by Matt Moss
“Drink,” Hobba said and put the skin close to Xar’s face.
“King Hobba, I should detain you for such disrespect.”
Hobba shrugged and pulled the whiskey back. “Fine. More for me.”
“Apologies,” Arkin said to the emperor. Xar stuck his nose up at Arkin. He glared warning at Hobba then went back into the tent, shutting the flap in anger. Hobba held the skin at his side and adjusted his stance. “What are you doing?” Arkin asked.
Hobba turned back and put a finger to his mouth. He lifted his loincloth and commenced to pissing on the ground in front of Xar’s tent. Arkin looked around nervously, hoping to find no witnesses to the desecration. When the king was done, he patted Arkin on the shoulder. “It’s okay. I know that man.”
“Let’s go before you get us both in trouble,” Arkin said, and pulled the king away.
A man approached them from the side. “Arkin.”
Arkin saw the man as he came close. “Rico!” He embraced his friend. “I knew you would show up. Talk about last minute, though.”
Rico extended his arm to emphasize the message. “Arkin, listen to me. You’ve been deceived. Maximus betrays you.”
Arkin furrowed his brow. “You know, that’s the same thing Cain said the other day. But it doesn’t add up. Maximus wants the high priest gone as much as anyone. Why would he turn against us now?” His eyes went to Rico’s arm. “God, what happened to your hand?”
Rico tucked the arm behind his back. “Never mind that. You want proof? Take a soul stone near Maximus and see what happens.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Arkin said, laughing it off. Rico remained unmoved and waited on Arkin. Arkin blinked. “You’re serious?”
“I saw…whatever it was…take Maximus with my own two eyes—the last time he waged war on Victor. Only myself, Karn, and the high priest were witnesses. It took his body.”
“This man has been the one drinking too much,” Hobba told Arkin.
Something about Rico’s words struck Arkin to be true. He’d felt something strange about the governor since meeting the man, but couldn’t place it. “Alright, then,” he said and pulled a soul stone from his pocket, pulsing with blue light. “I suppose we can apologize if this doesn’t work. I’ll blame it on Hobba.”
Hobba raised an eyebrow. “That is fine. You always carry these rocks?”
“Yeah, why?” Arkin asked. Hobba held a hand up, looked away, and took another drink.
Emperor Xar emerged from the tent, dressed in a robe. “Most men would conspire in secret and keep their voices low.”
“Forgive us. Please, get some sleep. We’ll leave you alone now,” Arkin said.
“Too late for sleep. And if these words are true about the ally I just met, I want to see the traitor for myself.”
Arkin nodded and led the way. The four men walked through the camp, drawing suspicious stares from both sides—many of the soldiers curious as to what was going on and, therefore, stepping in to follow. They stopped in front of the governor’s tent. “Maximus,” Arkin called out and waited.
Maximus stepped out of the tent in bed clothes, wiping the sleep from his eye. He stood, confused by the interruption and why so many people had gathered outside his domain. A cold, suspecting glare came at Arkin and the three men at his side for the intrusion. Silence hung for a moment, and Hobba found it to be a good opportunity to take a drink.
“What is the meaning of this?” Maximus demanded.
Arkin pulled the glowing stone from behind his back.
Maximus’s eyes went wide, then turned to Rico, staring at him with hate. “I remember you. You were there that day. Do you really want to proceed with this?”
“Whatever you are, we come to call to question. Show yourself,” Rico stated out loud.
Soldiers loyal to Maximus came from all sides and stood beside their leader. “I don’t know what you’re all about, but I suggest you move on,” a man said, dressed for battle. He looked to Arkin. “And take your pets with you.”
Hobba stopped mid-drink and slowly lowered his hand, angry eyes locking on to the man who spoke. Arkin put a hand out to still the king, and then raised the stone up. I hope what you say is true, Rico. If not, you may have just ended this war before it even began. He spoke to the soldiers. “We’re on the same side. Victor and the Religion is the enemy.”
