by Mike Morris
29
712 PN
"Horses coming up behind us on the left," called out Brendan.
Jack didn’t look back. "How many?"
Lin looked around. At first she couldn't see anything. Then she saw the fast moving shadows coming up behind them. The Masters were back.
"I count five," continued Brendan. “Go faster!”
Jack kicked the horse with his heels, spurring it on while Lin held on for dear life. Her fear consumed her again. The Masters were going to catch them and kill them. Tears streamed down her face. They were all dead.
Jack glanced over his right shoulder. "Three more on my side."
Suddenly they broke from the woods and into open grasslands. The horses ran faster and the men opened up a slight lead on their pursuers. The moonlight bathed the ground in silver and, ahead of them, Lin could see only rolling fields with nowhere to hide. "What’re we going to do?"
"Just hold on" said Jack quickly,
"Arrows!" shouted Brendan. "Arrows!"
Lin heard a whistling sound. An arrow thudded into the ground nearby. Another flew overhead. Three more arrows zipped past.
She glanced back. The Masters were in full flight behind them but the distance between them was holding. One of them drew back on his bow, sitting high in the saddle. The arrow shot towards them.
"Watch out!" cried Brendan and then his horse crumpled beneath him. Its head dropped to the ground and the momentum flipped the horse over, throwing the men from the saddle. There was a scream of agony, and then silence.
Jack turned his horse around to return back towards his friends. The horse, already tired and weighed down with two riders, protested. Lin thought the animal's legs were going to give way on them but the horse kept its feet..
They watched Brendan drag Marcus over to shelter behind the corpse of his horse. Jack and Lin had to reach them before the Masters did.
Jack let go of the reins and pulled both of his pistols free. He aimed them towards the Masters and pulled the triggers. The roar of the guns were deafening, startling not only Lin but the horse too. It jerked and twisted its head to get away from the noise. Jack tried to grip the horse with his legs but he lost the battle with the saddle. Lin, holding on still, was dragged with him. Once more, the solid earth battered her. Her chest felt like shards of glass shattering into even tinier pieces.
Through watery eyes, Lin looked up. None of the Masters were hit but they had slowed their approach.
"Some rescue!" shouted Brendan as Jack hauled Lin to her feet, hauling her over to the other two men.
"You okay?" asked Jack as he slid down beside Brendan. Lin tumbled down behind him.
"Still alive," said Brendan.
“For now,” coughed Marcus. Arrows whizzed overhead and two pierced the horse's corpse, forcing all their heads down.
Brendan pulled something out of his kit bag. A grey globe with a thin piece of rope at one end. "Got a light?" he asked his brother.
Lin looked up and saw the Masters charged again. Eight stallions roared towards them. Moonlight glistened on their weapons and armor. "We've got to run!" she urged them.
They ignored her as Brendan pulled out a pistol and fired it at the end of the thin rope. It began to fizzle.
The Masters were twenty feet away. Fifteen feet.
Jack grabbed Lin and forced her to the ground. Out of the corner of her eye, Lin saw Brendan hurl the globe towards the Masters.
An explosion ripped the world apart. The very ground shook beneath them and the noise battered Lin's eardrums. Sods of earth fell around them amid acrid smoke. Horseflesh and armor followed.
Then Lin was aware only of the silence. Loud, deafening silence. Her ears rang with it. Slowly, other sounds crept in. Warped noises that didn't make sense.
Jack shouted at her. She focused her eyes on him as if that would help her hear. Words formed out of the ringing.
"Are you alright?" He shook Lin.
Beside them, Brendan relaoded his pistols.
The Masters no longer existed. In their place was a large, smoldering crater, filled with rubble and bits of horse.
"Are you alright?" asked Jack once again as Lin finally understood the words.
"Yes. Yes, I think I'm okay," she replied.
"Lads. One of them is still alive," said Marcus, trying to rise to his feet but failing. He coughed blood as he sat back down on the ground.
Jack got off Lin and drew his sword.
Brendan followed suite. The two men walked towards the crater.
A Master struggled to free himself from the carnage. He shouted obscenities at the two men, froth coating his mouth. His armor was dented and crushed. Blood flowed from the corners of his mouth, stained his white skin. "Enjoy this moment, human. Savor the brief victory for it will not last. Your land will soon burn with our passing and we will leave nothing but ash and corpses."
"You all say the same thing whenever I meet your kind. And yet here I still stand," replied Brendan, pointing his sword at him.
The demon thrashed at the debris, trying to free himself. "You are too stupid to know you're already dead."
"Yeah, yeah." The sword sliced through the darkness, took the demon’s head from his shoulders. "Now you are too." Brendan reversed his blade, flicking the demon's blood from the sword and slipped it back into its scabbard.
"We'd best get moving,” he said to his brother. "How long before daylight?"
Jack glanced up. "Maybe another hour or so at the most."
Lin helped Marcus to his feet. The man wiped blood from his lips. His right arm hung loosely by his side. "The plan doesn't change now that we're on foot. We keep moving, head to the pick up point by first light tomorrow morning. Let's use daylight to our advantage and gets some miles between us and the Nostros."
