The Blood King’s Apprentice

by David Alastair Hayden

  The figure stepped further out of the mist so that Turesobei could see him properly. It was Zaiporo. No, their friend still lay immobilized on the battlefield. And this copy had pure white skin, instead of ash gray, and wore clothes the same bright orange as Gyoroe’s eyes. He nocked another arrow to his bowstring.

  In addition to a doppelgänger of Zaiporo, copies of Awasa, Iniru and Kurine also emerged from the mists—all on the same side of the pyramid and each accompanied by three straw warriors. All the doppelgängers wore orange. Evil Kurine’s fur was black, Evil Iniru’s fur pale cream, while evil Awasa had gray skin and lavender eyes with a pink, eight-pointed star on her forehead.

  The bowstring twanged again.

  Had his companions noticed the danger? Kurine certainly hadn't. She was staring at him in open-mouthed horror.

  The second arrow sped toward Kurine. But it diverted at the last moment to fly up into the ceiling. Turesobei craned his neck. Out of the corner of his eye, he could just make out Awasa, deep in concentration, holding a mudra and chanting.

  The girls’ amulets flashed bright orange, then went dark. The doppelgängers froze mid-stride. Then, on the observation platform above, Gyoroe cried out, clutched his chest and fell to his knees. His eyes flickered rapidly between all nine colors. Hannya knelt beside him.

  “My lord, what is wrong?”

  “The spell…saving Turesobei…it took too much out of me. There must be…a fault in the spell or the amulets…. Have to get to the Workshop. Heartbeat weakening….”

  An itch crawled up Turesobei's spine. This wasn’t right, none of it. And the amulets…the magic in them had faded. He could sense it but, couldn't pinpoint how exactly.

  Hannya spoke a strange word, then she and Gyoroe disappeared.

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  “What in Torment's going on?” Iniru asked.

  “I thought he was invincible,” Awasa said.

  “I hope he's okay,” Kurine said.

  Everyone looked at her as if she'd lost her mind.

  “Well, we do need him to get out of here, don't we?” she asked sheepishly.

  “Not if Sobei can sever the chain binding Enashoma,” Awasa said. “Now that he can work the gates, that's the only thing keeping us here.”

  Movement caught Turesobei’s eye. The doppelgängers were sprinting towards the pyramid. Evil Zaiporo loosed another arrow. The girls hadn't noticed yet. Turesobei struggled to warn them, but his amulet still wouldn’t let him budge.

  The arrow missed Kurine by a hair and sliced across Awasa's right arm. Immediately, she locked her fingers in a mudra and chanted. The next arrow soared harmlessly over their heads.

  Evil Kurine paused in her sprint for the pyramid to loom over Zaiporo, lying on the ground helplessly. She grinned maliciously and lifted her hammer overhead. Turesobei's breath caught. But Zaiporo was protected by the amulet’s force field, he reminded himself. She could do whatever she wanted, and it wouldn't hurt him. With both hands gripping the handle, she swung the hammer down. A sickening thunk echoed through the room as Zaiporo's skull shattered. Fragments of bone and brain splattered out amidst a spray of blood.

  Evil Kurine wiped the blood from her face and bounded toward the pyramid.

  Bile rose into Turesobei’s throat. He struggled to choke it down.

  “Oh gods!” Kurine moaned.

  Awasa’s voice stuttered and stopped, her mudra spell broken.

  Iniru dove for Zaiporo's bow and quiver, rolled and somehow came up with an arrow nocked. She launched an arrow at Evil Zaiporo. The arrow struck him high in the shoulder. He dropped the bow and yanked the arrow from his shoulder, leaving a jagged wound. Ignoring the blood pouring down his arm, he drew his sword and kept running.

  Iniru loosed another arrow but Evil Awasa used a mudra to deflect it.

  How could Gyoroe have screwed up the protection amulets so badly? And why not dismiss the conjured doppelgängers before fleeing? Had he assumed the battle wouldn’t restart? That seemed uncharacteristically careless of both Gyoroe and Hannya.

  “Sobei may be vulnerable like…like Zai was,” Iniru said, her voice cracking.

  Awasa stepped over and drew Fangthorn lightly across his left hand. The blade cut a thin line. Blood seeped out.

