Animus

by Kindra Sowder

  “Deer is almost completely broken down, Quinn. We’ll be able to eat shortly,” Victor said, a wet plop sounding from not even a few feet away as he threw what I was assuming was a tenderloin in my direction.

  “See, I knew you were the right man for the job. This is record time.” I turned and looked at my friend and comrade, a grin spreading over his lips as he took the compliment without a word. “Thank you, Victor.”

  He finally looked to me then, the smile fading from his face as he took in my meaning. I was thanking him for staying by my side in the face of those who wanted nothing more than to tear the Sentinel apart around us.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Chapter 3

  I had been awoken from a dreamless sleep. Apep flew through the air above us and Victor had been on watch. He wanted to take watch first and let me sleep, which was fine considering I would have ordered him to do so anyway. I wasn’t sure if he offered because he was my subordinate or if it was because I was a woman, but I genuinely appreciated the gesture and settled down to sleep quickly. The long trek as well as the emotional sting of betrayal had broken me down, taking every bit of energy that I had when we had made the journey to meet with the Royals of Paderborn.

  When I stood and looked toward where I had seen Victor sit down to watch our surroundings, I called out to him, hoping he hadn’t fallen asleep. When I spotted him, he was lying on his side, snoring softly and steadily as he breathed in the cool night air. Damien was at least feigning sleep as far as I could tell but that didn’t matter. If he was exhausted when we decided to continue our journey, that was his doing, not mine. I rubbed my hand over my face, picked up the coat I had bunched up to use as a pillow on the dirt sodden ground, and slipped it on. I looked around me as the sounds of nature came and went. The fire was beginning to die down and it was barely two feet away from me, but Damien had settled at least seven away from my position and I didn’t mind having to force him to move closer. I tugged at the chain and Damien acted as if I had roused him from a restful sleep, which I knew was a lie in and of itself.

  “Damien, get up. You have two options, move closer so I can add wood to the fire or you can do it yourself,” I said as I stared him down.

  He wouldn’t look at me but chose what I hadn’t expected him to. He got up and walked toward the fire, his coat flapping in the slight breeze as he neared the dying flames and the pile of wood. He picked up a couple of pieces and placed them thoughtfully into the flames, stoking the fire to get it going again. A noise sounded from the woods near us, but it didn’t sound like any type of wild animal I had ever seen in these woods.

  “Victor,” I hissed, “Victor.”

  He didn’t stir. I picked up a pebble and threw it in his direction, aiming for his head full of light hair. My aim was perfect as he jolted upright and rubbed his head where the pebble had made contact with his skull.

  “What the Hell?” Victor cried as he rubbed his head in the spot where the pebble hit him.

  “Shhh, whisper,” I chided in a whisper. “There’s someone else out here with us.”

  “What are you talking about? I don’t see anything.”

  “Shut up and listen,” I said as we fell silent, listening for the same sounds I had just heard.

  When my gaze met Damien’s, I knew something was happening. Something that I knew he had been expecting since we stopped for the night. There was the noise again, and I recognized it immediately. Someone was moving through the woods, and they were closing in on our position.

  Victor’s eyes widened, and he turned to me, rising into a crouched position. “Halflings or Paderborn?”

  I didn’t turn toward him. My eyes never left Damien’s as his smile grew, looking even more sinister in the flickering flames of our small fire. An answer was never given because, as soon as the words left his mouth, a monstrous roar ripped through the air. I recognized it as Apep’s and I looked up, searching the sky for her flaming breath, seeing nothing. Victor rose to his feet. Damien remained crouched over the fire. No one was coming to harm him. They were coming to free him.

  A pale male form dropped from the dark sky, landing in front of me with weapon drawn and swinging it in an arch toward me. It narrowly missed as I jumped backward, avoiding the sharp blade of a Halfling man as he advanced. His face was twisted in concentration and his long, pale hair flowed around him in the sudden breeze that began to whip my coat and the tree branches that surrounded us.

