Myths & Magic: A Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection

by Kerry Adrienne

Ianox had the decency to hang his head in shame.

  "Well, it's better than being possessed. I can fight against the wraiths, but it's obvious that I'm a minority. It's too risky, Mal."

  They had a staring contest, but Malachiax looked away first. He gazed down and let out a heavy sigh. "Fine, we'll head to Jackur. There is a chance they haven't been attacked yet."

  He rummaged through the supply sack and grabbed a glass container with green pills in it. He took one out and broke it in three pieces. When he offered Samiah a section, she shook her head. "I'm not taking it."

  Malachiax's face hardened. "Yes, you are. After all that talk about risks and whatnot, do you want to go out there unprotected?"

  She touched his outstretched arm and stared deep into his eyes. "Mal, it already tried to possess me, and I fought it off. I can do it again. I swear. One of us needs to remain clearheaded."

  His lips stretched in a thin line, and Samiah could hear him grind his teeth. He finally put the third piece back in the container, scowling at her the whole time.

  "How do we know how much will be enough to keep them at bay?" Ianox asked.

  Samiah turned to him. "We don't. That's why we need Razor's Blood."

  Chapter 9

  As Durgin lay on his bed, staring at nothing, he could still see his brother's face. Terrified. Confused. In the final moments, clarity had returned to his gaze, even if his twin's face was no longer a carbon copy of his. Thick, dark green veins protruded from his enlarged forehead, and his deep purple irises had a red ring around them. Kramer straps kept Drex tied to the metal slab, and the one around his neck had already left dark bruises.

  Drex grabbed Durgin's wrist and, without words, begged him to end his suffering. Durgin clenched his jaw hard and shook his head, even knowing he was his brother's last hope of final peace. Drex grunted and stared at the clock on the wall behind Durgin. They didn't have much time; the head scientist would soon return, and Durgin would never see his brother again.

  He'd done it then. He'd entered his brother's mind and turned off the switch, staying longer than he should only to watch the lights from the pulsating brain cells dim one by one until nothing was left but utter darkness. Durgin hadn’t let himself cry until he was back in his chamber; then he did so for hours, allowing himself to drown in guilt and sadness. But once the tears had dried up, he vowed to not shed a single one ever again over his dead brother. What was done was done.

  Durgin heard a commotion outside his quarters and jumped out of bed. Crossing the living area with long strides, he opened the door to the hallway just in time to see Argamanx guards rushing by. Commander Haarx, the leader of the prestigious Nox Elite and his father's right hand, brought up the rear. He noticed Durgin standing there in the hallway and slowed down. His lips curled into a sneer the man reserved especially for Durgin whenever he was alone in his presence.

  “My lord.” He bowed his head like it pained him to do so. Durgin knew it did.

  “What’s going on, Commander?”

  The soldier narrowed his eyes at Durgin and clenched his jaw. Durgin smirked in return as he leaned against the cold pearly wall. Commander Haarx was a mountain of a man, and one would say it was stupidity to the infinity power to antagonize him. But Durgin had a penchant for living on the edge. It was the only explanation.

  The deep lines and creases on Commander Haarx’s face were the only giveaway of his age. Pushing six hundred years old, the commander was in top physique. One look at his bulky arms would have anyone cowering.

  “One of the Dimidium escaped, my lord. We’re gathering all guards at our disposal to bring him down before he can do any more damage.”

  Dimidium. Durgin hated that word. It was what his father’s scientists called their experiments. A burst of bitter laughter threatened to escape his mouth, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep it bottled in. If only Commander Haarx knew Durgin was also a Dimidium. But Lord Droom had kept that information to himself; no one knew besides his white-coat minions that he had experimented on his own offspring. Durgin had been the successful outcome, Drex the failure.

  “One Dimidium against the entire Argamanx Royal Guard?” Durgin said, overdoing the condescending tone. “He must be some specimen.”

  “He’s not a specimen. He’s a beast!”

  Durgin winced at the commander’s outburst. Tell me how you really feel, why don’t you? Commander Haarx had made no secret of what he thought of Lord Droom’s experiments. Was he afraid that his father’s hellions would one day replace Commander Haarx and his precious Nox Elite?

