The Destroyer

by Michael-Scott Earle

  "After two years they realized their mistake. They had no food but the poisoned supplies we let through. They traveled away from their tribal homes for such a long time that we had destroyed them and killed whatever family and guards they had left behind. We had freed the humans that they enslaved at their homes and secreted them away to a new training facility so that our army could grow stronger. Finally, they made their last play to beat us."

  I was holding my breath and could almost see what he was describing. I looked around and noticed that even the prince hung on Kaiyer's every word.

  "They began to eat their human slaves. It was the only source of food that they knew wouldn't be poisoned. They had shrunk to only five thousand troops. Their army set up a base camp and moved the slaves from their jobs to pens where they were fed horse grain. It was hardly enough sustenance to live."

  The audience looked sick with his story, even Maerc and Greykin. I felt my own innards clench at the idea of human beings being herded into pens to await slaughter. Kaiyer’s loathing and revulsion was palpable. His normally calm countenance was twisted into a bitter sneer; his eyes were looking back at the memory of the wretched human chattel.

  "I knew their commander by this point. It was his last attempt. Our army had outmaneuvered him at every decision. He did this not only out of necessity, but to incite our rage and force us into a confrontation."

  "Did it work?" the prince asked suddenly, his face hopeful.

  "Most of my warriors wanted to attack. We were strong and had been triumphant for the last few years. We seemed unstoppable, we felt invincible, and in many ways we were. They wanted to attack the Elven force from the front. 'The Elvens are weak,' they pleaded with me. 'We will destroy them like a boulder crushes the sapling it lands upon.' But I wouldn't attack."

  He paused to drink more water and then leaned back and closed his eyes. He didn't say anything for a few minutes. I was noticing that he referred to the troops as his, and from his current recollection it seemed he was the primary decision maker for the army. Perhaps he was only in command of this particular mission? I was not expert on military protocol and perhaps this was normal for generals, but a small, warm bead of hope surged in me. Maybe he was our O’Baarni after all.

  "What happened?" My grandfather asked softly. We all waited in rapt attention.

  "I knew it was a trap. We couldn't save them without heavy losses. I wasn't going to waste the lives of my soldiers on an animal that lay in its death throes. Yet we needed to speed up the process. I commanded my magic users, hardened battle mages that harnessed the power of the Wind and Earth, to launch fireballs at the enemies from thousands of yards away. We incinerated the holding pens with the humans in them. We killed hundreds of our own kind in a few minutes."

  "You killed the people you were trying to save?" Nadea said. Her eyes opened wide with alarm, at the horror of what he had said. I could not look at him. I knew if I did he would give me that easy, ingratiating smile and it disgusted me to think I had been so charmed by him. The hope I had felt moments ago was replaced with dread. This man was supposed to be our savior, yet he was ruthless and calculating, easily able to sacrifice innocent men, women and children for his strategic purposes.

  "No. Our purpose was not to save two hundred humans from being eaten and killed by the Elvens. Our purpose was to destroy the Elven people, to wipe them from the face of our planet and free the entire race of humanity from their servitude. If we had attacked we could have been defeated, we might have lost half our force and been set back half a dozen years. My warriors hated me for that decision. But I had led them for the last decade of battle and many years before that of training. They did as I asked."

  I frowned at Kaiyer's last statement. The man was painfully thin, and it was hard to tell his age, but I couldn't imagine he was older than twenty. No one else seemed to have questioned his arithmetic.

  "What did the Elven army do?" the king asked.

  "They died. At first they tried to surrender, but we killed those who did and sent their bodies back. 'Feast on your own ill begotten kind,' we wrote. Some tried to split off from the main army and escape; we hunted them down and killed them like rats. Within a few weeks they had no more food and we exterminated the rest."

  Everyone sat in stunned silence as they thought through what he had told us. It was impossible to argue with his logic as he had explained it, yet I knew everyone in the room was questioning the morality of a man who would murder innocent civilians in the manner he had described. I had burned my hand badly once in our kitchen fire, the pain was searing and incredible, the agony of the initial burn lasted long after I had removed my hand from the flame and seemed to grow more intense as time passed. The burn was on a relatively small portion of my body, and yet it was the most painful thing I had ever felt. To be burned as they had, fire scalding their skin everywhere, singeing hair and scorching lungs, intense and hot enough to kill. I could not imagine a more horrific way to die.

  Finally, the duke spoke. "What happened afterward?" Kaiyer frowned and thought for a moment.

  "It was our first major victory against a standing army. Our other fights were against forces of a few hundred at the most and we always attacked when we had the upper hand. In some ways, this was the same strategy, but now there was no Elven presence within hundreds of miles. Every human came to us for shelter, food, and to be part of our army. Our numbers swelled. I know there were many other battles after that, larger battles, but I remember that one now and I don't remember the others. I will someday soon."

  "You mentioned your troops could launch fireballs thousands of yards away. Do you know how to do that?" Nadea asked.

  "Yes," Kaiyer nodded. "But I don't remember how to teach it. Something happened to me and my warriors to make us different from normal humans.”

  I looked to the prince, expecting him to challenge Kaiyer's claims, but he just looked uneasy.

