The Gauntlet ( A Fantasy Novella)

by Michael Diack

  “That damn scream made me jump, what a fool I am to be shocked like that!”

  “You’re not a fool. It shocked me too, the sound was close indeed. Your wound is clean but it is deep. You are losing too much blood. I will light a small fire then I will cauterize the wound.”

  “I’ve seen that done before, it didn’t look too pleasant.”

  “Did it save their life?”

  “Yes, always.”

  “Then you know it must be done. In the absence of liquor I’ll find something for you to bite down on instead.”

  Ash finally joined them, safely through the corridor of death.

  “Three out of three,” said Janna. “Well done you two. Ash, help me get a fire going.”

  “Are you alright, Ugg?” asked Ash.

  “Fine. Just cross with myself for being startled like that.”

  “Don’t blame yourself, you did well not to lose your concentration more. I jumped back when I heard it and went straight for my sword.”

  Ash and Janna got a small fire going with kindling and flint. Janna placed the blade of her knife in the flames and it soon became a glowing red.

  “Ash, just pin me down will you? I don’t want to bite down on anything, my teeth are not exactly the strongest part of my body.”

  Ash nodded and took a firm hold of Ugg from behind.

  “Just do it,” shouted Ugg, “I’m ready!”

  Janna took the red hot blade and pressed it down firmly onto Ugg’s wound. Ugg cried out in pain, the kind of scream the knights had heard up in the valley yesterday and again just moments ago. Ash struggled to pin down Ugg who was frantically thrashing around, but managed to keep him secure. Janna was glad she had Ash now in a situation like this, three was stronger than two. Ugg’s flesh smouldered and sizzled, becoming a charred black and it wasn’t long before Ugg passed out from the overwhelming pain.

  “Good. That will do it. You shouldn’t stop until the person faints otherwise you probably haven’t done it firmly enough,” said Janna.

  “Ouch, that looked and smelled horrific. At least he will live, that was too close. The scream we heard, it sounded very near. Almost like it was behind the other side of the trees. In fact, I think it was.”

  “It was near, there is no doubt about that but I’ve still got my knife and my bow and arrow. We’re not completely defenceless. Whoever it was knows we’re here now anyway, our presence is no secret. The sun is setting, it will be pitch black soon. I do not think it is wise to proceed until sunrise and besides, Ugg needs time to recover. Let’s rest here.”

  “He lost a lot of blood, we should give him more of our food or he will be too weak to continue for some time.”

  Janna agreed with Ash and smiled at the knight.

  “You two have almost restored my faith in the males of our species.”

  “Only almost?”

  “Two good men does not make up for a dozen bad. In Harwell women are outnumbered by men with dark hearts and ill minds, but here, in the strangest of places, I am with two of the few good ones. I am a lucky lady.”

  “I’m not perfect. I never intended to have a child, but we were both drunk and we just hit it off. I was weak to give in to temptation.”

  “You only did what was natural. What happened to your child’s mother?”

  “She died during childbirth. I grew up without a father, I was determined my child wouldn’t. I should have left the service, but I needed the money to support my child. I’ve done the same thing for so long I didn’t think I could do anything else. I was more afraid of change than I was of The Gauntlet.”

  “Most men would have left after the one-night stand. You are a good man.”

  Ash nodded, before replying: “Have you explored what’s beyond the next corner?”

  “Not yet. I was too busy watching Ugg, do you think we should we go? Or do you want to go and I’ll stay here with Ugg?”

  “No, we should both stay, I was just curious. All will be revealed soon I’m sure. I can take first watch if you are tired?” offered Ash.

  “That sounds good, thank you. Ugg will come around soon; he is a strong, determined man and will probably be angry that he passed out. Do your best to assure him it would have been unnatural if he hadn’t passed out.”

  “I will. Besides, when it comes to passing out, I’m still beating Ugg two to one. I felt dizzy navigating through those obstacles. Do not try to save me if I faint in the future and it puts you or Ugg in danger. It is my weakness and should not bring down others.”

