Champions of the Apocalypse

by Michael G. Thomas

  Jonas made to move forward, but was stopped by Synne who pushed her left arm out and stopped him.

  A howl like that of a fury blasted through the ruins and the torches flickered out into darkness. Before either Synne or Jonas could move, a shape hurled itself passed them and proceeded to dash around the group. The Raiders started to shout and a mixture of metal on metal and screams echoed in the mountain. Whatever or whoever it was the Raiders seemed terrified. With the torches gone, Synne’s eyes started to grow accustomed to the light. She stepped back with Jonas and felt a hand grabbing her. Turning around she spotted the evil man, still holding his mace. Without a second’s hesitation, she jammed her fist into the man’s face and then smashed him repeatedly with her branch. The man staggered back in pain but quickly righted himself and grabbed her arm and tore the branch from her hands.

  “Leave her!” came a booming voice.

  The stranger moved out of the shadows but somehow the little remaining light from the two torches of the Raiders only cast the faintest of details on the man. He was tall, at least six and a half feet and very well built. He was easily the build of the Raider and in his right hand carried a thick wooden staff that stood a head taller than him. With one end on the ground, he held it vertically and simply faced off against the leader of the Raiders.

  The sounds of the battle had already stopped and it looked like just Jonas, Synne, the Raider and the stranger were all that remained. The massive Raider dropped the chains of his prisoner and lifted his heavy looking mace up, ready to strike.

  “Leave now or join the rest!” ordered the man with the staff.

  The Raider started to laugh, his hoarse voice echoing through the mountainside.

  “Leave? I’ll leave when I have all your heads!” he barked and then rushed forward.

  The stranger brought down his staff and struck a low blow that started near the ground and cut up to strike the Raider in the flank. The power of the blow was deceptive and it knocked him a good distance away before he could regain his balance.

  “Nice move, old man, want to try that again?” he said with much scorn.

  He moved forward but this time was far more cautious. He circled around the stranger, looking for a chance to strike but none came. He made several out of distance slashes with the mace to try drawing the stranger out but he simply ignored them and brought his staff up to his shoulder.

  “Who are you? Why do you defy us?” demanded the Raider.

  The stranger said nothing but simply brought down the tip of the staff as though it were a mighty staff to the man’s head. Sensing the attack the Raider quickly lifted his mace and grasped the head with his left hand so he could parry the attack with all his strength. It was to no avail though as it was a mere feint. As the Raider put all of his energy into protecting his left side the stranger redirected the staff and delivered an almighty strike to the Raider’s right temple. With a horrifying cracking sound, the Raiders skull cracked and he fell. He was dead before his body even hit the dirt.

  “My name, Raider, is Thrax and this,” he extended both hands out to his side, “is my home!”

  Satisfied that the man was dead he turned back to the three new arrivals. He bent down and lifted up one of the still burning torches which until recently had been carried by the Raiders. With the light showing him fully they could see the man. He had the look of a warrior about him though his attire suggested those days were long gone. His arms and head were bare but he wore a thick, tight fitting garment around his torso that looked almost like body armour but was flexible. His arms were tattooed and on his right cheek he wore a tattoo of one of the great Houses, though Synne didn’t recognise it.

  “Now, you know my name, why not tell me yours?” he asked.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Synne must have overslept because when she opened her eyes the light from the sun directly above her felt like it was burning through her eyes and into her skull. She groaned as she tried to protect them from the bright light.

  “She’s awake,” said the voice of a woman.

  Synne, though drowsy couldn’t place the voice though the accent sounded familiar. She forced her eyes open and lifted herself up to examine her surroundings. She had been lying on a rough wooden bed that was covered with blankets and skins. She pulled off the skin over her body and to her surprise found herself naked.

  “My clothes! Where are they?” she demanded as she stood up and pulled the blankets around her body.

  Jonas walked past and she was about to grab him when another person, a young woman approached.

  “Hello Synne, my name is Bara, we met last night,” she said with a smile.

  “Last night?” asked Synne with an embarrassed look.

  “The fight with the Raider, you all saved me.”

  Synne smiled and loosened up a little as she realised this was the woman that had been in chains.

  “You escaped from the train with us, right?”

  The woman nodded and then handed her a bundle of clothes.

  “These are fresh, your rags are in the fire,” she said with a grin.

  “Oh great, who undressed me?” she asked.

  “I did,” said the woman, “but to be fair there wasn’t much of them left to take off, I think you’ll find these more to your liking,” she said and then walked away and into a room to the side.

  Synne looked around, trying to get a measure of the place.

  The room she had slept in was small and appeared to have been carved directly into the wall of the cliff. Inside were a small number of wooden furnishings including a small table, a few chairs and another bed though much smaller. Looking out into the brightness was the open space they had fought in last night. She looked down at the clothing that Bara had given her and laid them out on the bed. The underclothes were basic cloth and without hesitating she put them on, rather than wander about with just a blanket draped around her. The blouse was a dull beige colour that looked like it had been washed too many times with many other colours. She pulled it on to find it puffed out around her body and arms. She looked down at her arm and tried to adjust it before giving up in frustration. The trousers were less of an issue, being the kind of traditional working clothes you could find anywhere in the land. They were dark brown and had a hide feel to them. The fit was surprising good and with a leather strap she conveniently borrowed from one of the shelves, she was able to get them to stay up.