  "You can do magic?" Nadea raised a single eyebrow.

  "Yes. I tried some things back when we were at the inn in Brilla. I'd show you now, but if I made a mistake everyone in this room would die. I need space to practice. This was what the king was considering, no?" Kaiyer looked to the king as he placed his fingertips on the table.

  "You will help us defeat the Ancients?" the king asked.

  "Yes. As long as I breathe I will try to kill every single one of them. It is my purpose. I will teach you how to be like me as soon as I remember," Kaiyer said. He knew that he had sold the king.

  "Okay. I agree to your terms. We will build areas through the castle for your purposes. Try not to make too large of a spectacle. Understand?" Kaiyer nodded.

  I expected any one of the three blonde men to argue but they didn't. Kaiyer's story might have intimidated them. Maybe he wanted to intimidate them.

  "Excellent. I will get started right away. Will Nadea be fulfilling my desires?" the thin man said as he got up to his feet. Nadea immediately looked down, avoiding eye contact with him and the other men in the room. Her father narrowed his eyes at Kaiyer, not quite in anger, but as if he were trying to discern whether the man had intended to be forward with his daughter, or if it was an innocent mistake due to Kaiyer’s lack of understanding of the subtleties of our language. I caught Kaiyer’s eye and he allowed a flicker of a smile to touch his lips before looking back to Nadea in expectant innocence. He knew exactly what he meant.

  "The duke, Nadea, Maerc, and Runir will be assisting you with what you need," the king said as he rose, wisely ignoring the implications while still answering the question.

  "I have some things for you already," Nadea said as she came across the table. There was excitement in her eyes. "We have cleared a part of the dungeon which exits into the courtyard. We are going to seal it off so you can have a private area." Her arm coiled around his in a comfortable movement as she took him toward the door leading out of the chamber.

  "Let's go see what Nadea has for us Paug," Kaiyer looked back to me with his gentle
smile. I glanced at the men seated at the table before I left. Their faces were a mixture of uneasiness and speculation. Grandfather nodded to me and I turned to follow Kaiyer and Nadea out of the meeting room.

  Chapter 23-The O’Baarni

  The army campfires were scattered across the valley like the stars dotted the sky. Sounds of banter, jostling, and jokes created a dull roar of a calm ocean. I felt as if I could almost reach out and touch the moon’s pale green surface, it was low and close tonight, the craters and valleys clearly visible as it reflected bright sunlight. The moonlight illuminated our campgrounds in a gentle wash of luminescent green, highlighting the faces of the gathered troops.

  I walked amongst the men and women for some hours. Most of the troops didn't recognize me without my armor. I would pass by their campfires and listen to them recount tales of the earlier battle. They would invite me to sit down, listen, and share their food and drink.

  I was handsome, so women would ask me if I cared for more than just a meal. I refused politely. I told myself what I told Shlara, that as the leader I could not show favoritism, and that I had to focus on this war and could not waste energy on romantic entanglements, even if they were purely physical. The truth was that I could not fathom touching another woman while she still existed. I dreamed of her, but even in waking she was always there below the surface, everything I looked at was tinged with the color of her hair and eyes. Every breath scented with the smell of her skin. Everything I did was to rid my mind of her as I rid the world of her entire race. If I were to touch another woman I knew it would bring her back and I feared what I might do to the poor human in my arms.

  My generals had all asked to stay and celebrate with me, but I told them to go be with their warriors. We still had many more battles ahead of us and they needed to share this victory with them. Shlara remained after the others had left.

  "Come celebrate with me." She smiled at me seductively. She never relented.

  "When this war is finished," I replied as I always did. I went back to surveying the map on my war table.

  "Kaiyer. We've been doing this for so long. Be with me tonight. You want it as much as I do. You deserve a reward for your accomplishments." She crossed her armored arms over her chest.

  "My accomplishments mean nothing. The O'Baarni won this battle."

  "Then reward me! Am I not your best general? I have never failed you. I have done whatever you have asked me, including this. There is only one thing I want now.” Her brows knit in concentration as she made her pitch.

  "I only want one thing too, Shlara." I looked up at her from the table, my face hard. "To annihilate every last Elven. You are dismissed.”

  She marched out of my tent.

  The thoughts of her faded as I walked closer to Thayer's tent. Perhaps he would be drinking with his lieutenants and I could converse with them. When I stood within earshot I recognized the sounds of many voices moaning in ecstasy. The flap was latched open and I saw half a dozen oiled and naked bodies writhing on the ground.

  "Need something?" A hand grasped my shoulder and I spun around to face the questioner. A muscular man stood behind me. He looked to be one of Thayer's and his lack of attire indicated that his final destination was inside the tent. At one time I knew everyone's name, but when our force grew to twenty thousand I had started to forget. Now that we numbered over five times that, I didn't even bother.

  "Sorry friend. I am kind of lost. Can you point me toward the camp of General Malek?" I said as I swayed a little, pretending to be drunk. We had to purposely prevent the Earth from healing our bodies to feel the effects of alcohol, but many tonight would be doing so.

  "That way," he pointed east. I nodded and drifted through the crowded campsites in that direction.

