FIERCE: Sixteen Authors of Fantasy

by Mercedes Lackey

“How much you wanna bet we can hang him even if he isn’t?” the other asked.

  Both guards laughed, and the sickness in Harruq’s gut grew. A boot kicked his stomach, and he knew his patience was near its end. Visions of ripping out entrails filled his mind, and all his willpower kept him crouched there. A kick to the face forced him over, and he reached for the impact point along his cheek. A sword hilt quickly found his exposed chest. Rolling over only shifted the next few blows to his back. When the heel of a boot crushed down on his kidney, Harruq felt ready to slaughter, no longer caring if he was caught or killed. He would make them both pay.

  The tip of a sword pressed against the side of his neck, drawing blood from the slightest pressure.

  “He looks mad,” said the guard. “Died fighting us, don’t that sound right?”

  Every muscle in Harruq’s body tensed, knowing his moment to act would need to be perfect. Before he could, a feminine voice shouted down the alley, startling all three.

  “Both of you, stop that this instant!”

  Through blurred vision, Harruq saw a woman with auburn hair standing at the edge of the alley. The patrolmen also turned to look, their weapons still in hand.

  “Who the abyss…oh, go on back to your forest, Aurelia. Nothing to see here.”

  The woman pointed to the bleeding half-orc.

  “I see plenty.”

  “Just cleaning up some filth.” The bowman shifted his bow onto his shoulder. “Now move along.”

  “I don’t see any filth. Some blood and dirt, maybe, but no filth.”

  Harruq closed his eyes and listened as he tried to slow his pulse. He had no clue who this Aurelia was, but if she wanted to intervene he was glad to let her.

  “This does not concern you, elf,” said one of the guards.

  Harruq coughed at this. The woman saving him was an elf? Had the world turned upside down?

  “Oh really?” Aurelia said. “How sad.”

  “We said go, now, or else.”

  “Or else what?”

  The sword point left Harruq’s neck, and he assumed the guard made a threatening gesture. The next few seconds were a jumble. Sounds of surprised yells and sizzling fire filled the alleyway. The half-orc lifted his head, gasping at what he saw. One of the night patrol stood knee deep in dried mud. The other was hanging upside down from a flaming whip that failed to burn him.

  “Get on up, orc,” Aurelia said. “Or half-orc, whatever you are. I can only keep them like this for a little while.”

  Both men glared at Harruq as he stood, but while their mouths moved and their chests heaved neither produced a sound. The half-orc looked to the woman shrouded in the shadows cast by the fallen torch of the patrolmen.

  “I said move along,” she said. “I need to give these men a talking to.”

  “I’m going,” Harruq grumbled before staggering down the alley. He did not attempt either stealth or silence. Seething, he limped back to Qurrah and their home. Neither said a word as he discarded his armor, tossed his swords into a corner, and crashed onto their bed of straw. For a long moment, only the sound of Harruq’s heavy breathing filled the room.

  “I assume things didn’t go well?” Qurrah finally asked. Harruq didn’t bother to answer.

  The swarming sensation of power enveloped him. Beneath angry clouds, the man with red eyes beckoned.

  I am waiting, he said. All the power of Dezrel is waiting.

  What must I do? Qurrah asked as he crept up the hill toward the dark man as if approaching a god.

  You know the words.

  Can I trust you?

  The red eyes flared in laughter. Can you trust anyone?

  Qurrah crawled faster, knowing the dream was ending. But it couldn’t end. He had to know. He had to decide.

  Say them. Say them and live.

  My life for you, Qurrah shouted as the world crystallized. A red line slashed across his mind, and as the dream shattered into shards the words of the dark man ripped through him.

  Then come reap the rewards.

  Qurrah lurched awake, gasping for air. His throat ached, and he could feel the tiniest trickle of blood down his trachea. The night was still deep and the town quiet. Beside him, Harruq snored loud enough to wake the drunkest of men. Far away, a wolf howl beckoned.

  “Sleep well,” Qurrah said, leaving the town.

  His doubt faded with each step. All was identical to his dreams. A mile from town, he saw the hill, a smoldering fire atop it to guide his way. Waiting there was the dark man, his red eyes shining down on him as he approached.

