The Blood King’s Apprentice

by David Alastair Hayden

  Turesobei felt trapped and sick.

  There was no other way.

  He couldn’t let his companions continue to suffer over and over. And if Kurine could be restored, he couldn’t abandon her.

  He didn’t have any other options right now.

  Chapter Eight

  “If I do this, will you also restore Awasa to the way she was before?”

  “You are seeking another concession from me?”

  “You need me, and that means you don’t have all the power in this situation.”

  The Blood King frowned. His eyes flickered from pale blue to scarlet. He glared at Turesobei a few moments then his eyes changed to deep emerald. “I promise I will see what I can do for her. She might be useful. And you are going to need your companions to complete the tasks I require. However, I am not certain that what she has gone through can be undone.”

  “I understand.”

  Turesobei took a deep breath and swallowed. With a quavering voice, he said, “I will become your apprentice.”

  Eyes pale blue, the Blood King grinned broadly. “An excellent decision. Kneel before me and pledge your devotion.”

  Turesobei hesitated.

  “Come now, you must show your new master proper respect.”

  Turesobei touched his forehead to the floor in front of the Blood King’s feet. “I devote myself to your teachings…master.”

  “Rise, my amorous apprentice,” the Blood King said. “We shall now tend to your other girlfriend.”

  “I need Fangthorn,” Hannya said.

  Zaiporo handed her the blade.

  Hannya placed the tip of Fangthorn on the right side of Kurine’s chest. “I must stab her—deeply. It is the only way. I will recite an incantation that will make Fangthorn draw the poison from her. Turesobei, I will nod when my chant is nearly complete. At that moment, I need you to end your preservation spell.”

  “Wait!” Enashoma knelt and pulled Kurine’s coat off. “She would want to save her coat from home.” She took it up in her arms then backed away.

  Turesobei noticed Iniru touching her belly, where her inner shirt, outer shirt and overcoat had all been blasted away. She had a distant, frightened look in her eyes.

  As Hannya chanted, Turesobei committed every word of the spell to memory. When Hannya nodded, he ended his preservation spell. She chanted three more words then plunged the sword in. Kurine flexed upward. The runes on Fangthorn lit up with a sickly green hue.

  Kurine drew ragged, fading breaths. Thick blood oozed from her wound and the runes on the sword went dark.

  “That’s all of it,” Hannya said.

  Kurine gasped for breath, convulsed and then stopped breathing.

  “Do something!” Enashoma said. “She’s dying.”

  Chapter Nine

  “I need her to die first,” the Blood King said. “It is the only way.”

  After a few tense, worry-filled minutes, the Blood King performed his resurrection spell. Again the power brought them to their knees. Kurine floated up, cocooned in the crimson glow. She returned to the ground and the halo vanished. Both the wound high on her shoulder from the orugukagi and the wound from Fangthorn had sealed. She took a deep, ragged breath…then another…and another. Her eyes twitched open, but only for a moment.

  Enashoma put her wrist on Kurine’s forehead. “She’s burning up with a fever.” She placed her head on Kurine’s chest. “Her heartbeat’s rapid and she’s not breathing well. Shouldn’t she be better than this? Iniru was fine when you restored her.”

  The Blood King shook his head. “All I could do was get her to this point. Think about it. What condition would she be in if she had gotten the cure the day after she was bitten?”

  “She would be like this,” Turesobei said, “and I’d have to heal her.”

  “Precisely. I will heal her as soon as possible. I will also perform several rituals to repair the brain and organ damage she has suffered. In the meantime, she will need proper care of the mundane variety.”

  “Thank you,” Turesobei said.

  The Blood King nodded. “It was part of our bargain and I always honor my word.”

  Turesobei noted the severed ropes and drew in a deep breath. “Now we need to deal with Awasa.”

  “Kurine needs a place to sleep, master,” Lu Bei said. “And we need to treat her fever. After we have her settled in and have set someone to guard her then we can search for Awasa.”

