on his hooves. Recovering from his surprise, he quickly squatted next to the priestess by his hooves. Behind him, Lar heard the surviving Minotaurs excited whispers as he dipped his horns in respect to the Gorgonean Priestess, while holding his spread index and middle fingers up to his chest facing out.

  “Priestess, you must rest after your ordeal.”

  “No, you must listen to me.” Weakly her clawed fingers gripped his armored wrist. “You must save the human woman called Driscoll.” Seeing the confused look on his face, the priestess leaned her head back against the bulkhead. “Akras has shown me that she is one of the keys. Promise me you will go to her!”

  “Priestess, you don’t understand. She is beyond our help-.”

  “By Akras holy sickle, promise me!” The Gorgonean’s entire body shook from the effort to speak as she gripped his arm in a vice. Bowing his head in respect, Lar spoke gravely.

  “I promise. I will save her or die trying.”

  As soon as the words left his black lips, the priestess’s arm fell away from his wrist as her head lulled to the side and her eyes closed. Standing up abruptly, Lar met the Minotaurs’ shocked faces behind him. Catching Decanus Carus’ wide eyes Lar nodded towards the unconscious priestess.

  “Decanus Carus, you are in charge during my absence. Attend the Priestess and watch over our people.”

  Standing to his full height Decanus Carus’ fist saluted Lar. “Strength and honor, Centurion.” Stepping forward Lar gripped the other bull’s shoulder. “Strength and honor, my brother.”

  Turning away abruptly, Lar pushed his way through the gathering crowd of humans as he stalked along the railing towards the front of the massive ship, his eyes studying the nearing coastline intently. Coming to the narrow bow of the vessel Lar saw the shrinking mouth of the inlet close at hand. Further beyond was simply open water. It was now or never.

  Ignoring the buzz of excited voices behind him, Lar sprang over the railing one-handed. There was a loud splash as he plunged deep into the water. Quickly Lar kicked his way to the surface as he began swimming towards the rocky coastline. Almost immediately three loud splashed rang out behind him. Craning his head around while he swam Lar saw the three surviving legionnaires of his contubernium surface behind him. Turning back around, he focused on swimming as he called out over his shoulder.

  “The three of you were supposed to stay back on the ship where it's safe.”

  “What, and miss out on all this fun?” Legionnaire Garilianus’ deep chuckle followed his words as Legionnaire Viridio spoke up.

  “Yea, who doesn’t love wet armor?” A groan further back from the last legionnaire made them all laugh.

  “For the love of Akras, this is salt water. Do you know how long it’s going to take to clean my armor?”

  “Liberalis, if we make it through this mess I’ll clean your armor myself.” As Garilianus and Viridio began complaining that they deserved, at least, the same treatment, Lar began feeling better. Akras will or not, they all knew that there was no chance for them to survive, but even so, being amongst his shield mates made certain death easier to face.

  ***

  Location Earth / Larissa Evens:

  “What in the bloody hell was Captain MacRory doing?”

  Gasping for breath Larissa clutched at the ship’s railing for support as her eyes took in the wounded soldiers and Minotaurs sprawled out across the deck in exhaustion. In the distance, she could still hear the screaming cries coming from the dock where the majority of the survivors had been left behind to die when the Triumph suddenly began steaming for the mouth of the caldera.

  Thanks to Cadet MacSweeney’s quick thinking and help from Agent Kurwoski and her team, it was a miracle they were able to save as many of the survivors as they did. Slowly she unlaced her hands from the heavy cargo netting that the
y’d used to drape over the side of the ship. Flexing her fingers, Larissa let the stinging pain from the rope burns clear her mind.

  “Who in the hell made that bullshit decision?” Meeting the Agent Kurwoski’s angry green eyes, Larissa thoughtfully frowned as she gave the Agent a helping hand up. Before she could answer Cadet MacSweeney snapped to attention in front of them.

  “Sorry Ma’am, Captain MacRory didn’t give me any reasons. He just ordered me to find you as soon as possible and bring you to the bridge.”

  Next to her, Agent Kurwoski’s boiling anger instantly changed into shocked surprise. “Captain Sean MacRory did all of this?”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  The confirmation seemed to rock Agent Kurwoski back for a moment. Quickly the woman turned to Larissa speaking urgently. “Something’s not right. We need to get to the bridge now!”

  Larissa would have smiled at the Agent’s sudden change of heart if she weren’t so worried herself. As they headed for the stairs, Larissa grabbed the young man’s forearm dragging him after her.

  “Cadet MacSweeney, while we go to the Captain. I want you to break out supplies for the wounded. They need food, water, bandages and blankets.”

  “Aye aye, Ma’am.”

  The Cadet headed off at a run as Larissa raced for the bridge with Agent Kurwoski on her heels.

  When Larissa saw Captain MacRory standing bare-chested over the navigation console with Morthwyl Gelyn still strapped to his back, she knew something was seriously wrong. First Officer Dudek didn’t look any better. Both hands gripped the ship’s massive wheel in a white-knuckled grip as the Captain called out course changes every few seconds while equipment all over the bridge beeped in alarm. As soon as the ship neared the mouth of the caldera, MacRory slammed his fist down on the ship’s internal alarm. As the ship’s klaxon began ringing throughout the ship, the Captain immediately switched off the automatic ‘action stations’ recording as he snatched up the loudspeaker’s handset.