  Durgin had never seen him lose his composure like that. He had struck a nerve, and he’d better take advantage of it. He stared at the commander with one eyebrow raised and cleared his throat.

  The soldier finally became self-aware, and his face closed off again. “Forgive me, my lord.”

  “I don’t understand the fuss. It’s not like he can go very far unless he can fly.”

  The Argamanx Royal Castle stood on a hundred-story tower, and there were only a few ways to exit the estate. None of them would be viable options for the fugitive. Without a special code, the gateway was useless. The old system of lifts was still in use but heavily guarded. And the last option would be to plunge into Serenity Lake and certain death.

  Commander Haarx frowned. “Of course we’re not worried he’ll escape. We’re concerned about the safety of our civilians. Who knows what that aberration might do to our people?”

  Durgin had to concede to the commander’s point. Not all Dimidium were violent, mindless beasts, but there had been a few incidents involving the most unstable specimens. What if the one that had escaped was such a case?

  “You should come with us, my lord. We could use the help, and your father would be so pleased.”

  Durgin wasn’t fooled by Commander Haarx’s sudden respectful tone. This was more than a test—it was a challenge. And Durgin could never back down from one. The last thing he wanted was to spend quality time with the commander and his cronies, but he had to make sure the lab’s escapee was indeed a menace. Durgin knew Commander Haarx would strike first and ask questions later.

  Durgin followed Commander Haarx through the maze that was the Argamanx Royal Castle. The hallways’ perfect translucent walls were covered by many pieces of extraordinary artwork in overly elaborate gilded frames. There was barely any space between them, as if every former resident had added to the collection and never disposed of anything. The opulence had always suffocated him.

  They came outside into the never-changing balmy weather, and the first rays of dawn peeked into the sky. They met with the Nox Elite soldiers in the royal gardens where the palace’s private gateway was located. Durgin received a stiff and reluctant head bow from them. A few of the soldiers sneered, doing little to disguise their opinion of him. They all believed Durgin was an overly entitled royal who didn’t have to work for a thing in his life. Durgin snorted. If only they knew the ugly truth.

  The group of soldiers was gathered around Lancer, Commander Haarx’s son. He and Durgin were about the same age, but he looked much younger. He had an open and friendly face with an air of innocence that served him well. People easily trusted him, and in his line of work, that was a great asset to have.

  “I don’t believe it. He’s already at the outer edge of Argamania.” Lancer glanced at his com-slip.

  “That’s impossible.” Commander Haarx grabbed the device from his son and stared at the screen for a few seconds. Durgin was confused himself. How had the Dimidium managed to escape the tower and cross Serenity Lake so quickly? Unless he knew how to fly, which brought an entirely new string of problems.

  Without wasting any time, they stormed the palace’s gateway, scaring the technicians who were present. They used every connector available, traveling in groups of four. Within seconds, they were beamed to the gateway on the outskirts of town. Excitement coursed through Durgin’s veins as they ran beyond the boundaries of Argamania, despite the nature
of his mission. He had become quite the recluse after Drex’s death. He hadn’t realized how much he missed the physical exertion, the challenge.

  There was a clear division between the center of the city and its outskirts. The beautiful houses that made Argamania one of the most treasured cities in the world gave way to buildings with dilapidated walls and rooftops barely in one piece. Narrow streets paved with cheap sandstone were covered in filth, and the smell of garbage and urine was almost unbearable. The few citizens who were wandering about that early in the morning scurried away when they saw the dark-clad Nox Elite soldiers approaching.

  They finally got a visual of the escapee, and the moment the Dimidium realized he’d been found, he made a mad dash toward the thick forest that surrounded the city. He chose the least direct path, going uphill. Durgin wondered what he was up to when the ground beneath their feet started to shake, followed by a loud rumble. He looked up in time to see huge rocks barreling down toward them. He shouted out a warning to the soldier closest to him, but it was too late; caught in the direct path of a boulder, he was dragged by it and disappeared in the grainy dust. Durgin’s pulse skyrocketed as he jumped, ducked, and veered, never once losing sight of the fugitive. He felt the strain on his legs, and breathing became more and more difficult.

