by Reece Dinn
They landed in a spot at the bottom of the mountain where it converged with the feet of two others, forming a small, uneven, open space. Beroz was sent tumbling off Nam-Ainez's head and landed with a thud in shallow snow. There was no way he could get up now.
Nam-Ainez shook itself hard, as if it could still feel him on it. When it stopped it bellowed again, looking around frantically for its prey, its red eyes bathing the area with its light.
Beroz attempted to move, but all he could manage was to wriggle his fingers and toes.
Die.
The ludenez jumped and span in the air, snow exploding as it landed. One wave of snow swept over Beroz, burying him. Its cold felt surprisingly good on his ruined body. He wanted to stay there, hidden away, but knew that he'd soon be stomped on if he remained where he was. He could both hear and feel Nam-Ainez getting closer. After some time concentrating he was able to focus his Raiz once more and began using Brubah, pouring everything he had into it. His pain eased, at least a little. He found that with it he could move and wriggled around, digging his way to the surface. He thrust his head up and broke through.
Nam-Ainez had its back to him, stomping its legs furiously.
How.....kill......it?.....Men....try........fail.
The ludenez searched around itself, stomping, its red eyes sweeping the area, looking high and low.
Beroz struggled to free himself from the snow, now able to thanks to Brubah, but the strain on his Raiz was great, he could barely concentrate. There was no way he could rise to his feet and escape.
Something caught his eye on the snow all around where Nam-Ainez had been. Dark purple blood. Pools of it drenched the snow.
Rock.....it......land.......on.......wound.......it?
Blood dripped from its stomach, steam rising where the blood hit the snow.
You......mine.
Nam-Ainez spun around, as if hearing him, eyes flaring as they fixed on his ruined form.
No.
It charged, lowering its horns, snow exploding under its feet.
Beroz rolled aside, crying out as he did from the agony it caused.
The ludenez passed right over him, hot saliva dripping from its mouth onto him. His vision was engulfed by purple fur. It skidded to a halt, twisted round, then pushed itself up on to its hind legs. There was a large gash in its belly, blood dripping from it.
This.......it. He focused his Raiz again, struggling to muster enough for the attack. He tried and tried but it just wouldn't gather fast enough, and what little he had was barely enough to annoy it Please. He dug deeper, trying to find more hidden within himself. Anything.
A terrible prickling heat came into being within his Raiz, jolting but not breaking his concentration. It was like something attaching itself to him, becoming a part of him. He became aware that he could feel the parts of his body that had been mutated by the Enemy again, as if they had returned to what they'd been, perhaps even more so.
Suddenly his Raiz grew considerably in size, the terrible prickling heat now merging with the warm tingle of his own Raiz. It pulsed, straining. He struggled to gain control of it, it was like a storm raging within him, a white hot heat wave sweeping through his body, violent and powerful, full of destructive energy.
He focused it.
With great effort he gathered all the Raiz that he could muster, surprising himself with how much there was, and that he was able to gather nearly all of it. Lightning.....lightning. He imagined sparks, the buzz they made, big sparks. Lightning. Without Brubah he couldn't move his arms so pushed the Raiz out of his stomach instead. Lightning. Electricity sparked along his body. Lightning. He cried out and unleashed it.
A tremendous bolt of lightning, far bigger and brighter than anything he'd ever made or seen, blasted right into Nam-Ainez's wound, its flesh burning, insides flashing with white light. It screamed, louder than it every had before, the sound making Beroz's ears ring, head pound. He kept drawing back Raiz then blasting more lightning up into it, until finally he couldn't any more, exhaustion finally defeating him.
Nam-Ainez remained on its hind legs, paralysed, but swaying slightly. Then it fell forward, crashing down, a huge wave of what little snow remained on the ground sweeping over Beroz. Its legs buckled underneath it and it collapsed onto its side, exposing its wound.
The ludenez moaned, struggling to get back to its feet.
Focus.....Finish......it.
He drew all the expended Raiz back, only to find that once it entered him again he had to fight to gain control of it once more. Come.....on.
There.
He focused it again. Pushing all the Raiz he dared out of him, he released it, willing it into a massive bolt of lightning. It surged into its wounded belly and the ludenez cried out in pain, its whole body shuddering and jerking. The wound tore open, blood gushing out.
He drew the Raiz back but then couldn't do any more, his mind burning with pain. The prickling heat was ripped away from him and his Raiz returned to normal, the claimed parts of his body numbing again. He was done.
Nam-Ainez writhed about, moaning softly, weakly beating its foot on the ground. It grunted, the lights of its red eyes slowly fading.
I.....do.........it? A tear ran down Beroz's face.
Nam-Ainez's eyes extinguished. It chest rose and fell a couple more times, then, finally, it ceased.
Silence.
A gentle wind brushed over Beroz's body. Something cold and wet landed on his cheek. Snowflakes fluttered across his vision. Another landed on his cheek. The clouds above hung dark and heavy, threatening a storm.
Beroz closed his eyes and let his body give in to pain and exhaustion.
