Wailing a terrible scream, she hoisted him up high then slammed him to the floor. “That bitch!” she spat.
Huddled on the floor, Toma lifted his head but was careful not to look at her. In a weak voice, he offered, “I’m sorry. Master. I will never fail you again.”
Her face smoothed over into a dangerous calm. She helped him to his feet and held the quivering man by one shoulder. Wiping the blood off his brow, she cooed, “You had him in your hands then let him get away. I can’t have failure.”
“I’ll never fail again,” he repeated, shaking badly.
She smiled gently at him. “That’s right.” Grabbing his chin, she twisted his head and broke his neck. Pushing the body away before it fell, she turned to the men who had come with him. Only one did not reek with fear; he stood impassively as the nerves in Toma’s leg twitched in final spasms.
She pointed to him. “You, what is your name.”
“Judd Kahn, Master.” the stocky man in studded leather said.
“Well, Judd Kahn, you are now Duke Kahn. Have you a clue how Spring Valley is prepared?”
“Yes, Master, six companies of one hundred each are within the castle. Four more are deployed, one in town, one to the south, one east and one west. They have proper weapons but no spears. All the power spears are in the castle, as well as all the crossbows that shoot them. At the moment, the population does not know we are gearing up for war.”
“And you think this adequate?” she asked.
“No, Master. We are undermanned and have no effective defense. The barricades will be easy outflanked, and if we lose the castle we will lose all the spears. There is no wall around the town, and the ancient roadways to the north are undefended.”
“You know about the ancient roads?”
“Yes, Master, they are straight and flat for miles. If the elves, or anyone else, gains access we could be overrun before we knew they were there.”
Alianna grinned in satisfaction. “Make your city ready, Duke Kahn. Be careful not to arouse suspicion. You must act in secret until I order otherwise.”
He bowed briskly. “Yes, Master. Can I depend upon you for pilgyns or vlaks when the time comes?”
“I will send you all the help you need. Until then, build your army. Under no circumstances must the elves in Tolina be allowed to get to Elrad.”
“Understood, Master. How many can I expect?”
“Not more than ten thousand,” she said, watching him closely.
He didn’t flinch. “I will need help to hold back that many. I assure you they will not reach their destination, whatever happens in Spring Valley.”
Kahn was emotionless, thoughtful and fairly intelligent. She left the meeting feeling good about her new Duke. It seemed she had only two obstacles left that could trip her up. Odif she would find and kill, once she worked out a plan. The other one, Tayan, was not so easy. She could not harm him, and all other attempts to stop him had failed. He was a hero to her enemy; and with him leading them, those damn elves would run headlong into certain death. There was only one way she could be rid of him.
She had to make her food slave break the pact.
***
Once again the tiny world of his underground cell was invaded by the thing. He had given up trying to raise himself from hanging by his arms. It seemed a lifetime ago when he used to stand on his feet and yank at the chains in a vain attempt to free himself. Locked as he was in an existence of twilight and pain, somehow standing didn’t seem important anymore. The arms that held him just high enough so he couldn’t sit had become no more than extensions of the chains.
He knew its feet; it never wore shoes. He looked up to see it had taken the form of a dark-haired woman. It didn’t have horns. Instead, thick, curly locks adorned its forehead. It smiled at him, wearing an angelic face. He knew he couldn’t fight it. It was going to force its lips over his then the pain would begin. More to himself than it, he groaned, “No...not again.”
“Not this time,” it said pleasantly.
He felt one arm drop then fell to sit as it released the other manacle. Curling his arms up to his chest, he vaguely remembered another time it had come to him acting nice. Everything it did was a trick and ended in pain.
“I ain’t gonna cuddle,” he said hoarsely.
He flinched as the demon squatted down by him. Its smile was bright as it said, “I have made a terrible mistake holding you like this. You are not my enemy. I want to make it up to you.”
He didn’t know what trick this was, but he didn’t want anything to do with it. “Then leave me alone.”
Slowly, it held out a hand that looked as soft and smooth as a real woman’s. “Take my hand; let me show you what I want to give you.”
He didn’t move, so it gently laid its hand on his shoulder. When he flinched again, the wall was no longer there. Brightness filled his eyes as he fell on his back. Shielding them with one arm, he squeezed them shut, bracing himself for the pain that was sure to come.
It didn’t. Slowly, he opened one eye a crack. At first he thought the world had turned white. As his pupils adjusted, he saw a low wall with pillars rising from it. Beyond the pillars was a void. In time he remembered what the pale blueness was called. He was looking at sky. Lifting his arm, he saw figures standing a short distance away to his right.
The thing was beside three women. He was sure he wasn’t seeing right--the women looked greenish to him. Their short shirts and skirts were light gray.
Waving a hand at the women, the demon said, “These will be your servants. They will clean you up and get you decent clothes, as well as anything else you want. I will leave you to them for now. We will talk after you have been cared for.”
Giving him a parting smile, it turned and left.
The women approached him. He didn’t move until they tried to help him up. Pulling out of their grasp, he looked to see if the demon was watching.
“Please, sir, we have to clean you up,” one woman said.
“If we don’t, we’ll be punished,” another added.