  Zaiporo groaned. “I’m going to need something to eat and drink first. I don’t have the energy to search for her.”

  “Then you can be the guard, along with the hounds,” Turesobei said.

  “I think,” Iniru whispered, “that we all need a little rest before dealing with her.”

  Enashoma nodded along. “I can barely keep going. And once my adrenaline runs out I’m going to crash hard.”

  “My lord, they are going to need rooms and new clothes,” Hannya said, “as well as food to rebuild the strength they lost trekking through the Winter Realm. However, you have let the Nexus wither and decline. The Courtyard is barren and the servants are gone.”

  “Of course. Everyone follow me. Bring the goronku girl, as well.”

  “What about Awasa?” Turesobei asked. “Can’t you do something? Perhaps summon her here then bind her with chains or—”

  The Blood King’s eyes shifted to a pale green and he waved a hand dismissively. “Be patient. She cannot go far, and what I’m about to do may help her.”

  Motekeru gently lifted Kurine in his arms, and they followed the Blood King and Hannya out through the hallway and into the courtyard, which was perhaps two hundred paces across and encircled by a single octagonal building. The Blood King’s throne room and the hallway leading to it only took up one of the building’s eight sides.

  The soil in the courtyard was barren. The ponds, fountains and streams were dry. In the center their stood a raised platform accessible by a stair that led up to a trapdoor. The platform was octagonal, like the building surrounding it. On each side stood a gate that led to one of the eight realms. All of the gates were stone archways with complex runes carved into their surfaces.

  Four gates led to realms associated with seasons: Spring, Winter, Autumn, and Summer. Each of the seasonal realms had gates leading back to Okoro, though the locations of the gates in Okoro were either guarded secrets or long forgotten. The gate from Winter to Okoro was locked, which was why they had ended up here in the Nexus. The gate from Summer to Okoro was also locked, because the Shogakami had imprisoned their wayward brother, Nazyraga Lord of Monsters, there. Spring and Autumn held promise for returning home, if Turesobei could learn how to operate the gates. The other four platform gates led to realms Turesobei had never heard of. Wizards in Okoro didn’t even know those realms existed.

  High in the sky burned an orange ball of fire that mimicked the sun. The sky was a faded purple instead of blue, with no trace of clouds. The sun had not moved from high noon since they had arrived. He doubted it ever moved.

  The Blood King squatted and trailed a hand through the dust. A sad look crossed his face and his eyes turned to a flickering vermillion, like a candle burning low in a temple. Then he led them through the trapdoor and up onto the platform. Turesobei didn’t understand why they all had to come up here, bringing sick Kurine along with them. If there were rooms with beds, then she needed to be in one resting.

  “Step to the edges,” the Blood King said, “and have a seat.”

  He knelt in the center and chanted.

  The spell lasted for fifteen minutes, and when it activated, everyone gasped and braced themselves against the massive surge of kenja. This spell was even more powerful than the spell of life restoration.

  A dense mist formed over the courtyard but stopped short of the platform. Yellow, red and green flashes appeared within the fog. The scents of flowers and herbs, plowed earth, molding leaves and ripe fruits filled the air. Leaves rustled and water splashed.

  As
the mist lingered and moved into the building, Turesobei grew concerned. “Awasa is still inside. Will she be okay?”

  “It may be that this spell alone will accomplish what you want,” the Blood King said. “For this is not a spell of creation but of restoration, similar to that which I used to bring your girlfriends back to life. It may return your Awasa to her previous state, before she was poisoned by the soul of Barakaros the Warlock. If not, it will do no harm to her.”

  “When does my apprenticeship begin?”

  The Blood King scanned them then frowned. “It will have to wait a while. I may have healed you and removed your physical fatigue, but your minds and souls are still weak. You are no good for studying in such a state, and I require nothing less than your best effort. Besides, your bodies need recovery beyond what magic can do. Deal with your warlock girlfriend today, then rest. You will each be given your own room. Enjoy some food and drink. Sleep. Take comfort in the gardens and baths. You will receive new clothes and equipment, custom made for you. The servants will take care of everything. And I will leave you alone to rest for a week.”

