by Scott Wale
Jaded Dusk
I.
Was it the result of arrogance or a steadfast devotion to heritage and tradition? Fenrit found himself posted high in a watch tower with his heart pounding out of his furry chest. Soon the cymutts would be upon Dimday and the premaliers would be doing all they could to defend their settlement against the mechanical mass. An overwhelming force was exactly the simplistic strategy that Grimtav employed. An ultimate victory would not come as a result of the clever use of tactics, but rather a slaughtering of Fenrit’s people by deploying wave after wave of what seemed to be an endless supply of cymutts.
Fenrit’s thoughts began to dwell on Dimday, the only home he had ever known. Dimday had been home to the Loupiq and Chafel for generations. The two species had evolved in harmony on the Jade Plains of Faunar. The establishment of Dimday would come later as the need arose for a safe haven from the dangers that had spawned on the Jade Plains. The outcome of surviving the imminent danger of the cymutts looked bleak, but it was the premaliers responsibility to not only protect their people, but protect that which they had created as well.
The premaliers themselves had been created out of necessity. The Loupiq and Chafel for the longest time utilized scouts to gain information about their home world Faunar. The scouts would periodically return to the village and share stories of their great adventures and report on the proceedings of the other inhabitants of the Jade Plains. The Loupiq and Chafel developed an army out of its base of scouts in response to the increasing dangers of the Jade Plains. The premaliers had been born. These soldiers were trained with a scout’s mobility and furthered their militancy by learning basic tactics of warfare and becoming proficient with their trademark weapon, the tenik bow.
Fenrit’s green eyes spotted a distant object soaring through the sky. Jandra’s purple feathers that lined the fringe of the raptor’s wings gave her identity away. She came from the southeast which meant that was the same direction the premaliers could expect an attack from the hoard of cymutts. Jandra dove at an astonishing speed toward the granary at the center of Dimday. Fenrit lost sight of the raptor and turned his attention to the southeast horizon. He realized that a southeast assault would not put him on the front line and then began to wonder if these thoughts were truly cowardice.
There was no formation visible as the cymutt army approached Dimday. A formation could be programmed into the hoard; however, a typical raid could only be described as a scatter pattern. Each cymutt ran on all four legs at its target with an intent to cause as much damage and chaos as possible.
The cymutt was a mysterious foe that had been employed by Grimtav for quite some time. Grimtav had originally been part of roving bands that traveled the Jade Plains demanding protection tributes be paid by villages. If a village failed to pay, then bloodshed was quick to follow. Over time the bands began to shrink in numbers as new recruits became harder to come across. After a time of relative peace Grimtav returned with his army of mechanical beasts. It was assessed that neither Grimtav nor his followers possessed the intelligence to design or build these cymutts, leaving a mystery about the cymutt’s origin.
Fenrit, like the rest of the premaliers, had drawn a line in his head. When the cymutts crossed the line he would begin his barrage of arrows. With any luck a good sized chunk of the cymutts would be whittled away with the premalier’s cumulative rain of arrows. Fenrit swore he could feel the current pulsating through the charged arrow although there had never been a safety issue when using a tenik bow. A few more strides and the first wave of cymutts would cross the line. Fenrit steadied his legs and then placed his arrow at a forty five degree angle against the ground for maximum distance. Aim would be irrelevant as the chances of hitting a cymutt that now blanketed the Jade plains were extremely favorable. A charged arrow planted anywhere in a cymutt’s head or body would cease the machine’s perceived existence.
The first arrow flew through the air from a tower on the southeast perimeter of the walled village. Fenrit and those in his tower quickly followed suit. Several cymutts fell in defeat instantly disappearing in the flood of berserk mechanics. Visually concentrating on the events would lead one to believe that no progress was being made, but the premaliers continued their salvo of arrows regardless of the perceived indifference.