  “He's not shielded anymore,” she said. “Just frozen.” She drew in a sharp breath. “New focus, everyone. I don't give a damn if the enemy takes the pyramid and the Blood King tortures us for weeks on end. We must protect Turesobei. Though if we get the chance, I wouldn’t mind slicing the doppelgängers into a hundred little pieces.”

  Iniru nodded grimly and moved to cover him better. Kurine rubbed the tears from her eyes with her fists. Then she squared her shoulders and set her feet. Nothing was going get to him unless it took out them first. Evil Iniru reached the pyramid top first. His Iniru engaged her. The two formed a blur of sword-strikes, punches, spins and kicks. Iniru might as well be shadowboxing. But it wasn’t going to be a stalemate for long. Evil Iniru hadn’t fought for forty-five minutes already and didn’t have a burning leg wound.

  Awasa intercepted Evil Awasa. Both deployed a series of mudras to affect and counter the other. Though Awasa was fatigued and banged up, like Iniru, she had a definite advantage over her doppelgänger: Evil Awasa’s weapon was nothing more than a normal sword, while Fangthorn had been drinking in energy from slain opponents that Awasa could use to fuel her magic.

  The twelve straw warriors lumbered onto the top of the pyramid. Shield raised, Kurine barreled into them so they couldn’t interfere with Iniru and Awasa. Her doppelgänger and Zaiporo's hadn't reached the pyramid yet. While Iniru and Awasa remained locked in combat, Kurine made short work of the straw warriors. They were hardly a threat. They had just been there to get in the way and complicate things.

  Evil Zaiporo crested the pyramid and swung at Kurine. Thanks to his wounded shoulder, she was able to easily duck under his sword-slash and thump her hammer into his gut. He doubled over and she bashed him in the face with her shield. Dazed and bleeding, he staggered back.

  “This is for Zai.”

  She brought her hammer up and swung it down at an angle. He dodged aside but not fast enough. The glancing blow snapped his head downward. The bones of his neck cracked and he fell limp. Kurine stared at the body with a sick expression. Even though it wasn’t the real Zaiporo, it was difficult to see him laying there. Turesobei couldn't help picturing Evil Kurine standing over their Zaiporo and grinning as she raised her hammer.

  Where was Evil Kurine? Turesobei had lost sight of her. She should’ve reached the top by now. He craned his head as far as he could manage and spotted her. She had sneaked up the opposite side of the pyramid from the others and was sprinting toward Awasa.

  She was still engaged with her own doppelgänger. A spinning block deflected a sword strike from Evil Awasa but left her with her back to Evil Kurine. At the last moment, she sensed the ambush and dodged aside. But it was too little too late. The hammer struck a solid blow against her temple. Her skull cracked and she fell dead on the spot.

  Evil Awasa and Evil Kurine both turned toward Turesobei. No one stood between him and the two of them.

  “You’re next,” Evil Kurine said with a sneer.

  He opened the channel to the Storm Dragon as wide as it would go. He didn’t cast a spell. He just unleashed the energy and directed it outward, hoping the sheer strength of the kenja would shatter the amulet’s spell.

  But nothing happened. The energy didn’t release, and he didn’t dip into the dragon dream. How could the energy not release? Even if some property of the amulet prevented him from doing magic, Gyoroe’s spell shouldn’t have been capable of doing bottling the Storm Dragon.

  Awasa’s and Kurine’s evil twins advanced on him and there was nothing he could do to stop them. He was doing to die.

  Then, in an act of perfect symmetry, Kurine leapt in and swung her war hammer at Evil Awasa. The strike smacked the doppelgänger in the face and caved in her
skull. She, too, fell dead instantly.

  Evil Kurine pounded toward Turesobei. Kurine ran after her, but she wasn’t going to catch up in time. Iniru made a wild swipe at her doppelgänger, turned and sprinted over. Her double lunged and the blade sliced into Iniru’s hamstring.

  Evil Kurine raised her hammer overhead as she covered the last few steps separating her from Turesobei. A demented grin twisted her face as she brought it down. Iniru threw herself at Evil Kurine. The blow missed his face by inches. They landed hard and rolled off the top of the pyramid, thudded down the steps and out of Turesobei's line of sight.

  Kurine leapt in to shield him from Evil Iniru.

  “You want him?” she growled. “Then you’ll have to kill me first.”

