by Jeff Gunzel
Their stories were so disjointed that Jarlen could hardly make sense of their panicked ramblings. Something about a creature that looked human but clearly wasn’t. His arm had turned into a vine-like weapon and he even managed to pull several of them down into the ground, effectively killing them below the surface. Many died at his hands before he escaped over the side of a cliff.
Jarlen didn’t know what to make of their panicked babbling, but a few things had become apparent. Many of them were not coming back, and Orm’rak was dead. Fool, he thought to himself. Obsessed by thoughts of revenge, that fool had committed all his resources to a single target with no second or third backup plan. His judgment had been impaired, and now the fool was dead. Jarlen didn’t care either way. Orm’rak had no one to blame but himself.
But looking out at the number of solemn faces around him, Jarlen couldn’t help but feel concern for the future of this group. One of the returning lerwicks sat near the opposite wall, continuously chewing on her fingernails as she rocked back and forth. She mumbled at her hand, as if having some sort of private conversation with her fingertips. Other lerwicks who had returned were not in much better shape. Their battle had been a one-sided bloodbath, and they were not ready to come to terms with the carnage they had seen.
His own troops had been dealt a similar blow. Due to his extended fight with that troublesome hunter, many of his followers thought he had abandoned the battle altogether. How long would it take to regain their trust? Morale was low, but that wasn’t the only thing bothering him about the situation.
Not all the lerwicks who hadn’t returned had been killed in battle. If the reports were true, several had stayed behind and joined with the enemy. They joined Viola! Why would they do that? She wasn’t as strong as he was. Her caring nature was a pitiful weakness, not a strength! What were they thinking? But another glance around the cold, dark cave was a stark reminder of where they stood. This cave was a suitable base for now, but it wouldn’t do long term. The humans lived in large cities and quaint little towns while the spiritists lived in a large tower built right here in the mountains. All the lerwicks had was an abandoned cave to call home.
He needed to do something. Deep down, he knew that Orm’rak was a more natural leader than he was. But Orm’rak was no longer here, and he needed to figure out some way to raise morale. Pushing up off the wall, he walked to the center of the cave. Eyes followed his movement, but no one said anything. “Gather around,” he said, trying to keep a light tone in his voice as he held out his arms. That was how Orm’rak would have spoken to them. He would take it slow and learn on the fly. After a few uneasy looks, Lerwicks stood and began filling in the space around him.
“Believe me when I say I know how all of you feel,” he began. “We have just been handed two separate defeats at the hands of the humans, as well as lost our brother and friend during the campaign. Orm’rak will be missed. I know this must feel like the world is collapsing down around you, but I assure you, nothing could be further from the truth.”
He reached up and put his hands on top of his head, then proceeded to walk through the group, smiling at any who found the courage to look him in the eye. “I use the word defeat because I know that that is how it felt to many of you. But I do not view it that way myself.” Some of the lerwicks began to stir uncomfortably. What was he talking about? Of course they had been defeated, and quite soundly at that. “What I witnessed was nothing more than a mere setback, a small piece to a much larger puzzle. Setbacks are what make us grow. Controversy is what makes us strong. This is all just another part of being free and not some pet to a human. What is sacrificed now will be gained back tenfold. This I promise you.”
Jarlen cast his hands out wide, gesturing around the cave. “We are still here. The humans are not going to attack us on our own territory. They wouldn’t dare! Even after their perceived victories, they still fear you. As well they should! Had we been defeated, they would have wiped us out, yes? Look to the man or woman next to you.” There came a shuffling of movement as lerwicks glanced left and right. “The person sitting next to you is a survivor, a warrior! He has gone through the same trials and tribulations as you. He is not dead. He has not been defeated, and neither have you!”