  “I won’t. I’ve always put myself first, but I will help others if the situation allows.”

  Typical Janna, Ash thought. They both smiled at each other. Ash had yet to hear Janna laugh and he looked forward to the day that he would.

  Chapter 7: The Others

  Ugg regained consciousness not long after Janna had fallen asleep. He graciously welcomed the extra food Ash handed to him and quickly finished the portion. The two men sat with their backs to each other, each supporting the other, and facing either end of the path.

  “Good job I left my sword because I can hardly move my right arm,” said Ugg, grimacing as he moved his right shoulder in circular motions.

  “Give it time and it will heal. Did you never learn to fight with both hands?” replied Ash.

  “No. My right was more than sufficient to deal with the bandits and outcasts in the borderlands, still, I can throw a good punch with my left. I used to box a lot when I was younger, well, I say box, more like teenage scraps. I won every brawl I fought in, albeit at the cost of sacrificing my nose, teeth and ears to scars and breakages.”

  “That is good to hear, because I have never thrown a punch in my life.”

  “You say it like it’s a bad thing, but there is no honour in fighting unless it is defending the defenceless. My fights were wholly unnecessary, breaking noses and blacking eyes over the smallest of grievances. I am ashamed now looking back but I was young and didn’t know better. Trust me, Ash, if the time comes when you need to fight - your natural instincts will come through. You will fight, kick, bite, spit and do whatever it takes to survive. Fight dirty, there are no rules when men are rolling in the ground with their hands grasping at each other’s necks.”

  “Thanks for the advice, I’ll bear that in mind. So, have you…” Ash paused and thought about the question before asking. “Have you killed anyone with your bare hands before?”

  “It’s fine to ask. Yes, sadly, and believe me, it feels a lot more raw than killing someone with your sword. You know, it’s not the bandits’ faces that I remember as my sword sliced through their bodies like butter. It’s the fifteen year old boy I strangled in a back alley when I was fourteen after he tried to mug me and then kill me with a knife.”

  Ash was taken aback by Ugg’s frank admittance.

  “You did what you had to.”

  “I know, and if I didn’t I’d be long dead. Have you killed anyone?”

  “Once, when a deranged man broke into the citadel and entered the Throne Room with a knife. I had no choice, but that was a long time ago, nearly fifteen years and I haven’t see any action since.”

  The two men sat in silence for a good deal of time before Ugg woke Janna for her watch and thanked her repeatedly for saving his life. The rotation continued until dawn when all three were up and ready to go.

  “Ugg, you take my knife. It is better you have it than I. Then that just leaves you unarmed Ash but at least you can swing both fists!” said Janna.

  “Don’t worry about me, Ugg taught me some tricks last night while you were sleeping. I’ll be fine. From what Ugg told me he isn’t exactly defenceless with only his left arm.”

  “I don’t doubt it, but I think this a good arrangement for all of us.”

  The three knights proceeded onwards. The route led them right, left and right again, without any end in sight to the maze. They continued marking arrows in the ground and suppressed their frustration.

  “I cou
ld have sworn that scream came from close by but clearly it didn’t,” said Ash.

  “This maze loves to play tricks on its captives. The acoustics are all over the place. There is another junction ahead, whose turn is it to choose?” asked Janna.

  “Mine,” replied Ugg. “No change for me, as usual.”

  “Right it is then,” muttered Janna.

  The three of them turned right and straight away Janna notched an arrow to her bow. On the ground ahead of them was a body, face down and with green blood oozing out of its slender legs and mid-rift. It was not human.

  “What is that?” asked Ugg. “Don’t get too close, Janna, it may be a trap. Fire an arrow into its head just to make sure.”

  Janna pulled back the string, ready to release the arrow but she didn’t.

  “I can hear more metallic noises again, you two go ahead. I will stay with the body. Check what is around the corner, quickly.”