  Evil Iniru thrust her blade high. Kurine blocked the attack with her shield but didn’t see the low kick coming next. Evil Iniru’s foot slammed into Kurine’s knee. She staggered and barely got her shield up in time to block a slash aimed at her throat.

  Kurine swung her hammer, but she was tiring. Evil Iniru ducked under it and stabbed. Kurine twisted, but the blade scored a hit across her ribs. She feinted a shield-bash and jabbed with her hammer.

  Evil Iniru deflected the strike outward, blocked Kurine’s shield using her forearm and kicked high. Her foot connected with Kurine’s face. The bones of her nose snapped and blood poured down her face.

  Eyes tearing, Kurine swung wildly with her hammer, trying to force Evil Iniru back.

  Turesobei's heart pounded. He could hardly breathe. Iniru hadn't returned, though neither had Evil Kurine. Turesobei craned his neck but couldn't see them. They might both be dead, badly wounded or unconscious. Without Iniru, it was all over, because if Kurine was all that was left of the team, then death was inevitable. She was no match for Evil Iniru’s speed and skill.

  He couldn’t believe it was going to end this way. After all they had been through.

  Evil Iniru deflected another hammer strike, turned her sword in and cut a deep gash across Kurine’s hand. The hammer fell from her grasp. A back-kick slipped inside Kurine's defenses and knocked the shield out wide. Evil Iniru spun out of her kick and lunged in with her sword, aiming directly at Kurine's gut.

  Kurine was off balance and stumbling back. She could do nothing to stop the blade.

  But suddenly the real Iniru was there, diving between Kurine and Evil Iniru. The blade plunged into her chest and out through her back.

  Iniru staggered and coughed up blood—but then surged forward.

  She didn't have room to swing her sword. Instead, she held it up in front of her and with one hand on the grip and the other on the dull back, she rammed it, edge-first, into the throat of her double.

  The white-steel blade sliced through flesh and deep into her doppelgänger's spine. Even as it did, the doppelgänger twisted her own blade and ripped it downward.

  Blood spurting, the two of them collapsed and the life faded from their eyes.

  Before Turesobei could cry out. Before he could even breathe again…the final bell tolled.

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Turesobei woke with his back against cold stone. A reddish ceiling glowed high above. A warm current of air washed over him. His chest burned under the amulet Gyoroe had given him. His heart raced. Otherwise, he felt fine. No injuries, not even a bit of fatigue. Only confusion.

  His mind began to clear: the battle…Zai…Wasa…Niru!

  He shot up to his feet.

  All his friends lay spread out around him. No blood. No visible wounds. Not even the tiniest scratch stood out on their armor. What in Torment was going on?

  They stirred awake and looked about, bewildered. Iniru felt at her stomach and smiled with astonishment. Zaiporo grasped his head and shivered. Awasa touched her face and flexed her jaws. Kurine stared at Iniru and chewed at her lip.

  Tears stung the corners of his eyes as he breathed a sigh of relief.

  Somehow, they were alive—all of them. How this was possible, he had no idea. At the moment, he didn’t care.

  “You were amazing, all of you,” Turesobei said.

  He held out his hand to Iniru. She took it and he helped her up and into a hug. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  She kissed him on the lips. “Never.”

  He hugged Awasa and kissed her on the cheek.

  She flinched at the touch of his lips. “Sorry, the last thing I remember touching me there was a chunk of angry hammer.”

  He went to Zaiporo next and hugged him.

  “No kiss, please,” Zaiporo said with a pitiful chuckle. He was still rattled. But being torn apart by ant-demons and having one’s head bashed in with a hammer could do that to a guy.

  “I’m so sorry about what happened,” he said.

  “I’ll probably have nightmares about that battle for the rest of my life,” Zaiporo said, “but it wasn't your fault.”

  Kurine swept Iniru up into a giant hug then took her face in her large hands and kissed her on the forehead. “You gave your life to save me. Thank you.”

  Iniru blushed. “It was the only way to save Turesobei. There was no way you could defeat that other me.”

  Kurine shook her head and tut-tutted. “You could’ve waited. With her busy killing me, you could have easily taken her out. You died for me.”

  “I…I…I don’t know what to say,” Iniru said. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

  Kurine crushed her in another hug. “You don’t need to say anything.”

