Desmond returned the blow immediately. Both men stood toe to toe, answering every punch with one of their own. It was a loud chorus of fists smacking faces, punctuated by occasional grunts of pain or anger. Tannis could only aim for Desmond's face since armor protected the rest of his body, but Desmond occasionally hit Tannis with body shots. It drove the wind from his lungs making it painful to breathe, but he did his best to fight through the pain.
Then Desmond slammed into him with his armored shoulder. Both of them toppled over and landed on the ground. Desmond's fists crashed into Tannis's face over and over. Flashes of light shot through his vision with every painful strike. The blinding flashes and blinding pain made it hard to offer any resistance at all. The crushing weight of Desmond on top of him did not help either.
But Tannis was able to roll over under him. He used all his strength to get to his knees, and Desmond lost his balance and fell over to the side. Tannis took the opportunity to kick Desmond in the face, sending him right back to the ground before he could get all the way up. Another kick missed his face and hit only armor, but it still kept him off balance. Desmond shook his head to clear the drops of blood dribbling down his nose. Tannis wiped his own blood away from his face with the back of his hand.
He allowed Desmond to almost get to his feet but kicked him hard in the knee before he could fully stand. Desmond screamed in pain but only collapsed for a few seconds. He eventually got to his feet, but avoided putting all his weight on the injured knee. It did little to ease the impact of his punches though, as Desmond continued to pound Tannis's face even with the injury.
After a punch had missed Tannis, Desmond accidentally struck Tannis with the metal vambrace covering his forearm. This solid impact knocked Tannis backwards into his own men, and for a moment, the world went dim. He fought to remain conscious as his men helped him to stay up, gently pushing him back into the circle.
Desmond tried to hit him with the vambrace again, but Tannis ducked and lunged at him. Desmond planted his feet hard and grabbed hold of Tannis around his shoulders. Tannis let out a scream that he immediately regretted. He unwillingly let Desmond know that he was injured, and he knew that he would make good use of this new information. Desmond grabbed the fabric at Tannis's neck and ripped his tunic in half, exposing Tannis's bare chest along with his bandage.
The hits to his shoulder began before the ripped fabric even touched the ground. The pain was bad, but in truth Tannis preferred it to getting hit in the face. It made it difficult to land any punches of his own, but at least it allowed him to see clearly and not be at risk of blacking out. Tannis was thankful that Desmond was focused on his shoulder and seemed to forget about smashing him in the face with his vambrace.
Both men slowed from their exertion, but the power of their punches were hardly diminished. It was becoming clear that both men were equally matched, but they both fought on trying to defeat their opponent anyway. The cheers from the surrounding crowd that had gone unheard during the fight were only just now noticed by both men.
Tannis watched a fatigued Desmond reached for the black sword jutting from the soil. "How dare you, Desmond? Have you no honor?"
"You've said it yourself, Tannis. When we lay down rules for combat, it is the side that disobeys those rules that is more often the victor. It is foolish beyond measure to assume that our enemies will honor our own code of conduct. Now stand still—I'll make it quick."
Tannis looked for the sword he had stuck in the soil but it had been taken by one of the Vindyri during the fight. With no weapon at hand, he rushed in as Desmond swung, avoiding the blade by stepping in too close. He slammed his forehead into Desmond's nose several times, breaking it and staining his white mustache dark red. Desmond stumbled back, bringing his free hand to his face. While Desmond was stunned, Tannis ripped the black sword from his grip. The feel of his own sword back in his hand was even more exhilarating than punishing his enemy, and his whole soul swelled with pride and energy. The roar of cheers behind him gave sound to his feelings inside.
But something stopped him from killing Desmond. His height made it easy to see over the Bhoors, and in the distance, something caught his eye. At first he was unable to determine what had drawn his attention, but eventually he saw what it was. Among the sea of faces were two faces that did not match those around them. They were under hoods, but there was still enough light shining on them that Tannis could see the color was all wrong. These faces had a darker, purple or blue hue, and immediately he knew who these faces belonged to. These were the monsters that had taken Rommus's sword.
Once he had made eye contact with them, they suddenly sprang to action. There were hundreds or maybe even thousands of Bhoors standing between them and Tannis. Instead of weaving carefully through them, the beasts pulled long curved knives from their belts and began slaughtering the Bhoors in front of them. Others were picked up and thrown into other Bhoors, toppling them and causing panic. One of the creatures wrung the neck of a Bhoor he held over his head, nearly twisting it off. Only skin and some sinew kept the head from rolling to the ground.
When the Bhoors saw this happening, they became horrified. Many tried to run, but had nowhere to go since there were soldiers all around them. They trampled each other, and even swung their swords at their fellow soldiers to try to escape the fury and mayhem behind them.
Desmond and his soldiers panicked and hastily retreated to safety, but something triggered panic in Tannis too. It wasn't exactly fear, but something similar. He spent his whole life trying to ignore the effects of fear while still regarding the feeling as a necessary warning. He wasn't foolish enough to say he was never afraid, but he did his best to overcome his fears and show strength through all adversity.