  “Thank you,” Turesobei said, sincerely. He had expected the Blood King to demand that he immediately begin studying, but this was more sensible. Just because his enemy was evil didn’t mean his enemy was also illogical.

  “I thought we didn’t need food here,” Enashoma said.

  “You do not,” Hannya said.

  “How come I’m hungry then?” Zaiporo asked.

  “Because you were hungry when you arrived,” the Blood King said. “You will remain in this state until you have satiated your body’s existing needs.”

  The mists drew away and revealed a lavish garden the envy of any king, especially since it playfully ignored the effects of the seasons. Maples in autumn leaves stood beside cherry trees in late winter bloom. Roses flowered and beds of herbs and shrubs displayed dazzling blooms in dozens of colors. The limbs of some plum trees hung heavy with fruit while others were laden with pink blooms. Water played from fountains and danced over rock falls into ponds stocked with goldfish of every hue imaginable. A gardener dressed in a belted gray tunic walked out into the garden and began to prune an azalea.

  “Awasa is alive and active,” the Blood King said.

  Turesobei waited for him to say or do something about her, but apparently he had done all he was going to do for now. Turesobei decided not to press the issue. The Blood King had brought Kurine back to life as promised. Turesobei would trust him to keep his word with Awasa as well.

  The last of the mists vanished and the Blood King led them down into the courtyard. “Hannya will take care of you from here. I bid you farewell for—”

  “What’s wrong with this man?” Lu Bei asked. He hovered in front of the gardener, who was calmly trying to step around Lu Bei so he could continue his work. “His eyes are lifeless, and there’s something…I don’t know…wrong about him.”

  “He does not have a soul,” the Blood King said. “None of the servants do. That is how I can put them into stasis to be recalled at my pleasure.”

  “And why don’t they have souls?” Turesobei asked, regretting that he had done so immediately.

  “There was a time, long ago, when I thought soul-stealing would give me the level of power my research requires. But it proved inefficient and unsatisfying.”

  “That’s barbaric,” Enashoma said.

  Motekeru grumbled. “There are worse fates.”

  The Blood King shrugged. “Since it denies the donor of an afterlife, I chose to make servants out of the bodies of those whose souls had been stolen. It seemed only fair.”

  How was that fair? The Blood King had a strange sense of ethics, but that was probably why he was considered a madman.

  As the Blood King departed, he paused beside Motekeru. “The torture spell did not work on the fetch because he is a book, but it worked on the hounds, so I know it must have worked on you.”

  Motekeru nodded.

  “You did not show any sign of its effects. The mental fortitude to block out the suffering so completely is impressive.”

  “I didn’t block it out. I embraced it.”

  Turesobei glanced back. The Blood King still stood in the same spot, rooted in thought. That reply would’ve given Turesobei pause, as well. He remembered how Motekeru had laughed as Barakaros tortured him.

  Hannya led them into a hallway on the other side of the octagon. It was just as lavish as the one outside the throne room. She stopped before a set of doors centered along the wall. She pushed them open and revealed an expansive room filled with tables. Lanterns blazed above. Tapestries decorated the walls. Bamboo grew in planters spaced throughout the room.

  “This is the Dining Hall,” she said. “In the past, dozens of acolytes would gather here. You do not have to eat your meals here, however. If you desire, the servants will bring food to your rooms. Eat as often as you like. You can even eat once you are satiated. Food is not required here, but you will still likely enjoy eating.”

  Now that Turesobei considered it, he was starving. He’d just been too preoccupied to notice the growling, empty pit that was his stomach.

  “The same is true for sleep. Once you have had enough to recover, more is not necessary. But you will find it difficult to stop sleeping entirely, even if you are not tired. It is a habit all find difficult to break. Of course, if you leave the Nexus and return tired or hungry, you will need sleep and food again.” She pointed. “In that wing, you will find the Training Hall. In the wing beyond it, you will find the Bath. You cannot advance to the wing beyond the Bath.”

