by C. J. Strong
“Oh, I’m glad you asked. I hunted them down and slaughtered them of course. No one comes into my village and hurts my people, especially my beloved. I transformed into my spirit form and left in a rage. The cowards that assassinated my love weren’t prepared for the hell that I unleashed upon them. They were already half way into the Forest of Sorrows by the time I caught up to them, but it didn’t matter. There were 3 of them. I lept from the trees and pounced on the 1st, tearing out his throat with my teeth. Blood shot into the air, and the other two screamed out in horror before running in opposite directions. I licked my lips and dashed after the one who went left. Within a few moments I was right on top of him before he could even summon his conjuring book. I slashed him down with my paws and then caved his chest in once I was on top of him. His eyes turned glossy and he let out one final scream. The last assassin, he was a fun one. I cannot be for certain as to whether or not he was the one who dug his dagger into Endosa’s neck or not, but he was the most likeliest of suspects based upon his aggressiveness. After I had killed his friends, I backtracked and found him waiting for me in one of the clearings of the forest. It was the perfect place to do battle, and he had already summoned a few weapons. I wanted his death to be slow and painful, and so I decided to transform back into my humanoid form, that way he could see my face as his soul leaves his body,” Valdar told the group.
Gallagher was on the edge of his seat, and was aching for more details. He never pegged Valdar for much of a storyteller, but after a few brews he seemed to be a different person. Omna had sat back down by this time and Babah had passed out while laying on Valden. “That’s pretty dark, but that bastard deserved to die after what he did to poor Endosa,” Gallagher said.
“Oh he deserved what he got all right. He came at me with blades in each hand, but I dodged each of his attacks easily. I hadn’t had a good fight in a long time, and I wasn’t as skilled as I am now, but none of that mattered because I knew I was going to have my revenge. He swung his blades several times at me, an endless barrage until I eventually backed up into the thick of the forest. He was a bit tired from the wave of attacks, which made him both predictable and clumsy. As he swung at me yet again, I ducked under and just as I had predicted his sword missed and dug right into the bark of a tree. He tried to pull it out but he was stuck, and before he knew it I was behind him. I punched him right in the lower back, as hard as I could. He fell to one knee but by the Ancients he was a tough one. He turned around and nearly took my head off with a swipe from his other sword. I respected the fact that he actually putting up a fight, and decided to let him slash me at least once across the chest. I wanted something to remember him by, and have adapted that reward ever sense,” Valdar said as he ripped the shirt he had off and pointed to one of the many scars he had on his body.
“That seems… dangerous don’t you think? And how can you remember so many details from a fight that happened so long ago?” Gallagher said as he stuck his hand out and felt the scar on Valdar’s chest.
“A true warrior never forgets the battles he has fought. You would be wise to learn that Gallagher the White. Taking everything in, and studying how things happened is one of the best trainings you can do. Now back to the battle! After I had let him bloody me up a bit, it was my turn. There were several holes in his technique, and I could tell he wasn’t used to wielding a blade, so I kicked up a stick from the ground with my foot and countered his next attack. Just the sheer force of my counter alone knocked him off balance, and so I gave him a moment to reset before I went on the offensive. I snapped the stick in half over my knee, and came at him with a fury of blows. He wasn’t half as good defensively as he was when he was the aggressor, so I knocked him all around with my attacks. I smashed the pieces of wood into his head, shoulders, arms, and then took it to his legs. He tried to swipe back with his sword, but I was far too quick for him. He was exhausted, and I didn’t want to kill him just yet so I threw both of the twigs into the air and kicked him as hard as I could in the knee while he was distracted. I could feel my foot sink through his leg with crushing force. Sure enough, his knee was broke and he fell down holding it while screaming in agony. Now that he was no longer able to run, I made my way over and pulled the other sword from the tree and walked back to him. He was yelling and attempting to crawl away so I stuck him in one place. I stabbed the sword through one of his calves and into the ground. He cried out once more, and I relished in it. I asked him if he was the one who had killed my beloved but got no response. He was too busy focused on pulling the sword from his calf so I did it for him. I ripped it from the ground and then held it to his throat. He threw his head back so fast that he hit it on a rock and knocked himself out. If I wasn’t so angry at the time then I probably would have just laughed,” Valdar paused before sitting down next to Gallagher, Omna, and Valden with his back towards the fire. “Once he woke up, I questioned him a bit. Apparently the Salker Tribes leader, Ondull, sent them to kill Endosa in order to send a message to me.”