  Stepping outside she noticed Jonas and the stranger sat down around a table having a detailed discussion. She walked towards them, still shielding her eyes from the light.

  “Synne, you’re up, feeling a little better?” Jonas asked.

  She continued forward and dropped herself down next to him. On the table were various wooden plates and items of food. Fruit and bread were the main foodstuffs though one plate had a number of slices of cold meat stacked up. She looked at the food and drink laid out but her first thoughts were of the rest of the group that tried to escape at the same time as both of them.

  “What about the others?” she asked.

  Jonas turned his head with a look if disappointment in his face.

  “Thrax and I went down the trail a few hours ago. We found blood trails leading back to the tracks but no sign of any of them. Either they escaped and carried on into the valley or they were captured and taken to the train.”

  Synne reached out for one of the pieces of meat but the hand of the stranger slipped forward and grasped her hand.

  “Perhaps you might introduce yourself before you eat my lunch?” asked the man sat opposite with much sarcasm. Synne looked at the two of them before deciding to say something.

  “My name is Synne, may I?” she asked.

  The man nodded and Synne immediately reached in and grabbed a piece of bread and some meat. She tore at it and proceeded to eat much faster than her body could cope. After the fourth piece of meat she had stuffed in her mouth caused her to choke the stranger spoke.

  “Slow down
, there’s no hurry. If it’s the Raiders you’re concerned with their train left last night.

  She slowed down and took some of the food out of her mouth, the realisation of how stupid she looked made her look a little sheepish.

  “What about the cave?”

  “We checked, it was only a hundred or so feet deep and led to a deep pool. There were signs of a struggle and a few arrows and bolts from weapons. Like the path on the mountain, they must either have been taken or found a way out. I don’t see how anybody could have made it in the pool though. The water was freezing and I couldn’t see any short routes leading out under water,” explained Jonas almost apologetically.

  The stranger cleared his throat, instantly drawing both their attention.

  “Now, your friend here tells me you are from Haven, is that correct?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Synne looked angrily at Jonas, her eyes staring accusingly.

  “Hey, Synne, he saved our lives, be polite,” he said defensively.

  Synne took a few more mouthfuls before putting down the food and gulping down some water.

  “Yes, we’re from Haven, why, have you heard of it?”

  The man was silent for a little while as he took a bite from the bread. He chewed it slowly, appearing to be in no rush to answer her questions.

  “Indeed, Lord Galan and I go back a very long time.”

  “You know Lord Galan?” asked Synne suspiciously.

  “That is what I just said. Why? Do you not trust me?” he asked slowly.

  “Well, being as the entire place was attacked by Raiders, most of my family killed or taken away, the population sent to slavers, yeah, I’m a little suspicious of strangers,” she snarled though regretted it almost immediately.

  Jonas moved his hand onto the table, trying to catch their attention.

  “I’m sure Synne is not talking about you personally, the last few days have been horrific,” he tried to explain.

  “No doubt,” said the stranger.

  They continued eating though the silence became more and more uncomfortable until Synne could take it no longer.

  “Look, I’m sorry. Maybe you could tell us a little about yourself?”

  “I’m Thrax,” said the man in reply.

  “Yeah, I got that. Anything else?” she asked with both hands out to her side.

  “You’re from Haven and haven’t heard of Thrax?”

  Synne and Jonas shook their heads to confirm it.

  “I shall have to speak with Galan on this,” he said with a laugh.

  “That won’t be easy, my father is dead!”

  “Dead you say? By the Raiders?” he asked with some degree of concern.

  Synne looked away, the pain of the recent experiences with the Raiders, the attack on her home and the death and enslavement of so many starting to take its toll. Jonas, noting her change in tone moved to interject.

  “We’ve been clearing the Raiders from our Northern border for the last four weeks. The Brotherhood and the League have been working on it for some time now. I don’t understand how so many Raiders could have made it past our forces and then worked their way through our lands and into the city,” explained Jonas.

  Synne turned back to Thrax.

  “Somebody must have betrayed us. There were scores of them inside the walls of Haven. My brother, my father, all the warriors fought but we couldn’t hold them off. I saw my father killed and my brother is either dead or a prisoner somewhere,” she said with a sigh.

  “It must be the Brotherhood, only they would be so treacherous. A long time ago, I fought alongside your father against the Brotherhood. There was one nasty old bastard called Lar. I bested him in the last Contest,” he said with pride.

  “Contest?” asked Synne, her interest suddenly raised.

  “Yes, the Contest. You do still have them don’t you?” he asked in surprise.

  “Of course, that is how the truce between the League and the Brotherhood is maintained. You fought, alongside our forces? That must have been almost twenty years ago,” she said in a tone that implied she was less than convinced.

