by Mike Morris
Pet'r tried pushing him back. "Take it easy. No harm was meant."
Krin grabbed Pet'r's face, pulling it close to his own. "Well that's alright then. I mean to do enough harm for both of us." Krin flung him over the clearing table. The bowls and spoons clattered around him as he hit the floor.
And then Krin was on Lin. He grabbed her by the shirt, yanking her up so that there was only a hair's breadth between them.
"Think I'm a bully do you? Think I hurt people do you? You should mind your own bloody business," Krin snarled. His fist thudded into her stomach, winding her. Her legs went under her, but Krin held her up. "You jumped up little bitch." Krin's hand cracked across Lin's mouth, splitting her lip. The tang of blood filled her mouth.
Jaar tried pulling Krin off her but Krin swung a fist into the boy's jaw and Jaar crumbled. Krin leaned over him, snorted and then spat a large lump of phlegm in his face before turning back to Lin. "That's just for starters. I'll be looking for you and your friends tomorrow. Fuckin' snitches." He threw her to the ground and stormed off.
Lin took Jaar by the arm and lifted him to his feet as Pet'r stumbled over.
"You alright?" Lin asked.
"We weren't much use, were we?" replied Pet'r. "He's a monster that one."
"I'm sorry," said Lin. "I should’ve just kept my mouth shut and not said anything."
"That would have been the smart move," said Jaar, rubbing his jaw.
"He's as bad as The Masters. If we all stood up to him, he'd not be any trouble," said Lin.
Pet'r gave her a wink. "Right. Another great idea. No one rushed in to help us, did they? Everyone is just as scared as us of that bully. I tell you there's demon in his family somewhere."
"You're just trying to make me feel better," mumbled Lin.
"And that's a crime now is it?" laughed Pet'r. "You'd rather I punch you as well? You've gone soft in the head. Now, you coming through to get some sleep? Everyone else has gone."
They walked through to the bedroom. Candles were scattered here and there but most had turned in for the day. Old Jahn rolled bones in the corner with a few of the boys, betting scraps of food or clothes. The Scrounger stood watching, puffing on his pipe. He nodded at Lin as their eyes met but his attention was soon back on the game.
"Coming to mine?" asked Pet'r.
"I think I need some sleep," replied Lin.
"Later then," he said with a smile and headed off with Jaar to their spots in the racks.
Lin kicked her boots off and pushed them to the rear of her bunk. Protecting them with her body was the only way to stop them being stolen by the time the shift bell rang again. They might've been a dead man’s hand-me-downs but she wasn't going to let anyone take them.
She stared at the grooves of the wood of the shelf above, pulling her blanket tight around him. Something had to be done about Krin.
The next day, everyone was already eating their breakfast when Lin walked into the mess hall. Pet'r and Jaar were in their usual spot and waved her over but she ignored them. She was looking for Krin. He was sitting with the Scrounger and his little gang at the tables nearest the kitchen. He was hassling young ones, taking food off their plates as they passed. He stopped, smile spreading across his face, when he noticed Lin approaching.
Krin stood up, his face creasing into what he probably called a smile. "Hello, hello. Come to see the real men, have we?" His friends laughed. Lin noticed the noise had stopped in the mess hall and, once again, all eyes were watching the situation. Good, they were going to get a show.
"I've got something for you," said Lin.
"What's that then?" replied Krin. "Come and give it to me. Wait, hold on." He put his hand up. "You're not going to give me a kiss, are you? A little girl like you really isn't my type." He turned to his friends and they cheered. He looked back at Lin with a flirtatious smile.
Lin took a step closer. Her stomach churned but she ignored the fear telling her to run away. Their faces were only an inch apart. "Depends on what you call a kiss," she said. Her voice was almost a whisper as sexy as she could make it.
Krin grinned. Maybe he really was dumb enough to think he’d got lucky. “Let me show you what a kiss is.”