  He heard the Dimidium’s labored gasps ahead as he shortened the gap between them. At least the chase on the steep hill isn’t affecting only me, Durgin thought bitterly. He caught a flash of the Dimidium’s sleeve before a sudden gritty fog engulfed him. Not willing to lose the fugitive when he was so close, Durgin ran ahead without caution. No warning sound came that time before the massive stone flew his way as if it had been thrown by a giant. He jumped to the side, narrowly escaping being squashed, though the momentum forced him to roll on the rough ground enough times to make him lose count. His elbows burned where they had been scratched raw. He could hear the sound of his heart pumping hard, almost as if it wanted to break free.

  A movement in his peripheral caught his attention. Durgin rolled onto his stomach and saw the Dimidium approach with a feral expression on his face. He froze on the spot, for the face that stared at him was almost identical to that of his brother—or to be more precise, to the aberration he had become in the end. Durgin’s breathing became shallow. The Dimidium’s nostrils flared, and he curled his lips back to reveal a row of jagged teeth. Durgin noticed when the thing bent his knees, body poised to strike. The Dimidium jumped, and all Durgin could do was cover his head with his arm and brace for the impact.

  A loud thud nearby made him look up. The Dimidium’s body lay ahead, unmoving. His head was twisted at an odd angle. Commander Haarx ignored Durgin to make a beeline toward the aberration. His face twisted in a scowl before he spat on the corpse.

  Lancer stopped next to Durgin. “Are you okay, my lord?”

  He expected to find smugness on Commander Haarx’s son’s face. Instead, he saw genuine concern.

  “I’m okay, soldier. Only a few bruises.” He got up with Lancer’s help, pain radiating through his entire body. He locked his jaw and sucked it up.

  Their attention diverted to Commander Haarx who had his boot on the fugitive’s chest, his lips curled in disgust.

  “What is that thing?” Lancer asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  Durgin breached the distance between him and Commander Haarx. Upon closer inspection of the body, he noticed that the thing wasn’t as similar to Drex as he had originally thought. No, the scientists had managed to advance far more with this one. Bile filled Durgin’s mouth. That could have been him.

  “What are we going to do with the body, Commander?” Lancer asked.

  “Burn it. This aberration should have never existed.” His eyes connected with Durgin’s, who saw twisted satisfaction there. “Maybe now that one of Lord Droom’s creations almost managed to kill his son, he will heed my advice.”

  Durgin’s face felt like it was in flames. Even so, he opened his mouth to offer a rebuff, but everyone’s wrist communicators began to beep at once. Durgin glanced at his communication device and pressed the small screen to read the incoming message.

  It was a level five alert. They were under attack.

  Chapter 10

  Samiah expected to find utter chaos outside, but the reality of it was shocking in ways she couldn’t have foreseen. All shops on the main street had been ransacked and torn to pieces. Transport hovers had been mangled beyond recognition. She couldn’t be certain, but it seemed the path of destruction led to the House of Morang's palace at the end of the avenue. The mammoth vine gates to the royal estates were wide open, inviting and foreboding at the same time. Signs of struggle were visible in bits of torn clothes and small puddles of blood. Samiah balked when Malachiax veered toward it.

  “Where are you going?”

  He looked over his shoulder, a deep frown marring his forehead. “We must look for survivors.”

  “Are you crazy? What if we find a crazed mob instead?” Ianox said before Samiah could voice a similar reply.

  “I’m not going to simply turn my back without checking if there is anyone in the palace who needs help.”

  Ianox crossed his arms and glowered at Malachiax. “I’m not risking my neck for anyone.”

  “I risked my life and Samiah’s to save yours.”

  He didn’t wait for Ianox’s reply, just kept walking toward the white construction at the end of the stoned pavement. Samiah bit her lower lip while guilt gnawed at her insides. She had the same selfish thoughts as Ianox, not wanting to risk her life or Mal’s to check for survivors. Malachiax didn’t even think twice about it. She pondered, not for the first time, how such a wretched person like herself could have a soul mate as wonderful and good as Malachiax.

