Fractured Earth Saga 1: Apocalypse Orphan

by Tim Allen

  The second incident that tested Eras’s loyalty was the botched assassination attempt on Waylan after Wolf had returned to the castle. Eras had been one of the few men who escaped that ambush. He saw Sylvaine throw a spear at the old king, and he watched this stranger Wolf take the spear in his chest and walk away without a mark.

  Jonar’s mistreatment of the princess Jhondra and using the defenseless girl as bait was the final straw. His father had told him to be chivalrous, and this cowardly act had marred his soul. Eras could not be a part of such an unscrupulous army nor serve a man so devoid of honor. He openly questioned the tactic, which brought a tongue-lashing from Sylvaine. When Eras stood his ground, saying it was dishonorable to use a woman in such a manner. Sylvaine slapped him in the face and demoted him to the rank of a common soldier. Enraged, Eras had decided to leave Jonar’s army with his men the next morning, ashamed that he had wasted three years in the service of a tyrant. Then he saw Wolf emerge from the castle and take on Jonar’s army of several thousand troops armed with nothing but his light weapon.

  Eras yearned to be a trusted warrior and to serve a benevolent king until his old age. He wanted to be a part of something good. This outsider who called himself Wolf was a man to shake the petty leaders of the lands, and his aged friend Waylan was a worthy lord. Eras had been the first to bend a knee and the first to receive the silver disk—he called it the Wolf's Circle—that now hung from a leather string around his neck. He would serve Wolf until he was too old to fight, or he would die for him. When Waylan’s nobles asked who had leadership ability, his own men had singled Eras out; and when Onel asked for his loyalty to Waylan and his illustrious champion, Eras pledged without hesitation. The other soldiers who had surrendered to Wolf also vowed to fight by the mighty warrior’s side. Yes, Eras thought, I will be a loyal soldier for so great a man. His reminiscing was interrupted by Wolf’s voice.

  “Captain Eras, tell me of Jonar. What is he like?”

  “Yes, my lord. Ten years ago, a man wandered in from the great wasteland to the east. He carried several books, and inside were wondrous things: pictures of animals, dwellings, and other things no one had ever seen. The man studied these books, and soon, he was able to make some of the objects described in the books. The things he made were marvelous, and Jonar performed miracles. He healed the sick and made life easier for all. He claimed he had discovered a vast storehouse of knowledge out in the wilderness, and he took his people to an enormous hole in the ground. They dug into the earth and hillsides, cleaned up the rubble, and built a castle over this mysterious hole in a matter of months.”

  Eras gazed off into the distance, remembering, and then he continued: “Thousands heard about the miracles Jonar performed and flocked to his banner because of them. He fed us, healed us, and showed us incredible wonders. Soon, other tribes tried to conquer Jonar. He unleashed his great knowledge and slaughtered them, using strange weapons he made. He then conquered the lesser kings and tribes in the area. For the last few years, he has been subjugating the lands. King Waylan and a few other mighty warrior-kings are all that remain.”

  “You said he had strange weapons? Tell me about them.”

  “I do not know what they are, my lord, but some were terrifying. On one occasion, he tied several animal hides to stones and threw them into a village well. Five days later, the people all grew tired, and then they suffered coughs and fevers. They seemed to recover, but when we returned two days later, everyone was dead.”

  “Probably anthrax, Commander,” Syn suggested in Wolf’s ear.

  Eras looked around with guilt in his eyes and lowered his voice. “Then, he came with the loud weapons. They made men’s ears and noses bleed. We had to keep melted beeswax in our ears to protect us. Still, we lost men to it. Jonar warned that he had other, even more powerful weapons he had discovered, and he would soon figure them out and unleash them on the people.”

  “What a monster,” Wolf interrupted with anger in his eyes. “Jonar must be stopped.”

  “Yes, my lord. I regret I ever joined him.”

  Wolf studied the face of the man who had sworn to serve him. He appeared to be a good man, but time would tell.

