Emptiness

by Viktor Zólyomi

  `You don't get it, assassin!' she told me. `We all want to take a part in this. And we will!'

  `Very well. I suppose you know your chances?'

  `Yes, we know well. Are you afraid, assassin?'

  `I do not fear death. I'll go with you and face death if I must. But are you and your friends likewise prepared?'

  She paused for a while before replying.

  `We will fight to the death, assassin.' she said, nodding fiercely. `We will fight to the death...'

  *

  Not long after, we departed from Endithu, and headed towards Delamar. We avoided the outposts as far as we could, and by early afternoon we were out of the dense elven forests and in the lands of Delamar. By the evening we reached the edge of a small forest just northeast of the Silver Lake. That is where we set camp for the night, not far from our destination, which was somewhere in that small forest.

  We agreed that I would stay awake and guard the camp during the first half of the night, and Flora during the second. But the others, laying beside me, could not fall asleep. As I stared into the fire, I heard as they were talking .

  `Do you think we can make it?'

  It was Tiaves asking.

  `Time will tell.' said Flora. `Don't think about it. We do what we must.'

  `Do or die?'

  `Yes. I guess...'

  `Isn't it bothering you that we are forced to do this?'

  `No-one's forcing us, Tiaves. We all came willingly. Or did you come against your will?'

  `I chose to come when it became clear what must be done, but we should not be needing to do this at all. The guards should be handling this. Justice should be served by them, not us...'

  `Guards? What guards?' asked Emrayeld. `The Supreme Guard, perhaps? What do they care about wood elves? They are Sewareld Worriil's private mercenary guild. They do Sewareld's bidding, nothing more. They'd never help us.'

  `I know, but that's what I'm saying. It should not be this way.' replied Tiaves.

  `Should or should not, we can do nothing about it.' said Lornydel. `No elven guards and no human guards either shall serve justice for Engnal. This is the kind of world we live in.'

  `Does it not bother you all?'

  `Sure it does, but what can we do?' asked Flora. `It's all in the hands of the Supreme Council. Nothing will change as long as they don't change their ways. If they ever change, it will be for the worse. They are all corrupt, every one of them. Ess'yer would be better off without them.'

  `Aye, I'll second that!' exclaimed Oldran. `Someone should kill those bastards, then Ess'yer would be a better place.'

  `Are you mad, Oldran?' asked Lornydel. `Do you have any idea what would happen? If the Council was to fall, the old wars would erupt again. And don't forget the dragons! They would return, and like they did a thousand years ago they'd scorch everything in their path. As much as we all hate the Council, we need them...'

  `It is not the Council we need, it is the Alliance.' said Flora. `There must be other ways to maintain the Alliance. It was a mistake to create the Council in the first place. I'll have to agree with Oldran. I would not shed a tear if someone killed them. All of them. For the sake of this land. For the sake of our people.'

  `How can you say that, Flora?' asked Lornydel. `All the wars that would follow... It would be terrible.'

  `He's got a point there, Flora...' said Emrayeld. `As much as I despise the Council, especially Sewareld Worriil, I must admit, without them, there would be war. That's worse.'

  `Wars are terrible, yes.' said Flora. `But wars can be fought and ended. I would certainly fight for a better world. Wouldn't you?'

  `Wars can be ended, you say.' replied Emrayeld, pathetically avoiding to reply her well phrased question. `I'm glad you did not say that wars can be won. I heard that said too often. How was it victory when the Alliance defeated the dragons after the Great War? With all that destruction, how was it victory? It was no more than survival. We survived that war, we didn't win it.'

  `Emrayeld speaks true!' said Lornydel. `To kill the Council... would harm this world. Wars will bring only suffering.'

  `That is what divides this world, Lornydel.' said Flora. `There are those of us who would fight to live in a better world, free, and there are those of us who do not want to fight, and are willing to live in tyranny.'

