by Matt Wilk
“Ugh, how’d the shell get heavier? Matthius?”
“Sir, I…food…I can’t…where is the…”
“That’s it boy-o, embrace the pain. Let it make a man out of you. Forward, trot!”
The caravan pulled off one cart at a time. All I could do was crawl towards the noise of hooves hitting the road. The old dog, Tommy, was tugging on my shell. Still, I could not stand up.
“You want it so bad? Take it!”
I ran out of breath taking off the shell but he was not satisfied. He bit down on my goat vest so I let him have that too. Then he ran a few paces ahead and sat down to bark. I was panting and gritting my teeth just to kneel when suddenly the dog came into focus. I saw that- beyond him- Major Bloodaxe had exposed as much skin as he could. Tommy was only trying to help.
“Thanks boy. I understand now.”
“Rough!”
Tommy only waited until I tried to stand before sprinting back to the others. I could only just barely drag the back shell anyway, so I threw the rest of my armor in it, and followed as quickly as I could. Even the smallest stone tripped me so I stayed close to the inside wall. Occasionally, my mind would flash back to the mine and to Ulfbar, as though I were soon taking the final journey to the underworld. Shaking my head hurt and made me dizzy, but, it forced my eyes to see the road again. The air grew cold and eerily still. There were no more birds chirping but, at the very least, there were no more gusts of wind to blow me off the cliff. All I could do was keep marching, no matter how slowly, and no matter how much it hurt.
The eclipse covered everything west down the road and north on the faces of every raised glacial plateau. This breed of red shadow stole all of my strength and filled me with a nauseating fear. Only one creature dared to move. The Scarlet Phoenix joyously hunted everything and blended into the red sky as if swimming in blood. Their screeches blew over me more than once but they could not dive at full speed on such an elevated target. Because of the increased threat of being eaten, Major Bloodaxe kept his dogs all safely hidden in the front cart. That’s how I turned a sharp bend in the road and suddenly came upon the stopped caravan. Major Swiftblade was waiting and pressed a finger to his lips to order my silence. I nodded and he mounted his steed without a word. Their smaller carts had only a front seat and under it all the cargo was already strapped in place.
“Sir, may I drink water?”
“Gear on, get in, stay low.”
The shells were so heavy that it was harder to put them on than it had been to take them off. I fell in the cart bed. My face took most of the force, thus keeping the noise down. I was finally drinking water when I saw why they had stopped. The dogs were up on the next tier of the cliff face- which was Lokah territory. I was about to tell Major Swiftblade about the border but the dogs jumped down into Lazarus’s arms and hid under a heavy leather cover.
“Sir, why did we stop?”
The Major turned back with his face twisted into the smile of evil pleasures.
“Ambush.”
The shell he had been whittling at earlier was fully carved into a face shield with funneled horizontal slits for eye holes. He pulled it down over his face and looked demonic in the red shadow. The caravan began to move and I hurried to screw the jug’s cap on tight. The steeds found a steady pace, and then, Major Bloodaxe ordered them into a full charge. The valley filled with the thunder of hooves and made it impossible to cautiously avoid any attacker. We had no choice but to rush in and shock them, but I had no weapon. I stretched my legs and shoulders and grunted blood into my muscles, preparing to help in any way I could. I did not hear the plan, but, if Senjay dismounted, I could run to him and at least block some arrows.
We slowed to round another bend and headed uphill, allowing me to see clear up the line. Senjay had no weapon either and there was a mass of iron spears blocking the road. The forward steed sped towards the road block without pause. Major Bloodaxe stood in his stirrups and destroyed every children’s story of dragons that I had ever heard. He spun the swiveling axes of both gauntlets, and built up a charge of trapped lightning. The ornately carved Drakkah proved to be a small cannon from which each launched a ball of blue lightning into the crest of the hilltop. Upon impact, the trapped fire broke free of its prison. The cheap iron road block boiled from beneath and exploded into bits that went everywhere but in our way. Bits of lightning arced between them, and the sound of thunder shook the songbirds from their trees.
Major Bloodaxe was not finished displaying his power. He picked up Lazarus and threw him onto the next tier of the cliff before diving into a hidden hole in the cliff face. Senjay stayed hid from a burst of fire as he sped past but I could see into the small archway. Some poor fools had taken up refuge in the office of an archaic abandoned mining entrance. The roof had rotted away but it was the Bloodaxe that destroyed the brick chimney and painted the walls with blood.
“Whoa! Eso, whoa!”
The caravan slowed just in time to hear the final screams of our would-be attackers.
“Lazarus! Where are you?”
I nearly leapt from the cart to run back when he stumbled out of the smoke, which was billowing from the hole where the front door once was. He vomited over the cliff side, then stood and raised his fist in victory. Major Bloodaxe joined him, carrying a chest the dead men had likely filled with their stolen loot. I was so focused on the smile Lazarus had on his face that I forgot to cheer alongside the others. When they passed on their way to the front cart, Major Bloodaxe looked down at my hanging jaw and laughed.
“Seven boy-o, there were seven of them.”
“But, who were they sir?”
“Don’t rightly know. Don’t rightly care.”