"Agreed," said Brendan.
"Was that magic? How did you get everything to blow up like that?" asked Lin.
"Magic? No. It's called dynamite," answered Marcus. "Better than a pistol but far trickier to use. You can just as easily blow yourself up as well as everything else."
"I've never seen... Dynamite," said Lin. Her mind spun at the possibility of it.
"Don't get any ideas, kid," said Brendan. "We haven't got time to go look for all the bits if you accidentally blow yourself up."
"Let’s be off,” said Marcus. “If you hear any horses, drop to the ground and let's hope they pass us by."
The group set off with Brendan supporting Marcus.
The men amazed Lin. Nothing seemed to faze them. She thought the Masters were invincible but twelve of them had died at the hands of the men. And their weapons! The sword she had taken from Prince Julus impressed her but it was nothing compared to the pistols and dynamite the men carried. In a battle between the Masters' swords and the men's guns and explosives, the Masters couldn't win. If she'd had some earlier, Pet'r and Joshua would still be alive.
The hounds still barked in the distance but the men did not show any alarm so Lin took comfort in that. Their confidence was infectious, providing her with new energy to keep moving forward. She had so many questions to ask them but they could wait until they were out of danger.
Streaks of purple bruised the sky. Daylight was on its way. Normally she'd be getting ready to go back to her dormitory to be locked up until night fell again. But now she was free, walking next to warriors, about to see the sun for the first time in her life. The very thought brought tears to her eyes. She did not know anyone who had ever witnessed the sun. Only the Masters' most trusted guards were allowed free rein during daytime while the demons were at their most vulnerable.
The pace was slow but steady. Marcus was not capable of much more than that and, from the glances Lin stole, he was weakening by the minute. Brendan was giving him more and more support as they walked, almost carrying his comrade.
They stopped regularly, giving Marcus small mouthfuls of water and checking his bandages and changing them when necessary. The dirty cloth, soaked
red with his blood, was taken with them. They couldn’t afford to leave behind any unnecessary markers to their passage.
Colors spread across the sky. Deep blue chased the purple mixed with red with hints of gold. It was like watching a painting take shape on a canvas. There was a vividness to the world she had never experienced before. Lin could no longer hold back the tears filling her eyes at such a beautiful sight.
The sky above her was so blue, so rich, and so deep. Her eyes hurt, unused to sunlight but Lin was so happy. The smile spread across her face, despite the situation they were in. She laughed, causing pain in her chest but she didn't care. For the first time in her life, she could feel all the worry, stress and fear melting from her.
"What's making you so happy?" asked Jack.
"I've never been out in daylight before. It's so... so beautiful," replied Lin. "I've never seen such colors, never imagined trees looked like this. The grass... I don't have the words."
"Man is meant to live in the sunlight. It makes us strong. It helps us grow. It's only the Nostros who fear it," said Jack.
"The Nostros?"
Jack smiled. "The Nostros are the ones who keep you locked up in darkness, that keep you enslaved. Demons, devils. They would destroy us all if they could."
Lin dropped her head. "We call them Masters."
Jack reached out and lifted Lin's chin so he could look her in the eye. "You don’t have to call them that now. No matter what happens, you are free for the rest of your life. Be that many years or just one night. Enjoy that."
Lin nodded and the men carried on in silence. Jack was right. If these were to be Lin's last few hours on earth, she felt blessed for seeing the world in daylight. And she was lucky to have met such great men. She only wished Pet'r and Jaar could be with her to share it.
30
712 PN
"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us your strength in the night, and protect us from the darkness as we protect those who need our strength, and lead us not into danger, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen." The voice was a whisper in the darkness yet the strength of the words filled the hearts of the three men crouched in the long grass at the edge of the woods.
Jack kissed the small silver circle in his hand and then slipped it back inside his tunic. The mist hugged the ground, swirling with the shadows, riding slivers of moonlight up through the trees.
He could see the beach ahead. The salt infused air filled his nostrils. From their hiding place, the ground quickly opened up and sloped down towards the shingle beach. The waves beat a reassuring rhythm, carrying hopes of safety with them. After two nights of fighting, of terror, of death, finally escape seemed a possibility. They’d made it to the coast, to the collection point and, with dawn but an hour away, God willing, they would be safe. Even now, in his mind he could imagine the small boat rowing towards them to take them home.
The sea was so close, separated by a small slither of open ground.
Killing ground.
He scanned the beach in either direction but it seemed clear. The moon, mist and water shimmered together across the shingle. It was almost tranquil. Beauty in the land of the Devil.
"Any sign of them?"
The voice startled him. Jack looked over his shoulder at his brother in the darkness behind him. There was a grim set to Brendan's mouth and no hiding the concern written on his face.
Jack shook his head. "I haven't heard anything for a long time. But that doesn't mean they're gone. I've a bad feeling about this, Brendan."
"Aye, I know what you mean. It's been too easy."
"Too easy? Are you mad? We lost Jonathan, Marcus is near dead and we've been running for our lives since last night." Jack pulled at his collar, trying to relieve the raw skin beneath it. It felt tighter by the second.
