She closed her eyes and died, her body lifeless.
TIME
THE SITUATION WAS bad. Mariko’s broken body lay at my feet. As I turned to look at the group, I saw in their eyes something that chilled me to the bone —fear. The only exception was Meja, who looked at me with concern. I turned back to look at Mariko. She seemed smaller now, the energy that was her life, now gone. The weight of her fan in my hand reminded me of her last words. Was she like me? Was I like her? Was this my destiny, to become insane, wrapped up in some reality created by my own imagination and the deaths caused by Maelstrom? I needed to become better. I needed to relegate Maelstrom to just a weapon; not a weapon that could wield me. At this point, I was the weapon. Looking down at Mariko, I could see how well that worked out for her. These weapons were cursed —at least I felt that way.
Owl showed me a different side, though. They could be harnessed, controlled to a degree. Of course that required skill and training, training I lacked. I’m not going to say I was a complete amateur or novice, only because there was no need to say it out loud. It was evident I was way out of my league. I’d survived on luck, lots of luck and the skill of those around me. The thing is, I knew that at some point I would have to confront something or someone on my own. I wasn’t ready. I turned to walk back to the group. With Maelstrom gone, a weight was lifted. The air no longer held that charged feeling. The acrid smell of death hung in the air and I scrunched up my nose, turning away from the odor. It smelled like rotting flesh. I followed the odor to Sylk, who sat calmly with his back to the wall, Mara at his side tending to his wound. Her jaw was clenched; she knew there was nothing she could do. Sweat glistened on Sylk’s face and I could see that he was in pain. Mara had cut his sleeve off to get to the wound. If I had eaten, I would have lost whatever food was in my stomach at that moment. As I drew closer to Sylk, the stench intensified. I didn’t know how Mara was able to be so close without retching. The arm at the wound had turned black. Mara was removing maggots that were eating the dead flesh. As I watched, I could see the black area grow incrementally. It was moving up and down his arm, slowly but surely. I turned to Meja who was standing some distance away.
“Is there anything we can do?”
“Aside from letting him die, you mean? No. We could kill him quick, which would be better than the death that awaits him.” Meja, a pillar of compassion.
“No other alternative?”
“There is no cure for a touch from Death’s Finger, Dante.”
“The arm, remove the arm.” It was Sylk’s voice, calm but laced with pain.
“There is no guarantee that will work.” said Meja. “The venom has reached your blood. It is not confined to the arm.”
“You would be amazed at what I could do with a small opportunity, Monitor. I prefer to have this slim chance than certain death.”
“I will do it, Karashihan,” said Mara with wet eyes.
“No, Mara, you cannot. It must be done with a weapon that will absorb the venom into it, along with any negative energy residue.”
In other words, Maelstrom. Everyone remained still, the silence filling the space around us.
“You must do this, warrior,” Sylk said through gritted teeth.
“I can’t.”
“If you don’t, my death is certain.” The implication in his voice was clear. I needed him alive to get into the Watch. I looked at the wound again, noticing how it had grown even in this short time.
“Don’t be squeamish, boy. Besides, I’m certain you have ached for an opportunity like this.”
“No, not like this.” He smiled then and set his jaw.
I looked around at the group and saw that it was my choice alone to make.
“Fine.”
“Make haste, warrior. We race against time. Sever the arm and I will deal with the wound.”
Maelstrom appeared in my hands, hungry, eager. Mara laid Sylk down.
“A clean cut at the shoulder, right next to the deltoid. Make sure you don’t miss.” He tried to laugh but it came out as a raspy cough.
As I held Maelstrom in my hand, I could feel the weight shift as a blade extended from one end. It would be so easy, just a few inches to the right. No! I knew that was Maelstrom and I could hear a low laugh confirming my thoughts. Coward. I need him alive. Do you? You can get into the Watch, you don’t need him. I need him alive.
You want him alive. It is a vast difference, vessel. A decision you may live to regret. Very well, let us remove his cursed flesh.