“A message… but why?” Gallagher asked
“Because she found out that we had housed her daughter and her friends a few years prior. Regardless, the message was well received and the truce between the Tilturians and the Northern Nifflarians had been broken. Except no one else saw it as such. I returned to Tindu, and called a meeting with the surrounding Tilturian chieftans. Most of Tilturians were still fighting on the southern front, and didn’t want to start a war with those in the north. If it was left up to me, we would have attacked and decimated the Nifflarian scum, but instead we did nothing. Instead, Ondull and the Salker Tribe attacked Tindu not less than a month later and we were the ones who suffered. I did everything in my power to keep Omna and baby Valden safe from those horrible bastards. We survived, but the entire village sustained heavy losses. Of course none of the other Tilturian tribes helped, the cowards. They were too busy playing politics with the other village Niffs, and everyone saw it as just two separate villages at war with one another. But everyone took notice once Zorm the Demon Lord’s influence came from the Eternal Lands and began ravaging village after village. I was never able to exact my revenge because of that evil bastard.”
“Zorm, I’ve heard you mention him before. Isn’t he the one who controls the creatures that we’ve been fighting?” Gallagher asked.
“Yes, he is. At first it seemed like he only had a bone to pick with the Nifflarians, but as it turns out he was just conquering the weak. Once nearly all of the northern Nifflarian villages were burnt to the ground, he set his sights on the Tilturians and we have been battling him ever since. Tindu was one of the last Tilturian villages still left in the area, an outpost against evil if you will. But now that we’re marching south towards Ulteria, Tindu will most likely fall,” Valdar said.
“I’m sorry Valdar, I never knew how much that village meant to you. Don’t worry, once we kick Zorm’s evil ass out of Ulteria, we’ll go back and reclaim Tindu. And who knows, maybe you’ll even be able to fight that Ondull lady once we get back,” Gallagher said.
“Not likely kid, not likely,” Valdar said before he yawned and started to slump over. Gallagher hadn’t noticed until now, but they were the last two still awake in camp. Omna and Valden must have passed out while Valdar was telling his story.
Gallagher yawned just a few moments later and decided it was best to get some rest. Valdar’s story really got him to thinking though. There were so much history that he hadn’t known about, and so many questions he still wanted to ask. Valdar had finally opened up to him, and Gallagher felt like this was a real bonding experience. Who knew that alcohol would have actually brought some good into his life, after all the bad experiences he had with it back on Earth. For once the drunken father figure wasn’t beating him up, causing him to run away or be sent to a different foster home. In fact, Valdar was the best drunken father figure Gallager had ever had, and he was proud to call wherever they were home.
Chapter 24
After reuniting
with his friends at last, Andrum left the village of Tindu with high hopes of finally completing his journey. They marched towards Ulteria, but took alternate routes in order to avoid running into anymore Tilturians. After all, a war was going on and although Andrum was much stronger now, there was no sense in any unnecessary bloodshed. Besides, once they returned home they would be able to help end the war by bestowing magik back to their people.
Ashurd led the way, and it was a nice feeling to have the fearless leader back. After walking for several days without stopping, the heroes found themselves at Ashurd’s grandfather’s final resting place.
“Rezhul’s Memorial, lucky bastard got a monument in his honor,” Ashurd said as they walked through the gates of the sanctuary.
“Well, he was the greatest weaponsmith that ever lived,” Andrum said.