  She turned and headed down the hallway in the opposite direction. They followed her through an angled wall with a doorway leading into another hallway in the next side of the octagon. Twenty doors were evenly spaced along the left side of the hall. Three large, sliding, paneled doors on the right side opened onto the Courtyard.

  “You can choose your rooms from any of these,” Hannya said. “The sizes and features are the same but each has a different theme of décor. If you continue on, the next wing houses the Library. You cannot advance beyond the Library.”

  “Can we move about freely, or do we need permission to go anywhere?” Zaiporo asked.

  “Feel free to explore the grounds if you wish. Any section that is off-limits will be inaccessible to you. Any other questions?”

  No one responded. Turesobei actually had plenty of questions, but he was too tired.

  “I will have the servants bring in your gear and instruct them to wait on you. Be aware, the servants are simpletons and will follow your instructions in a literal manner. They can talk but they will avoid doing so if possible. Now get some food and rest. You have been through a lot.”

  As she walked away, Motekeru said, “You betrayed us. I won’t forget that. There will be a reckoning.”

  Hannya shivered. “I am sorry that lying to you was the only way to return to my beloved. But this really is for the best…for everyone.”

  She left, and they stared at one another in silence.

  Lu Bei broke the silence. “I could use a steaming bowl of tea right now.” He sighed. “I don’t even care what brew.”

  Everyone snapped their heads around and stared at him. They had been through so much that Lu Bei didn’t even care what brew of tea he got! That summed everything up perfectly.

  “What?” Lu Bei asked.

  Turesobei shook his head. “Nothing…everything.”

  The fetch frowned. “Huh?”

  Before Turesobei could explain, servants bustled in carrying the gear they had left on the platform. Most of it was useless now that they weren’t traveling across the icy wastes.

  Lu Bei had been right about the servants. The spark of humanity was missing from their expressions and even their movements, but especially from their eyes. They were more like machines and less alive than Motekeru. Still, Turesobei thanked them after they set the gear down. They departed without responding.


  Chapter Ten

  “Why won’t the Blood King help us find Awasa?” Zaiporo asked. “This is his magic realm. Couldn’t he locate her easily?”

  “For some reason, he wants us to deal with her,” Turesobei said. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find her, though. I can use the spell of locating that which is hidden. The hard part will be subduing her.”

  “Speaking of this being his realm, be careful what you do and say,” Lu Bei said. “I’m certain he can listen in on us at any time. He may be able to see and hear all of us all the time.” Lu Bei looked up and waved at the ceiling. “Hello, Blood Kingy!”

  “You really think he could know what we’re doing and saying all the time?” Zaiporo asked.

  “I’m a diary that records everything that goes on around me, regardless of my form or what I’m doing. I can record even if I’m too weak to enter my fetch form. So, yes. If he wanted to, I’m sure he could. The question is whether he can do it everywhere all the time.”

  “So why does he want us to deal with Awasa?” Enashoma asked.

  Turesobei shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe it’s a test. I don’t know. Let’s settle Kurine in, put our stuff away and get some food. Then we can track down Awasa. Like the Blood King said, she can’t go far.” Turesobei noticed Iniru had hardly said anything. “Iniru, what do you think?”

  “Me?” she asked. “I guess…sure, that’s a good plan.” She forcibly brightened. “And you know, while I do feel great—for a dead girl—I am starving.”

  Everyone tried to laugh, but it was clear Iniru wasn’t herself. She had been dead for several minutes. It was understandable for her to be rattled.

  They chose their rooms without any care for the style of decoration. They settled Kurine into the first room. Motekeru, who had never needed sleep, volunteered to stay with her. The rest of them would take turns visiting. Kurine was going to need a lot of food once she recovered. She was terribly thin now, a shadow of her old self.