  “Say the words,” the man in the black robe ordered. His voice was quiet but deep, a mixture of hate and malice compressed into audible form.

  “How can I make such a promise to one whose name I don’t know?” Qurrah asked. In answer, the man in black stood. His eyes flared and his arms spread wide. All his power rolled forth, and on trembling knees the half-orc looked upon a man more ancient than the forests, more powerful than the fury of nature, and more death than life.

  “My life for you,” he gasped as a fresh wave of terror crawled over him.

  “I would have it no other way,” the man in black said. “Now tell me your name.”

  “I am Qurrah Tun.”

  “And I am Velixar. Rise, Qurrah, and join me by the fire. Ever since I felt your presence back at Veldaren, I have yearned to speak with you.”

  The half-orc took his seat opposite the man. He stared at Velixar, hardly believing what he saw. His face was smooth, his lips small, and his sunken eyes glowing a deep crimson. His features, however, kept changing. Every time Qurrah blinked the man’s face reassembled in some minutely different way. No matter how high or low his nose, or how wide or narrow his forehead, those burning eyes remained.

  “What are you?” Qurrah asked.

  Velixar laughed.

  “How much do you know of the gods of this world, Qurrah Tun?”

  Qurrah shrugged. “I know their names and little else. Karak is death, Ashhur is life, and Celestia everything else, if the ramblings of priests and elves is to be believed.”

  Velixar nodded, the fire in his eyes growing. “This world is young, Qurrah, and Karak and Ashhur are young gods. Only five-hundred years ago they came and gave life to man.” Those eyes twinkled. “I was one of the first they made.”

  The half-orc pulled his ragged robe tighter about him as he stared into the fire. “How is that possible?” he asked. A soft wind blew, making the fire dance, and in the flickering flames Velixar smiled.

  “I was the favorite of Karak, my dear orcish friend. He gave me life when other men would have long turned to dust. When he was defeated, and his servants were cast into the abyss, I alone escaped punishment.”

  “I am not orcish,” Qurrah said, harsher than he meant.

  Velixar raised his hand in a small gesture of apology. “Orcish blood is in your veins, but perhaps I am mistaken. What are you then?”

  “I am a half-orc,” Qurrah said. His shoulders hunched, and his head lowered as a reluctant bit of shame stung his words. “The blood of both elves and orcs fills my veins.”

  He expected to be scoffed, mocked, or banished. Instead, Velixar laughed.

  “Such blasphemy against the elven goddess,” he said. “Appropriate, so appropriate. You have sworn your life to me, half-orc. You should learn what you stand to gain.”

  The cloaked man reached across the fire. His fingers brushed Qurrah’s pale face. Sudden, awful pain pierced his skull. Visions flowed through those fingers, dominant and brutal.

  Qurrah marched through a burning city commanding a legion of walking dead. Screams of men and women sang a constant chorus, and in the distance, a castle crumbled to stone and dust. A demonic chant filled his ears, two words repeated again and again. It was a warcry against all life.

  “For Qurrah! For Qurrah!”

  As the vision faded, one last sight burned into Qurrah’s mind: it was he, dressed in deep robes of black, his eyes glowing a b
loody crimson.

  “That was Veldaren,” Qurrah said as Velixar’s fingers pulled back. He felt awe and fear at the sight of the magnificent city ablaze.

  “I want all of Neldar to burn,” Velixar said, his deep voice rumbling. “Will you aid me?”

  Such a great request, a desire for destruction that most would hesitate before. For Qurrah, though, it was a fate he had long expected. It was within his blood, the cursed, the race of the ugly and the destructive. Yet it had been his elvish blood that had him banished. Such foolishness. Such idiocy.

  “King Vaelor cowers at the very thought of an elf,” Qurrah said. “The rest of the city despises us for the orc within me. I will punish all of their ignorance.”

  “Tomorrow night, come to me,” Velixar said. “I have much to discuss and you have much to learn.”

  Qurrah stood and bowed before his new master. “I will be here,” he said. “And I will be ready.”

  “Go.” Velixar waved his hand, and Qurrah obeyed.

  Harruq was still snoring when Qurrah returned to bed. If he had not been so preoccupied, he would have noticed the slight irregularity of the snoring and the exaggerated movements of his brother’s chest.