“They accuse me of treason,” Maximus spat and pointed an accusing finger. “The Order conspires against me, brothers. If they treat me like so, what, then, is their opinion of the free men? They want the independent cities to fall. They want to see the kingdom divided. They seek power above all else!”
The words inspired the men and they took up arms. The free men who were behind Arkin moved to stand beside Maximus and the lines were clearly drawn. The tribes rallied behind their leaders and took up arms.
“Enough,” emperor Xar commanded and raised a hand. “Enough blood will be shed tomorrow without us ripping each other apart tonight.”
Arkin took a step towards the governor and Rico stepped with him. “Show yourself,” Rico said.
Maximus seethed. “Stop these men. Stop them, I command.”
Three soldiers stepped to meet Arkin and Rico, hands on hilts. “Go back about your business. Last warning,” one soldier said with arrogance, looking for a reason to spill blood.
Arkin had seen the type before. I’ve been that man before. Eager. Wanting to prove myself to people whose opinions didn’t matter. “It’s going to be okay,” he told the soldier and kept moving forward. Rico didn’t waver and put a hand to his hip, ready to pull the knife that he always kept tucked there. The soldiers cursed and tensed.
“Stop them!” Maximus cried.
The men drew their swords.
“No,” Arkin said and held out a hand. In response, the soldiers froze, unable to move, their eyes the only thing following Arkin as he walked past. The stone shone brighter in his hand, pulsing faster.
Maximus’s eyes went wide. “What are you doing? Stop,” he said, cringing away from the light as if it pained him. Arkin brought the stone closer. Maximus shifted and changed form, his face becoming twisted and sunken, revealing his true form. In rage, he turned to Arkin and growled, his voice a mix between beast and man. “You will fall, and your scourge will be cleansed from this world.”
Arkin reeled back in shock but held the stone in place. It shone upon the face as it smiled and peered through the light at Arkin. “Remember me? We met once—on the road. Can you recall my name?”
Without hesitation, Arkin knew. “Trip.”
The beast inclined its head. “Yes. I knew you were special the day I met you. Smart, ambitious, honorable—even Ros saw something in you.” His head shifted, blending between Maximus and the face of something else. “Now, put the stone away and we can both pretend like this never happened.”
Arkin looked back to Rico and found him shaking his head, his eyes telling him not to back down. Arkin turned back to the beast and spoke to the soldiers. “This man is not Maximus, as you all bare witness to. Double the chains and lash him to that tree,” Arkin decreed, pointing to a large oak beside the tent. Maximus raised up, seemingly doubling in size as he stood in defiance. “That’s not going to happen,” he threatened.
Out of nowhere, king Hobba charged in from the side and punched Maximus square in the jaw, snapping his head to the side, causing his face to shift back to the beast. The governor growled and picked the king up by the throat. Hobba wriggled and spat in its face, and the beast tossed the king to the side like a rag doll. Hobba slammed against the tree and lie still.
Not wanting to kill the beast yet, Arkin soul tapped and tucked his shoulder as he slammed into its chest. Flying backwards, Maximus scraped and clawed at Arkin’s back, cutting and ripping his flesh. They crashed onto the ground, driving the earth apart to form a deep ditch as they drove across the camp. Once stopped, Arkin held the beast’s hands as it lashed and roiled beneath his grasp. As the rage built within
the beast, its speed and strength increased. Arkin fought back, straining to hold it. He saw Rico from the corner of his eye coming to help. “No, stay back!” Arkin warned him. He soul tapped further to keep control of Maximus.
“Fool! You’ve all but lost. Your precious stones cannot save you,” the beast hissed.
“Shut up,” Arkin said, and head-butted the beast. The blow buckled its strength, and Arkin saw it fit to deliver three more hard blows from his fist. With eyes rolled back, Maximus, the man, was dazed and unable to fight back. Arkin drug him by the arm to the tree. Halfway there, Maximus came to his senses. “Wait. Don’t do this. You don’t know what you’re doing!”
Arkin ignored the cries and took him to the tree. The beast appeared again and tried to break free, and Arkin reminded it who was in control with his fist. “Sit.”