Uriella, who had been lagging behind for most of the way, eventually caught up to the group and walked over to a recently broken table oddly placed near the middle of the memorial grounds. “What is this doing here?” she said as she bent down and wiped the dust off of a caved in table with two shattered chairs lying next to it.
“I’m not sure, last time I visited this place nothing out of the ordinary was here,” Andrum said as he stroked his chin.
“Maybe someone conjured it while paying their respects,” Yuralia said.
Ashurd walked over to the wooden remains and kicked the table, completely destroying what was left of it. “How dare they desecrate my grandfather’s sacred grounds.”
Uriella cupped a handful of bark and ash from the ground and let it sink through her fingers. “Whatever it was used for, it was definitely conjured by someone.”
“Come on, let’s get a move on,” Andrum said as he walked past the group.
Ashurd kneeled down next to the giant statue located in the middle of the enormous necropolis and paid his respects as the others waited for him. “Gone but never forgotten,” he said as he pulled his broken sword from his belt side and placed it gently on the plinth.
After taking a few moments, he rejoined the gang and they left the Memorial. It wasn’t before long that they were at last nearing the Nifflarian capital city of Ulteria. “I never thought we would see this place again,” Andrum said as he looked over the hills.
“It… it’s beautiful!” Yuralia said as she followed close behind.
“Ayye, it is. Much better than that hole in the ground your mother kept me in,” Ashurd said.
Uriella lagged behind the group, struggling to make it over the hills and hollers until finally laying eyes on the great city. In a burst of life, Uriella blew past the others, and was the first to arrive at the city gates. “We have returned at last!” she shouted as guards raced down the tower to greet her.
The trio quickly caught up to Uriella and the gates of the city slowly opened. Sunshine reflected off of the tall marble buildings, nearly blinding the group as they entered. “It’s even more gorgeous than when we left,” Andrum said.
One of the guards motioned to another who then blew on a horn, sending soundwaves throughout the entire city. Ashurd hugged Uriella tightly and said, “We have finally made home.”
Andrum took a few moments just to take it all in, and some of the Nifflarians nearby started to walk over to greet them. Ashurd, Uriella, Andrum and Yuralia all shook hands and hugged several familiar faces, but something seemed off about them.
. “Welcome home heroes!” a voice called out from a distance.
Andrum squinted a bit and walked over towards the recognizable voice. It was Styir! And he was accompanied by Benry, the golden retriever that had found Yuralia in the Eternal Lands. As the dog barked and tackled Yuralia, Styir hugged Ashurd and then Uriella. Andrum could hardly believe his eyes. Benry must have somehow known to wait for them in Ulteria. Perhaps he understood more than he let on, but that still didn’t explain how he was able to travel all the way to the city from the Endless Plains. There were a lot of questions Andrum had about what happened since they left, but they could all be answered in time now that they were safely home at last.
“…and who are these two new faces that accompany you?” Styir asked.
“Don’t you recognize me Styir. It’s me, Andrum!”
“Andrum?! Oh my how you have changed,” Styir said as he looked Andrum up and down.
The two embraced in a hug and Benry leapt from Yuralia to the others, wagging his tail and demanding attention. After the pleasantries were out of the way, Styir’s face got serious and he began to speak once more. “So, what have you brought to help our people?”
Uriella and Yuralia turned to Andrum and his eyes lit a crystal blue, summoning his new book. Both Styir and Ashurd stood in awe as the book radiated magik and Styir’s eyes lit a burning red.
“Do… do you think I could see it?” Styir asked.
“Well sure, but be very careful. It has the power to—“
“Oh I know what it is capable of,” Styir said as he snatched the book from Andrum’s hands. Styir snapped his fingers and the guards huddled around the group with their eyes burning a brilliant red.
“What the hell is going on?” Andrum, Yuralia, Ashurd, and Uriella all asked.
Benry, separated from the group and walked over and sat next to Styir who was drooling over the book in his hands. “You know, I never got to thank you all for rescuing me from the Eternal Lands,” Benry spoke for the first time.
“Benry, what the—“ Yuralia said.