  Chapter IV

  HARRUQ HURRIED DOWN THE ROAD, doing his best to pretend he knew what he was doing. Most of his bruises had already faded, hidden beneath the gray hue of his skin. He drew many glances, however, and he did his best to ignore them. The people of Woodhaven accepted him but still viewed his blood in bad regard. Elves and humans held little love for the orcish kind and had ever since their creation. That distaste suited Harruq just fine. Deep down, Harruq felt he deserved their ire.

  He stopped by Maggie’s Place, not bothering to go inside. It was early morning and anyone already drinking would hardly be useful. Instead, he stopped the first random passerby that appeared to be a kindly person.

  “Do you know of a woman named Aurelia?” he asked, butchering the pronunciation. The passerby, an elderly woman, sneered at him.

  “Have fun finding that forest slut,” she said before walking on. Harruq shrugged, deciding his ability to pick kindly people wasn’t very impressive. He tried again, this time with a tired man trudging down the street.

  “Never heard of her,” the man said. A few more unsuccessful attempts sent Harruq away from Singhelm and further into Celed. There the reception toward him took a significant turn for the worse. Many refused to meet his eye or acknowledge his question. The half-orc’s frustration grew.

  “That’s it,” he muttered to himself. “Just one more and I’m going home. To the abyss with all this.” An elf approached. He had long brown hair, walnut eyes, and an elaborate bow slung on his back. The hardened look on his face gave Harruq little hope.

  “Do you know of a woman named Aurelia?” he asked anyway.

  “Aurelia?” the elf asked. “Why in all of Dezrel would you be looking for her?”

  “She, um, I kind of…” The half-orc faltered. “I owe her a favor.”

  The elf smiled as if trying to appear amused, but it faltered miserably.

  “You are looking in the wrong place,” he said. “Search the woods just outside town. Call her name a couple times. She’ll hear you.”

  “Thank you,” Harruq said, grateful even though his insides churned. He had faced many men in battle, and yet here he was, his heart skipping beats at the thought of meeting this mysterious Aurelia. What was wrong with him?

  “You are welcome, half-orc,” the elf said before moving on, the bow still hung comfortably on his back. Harruq watched him go, staring longer than he felt he should. He couldn’t shake the feeling he was being led into a trap.

  “So be it,” he said. He would not be afraid of meeting an elf in battle. Grumbling, he stormed off for the forest.

  “Aurelia!”

  No answer.

  “Aurelia! It’s me, from last night! Can you hear me?”

  Only the calm, scattered sounds of the forest returned his call.

  “Damn elf,” Harruq grumbled, crossing his arms and looking all about. “She’s probably not here. He just sent me out here to look stupid yelling at trees.”

  “And what elf would that be?” asked a familiar voice from behind. Harruq whirled, his heart jumping as Aurelia stepped out from behind a tree.

  To his eyes, she was even more beautiful in the streaming daylight. Long auburn hair trailed past her shoulders, curled, and ended in several thin braids. Her face and eyes were small, the curve of her bones soft and elegant. She had small lips locked in a frown as she stood cross-armed, as if waiting on him. Her ears, upturned at the peak, were tiny even for her race. She wore a long green dress bound by a golden sash.

  “Well? Who sent you here?” she asked. “Was it some mean man trying to toy with you?”

  “I’m sorry,” Harruq said before resuming his slack-jawed staring. Aurelia uncrossed her arms, those same soft features turning remarkably fierce as she glared at him.

  “Stop that. If you don’t shut your mouth, I’m turning you into a toad.”

  He shut his mouth.

  “So why are you here?” she asked.

  “I was just, um, I never got a chance to thank you.” Harruq felt his face flush. This was the most awful thing he had ever done. He’d prefer to face a dragon in unarmed combat. He’d have better odds surviving, too, based on Aurelia’s cold, steeled look.

  “You came all the way out here to thank me? Hardly sounds like an orcish thing to do.”

  One would not have thought gray skin could turn so red, but it did.

  “Well, I still want to repay you.” Harruq held out a small bag containing copper coins. “It’s all I have. Please, take it.”

  Aurelia glanced at the bag. “No,” she said.

