by James Wisher
Jen drew her sword and peered into the darkness. “You didn't think to mention that in the beginning?”
Shining eyes appeared in the darkness all around them. They were surrounded.
Chapter 8
After Marie-Bell left for the guest room Kendy dug the king’s message out of the waste bin. He was making a formal emergency declaration, placing the Order under the direct command of the eastern army. If King Andrew was going that far he must have been more worried about the situation than Marie-Bell indicated.
She slammed her fist on the table, rattling the inkwell and making papers jump. No king had commanded them to direct service in over a hundred years. The three orders of paladins, while certainly under the king’s authority, the same as any other citizens, were always treated as independent operations free to use their powers as they saw fit, as long as it was done in the best interest of the kingdom.
As the commander of the largest and most organized order, Kendy chafed at the idea of being under anyone’s direct command. She needed to resolve the matter before anyone actually arrived to assume control. If the paladins dealt with the problem in the haunted lands on their own, quietly, they could simply announce their success when it was done.
Kendy closed her eyes and tapped the power resting inside her. Her mental summons went out to her three sub-commanders, nothing urgent, just that they should meet in her office when their current tasks permitted. If they dropped everything and ran to her it would rile everyone up and Marie-Bell would notice. Dealing with that girl would be the trickiest part of the mission. There was no way she’d simply go along with Kendy’s plan. She was too independent to blindly accept orders, curse her.
It took two hours, but finally her lieutenants had assembled, two men and one woman. With four of them present the office felt close and uncomfortable. Kendy stood along with the others so they wouldn’t feel like she was using her position to manipulate them.
“Commander, what’s happening?” Captain Zane asked. He was twenty-five when he was chosen and had not aged a day since. He’d served as Kendy’s second for almost thirty years. Of the three she felt most confident that Zane would agree to anything she suggested.
Captains Samantha and Harry leaned closer, eager to hear her answer. They’d only been with her fifteen and seventeen years respectively, but both were loyal and eager for action. That combination would serve Kendy well.
“There’s trouble in the haunted lands. A warlock has set up shop and is getting on with who knows what. The king is sufficiently concerned that he’s ordered us to join with the eastern army.”
She let them mutter for a few seconds. “I have an alternate proposal. I suggest we gather our forces, march out, and deal with the warlock ourselves. You all know we’re the best suited to this task. The regular army would just get in our way. Once it’s done we can present the villain’s head to King Andrew as a gift.”
“Would it be a proper crusade?” Samantha asked. “There hasn’t been one in seventy years.”
“Indeed,” Harry said. “We’ve been lax in our duties. Cleansing the haunted lands is our reason for existing. I’ve often thought it is a disgrace how defensive we’ve become, no offense, Commander.”
Kendy let her brief annoyance at the critique wash over her. “None taken. I too have wished to be more proactive in our mission, however going out into the haunted lands isn’t something to be done lightly or without a definite purpose. We now have both. I propose we gather our forces and march in two days.”
“Hear, hear.” Zane threw his fist in the air.
The others raised their fists as well. When Kendy joined them that made it unanimous. Kendy smiled. They’d show the capital that the paladins didn’t need regular soldiers to help them complete their mission. She would lead the first crusade in their generation and wipe out the enemies of men plotting out in the wasteland.
“There is one other matter,” Kendy said.
Zane cocked his head. “Commander?”
“Marie-Bell has returned. She brought the king’s message with her. I fear she will not go along with my orders. If she leaves and alerts the capital it would ruin everything. While it pains me I fear we will need to restrain her until we return from our mission.”
Harry glowered at that. “What do you propose? We can’t just clap the girl in irons and we don’t even have a dungeon to throw her in. Not to mention the fact that she hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“Nothing wrong?” Kendy matched her subordinate’s glower with a fierce scowl of her own. “Since when is failing to obey your commander’s orders nothing?”
“She declared herself a freelance and as far as I know hasn’t asked to rejoin the Order. Since she’s just acting as a messenger she isn’t subject to our authority like a member would be.”
“She fled in the night,” Samantha said. “At the very least some punishment is appropriate for that cowardly act. It’ll only be until we return anyway. A few days, maybe a week of solitary meditation will do her good. Certainly it will do her no harm.”
Harry grunted. “Perhaps a few days wouldn’t hurt her. I assume you’re planning to use one of the penance chambers.”
Kendy nodded. “There’s nowhere else we can keep her. I suggest we deal with Marie-Bell tonight so she can’t interfere with our preparations.”
Zane once more raised his fist. “Seconded.”
Samantha raised hers at once and Harry, reluctantly, added the final vote in favor.
Chapter 9
Marie-Bell lay on the unfamiliar bed, in the dark, staring up at the unseen ceiling. The guest room was for visiting officials so it was far bigger than the little cell she used to sleep in when she served the commander. It felt strange having so much space all to herself. It also smelled stale and musty from disuse. The fortress didn’t even have visitors annually, much less often enough to justify regular cleaning of the room.
She sighed and rolled over on her side. Hopefully tomorrow Commander Kendy would have the information she needed and Marie-Bell could return to the capital and share the possible good news with Jen.