  `Tyranny?' asked Lornydel

  `Oh, in that she is right.' said Emrayeld. `What is this if not tyranny? The Councilors are tyrants, plain and simple. And the Enforcers are their iron fist with which they rule. Which basically means... we can say that it's Sewareld Worriil's iron fist... One would think he'll someday get rid of the other four.'

  `Nonsense! How could he? Why would he?'

  `How could he, Lornydel? Because he can. Why would he? Because he wants to.'

  `I told you, best to dispatch them.' said Oldran. `Fast. Before they make it worse. Flora's right, if the Council ever changes, it will be for the worse.'

  Then Tiaves asked once more.

  `What about you, assassin?'

  I slowly turned towards them.

  `What about me?'

  `What do you think about the Council?'

  `Nothing.'

  `Nothing? How can you think nothing?'

  `I don't care about them any more. Once, long ago, I had a specific opinion of them. Today, I just don't care any more.'

  `You don't care? Then... would you ever be willing to... kill the Supreme Council?' he asked slowly.

  I stared at him for a while, before I answered:

  `For the right price.'

  `There's your man, Oldran!' exclaimed Emrayeld, laughing. `Ask him how much he wants...'

  `Forget it.' I told them, and turned back towards the fire. `Focus on the task ahead. Focus on surviving it.'

  `Assassin...'

  It was Flora calling out to me, in a serious tone. I turned towards her.

  `You said that long ago you felt different about the Council.'

  `No. I said, long ago I had a particular way of thinking about them, and that today, I just don't care any more.'

  `How did you feel about them?'

  `Are you sure you want to know?'

  `Yes.'

  `The same as you. That Ess'yer would be a better place without them.'

  `Would you have killed them?'

  `I had no skills to do so back then. Or the will to kill anyone if it is not for self defense.'

  `So if back then you had possessed the skills you have now, and a will to kill, would you have killed them?'

  `Yes. And I would have done it for free.'

  I turned back to the fire, and waited for them to ask again, but they asked no more. Only many hours later did Flora speak again, when it was time for her to guard the camp. I did not have to wake her, she came to me. I wondered if she had slept at all.

  `Go sleep now, Doorn... You need rest, too.'

  Doorn, she called me. For the first time, she did not address me as assassin. I slowly nodded and took her place by the fire.

  `It is strange, how men like you could make the world a better place.' she told me. `Do you ever think of that?'

  `No. I told you, today, I just don't care about them any more.'

  `Yet if one day someone pays you enough, you will attempt to slay the Council, will you not? Do you ever think of that? If this happens and you succeed, this world will be a better place. Yet most will just curse your name for bringing about an age of war. Strange, isn't it? Do you ever think of this?'

  `Why should I?'

  `If I were you, I would.'

  `Be glad you are not me, Flora.' I told her. `No sane being wants to be me. At least, none would want to if they knew what my life is truly like.'

  She stared at me curiously, but decided not to press the issue. She turned to the fire and did not speak to me again until the morning.

  *

  We left the camp at dawn, and it was near noon when we arrived at our destination. I was a little surprised at the sight of the hu
man camp.

  The camp was a series of four wooden structures surrounded by a large wooden fence, situated in a grove surrounded by the sparse woods. There was one guardtower-like structure, the rest were what appeared to be living quarters. All well constructed, and a very specific blue-green banner was decorating every building.

  I told the elves to wait, to stay out of sight, hidden among the trees, while I go and scout the place. I molded into my shadow and entered the camp, sneaking around unseen. The guardtower was unused, everyone was inside the two living quarters. I snuck inside to take a look. I found many of them sleeping, but most were very much awake and battle-ready. I counted forty-five men altogether. On the way out, I overheard an interesting conversation.

  It was in a dining room, where five of the mercenaries were eating. One was clad in a fine suit of full plate armor, others wore chainmail. All were wearing the blue-green markings that I saw on the buildings as well.

  As they spoke, it became clear to me that they were a mercenary company. Their leader was the man clad in plate armor. They called him Gaxev. He scolded them for what had happened in Endithu, and they argued over whether it was still necessary to be on their guard more than usual.