I brought the blade down, whistling through the air. I cut through flesh, muscle and bone, crashing into the floor beneath. It was as if the arm was not there. Sylk’s right arm, now separated from the body began a rapid decomposition. Sylk, his left hand glowing a deep indigo, pressed the deep blue energy into the wound. The smell of charred skin wafted into the air. The left arm had gone completely black now, the flesh rotting.
“Thank you,” said Sylk with genuine gratitude in his voice. I looked once more at the arm now turning to dust. I turned back to Sylk who had become unconscious and I hoped I wasn’t prolonging the inevitable.
ENTER THE WATCH
WE NEEDED TO get to the Watch as quickly as possible. Zen picked up the now unconscious Sylk.
“Can you get a way to the Watch open?” I asked Meja.
“From this place it will be a challenge but it shouldn’t be impossible.”
“Let’s try it. I’m getting sick of this place.” Zen grunted in agreement.
Meja stepped to a mirrored wall and placed her hands on the surface. Her reflection fell away from the wall, replaced by blurring images. It was like looking at a movie in fast forward. Except in this case none of the images seemed related. Sweat beaded on her forehead from the effort, then the images stopped blurring and a large castle-like building came into focus.
“I can’t find any points inside the Watch. This is the closest I can get us. I can’t hold this open long. Go!”
I was already moving, the sensation of being pulled against my will and stretched, screamed across my senses. We all materialized at pretty much the same moment, which gave me pause. Meja was last and then I saw the shimmering rift seal itself and vanish. We were in a desert plain. Everywhere I looked, I saw sand. Sitting in the middle of this plain, loomed the Watch. It was a squat, rectangular structure, the walls the color of sand. The air was dry and I felt the change in temperature immediately. I started walking towards the Watch, sweat forming on my brow. Spaced around the Watch were trees. Large palms which provided some shade from the blistering sun. I headed to the closest tree —trees meant water. I estimated that the closest tree was about five hundred meters away. That was when I heard the howls.
“Wolves? In the desert?”
“No, not wolves, you have never seen an animal like this. This is the first defense of the Watch.”
“What are they?”
We had started moving towards the Watch much faster now.
It was Mara who spoke. “They are called the Rah Ven. They make full grown wolves look like a child’s pet.” The howls were still in the distance.
“I’m sure between all of us, we can fend these Rah Ven off, right?”
Mara looked at me as if I could not truly be that stupid.
“You have never faced a Rah Ven or such foolishness would not escape your lips,” said Mara. “Aside from being ferocious hunters, they have the ability to camouflage. They are also near impossible to dispatch because they serve as Watch guardians, which lends them even more power.”
“So we have no chance?”
“We do.” It was Sylk. He still looked weak. His face was pale. “Put me down, guardian. We must approach the west wall.”
The howling was getting closer. Zen put him down. “The howling is a good sign, as long as they howl, we have a chance. Once they stop, the attacks begin,” whispered Sylk.
The west wall? I had no clue where we were much less where the west wall was. The howling continued, cre
ating an expectation of impending attack. It was surreal, hearing the chorus of animals no longer so distant.
“Over here,” said Meja. “This should be the west wall according to the sun.”
The squat building had no apparent entrance. Each corner held a turret-like structure and the blocks that made up the wall were immense. In between each block, the seams appeared air tight. Whoever constructed this Watch had longevity in mind. It reminded me of the Great Pyramids. “Where are we?” I asked.
“Right now somewhere in the African Sahara,” Meja answered.
“What do you mean right now?” I knew I wasn’t going to like the answer.
Sylk answered, his voice a rasp. “What the monitor means is that in a few hours, this entire structure will relocate to another desert on the earth. It could be the Gobi, Death Valley, the Arctic or Antarctic.”
“Those last two aren’t deserts.”
“But they are deserted.”
“True.”