It surprised Marie-Bell how quickly she’d come to think of the warlord as a dear friend, especially considering how they’d first met. While Marie-Bell didn’t have a great deal of combat experience, she’d been taught that paladins were the strongest warriors in the kingdom. The fact that even a strong warlord could not only go toe to toe with her, but put her on the defensive had shocked Marie-Bell and forced her to wonder what else she’d taken as truth that actually wasn’t. Watching Damien banish the demon had really driven her inexperience home. She had so much to learn and she wasn’t going to do it here.
A noise outside her door drew Marie-Bell’s attention across the room just as the door burst open and four figures rushed in. She couldn’t make out any detail, just dark silhouettes against the light coming through the door.
How had enemies gotten inside the fortress?
She scrambled for her hammer.
White light burst from the intruders and bound her in place.
Holy energy? Marie-Bell tried to call on her own power, but found the path blocked. Her heart raced and sweat broke out on her back under her shift.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her thoughts going fuzzy.
“We’ve decided you’re to be punished for the means you chose to leave us,” Commander Kendy said. “The vote was unanimous. Do not fear and please don’t resist. Several days in the punishment chamber meditating on your mistakes will benefit you a great deal. Just relax.”
Marie-Bell didn’t relax. She fought the lethargy flooding her body with everything she had. Her efforts were in vain. Eyelids drooping, she flopped to the bed, conscious, but unable to move. Muddy thoughts tried to piece together what had been done to her, but she couldn’t concentrate.
She groaned when strong arms lifted her up. Vague, broken images of walls and ceiling, movement, bouncing down the hall.
The light hurt he
r eyes. She tried to call for help, but no words emerged.
Time passed, how long she couldn’t say. Marie-Bell lay on a hard floor. Everywhere she looked was white tile engraved with holy symbols.
Weak, wobbly arms tried to push herself up and after three tries succeeded. She rubbed still-blurry eyes. When she tried to draw on her power she ran into a barrier between her will and her core.
Marie-Bell staggered to her feet and stumbled over to the wall. A thin line indicated the door’s location. She pounded on it, feeble blows that wouldn’t have broken glass much less the heavy, tile-covered door.
She spun around and slumped down in front of the sealed door. Why had the commander locked her in here? She said it was punishment for leaving the fortress at night, but as far as Marie-Bell knew that wasn’t an offense. She knew the commander didn’t like her and resented the fact that she was chosen as a paladin in the first place, but Marie-Bell couldn’t believe Commander Kendy would go so far as to punish her for following her convictions.
As her mind cleared she realized where they’d taken her: the punishment cell. Everyone in the fortress had heard of the chamber where paladins couldn’t access their powers. The creators of the Order had built the room as a place where members they felt had fallen from the path of light could meditate on what it meant to lose their powers as that’s what would happen if they didn’t get back on the proper course.
Marie-Bell didn’t think she was on the wrong path, but that didn’t matter. Once a paladin had been locked in the chamber the only way to escape was to be released from the outside. She just had to hope the commander came to her senses. At least the sorcery that prevented her from using her soul force also provided for her physical needs. Now she just had to hope she didn’t go insane before they let her out.
Chapter 10
Jen counted fifteen pairs of eyes shining in the darkness all around them. That many goblins could definitely pose a problem for a single old man, but for a warlord and two sorcerers it shouldn’t take more than a minute to wipe them out. That was assuming Kat and Amanda had at least average skills.
“Can I blast them?” Amanda’s hands crackled with soul force and she bounced from foot to foot like a kid that needed the outhouse.
“We can’t even see them yet,” Kat said. “Don’t attack until you have a clear target. Maybe they just want to check us out. If we can avoid a fight that would be best.”
Amanda groaned and Jen silently agreed with her. Goblins that weren’t looking for a fight didn’t exist, at least not in Jen’s experience.
“If you could avoid damaging the ruins I would very much appreciate it,” Dorius said. “This place is a treasure trove for a scholar.”
“More like a death trap,” Jen muttered.
A twisted, hunched over, gray-skinned creature stepped into the light. It didn’t look like any goblin Jen had ever seen. The ones she was used to tended to be green and shorter. If this one straightened up it would be near six feet tall. The goblin wore only a loincloth made from the uncured hide of some small animal and carried no weapons. It hissed and raised a misshapen hand sporting three-inch claws to shade its eyes. Jen didn’t wait for it to get used to the light or decide to attack.
She lunged and slashed, not bothering with acceleration. The light-dazzled goblin twisted away, avoiding her attack.
Jen spun, expecting to take its head off with a backhand slash.
It ducked the blow and darted toward her, taloned hands leading.
She pumped soul force through her body and sprinted clear, inches ahead of the monster’s talons. She skidded to a halt, reversed course, and drove her blade through the goblin’s chest. It let out a gurgling hiss and grabbed her blade with surprising strength.
An explosion behind her indicated the sorcerers had engaged the other monsters. A second goblin lunged at her out of the dark.
Jen gave a harder yank and her sword came free along with all the dying goblin’s fingers. She met the new threat at warlord speed.