“And you’re still smiling Lazarus. What would your sister say?”
Lazarus took a long and deep breath and turned away. Then he slapped me in the face with a dead fish, and threw it in the cart.
“You’re welcome!”
The Majors laughed deeply while Lazarus strutted to the front cart. Major Talon took the chest in her cart and made Senjay strap it in place. My thoughts swam all about, but I could focus only on the stolen fish. The dead men had poached Beaked Pink Pointers from the Lokah’s glacial lakes and I could not let it go to waste. I emptied the guts over the cliff and checked for worms as quick as I could with my shaking hands. The salty meat was so fresh I did not even notice the caravan had begun to move again. We kept a pace the steeds did not mind for long enough to drift to sleep on a full belly. When my eyes opened I threw myself about the bed of the cart in fear of the dragon that filled the sky with blood.
“Nightmare’s almost over boy. Just rinse the filth off of yourself for now, you can clean your gear tonight.”
“Yes sir. Just a nightmare.”
My vision did not stay blurred for long, thought I was clearly recovering from several head injuries all at once. My whole life had been completely changed in a single morning. The hilt would give us the strength to recover from anything- even hold an army at the borders. And with the power of the drakkah in their hands, the Majors truly could kill any man they pleased.
“Let’s go my little turtles! Nap time is over, let’s get back to it!”
Major Bloodaxe called across the caravan while drawing it to a stop. I flopped out of the cart and began stretching and sighing in preparation for another lonely march. Senjay put his hand in my chest and I choked from the suddenness of being confronted with his glowing golden eyes.
“Matthius, your eyes are glowing.”
“So are yours brother. Lazarus?”
“Duh, look.”
His eyes were glowing as well and he pointed us to the sky. The moon was finally moving out from in front of the sun and it was the most glorious thing that I had ever seen. All of our backs straightened as the shells grew lighter. There was a flash of scarlet, a line of dead blackness, and then the sun returned to full brightness.
“Oh, magnificent allFather, blessed are we who speak thy name!
”
“Yea, and just like your real father, never there when you need him.”
I turned to scream at Lazarus but his eyes went from glowing golden circles to the blood shot eyes of someone who had just finished crying themselves to sleep. I pulled him into a hug long enough for him to slap my back a few times, and wipe off his face in secret.
“Thank you for the food brother. I was literally starving.”
“Good, no more crying for breakfast then.”
“Did someone say ‘breakfast’? Good, how’s about some turtle soup? Extra salty.”
Major Bloodaxe dropped down and did pushups with us. His dogs dismounted as well, splitting into a rear and forward guard. We ran behind the caravan and trained to block arrows as if the morning had never been interrupted. However, the pace was severely slowed, and the dogs did not make any further attempts to trip our feet. Major Swiftblade stared at us from behind his shell mask and Major Talon separated the stolen loot into several purses. The mood of Major Bloodaxe had greatly improved from the pleasure of killing and he even sang warring rhymes while he ran. His voice carried out into the valley as the beasts began to resurface in the light of day. Every phoenix had already snatched up a meal to feed its babies so they were no longer dominating the skies. Song birds and gliding squirrels darted between the snow topped trees, and even the beavers came out to slap the water with their giant tails. They would not have approved of Major Bloodaxe’s beaver tail cloak, but he was too massive to be covered with any smaller or lighter materials. He sang a song about going on a beaver hunt, and, he even made it a funny tale with a surprise ending.
The intended schedule of our first day was interrupted too many times to stop for a lunch. We took turns riding and running until the early sunset crippled everyone’s muscles. Not long after that, the steeds began huffing and chomping at the bit.
“Major Swiftblade, sir, the horned steeds don’t take to overuse lightly.”
“Shut it boy. We all want dinner.”
He read through my words. He also turned back to smile, and then cringe while holding his belly. We rode until the caravan could be pulled off the road at the intended location. A thin hill rose randomly out of the valley below- always on the south side- with just enough room to circle the carts. Enough pine trees surrounded us on all sides to provide concealment, and the giant sloths there were so accustomed to humans that they stayed in the branches, barely groaning at the noise. Once the steeds were released, they gathered around Major Bloodaxe for an apple. He took the first bite from each one to maintain dominance in their eyes, but spit it back out to feed his dogs.
“One of you turtles get the fire going. We’ll clear the area.”
I was already knee-deep in the fire pit cleaning out the frozen bits. Senjay circled the plateau for fresh wood and even found a few tufts of sloth hair for kindling. Major Talon was too drunk to pitch a tent and when Major Swiftblade finished with hers he quickly and quietly raised two more over the beds of the remaining carts.
“Matthius, you’re up before dawn. No noise. Clean your gear. Be ready to move first. Fall behind tomorrow and you will be left behind. Understood?”
“Yes sir.”
He disappeared into his small tent and managed to build a tiny controlled fire before we could.
“A powerful master to learn from there mate. Too bad I got stuck with that Slorrick wino. She would much rather be a drunken pirate queen.”
“Well, ‘matey,’ she wouldn’t be in charge if she were weak. Besides, it’s my fault. Every time she sees me, she grabs for a knife that is not there. Must have been flashing back to the war all day long.”