  “But why?”

  The elf shook her head. “Your swords. Where are they?”

  Harruq glanced at his waist. “They’re at my home,” he said.

  “Are you any good with them?”

  The half-orc shrugged. “Better than most. So yeah.”

  The elf looked him up and down, sending chills roaring along his spine. It seemed so strange that she had saved his life, since at that moment he felt like all she wanted was to see him dead.

  “Come tomorrow with swords to spar,” she said at last, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. “You can train me to wield my staff in melee combat.”

  “I don’t see a staff,” Harruq said.

  “I don’t see any swords either,” she shot back.

  “Fine. When?”

  “Tomorrow,” Aurelia said. “Early morning.”

  Harruq nodded, his whole body fidgeting. Now that he’d found her he wanted nothing more than to escape. He was supposed to thank her and go, not be mocked and ordered around.

  “Go on home,” Aurelia said. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

  He did as commanded, and that fact disturbed him greatly. Qurrah was awake when he returned.

  “Where have you been?” he asked.

  “I went out to train,” Harruq said.

  “Without them?” Qurrah pointed to Harruq’s swords stacked in the corner. The larger half-orc shrugged.

  “Didn’t need them.”

  Harruq went to the other side of the house and started punching holes in the walls. Qurrah might have inquired further but he was lost in his own secret. The night didn’t come soon enough for either of the two brothers.

  The air was cold, a sudden chill from the north chasing away the heat of the day. Qurrah wrapped himself best he could as he climbed the hill. He spotted the small fire, and beside it Velixar bathed in its red glow. The fledgling necromancer took his seat across from the man in black.

  “Are you ready to listen?” Velixar asked. Qurrah nodded. “Good. The story of this world’s gods is not lengthy, nor complicated, but it is a story that you must learn.

  “Celestia created the rock, the grass, and the water. Her hand formed the wildlife, and to tend her creation she cre
ated elves. The goddess gave them long life and abundant land so quarrels within their race were of the petty sort. Then the brother gods came. Ashhur of Justice, Karak of Order. There are many worlds beyond our own, Qurrah. I have seen fleeting glimpses of them in my dreams. Karak and Ashhur came from one of those worlds, and Celestia welcomed them. To them she gave the grasslands and rolling hills.

  “These brother gods did not make their own creation. Instead, they made man, much the same as man existed in their former world. They wanted to make a paradise, one of justice and order. The world they came from was full of chaos, death, and murder. This world, this land of Dezrel, would be different.”

  Both men shared a soft laugh, Velixar’s far bitterer than Qurrah’s.

  “What caused their failure?” Qurrah asked.

  “Karak and Ashhur spoiled their creations. Crops grew bountiful and healthy. A single prayer cured all sickness and disease. Mankind spread across the land with remarkable speed, forming two kingdoms. East of the Rigon River was Neldar, ruled by Karak. To the west was Mordan, governed by Ashhur. However, there was a delta at the end of the river controlled by none. Within were a few small villages with no government, no ruler. Karak brought his troops to establish order. Ashhur was quick to defend it, and in turn, claim it as his own.”

  “You speak of centuries ago,” Qurrah interrupted. “Yet you claim to be one of Karak’s first.”

  “I was his high priest, half-orc,” Velixar said, his eyes narrowing. “He blessed me so I would never die of sickness, age, or blade. I have watched the world evolve, and I have watched gods make war. Do not accuse me of having a lying tongue. The truth is always enough, even for those who walk in the darkness.”

  “Forgive me, master,” Qurrah said, bowing. His teeth chattered in the cold.

  Velixar waved a hand. The dwindling fire between them swelled to a healthy blaze.

  “The two brothers were arrogant to think they could create a paradise with a creature so full of faults as man,” Velixar continued. “I saw the battle waged in the small town of Haven, there in the center of the delta. It is an awesome thing to watch gods duel. Ashhur fled before either could strike a killing blow. I summoned our armies, as did the priests of Ashhur. Think now of the many deformed creatures that walk this world. Know they were all mere animals before the gods turned them into soldiers for their war. The elves were vicious in this time, slaying any who dared come near their forests. But some elves did side with Karak, determined to help end the war so the world could heal.”