Having seen enough, the soldiers brought chains to lash Maximus to the tree. “Twice over, as you said,” a soldier said, holding the bonds at ready. Arkin nodded and the men commenced to chaining the governor.
“Please, don’t. Without me, you will all be destroyed. The high priest will burn this world until there is nothing left!”
Arkin looked into the Maximus’s eyes after he was chained tight to the large oak tree. They gazed back, afraid. “You must believe me! But I… I can save you. I can show you how to be more powerful than any enemy. I can teach you the true potential of the soul. Let me go and I will save you. I am the only one who can stop Victor.”
Arkin left him at the tree and saw to Hobba who sat on the ground, tended to by his men. The king waved off any help. Arkin knelt down beside him. “Are you alright?”
“I need a drink,” Hobba said, looking into Arkin’s eyes. He chuckled, then winced, holding his ribs in discomfort.
“I told you to keep a clear head,” Arkin said, pressing a finger against the king’s head.
Hobba pointed to Maximus. “This day is not normal. Any other time, Hobba would be fine.”
Rico pulled his sword and walked towards Maximus. Arkin ran to stop him. “Rico, don’t.”
“I should have done this when I saw him the first time,” Rico said, unwavering.
Arkin stepped in front of him before he could reach the tree. “We’ll kill him in time, but not before I ask him some questions.”
“What are you looking to find? Can you actually believe a word that thing says?” Rico asked Arkin, pointing the sword at Maximus. The governor smiled at Rico, blood dripping from his mouth and nose, his lips and face swollen. Emperor Xar walked beside Arkin, making his presence known. “What will become of this thing?”
“We must kill it, now, before it breaks free,” Rico pleaded.
“A being such as this has seen more of the world than any living man. It has much knowledge about the world. Let us question it and gain this knowledge for ourselves,” Xar stated.
“Yes. I can tell you about the history of this world and all of its secrets. Would you like to know more about soul tapping? I can show you,” Maximus told Xar.
Rico’s eyes went wide with disbelief as he looked to Arkin. “Are you serious? It will lie and deceive whoever listens to it. You’re playing with fire if you allow it live.”
Emperor Xar looked to Arkin. “I will have thirty of my men watch over it. If it tries to escape, they’ll kill it. You have my word.”
Arkin nodded to Xar. Rico turned away in disgust. Maximus stood tall in the chains and grinned, triumphantly. The number of observers had grown and Arkin addressed the men. “Maximus is not himself anymore. He is not your leader. But there is still a war to fight, and I ask you now to stand with me. Free men, tribes, men and women—we stand together to bring down a false king and high priest. When the morning light comes, let us remember this as we fight with honor, side-by-side, together as one.”
A few cheers came and some applauded, but most just went back to their camps after the speech was over, some in shock and disbelief. Arkin watched them leave, and Rico with them. He ran after his friend to explain his actions. Hobba found his feet and his men escorted him to his chambers.
Emperor Xar stood with thirty men at his side and turned to the tree after everyone left. Maximus raised his head proudly, a knowing grin upon his face, eyes shining bright in the light of the moon. “Leave us,” Xar said, and waved his men away. After they left, he walked to stand in front of Maximus.
Maximus breathed deep, chest rising high. “What can I do for you, emperor?”
“What do you know about soul stones?”
Maximus turned his head from left to right, eyes closed in a moment of ecstacy, then focused back onto Xar’s eyes. “Everything. What would you like to know?”
“I want to know how to use them; how to harness their power. I want to know where I can find them.”
“So, you want to rule the world,” Maximus noted with a grin. “That’s good. I can help you with that. But first, I need something from you.”
Xar looked around nervously. “I can’t set you free.”
“No, because you’re not in charge. They are,” Maximus said with disgust, inclining a nod towards the camp. His eyes locked back onto Xar’s. “But not for long. I will give you the world—everything I know, the ability to soul tap, the stones—all of it, if you do one thing for me.”
“Tell me,” Xar said in earnest, his eyes hungry for power.