  * * *

  The sun was setting and shadows danced over the forest as Wolf and his men set up camp in a clearing. They were less than ten miles from Haakon’s homestead and had made better time than Wolf expected. His new fighters were eager to prove themselves. They had gritted their teeth and pushed beyond normal human endurance, trying to keep up with his giant strides. Wolf set the guards and then retired to his bedroll.

  It was still dark, and dawn was an hour away when Syn’s voice yelled in Wolf’s ear bud, rousing him from a sound sleep.

  “Commander! Wake up, Commander!”

  “What?” Wolf yelled, bolting awake and rousing several men sleeping nearby.

  “More than one hundred bio signatures are closing in on your position, Commander.”

  “Are they human?”

  “I detect both human and animal bio signatures,” Syn replied.

  Wolf scrambled to his feet and shook several men awake, urging them to rouse the others and arm themselves. He dumped a stack of wood on the campfire, which flared and illuminated the perimeter of the clearing. All of the men were awake and armored with their weapons drawn when bloodcurdling howls erupted from the forest. To Wolf, it sounded like a pack of Tasmanian devils, and his soldiers stared into the darkness, trembling with fear. Captain Eras approached Wolf and said “Jonar has sent his Nanna to kill us. They are devilishly hard to kill. We may die here before the sun rises.”

  “What are these Nanna, Eras?”

  “You will see, my lord. They are upon us.”

  “Commander, I ran a translation in all known languages. The word ‘nanna’ means daring or brave. In Norse legend, Nanna was a goddess who died of grief when her husband Balder was killed. Be careful, Wolf. There are one hundred of them,” Syn warned and then quickly added, “I’m coming, Commander.”

  Wolf did not answer. At that moment, a wave of fantastically dressed warriors surged into the clearing, each holding two enormous animals that resembled large wolves with tiger stripes on their backs and tails. Each animal was about the size of a full-grown mastiff. Their handlers were dressed in tight-fitting, black leather outfits. Some were armed with whips and chains; others had short daggers, and each wore a black devil’s head mask.

  Wolf snorted derisively, thinking these warriors looked more like characters in a bondage video on ancient Earth. Knowing he was invincible and feeling confident he could protect his men from harm, he had trouble keeping a straight face. Suddenly, as the figures came out into the light and he looked closer, he inhaled sharply and muttered, “Shit! They’re women.”

  “Aye, my lord, sometimes they take men prisoners and torture them for days. They have an herb that makes a man virile to the point of insanity. The men are used nonstop and when they have no physical stamina left, the prisoners are fed to the Nannas’ pets.”

  The fierce band of Amazon warriors encircled Wolf’s men, their animals snarling and howling with bone-chilling ferocity. One woman stepped forward, sniffing the air in an animal-like manner, and with a wave of her hand, the howling stopped. She handed her leashes to the handler next to her, snapped her fingers twice, and all the animals sat in unison. The woman boldly approached the besieged men and demanded in a disdainful voice, “Who is in command here?”

  Wolf stepped forward. “I am in command, ladies. State your business for interrupting my sleep.”

  The woman eyed Wolf with a sneer and replied, “Well, you are a large one. I may keep you a while…for breeding stock.”

  A second woman snickered and said, “I’ll bet breeding with us would kill him.”

  “I’ll take that bet,” Wolf said with a grin.

  “Silence, you insolent fool! My master has commanded that we offer you mercy. If you all surrender now, we will let you live,” the woman said as she removed her
mask. “What is your answer?”

  “I have a better idea. Renounce Jonar and join me,” Wolf said.

  The Amazon leader glanced around at Wolf’s men in disgust and said, “Your men reek of fear and I see you have traitors with you. Why would I join you? What can you possibly offer to change my allegiance?”

  “Skylla, he is the Warrior of Legend,” Eras said, calling the woman by name. “Put him to any test if you doubt my words.”

  “Him? The Warrior of Legend? I don’t believe you…but fine, I will put him to the test.” She flashed Eras a seductive smile and added, “For old time’s sake.”

