Blood of the Lost: The Darkness Within Saga: Book 2

by JD Franx

  “If I was going to harm you, Savis, it would already be done, and I would not have felt the need to speak with you before I did so. Put your weapon away. I’m paying for your current hunt, and I promise, no harm will come to you.”

  “Who might you be?”

  “You may call me Sythrnax. I have known Merethyl for many years. She told me who you started to follow for your hunt. It’s how I found you.”

  “How can you see me? You shouldn’t be able to,” Savis asked, still surprised.

  Stepping forward from the shadows of the treeline and to within three feet, Sythrnax shook his head. “My eyes are very different from your own, Human. I see many things that you cannot.”

  Savis stared at Sythrnax, noticing that his eyes were in fact quite different. They were solid black, but only where a Human’s were white, a feathery iris, bright purple in colour, glared vibrantly against the black, and enhanced the red slitted pupils that looked similar to the large jungle cats’ in Salzara. He had never seen anything like them before. It gave the hooded and masked stranger a surreal appearance.

  “So I see,” Savis said, with no intentional pun.

  Sythrnax only grunted at the implication. “I would envision that you are exerting great effort and mental expense in trying to come up with a way to accomplish your task favourably, correct?”

  “If you mean complete the kill and still remain breathing afterwards, then yes, I am. Why?” As Sythrnax put his hands together in front of his chest, about six inches apart, Savis noticed the shiny black talons that tipped each one of the man’s fingers. Extending at least an inch past his fingertips and curved inward, the nails looked sharp enough and strong enough to score polished granite. This job was getting extremely strange, even for him.

  A few whispered words from Sythrnax caused the air between the black talons to shimmer and blur, words in a language Savis had never heard before. As he watched Sythrnax closely, Savis’ hand slowly moved to the matched set of daggers he wore at the back of his waist, only stopping when he realized the shimmer between Sythrnax’s hands created an image of the dagger his right hand was about to grasp. The swirling magic called forth a perfect representation of the Broken Blades’ magical wooden dagger.

  “As I am sure you are aware, assassin, the daggers you carry and the method the Broken Blade Guild employs is a confirmed method of killing a Kai’Sar,” he reminded Savis.

  “I am aware, yes?” Savis asked, not quite knowing where the stranger was going. Sythrnax waved his right hand over his left and whispered a single word that again Savis did not recognize, and the image of the blade disappeared.

  Sliding his arms into the wide sleeves of his robes, Sythrnax continued speaking. “Then listen closely. I will provide for you the simplest kill of your career. Kael will continue heading north to Kazzador City. I know what he is after, my words have brought him this far. The entrance to the old Dwarven city has been cleared, and inside, he will find the means to discover a room deeper in the ruins. The room contains the monolith he is looking for. You will follow and observe. The ArchWizard from Cethos is also hunting him, and you must wait to see if he will do your job for you. Is that part clear?” he asked. Savis recognized the warning; it was not a simple question. Try as he might, he couldn’t piece together what was going on, and suspected that he would rather not know.

  “No problem so far. If Giddeon makes the kill, then let it be done, but do you think he will? Is he even capable? It’s a little outside his expertise, is it not?” he joked nonchalantly, not really caring either way. The contract was offered to him by Merethyl so he would be paid no matter who killed the target.

  Sythrnax nodded as he continued. “By this time, Kael will not be a threat to your success, but should Giddeon fail to kill the target, you must see it done. By order of King Bale. Your secondary target can be killed at any time after the first, but there can be no mistakes. Even the smallest slip will result in you and your entire guild happily begging for your deaths. Is that clear, Savis Ephemeral?”

  “Crystal.” He watched the strange man return to the shadows. A flash of bright white light seared Savis’ vision. It took several seconds to blink the glare from his sight and as his vision returned, he realized Sythrnax was gone.

  “Curse the Ancients, what did I get myself into?” Savis whispered to himself while shaking his head and kneeling by the river once more.