  Ash and Ugg ran ahead and turned the corner. What greeted them shocked them to their core.

  “Well, what is it?” shouted Janna.

  “It’s a…I can hardly believe it. It’s a gauntlet like we passed through. Exactly the same in layout, an axe at the front, then swords and spinning blades and all with the same timings,” shouted back Ash.

  “There is blood on the last blade,” said Ugg. “Yes, look, there is a trail leading to the body. Whatever it is didn’t make it through and bled out. What is going on here?”

  Ash and Ugg dashed back to Janna and the unidentified body.

  “Whatever this thing is it’s definitely dead, I’m going to turn it over,” said Janna.

  Janna flipped the body over. It had pale green skin with two arms and two legs but its facial features were radically different. The three knights were taken aback by the face in front of them, which possessed three black eyes contained within narrow slits, a small elongated nose which drooped over its mouth and no hair whatsoever, anywhere on its body.

  “Look at the teeth; they are like a dog’s. Those sharp canines could easily rip apart the toughest meat,” commented Ugg. “The ribs are practically sticking out as well, it’s just skin and bones left.”

  “It didn’t come from Harwell, that’s for sure. But whatever it is made it through the maze this far, it did well. There must have been another entrance to the maze, perhaps on the other side?” said Janna.

  “Another species is plausible. It’s a big land we live in and the Clouded Mountains have a lot of secrets,” said Ash.

  “It could be from across the seas?” queried Ugg.

  “Perhaps. It doesn’t look equipped with weapons, maybe it shed them like we did. There might be more of them, though, we should be extra careful. They are obviously as intelligent as us to make it this far,” said Janna.

  “We heard two screams, one last night and, presumably, the one coming from this thing. We should expect to find another body,” said Ash.

  “After this, who knows what we will find next?” replied Janna.

  Janna knelt down and inspected the dead body.

  “It is very thin, unless this is the natural body shape for this species? I suspect it was starving like us. We should not waste an opportunity like this, this is the first meat we have come across since leaving the peaceful valley. It will not have much meat but we need the sustenance.”

  Ash and Ugg looked at each other with a sense of disbelief.

  “You don’t mean what I think you do? I’m not eating that,” remarked Ugg.

  “Why not? It’s not cannibalism if it’s not our species. Think of it as a dead rabbit or antelope. This body will save our lives, we should be gracious for it. This is survival in here – at all costs.”

  Janna took her knife back from Ugg and carved off pieces of meat from the thigh, arms and mid-rift. There wasn’t much, but it was protein which their bodies sorely craved for. Upon looking at the slender pieces of meat Ash and Ugg couldn’t help but notice how hungry they actually were and their stomachs began to rumble.

  “Let’s cook it at least, we don’t want to poison ourselves,” said Ash.

  They started a small fire and roasted the lean strips of meat.

  “If this thing had a friend, let’s hope it did die because if it sees us cooking and eating its buddy, well, there goes any amiable first encounters,” said Ash.

  “I admit it smells good, but let’s see what it tastes like,” said Ugg.

  Ugg ate a piece, it wasn’t as nice as eating normal red meat but it was satisfying to chew and made him realise how much he had missed eating meat.

  Ash began to laugh: “Look at us, sat in the middle of a maze under strange skies feasting on an unknown species who we have no clue about. None of this makes any sense, yet I am happy, in a strange way.”

  “A hearty meal is the best moral boost any one can wish for. We cannot waste anything we come across from now on, no matter how disgusting it may seem. If it keeps us alive, we will do it,” said Janna.

  “Does that include eating one of us if we die?” asked Ugg.

  “If I die you can eat my body, yes. I’ll be dead so I will hardly care, will I? You would honour me by using my body to save your lives,” replied Janna.

  “Let’s not try to talk about such grim matters if we can help it. No one will die. I wonder what drove this thing into the maze?” said Ash.