Feeling their stirring energy, he let them settle down a bit before continuing. His speech had struck a chord with the lerwicks, just as he hoped. It was just what they needed to hear, when they needed to hear it. “I am not Orm’rak,” he said in a much more solemn tone. “Nor will I ever pretend to be. Our brother can never be replaced, and we will remember him always.” Jarlen bowed his head and brought a fist to his chest. “But I will promise you this. I will do my very best to finish what he started. What we have started. I know you trusted him, believed in him, and now I ask that you give me a chance to earn your trust.
“No, friends, we have not been defeated. Not even close. Stay strong in the face of our enemies, don’t be afraid to fight for the man standing next to you, and together we will be victorious in the end.”
Chapter 3
A quick knock on the door raised Viola from her bed, but it creaked inward before she answered. At first she smiled at the sight of her friend peeking in, but her grin melted away at the serious look on Salina’s face. “You have been summoned,” Salina said, getting right to the point. There was a touch of worry in her voice.
“Summoned? Did anyone tell you why?” Viola asked.
Salina just shook her head. “The Moon Mistress simply sent me to come get you. She didn’t say why, but I suggest we hurry.”
“All right then,” Viola said, rising up off her bed. She hadn’t been sleeping, so she was already dressed. It was the middle of the day and she just wanted to take a little time for herself to sort through some things. A lot had happened recently, and she felt as though she had some decisions to make.
Together, they walked out into the hall. But despite Salina’s warning that they should hurry, she was clearly dragging her feet for some reason. Viola finally stopped and turned to look at her. “Salina?” she questioned, certain that something else must be bothering her friend. Salina stopped in her tracks and looked down at her feet. “Salina, talk to me,” Viola urged, taking a step towards her friend.
“Is it true?”
“Is what true?” Viola asked, although she suspected she already knew what Salina was talking about.
“Did you really ask Rishima to send out a call to all the lerwicks? Are you really asking them to come out of hiding to come serve under your command?” So this was what was on Salina’s mind. This was why she was acting so nervous, and not necessarily because of the summoning itself.
“It is,” Viola responded quickly. “I’ve made no secret of my intentions.” That was true enough. She hadn’t really spoken to anyone but Rishima and Bella about her plan, but that didn’t mean she was hiding her intent. It was unclear as to how Salina had found out. That was a difficult thing to know when dealing with a spiritist who may or may not have gotten information directly from a spirit. Lying to a spiritist was never a good idea, and Viola wasn’t going to start now.
“I see,” Salina said, head still down while looking rather uncomfortable. A long silence followed. Viola waited patiently, not wanting to push her friend into speaking further until she was ready.
“Does my plan bother you?” Viola finally asked, a little worried about the possible answer. She knew in her heart that she needed to do this. But at the same time, she didn’t want anything to come between herself and Salina. Now she was the one feeling nervous.
“It’s not that,” Salina was quick to point out. “Not exactly, anyway. I know you mean well, and in a way I’m really excited for you. I’m just worried about what this might mean.”
“As far as you and I go, it doesn’t mean anything,” Viola assured her. “This has nothing to do with you or any of the other spiritists. It is just something that I have to do.”
“That’s not what I mean,” Salina said, throwin
g her hands in the air. It was clear she was growing frustrated with her inability to express her concerns. “What if— What if you’re wrong?!”
“Wrong?”
“Wrong,” Salina repeated, hands planted on her hips. “Wrong about everything. How many lerwicks have you actually met besides your own brother?” Viola opened her mouth, but then just stood trying to think. Her hesitation proved Salina’s point. “And we know how wonderful he is, don’t we? Well, what if he is not the exception?” Her voice grew quiet, eyes falling back to the floor. “What if it’s you who are the exception?”
“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say,” Viola lied, reading the message loud and clear. The thought had never even occurred to her.
“You are so sweet and kind,” Salina said, gently touching her friend on the cheek. “And trusting, I’m afraid. What if you are the only one who is like this? What if those like your brother are the norm, not the exception? It is possible that you have opened your arms to an evil race. Have you even thought about that possibility?”
