by Jeremy Finn
The creature moved toward the little building James knew served as the Intercessor’s quarters, and reached behind his back to draw an oily dark blade seemingly from thin air. James struggled to his feet and hobbled to the stairs leading up to the platform above. As he climbed the stairs, he caught a brief view of the village of cheebs from which he just fled. Though he could not make out many details, he noticed several of the cheebs had lights on, and three or four swords of light flashed through the air in a dizzying display. There was no way to tell how the servants were faring, but only a couple of swords didn’t seem like an adequate defense against the hoard James glimpsed as he ran from the scene earlier. He also noticed several of the dark human figures were at the edge of the courtyard and heading in his direction.
As James resumed his pursuit of the winged creature, he saw it forcefully kick the door in on the Intercessor’s quarters. Seconds latter, he was stumbling through the doorway without any idea what he was going to do against this vicious enemy. James knew the monster was after the Intercessor, though, and he felt he needed to do whatever he could to help him. As he entered the small building, James saw the Intercessor sitting up in his bed with his eyes fixed on the monster standing before him with its sword pointed at the old man’s heart.
“No!” James yelled, and both the Intercessor and the monster looked at him in surprise. The creature reacted quickly, though, and backhanded James in the chest with the butt of his sword, sending him crashing back against the wall near the door and struggling to regain the breath that was knocked out of his lungs. As the monster sneered and turned back toward the Intercessor, James noticed the old man took the brief distraction to get to his feet and withdraw a small dagger from somewhere within his cloak. The Intercessor leaped forward and plunged the knife into the monster’s left shoulder, only missing its neck by inches as the creature jerked away from the attack. Although the monster howled in pain, it quickly grabbed the Intercessor by the neck and slammed him against the far wall. The creature didn’t bother to remove the dagger, but tightened his grip on the Intercessor’s neck, his long claws causing blood to ooze from between his massive, scabbed fingers.
As the monster drew his sword up for the finishing attack, James realized the Intercessor’s sword was sitting on its stand on the table right next to him. Hoping he would not be too late, James reached for the sword hilt with his right hand, causing a jolt of pain to shoot down his arm. Ignoring the pain, he swung the sword out in front of him and a flash of light issued from the blazing sword. The monster caught the light in the reflection of his victim’s eyes, but it was too late. Before he could even turn his head toward James, the blade arched down through the air and struck the monster in the back of the head. To James’ surprise, it continued to slice effortlessly through the huge mass of muscle until the blade hit the floor and scorched the wooden paneling. For a moment, the creature stood motionless before him, and then suddenly fell in two equal pieces to the ground, the blade having divided the monster with ease. For a moment, the separated body lay on the floor smoking before it evaporated before James’ eyes.
James looked up at the Intercessor and noticed he was slumped back against the wall, holding his neck as the blood continued to flow steadily from it. He dashed over and held the old man by the shoulders to try to steady him. The Intercessor looked James in the eyes and attempted to say something, which was lost in a rasping sound that came from his damaged throat. Instead of trying to speak again, he pointed toward the back door of the little room and pushed himself off the wall behind him. James realized the Intercessor was directing him, and threw one of the man’s arms over his shoulders (the other was busy restraining the flow of blood from the punctures in his neck) while he wrapped his right arm around the old man and led him toward the door. As James kicked the door open, a scene of chaos unfurled before him. The men dressed in dark clothing were swarming about the grounds lighting fire to the buildings and battling half-dressed servants who woke in time to meet the threat. As he was gawking at the horror, the Intercessor patted him on the shoulder to get his attention and pointed straight ahead. James followed the direction of his gesture and was able to discern several servants standing in a defensive arc around what appeared to be an opening in the rocks behind them. There was a short walk from the doorway to the edge of the building complex’s platform, where a wide staircase led down to the ground. Beyond that point, James guessed he would have to drag the Intercessor for about sixteen meters to the cluster of servants.
“Hang on,” he told the Intercessor, “I’m going to do my best to get you over there.”
James made it to the stairs with little difficulty, as the Intercessor was still able to walk for the most part on his own strength. When both men cautiously began to descend the short staircase, a bolt of black metal tore through the air in front of them and lodged its jagged point in the ornate wooden railing to their left. James stopped in surprise as the spear hung before them at waist level blocking their path. A sudden roar from his right caused James to turn his head and lock eyes with the owner of the weapon. One of the dark clothed men was sprinting toward them with drawn daggers in both hands. He had obviously meant for the spear to pierce the men, but would be just as happy to finish the task with his daggers at close quarters. James dropped the Intercessor as he fumbled to present some sort of defense, and slipped on the stairs, causing him to fall backwards as he helplessly watched the assassin bear down upon them.
Suddenly a foot flew through the air from out of nowhere and caught the charging man in the face, sending him sprawling back onto the ground. The rest of the figure soon followed as a man jumped off the platform and onto the ground next to the felled attacker. Before his feet met the ground, though, he pulled a brilliant white blade from his side and brought it down in a slashing arc as the dark man stumbled to regain his footing. The man’s severed head hit the ground at the same time the servant wielding the sword landed next to the body. He quickly turned around and the light from his blade revealed a familiar face.
