The Grim Wanderer

by James Wolf

  Taem edged forward, as quiet as he could be. His eyes were fixed on the black of the outside night. He kept expecting a Narg to come through any moment. He reached the larder, and motioned for the guards to go in. Taem waited outside and watched the open back door. The guards seemed to be ages in the larder, and Taem began to wonder if something had happened to them. A shadow popped its head out into the corridor. Taem jumped back, bringing his sword up. But then he realised it was a man not a beast.

  ‘Sorry,’ the guard whispered, ‘it’s a big larder, but there’s nothing in here.’

  ‘Let’s shut the door then,’ Taem began creeping towards the back door.

  A pair of glowing red coals appeared in the night beyond.

  Taem reared back in terror.

  ‘Arrrgghh!’ The guard with the lamp leapt away, and fled from the Narg. The other guard followed.

  The Narg stepped into the corridor, into the lamplight, filling it with its massive bulk. This Narg was over seven foot tall, covered in dense black fur, and had blood dripping from its gaping maw. It carried a giant butcher’s cleaver in its club of a hand. Its rusted armour seemed to be an extension of its body. The Narg moved nothing like a man: it seemed to carry a primitive power in its monstrous body. Taem felt frozen to the spot. He heard the two guards running away behind him. Taem backed away a few steps. He raised up his sword, with shaking hands. The Narg stepped towards him, snarling. Taem had never been more terrified. He could have run back to Logan. But the back door had to be closed. He had seen his Master kill the other Nargs, and that gave him the shred of courage to stand there. He began to plan how he would attack the Narg. Would he throw a horizontal slash, a downward strike? But the Narg rushed him. The monster swung its cleaver for his head. Taem just managed to duck. Instinct took over, and he did not have time to be afraid.

  Taem brought his sword up to a high side block, just enough to deflect the Narg’s wild swing. The juddering force jarred his wrists, and it took all Taem’s will to hold onto his sword. He jumped back, out of reach from a blow that would have cleaved him in two. Taem realised that the Narg might be strong and big, but it was slow and ponderous. And he was Sodan, he had trained for years for this moment. The Narg swung again, and Taem deflected its cleaver off to the side, leaving the Narg wide open. Taem brought his sword up high and chopped down in one movement. The end of his Starblade cut down between the Narg’s red eyes. The monster collapsed to the floor. Taem stared down at the dead Narg in disbelief. He had acted by instinct alone. He had survived! He had defeated an enemy!

  The two merchant’s guards edged back out from the corridor, gaping at Taem in amazement.

  Taem rushed to the back door, pulled it shut and bolted it. The three of them ran back to the kitchen to get tables to wedge the door shut, and went back to the common room.

  Logan had made the townspeople push the tables up against the windows, and he had gathered fifteen merchant’s guards, and another twenty men and women who were armed with anything they could find. There were a hundred other townspeople crowded at the end of the room, far from the front door. Taem saw Big Nose and Grey Hair amongst them, saw the look of absolute horror on their faces. They would never again be laughing about Nargs being stories to scare children. Taem dreaded to think what had happened to any people that had not made it to this inn. They were surely dead. Murdered, ripped to pieces, and being feasted on by the Nargs outside the inn. Taem heard the Nargs roaring, from all around the inn. It was the sound of pure bloodlust. Taem was still scared, but not as terrified now he had defeated one of the monsters himself. Now, he was more frightened by the fact they were outnumbered.

  ‘Why do they not attack the inn, Logan?’ Hirandar asked.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Logan peered through the side of one of the windows, and saw great shadows moving in the darkness of the street. ‘It makes no sense. They could easily smash their way through our barricades. So what are they waiting for?’

  Townspeople at the far end of the common room began screaming, and running back from the wall. Taem turned to look, and saw the far wall was on fire.

  ‘Light!’ Logan saw flames licking up the inside wall, ‘They’re going to smoke us out!’

  People in the common room started panicking and shouting, and the Nargs outside began bellowing louder. Everyone in the common room was looking at Logan.

  ‘We’ll have to attack them,’ Logan pointed his sword to the front door.

  ‘Attack them?’ merchant’s guards looked at each other in shock.

  ‘Would you rather burn to death?’ Logan gestured to the far wall, which was now engulfed in flames.

  All the merchant’s guards and townspeople looked at Logan with dread in their eyes. But Taem could see they realised they had no other choice.