It ducked her high slash and leapt over a back cut that should have taken its legs off at the knee. How could it keep up with her? She was moving at least three times as fast as a normal person and her opponent didn’t appear to be using any physical enhancements.
She drew deeper from her core. If it could keep up with warlord speed she would see if it could match lightning speed. Using the technique that made her father a legend Jen went to double warlord speed.
In an instant it appeared that the goblin simply fell apart. Legs went one way, arms another, and its head a third.
Jen’s heart raced and her body trembled. Lightning speed took a lot out of her. No new enemies immediately appeared so she took a moment to study the battle. Kat and Amanda stood on either side of Dorius, golden light shimmering around them.
A dozen goblins surrounded their little group. Two of the goblins rushed in and clawed at the barrier. Jen’s eyebrows shot up when scratch marks appeared in the smooth energy field.
A small hole opened in the barrier and Amanda fired an arrow of golden energy through it. The goblin she’d aimed at dropped flat and the blast flew over its head without causing any damage.
The arrow changed direction and plunged down at the prone goblin. This time it struck the creature square in the chest. It shrieked and leapt to its feet, pained but clearly not seriously injured.
Jen’s gaze darted around. There should be one more around here somewhere. She spotted its eyes in the dark, watching the battle. Since when did goblins watch anything? All Jen had ever seen the stupid things do was charge into battle, counting on numbers to carry the day. Everything about this felt wrong.
“Hey!” Jen shouted. When Kat looked her way she pointed toward the hiding goblin. “Light!”
Kat obliged, sending a golden sphere streaking toward the watching goblin. Jen followed it at warlord speed.
The waiting monster was a head taller than the others. It met her charge and struck her blow aside with the back of its hand. Hard, dark scales covered it from knuckles to shoulder and ankles to groin. Its chest was broad and deep with massive muscles that rippled when it moved. It smiled, revealing a mouthful of needle-sharp fangs.
Jen attacked with a flurry of blows at warlord speed. It met every attack with an arm or raised leg. Despite her strength, speed, and razor-edged steel, Jen couldn’t draw so much as a drop of blood. She narrowly dodged a counter that might have disemboweled her.
Another explosion rocked the cavern. She hated to use lightning speed again, but there was little choice. She drew deep once more. The instant she did the goblin leapt away. It clung to the side of a tower, clambering up it like a spider. Had it known what she was about to do?
It let out a shrill, high-pitched whistle. The surviving goblins faded away into the darkness. When Kat and Amanda sent out spheres of light there was no sign of them.
Jen walked over to the others, but didn’t sheathe her sword. “What the hell were those things? No way were they goblins.”
All eyes turned to Professor Dorius. He cleared his throat. “I have a theory. In all honesty I have no idea exactly what they are, but at one point they were goblins. Perhaps talking about this out in the open isn’t the best idea.”
He looked over Jen’s shoulder prompting her to glance back. Golden eyes flashed in the darkness. Suddenly getting somewhere with sturdy walls struck her as an excellent idea.
Chapter 11
“It’s not fair.” Amanda’s whiny voice cut through the remains of a stone house they’d holed up in. Jen knew how she felt. She’d never heard of a goblin capable of keeping up with a warlord or shrugging off a sorcerer’s blast like it was nothing more than an inconvenience. She glanced out the opening through the shimmering field Kat had raised to keep their pursuers at bay. Golden eyes blinked back at her. If there was one out there, the rest probably weren’t far away.
“So let’s hear this theory,” Jen said.
The professor sat up straight. “I beli
eve they’re modified goblins. Improvements over the original creatures.” He cleared his throat. “I may have accidentally freed them from some sort of holding field when I was poking around a half-collapsed citadel three days ago.”
“You let those things out?” Kat leaned forward like she wanted to punch the old man and Jen didn’t blame her. Unfortunately they needed him intact until he told them about The Harvest.
“As I said, it was an accident. Things happen when you’re doing fieldwork. You need to learn to roll with the punches.”
“I’ll give you something to roll with.” Amanda lunged at him, but Jen caught her before she reached the professor.
“Easy.” Jen eased the short-tempered sorcerer back into her place. “What altered them and how do we either kill them or escape?”
“As to what altered them I’m not entirely certain. The builders of these ruins certainly, but who or what they were I have yet to find definitive evidence. I believe the shapers—that’s the name I gave the unknown individuals, catchy isn’t it? Anyway, I believe the shapers used a combination of sorcery and demon blood to strengthen and alter the appearance of those goblins to create a more useful class of servant or soldier.”
“They aren’t demon blooded,” Kat said.
Dorius drew himself up to his less-than-intimidating height so he appeared to be looking down his nose at her despite sitting on the ground. “How would you know?”
Kat shrugged. “No aura of corruption. If they had even a drop of demon blood in them I’d sense it. I don’t know what they are. They don’t even have a core, their soul force is evenly distributed through their bodies. I’ve never seen anything like it. That’s what makes them so hard to sense, the power is diffused, like a sorcerer using invisibility.”
The professor’s mouth dropped open. “But, but, then how? If demon blood wasn’t the catalyst and certainly angel blood wouldn’t result in such monstrosities, what did they use?”