“No, let me show you.” Lin shot her upper body forward, smashed her forehead straight into Krin's nose. Blood sprayed as the bone shattered. Krin's hands sprung to his face. Lin brought her right knee up as quickly as she could, catching him between the legs and the big, dumb idiot crumpled to the floor. Lin swung her boot in, right in his face. More blood splattered across the stone ground. He fell back, eyes rolled up into the back of his skull and then lay still. Lin kicked him once more for good measure right in the ribs, just to make sure he woke up in a shit load of pain.
The whole mess was silent. Shocked. The only sound was the blood roaring through her ears. Right then she felt like she could’ve taken them all on and won. She’d shown the bastard, Let him try to bully someone again.
Suddenly he didn't seem half-demon after all. He'd dropped as quickly and as easily just like anyone else who got kicked in the nuts. She rubbed her forehead. Well, maybe not quite as easily. His friends were equally stunned. They just stared at Krin, lying unconscious at their feet.
"Come on then," shouted Lin at them, her voice startling them. "You want to try your luck too?" None of them moved. They just stared back as if she were a rabid dog to be avoided. Good. She’d had enough of the lot of them.
Suddenly whistles filled the room and Grunts rushed in, waving batons.
"No one move!" one shouted. "Anyone who does is straight in the hole."
Old Jahn stepped forward. "Nothing to worry you lads about. This one slipped on some spilt food, had an accident. No dramas."
One of the Grunts knelt down beside Krin and checked him. "Slipped, did he?" he said. "How’d he get the boot print on his face then?"
Jahn shrugged his shoulders. "Stuff happens like that sometimes. He's a careless lad."
"Get him to his bunk but make sure he works tonight. If he doesn't, they'll be hell to pay. Got it?"
"Of course. The one rule. Everyone works." Jahn signaled to Lin and Pet'r. "You two. You heard the man. Pick 'im up and get him out of here. And then clean this muck up."
Satisfied that everything was under control, the Grunts headed back up the stairs from the mess. Lin took his arms while Pet'r picked up his legs, and they moved him to the dormitory. Satisfied that everything was back under control, the grunts headed back up the stairs from the mess. As they passed Old Jahn, he put out a hand to stop them.
"He got slapped, didn't he?" he said to Lin quietly. "Didn't know you had it in you. Let's hope the stupid idiot learnt his lesson, eh?"
"If I was a gambling man, I know what answer to that I'd bet on," said Pet'r.
24
712 PN
It was the following night when everything took a turn for the worse.
Lin was the center of attention after the fight. Her head butt was all anyone talked about, except for Krin. The brute's face was black and blue so he kept to himself, scowling and emanating pure hate towards Lin and anyone who dared snigger.
But, just as Lin dipped her spoon into her porridge, Old Jahn came into the Mess with a Master. It was Bale. He had three guards in tow.
'Shit," said Lin. Pet'r and Jaar looked up and the blood drained from their faces. They'd not seen him since that night with Droonan but, like Lin, they hadn’t forgotten the monster.
The noise in the mess stopped instantly. Masters didn't venture into Sweats' living quarters unless something serious was about to happen. And nothing good ever happened around Bale.
Everyone dropped to the floor. Heads pressed against the stone floor. No one dared make eye contact. Lin's world narrowed down to the strip of floor in front of her eyes. She stared at the dust and grit scattered across it as she heard the Master's footsteps walking through the mess. Just survive, she told herself.
"They have to be young. Fit. Strong," said Bale.<
br />
"Certainly, my Master," replied Old Jahn. "This lad here is young enough."
"They need to be able to run, not just die."
Lin listened to the footsteps move on.
"This one is the strongest lad here."
"Make him stand," commanded Bale. Someone got to their feet. Lin's heart beat faster as she imagined someone she knew being examined by the Master. "He'll do. Take him."
The group continued walking through the mess, stopping occasionally as Sweats were inspected. One other had been chosen when Lin realized they were walking towards her. She willed herself to be invisible.
Out the corner of his eye, she saw Old Jahn's worn and battered boots followed by the gleam of the Master's. They stopped at her side, close enough to touch.