But this was different. These creatures were coming for him and they appeared to be unstoppable. Even the armor of Arius did little to thwart their attack on Rommus, so Tannis knew that without any armor at all, these creatures would end his life far easier than Desmond could. They stomped toward him with a fervor and a madness that told him they were going to kill him when they were close enough. That absolute knowledge of their intent sent chills up his spine.
Those chills were not from fear of death, but the thought terrified Tannis to his core. He suddenly realized what was happening and what was at stake, and against his nature, he retreated. He weaved his way back through the mess of battle and made it back to the phalanx. The shields parted and soldiers pulled him through, closing off the line of shields behind him. Other soldiers hurried up to the line to supplement the phalanx and fall in behind the front line. They had seen the creatures coming and knew what they needed to defend against. Tannis hoped that the phalanx would hold.
——————
"I don't see why you won't let me go down there," Alana said.
Vohl picked a speck of something from his coat. "I told you, there is very little you can do down there. It is not the kind of battle that you are imaging. They are fighting with the phalanx. It is not just swords swinging around in the air; it is lines of heavily-armored men behind shields. I do not think you are suited for that sort of fighting."
"I think you just don't want me getting hurt."
"That is another reason, yes."
"Vohl, I need to do something to contribute to this cause. I feel like I should be out there fighting. I'm not a dainty little Medoran woman. I feel better with a sword in my hand."
"I do not doubt your ability. There are just too many swords down there at Taburdum already. I need you back here helping me with these books and maps."
"Books and maps? Come on Vohl I can't even read the books you are reading. You're just making excuses to keep me away from the war."
Vohl closed a book in front of him. "Would that be so wrong? Is it a sin to wish to protect those who are close to me?"
"Look, it's sort of sweet. I get it. But this is real life here. I believe in what we're doing, and I can't let you stand in my way just because you don't want m
e to get hurt. I have a higher calling than reading books, and I want to be a part of this revolution."
"It is more evolution than revolution. We can only make small changes and hope that those changes can cause things to turn back to a more suitable direction."
"No, Vohl. That's the way Uritus did it. They carefully started removing freedoms in a way where the people would not really notice. We can't fight back the same way. We need drastic change right now."
Vohl chuckled and put his hands behind his head. "I admire your vehemence, but such supernal seeds are rare to bring fruit to limb. We must focus our talents and abilities to achieve the goals that are within our reach."
Alana huffed. "Vohl, my talent is fighting. You're proving my point."
"I disagree. I believe your talent is thinking. Being swift of mind makes you swift of foot. The skill you have is not found in the sword or even the hand that holds it. It is found in your mind."
Alana crossed her arms and shifted her weight. "Don't think that you can get me to go along with you by offering up compliments. I'm getting a horse and I am going down there."
"At least wait until tomorrow."
"Why? What difference would that make?"
"By the time you get to Taburdum, the sun will be getting low in the sky. The battle will be coming to an end for the day."
Alana let her arms fall to her sides. "Why wouldn't you want me to go today then? If there's no battle, then I can't get hurt."
"I would just like to spend some time with you, that is all."
Alana let out a frustrated breath as she folded her arms again. Noise from the hall caught her attention and she resisted lengthening the argument any further. There were some loud bangs and doors slamming and loud voices calling out orders, but she couldn't quite make out what words were being said.
Suddenly Tannis stood in the doorway gesturing for several of his guards to take up positions. "Did the other immortal tell you anything about those creatures?"
Alana searched her thoughts as her eyes wandered to the ceiling. "He said they are from a story and that they're not supposed to be real. They were once a single man, but Maeris had somehow blessed them with extraordinarily long life, in essence making them immortal. This process split the single man into two creatures. They're supposed to be stronger than many men combined. I think that's all he said. Why?"
"They are coming for Rommus."
"Well they will not find him, Master Tannis," Vohl said. "With any luck he and Song are in the void by now."
"They don't need to get to Rommus. They only have to get to me."
Vohl's eyes lit up. "The sword."
"Yes, the sword. They are coming to use it on me."
"What do you mean?" Alana asked. "Rommus's sword?"
"Yes. If they touch me with that blade, I die and so does Rommus. I can't risk being out in the open any longer."
Vohl put his hands to his forehead. "Why did we not see this coming? How could we have missed it?"
"There's a lot going on, Vohl. It was easy to miss. All that matters now is that we keep that sword away from me. Rommus has to be kept safe at all cost."
"Where are they now?" Alana asked.
"Hopefully still at the front lines down at Taburdum. I saw them slashing their way through the ranks of the Bhoors with ease. I know the phalanx will be harder to break through, but I don't know how long the Medorans can hold them off."
Chapter 39
A thick blanket of silence suffocated the land. There were no chirping birds or buzzing insects and all was quiet and still. Everything was cast in gray, as if a thunderstorm loomed overhead, waiting to drown the world below in a torrent of rain. But there was no sky for clouds to hover in; only an empty gray fog. There would never be rain because this world would never need it. Nothing was alive.