  ‘When we go through that door,’ Logan pointed to the outside, ‘spread out in a line, but keep your backs to the inn. The sooner we go the better. Our only chance is if we fight together.’ Logan looked at the merchant’s guards, and he doubted some of them had the courage to do this. ‘If we don’t all charge out together, we’re dead already. And so is everyone else in here!’ Logan pointed at the Townspeople cowering back from the fire.

  The men stayed silent, staring at Logan with terrified eyes. Taem could see some of them faltering, but they stayed out of shame, and fear of looking a coward.

  ‘If you won’t fight,’ Logan said strongly, ‘then the Nargs will come in here and butcher you anyway. Or they’ll just wait until the flames become unbearable, and people start running out into the street.’ Logan gestured to the women, the children and the old, cowering in the corner, quivering back from the flames. ‘If we don’t fight, then all these people will be slaughtered. If the Nargs take them alive they’ll drink their blood and devour their flesh.’

  Some of the merchant’s guards looked horrified and nauseous at that thought.

  ‘It’s quicker to die with a sword in your hand,’ Logan raised up his sword, ‘than be pulled apart slowly and eaten alive. If we all fight together, some of us have a chance of surviving. Do you understand?’

  No one spoke.

  ‘We are with you warrior,’ one of the merchant’s guards whispered.

  ‘Aye,’ cried a few of the others. Many of them stayed silent, their faces pale and terrified, but they looked at Logan as if they would follow him.

  ‘Let’s do this,’ Logan gestured for two merchant’s guards to remove the benches wedging the front door. They pulled the door aside, and Logan went sprinting out. Taem was the second man behind him, not because he was feeling brave – he felt as terrified as the others looked – but he followed out of loyalty. The outside of the inn was going up in flames, so the Nargs surrounding the inn were shadows in the flame-light. Taem saw rows of hungry eyes that glittered red, eager for more slaughter. He was so afraid, but he would fight alongside Logan whatever happened. Being alongside the Master gave Taem the strength to charge at the first Narg he saw. Logan’s sword smashed through the front Narg. Taem stayed alongside Logan, running at his Narg, lifting his sword up high and hurling it forward. To his surprise, Taem caught the Narg out with his speed, and his Starblade buried deep into its torso.

  Most of the merchant’s guards ran with Taem and Logan, charging into the Nargs, and swinging swords and axes. Hirandar hurled magic fireballs at the Nargs, consuming them in fire. Townspeople followed after the merchant’s guards, with kitchen knives, sticks, hammers and woodsman axes, shouting as they leapt on the Nargs. Many men got destroyed by Narg axes and hammers, or cut in half, or had their skulls caved in by the monsters. But many of the Nargs succumbed to the ferocity of the desperate townspeople.

  Logan made swift work of any Nargs he found. He had killed hundreds of Nargs before, and they were always slow and predictable. The Sodan Master’s blade smashed through one Narg, and lopped the head off another. Taem stayed close to the Master. Seeing Logan kill Narg after Narg was inspiring, and it kept him safe. A Narg charged Taem with
a wild swing of a huge hammer. Taem leapt to the side. He pivoted, bringing his Starblade out and round, and cutting clean through the Narg’s flank. Taem rushed the next Narg, coming across with a devastating blow. The Narg used its rusty axe to turn his sword away. Taem reversed the swing back across, and the monster just managed to deflect the Starblade to the side. Taem used the momentum to bring his blade full circle, down, back, up, over and down, cutting straight through the Nargs head.

  Through the melee, Taem saw a man walking towards him. But this man moved as if he were a snake. Taem realised the man was coming straight for him, oblivious to all the other men and Nargs fighting around them. This man emanated menace. Taem’s hands began to shake. He felt a deep terror that chilled his blood. Taem knew this man was Dark and evil – and he had come to kill him. The man strode closer, and Taem gasped when he saw the man’s face. His eyes were black. They had no soul. Taem felt rooted to the spot in sheer horror. This was a demon walking in a man’s body. The demon pulled out a black sword from under its black cloak. Taem raised his trembling sword into the guard position. The demon hissed and leapt at Taem.