He looked up at her. “Punished?”
She nodded. Flicking her eyes at the door the demon had left through, she said, “Master will torture us if we don’t obey.”
He knew about the torture it could inflict. He nodded and tried to get up. His legs were too weak to hold him. The three gathered around and helped him to a large iron tub full of hot water. He let them remove the remains of armor and clothes.
He watched as one laid a battleaxe carefully on the floor. He had forgotten he had it. The blade and handle were covered with dark streaks--he had fought something with it...a long time ago. In a few of the nightmares he remembered, he had fought a giant, bone-covered beast. Had it been more that a nightmare?
As he pondered this, the women coaxed him into the tub and washed him. He sat stiffly as they combed his red hair and untangled his beard. He waited to be hurt by one of them, but they were gentle with him. While they worked, men and women, most of whom were green-skinned, brought in a table and chair, followed by a large tray containing a pitcher, a mug and food. A neatly folded pile of clothes was set next to the tub.
When they were done, the women dried him off and dressed him in a fresh shirt and breeches. The bright white shirt was very smooth to the touch. The dark-blue breeches were also soft, like well-worn flannel. The women helped him over to the chair and filled the mug for him.
The food in front of him smelled wonderful. It was only roasted ham, potatoes and carrots but looked like a king’s feast. He could not remember the last time he had eaten. The mug held water that tasted grand. Despite his caution, he dug in, wolfing down everything in front of him. He ate until his stomach hurt.
He had no more than taken the last bite he could when the demon came back in. It waved to the slaves to remove the leftovers, which they did with haste. Another chair appeared on the other side of the table. It slid smoothly to sit, elbows on the table as it clasped its hands.
“You look much better,” Aliana said sweetly. “This, and more, can be yours if you wish. Wouldn’t you like to be free?”
He looked down, ready for it to do something to him. “You’re gonna leave me alone?” he asked cautiously.
“Better than that. If you want a castle, it’s yours. Servants? Just ask how many. Gold, women, land, your own kingdom? Anything you want. All you have to do is say a few small words.”
The offer seemed genuine, which heightened his suspicion. “What do you want?”
“Just tell me you want to break our pact. You do this, and I will grant you anything you desire.”
“My pact?” he asked. “What pact?”
“The pact you made with me. That is how I held you. You allowed me to.”
“I asked for...that?” He could not imagine asking to be tortured and killed over and over again. “Why did I do that?”
Its smile became forced as it said, “That was your side of the pact, to be my slave. I no longer need you, so as soon as you tell me you break your pact, you are free.”
He nodded slowly. If he had agreed to such a thing, there had to be a reason. “What was your side to this pact?”
The corner of its mouth twitched. It looked at him for a few seconds; then a crafty smile etched its face. “I agreed to keep your woman and child safe. Your woman has a cute baby girl. I promise I will do nothing to harm them if you agree to break your pact.”
He didn’t know what it was, but something wasn’t right. “If you already agreed to it, why promise again?” Shifting in his chair, he said, “I don’t understand.”
“What’s not to understand?”
“You tell me to break a pact, but then promise to keep your side even though I give mine up.” He shook his head. “It don’t sound right.”
“It doesn’t sound right to be freed? That’s all I want to do.” A tinge of anger crept through the sweet voice.
“Then let me go.”
“I can’t!” it snapped, causing him to recoil. Slapping its hands down, it growled, “Try to understand! I can’t let you go unless you break your side of the pact!”
The offer was very tempting. All he had to do was say yes, and it would let him go. Still it had to be hiding something. He didn’t believe it would just let him go for no reason. If he had agreed to this living nightmare, there had to be something important it wasn’t telling him.
“Well?” it asked with a sneer, “Will you prefer living free in light, with your woman and child, or in the dark, in pain?”
He was right; this was some kind of trick. He had the feeling that, no matter what, he’d end up in pain anyway. If he did have a woman and a kid then the demon couldn’t hurt them as long as he didn’t break his pact. He braced himself, knowing that it was going to hurt him badly.
“I ain’t breakin' nothin’,” he whispered.
“Would you like to see your precious woman torn in half?” it growled.
“If what you say it true, you can’t touch her.” He looked up to see it giving him a cold stare. “If you don’t like the pact you say we made, you break it.”
In a flash of motion, it swung a hand and slapped him so hard he fell backwards, chair and all. Throwing the table to one side, it grabbed his shirt, hauling him up. It glared at him malevolently. “Break the pact or you will know pain without end!”
His fear faded. The demon could torture him, it could kill him; but he wasn’t giving in. “No,” he sneered back.
Suddenly, he was back in his dark cell. Aliana tossed him against the wall and vanished. He sat up, noting the chains hanging empty on the wall. Briefly, he entertained the thought of trying to force the demon into those chains. He was fooling himself, of course. He couldn’t even stand on his own two feet, let alone win a struggle against that monster.
Aliana did return, this time in her true form. She didn’t come alone, either. The demon brought along four upright lizardcreatures with small knives. She tossed his battleaxe to clatter on the floor in front of him.