“DaNyang!” James exhaled in relief, “you couldn’t have picked a better time! The Intercessor is hurt. I’m trying to get him to those servants over there!” James motioned with his head and DaNyang nodded in understanding.
“Yes, we need to get him to the hold. Most of the servants still alive are already there. I went out to the village to try to find you, and barely made it back. There are few of us still alive out here, and all that remain are falling back into the hold.”
As DaNyang grabbed the Intercessor by the other arm, both men lifted him and began to hurry toward the safe haven ahead.
“What about Joe?” James questioned as he suddenly remembered his friend caught in an onslaught of attackers, “Did you see him?”
“No,” DaNyang replied, “I haven’t seen him since dinner. Maybe he made it back to the hold already.”
James doubted Joe would have taken shelter in the hold if there were still servants out in the grounds, but he knew he needed to focus on getting the injured intercessor to safety. He noticed DaNyang had a large gash in his clothing on his left shoulder, which appeared to be smoking, but decided to focus his mind on reaching the servants and question him about the injury later.
When the three men were about halfway from the stairs to the huddle of servants, one of the servants noticed them and exclaimed, “It’s the Intercessor! It looks like he’s hurt. You two come with me, the rest of you prepare to close the door as soon as we’re inside.”
Three of the servants rushed out to meet the injured party, and not a moment too late. James expected them to help carry the Intercessor, but they ran right past them. As he turned his head in disbelief to see why they neglected to help, he saw several dark men rushing up behind him with spears at the ready. Both groups clashed immediately, and the sound of metal clanging violently and flesh searing filled James’ ears. After what seemed like an eternity, they reached the other servants standing by the opening in the rocks. N
ow James began to realize the purpose of this place where the servants were congregating. The village sat on the top of the mountain, but a bare mound of huge sandstone rocks continued to thrust from the peak adding about thirty meters more to the mountain’s height. The rocks appeared to cover an area the size of a football field, and formed a windbreak behind the village courtyard. What James had not noticed before, though, was that the small wooden door set in a crack in the rocks covered a natural tunnel in the rocks leading deep into the boulders. It was something of a natural refuge in the rock.
The servants around the door grabbed the three men and began pulling them into the tunnel. James turned to see the three men who saved them from the attack from behind running toward the entrance, their violent work accomplished. Just as James was turning back toward the tunnel, though, a huge winged beast swooped down from above and took off one of the men’s heads with the long talons on his extended foot. For a second, the body continued to keep pace with the other two men before falling lifeless to the ground just meters from the door.
“Get in! Now!” screamed the servant holding the door open.
James was yanked into the tunnel and heard the door grinding to a close as the last two men squeezed inside. He also heard a rumbling sound, and saw the servants rolling a huge stone door into place behind the wooden door. This was obviously a wise decision as James saw a black sword hack through the wooden door just as the stone was closing over the entrance to the tunnel.
Suddenly, the only sound James could hear was the rapid breathing of those around him echoing off the close stone walls as they pulled him deeper into the hold by the light of a drawn sword waving at the front of their column.
FLIGHT AT DAWN
Dedicated this tenth year in the reign of his majesty
King Kyung Dok as a memorial to the friendship between
the royal family and the Order of the Light. May we continue
to work together for the good of this land in the ages to come.
-Inscription on the memorial stone at the Pool of King Kyung Dok
As James was led down the corridors of stone, he noticed they were not entirely man-made. In fact, it appeared most of the passageways and chambers they passed through were natural spaces in between the huge sandstone boulders thrusting up alongside and piled on top of each other that together formed the bald peak of the mountain. Here and there, though, James could see where someone had chiseled the rock to widen a passageway or expand a chamber. DaNyang pulled James into a large open area about the size of a typical bedroom and motioned for him to sit on some rocks as the remainder of the party continued along the passageway. A few candles resting on outcroppings of stone illumined the chamber and revealed an older man of native origin tending to several injured servants resting on the floor against one of the walls.
“Are you hurt, DaNyang?” the man queried as he turned toward the newcomers.
“Not too bad Yoon,” DaNyang replied, “but I wouldn’t mind a little attention to my shoulder if you can spare the time.”
“Of course,” Yoon returned. “The others here are stable. And who is your friend here?”
James introduced himself as Yoon began to expose DaNyang’s wound, which was having a definite effect on DaNyang’s facial features.
“This is Doctor YoonJi,” DaNyang said in a strained voice. “He’s a doctor at the university hospital in the city.”
“It’s certainly a pleasure to meet you,” James said.
“And you too, James. Have you suffered any injuries tonight?”
“No,” James said as he mentally dismissed his shoulder as a minor wound that did not merit attention. “I’m fine.”
“That’s fortunate,” Yoon mumbled. “Now if you’ll do me a favor and keep DaNyang’s mind occupied for me, I would be very grateful.”