  “Halflings!” I shouted as even more of them began to fall from the sky and emerge from the tree line.

  I focused on the one in front of me, the chain attached to the cuffs on Damien’s wrists pulling as Damien remained in place. He was waiting for someone specific and trying to keep me from running too far or being able to fight off the Halfling that was attempting to take my life. The only sounds I heard were those of battle, shouts and clanging metals and the slicing of flesh. I used my peripheral vision to spot my sword, which just happened to be a foot away. The Halfling before me was well-built, but menacing and swift with his own sword. I needed a way to distract him just long enough to take my own into my hands to fight him and his comrades off. My feet moved, building just enough momentum to help me lower myself to the ground and slide beneath his swinging blade, a whistle of air passing just over my face as I did so. I plunged a hand into the embers of the fire, not feeling any pain since I was still wearing my gloves and took some of it into the palm of my hand. Turning onto my knee, with my foot stopping the slide, I opened my hand and blew the ashes and embers directly into his insipid face.

  The Halfling cried out in pain, his hand flying up to cover his pale eyes and protect his flesh which was already marred by the embers. I took my moment, making a mad dash toward my sword that was still in its scabbard. I used my momentum to slide through the soil and take my sword in my hand, sliding it from the scabbard with a metal hiss and placing the scabbard’s long strap over my shoulder in one swift move. The metal grew warm in my hands within seconds as I twirled it and confronted my attacker, making a show out of it in an attempt to intimidate him. I knew better. There was no intimidating a Halfling because they were bred and raised to be strong magicians and warriors.

  I had lost sight of Victor and I could feel that Damien was still attached to the chain. It wouldn’t be long before he used the chain as a means to hinder me. I felt a sharp tug and then lost my balance altogether as it was pulled sharply again, taking me down to the ground before I even had a chance to strike.

  When I landed, I barely had time to process the fall before the Halfling let out a primal roar and swung down with his sword, which I blocked just in time before it would have struck my skull. There was a metal snap at my side and I cursed as I realized the chain attached to the cuffs around Damien’s wrist had been severed, snapping back into place at my side. I kicked out, my foot striking the knee of the Halfling. A loud crack told me I had broken his knee or at least dislocated it, and his scream of pain sent a ripple of pleasure through me at being able to inflict such pain upon an enemy. Another monstrous roar ripped through the air.

  I came to stand before my opponent as he knelt on the ground, lifting my sword above my head and bringing it down with as much force as I could muster. The Halfling’s head fell to the ground and rolled toward the fire, ready to be extinguished. Most didn’t know this outside of the Sentinel, but when a Halfling has been decapitated, they will continue to live until the head is incinerated and can be reattached at any time.

  “Please, no, have mercy,” the voice of the dwindling Halfling cried as I approached it.

  “Yeah, sure,” I said as I placed my booted foot on its cheek.

  It winced painfully as if I had caused it discomfort. With one small kick, the head of the Halfling rolled into the fire and was consumed entirely, causing white smoke to billow up from the pit as it burned. Within seconds, a massive swarm of Death’s Head Sphinx Moths sprung from within the flames, signifying the final death of the Halfling as i
t crossed completely over into the underworld.

  Fire came down from the sky, incinerating the swarm as if to defy the Halflings in some way. Apep swooped down to the ground, landing among us as best as she could to avoid swipes of swords and knives. I raised my arm to protect my face from the flames she breathed as Victor came toward me with anger in his long stride. Apep breathed in deep, preparing her lungs for one fatal sweep of flame that would kill every Halfling left in the vicinity.

  Victor came to my side and pushed me down, pulling the long train of his coat over our heads. The leather was fire resistant, which had saved us on many occasions. Heat licked our backs as the flames swarmed around us, taking everything around us and turning it to piles of ashes and embers that would be long swept away by the wind by the time anymore Halflings came. The moment I felt cool air around me, I knew it was okay to stand, the sound of fluttering wings of the moths all around us as they flew up and into the night sky.