Die.
Chapter Seventy
Several slaps to the face roused him.
'Wake up,' said a voice.
A large man loomed over him, a Lialstone hanging from his neck, its purple glow captivating. The Lial slapped Beroz again. He was numb all over, covered with snow. He uselessly tried to move but couldn't.
'You hurt bad. Fight hard.' The Lial laughed, warmly. He slapped him again, this one rousing Beroz fully. 'Can you move?' the Lial asked.
'No,' Beroz croaked.
The Lial placed a hand on Beroz's head. Beroz suddenly felt the tingle of his Raiz again, a pressure on it. Then without him doing anything he started using Brubah. 'Feel Brubah?' the Lial asked.
'Yes.' He could feel his body again, but where he did it was excruciating, despite Brubah. He still couldn't move. 'Can't......move,' he said.
'Raiz weak. Lose much?' the Lial asked.
'Yes.'
'You kill Nam-Ainez. Not believe it.'
'Nam-Ainez?' Really.....do.......it? Beroz tried to say more, but the words wouldn't come.
'That lobkak ludenez kill many Apochal, Lial over time. How you kill?'
Beroz grunted.
'He awake?' another man shouted from a distance.
'Talks too,' the Lial shouted back.
The Lial brushed the snow from Beroz's body. The Lial's features were plain, but he had a sharp jaw line and a scar that ran down the middle of his nose and over his mouth. His braid hung loosely over his shoulder.
'No Lialstone? Not Lial?' asked the Lial.
'I am......It.....break.....in......fight.' Beroz surprised himself as the words rolled off his tongue.
'Look young. Many, many scar though. See many fights. How old are you?'
'Twenty.........years.'
The Lial's eyebrows raised in surprise. 'You Lial at twenty years?'
Beroz took a few deep breaths before answering. 'Yes.'
The Lial laughed.
Snow crunched. 'What he say? asked the other man.
Beroz glanced up. A figure stood just outside of his vision. A Lialstone hung from his neck too, the stone glowing purple in the light.
'He Lial at twenty years. Kill Nam-Ainez,' said the Lial with the scar.
'Where's stone?' asked the second Lial.
'It break.'
'It....in...pouch,' Beroz croaked.
The other Lial grunted. Something black and sharp hung over Beroz. Purple blood stained its edges. 'This your sword?'
'Yes.'
'He can't move,' said the Lial with the scar.
'I not carry him,' said the other.
'You carry sword. I'll carry him.'
'You believe him?'
'Look at him. Look what do. Lial, not Lial, we need to help him.'
The other Lial grunted then said, 'Think Nam-Ainez stay dead?'
'Maybe.'
'Where......we......go?' croaked Beroz.
'Nam-Laftoz,' said the Lial with the scar.
Beroz smiled.
Excruciating pain suddenly burned in his scarred hand, more intense than he'd felt from it before.
YOU MINE. The voice screamed inside his head. He screamed.
'What happen?' asked one of the Lial, the voice distant.
YOU MINE. Every word in his mind was an agony. It felt like his head was about to explode.
YOU MINE.
'What wrong? Talk.'
Excruciating pain consumed Beroz as his mind plunged into darkness.
End of Book One.
To be Continued in Book Two: The Dragons' Purge.
Acknowledgements
First and foremost I'd like to thank my tutors, Jim Friel, Jeff Young, Gareth Creer, and the late Edmund Cusick, whose criticisms, insights, and wisdom helped make this book what it is today. What it was before I received their tutelage was laughable. Next I'd like to thank the members of the Geek Squad (or Writers of Excellence, we have many names) John, Brett, Mike, Rob, and Laura for their invaluable input and butchering of my work. Our writing workshops will always be treasured times to me.
Probably most important of all I'd like to thank Tom for placing so much faith in me that he loaned me the money I needed to pay the tuition fees for my Master's Degree in Writing. Even when I finally find the money to pay you back it'll never be enough. Your friendship means the world to me.
My mother, father, and sister are to be thanked for their endless love and support. It is always needed. Thanks to Brian, Kris, and all my other friends who've looked out for me over the years, protecting me from my own stupidity. It's a tricky job but you manage it.
Next I'd like to thank Rebecca Albrecht for my fab cover image. You're a little superstar.
I'd like to thank all the staff at Leaf on Bold Street, The Garden at Fact, and any other cafe I've sat and written in in Liverpool for hours at a time, for putting up with me for so long. Your friendliness and enthusiasm make writing so much more pleasurable. I've made some great friends at the places I've visited over the years. You're all fab.
Lastly I'd like to thank anyone has ever taken the time to read any of my work, any all future readers I may have. It always means the world to me when someone even asks how my writing is going. It makes the many, many, many hours I spend toiling away worth it. Thank you.
About the Author
REECE DINN is a writer and bookseller. When not writing or reading he can either be found in the gym, stuffing his face with food, or chuckling at pictures and videos of otters, who he loves possibly too much. The Exile's Redemption is his first novel. He also has a short story collection published, titled Schooners.
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