Viola stepped away from Salina’s touch. Ignoring the concerned look on her friend’s face, she turned away. “I can’t accept that,” she said softly. “I don’t want to think about it that way.”
“But you must,” Salina said. “If they cannot be saved as you think they can,” Salina lay her forehead on the back of Viola’s neck, hands moving up to her shoulders, “then they are your enemy,” she finished in a whisper. “And must then be treated as such, no matter how much that hurts to hear.” Viola tensed. She knew Salina was only concerned about her. This couldn’t have been easy to say. But although she could appreciate Salina’s good intentions, she couldn’t afford to let it weaken her resolve.
Viola turned around. “I suppose we shall see soon enough, won’t we?” she said before continuing on down the hall, leaving her friend a few steps behind. “Besides, Rishima has yet to give me an answer on what she plans to do. It is still possible she will deny my request, and none of this will matter anyway.” After turning the next corner, Viola noticed Salina trying to hide her grin. With the change in demeanor, she was starting to look like herself again. “Now what are you thinking about?” Viola asked, relieved to see her friend finally relaxing a little.
“I can’t believe you killed him,” came the unexpected response. Caught off guard by the blunt comment, Viola tripped on nothing and stumbled a step or two. “Oh, I don’t mean to sound so morbid,” Salina was quick to add. “You had no choice, after all. One of us would have done it sooner or later, but who knew it would be you? Alone, no less! I still can’t get over it. I am quite proud of you.”
Viola didn’t respond at first. She hadn’t forgotten, of course. Who could ever forget committing a murder with your bare hands? No, not forgotten, but she really hadn’t thought much about it since that day. In the aftermath of it all, it was little more than a task that needed doing. And now that it was done, it had become mostly an afterthought. Fixing a fence was also a task that one might do, but once it was done it was out of mind.
The fact that she could make such a cold comparison bothered her on many levels. What if Salina was right? What if her kind really were natural killers, a species who cared nothing for life in general? She had killed yet another man, and somehow it didn’t bother her much. Not like the first time anyway.
“What did they do with—” she began.
“Burned,” Salina said. “Even his ashes have been disposed of. We can all rest easy now thanks to you.”
After heading up two flights of stairs, they found themselves standing before a large gray door. Nodding to Viola, Salina pushed it open and led the way in. Viola had never seen this room before. Far larger than most in the tower, it was decorated with mounted stuffed animals and pictures of other wildlife everywhere she looked. At the far end of the room sat Bella and Rishima behind a large wooden table, their stony faces serious and cold. Split to either side of them sat four more spiritists, their eyes shadowed behind a white, hazy mist. Still as death, the four spiritists didn’t acknowledge that anyone had entered.
Flashing Viola an unsure look, Salina stepped forward and bowed her head. “I have done as you’ve asked, Mistress. I will now take my leave.”
“You claim to take your leave, and yet no one had dismissed you,” Rishima said, her stony glare still unchanged.
“Both of you, please be seated,” Bella said in a much gentler tone. She rose from her seat, arms spread wide in an inviting fashion. They approached the table but remained standing. Bella sat back down and turned to Rishima. Nervous and feeling the urge to say something in order to break the tense silence, Viola tried to introduce herself to the four spiritists who had yet to speak, or even breathe as far she could tell.
“Although they can hear you,” Rishima interrupted, “their mental state will not allow for them to respond to you. They can only communicate with Bella or myself. In order to perform their duties to the best of their abilities, my personal advisors have linked themselves to the spirit world at my request. While listening to our conversation, they shall receive constant feedback from the spirits themselves. Do you both understand?” Both Salina and Viola nodded as one. “Good. Then I insist that you try your best to forget they are here and focus only on us.”
Both Bella and Rishima rose from their seats and came around to the front of the table. “There have been a number of disturbing reports,” Rishima began. “It seems that the lerwick attack on the town of Haran was not just an isolated event. There were other attacks taking place at the exact same time.”