A loud crunch was audible throughout the entire village as the cymutts began eating through the defensive wooden posts that formed the perimeter of Dimday. Wood would be no match for the metallic strength of the cymutt’s jaw. At first there was an opening just big enough for a single cymutt to fit through and then the brute force of the entire pack began spilling through the defensive perimeter like a dam collapsing after springing a minor leak. The cymutt force began to split as it infiltrated the village with one faction pushing west and following along the inside of the ringed perimeter of the village and the other faction following the ring to the north,
Now that the cymutts had breached the village’s defensive perimeter it was time for the premaliers to give thought to aiming their shots. Fenrit’s aim had always been among the best. He never revealed the thought, but his theory was that his muzzle was the perfect length allowing him to quickly line up his shot and release. Additionally, he felt the contrast between his pink nose and his predominantly black fur made for a smooth transition from the eyes to the brain to the hands. Pull, knock for a charge, aim, release. Cycling through the motions Fenrit began to feel the rhythm of taking down cymutts one by one. Adrenaline began to rush through his body and the cycle time began to shorten with each shot releasing quicker and quicker. Fenrit didn’t let his mind focus on the inevitable fact that victory for this battle would go in favor of pure numbers.
A falling watch tower on the southeast wall entered Fenrit’s peripheral vision as cymutts had chewed away the supporting posts. Loupiq and Chafel premaliers alike fell to the ground where if the impact of the fall didn’t end their life, being swarmed and slaughtered by cymutts certainly would. Fenrit ran a short calculation through his head. He didn’t have long before the cymutts had chewed their way through the structures between them and the watchtower where Fenrit was positioned. Was it prudent to flee or remain and fight to his likely death? The cymutts wouldn’t chase down those that chose to flee. Their mission was to ensure nothing remained of the village and then return to their rally point. Cleanup was either beyond their programming or a tactic used by Grimtav to crush the morale of the remnants of Loupiq and Chafel. Given the reputation of Grimtav’s bloodlust, it was likely the latter.
This was unquestionably the best opportunity the premaliers had to make a stand against Grimtav and his cymutt force. If all the lives were lost at Dimday, then the only remaining premaliers would be those who had followed the villagers to a safety camp the night before. It wouldn’t be enough to stop a cymutt force of even a minimal size. Without the premaliers the Loupiq and Chafel would be on a short path to extinction. For these reasons Fenrit resolved to stay and fight through to his ultimate fate.
The watch tower on which Fenrit stood began to wobble. He looked down into the sea of cymutts and saw one of the four leg posts had nearly been chewed through. He continued to propel arrows down upon the cymutts even though the act was completely futile. The cymutt group that had split from the initial mass began to swarm the tower adjacent to Fenrit’s post. Fenrit quickly glanced around the village noting that few watch towers remained standing and most structures had been reduced to a pile of wooden rubble. The first leg post disconnected from Fenrit’s tower and the balance began to shift struggling to find equilibrium. The cymutts began to work on two of the other three remaining legs, but it was an inconsequential move as Fenrit’s tower began to topple. Fenrit braced himself as the tower began to tip. The situation changed from bad to worse when he caugh
t a glimpse of an adjacent tower on a collision course with his own tower’s canopy. The two large masses collided in a sprawl of wooden debris that buried Fenrit.
***
Fenrit waited and listened. Light was lacking in his temporary internment, but he remembered the wood burying him and he could smell it all around him. He felt a strong desire to free himself, but struggling to do so would only cause a commotion that could potentially draw a cymutt’s attention. He listened as the clanking noise of the cymutt’s movement became more and more distant. Eventually the clanking noises were replaced by the ambient sounds of the Jade Plains. Fenrit waited a little longer until it had been awhile since he last heard the rumblings of a cymutt. His sense of directional hearing told him they had likely already swept through the village and moved on to their rally point. Now it was time to try to free himself.