  `I'm telling you Gaxev, they ain't gonna come! This whole shit is pointless. We ain't getting enough sleep lately.' said one of them.

  `You wanna sleep, go ahead. Just remember that if you don't wake up, it will be because you didn't listen to me!'

  `I agree with him, Gaxev. They won't come. They're just cowardly elves...'

  `Do not underestimate them, you fools! Don't you realize that we went way too far that night? I assure you they will come, so be ready!'

  The conversation went on like that for a while, but I didn't learn much more, so I left.

  Back outside among the trees, I told the elves what I had found out.

  `They are, apparently, a mercenary company. This seems to be their base of operations.'

  `Did you count them?' asked Flora.

  `More than you expected. A little more than forty men. Ten of them are asleep, the rest are awake and ready to fight.'

  `What do you think?'

  `This is a precisely constructed deathtrap. They are waiting for us.'

  `What? How can that be? How can they know?'

  `They don't. They are just paranoid, fearing retribution. We are merely the proof that their paranoia is well justified.'

  `We must carefully position ourselves and...'

  `No. I have a better idea. Let me sneak back in. I can kill the ones that are in bed as they sleep. They will never wake up, and no-one will ever notice. Then you will have much less mercenaries to worry about.'

  `No. I don't want you to do it. We will attack and kill them all together.'

  I shrugged my shoulders.

  `It's your funeral.'

  `Flora, listen... He's right. Let him do it!' said Tiaves.

  `No.' she told him.

  `Let him do it! There's too many of them.'

  `I don't want him to take their lives. It is our task, not his.'

  `He is Shayeld's man, remember? He is here to be Shayeld's sword.'

  `Shayeld never should have sent anyone! He's a merchant and can't fight, but he chose this life and has done much good for our people. Why is he so ashamed? He should have just let me take care of it...'

  `Flora, listen to me... There are too many of them. We are only six in number. If we fall in success, we will die for a reason, but if we fall and they live, we will die for no reason. Do you think anyone will come to finish it for us? Do you want Engnal to be just as unavenged as the Naguahl?'

  `This is different, nothing like what happened to the Naguahl. When the Naguahl fell ages ago, all the elven Elders cared about was avoiding war with Delamar. But I will not allow the elders to decide what happens here. We will do this, and no-one will stop us. Not the Elders, not Worriil, not the rest of the Council, not these mercenaries! No-one!' she said. I didn't know who the Naguahl were, or what she was speaking of, but I did not care, either. I waited for them to come to a decision.

  `That's the point, Flora!' said Tiaves. `If we fall, no-one will come to finish this. Not the elders, not the Council, not anyone. It's up to us, and us alone. We must not be careless here... Let him do it!'

  She sighed.

  `Very well.'

  Then, turning to me, she asked:

  `Can you climb to the rooftop?'

  `I think so.'

  `Then take this!'

  She handed me a large flask.

  `What is it?'

  `Lamp oil. After you killed them, pour this on the rooftop of the two main buildings, and then return here.'

  *

  I killed the sleeping mercenaries and poured the lamp oil on the roof as she asked. Then I went back. Tiaves alone was there.

  `The others?' I asked.

  `They are already positioned. Flora will fire flaming arrows on the rooftops, and hopefully the lamp oil will ensure that the whole building catches on fire. Then the mercenaries will rush out, and we will greet them with arrows.'

  `Try to stay hidden. The later they spot you, the better.'

  He nodded.

  `Hey, listen... I hope you don't mind about me bringing up the whole thing with the Naguahl...'

  `I don't even know who they are.'

  He looked surprised.

  `You don't... You don't know? But... I see... Well, this is not the time. I shall tell you after this is done. This is something everyone should remember for all eternity...'

  `Whatever.' I told him. He gave me a puzzled look, and then climbed up to a nearby tree.

  He waved his hand to the northeast, signaling one of the others.

  `Tell her to wait for one minute, while I get closer.' I told him.