  Malek's troops celebrated in a more conservative fashion than Thayer's. They were still in a good mood, but I didn't see any public orgies, just gatherings with music, drinking, and various games of thought being played.

  I made my way toward the largest meeting circle. I saw Malek laughing with a dozen of his warriors in the middle of it and I smiled. The group passed personal stories around the circle in turn, everyone recounting a memory of the last battle and what they had learned.

  I sat down across the fire from Malek after I heard a few of the warriors speak. My general and a few of his lieutenants looked up at me in surprise. I nodded casually to them and they smiled back. The current speaker told of deflecting three fireballs that were intended for Gorbanni's troops.

  "I was terrified. This was my first battle. I know we have been through training and I have taken all my studies seriously. When they shot their fires into the air I felt my mind freeze up. I didn't know what to do. This was real now. I was going to die. But then I realized that it wasn't me that would die. It was my brothers and sisters. The Earth and the Air ripped through me. I tossed one, two, and a third aside. I did other things that I am proud of in that battle. But for that brief second, I almost failed." The man, no older than a boy, grew quiet. His friends in the circle nodded and those that sat nearest patted him on the back.

  "Hello Stranger," Malek called out to me from the other side of the circle. His face lit up with a sly smile. He wore his hair down around his shoulders and the gray at his temples shined from the light of the fire. His hair was very unique. Most of us were young, or had been when we had been changed, Malek included. Despite the years that had passed and the extreme hardships we had endured, our healing powers kept everyone youthful and vibrant, save Malek, no gray hairs or wrinkles betrayed the true age of anyone in our ranks.

  "Greetings," I replied. Everyone in the circle looked over to me. I didn't recognize many of their faces besides Malek and the two that sat next to him. I doubted anyone else knew my identity.

  "Get our guest something to drink and we can listen to him tell us a tale," Malek commanded. A woman next to me handed me her near full mug with a charming smile.

  "You are recounting the battle earlier today? Or any battle?" I asked him.

  "Anything you would like to tell."

  I thought about what his warriors needed to hear from me. I took a gulp of the cold beer and began.

  "A few years ago I fought in the Holden Ridge battle. Some of you here may have also been there. Some of you have only heard stories of it." A few heads nodded and I continued. "A group of Elvens broke through our lines on the pass and cornered my team. We tried to fall back, but found ourselves on the edge of the cliff, outnumbered ten to one. Reports indicated that other aspects of the battle were going well for us, but I guessed my small group would probably die on the ridge. When I thought it couldn't get any worse, they launched a salvo of fire blasts at us. The explosion forced us off of the edge of the cliff. Nearly all of my companions burned to death or were crushed when they hit the bottom. Somehow I survived. Unfortunately, my legs were shattered almost beyond healing, and I saw the Elvens descending the cliff to finish me."

  The newer warriors opened their eyes in shock. This was a popular tale in the army, especially with Malek's men. They had never heard this side of the story though.

  "I killed a few of them when they reached the ground, but I kept up the pace of my attackers. Just when I was about to have my head taken off my shoulders by a particularly skilled Elven bastard, a spear of white light pierced his chest. A good looking man, in desperate need of a haircut," the crowd laughed at this. Most of the males in the army shaved their heads every few weeks and Malek's mane was a frequent topic of conversation amongst the troops. "Jumped into the fray. He wielded a long sword in one hand, and a carved club in the other. He screamed at the Elvens, telling them about what he was going to do to them and their mothers. His ferocity drove back the group of twenty like a boulder smashes into a lake."

  “I doubt there were that many of them my friend," Malek said from across the circle. His cheeks flushed as he tried to hide a smile.

  "There were plenty of them. Seeing my savior's passion spurred my own desire to
live. I stood up on my broken legs, found an Elven sword, and tried to assist him. We cut through them with ease but they kept appearing like maggots on a corpse. It wasn't long before we were surrounded by more Elvens than what attacked my team from atop the cliff. It seems that these bastards wanted us exterminated more than they wanted to win the battle that carried on hundreds of feet above us." The crowd laughed and I took another gulp of the beer to lubricate my throat.

  "To keep from being surrounded, we stood back to back. I had to lean heavily against him since I could barely stand. The sun shone high in the sky when I fell down the face of the cliff and it gave light to the moon by the time we finished our work. By then their corpses covered the ground like snowflakes. I had never been closer to death than that day. I owe my life to the brothers and sisters that died for me." I finished off the beer and handed the mug back to the woman sitting next to me. Her mouth was agape as she looked at me and then down at the stein. "Thank you for letting me speak." I nodded to Malek before I turned to leave.

  "Was that Kaiyer?" a voice in the circle whispered as I moved away. The response didn't make it to my ears.

  I thought about visiting Shlara's group of warriors but reconsidered, she would infer that I accepted her offer of sex, when in truth I just wanted to be around people. I felt heartsick for the days when we were a small group pitted against impossible odds, when we all lived, ate, and trained like a family. The growth of the army was needed, and my generals now had their own warriors to oversee, but I missed the time when we could all gather around a single campfire, when there would have been no question as to who I was.