His arms ached with pain that likely was caused by the impact of him hitting the ground; however, his arms were still functional. He began to push with all his might up at the wood hoping the debris pile on top of him beared little weight. He had no such luck as he made no progress. Fenrit tried kicking his legs and wagging his tail not only in an effort to free himself, but also to determine his range of motion. He could feel the freedom around his legs giving him enough area to execute a kicking motion. One, two, three, he repetitively kicked giving power to his legs by pushing against the wood with his tail. He listened as the wood above him jostled around. It felt as if the room available to his feet was growing, but the situation near his head and arms was remaining the same. He decided to dig his claws into the board laying on his chest and see if he could move it laterally. It would be a risky move that could potentially make his situation worse, but if he was to ever unbury himself he’d need to free the top half of his body. The board moved laterally towards his feet into a slot he must have opened from the kicking motions. Now with a little more area for his arms to work, he was able to use all of the muscles in his arms to begin shifting the pile of wooden debris. The wood slowly shifted around creating a hole and allowing light to peer in to his compact space. Based on his limited vision, Fenrit determined there were only five or six layers of boards that separated him from the top of the pile. He dug his claws into the next board and shifted it laterally towards his head until it was no longer an obstacle. Fenrit continued to claw into boards and begin pulling himself up towards the top of the pile. He pushed loose boards out of the way when he could get a grip on them and created an upward force when necessary. The light was growing more intense as he came closer to the top of the pile. Only one more layer existed between him and freedom. He pushed the final layer of boards off of his body and he climbed out from under the debris pile. He allowed a moment for his eyes to adjust to the newfound light.
Fenrit looked over his body scanning for wounds. His bracers had protected his arms only leaving them sore while his hauberk had done the same for his chest. He noticed a minor wound on his leg where blood had caused his black fur to become matted. He reached his arm around his back and felt no arrows in his quiver. His cloak was also missing. He took a step back over to the hole where he had emerged and bent down towards the hole for a better view. Fenrit’s cloak was an intricate design of a wolf at dusk. The cloak was hooded, which Fenrit rarely wore up, but he occasionally found it comforting to pull up the hood and block out the rest of the world to focus on one thing such as a scenic view of the Jade Plains or the night sky. The cloak contained a lot of browns, greens and blacks making it difficult to spot the cloak on a pile of wooden rubble. The inside of the cloak was lined with a solid red color that allowed Fenrit to wear his cloak in reverse when the situation called for something where he needed to draw attention. After straining his eyes for a moment, he spotted his cloak about two arm lengths down. He crawled into the hole careful not to go beyond his waist and reached in tugging his cloak free. He was thankful that he didn’t have to crawl any deeper back into the pile of rubbish. None of his injuries appeared to be serious, despite the blood on his leg.
A survey of the demolished village of Dimday did not yield any positive news. The cymutt force had left no structure intact and there appeared to be little to no chance of survivors. Fenrit decided the best course of action was to attempt to locate any survivors and then reconvene at the safety camp. The cymutt force was nowhere to be seen confirming Fenrit’s earlier suspicion that they had retreated to their rally point after demolishing the village.
Deeming it safe to begin his search Fenrit leaned back, puffed out his chest and released a howl that unmistakably belonged to a Loupiq. He had pinged the world and now he awaited a response. Any Chafel that was listening wouldn’t be able to return the call, but they would certainly recognize the distinct howl. A responding howl erupted from outside the village to the west. Fenrit turned in the general direction of the howl as three figures emerged from the tree line just beyond where the village defensive perimeter had been.
Talsend, a Chafel who had been posted in a rear watchtower was the first to approach Fenrit. Talsend’s thin, light gray fur rustled in the slight wind. He still had his tenik bow in hand and a quiver full of arrows. His outfit was the standard premalier armament and similar to that of Fenrit’s with some slight modifications for the differences between the Loupiq and Chafel physique. The premalier armament hadn’t changed since the initial group formation and now it was sign of honor to don the ‘uniform’.