"Get on your feet, lass," said Old Jahn.
For a moment the words didn't make any sense until the boot kicked her. "Get up," Jahn said again.
Lin climbed to her feet, keeping her eyes down. She could feel the scrutiny from the Master and it took all her will power not to crumble under it.
"She’ll do," said Bale, then walked past.
The Grunts dragged her to the far corner of the room. Pet'r, Jaar and Krin were already there, looking equally bewildered. For once, all animosity was gone. Nausea swirled in her stomach. She didn’t know what was about to happen but it wasn’t going to be good.
"The rest are poor quality. They would insult our Lord if I were to take them," said Bale. He turned to the guards. "Take those outside."
The guards bowed and Bale strode from the hall. Old Jahn glanced at Lin. The man's eyes were full of sadness.
The rest of the crew watched them but no one moved to help. No one wanted to share their fate.
Old Jahn clapped his hands. "Come on," he shouted. "On your feet. Hanging around ain't going to make this go away. Let's do it and move on. That rock still needs shifting tonight and I, for one, don't want these bastards coming back."
As everyone shuffled to their feet, Jahn walked over to Lin and the others. "I'm sorry. Really I am. Wish it were different. But wishing don't change a thing. I just hope it's over quickly — whatever it is." He reached up to touch Lin's shoulder but stopped himself. Without another word, he turned his back and left them to the guards.
A Grunt tied rope around their wrists, securing them to each other before pushing them out the door in single file. Lin lead the way. Up the winding stairs and through the oak doors and along the corridor. They stopped in the courtyard.
Another Master waited for them. Lin recognized him from the night in the stables when the strangers had come.
"My Lord Dorian." Bale bowed his head in greeting, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
The guards pushed them onto their knees and the Master walked along the line. He grabbed each of them by the chin, turning their heads so they had to look at him and he grunted his satisfaction. Lin could feel his excitement.
"Do we have enough?" asked Dorian. "We can not let his Highness down."
"I have men going through all the stock, my Lord. There will be more than enough," answered Bale.
"Good. Good," said Dorian. "Come. Let's not waste anymore time amongst the cattle than we need to."
On Bale's signal, two guards entered the courtyard, leading massive warhorses to the Masters. Both were midnight black in color though Dorian's steed had flashes of white around its hooves. The Masters glided onto their saddles and Bale slipped his helm on.
"Human!" he called to the guard next to Lin. "Be at the glade within the hour."
"Yes sir! Certainly sir. Yes sir!" answered the man. His eyes were fixed on the ground but the Masters were already galloping from the courtyard. The hooves echoed against the cobbles and into the night.
"Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit." Krin muttered to himself as they watched the Masters leave.
"What's the glade?" asked Pet'r.
"I have no idea," replied Lin as she looked around. Her entire world was turned upside down. She felt sick. She clenched her fists in an attempt to feel stronger but the tremor in her hands revealed the lie.
"No talking. No nothing," said the guard as he jerked them forward by the rope. He led them through several streets until they came to another door. The guard knocked three times with his club. They swung open to reveal darkness. A lone sentry watched them pass.
As they made their way deeper into the castle, Lin wondered what waited for them at the glade. The only flicker of hope was the fact they were Sweats, not Seats, nor even Skins. They worked until they died. That's what Sweats did. They weren't raised for anything else. Meats lived in comfort with the finest food and luxuries because they knew their lives were short, that they would be eaten sooner rather than later at a Master's whim. Skins were even more spoilt. They were pampered and adored until the Masters grew bored of them and were discarded. Sweats lived in the filth, eating scraps. Their skins were dirty and tough. Why take them when the Masters had so much better to choose from?
Candles burned in nooks in the walls but were little help. The crimson walls ate up the available light. The ground slopped gently downward as each step took them deeper under the castle. Every hundred feet, they would pass indentations in the walls that had chutes above them and black stained floors beneath. They reminded Lin of the garbage chutes she'd crawled through when she was younger. At other points, they came to junctions connecting other. The air was stale and the temperature began to rise despite the chill they left outside. Perspiration ran down her face.