  The demon moved with supernatural speed. It seemed to attack in three places at once. Taem was frantic as he tried to beat away the demon’s sword. He blocked and parried, and moved aside – but always the demon attacked again and again. It was a shadow. It moved faster than he could think. Taem could not get any time to do anything but desperate defence. Taem turned the demon’s blade over, but it was already swinging in from the other side. Taem just managed to deflect its blow. The demon lashed out for his head, and Taem parried the slash so it missed his cheek by an inch. In the next moment, the demon thrust a kick into Taem’s stomach. Taem went flying back and dropped to the floor. Pain shot all over his chest. He could not breathe. He clutched his stomach, tried to struggle to his feet. He felt as if he was drowning. His sword was on the ground. But the pain! He could not move. Taem slumped back to the floor. The demon towered over him.

  ‘Pathetic,’ the demon hissed, ‘the legacy of the Sodan is dead.’

  Logan’s blade flew through the air, and the demon leapt away.

  ‘Get back, Nightdemon!’ Logan lunged forward, but the demon blocked his thrust.

  ‘Grim Wanderer,’ the demon spat out with venom, as it recognised Logan’s sword.

  Logan leapt at the demon, as it charged towards him. Their swords clashed together in an almighty collision. Taem watched in awe as the Sodan Master battled the Nightdemon, moving so fast that he could barely follow what was happening. Logan’s sword flashed through the dark. The demon lashed out faster than a striking serpent. Their swords smashed together over and over again. Logan defended the demon’s ferocious attacks, and managed to counter back. The Sodan swung for the demon’s head, chopped at its legs, and aimed to cleave through its body. But each time the demon’s sword deflected his every move. The Nightdemon went into a fury, hacking and slashing, throwing a dozen strikes, forcing Logan back. The Sodan Master just managed to stop the demon short on every blow, though Taem could see Logan was hard pressed. The demon had the upper hand.

  A ball of white light smashed into the demon. There was a massive bang. The Nightdemon was launched thirty foot through the air. It tumbled end over end to stop in a heap in the ground.

  Hirandar helped Taem get on his feet. Taem looked the Wizard in her eyes, and saw she looked exhausted. More tired than Taem had ever seen anyone. Hirandar’s eyes seemed to have shrunk into her head, and she was bent double. She seemed to have aged ten years in ten minutes.

  ‘What took you so long,’ Logan muttered to Hirandar, as he walked over to help support the old Wizard.

  Taem saw the Nargs slinking back into the shadows.

  ‘Why do they back off?’ Taem looked round, and saw all the surviving merchant’s guards and townspeople were as surprised as he was.

  ‘The Baku leads them,’ Logan gestured at the still black mound that was the Nightdemon.

  ‘Baku?’ Taem whispered.

  ‘That’s what the Nightdemons call themselves,’ Hirandar pointed her staff at the fallen demon, and crept towards it. Logan went with the Wizard, with his sword at the ready.

  The demon leapt to its feet. Taem reared back in shock. How was it still alive? The creature sprinted off for the nearest shadows. Hirandar took aim with her staff, and loosed a massive ball of white light at the fleeing demon. The Nightdemon threw itself aside. The white light missed. The demon rolled, came up running, and was off melding into the shadows. The ball of white light flew into a house across the street, and blew it to pieces.

  ‘We’ll never catch it by night,’ Logan watched the Nargs running off into the darkness.

  ‘How did Hirandar’s magic blast,’ Taem looked at the destroyed house, ‘only manage

  to knock down the demon? How is it not dead?’

  ‘They are not easy to kill,’ Logan watched all the Narg corpses. ‘You are lucky to have survived at all, Taem. Few men have faced a Baku and lived to tell the tale.’

  ‘What’s it doing so far from the Shadowlands, Logan?’ Hirandar leaned her weary body on her staff.

  ‘I think we know why it’s come,’ Logan looked down at Taem’s sword.

  ‘The demon’s eyes,’ Taem whispered, ‘they’re terrifying. I was so afraid.’ Taem stared at the floor.

  ‘Taem,’ Logan put a hand on Taem’s shoulder, ‘you did well to even fight it. I have known many brave men who have tried, and failed. I’ve seen hardened troops run in fear from one, and entire bands of soldiers ripped to pieces. Trust me, you did well.’

  ‘Can we kill it?’ Taem looked at Logan with frightened eyes.

  ‘The Nightdemons move faster than anything I’ve ever seen,’ Logan stared out into the night, ‘and have more strength than a giant Narg. But one of our swords,’ Logan held up his Sodan blade, ‘will take its head clean off.’