  “It was the hardest contest the League had ever faced back then. You see, the Brotherhood has always been weak and divided but they were not stupid. They could match us in numbers but the best they ever won was a stalemate. The last Contest was different though. They actually persuaded a few members of the Guild to join them. Not even their groups knew of their treachery,” he said.

  Thrax stared out into valley below as he though on his old days of adventure of battle.

  “I’ve never heard this before. How could the League have ever won? That would have pitted twenty against ten?” asked Jonas with great interest.

  “Well, not quite, they didn’t all change sides. It was hard, let me say. Back then, I was a member of the Swordmasters Guild. We were nominally part of the League and that year we were called on to fight in the Contest. Only two of us lived from that battle. Just me, and that little weasel Gratus. I told your father back then I thought he had betrayed us, but according to Galan the weasel saved him at the last moment in the battle,” he said with a scowl.

  “Gratus, he was my father’s right hand man. Why did you not trust him?”

  “Instinct, my dear. I didn’t see him perform any act in the Contest that required him to cut or kill any members of the Brotherhood. I did find him with a blade near Galan but one of the Brotherhood fell on him and his blade. Galan always said I had it in for him but, there was always something in his eyes that told me otherwise. Galan and I argued for hours but in the end we went our separate ways. He was a good man, I am truly sorry to hear that he is dead,” said Thrax with an honesty that was sincere.

  “Thrax, my father should have listened to you. I spotted him forcing a knife into my father’s throat during the battle at Haven. He must have been waiting for years to strike.”

  “With your father dead that means the truce must be upheld with the old tradition of the Contest?” asked Thrax.

  Synne stood up and walked a few feet away to look down the mountain and into the valley. She could see for miles though the open plain was flat and barren, land of no use for grazing or farming.

  Jonas leaned over to Thrax, “It isn’t just Lord Galan. Master Lar of the Brotherhood is also dead.”

  “Master Lar? Dead? That is a pity. So, he did well for himself. That is a great shame, I have wanted to even a score with him for the last twenty years!” he said with a hearty roar. “Still, the old git is dead so that is something!” he laughed.

  “What do you know about the Raiders that use the track at the base of the mountain?” asked Jonas.

  Before he could answer, Synne spoke from her place overlooking the valley.

  “And why have they never stopped you doing whatever ever it is you do here?”

  “Well young lady, they don’t come here for the same reason they didn’t get you last night. The path is treacherous and I always, and I mean always, hear them coming. A few years ago they sent a few small groups to speak with me.”

  “What did they want?” asked Jonas.

  Thrax shrugged and gave a smug grin.

  “Who knows, you’ll have to find them at the bottom of the valley and ask them yourself,” he said before turning back to Synne.

  “As for what I do here. I mind my own business though from time to time I teach the odd traveller the old ways of combat. Fighting with the blade, staff and bow. Not been much business in the last five years though, not since the Raiders got their train working,” he added.

  Synne and Jonas were both intrigued by this part of the conversation.

  “Tell us about the train?” she asked.

  “The track has always been here and you would find the odd group of Raiders here and there. About five years ago though one group, I don’t know who their leader is, managed to get information on building an engine, you know, the one that you’ve seen on the track. I don’t know how they did it, the only source o
f information I know of is in your father’s library.”

  “Yeah, I wonder who could have got that kind of information out?” said a sarcastic Jonas as he looked at Synne.

  “Gratus,” muttered Synne under her breath.

  “Maybe,” replied Thrax with a shrug. “Once they got the train working they started sending lots and lots of people and tools to the North. The train goes there every night and comes back in the morning, presumably to the Horizon Trading Post. I assume they’re building something up there to be moving back and for so often. One thing I do know is that they never bring people back.”

  Synne sat down and drank a little more. The clothing on her had started to flap in the wind and she was evidently self-conscious of the baggy sleeves that seemed to flutter with each gust of air.

  “When we were being divided up a man called Khan said we were going to be put into groups. One was to go to the mines and one to join their military, the rest who knows? Both of the first two groups they put on that train and sent to the North. Why would they want workers and warriors in the same place?” Jonas asked.

  “Yeah, a very good question. I think we should find out and fast,” said Synne.

  “Hey, easy now. These Raiders in the North are not small groups of scavengers. They have access to weapons, armour and supplies. If you just wander in you’ll get caught and nobody will be able to get you out, not even me!”

  Synne didn’t look impressed.

  “That’s up to you. Right now, I need to know what is going on. I need information. If any of my people are there I must know,” she said with great passion.

  “Then what will you do?” asked Thrax.

  “I’ll think of that when I know what we’re up against.”

  “For now I suggest you rest, get yourselves both fully healed and fit. I can’t stop you but I can make sure you are both prepared for the journey you want to undertake.”

  Thrax stood up and moved away from the table.

  “Now, what kind of combat training do you have?”

  “Combat?” asked Jonas.

  “Yes, if you’re planning on going anywhere near the Raiders you need to be able to handle yourself. Can you use a blade, a spear, mace or bow?”