DaNyang jerked his head towards Yoon, “What do you mean? Is this going to get even more painful?”
Yoon smiled gently, “I’m afraid so, DaNyang. I only have a few basics on hand, and I need to stitch you up in a couple places. I’m using a little local anesthesia, but it won’t knock the nerves out completely.” Yoon pulled out a long needle and a cloth soaked in alcohol. “James, if you would…”
“Oh, right,” James started. “Well, I do have a lot of questions to ask.”
“Go right ahea-a-ah!” DaNyang yelped as Yoon applied the alcohol to the wound on his shoulder.
“First things first,” James began. “Are we safe in this place? I mean, I’m sure there are more openings and cracks than the one we came in through. Oh, and why didn’t the Intercessor come in here for treatment? He’s bleeding from wounds in his neck.”
“Well,” DaNyang grunted, “Don’t worry about the Intercessor. His wounds bear a taint that requires special attention. Yoon here is one of the best when it comes to medical treatment of wounds sustained from the visible world, but the Intercessor is dealing with something different. That’s why he wouldn’t stop bleeding. We have some servants who are skilled in the treatment of such wounds. As for other entrances to this complex, there were openings once, but servants sealed them up long ago. This is a refuge designed to temporarily house servants in the event of an emergency, kind of like tonight. That’s why this place is called Hanasan Hold.”
“But what about that army outside? I’ve seen what those black swords can do. Won’t they just chisel or slice an opening in the rock?”
“Not likely,” DaNyang replied. “They may cut through most material like butter, but there are special protections put into these stones. They are not just the ordinary boulders they appear to be. By the time they would be able to cut a hole through the stone, if ever, it would be too late anyways.”
“What do you mean too late?” James asked.
“They are dark beings,” DaNyang said matter-of-factly. “The Nefarin – that’s what we call the Dark guardians – are far more dangerous than the humans they employ, but they can’t maintain a tangible form in the sunlight. That leaves the dark men to deal with, but without Nefarin support, they will likely flee. Besides, the force instilled on these rocks around us blocks the Nefarin from entering from any sort of other worldly means. You know, they can pass through walls and such, but they would never be able to pass through these rocks.”
“Yeah, about those, uh, Nefarin,” James began, “I’ve had my share of experiences with them over the last couple of days, and I think I’m beginning to accept the fact that they are not of this world.”
“Not of this visible world,” DaNyang interjected.
“Right,” James continued, “but why am I suddenly seeing them all the time, and who are the men in black clothing who came with them?”
“No one knows why you are suddenly so popular with them, James,” DaNyang answered, “but as for why you have never seen them before, they can choose to be seen or unseen. In their original state, they are not visible to the human race, and usually only reveal themselves to physically attack a human, which they are unable to do in their original state. However, they have always, along with the Guardians of Light, been very influential in human affairs. They have sought to corrupt men toward their side and worked to destroy the human race as a whole. They are behind most of the wars and genocides in human history, not as direct actors, but as voices of persuasion and influence that whisper into humans’ minds and corrupt them. In fact, many times the humans influenced by them don’t even know they are under their sway. Most of them would think you were a lunatic if you revealed it to them.”
“And the black clothed men?” James reminded him.
“They are a sad story,” Yoon broke in as he continued to work on DaNyang’s shoulder, and DaNyang found it difficult to speak. “You see, most humans go through life without doing much in favor of either side, which in effect favors the Dark. Some, however, delve deeper into the Dark and become acquainted with the forces that work unseen. These remain ordinary humans with no special powers. The Nefarin don’t even trust them
to carry dark swords, hence the spears those men were carrying tonight. In certain cases, a dark human may give himself completely to the Nefarin and allow one to posses him. When this happens, the human retains his normal appearance, but gains the abilities of the Nefarin who possesses and controls him.”
“That’s what attacked you on the subway,” DaNyang explained. “A possessed dark human. The Nefarin was using the human’s body as a cover to get close to you and accomplish his work without suspicion. The dark human was likely possessed by one of their assassin breed. Did he look something like a perversion of a goat or ram?”
“I thought I felt something out of place when I first saw that guy, and yes, now that you mention it, goat-like would be the best way to describe what I saw,” James explained.
“That’s not a surprise,” Yoon said. “All humans have the ability to lightly sense a strong Light or Dark presence even though it may not be visible. Have you ever had a sudden unexplained fear swell up in your chest while you were lying in bed at night, or woken up with the feeling someone was in the room with you when you were alone?”
“Yes, of course,” James replied, “Everyone has that kind of thing happen to them, but I thought it was just mind tricks or anxiety.”
“Not so,” Yoon replied. “Though most people dismiss it as such. When you are a veteran of the Light, you can even sense a regular human’s aura. That’s how I learned my son had turned to the Dark. I could just feel it in him.”
“You’re son!” James exclaimed. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Yoon replied curtly. “It was his choice, and I haven’t given up on him yet. Even those who fall deeply into the Dark can choose to forsake it for the Light, and I’m hoping he will turn back some day.”