  I turned to Victor, who was sporting a long slash down his left cheek, a small stream of blood trickling down to his chin and dripping onto his clothes. I could tell, because of the heat, it was already beginning to clot, and he wouldn’t need stitches. Victor’s eyes danced around our location, and I knew exactly who he was looking for.

  “Where’s Damien?” he asked, still breathless and ready to fight if it came down to it again.

  “He’s gone, Victor. They took him,” I replied. I leaned over and placed my hands on my knees, trying to gain back the air that left my lungs and had been snapped up by the fire. “I guess they needed him more than we thought. Maybe they’ll make good on their promise to him.”

  “They never do, Quinn. It won’t be long before they’re trading him in as a slave for goods. You better believe that.”

  There are more Halflings coming barely a mile off, General.

  I stood and ran my hand through my hair. “Okay, Apep says there are more coming. We need to get moving or they’ll kill us next time. We’re tired and outnumbered.”

  “How do you suggest we explain to the Council that we let Damien escape?” Victor asked, the anger evident in his voice as he stared at me.

  “I don’t know, but we have his blade and the poison capsules so maybe that will be enough proof,” I answered.

  I wasn’t certain it would be, but it was all we had. I could possibly show them the damage to the chain from where they had cut him free. Only strong magic could break that bond, which I knew they possessed.

  The Halflings were not only known for their powerful poisons and potions, but for their deadly and powerful magic that were used against the Sentinel from time to time when they were used as hired guns. That didn’t happen often and now this was the second time since I had become General that I was seeing it.

  Victor ran his hand through his blond locks and sighed. “I hope you’re right, because it’s all we have to show for this.”

  “You and me both.” I walked toward Apep who watched us carefully, and placed my hand on her head, patting her gently. “But at least now we can ride. Wouldn’t you like that, Apep?”

  Victor turned a sickly shade of green again but smiled anyway. “Thank God, because I wasn’t sure how much more walking I could take.”

  My mouth dropped open in shock, my jaw nearly hitting the floor as I stared at my friend. “You actually want to get on?”

  “Oh, don’t look so surprised. Now let’s get going before the others show up. We’ll certainly be done for then.”

  “I’m your General. Aren’t I supposed to be the one handing out orders?” I asked, squinting at him in the firelight with a grin.

  Hopefully he would see that I was joking.

  “Oh,” he smirked, “well, sorry about that, General Ragnarok. What was your order?”

  “You’re ridiculous,” I said under my breath. I shook my head and prepared to jump onto Apep’s back. “We’ll get there late, but at least we’ll get there before morning. The Council will be easy enough to rouse once they hear we are back.” With one swift motion, I launched myself onto Apep’s back and took my seat just behind her shoulders. Victor only looked at me and then back at the massive creature, eyes wide just like they had been when I had first proposed riding her back to Archer’s State. I rolled my eyes. “Come on, Victor. She won’t bite.”

  Hard, Apep teased.

  That caused a giggle to slip from between my lips at his expense.

  “What did she just say to you?” he asked, pointing at Apep like she had done something.

  “Nothing. Now come on.” I held my hand out to him and he stared at it, his eyes flicking back to me and back to my hand like he had a decision to make. “That’s an order, soldier.”

  He smiled broadly and chuckled, not taking my hand but jumping up onto Apep’s back just like he had seen me do.

  “Yes, General. As you wish.”

  We settled in and Apep flapped her wings, gaining the traction needed to take off. And soon we were soaring over the forest, the small fire we had built fading into nothingness.