  “I’m here, Commander. I have weapons locked on…” Syn’s voice trailed off in Wolf’s ear, and then she said, “Only you, Commander, can find such women.”

  Wolf shook his head, signaling Syn to hold off on an attack. With a confident smile, he said, “What are the tests, Skylla? That’s your name, right?”

  “Why do you smile, large one? Does my name amuse you?” the leader asked irritably. She was not unattractive; she had a full figure and an aura of power about her that unexpectedly excited Wolf. She had a superb tan, and her features reminded him of a Latina woman from the distant past. In fact, she reminded him of someone—a cross between Jennifer Lopez and Salma Hayek, two beautiful actresses from his days on Earth before Nomad rewrote the history of civilization. Eras and the woman locked eyes. After a moment, she broke his gaze and glared at Wolf, stomping a foot into the ground. “I asked a question, big man. Why are you laughing?”

  “In my land, we had a legend of a woman named Skylla. She was once a beautiful nymph loved by a sea god named Glaukos. She had a jealous rival—a powerful witch named Circe—who used her magic to transform Skylla into a monster.”

  “What did this woman look like after she became a monster?” Skylla asked curiously.

  “Are you sure you want to know? She became quite hideous,” Wolf answered.

  “Yes. Tell me.”

  “A writer from my past named Homer described Skylla as a creature with twelve dangling feet, six long necks, and grisly heads lined with triple rows of sharp teeth. Her voice sounded like the yelping of dogs. She was a horrible bane to sailors, and they avoided her.”

  The woman frowned and demanded, “How did the witch do it?”

  “The witch turned her into a monster by poisoning the water of the spring where Skylla bathed.”

  “Enough of this fool’s talk!” Skylla snapped impatiently. “Your first test is to subdue four Nanna at once. Will you try?”

  “First of all, what is a Nanna?” Wolf asked.

  The woman sneered and pointed at herself and then to one of the wolf-like creatures. “We are all Nanna. You will fight our animal kin, halfwit!”

  “Do you want them killed or subdued?” Wolf asked in an almost bored voice.

  “Either, but to keep them living and bend them to your will would be added glory. No one has ever done it.”

  “Okay, let’s do this,” Wolf said.

  The morning sun had risen over the mountains and illuminated the forest clearing, giving Wolf a good look at the other warrior-women. They were all tan and, like Skylla, would have been called Latina in his time. Most were desirable and looked as if they had been recruited from a resort beach in Mexico. They formed a circle around him, and the four largest animals were brought forward. Wolf removed his weapons, and as he stripped off his shirt, his men applauded his massive, rippling muscles.

  “Show off,” Syn hissed in his ear.

  “I’m ready,” Wolf announced, standing with his arms crossed.

  “Bola, Dihu, Rena, Fra…attack this fool and kill him!” Skylla yelled, pointing at Wolf.

  The wolves ran at Wolf, swarming him, and his men looked away, certain he would be ripped to shreds. The women screamed with excitement as the animals tried to bite into Wolf and chew him to pieces. With one hand, he grabbed the scruff of one animal’s neck and lifted it off the ground. He placed his foot on the neck of another, not killing it, but pinning it to the ground. With his other hand, he reached out and grabbed a third animal by the neck, letting the fourth chew ineffectively at his ankle. Finally, the wolves stopped fighting. He lifted his foot off the one he had pinned to the ground, and it ran into the forest yelping. He released the other two from his hands, dropping them to the ground, and they retreated to their owners with their tails between their legs.

  Wolf went to a knee and grasped the remaining hound by the scruff and patted the animal on the head and belly, scratching it behind the ear, until it rolled over on its back. It licked Wolf’s hand in affection as its hind leg scratched in the air from the pleasure of Wolf’s touch. He stood and the animal came to its feet, sitting by Wolf and looking up at him with fondness.

  Skylla had watched in wonder, and now she approached Wolf and examined his body. She moved her face close to him and inhaled slowly, detecting no fear emanating from him, only masculinity. Not a scratch was visible where the wolves had attacked him. She ran a hand over his shoulders and chest, remarking, “You are as hard as a castle wall, but I am still unconvinced. The legends say you must be stronger than any man and no blade can cut you. Until I see it, I will not believe it,” Skylla said, sounding less self-assured.