  Cupping the cool river water in his hands, he splashed his face repeatedly, hoping it would clear the hectic, confused thoughts storming around his increasingly sore head.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “Evil always seems to work its way into wherever it desires to be. It can insinuate itself into any group and begin spreading its vile purpose with the simplest of ease. The simplest comments and calmest gestures can lead to the biggest disasters. I know this better than most ever will.”

  Ella Navasha, the White witch From notes

  found in an alley in Argela, Ellorya, Date unknown

  DWARVEN MOUNTAINS

  The sun descended below the treeline of the forest by the time Giddeon and Ember had agreed it was time to stop for the night. They left Cairnwood in the morning as soon as the sun had crawled from the darkness onto the horizon of the eastern sky. They rode hard all day, only slowing to walk their horses and to swallow a bite to eat. They all knew that the months they had spent trying to chase down Kael were nearing an end. They guessed themselves to be less than two days behind Kael at the start of the day. Though they were not aware of it, they had managed to gain almost a full day on Kael and Cassie while he lay in a hidden camp north of them, recovering from his injuries.

  Force of habit led them to find a campsite on the eastern side of the mountain path, the opposite side as Kael and Kyah had a couple of nights earlier, but farther north. Ember and Saleece prepared the camp for supper while Max and Kasik scouted the area for dangers. Their return would determine whether they could have a fire and a warm meal. The further into the Dwarven Mountains they went, the more cautious they had to be because of the increased amount of danger.

  Still pulling the wagon they were given in Dasal, Giddeon and Yrlissa headed out around their camp to gather fallen wood for the fire. In a matter of a few days, the forest would thin and wood for fires would be scarce. Max suggested filling the wagon with firewood for when there were no trees. The idea was a welcomed one, and everyone had pitched in when they could.

  Max returned a full hour before Kasik and reported finding no signs of life other than plenty of animals, mostly large rabbits and numerous turkeys, which he brought back with him. Removing the string from his obsidian bow, he immediately sat down on a fallen log to clean the four large rabbits and to pluck the feathers from the fifteen-pound turkey.

  Yrlissa, having already placed several loads of wood she found into the wagon, sat down across from him and helped. Kasik’s return came with the same news of no danger, so Ember started the fire and put a large pot of dried vegetables and water over the flames for the rabbit stew, while Saleece set up the spit in order to rotate the bird as it cooked. They were all looking forward to the warm meal after the day’s long ride.

  The remainder of the evening passed, quickly, everyone getting some much needed rest. Those on watch kept the rest safe while they slept.

  The new day started early as Max and Yrlissa woke the rest just before dawn. Having taken last watch together, they fed and watered all the horses, before grooming and saddling them for the ride ahead. With everyone up and moving, a quick bite of cold turkey and hard bread served to break their fasts as they left the camp, heading for the northern trail once more.

  The morning passed the same as the day before; the group rode as hard as they dared to push the horses. Shortly before noon, they slowed to give their mounts yet another rest, while Giddeon, Saleece, and Kasik rode out front about a hundred feet from Ember, Yrlissa, and Max. Having tied the wagon’s draft horse lead to his saddle, Max was the furthest back when all the com
motion broke out.

  With the possible dangers present in the mountains, Kasik had recommended that they travel in two groups with some distance between them. Because of this, Giddeon’s group, over a hundred feet ahead, disappeared from sight as they turned a sharp dogleg in the mountain trail. The moment they cleared the turn and came out onto a stretch of arrow-straight path, they could see almost a mile ahead.

  The trail was lined with towering, ageless white birch trees. The paper-like outer bark had peeled back from their year long winter slumber. The breathtaking view was soured by a lone figure covered in dirt, blood and gore, slowly stumbling towards them. The putrid, sickening sweet scent of death drifted on the air, making their noses twitch and their breath catch in the back of their throats.

  Kasik was the first to free his tongue along with his sword. “Tyr’s blood Giddeon, it looks like a deadwalker.”