"It went to shit pretty quickly, didn't it?" replied Brendan. "Not the best first mission for you, little brother. When things go bad, they really go bad. What worries me is we've not seen or heard anything from those bastard demons all night. I expected them to attack us the moment darkness fell. Even with the ground we gained traveling by day, it shouldn't have been enough."
"Perhaps luck is with us," said Jack.
"There's been nothing lucky about this mission." Brendan scowled and spat into the dirt.
Jack lowered his voice even softer. "How's Marcus?"
They both looked over at their companion, who sat against a tree nearby. The front of the man's tunic was soaked with blood and his skin was drained of any color.
"Only God is keeping him with us. The sword cut deep. The wound is bandaged as best we can but he needs proper medical help. Dragging him across country while he tried to hold his guts in didn't help. We must pray that he stays alive until we get him home."
"I'll see the sun yet, my friends," said Marcus. His eyes struggled to open as he spoke, a smile fighting its way across his face. "I've fought these bastards all my life. Ten expeditions to this cursed land. Seven demons, seven Nostros I've personally sent back to hell at the edge of my sword or with my bullet. So I'm not about to let a little scratch put an end to me."
"God will protect us," said Brendan.
"Let's hope He brings plenty of bullets," said Marcus, coughing.
Lin poured water into Marcus' mouth for him to drink. He choked on more than he swallowed. Blood mixed with the water as it dribbled down his chin. The girl had been a great help with Marcus over the last few miles. As much as he wished they’d not crossed paths in the way that they did, Jack liked her. She had guts and determination.
"The boat will be here soon and we'll be on our way to Abios," he said. "All will be well." He wished he believed his words though.
When he closed his eyes, images of the night before flashed through his mind. He’d trained his whole life to be the perfect soldier but nothing prepared him for the intensity of what happened. "Watch and observe" was the order the Abbot gave them. It might as well have been "run and die". True, they gave a good accounting of themselves but it was still too close to call.
Brendan tapped him on the arm. In his hand was the last of the food.
"There’s not much left, but best get it in you. It's true what they say, always take any opportunity to eat or drink. God knows if there will be another chance. We'll soon have more once we're on the boat," he whispered.
Jack chewed on the dried meat as he kept watch. Each minute bore on him like a great weight, adding to the one before it, crushing him. He thought it would get easier as the night drew to a close but the opposite was true. He listened for the slap of an oar on the water or hooves against the ground. He looked across the sea for a shadow moving closer and for an enemy approaching along the beach. His body wound ever tighter in anticipation of breaking cover for flight or fight. He found it harder to breathe evenly, deeply. Instead he sucked in shallow, rapid gasps of air. He tugged at the collar once more before deciding enough was enough. He reached behind and unfastened the collar. The relief was instantaneous as the cold air soothed the chaffed skin.
Where was the boat? His heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest.
He scrunched his fists inside his gloves and checked his weapons again. Both pistols were loaded. His long sword was sheathed on his back. The knives were securely in place. All within reach. Everything was ready.
Another minute passed. Again he listened, watched, checked.
"Relax, brother," Brendan whispered in his ear. "You're making me nervous as well. Remember your training. Look. Here they come. We'll be in Abios before you know it, laughing about all this." He pointed to a small smudge in the ocean, drawing closer. The mist cleared from its path in short gusts, and Jack could see the boat. Thank God.
The brothers rose from their hiding place and, in a crouch, checked for any signs of danger. "I told you not to worry," said Brendan with a slight smi
le in his voice.
Jack breathed out as relief flooded in. He admired Brendan's confidence, wished he were as sure himself.
"Lin, wait here with Marcus. Jack and I will go down to meet the boat. Once everything looks clear of danger we’ll signal for you to bring him down to us," said Brendan. She nodded in agreement as she stared wide-eyed at the approaching boat, as if she’d never seen one before.
The brothers crept down to the beach, no more than dark shadows themselves. The boat could be clearly seen, making its way towards them. One man stood at the bow and two more worked the oars.
The men paused as they reached the shingle. The water was twenty yards away and the boat still another hundred from that. The sky was lightening, night's heavy cloak slowly lifting but they were now at the most exposed. Even the mist had thinned, giving up its protection.
They walked to the water's edge and signaled their counterparts in the boat. It crawled towards them but Jack forced himself to be calm. It was there now. They were on their way home.
"Ho!" the man at the prow called out to them. They were twenty yards away, fifteen, ten. Brendan waded into the water and grabbed the edge of the boat. He pulled it towards the shore. The stern of the boat bit noisily into the stones as it came to a halt.
It was Brother Samuel who greeted them. He jumped from the boat onto the beach. He looked immaculate in his uniform compared to the rag tag mess the survivors were in. His knee-high boots shone with polish whereas theirs were mud-splattered and scuffed.
"By God, you look like you have been to hell and back," he said, shaking the two men by the hand. "Let's get you away from this Devil's country, eh? Where are the others?"
"Jonathan didn't make it and Marcus is grievously wounded. He's with a young girl we rescued from Grosnar," said Brendan. He turned to his brother. "Signal her and let's get out of here."