“Where do you think you’re going?” Terri asked him.
“To bed,” He answered. “Not all of us can sleep like vampires.”
“I was up before sundown.”
“Only because eight women poured cold water on you.”
“Yes, and when I catch them I’m going to beat them all like mules.”
‘ Shela stood up with Kenner and he thought he heard her tell him, “Climb on my back or you’ll never make it back to your room.” He felt too drunk to either argue or question whether it was really Shela talking to him or not. He complied and she began moving toward the door.
“And just where do you think you’re going, young man?” The Admiral shouted at him.
“Bed,” he answered wearily.
“Well, don’t forget to leave your door unlocked or I’ll be very cross with you.” She said with other women laughing. “I may even have to spank you.”
Much later, Terri was awakened from whispering dreams by someone shaking her. She looked up with bleary eyes and saw Janna standing over her.
“Do you intend to sleep there all night?” Janna asked her.
“Not unless I can connect my legs to the rest of my body again.” Terri slurred.
Janna motioned over to someone that Terri couldn’t see and then she felt hands under her shoulders and she was hoisted to her feet.
“Come along, farm girl.” Janna said like a scolding mother. “Let’s get you to bed.”
Terri was helped along the corridors as if she was wounded. More than once, she stumbled and was barely prevented from falling to the floor by the hands helping her. Janna was with her two and she heard lusty words and invitations escaping her lips.
“Have you ever been with a farm girl before?” Terri slurred.
“I can’t say that I have.” Janna answered almost distantly.
“You wouldn’t believe the things I’ve learned from all those horny animals.”
“I’m sure you’ve learned a lot, now come on, we’re getting closer. Just stay with me a little while more.”
Terri then fell out of the arms and then face down on the floor.
As she was helped to turn over and sit up, Terri then saw Edum approaching with some men in black armor with him.
“Is there any trouble, Madam?” He said to Janna.
“Just helping our guest back to her room. Who are these men?”
“Just some friends, Madam. May we help?”
“Yes,” Janna said absently. “Hold this,” she said handing him the Golden Spear.
Terri then felt something hard hit her on the back of the head and then she passed out.
Chapter Twenty Nine
Terri awoke with a splitting headache. She heard screams, cries and moans; people begging for their lives. She heard both women and men sobbing like children; one person crying out in pain and terror and then another. She opened her eyes and saw a horrifying sight. She found herself on the stage and saw that the tables in the hall where she had just been feasting and dancing had the bodies of dead women and men strewn about them and more dead littered the dance floor. Soldiers in black armor crept around the hall and when they saw someone move, they thrust a spear into their flesh. Spattered blood covered the wall.
Suddenly she heard a woman cry out in terror. Looking in her direction, she saw a woman she had just danced with being dragged to the center table, kicking and wailing. She was lifted on to the table and then she saw Edum with the Golden Spear in his hands standing over her.
“You have been sentenced to death in the name of the blessed nation of Sheyron.” He told as she begged for her life. Tulles then stepped forward and held his hand over her face.
“In the name of the Great Lady I pray for the forgiveness of your sins and that the Lady may have mercy on your soul.”
After Tulles had finished with his prayer, Edum raised the Spear and then plunged it into her chest. She screamed and gurgled as blood spewed from her throat. Her head fell back on the table and then a soldier took her lifeless body and threw it on the floor like garbage. Edum then looked to his right and made a simple nodding motion. Two soldiers then began dragging a terrified man to the table, pleading for his life to be spared.
“Father, I beg of you,” said the voice of Firth. “You must stop this!”
Terri looked to where the voice was coming from and saw him tied up and seated on the floor. Edum looked over at a soldier standing next to Firth and nodded at him. The soldier struck Firth hard across the face.
“I’m sorry, my son,” He said to Firth. “This is not easy for me. It will be even harder for me to take my own son’s life.”
“It must be done, my Lord.” Tulles told him. “He was defiled by the harlot with the Bow and all impurities must be cleansed.”
The next victim was placed on the table.
“You should not have defied me, Turs.” Edum said to the man, pleading desperately.
“Please, Edum,” He beseeched Edum, “We’ve known each other since we were children. I beg of you; I’ll do anything.”
“You should not have voted with the heathens.” Edum spat at him and then raised the Spear.
Tulles prayed over him and then the Spear was thrust through his heart. He too was tossed onto the floor like trash.
Next, the speaker for the ‘Boots’ was dragged onto the table, but she did not beg or plead.
“You bastard!” She screamed defiantly. “You heartless bastard! You will be punished for this! You will all pay for this!”
“Oh yes, Violane,” Edum said to her. “I was hoping for defiance from you. It’s not your style to plead for mercy like the rest of these cowards.”
“You’re the coward, Edum! You’re the one slaughtering these people like cattle!”
“For too long you and your liberal cohorts have sought to take from those chosen by the Lady to rule and give it to the unwashed masses. For too long you have sought to weaken the power of the ones who bear true faith to our shores and our Lady. You and your guilds will hold no more power over us.”
“The people will never stand for this! They will not be enslaved!”