“I saw you fall along with your watchtower and feared for the worst”, Talsend said approaching Fenrit. “You make survivor number four.”
Talsend motioned behind him as two Loupiqs came up from behind. Both Loupiqs were also dressed in the premalier standards. The taller of the Loupiqs had brown fur and wore a navy blue hood making it difficult to determine where his hood ended and his face began. A longer snout tipped with a black nose protruded from the hood, which when paired up with the shrouded mystery of the hood, provided a look that some might consider comical. The shorter Loupiq had fur whose color matched that of Talsend’s fur with additional splotches of white. His muzzle was shorter than that of an average Loupiq and he wore a brown cloak that was so tattered it had gone past the point of being functional and was now more of a fashion statement.
“I have my life, but I feel defenseless”, Fenrit began. “I lost my tenik bow at some point during the fall. I imagine it’s buried at the bottom of the rubble now. Were any of you able to see what became of the remaining cymutts?” Fenrit asked seeking a confirmation on his suspicion that the cymutt force had returned to their rally point.
“Once the last post was knocked over they headed back to the south east roughly in the same direction they had come”, responded Cerevus accentuating the r’s in a thick Loupiqan accent that was not as prevalent as it was in days of past. Cerevus was the taller of the two Loupiqs that now went about demonstrating his impressive strength by sitting back on his bushy tail as if it were a chair.
“How did you manage to escape their warpath?” Fenrit asked.
“Cerevus and I were in the rear watchtower, a few over from yours”, Talsend answered. “It appeared all was lost and there wouldn’t be any survivors, so I tied a rope to an arrow, shot it over the back wall that was still standing at the time and we used our bows to glide over the wall. By the time the cymutts had worked their way through the tower and the rear wall, we had retreated to the woods for cover. We were able to observe them at a safe distance and waited until we were sure all the cymutts had left. Cerevus later spotted Lachtyn after all the cymutts had moved out.”
“I had taken cover in the bunker near the armory”, Lachtyn explained. “When my watch tower began to fall I made it half way down one of the support legs before I was forced to jump the rest of the way to the ground or be crushed from the toppling canopy. The cymutts were swiftly moving on to the granary and virtually paid no attention to me.”
Fenrit’s eyes widened at the sound of the word ‘granary’.
“You’ve seen no si
gn of other survivors?” Fenrit asked.
“Sadly, no”, Talsend replied.
“We must do a sweep of the entire village”, Fenrit commanded. “Perhaps more were buried like myself. I believe we have all the time we need as the cymutts won’t be returning here any time soon. It’d also be best for all the survivors to travel back to the safety camp as a single group rather than trickle in individually. I think the elders will understand, even if this means taking more time to survey the damage.”
Fenrit and Talsend headed back within the perimeter of the now desolate village and ran up to the first pile of remains from one of the watch towers. They both sniffed in an attempt to pick up the scent of any Loupiq or Chafel bodies. The body may no longer contain life, but this was at least a simple first test to finding more survivors.
“I smell nothing, I’ll head towards the granary at the city center while you work your way around the perimeter checking the watch towers”, Fenrit directed Talsend. “Cerevus come with me, Lachtyn go with Talsend.”
Fenrit only picked up the scent of a Chafel in one of the four piles between the first watch tower and the granary, but it yielded no survivors after further testing. Hope was dwindling as he approached the granary. The primary building offered no scents. Hopefully, the cellar behind the granary produced positive results.
Fenrit rounded the building and was immediately overcome with relief. Jandra sat atop the granary’s cellar. She picked up a medium sized stone with her talons and flew off a short distance slowly removing the stone barricade that had been created from the primary building’s demolition. Fenrit whistled and Jandra turned her head giving Fenrit a stare as if instructing him to come over and help.
“I’m picking up the scent of a Chafel”, Cerevus announced assuredly as he and Fenrit approached Jandra’s work site.
“I just hope she’s alive”, Fenrit responded while rolling one of the larger rocks off the cellar door.