  A shadow fell across them. Gyoroe floated down from the observation platform and landed softly on the pyramid. Hannya followed behind him.

  Gyoroe’s eyes flickered orange and scarlet. His jaw tightened and he growled, “This all so very touching, but you failed. Miserably so.”

  Gyoroe held an all-too-familiar bronze spell strip, clutched between two fingers. Turesobei touched the amulet hanging from his neck and focused his senses. The fading energy in the metal disc vibrated in harmony with the bronze spell strip.

  “That wasn’t a real battle at all,” Turesobei said. “It was an illusory torture session, like the one where you made each of us wander through the desert alone and we didn’t even know we were being tortured.”

  Gyoroe nodded. “A rune in the amulets modified the torture spell so that I could simulate a deadly combat without risking any permanent injuries.”

  “Wait, how did we fail?” Kurine asked. “Turesobei survived and we still had control of the pyramid top, since I wasn’t incapacitated.”

  “Turesobei was only saved by the amulet spell,” Hannya said. “So as far as the rules of the engagement were concerned, he was dead.”

  “All because he was too busy pointlessly risking his life saving one of his girlfriends to remember the mission,” Gyoroe said with disgust.

  “I will always risk my life to save those I love,” Turesobei said. “I can’t do otherwise. I am who I am.”

  “I told you in the beginning that you needed to learn the true nature of sacrifice. This is a perfect example of why. If the girl must die for the mission, then she must die. You, however, must live—at all costs.”

  Turesobei started to argue, but Kurine interrupted him.

  “He’s right, Sobei. If I die, then I die. That goes for any of us. But not you. Because only you can get whoever survives home safely.”

  “But—”

  “She’s right,” Iniru said. “I can give my life for someone, so can Awasa, Zaiporo or Kurine. But you can’t. Your first concern has to be for the group, not the individual. Without you, we’re all doomed.”

  He sighed. “I don’t know if I can do that.”

  “You have to learn how,” Awasa said.

  “I suggest you listen to them for once,” Hannya said.

  Gyoroe raised the bronze spell strip. “Now, your torture, as promised. Hannya, bring Enashoma here.”

  She bowed her head and started down the steps.

  Turesobei locked his eyes on the spell strip. “Wait! The only reason w
e failed was because I did a poor job managing my spells. And that’s only because I never get to use them in the mock combats.”

  Hannya paused at the top step. “Your spells are too powerful for the mock battles.”

  “I know, but there’s another way.”

  “Get to your point,” Gyoroe snapped.

  “Instead of torturing us, give us a chance to improve, to learn from our mistakes. Send us back through the mission. Make us keep trying until we get it right.”

  Gyoroe narrowed his eyes. A glimmer of yellow danced through them.

  “Torturing us may satisfy you, but it won’t achieve anything. It’s not like we didn’t do our best. And if you send us back through the training regimen, that’s not going to help either. I still won’t be any better at using my spells in real combat, and my companions still won’t be used to what my spells can do. Plus, if you want me to alter my instincts in a battle, that’s going to take practice too.”

  Gyoroe stared at him a few moments, the orange in his eyes fading toward yellow. “If I send you back, you will know that it is a ruse.”

  “Not if you manipulated our memories so that while we were being ‘tortured’ we’d be unaware of what had happened before. We would think the test was new each time we began. But outside of the spell’s illusion, we would know what had happened and we could learn from our mistakes. You could even program in different opponents for us to battle each time.”

  The orange blazed back into his eyes. Gyoroe wanted badly to punish them.

  Hannya approached warily and touched his arm. “My lord, the boy has a point. And his idea is ingenious.”

  The eyes locked on her and he brushed her hand aside.

  “He wants to improve,” she said. “And it is obvious that he is not prepared to take on the guardians. Give him a chance to practice his magic. And remember, he is not like us. He only has sixteen years of life experience.”

  Gyoroe glared a few moments. Then his eyes switched suddenly to vibrant blue-white. “Apprentice, your proposal is good and valid. You will immediately repeat the experience. And you will keep doing it until you succeed to my liking. After that, I will send you back through to face a variety of opponents.” With a blink, the eyes blazed orange again. “But with each failure, your sister will suffer whatever torture I deem appropriate for the span of half an hour. Hannya, fetch Enashoma. I must keep my word and see that punishment is dispensed appropriately.”