“But only one confirmed,” Bella added, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the table. She glanced back at one of the spiritists for confirmation. Eyes covered in mist, he seemed to be mumbling to himself. Finally, he gave a definitive nod before his body stiffened once more.
“Yes,” Rishima agreed stiffly, not particularly liking being corrected in front of others. “But reports are still coming in. If the rumors alone are any indication, one would believe there were millions striking at once. The point is, there are far more than we first believed and they appear to be hostile. In the coming days we will have to make some decisions on what to do about the situation.”
Now Viola could see what was going on. Their serious moods were not directed at her at all, but at the serious situation as a whole. But this news did not make her feel any better. If anything, it added pressure to the plan she had already put in place. They couldn’t all be evil. They just couldn’t be.
“But I have already offered a plan as to how to deal with this crisis,” Viola said.
“So you have,” Rishima said, pushing off the table to go back to her seat. The moment she sat down, one of the spiritists leaned over and began whispering in her ear. For an instant, the misty fog around his eyes seemed to disappear. Unlike the others, he appeared lucid at least for the moment. But as soon as he stopped whispering and sat up straight, the fog reappeared around his eyes once more. “And after much careful thought, I have decided to honor your request,” Rishima said, smiling for the first time.
Suddenly unable to feel her legs, Viola wondered how she could still be standing. Her heart spun with a whirl of emotion, feelings ranging from surprise and joy, to fear and apprehension. Not long ago she was little more than a forgotten girl existing in the shadows of a backwards world that didn’t even know she lived. Now she was about to lead a movement like none the realm had ever seen. How far she had come in such a short time. None of it felt real.
“I wasn’t going to agree to this at first,” Rishima was quick to point out. “The spiritists are a neutral race who prefer not to get involved in world affairs. Why, most of the world isn’t even aware of our existence. But I’m afraid that times are changing, and we will have to change along with them.”
She sighed, a heavy breath that seemed to zap away some of her energy. “We don’t want to get involved, but it seems as though we no longer have any choice. The lerwicks are out of co
ntrol. There latest reports are evidence of that fact, so something must be done. They need direction, guidance, and most of all leadership. I can think of no one better to take on that responsibility. We too must get involved. The spiritists can hide no longer.”
“And neither can the humans,” Bella said, rising to her feet. “Viola, Salina, I want you both to take a look at this.” Reaching below the table, she pulled up a large parchment and unrolled it on the table. It was so large that Rishima had to pin down one side for her so it didn’t roll back again. “Several of our neighboring human towns have already begun working on this.”
“Convincing the humans to do this for us was no easy task,” Rishima said, rolling her eyes slightly as her shoulders lifted and dropped. She seemed to be reliving the harsh negotiations in her mind. “I don’t imagine I need to remind you what happened the last time the humans dealt with any of your kind, Viola.”
“Which is why we are so grateful for their help,” Bella said, tapping the blueprint with her thumb.
Salina and Viola looked down at the detailed drawing. The center picture held a striking resemblance to a castle. Next to it were sections of the same structure broken down into slices with lines connecting math equations that Viola couldn’t even begin to comprehend. “What is it?” Viola asked.
“That, my dear, will be your new home,” Bella said, slapping a palm down on the blueprints. “After all, you and the lerwicks you’re summoned will need a place to stay and train. I hope you are ready for this.”
“I hope you realize that we will be indebted to the humans for years to come for their work on this project,” Rishima added. It was hard to tell if she was joking or not. She looked quite serious. “Furthermore, I have already sent word just as you requested. Messages have been sent to my various contacts throughout the human cities, and word of mouth is filling every bar and tavern as we speak. The lerwicks are no longer a secret, so spreading the word will be easy enough. In fact, some are already here.” Viola raised her eyebrows at that. She had no idea. “The real question is, are you ready to do what you said you would? Is this too big for you? If so, I need you to tell me right now so I can put a halt to this before it spins out of control.”