  She followed him in silence, lost to her dark thoughts. She wasn’t surprised when she heard Ianox’s footsteps close behind her a few seconds later. He must have realized his odds at survival were greater with them.

  The sun had dipped closer to the horizon, painting the sky with a red glow. Night would soon be upon them. It would help conceal them from anyone possessed, but it would also make it harder to spot any alien wraith lurking about in search of a potential host.

  They found the double doors to the palace unmanned and open. Their cheery cerulean blue color was at complete odds with the dark splatter Samiah could only guess was more blood. She swallowed hard as she walked in carefully, straining her ears to catch any warning noise, but only the sound of their footsteps echoed in the empty hallway. She wished she could muffle the noise, for she didn’t want to alert anyone of their presence.

  They would have covered ground much faster if they had split up, but going their separate ways presented too many risks. So together they stayed, checking each room on the ground level first. They found them all empty. Some were untouched, others wrecked beyond recognition. Only one thing was certain—they couldn’t stay in the palace much longer. She was glad the Morang’s official home wasn’t a mammoth construction like the Argamanx castle. Its size was more in line with a manor than a palace.

  Without a word, they headed to the second floor and stopped at the landing, again waiting, listening. The hallway was dark, and by looking at the pieces of broken glass on the floor, she knew why. Seconds passed before they heard something fragile shatter down the corridor. Samiah swallowed hard and unsheathed the metal rod strapped to her back, holding it tight in her already sweaty hands. With her heart galloping at full speed, she traded a glance with Malachiax and read fear in his gaze. She didn’t dare speak out loud, so she touched his mind telepathically, something she discovered she could do moments after they were bonded. The gift wasn’t reciprocal; he couldn’t enter her mind.

  “Be careful,” she said through the bond.

  He nodded and faced forward once more. Samiah noticed he wasn’t acting lethargic, which meant the drugs hadn’t kicked in yet. She hoped that at least his mind was protected.

  The sound had come
from the last door down the hallway. It was wider than the ones from downstairs and had intrinsic carvings in its dark wood with golden highlights. Samiah suspected it led to one of the royal chambers. Malachiax stopped in front of it and took a deep breath before pushing the door open all the way. He didn’t enter right away, scanning the room from the threshold. Samiah rose on her tiptoes and looked beyond his shoulder. The room was in complete disarray, much like the ones downstairs. Furniture lay in pieces on the ground, and shards of glass were mixed with debris of objects she didn’t recognize.

  Malachiax walked in, and she followed close behind. Then a moan reached them, coming from somewhere near the canopy bed. Whoever or whatever was in the room was hidden from view. They veered in that direction, trying to avoid the fragments of sharp objects, and found a young Morian curled into a ball on the floor. Samiah’s breathing hitched. The girl’s face and arms were covered in scratches, and white foam pooled in the corners of her mouth. Malachiax bent down to touch her, but he drew his arm back quickly when she hissed at him. Samiah focused on her gift and confirmed the girl’s aura was completely black. The young Morian was possessed.

  She grabbed Malachiax’s arm and pulled him back, out of the Morian’s reach.

  “Kill me,” she said. It wasn’t the voice of a young woman, too harsh and guttural.

  “Who are you?” Samiah asked.

  “You don’t want to know.” The being began to thrash and scratch the girl’s face, making deep gouges on her cheeks.

  “For all the Sacred Powers,” Ianox mumbled behind us. “What’s she doing?”

  “She’s taken,” Samiah replied.

  “We must help her,” Malachiax said.

  “There’s no help. I’ll die, and I’m taking this sweet, innocent soul with me,” the wraith seethed. Samiah could feel the malice of his words deep in her bones.

  The girl’s hands curled around her middle, and that was when Samiah noticed the dagger embed in her abdomen. The handle was white, with swirls carved on the polished surface. Samiah had never seen such a design before. It wasn’t a common dagger. The skin around the wound was black as if it was rotten.