  “Drepa aldrnari,” Giddeon said lightly. The force of his words ignited long dancing flames in both of his hands. A quick command word would be all he needed to release the thundering balls of explosive fire at the stumbling zombie.

  “By the Ancients, Father, stop!” Saleece yelled. Heeling her horse and pulling the reins, she forced it to jump in front of him. “She’s alive father, look. She’s hurt, not dead!” She pointed as the woman fell, crying out for help. Saleece slid from her horse and ran to the young woman’s aid. Giddeon extinguished his magic as he and Kasik raced after her.

  Saleece had seen many mortal injuries in her life and had seen the effects of powerful magic when used against flesh and bone. The young woman she gently rolled over was one of the worst she had ever seen. She should have been dead. A quick assessment revealed her injuries were far beyond what normal magic could heal.

  “Kasik!” she screamed. “Get Ember here as fast as you can. Hurry! There’s not much time.” Kasik nodded, vaulting back up onto his mount, he galloped back down the trail. The horse’s hooves threw clumps of damp earth and grass high into the air as they vanished around the bend. Still thirty feet from Ember, Max and Yrlissa, Kasik yelled, continuing to ride hard.

  “Ember, come with me. Hurry, we need you.” Her confused look prompted him to shout. “Now!” He dragged the horse’s reins back, forcing his mount to stop. He waited a brief moment to be sure she was coming, and then heeled his horse around. It bolted ahead once more. Ember was only seconds behind as she pushed her horse to catch up, not knowing what could have possibly happened in the few minutes the others had been beyond the curve of the trail.

  Ember’s agile young horse allowed her to take the corner with enough speed to easily pass Kasik on his larger mount. She arrived quickly at the spot where Giddeon and Saleece were already frantically trying to save a young woman. Pulling back hard on the reins to stop her galloping horse, Ember jumped from the saddle before it stopped running, landing easily on both feet, right beside the others. She nudged Giddeon over and knelt to help the young woman dressed in a tattered and scorched, long white dress. She quickly did her best to evaluate the countless numbers of injuries.

  The most dire wound was above the young woman’s stomach along her ribs, where she kept her arms clamped tight to her abdomen. Ember forcefully pulled the girls hands away and gasped in horror as her intestines and some of her internal organs nearly slid out. Any lower and she would have been completely disembowelled. Ember shook her head and gagged at the atrociously-infected wound, having no idea how the poor girl could still be alive.

  “Oh my God, Giddeon.” Ember heaved again, putting her left wrist up to her nose, trying to block the smell of the festering, maggot-infested wound. “You and Saleece have to hold her hands down,” she snapped, clenching her teeth tight. “Hurry, or we’re going to lose her.” Knowing she had to work fast, Ember had already begun healing the girl deep inside, muttering the words to her magic as she tried to get through the insane fog of suffering the girl was going through.

  “Water, Giddeon. We need to flush the wound, I can’t sense what to heal through the mass of insect larvae.” Not hesitating, Giddeon and Saleece both popped the tops off their water bags and began cleaning the wound. “Yrlissa!”

  “I’m here, Ember.”

  “I don’t where to start. The wound runs from the backside of her ribcage all the way across her ribs and down to her hip. What weapon could do this? Where do I even start to heal her?”

  “Focus, Ember!” Yrlissa snapped. “I can help, but only your magic can save her. Concentrate.” Taking a deep breath, Ember gently pulled the girl’s eyelids up and smiled as they tried to focus on Ember’s face.

  “That’s it, sweetie,” she said, softly. “We’re here to help you. Look at me... Keep looking at me. That’s it, now what’s your name, hon? Think, all right, and tell me your name.” Ember was doing her best to help the young woman focus on staying alive, all the while continuing to poke her healing magic into the dying girl, looking for a place to start repairing the damage.

  “N-N-Niky, my... my n-n-name...” The young woman stuttered and shook, agony overruling all motor function.