Tulles prayed over her, the Spear was thrust and then she was silent.
Terri tried to get up but found her hands and feet tied. She looked around the hall for Janna and then found her sitting next to her. She was awake, but making no sounds. She had an expression of hate and fury on her face and her face was flush red.
“Where are your guards?” Terri asked her.
“Dead,” Janna said in a hiss, “All dead.”
“But surely there is someone…”
“Edum has killed everyone who could stop him. He even sent an entire company of troops to Kenner’s room. And by now, he has the Bow as well.”
Terri struggled and pulled at the bindings, but they were too well tied.
“There’s nothing I can do.” Janna said in a hateful hiss.
Two soldiers then came up to the stage and to Janna.
“You needn’t bother dragging me, you asses.” She spat at them. “I’ll not lower myself by begging for my life.”
“Neither will I spare you your dignity, Madam.” Edum said haughtily.
The soldiers cut away her clothes and stripped her naked. They laughed and made lurid noises. One grabbed her breast and another plunged his hand in between her thighs.
“Stop that!” Edum shouted at them. “I will not allow her any pleasure from these proceedings.”
The soldiers both shared a vulgar laugh and then carried Janna to the table. Edum looked down at her as though gloating. She looked up at him with defiant hate.
“You…Admiral,” Edum said in a low growl. “You have defiled our sacred nation with your lascivious nature and your liberal ideals. You would have robbed our wealth and given it to our enemies.”
“Save your damned speech and get this over with.” She said with her hissing voice.
“Another day of your rule and we would suffered the wrath of
the Lady through hurricane or great wave. After this night, this nation will be returned to righteous rule and a policy by faith.”
He raised the Spear over her naked chest.
“In the name of the Great Lady I pray for the forgiveness of your sins and that the Lady may have mercy on your soul.”
“Do it!” She screamed at Edum.
Edum plunged the Spear through her flesh. She arched and convulsed for a second and then her body relaxed. Her head then turned to the side and Terri saw the life fade from her eyes.
Edum then looked to the stage and nodded. The two soldiers came to Terri and she could see bloodlust in their eyes.
“I’m assuming I’m next.” She said to them.
They tried to pick her up but she shook her body in such a way that made it hard for them to get a hold of her. One soldier got his face too close to hers and she bit him hard on the cheek. He slapped her face with his hand covered in a steel gauntlet and then she spat the blood in her mouth at him.
“My grandmother hits harder than that!”
He hit her again and she nearly fell unconscious. She fought the sleep coming over her and willed herself back to her senses by the time she was placed on the table. The two soldiers then cut her dress from her body leaving her only her undergarments. As she looked up and saw Edum raise the Spear, she heard Tulles speak to him.
“No, Lord Edum.” He said to him. “Let me be the one to take her life.”
Edum handed him the Spear and then Tulles stood over Terri with a smile that was both angry and hungry at the same time.
“You…harlot…whore…” he said with saliva beginning to foam around his mouth. “You have defiled the sacred Bow with your drunkenness and debauchery. You have mocked the sacred words of the Lady and defied her will.”
“What’s the matter old man?” Terri said angrily. “Are you so impotent that you have to penetrate a woman with a spear?”
“Yes, mock me now, bitch! I promise you will laugh no longer when you face the Lady.”
“Come on, you limp prick! I’m no little boy begging you ‘please, pastor no’…thrust that blade into my flesh and show me how much of a man you really are!”
He raised the Spear high over his head.
“I will waste no prayer for your soul.” His trembling lips said. “For you deserve no mercy from our blessed Lady.”
The Spear then began to glow white, smoke came from Tulles’ hands and he screamed in pain. His hands released the Spear which flew across the room to the open doors. Terri looked over and saw Kenner standing in the door with the Black Sword in one hand, the Spear in the other and The Bow slung across his shoulders.
“Let her go.” He said angrily.
“Kill him!” Edum shouted.
Two soldiers ran to Kenner from the right and two more from the left. Kenner crouched down and Shela flew over him and to the enemies on Kenner’s right. With one swipe of her paw and claws, she tore apart the flesh of one of the soldiers and before landing, she bit the top half of the other’s body completely off. His blood showered over the floor and the walls and then she spat the rest of him out.
Kenner pointed the Spear at the two other soldiers and streams of lightning hit them both. Blue lightning wrapped around their bodies, they screamed in agony and then fell to the ground.
Edum then picked up a mace and, screaming like a madman charged at Kenner. He swung the mace at Kenner who blocked it easily with the Spear. The mace broke in two and Edum looked stunned staring into Kenner’s eyes.
“Bad idea.” Kenner said to him.
He then slapped him with the Spear and Edum went flying into a wall.
Kenner looked at the carnage around him and felt sick and furious at the same time. Why didn’t I see it coming, he asked himself? He felt he should have known and somehow should have stopped it. He then simply tapped the Spear on the floor and all the bodies flew off the floor and piled against the walls; all, that is except Janna’s. He looked down at her dead body and felt like crying. He wanted to beg her forgiveness for being too late, but merely managed to whisper, “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t mean to seem impudent at this point…” He heard Terri say to him. He reached over with the Spear and tapped it gently on her bindings. They flew off of her instantly. He then sheathed the Sword, pulled the Bow off of his shoulders and handed it to her.