Clumps of dead grasses bobbed gently in the breeze. The dry blades brushing passed each other was the only sound that could be heard at all. No flower marked the existence of life or rebirth. There was just endless, misty gray; something between daylight and darkness.
But the dim world was not devoid of features. In fact, there were cities dotting the landscape all over. The buildings were not what Rommus was used to, as they were not built with pristine marble stones fit snugly against each other. There were no adornments or decorations of any kind. There were just dark, irregular stones set with mortar to build the walls. Most of the buildings were nothing more than ruins, and it was rare to see one with a roof intact.
Every time they got to the edge of a city, the countryside beyond would stretch far out to the horizon. But as soon as they stepped foot out of the city, they somehow found themselves magically entering another city. It was as if the areas between cities did not exist at all, and leaving one city took you immediately to the next. It was hard for Rommus to keep track of where they had been, but Song had a unique ability to remember the smallest details about the path they had taken. Rommus was confident that Song could guide them back to the doorway leading back out of the void—assuming they could make it out alive.
"Where are the people?" Song asked.
"I have been wondering the same thing. When I visited the Triultti in the void, it looked very different. Everything was white; not gray like this. They said that the light I saw was the light of souls. They also said that the void is so vast that there are parts with nothing in them at all. That's sort of how I imagined the void to be. These ruined cities are very surprising."
"I'm surprised too. These buildings look like they were made by man. Aside from the weird sky, this looks sort of like our world."
"Yeah," Rommus said. "It makes me wonder who built this place. Did living people pile these rocks into walls? Or is this the work of the dead?"
Song shook visibly. "That gives me chills just thinking about it. It's so eerie here that I can't imagine anyone but the dead working on these walls. This place is depressing. I can almost feel life being sapped from me."
"I feel it too. It feels like all of my energy is slowly being drained out. I hope it's just my imagination. I fear if I got too tired here and fell asleep, I would never wake up. That's not a theory I want to test."
"No, I don't want to test that either. What do we do here though? We have been here for a long time and I see nothing that can even point us in the direction of finding this lost piece of your soul. There aren't even any beings here to ask about it."
"I don't know," Rommus said. "I have been looking for anything that stands out as different. In the Land of the Gods there was a building made of gold. It was pretty easy to know where to go to talk to the gods."
Song kicked a small stone as they walked. "That must have been quite an experience. I only saw Inshae for a few seconds, but it changed my whole way of thinking."
"How so?"
"Well, once you see something like that, faith gets erased and knowledge creeps in. I have always believed in the gods I guess, but to see one with my own eyes changes my outlook on life and even the afterlife. When belief becomes truth, it takes on a whole different meaning."
"Yeah I can see what you mean," Rommus said. "I guess I have always been skeptical of belief. I prefer arriving at my conclusions through a quest for knowledge rather than through the murky mires of belief. We humans can be stubborn, and quite often our beliefs can get in the way of the facts presented to us. We adhere to the ideals and philosophies that we are most comfortable with; but that does not always mean they are in line with the truth."
"So religion of any sort is not for you then?"
Rommus raked his fingers through his hair. "No, no, I don't mean that. I don't have a problem with religion at all. I don't have a problem with anyone believing anything they want, as long as their beliefs don't end up causing them to harm others. I was speaking more generally, about the nature of man.
"But what I have discovered about the gods does disturb me. Their indifference to humans doesn't seem right. I suppose all of it falls into place and the puzz
le pieces fit, but something deep within me tells me something isn't quite right. It feels like there is something missing from the information I know. My eyes have seen the gods, but my heart tells me there may be some greater truth beneath all of this."
Song snorted a laugh. "If you depend on your heart instead of your eyes, then you are a man of faith, Rommus."
"I guess it does sound that way, doesn't it? Well, regardless of that nagging feeling inside me, I try to base all my actions on reason and fact; not hope and faith. The truths that lie beyond my reach will remain a secret to me, and I will not assume that my beliefs about them have any impact on their validity."
They walked on for a while, surrounded by the lifeless gray. Rommus searched everywhere for a temple or another being or anything that might help them in their quest. But hour after hour, the endless gray was all they found. Ruined cities speckled the land, but no other soul presented itself.
Finally Rommus stopped. "We can't keep doing this. This is becoming pointless. Eventually we're going to have to turn back or we might end up walking this place forever. As much as I enjoy your company, that's not how I want to spend eternity."
"Well what do we do? Do you want to go back?"
"I think so. I can't think of how to find this missing piece of my soul, so I guess we'll have to figure out another way. This place is beginning to scare me. I don't want to end up lost in here."
They turned around but immediately stopped in their tracks. On the far side of the city, shrouded in mist was the doorway they had walked through to enter the void. It was close enough to walk to in mere moments, but they had been walking away from it for many hours. Both of them looked to each other in confusion, not knowing what to think.
"That's impossible," Song said.
"Song, all of this seems impossible. Does this really surprise you at all?"
Soul Under the Mountain (Legend of Reason Series) Page 25