Maximus stiffened back against the tree, the chains softly rattling in the night, as a grin crept across his face.
It was a knowing grin that had seen many things throughout the ages in the world of men.
THIRTY-SEVEN
On the day of war, the heavens themselves casted their judgement down in a cold, heavy rain that soaked the ground and chilled the bone. Dark clouds roiled overhead, blasting gales of wind and hail that beat against helm and shield, questioning a man’s mettle. Victor—king, high priest of the Religion—stood in front of his army and gazed across the battlefield. Arkin stood beside his best men, the free men of the independent cities, the tribes standing behind them in defiance of tyranny. Lightning flashed and thunder cracked around the land—the world not caring to pick sides, as it had no use for the loyalties of men and the faith that each one held to.
Breathe.
Arkin cleared his mind and removed all surroundings. Everyone disappeared, leaving only him and Victor on the battlefield. Peering into his being, Arking searched Victor’s power and found it to be truly great. But the priest was withholding, not allowing his true strength to show, as if he knew Arkin would be gauging his power. Arkin focused, searching the high priest further. Victor’s eyes shifted, locking on to his. Arkin opened his eyes.
“Archers, ready!” Torin shouted. He looked to Lyla who was in command of the artillery. “Ready,” she called back and notched an arrow. “Ready,” Joko resounded next to her. A thousand more followed her lead. Torin turned to Arkin. “We’re ready, commander.”
“Don’t call me that,” Arkin replied.
“Like it or not, that’s what you are. And right about now would be a good time to give a grand speech.” Arkin shot a look at Torin. The big man grinned. “You know, to inspire and all that.”
“We all know why we’re here, and we’ve all heard the speech before. Words can’t do justice for what every one of us is feeling inside right now,” Arkin said, and turned his eye back to the opposing army. “They’re fifty thousand strong, every bit.”
“Aye,” Torin said. “The crows will have their fill after this day.”
Arkin looked to Torin and decided to tell his friend how much he meant to him. “Torin…”
“You don’t have to say a word, friend. I feel the same,” Torin said, and placed a hand on Arkin’s shoulder. “As you said, words don’t do it justice.”
“The gods are not happy this day,” Hobba noted, raising his voice above the noise of the hammering storm. “This storm is a bad omen.” The king stared out across the battlefield, eyes squinting through the rain.
Ar
kin looked behind the army, behind the hill to where the tribes lie in hiding. “Are your men set with the plan?” Arkin asked the king.
Hobba turned to him. “Yes. We wait until their front line marches. They fight. After Victor sends in the rest of the army, we come in and ride them down.”
Arkin nodded. “Wait until he sends everyone in, not before. We’ve only got one shot at this,” he said, and turned back to survey the field. The weather made it difficult for foot and horse, the mud slick and hard to fight on. Arkin knew it would only get worse once the blood started to spill.
“After the free men on the front lines engage, they will need support, fast,” Torin said.
Arkin turned to him. “And I will be there with them.”
The big man shook his head. “No, Arkin. You must be here to command. If you fall, everyone falls.”
Arkin pursed his lips and looked ahead. “Maybe you’re right. But I can only watch for so long.”
“I’ll ride out with the reserves and give the front line support. Just make sure Lyla keeps the arrows flying…preferably over my head when I’m down there.” Torin said, looked ahead, and spat on the ground.
Arkin grinned at his friend and took a drink of water. He passed it to Torin. Across the way, the high priest sat high on his horse at the top of a hill as Karn rode along their front lines, rallying the mens’ courage. “Look at that sumbitch. Victor won’t even meet the men out front before they go to die for him. He’s afraid, Arkin.”
“A coward, maybe. But afraid of losing this war, I don’t think so,” Arkin replied, staring at the white figure in the distance. “He’s got something planned, and I got a bad feeling about it.”
“Push that feeling aside because it won’t do you any good. Fight knowing that we will win. But, also knowing this will be a different kind of war,” Torin said, patting the pouch of soul stones at his side.
Arkin eyed him. “Don’t use a stone unless absolutely necessary. Only if Victor does.”