“There’s something you ought to know about me. My full name is actually Benry the Soul Slayer, and I am the dog of Zorm the Demon Lord,” Benry said as Styir pat his head.
All four heroes stood in shock as Andrum thought to himself, Oh no… What have I done? I promised Xurion the book wouldn’t fall into Zorm’s hands and now I have unknowingly done just that.
“Guards, take them away,” Styir commanded as he turned to walk back to the castle with the legendary book in his hands.
“No, no wait!” Andrum shouted as Ashurd fought with one of the guards.
Within moments the struggle was over, and the overwhelming power of the corrupted Nifflarian guards had taken the heroes captive.
Chapter 25
Gallagher White, Valdar the Strong, and the entire Tilturian army took little time to recover the next day before marching once more towards Ulteria. Valdar was all business, and seemed to hardly remember the conversation that they had last night. Either he didn’t remember, didn’t want to remember, or just didn’t want to admit that he remembered, but Gallagher could care less. It was a bonding experience nonetheless and Gallagher had a newfound respect for him.
It didn’t take them long to reach Rezhul’s Memorial, which was occupied by a few Zormite scouting parties. Valdar’s men dispatched them with ease as the rest marched in to the memorial grounds. Under Valdar’s command, the troops set up camp and reinforced the surrounding area in case of an attack. After settling in, Valdar called Gallagher and his friends to a meeting in order to discuss battle plans. Gallagher, Omna, Moldur, Valden and Babah all met Valdar in a small tent that a group of soldiers had just pitched.
“Greetings young ones,” Valdar said as they entered and huddled around the center of the room. “I know I haven’t been very forthcoming to all of you about what is happening, but that is all about to change.”
“Does this mean that I get to ask questions?” Gallagher asked. Omna nudged his arm a bit, but Valdar smiled and shook his head in agreement.
“First off, I want you all to know what we are up against,” Valdar said. “We have reason to believe that Zorm’s influence has reached the Nifflarian people, and has enslaved them to his cause.”
“With all due respect, who cares about the dreaded Niffs?” Moldur said.
“It is not them that we are concerned with, but with Zorm’s evil spreading. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. We are hoping that if by helping the Nifflarians, they in turn may be able to help us,” Valdar explained.
This seemed a bit uncharacteristic of him, but maybe Valdar didn’t hold a grudge against all Nifflarians for what had happened to Endosa. After all, he did punish those responsible for her death, and pretty terribly.
“That’s all fine and dandy, but what about the creatures who murdered my father and his people?” Moldur said as he gripped his hand into a fist.
Valdar turned to Moldur and said, “Rule # 6: Know thy enemy. Zormite Spellbinders were the ones responsible for what happened at Stonewall Point, and likely came from Ulteria. Which is exactly why we are going there. Don’t worry, you will have your revenge.”
Moldur nodded his head, and relaxed his clinched fist a bit as Gallagher began to speak once more, “Excuse me sir, but what about the secret meeting you held back at the village? Mind filling us in a bit.”
Valdar laughed and then looked to Gallagher unsurprisingly. “I thought I noticed a spy behind the barracks doors that day. Yes, we were discussing strategy which is what I wanted to share with all of you. The plan will be for us to be the first wave and lower the gates for Wulder the Alpha and Guldar the Experienced and their men, but in order to do that we must meet up with my contacts inside the city.”
Just as Valdar finished, a soldier entered the tent and his attention turned from the group. The man approached Valdar and whispered in his ear, and he nodded his head in agreement. The Tilturian then left the room and Valdar began to speak once more, “…and that is all you need to know. Now prepare yourselves, we must leave once more.”
Omna, Valden, and Moldur all agreed and started to leave the tent as Gallagher started to protest. “Hey, hold on a minute here—“
“Gallagher the White, I have a task for you,” Valdar said as he put his arm around Gallagher’s shoulder and walked him outside. “You have demonstrated great leadership qualities in battle, which is why I would like for you to hold down the fort for a while.”