“I believe they were going for desolate wasteland, frozen or boiling doesn’t seem to make a difference. The emphasis was desolate.”
“So how were we able to find it, if it’s shifting so often?”
“The answer to that question lies with the monitor. If you’ll excuse me, I have a door to find before we get ripped to shreds and we don’t have much time.”
The howling had stopped.
“Shit,” said Mara.
“Zen, stay with Sylk,” said Meja. “Make sure nothing interrupts him.” Zen nodded and stepped closer to Sylk, turning to face away from the Watch wall.
“The rest of you, fan out. Rah Ven attack in packs, so give them a wide target to disperse the pack.” Meja had her weapon in her hand. It radiated a blue light that enveloped her in the midst of all the brown surrounding us. Kal and Val were on my left. Meja was close to me on my right and Mara was a few feet away from Meja. I felt a tug on my lower abdomen, and I knew what it was. In my hands materialized Maelstrom. It was getting easier and easier each time. I had a feeling that was not a good thing.
The sun beat down upon the sand, sending waves of heat, shimmering in the distance. Sweat began forming on my brow. I looked back to see Sylk working some intricate sequence of designs on the blocks. Zen, jaw clenched, held his axe/staff loosely in his hands, across his body. I turned back to look into the distance.
“Vessel,” he said and chuckled. “You do find yourself in the most interesting positions. If I didn’t know different, I would say you are deliberately looking for ways to end your existence.”
I remained silent while I studied the horizon. It was always unsettling when it spoke and I could understand how wielders of these weapons went crazy: constantly hearing a voice that isn’t yours doesn’t contribute to long term sanity.
“It isn’t funny. I’ve never faced a Rah Ven before or ever.”
“Rah Ven hmm. Are you prepared to die?”
“Not today.”
“Will you release me to do as I must?”
“No. Each time it seems like I lose a small part of myself to you.”
“I see, one of your comrades must have a plan, the monitor perhaps?”
“I don’t know. We just hold them back until Sylk can get the door open.”
“Outstanding plan, no more than two or three of you should perish then.”
“Tell me about the Rah Ven.”
“Certainly, my soon to be dead vessel. The Rah Ven exists as an extension of a Watch. They cannot be killed conventionally, since there is nothing conventional about them. As long as the defenses of the watch are intact, the Rah Ven will give pursuit. Their appearance is that of a very large, ferocious wolf, standing four feet at the shoulder. They have the ability to camouflage perfectly with their surroundings and in the heat of battle have been known to exhibit some type of temporal displacement.”
“They can teleport.”
“Not truly. What they do is exhibit a sphere or area of space around them that distorts time.”
“They can warp time?”
“Not deliberately. It seems to be a response to a serious threat. Something akin to your little group, which is formidably armed, should be just the catalyst.”
“How do we fight them?”
“Running is always a good option, providing you can run fast enough.”
“How fast? You know what, never mind. I don’t think running is going to be an option.”
“Wise choice, since no one in your little group is fast enough.” A comedian staff, amazing.
“So how do we stop them, at least long enough for Sylk to open the door?”
“While they can’t be stopped, you can certainly slow them down.”
Exasperated and scared, I asked again. “How. Do. We. Stop. Them?” in my most serious “get to it” voice.
Maelstrom paused and instructed me to draw a circle. This should keep you safe at least from the Rah Ven for a few moments. “You must attack them from a distance. That should allow you to escape the effects of the temporal shift. When they get close, remain in the circle and give me free reign.”
“No. No way.”
“Well it’s either that, or swift death for your friends. Your choice.”
“Have any of you faced a Rah Ven, ever?” I asked the group.
No one answered, which I took to mean seriously bad news. I turned to see Sylk still tracing designs in the air. Every time he finished with a design, it imprinted itself into the wall, forming part of a larger design, it seemed. I didn’t dare to ask how much longer when Meja did.
Sylk, without turning or stopping his hand movements, answered. “If I had another hand and maybe weren’t poisoned, I could move faster.”