They walked for ten minutes, before Lin saw something lying in one of the indents. It was only when they were almost upon it that Lin realized what it was. A dead human.
The face had been crushed and the throat ripped out. There was little blood, which meant it had been consumed elsewhere. Lin looked up. The opening rose like a chimney up into the rock. It was a disposal chute for the dead.
She shivered and the breath caught in her throat. Lin had once asked what happened to people when they died but she was told to keep quiet, to never mind. You found out when the Masters came for you in the dark.
They kept walking until Lin had no idea how far they’d come or how far down they were. Then something twitched ahead at the edge of the darkness. A glimmer of light flickered against the blackness. Noise joined it. Shouted commands accentuated with the crack of the whip.
They had reached the end of the tunnel.
They were taken through two small doors into the open. After the confines of the tunnel, the night sky was a welcome relief and the cold, fresh air was almost sweet to taste. Facing them was the outer wall to the city.
At the center of the wall were two giant, arched oak doors. A beam lay across them, holding them locked in place. Grunts with crossbows and swords on their hips patrolled the towers on either side. The sight stopped Lin in her tracks. She was only ever used to seeing Grunts carrying a club or the occasional spear.
There were Masters on guard as well. They wore plate metal armor with golden dragons embossed in the center, large broadswords hung across their backs and many carried spears and axes.
They were herded towards a large group of scared looking humans. There were other Sweats amongst them, while others wore extravagant outfits with flowing robes in exquisite colors and outrageous hairstyles. Some had white paint on their faces and the reddest lips. They had to be Skins, the most pampered of all humans. It was the first time Lin had seen a Skin up close before. She found herself staring at them despite the circumstances. Humans of every type must have been taken from all over the city. They all had one thing in common though. Everyone was petrified.
Their group stopped at the rear of the group and two Masters approached.
"Are these for the glade, human?" asked one.
The guard bowed before him. "The glade, sir. Yes sir. The glade for Master Bale, sir," he replied.
The Master walked around the group, looking at Lin and the others. When he reached Lin, he roared in her face. She screamed
.
"Leave her!" the other Master ordered. "She is not yours. They belong to our Lord."
The other stepped back, sniggering whilst keeping his eyes on Lin. "He's a lucky one then and you're a lucky one too."
"On your way, human," the first one said. He turned to the gatekeepers and called; "Let them through!"
The great doors took an age to open. Four humans removed the wooden bar and the doors were cranked open. Chains rattled as guards tugged pulleys before Lin was able to see outside.
In a daze, she followed the others through the doors. They passed over a long wooden bridge that spanned the large moat that ran along the edge of the wall. For the first time in her life, Lin was outside Grosnar's walls.
But only horror awaited her.
At first, Lin couldn't make out what lay on either side of the path. She thought they were fields of white bushes. The air had the scent of decay to it, confusing her more. But, as they got closer, Lin recognized what she was looking at.
Bones.
Bones piled high on every side.
Human bones. Some still had flesh clinging to them, half-rotten or half-eaten. Clumps of hair blew in the wind.
This was where they dumped the bodies. The stench of death assaulted them all as made their way through. People all around Lin cried out in shock and horror. She fought to control her own tears, concentrating on staying on her feet. Guards hit any that faltered with their clubs to keep them all moving.
Lin was scared to look at any of the rotting skulls in case she saw a face she recognized. Was this to be her fate too? Left to rot on a bed of bones? Was Droonan's corpse buried underneath all those remains? Was this where Grais lay?
A slight breeze whispered through the human debris. Lin was aware of everything — the sound of marching feet, a bird chattering in the trees, the rustle of leaves in the distance, the chuckling of a Grunt to his friend as he drove the group on. And yet, the feelings of being alive overpowered everything else. Her heart roared in her chest. She'd never been so conscious of every intake of air into her lungs. It was as if her body knew it was living its last moments.