  Chapter 4

  We arrived at Archer’s State after riding for an hour – longer than I had expected. Apep attempted to land as easily as she could since we had to stop once so Victor could vomit. He had turned to me and sheepishly grinned after that, claiming he had motion sickness. I rolled my eyes and we carried on afterward, making it home without incident despite the fact that the Halflings and the Royals of Paderborn were after all of our heads. I lived and breathed the Sentinel, and that was obvious in the way I ran my garrison. The thought depressed me as I climbed down from Apep’s back, Victor holding his arms out to me to help me down even though I didn’t need it. My garrison was gone, burnt to a crisp because they had betrayed me and my lovely dragon. And the Sentinel of Hydra. I looked around the courtyard of our living quarters. Everything was quiet and peaceful, as it should be.

  “So, the Council being how they are, do you think we need to wash up before we speak to them? I’d hate to piss them off since I’ve done that way too many times already. I think they hate me,” Victor stated, rubbing his hands through his blond hair as he watched me. His grey eyes twinkled in the moonlight and I could tell from the moon’s position it was just past three in the morning.

  I shook my head. “No, they’d want to know about this right away.” I turned away from him and began to walk toward the entryway that would take me into the main hallway that led toward the Council’s chambers, turning back to look at him when I didn’t hear him follow. “I don’t suggest you stay behind. Since you know how they are, you know they’ll want to speak to you as well.”

  He sighed, his shoulders sagging and his head drooping, but he followed regardless of how he felt. He rubbed the back of his neck as he caught up to me, both of us walking down the long hallway together. Once we made it to the foyer just before the Council’s chambers, I forced myself to look at him, reaching up to the rack where they kept the black robes we were to wear when addressing them. This was the only acceptable attire in their presence. They didn’t want to see anything else you were wearing or how dirty you were just in case you had just come in from battle, which we practically had. We were both covered in soot and grime, but this needed to be handled as quickly as possible so we would know our next steps, of which the Council loved to determine for us. I had a feeling they may just let me run with this one since they practically had when I had been betrayed once before.

  He put on the cloak and I did the same, pulling the hood over my head quickly and then turning to him to make certain he was addressing the Council properly. I cringed as I noticed the precarious knot he had tied at his throat and untied it to adjust it.

  “Really, Quinn?” Victor groaned. “I had it.”

  “One would think that being among the ranks of the Sentinel so long would mean you could tie your cloak properly. This is a mess,” I chided, “and I’m going to fix it before we go in there.”

  “This politics crap is so annoying,” he said as h
e rolled his eyes.

  I did agree, but I wasn’t about to say it out loud. Not so close to the door to the Council’s chambers, at least.

  “Well, it’s how things have been since the opening of the Long Realm of the Channel so this is how it’s going to go. Now,” I finished tying the simple knot at his throat and pulled up his hood, patting him on the shoulder, “Let’s get this over with so we can both get a bath and maybe some rest.” I could see the nervousness in the set of his jaw. “You ready for this? You haven’t spoken to them directly before.”

  “I’m okay.” He nodded along with the words. “After you, General,” he said, gesturing toward the large wooden doors.

  The doors were made out of solid oak, each knot and groove polished to perfection and gleaming in the firelight. It had been stained to look like rose wood, but that was in such short supply these days because of the Halfling’s magic that all you could do was fake it. The Council was just beyond those doors and I sighed silently, touching my fingers to the wrought iron handles. I gave them a small push and the door swung open with a loud groan. We walked through the threshold to meet the Council.

  The chamber was large with high ceilings, much like the same Catholic Church it had been modeled after, the Gothic architecture apparent in every crevice of the room. This chamber was the center of the Sentinel’s quarters located in Archer’s State and it was breathtaking. They had steered away from stain-glass windows, keeping the light out of the room altogether to hold onto the mystery of the Council’s members. Only a few of those among the Sentinel’s highest ranks had ever seen their faces and it was a coveted place among us. I had been happy to fill it at the time and, as one of the quickest rising generals, it was one reason I had been targeted.

  I could hear Victor’s heavy breathing beside me, but I tried to ignore him and focus on the long walk toward the Council’s thrones. There were five individuals that made up the Council.