Meja clenched her jaw. That’s when I saw the first one. Off in the distance a patch of the horizon shimmered and solidified. To say that they looked like large wolves was a gross simplification. These looked like wolves the same way a dachshund looked like a wolf. Both have four legs, a set of teeth and are canine. The similarities pretty much end there. These creatures, yes that was the word for them, trust me on this, were the type of things that made your legs go weak. My body instinctively only wanted to flee as fast as possible.
They were large —huge by any canine standard. Their coat was short and brown, which allowed them to blend in well with the sand. Their teeth, if you could call them that, more like fangs, were a brilliant white. The most unsettling part was their eyes. They were a deep yellow. It wasn’t the color but the intelligence that lay within. Two more appeared beside the first one and they were walking slowly towards us. Two more materialized as they drew within thirty feet. The lead Rah Ven continued walking towards us, while the others remained where they were.
“State your purpose,” it/he growled. Meja stepped slightly forward.
“We seek safe passage into the Watch.”
I couldn’t believe they spoke. I must have had a shocked look on my face because Meja looked at me sharply, which meant get it together.
“On whose authority?” he growled in answer.
“I am Meja of the House of Aumera. First among the monitors of the Way.” The Rah Ven paused and looked at Meja as if weighing her words or credentials.
“There was a time long ago when that would have been enough, but no longer. Are you prepared to die, Meja, of the House of Aumera?”
Maelstrom flared to life in my hands and the Rah Ven’ hackles went up.
“The one beside you carries a cursed weapon, monitor. How did it come to be in his possession?”
“I am the one responsible, Ancient One.” It was Sylk who had stepped forward. I really hoped he had that door open at this point. The Rah Ven turned its head slightly. In my periphery, I noticed several more Rah Ven materialized. I realized then that fighting them was not going to be an option. A quick glance let me count about fifteen and those were just the ones I could see.
“A Karashihan. Are you aware of the destruction that vessel can unleash, not only on this plane bu
t on countless others?” asked the Rah Ven.
“I am aware and it was necessary to take the risk.”
The Rah Ven scrutinized Sylk, smelling the air around him as he circled Sylk. “You are not long for this world, Karashihan. Poison courses through your body this very moment.”
Sylk only nodded.
“Do you seek to destroy this poison?” The Rah Ven stopped circling Sylk and peered at him.
“I have lived a long time, Ancient One. It would appear that my time draws to an end.”
“Contained within these walls, lies a cure if you are willing to pay the price it demands.”
“I would be grateful for the opportunity,” said Sylk.
“One of my pack shall lead you to the entrance of the Watch proper. Have you prepared the door?”
“I have.”
“Very well, Karashihan, may you find what you seek.”
“Run long, run fast, Ancient One.”
“Long days to you, Karashihan.”
The Rah Ven turned away and faced me. It took all I had to stay still as it drew closer.
“Discover who is the vessel and who is the weapon before it becomes your undoing.” I could only swallow hard. I did however notice that it had easily crossed over the circle I had traced into the sand and made a mental note to ask my homicidal weapon about that when I got a chance.
The ancient one turned and started to shimmer. As if on cue, every other Rah Ven turned and merged into the background, effectively disappearing, except one
The Rah Ven that remained was smaller than the rest of the pack, which led me to believe it was younger. It stepped towards Sylk and the symbols he had placed on the wall.
“Greetings, Karashihan,” it growled. Its coat glistened a deep blue black and it looked like an oversized wolf with the exception of the deep yellow eyes. Oh, and the talking.
“Greetings, gatekeeper.” It was obvious Sylk knew more about these creatures than any of us. It didn’t seem like the time for a history lesson on talking wolf-like beings.
Sylk stepped to the side, allowing the Rah Ven access to the wall. The Rah Ven drew close, sniffed the air and seemed to inspect the symbols.
Warriors of the Way-Pentalogy Page 17