  `I don't think she'll wait.'

  `Does she ever listen to reason?' I asked, and I turned around and hurried back.

  I hid in my shadow, and waited. I spotted the flaming arrows, atop each building. The lamp oil started to burn, but it seemed that it would not be enough to set the whole building massively on fire. I decided to use some magic to help out. I ignited a fire on each of the rooftops, as well as at the side of each building. Then I retreated to my shadow and waited.

  The fire slowly began to grow, and in time I saw one of the mercenaries coming out. He smelled the smoke, and wanted to find the source.

  As he spotted the fire, he called out the others.

  `Fire! Fire! Gaxev, get the fuck out here! All of you, move! The whole damned camp is burning!'

  As they ran out screaming in frustration and anger, a hail of arrows greeted them. The five elves, all perched atop a tree, sent precisely aimed shots at them, and each arrow meant one death. In a matter of seconds, five mercenaries lay dead on the ground, and the others only gasped in disbelief.

  Gaxev yelled at them.

  `Take cover, fools!'

  Then he added:

  `What did I tell you?'

  They rushed to seek what cover they could, but five more of them fell in the next hail of arrows before they could find shelter. Gaxev was in full plate armor, his head alone was unprotected. He covered his face with his forearms, peeking out through a small gap in between. He was looking for the archers. Then, he spotted Oldran.

  `There, on that tree! Rush him!' he commanded, pointing in that direction. Four of his men moved in for the kill. I knew it was time for me to make my move.

  I snuck behind one of the men that stayed behind, came out of my shadow, and stabbed him square in the back. He screamed as he fell. Then I quickly molded into my shadow once more. One of them saw it.

  `Gaxev, what the fuck is that?' he screamed at his leader, pointing towards me. But Gaxev could only turn to see a dead body.

  `Blast, there are more than just archers. Men, stay on your feet! Be quick, and stay under cover as best you can! We must find them all...'

  Meanwhile, the four that were commanded to get Oldran reached his tree.
One of them tried to climb up, but then he got an arrow in his back. Tiaves shot him from his tree, more than sixty feet from there.

  As the mercenary fell, the other three tried to spot Tiaves. Thus distracted, they momentarily forgot about Oldran. He used the opportunity to shoot one of them in the back of the neck.

  `Damned elves!' yelled one of the surviving two, and he drew a throwing axe from his belt. He tossed the throwing axe towards Oldran. The elf couldn't evade, or parry, and the axe struck him in the chest. He fell off the tree, screaming in pain. When he hit the ground, he fell silent. He was dead.

  `No!'

  Tiaves cried out. The mercenaries spotted him almost immediately.

  `There! Another one! Get him!'

  The mercenary who killed Oldran retrieved his throwing axe, and then rushed close to Tiaves' tree. Letting one of his comrades distract the elf, he waited for the right moment, then tossed his weapon. Tiaves got the axe in his forehead, and fell silently.

  `Ha! You puny elves are no match for me!' screamed his killer. His joy would not last long. A moment later, an arrow pierced him in the right eye. He gasped, and fell. I looked in the direction from where the arrow had come. I saw Flora, and saw as she jumped off the tree and quickly crawled towards another tree. Her armor kept her well hidden, she was very difficult to spot. She climbed another tree, and sought another victim.

  Lornydel and Emrayeld were not moving around so much. They tried to stay in the cover of the leaves on their tree, and kept shooting arrows at the mercenaries. They fired three arrows from their bow simultaneously with each shot, trying to fool the mercenaries into thinking the elves were in large numbers.

  Gaxev was not so easy to fool. I stayed in my shadow and lurked around them, and each time I saw an opportunity to strike, I killed, and then retreated to my shadow again, aiming to create confusion among them. I was close to Gaxev all this time, and could hear him speak to his men.

  `It looks like there are only three archers left. Two of them are trying to distract and confuse us by shooting multiple arrows per shot. The last one is constantly changing position. We must draw them out!'

  `How?' asked one of his mercenaries.