  “Niky?” Ember asked, as the girl nodded, unable to speak. Her breaths came in short gasps between whimpers of suffering.

  “Gods, Ember. Can you not put her out and heal her?” Saleece asked. “You did it for me when were caught down south or like that little girl in Dasal.” Ember’s cheeks twitched with indecision as she sensed a partially torn artery deep within the young woman. Sliding her hand into the open wound she found the rupture and pinched it between her fingers.

  “Quiet. Please.” She took another deep breath and focused on the light pulse beating between her fingers. “I need the smallest needle and thread from my bag.” Yrlissa handed her the small curved needle attached to a small length of sparkling thread.

  Sewing the bleeder closed, she sighed and closed her eyes.

  “Aidora amaeh shalaness,” she whispered. Vibrant pink and pale topaz magic flowed through Niky’s body. The artery healed over the thread, becoming whole. “I don’t know, Saleece,” Ember answered. “I’ve never even seen wounds like these, and I don’t know how to heal them. I’m doing the best I can, but I think she needs to be awake so she can fight. Her willpower has gotten her this far.” She looked over as she felt a hand touch her shoulder.

  “Stay calm, Ember. You’re doing well,” Giddeon said. To her surprise, he gave her shoulder a quick squeeze. “Just follow your instincts and let them guide you.”

  “Here,” Yrlissa said, urgently. “She’s still bleeding inside, inches above the one you healed.” Ember nodded and pushed her hand back inside Niky’s body. Repeating the process with the needle and thread, she spelled the artery whole once more.

  Yrlissa quickly added, “Giddeon, you need to clean deeper inside her. We can’t close her up like this. She’ll die from the infection.

  Nodding her head in agreement, Ember swiftly refocused, pouring her concentration into trying to help the dying girl. Sealing off and healing the second bleeder had significantly slowed the blood flow coming from her abdomen. With the area clean of larvae and dirt, Saleece used her other hand to gently clean the large wound as Ember’s Fae magic slowly repositioned the girl’s insides to where they belonged instead of having them slither out the raw opening.

  “Max, we need more of that enchanted thread from Ember’s medicine pack. Just bring me the whole...” Yrlissa said, stopping short as she looked over her shoulder. Having already anticipated their need, Max handed her the roll of sparkling thread.

  “Dammit,” Ember cursed. “I can’t get her stomach muscles to bind together. My magic’s not strong enough.”

  “Stay calm,” Yrlissa prompted. “We’ll have to stitch the muscle together. Hand me the quiani extract. I’ll coat the thread with it. Hopefully it’ll stop any internal infections. Ready, Ember?”

  “All right,” she said, taking the needle and thread. She stitched the stomach muscles together and mended blood vessels and nerves as best she could. Giddeon and
Saleece helped her as she pulled the girl’s flesh together and stitched the open wound closed. Using magic, Ember cleaned up the few areas she could.

  Finishing up, she handed the needle and thread to Yrlissa when Niky arched her back and screamed, stopped abruptly and slumped back. Ember froze, positive the young woman just dropped dead. She looked at Giddeon, who had his fingers pressed to the side of her neck.

  “She’s all right,” he said. “She just passed out from the pain.”

  With a deep sigh of relief, Ember finished wiping the girl’s stomach, and applied a salve made from turrin moss and quiani extract. The wound would leave a wicked looking scar that she couldn’t heal. The rest of the wounds didn’t pose as great a threat as the abdomen and she was exhausted.

  “Can you two finish up?” she asked, glancing Giddeon’s way for a second. “I’m wiped out.” There were still several deep claw marks and numerous large burns, some so severe the flesh on Niky’s body was blackened and cracked, even oozing a clear liquid in places.

  “We’ll do what we can,” Giddeon said smiling. “There’s some balm to help the burns and Saleece can help me regenerate some of the cracked skin with our magic. She has a chance, Ember. Well done.” Father and daughter continued working on the young woman as Ember sat back. She sighed again and closed her eyes for a minute when Saleece gasped.