Terri climbed off the table and also sadly looked over Janna’s corpse. Out of the corner of her eye, she then noticed the tattered remains of her lovely dress. She picked up a piece of it that had been reduced to merely a ribbon of silk and looking at it, she remembered the image in the mirror of a beautiful woman she’d never before known was there. Now, she felt that like the shreds of the dress, the beautiful young woman had been torn away. She felt like crying, but reminded herself that she had no time for the weakness of tears. As she thought of that, she heard a young man sobbing and remembered Firth.
She saw him curled into a fetal position and leaning against a wall. Walking over to him, she took a dagger off the lower half of Shela’s victim. She then leaned down and cut his bindings.
“Come on Firth.” She said to him as gently as she could. She was too angry to be truly gentle. “Get on your feet.”
“I can’t believe it.” He sobbed and whimpered. “I can’t believe it.”
“Stand up, Firth.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“Damn it, Firth! Get your thumb out of your mouth and stand up!”
He stood up and she patted him hard on the back.
“Dry your tears; it’s time for you to grow up.”
Kenner then stepped up to Tulles who was writhing on the floor. Tulles looked at him in terror and tried to slither on his back like a snake away from him.
“My Lord Kenner,” he pleaded. “You don’t understand. I was only trying to do the Lady’s bidding; only trying to ease your labors.”
“I should hack you into little pieces.” He said to the old man.
“I beg you, my Lord…”
“But I’ve got a better idea. Shela!” He then called over to the cat.
She came to him and then crept up to Tulles growling and bearing her teeth.
“My lord, please don’t let the beast eat me!”
“Pick him up.” Kenner ordered Shela.
She opened her mouth and then wrapped her teeth around Tulles. She pierced his skin just enough to cause him pain, but not really injure him.
“My Lord!” Tulles screamed. “My Lord!”
“You call me that one more time and they’re going to have to take us both to a doctor to get this sword out of your…”
“Kenner!” He heard Terri call him. “Did you bring me any arrows?”
“They’re on the floor by the door!” He called back.
He then looked to the door and saw about twenty of the black armored soldiers marching down the corridor.
Terri took an arrow from the quiver on the floor and prepared it for flight. “Shock wave,” she said and then released the arrow toward the oncoming soldiers. In front of the arrow, a silver bubble appeared. It flew down the corridor, stripping the walls, gauging the floors and then blasting through the soldiers before dissipating.
“That’s a neat trick.” Kenner said to her.
“An even better trick would be figuring out how to get off this island.” She replied. “Any ideas?” She asked Firth.
Still in shock, he searched for an answer.
“I don’t know.” He stammered.
“Can you, at least get us out of this damned building?”
With much effort, he composed himself, nodded and told them he could.
Suddenly they all heard a commotion like a battle coming from down the corridor. Several men and women then came around the corner with weapons all covered in blood. Terri and Kenner instantly recognized the leader as Captain Shorn.
“Come with us!” Shorn called to them. “You’ve got to get off this island!”
“Ask and ye shall receive.” Kenner said.
As they ran through the maze of corridors, soldiers would come at them and Kenner would easily dispatch them with parts of them flying. At each turn of a corner, they saw more evidence of bloodshed. Bodies littered the floors and blood was spattered on the walls and floors that had before been so beautiful. In some places, the blood was so thick, their footsteps splashed through it. Firth led the way through the corridors directing them towards the main doors and all the while, Shela kept her prisoner firmly in her mouth.
When they passed through the outer gates of the palace, they saw that the battle was still raging. The dead were strewn all over the ground, buildings and houses were burning and distant screams and cries filled the night air. However, there were far more dead in black armor than the scarlet of Sheyron. Companies and platoons of soldiers in tight formations were marching through the scattered remains of the unknown troops. A man appearing to be a Sheyron officer then approached the group.
“Are you Lord Kenner?” He asked.
“I really wish you people would stop calling me, ‘Lord’.”
“Are you Kenner, sir?” The soldier asked with more urgency.
“Yeah, that’ me. What happened out here?”
“Mercenary soldiers bought and paid for by Tulles and his faithful sailed in ten ships from the east. Seven docked at Korsh, the other three came here. The whole city’s under attack.”
“How do you know this?” Terri asked him suspiciously.
“Mercenaries with no loyalty are often quite willing to answer questions.” He answered.
“There have been rumors about this coming for nearly a year,” Darner answered; “Stories about Tulles, Edum and other extremists trying to take control of Sheyron by force. No one really believed them until tonight.”
The ferryman from the night before then came running up to the small group.
“War!” He yelled. “War! The city’s at war!”
Kenner looked toward the distant Korsh and saw buildings beginning to burn and heard distant shouting and screaming.
“How are things going over there?” Shorn asked the young man.
The Black Sword Trilogy: The Four Nations Page 17