  “What other tests do you have?” Wolf asked, pretending to suppress a yawn.

  “Show me your strength, big man.” She pointed to a nearby hill where a granite boulder about the size of a car on Old Earth was partially embedded in the ground. “Move that,” she commanded with a smirk, knowing the task wasn’t possible.

  “Commander, that boulder is lodged three feet into the ground and weighs more than two thousand pounds,” Syn warned in his ear.

  Wolf nodded as he walked to the boulder. He groped around the undersurface of the rock, searching for a way to grasp its coarse, unyielding bulk. At one corner, he found what he needed, and crouching, he placed his hands under the rock. He strained to pick up the boulder, using his thighs to lift and pulling with his arms.

  “Legendary Warrior indeed!” Skylla said with a derisive laugh. “He is a fool for even trying to lift that rock.”

  Wolf’s muscles stressed under the force he was exerting. The veins in his arms popped out like ropes and coils, and his body chiseled from the massive strain. When the boulder lifted on the corner, the laughter stopped. Wolf stood and pushed the large stone over until it was resting on its side, then he knelt and let it tilt across his shoulders. Slowly, he stood with the massive rock draped like a blanket across his shoulders. He looked at Skylla and pressed the boulder over his head. He stood, trembling from the enormous weight as he gazed at the woman and asked, “Where do you want it?” Without waiting for an answer, he hurled the boulder ten feet into the small glen.

  “You are certainly strong, big one, but I have one last test,” Skylla said, drawing her sword. “If I can’t cut you with my blade, I will believe.” She swung the sword at Wolf’s neck with all her strength. The blade broke upon contact, leaving him without a scratch. Skylla stared at him in stunned silence as Wolf smiled. She knelt, cupping her hands in front of her, and said, “Please, my lord, allow me to serve you. I will be loyal to you as will my warriors.”

  Wolf looked down and said, “Arise, Skylla. I accept your service and your warriors.” He handed her a washer from his shirt pocket as he dressed. All of her warriors approached him, pledging their loyalty, and some promised other things that the women wanted to bestow on him.

  “I’m watching you, Commander. Don’t run off into the woods with one of these leather-clad lesbians,” Syn hissed.

  “Tell me, Skylla, what were your orders concerning us?” Wolf inquired.

  “I was to find you and offer terms of surrender. If you refused, we were to kill you. I now see we might all have died if we had attacked. Why Jonar sent my warriors, I do not know. I was angry at first and was just going to kill you without offering terms of surrender, but then I saw that handsome devil,” she said, pointing at E
ras. “He promised me something I had wanted for a long time, but fate decided against us.”

  “Now that we have a lord who is just, maybe we can be together finally,” Eras answered. Turning to Wolf with a hopeful look, he explained, “My lord, Skylla and I have loved each other for years. Ancient taboo and sacred scriptures outlaw marriage to a Nanna, and Jonar wouldn’t allow the marriage in his army, so we could not become one.”

  “Taboo on marriage?” Wolf asked curiously.

  Skylla hissed, “As if we would even want a lowly man. We are elite warriors and require no man to fulfill us. Those foolish taboos and scriptures mean nothing to us.”

  “Tell me of these taboos and scriptures,” said Wolf.

  Eras nodded. “Verse One says: ‘The wasteland has become a place of sin where women have usurped the role of man and strive to raise their own septs. Man was created in the image of Jesu and woman to serve his needs.’ Verse Two: ‘Abomination has arisen on the plains where women strive with men, use men for pleasure, and slay men for sport. The issue of this coupling must be put to death, for it was born from lust and spite.’ Verse Three has caused the biggest controversy: ‘Slay the woman of the wasteland, do not let her breed or you bring death to your door. If her child lives, then you will die, your wells will go dry, your crops will wither, the wasteland will devour your cities, and death will soon follow.’”