Senjay stopped me and I spun around expecting to see her standing behind me, but he was listening for noise. Major Bloodaxe was growling at Lazarus beyond the thin tree line.
“So, what’s that all about?”
Senjay threw up his hands and we shifted our focus on blowing embers into the soggy wood. Once the fire was hot enough to melt my fingers back to life, Lazarus brought out a small iron pot and some bags of powder. Major Bloodaxe let his dogs down to join us and I broke the silence- screaming higher than a little girl.
“Puppies!”
The sloths groaned, Major Talon woke up kicking, and the tiny hunting dogs all rushed into my open arms.
“There are so many Lazarus. Where did you get all of these?”
“Ah, that’s Tina there. She had the litter in the dead of winter so it’s a miracle any of them are still breathing. Even the runt managed to survive on almost no food. They’re just lucky the Bloodaxe wanted them for himself so they got to leave Ulfbar together.”
“Sounds just like us.”
“And you are just like me, little one. Not even enough food to finish growing your ears out huh? That’s alright boy, I’ll let you lick my dinner bowl clean. How’s that sound?”
The runt was smaller and thinner from constantly losing the competition for his mother’s milk. She did not mind my keeping him, even when she laid out by the fire and all the other pups ran to her for their dinner. Lazarus filled the air with the smell of buttered bone broth and even added strips of another pink pointer he must have grabbed from the poachers. We fed the eyes to the tiny puppy and I tucked him into my vest to wait for soup. The Majors made sure we had our portions first, then gathered around to eat and review the day at the Bloodaxe’s cart.
“I cooked. Who’s got the dishes?”
“I’m on fire duty brother.”
“Well, the soap’s right here Senjay.”
“No fair, I didn’t even get a puppy.”
“Don’t wait. We have to share everything and that includes responsibilities.”
“Yes, mommy.”
I gave Senjay the runt and he escaped while Senjay saluted Lazarus. The brood mother sniffed at her pup with jealousy, making Lazarus jump up to feed her. He poured the pot over into his empty bowl and put both on the ground to cool. The puppies started running in every direction when their dinners were interrupted, but the two older males swooped in from the shadows and rounded them up. Major Bloodaxe put them all in his cart while he ended the meeting. Senjay slurped up the remainder of his dinner and hopped to stacking up dishes.
“Oi, boy-o. Not you, the pretty one. You wrote my loot report?”
“Sir, yes sir.”
“You write like a girl.”
“Thank you sir.”
“Stop laughing and finish with my dishes. And what have you got there? You thought I’d lose count?”
“Sir, this is just the runt sir. He had no choice but to move up to solid foods.”
I held up the little dog and he stood on Major Bloodaxe’s open hand cooing up at him.
“These runts are worth the most you know?”
“Is that right, sir? Because they have to grow up faster?”
“No! The harlot’s just like their lap dogs is all. Aint that right, boy-o? You gonna get spoiled rotten and sleep on pillows, aren’t you? What’s that you say? I’m cruel? You like gruel?”
“He says his name is Kru sir.”
“Are you finished with those yet? Lazarus, show him where to tuck the dishes in the cart.”
Major Bloodaxe stood there petting the dog for a moment and cooed back at him.
“Yea, your name’s Kru. Yea, I know. He rolls his tongue like a Swillian, doesn’t he? Good, he will fetch a gold or two all on his own.”
To my surprise, he handed the puppy back to me, and nodded to Major Swiftblade.
“Charles.”
“Boy, you’re on fire duty. No noise in the morning. And don’t you let that dog come to harm. You can run, but she will catch you.”
I followed his nod, turning my head right into the big mother dog. She licked her new favorite pup goodnight, and blew her nose in my face as a warning. She skipped back to the cart after Major Bloodaxe, leaving me to settle down with the tiny Kru.
“Psst. Psst. Matthius. Come.”
Senjay and Lazarus were
waiving me over to Major Talon’s cart. The steeds pointed their ears in the direction of their whispers so I let Kru go and hammered my shell into the frozen dirt for a moment to break up the silence.
“You can’t seriously be peaking in on her. Are you two moon-mad?”
“She’s in his cart, mate. I know you want to see this cannon.”
I poked my head in beside theirs but the small bit of light from the fire and the moon showed me nothing.
“You turtles moseying about for an early death?”
Major Bloodaxe pulled the flaps of the tent apart and scared us dead silent. He must have thought that Major Talon was in there as well, because, when his eyes adjusted, his mood changed.
“Sir, I’m just curious is all. How do they work without flash powder?”
“That’s right, sir. I should have been covered in spent powder when you…”
He nodded while silently lifting his giant body into the cart. He peeled back the tent cover for more light, and sighed the smell of wine into our faces.
“Firstly, it’s the Swillians that use flash powder. Secondly, it’s the Lantos that designed the Drakkah Gauntlet System. That’s how we beat back the incursion, and that’s how they regained their power. So much for balance- death is what matters to the tall kings.”
“Now their priests control everything that’s copper, silver, and gold.”
“And they spread lies about dragons to hide the truth.”