“Let me tell you your whole side of the pact. You vowed to be my slave and never harm any of my minions. These hoarcs are my minions. You will not be chained, but you will be stabbed repeatedly. Sooner or later, you will lash out and hurt one of them. When you do, the pact will be broken! This is your last chance to save your wife and child. If you refuse; then once you do break the pact, I will slowly rip their skin off and cook them alive in front of you!”
He watched the demon quiver in rage--the things behind it looked eager to start stabbing him. He knew it would not be going through all this trouble unless his pact was protecting something very important. He had endured pain; he had endured death. The lives of his family were at stake. No matter what, he could not break the pact.
“I ain’t breakin nothin’,” he growled.
Turning to the lizards, the demon pointed at him. “Do as you wish to him, and make him suffer!” It then disappeared.
The knives the things held were laughably small, the blades no more than half a finger’s length. As they gathered around him, he quickly learned why this was. They started stabbing him, but not one did him serious damage. He screamed and tried to crawl away. A couple knives dug into his legs, pulling him back within their range. It wasn’t long before the pain was unbearable. Pain and anger fueled his strength as he tried again to free himself.
Spying the battleaxe, he grabbed it and struggled clear. He swung, missing as his target ducked away. Rising to his feet in panic and rage, he cocked back to kill one of the cursed things, only to remember at the last instant what the demon had told him. He couldn’t hurt his tormentors, but there was something he could do to escape this punishment. Dropping the ax between his legs, he swung up as hard as he could and buried it in his own forehead.
***
Aliana wasn’t pleased to hear her food slave had killed himself. Instead of letting him do it again, she chained him and told the hoarcs to cut him until he broke his pact. After a while, all humans succumbed to torture; he would break eventually. She could not, however, wait for him. He might hold out for weeks, and Tayan had to be stopped before he could gather an army. Her plans were going well; she had no intention of letting him upset her hard work. The Great War had been a failure as far as conquest went, but it had taught her valuable lessons.
Sitting down to her lunch, the stuffed and baked torso of a slave, she thought how to best handle him. Simply making Tayan disappear would not stop the elves in Tolina. It might even stiffen their resolve. Once “High Lord” Tayan was safely in her custody, replacing him with a duplicate seemed the best answer. Under the leadership of her "Lord Tayan," delaying the elves and even guiding them into traps would be easy. She decided to recall Grief and let him take on the task of capturing and replacing Tayan.
In the meantime, she needed more forces to protect her city. The druid whore Odif had found her, and she was sure to lead anyone who would follow. Hans had weakened Longforest on his way through, but she knew better than to underestimate those damn tree huggers.
Besides these threats, many other things needed to be done. There were pilgyns to breed, vlaks to collect from the Jude and hoarcs to conjure up. Her lovely Lura would be the best at collecting the vlaks, and she had plenty of wizards on hand to conjure up hoarcs.
As she pondered these thoughts, she decided to track her daughter down and bring her back, too. Even if her rebellious offspring didn’t accept Lucifer’s power and become one of them, she could use the little abomination as a sacrifice. The offering of one’s own children weighed heavily in gaining Lucifer’s favor. She knew it was the only way to bring servant demons into this world. Before this war was over, she just might need those demons.
***
The day was sunny as Sam hobbled along on the crutch she had made from the fork of a tree branch. The ankle one of the priests had smashed was useful only in sending pain up her leg from time to time. Burying the dead priests had been a long, hard task on one leg, but it was eit
her that or move to another part of the wilderness to build a new home.
They had beaten her badly. Most of her bruises were gone now, and once again she could see out of both eyes. She had tried to splint her small wings and managed to get them straight enough so she could lie down at night; but the bones of her ankle had fused together with her foot forced down and in.
Walking was as much of a chore as living now. She sometlmes wondered why she bothered to keep going through her routine. Her traps caught few animals--most of her diet consisted of the tubers she grew and these daily trips to gather what she could find. The most comfort she got was the few times she slept deeply and dreamlessly. The pain was forgotten, as well as fear of someone else happening upon her isolated hut.
Hobbling over to the raspberry bushes alongside the overgrown road, she scanned the bushes for edibles out of habit. She picked only the dark-red berries, the juiciest ones. Her thoughts were not of berries, though; she was pondering the point of her existence. As far as she could see, there wasn’t one. She had no one to call friend, but the entire world to call her enemy. The pains in her body were a constant dull ache. The long sleep known as death seemed to be her only release. She had even figured out how to do it painlessly. All it would take was to be sure she had plenty of coals in the fireplace then close the damper before she went to bed.
Her mother used to kill people like that, only she would tell them exactly what was going to happen then tie them down and watch them wait to suffocate as the low fire slowly tainted the air. Sometimes it took hours for the air to get bad. The victims had time to become afraid, to try and stay awake, to struggle to keep from slipping into the sleep they never awakened from.
As the days marched past, such a sleep was tempting. Just go to sleep and never wake up. Two nights ago, she had sat with the damper handle in her hand ready to shut it tight before she turned in. She still wasn’t sure why she didn’t. In a remote corner of her brain, hope held out like a fairy tale, a dream that would never come to pass. It was from wanting to believe this last spark of hope that she hadn’t pulled the handle shut.
WolfHeart Page 29