  “A quick change of subject but very well, I guess the same reasons as us: curiosity, pressure from society,” said Janna. “We shouldn’t stay here long, there is still plenty of daylight left for us to explore and hopefully get out of this maze.”

  “And the body? Should we bury it?” asked Ash.

  “Let’s not waste our time. It’s dead. It would take ages to dig a hole with just our hands and this knife, besides, we would expend the energy we just consumed eating it.”

  They finished eating the last of the meat. Janna dispersed the embers of the fire and began to walk away. Ugg followed Janna straight away, but Ash paused to say his thanks to the unknown creature. He thought about whether it had a loved one and, if it did, would they ever discover its fate?

  “Come on, Ash, the dead do not listen. You are too sentimental sometimes,” shouted Janna.

  “That is not a bad thing,” spoke Ash quietly under his breath. The knight left to catch his companions up and couldn’t help but think about how cold Janna was with her emotions. While beautiful on the outside, she was, Ash thought, a little heartless and numb on the inside. Although that’s what also made her the strongest in many ways, he reasoned. All three had their own strengths which complimented the group dynamic for the better.

  “If I die you can eat my body, just bury my bones, please. That is my only wish. There is something so undignified about being left to rot in the open. I don’t like seeing open bones,” said Ash.

  The three knights continued navigating the maze until the sun set once more and, for another night, they rested. They did not hear any more screams, nor did they talk much, for the frustration and tedium of the maze was beginning to agitate them all.

  Chapter 8: The Oasis

  At dawn they set off once more, hoping – and secretly praying – this would be the day they escaped the maze. Their water was running low, if they didn’t get out soon it would be their graveyard. It was windier today and the morning sky appeared a dusty red, streaked with pale white clouds. As they progressed the ground began to change, becoming sandier while the hedgerows appeared to fade from their brilliant dark green towards lighter greens and yellows.

  All three of the knights sensed a change was coming and hastened their pace without realising it, anticipating the imminent exit. It didn’t take long for their prayers to be answered. At the next left an exit appeared to them, a similar sized hole in the hedgerow like at the entrance and joyfully, they escaped their two-and-a-half day prison.

  “We made it,” proclaimed Ugg. “Never doubted that we wouldn’t!”

  The environment around the maze was similar: a flat plain b
ut dominated by an orange sand instead of gravel.

  “It’s dry and arid, just what we don’t need,” said Ash.

  “I’m not sure, in the distance I can see something. I hope it is water and not a cruel trick of the sun again,” said Janna.

  Ugg focused on the distance. On the horizon there shimmered what appeared to be a lake and some palm trees.

  “I do not believe it is a trick, there are trees and where they grow there must be water. We should head that way for certain.”

  “There is something even stranger beyond the trees, an undulating orange line dominating the horizon,” said Ash.

  “They are sand dunes. I saw the same at the coastline on the eastern borderlands. But these ones look to be much larger,” replied Ugg.

  “Let’s get to the trees first,” said Janna.

  All three of them were happy to put the maze behind them and they briskly walked towards the distant trees. The temperature was notably hotter on this side of the maze and the knights dripped in sweat as they trudged along the sandy, gravel floor. It was tough going but gradually the trees became closer and the crests of the orange sand dunes behind them rose higher and higher. A hundred metres away from the trees the three knights were in no doubt about the presence of water. They ran eagerly to the water and collapsed on their knees at its edge, scooping the clear, precious liquid into their mouths and over their cracked, dry lips. It was an oasis on the edge of a desert, a large natural spring where groundwater rose up and gave life to palm trees and other fruitful blooms.

  “This tastes better than ale. It’s so clean,” said a cheerful Ugg.

  “I don’t know about you two but I could use a good wash,” said Ash, as he began to take off his dirty and ragged clothes. Ash kept his underwear on though, not wanting to be disrespectful to Janna. He waded in and the water depth reached his chest but no higher.

  “I think I’ll join him, are you coming?” asked Ugg to Janna.