  ‘My Lady Wizard,’ an older man rushed up to Hirandar, ‘my son. He has a sword in his gut, but still breathes. Can you come? Please?’

  Taem saw the desperate look in the villager’s eyes.

  ‘I will try,’ Hirandar nodded, and followed after the man, disappearing into the next street.

  ‘Warrior,’ one of the merchant guards came up to Logan, ‘what do we do now?’

  ‘Gather the people into the safest building,’ Logan said, ‘light watch fires, barricade the doors, and pray for dawn.’

  ‘The old mayor’s house is fortified,’ the guard said, ‘we might be able to hold them off there.’

  ‘I can feel they’re still close,’ Logan stared out into the darkness.

  ‘As can I,’ Taem murmured. He strained his eyes, and made out shadows shifting in the dark of night, just beyond the town boundary. ‘I can see them!’

  ‘They’re coming to finish us off,’ Logan said.

  A horn blast rang out through the dark, making Taem jump out of his skin. Roars echoed through the night, from all around.

  ‘They’ve been reinforced!’ Logan shouted. ‘Come, we must get the horses!’

  Logan and Taem ran back down the street, towards the Boot and Fiddle. They ran for the stables, and found only one of their horses still there, Storm, the others had bolted. Taem hurried to get a bridle on the terrified horse, as he tried his best to soothe the grey mare.

  ‘No time for a saddle,’ Logan peered out into the darkness. ‘Hurry, we must find Hirandar.’

  A thunderclap boomed through the night.

  ‘The Wizard is under attack!’ Logan ran towards the noise. Taem ran after him, dragging the whinnying horse behind.

  They turned a street corner, and saw three Nargs breaking into a grand house with barred windows and a solid door. There was a flash of green light from inside the house, and one of the Nargs squealed as it was consumed in green fire. Logan charged in and speared one of the Nargs. He turned and cleaved in the other’s head.

  ‘Let them in!’ Hirandar shouted, from inside the house.

&n
bsp; ‘Hurry!’ Logan looked from side to side, seeing hulking shadows sprinting towards them. The frantic people inside the house removed the makeshift barricade on the door.

  ‘There’s people being chased!’ A villager shouted, from an upstairs window.

  Taem looked round to see a woman running towards the fortified house, pulling two children along, with a Narg just behind them. There was no way they were going to outrun it. Taem leapt on Storm’s back. He met Logan’s eyes for a moment, as he spun the horse, and a knowing look passed between them.

  ‘Ride!’ Logan shouted.

  Taem slammed his heels into Storm’s flanks, and she galloped forward. He charged out towards the fleeing villagers, saw the Narg gaining on them, and the dozens more Nargs following. The children’s legs were giving way. The Narg was two metres behind. It reached out and pounced. Taem flew past the villagers and swung out his sword. The Starblade cleaved the leaping Narg’s head. Storm was charging so fast, that Taem shot past that first Narg, and was moments away from being amongst the dozens of other Nargs. Taem yanked the reins hard to the right. Storm swerved to the side, and it took all his leg strength to hold on. Nargs leapt for the horse, but she skittered past them, down an alley.

  Storm raced away, and Taem glanced behind to see Nargs pursuing them. There was no way back. He could hear thunder behind him, and he knew Hirandar was defending the fortified house. He turned at the end of the alley, back towards the house. Taem drove Storm hard, looping round the town to come at the house from the other side. But when the house came into view, Taem’s heart sank. There were scores of Nargs surrounding the house, screaming and roaring for blood. Taem pulled Storm back. There were still Nargs in pursuit. Other Nargs turned from the house, and started running towards him. There was nothing he could do. Taem jolted Storm into a gallop once more, and they flew into the darkness of the countryside.

  Chapter 5 – Borleon Forest

  Taem rode hard for three days. He went north, making for the great city of Dolam, the way Hirandar had always said to go. Poor Storm was pushed to the limit of exhaustion, but Taem knew the Nargs could still be after him. He was forever watching over his shoulder. Waiting, expecting to see Nargs on the horizon, but he never felt the taint of evil, as he had at Stheeman’s Hill. He was torn by abandoning Logan and Hirandar. Racked with guilt that he had left them to their fate, but what else could he do? There were a hundred Nargs pursuing him, for all he knew.