The Exodus Sagas: Book IV - Of Moons and Myth

by Jason R Jones

  “I hear nothing, are you sure?” The fairy looked with one eyebrow raised toward the hunter from Gualidura.

  “I am certain blessed grandchild of the Mother, I am. I must go, with your blessing, or without. Liogan, come quick.” Lavress had not the time for her questions. Something else was not right, he had heard a name in Shinayne’s song, Gwenneth. Yet, Shinayne was still singing, he could feel it more than hear it, yet she should have stopped with the mention of the name. Something was not right.

  “Liogan, perhaps you would stay with your prince?” Ramaya-nun felt it in her heart, the beating pulse of Lavress. Her emotions took over, her hair twirled in the air, from breezes that did not exist.

  “I..uhh..perhaps Lavress, I …uhhhmmm…I mean…” His mind was confused, he saw dancing lights, small ones, everywhere.

  “Stop, princess of the fey. He comes with me, by order of the Hedim Anah. I do not warrant your tricks.” Lavress stared at her, unmoved by the glamers, and met her ever-changing eyes. Ramaya-nun grew taller, nearly twice her size, and her beauty grew even more.

  “If you wish to see your future king, Bryant here, again…I would ask that you stay, Liogan.” She smiled, creatures of all sorts of flitting size fell in love as they neared her, and fell to torment when they passed by.

  “Do not do this, not now. I need him, and I must go. Play your games another time, princess. My heart belongs to Shinayne, and you may threaten all you like, but what she and I have cannot be stolen or held hostage.” Lavress grabbed Liogan by the shoulder and walked him up and out of the cavern.

  “Where…where are we…but I need to…wha? She wants me to stay, she needs me, Lavress…” Liogan stumbled along, unable to take his eyes from the beautiful radiance of fair skin and crimson hair that the fairy princess had changed into.

  “No. She wants me, my heart that moved the temple, my heart that loves another. She is jealousy, the embodiment of envy and truth, and she wants to soothe her eternal loneliness with others. We go.” Lavress bowed as he stalked out, feeling time was short, but for what he did not know.

  “Should you return, I will not be here, and nor will the prince you saved.” Ramaya-nun stood, tears of gold washing down her perfect face as she shrunk back to her petit frame.

  “That threat, to anyone else, may have results. But you do not know Shinayne and I, farewell.”

  Ramaya-nun gave in, her charms had failed, his love was something of legend to be beyond her powers. She wanted it, craved it, yet to let it die would be worse than not having it for herself.

  “Go then. I have seen it, she will perish by the blade. That song she sings, it is for herself.” All her tricks disappeared, her powers dwindled, and she looked to Lavress with the eyes of truth.

  Without a word, just meeting the eyes of the princess on honest ground, sent him into a run out of the sacred temple. Lavress felt fear, though he would not say, and he could not deny that he felt Shinayne was in mortal danger. Her heart was beating fast, something struck her, and he winced. Her song started again, indeed telling her own life story in the ancient elven dialects, as if she was preparing to die. Lavress ran faster than he thought he could.

  Liogan looked back once, to his prince and the princess of the fey that had saved them, and then he ran behind Lavress, behind his only friend. As they cleared the temple, a unicorn ran past them into the sparse forest. Then golden minotaurs stood up and bowed to Lavress and Liogan. They did not stop to greet them, just kept their pace east and south.

  Lavress ran faster still, seeing wolves sit up, some on four legs, and hiroon wolf lords that stood on two. His mind went decades back now, realizing he had trained with Mirash the sphinx not far from here, he recognized the air and the wolves in but a moment. They howled, and many more howled in the distance. Birds sang quick melodies to the gray sky from the trees, and Ihros Seeing-owl was now beside them. Suddenly the forest broke into an open rocky valley, and a bronze domed palace was before them not one mile ahead.

  “What is this place?” Lavress asked Ihros. He gazed across a city built into a crescent shape, between and into the peaks of sandstone mountains, a marvelous ruin it was to view from this western vantage.

  The kithian knelt down next to the legendary hunter of the Hedim Anah, the one they said moved the temple. “It is Mooncrest, cursed for thousands of years, now open and alive. Look.”

  Lavress and Liogan followed his finger, pointing to a faint trickle of green starting to bloom far to the south, on the trees in the city. “The mines of Kakisteele lie inside those mountains, and Tintasarn is on the other side of them.”

  They all looked left, to the north, seeing thousands of soldiers near an outpost just outside the city. A single beam of light was shining through the gray into the east over the hills. Then Lavress heard it again, Shinayne’s song. He looked, it was coming from a ring of temples, and through the ruined walls of the palace and an auditorium, he could see people gathered. Without a word, he ran. The hunter ran into the valley, keeping to the shadows of the palace, over a bridge and into the city. He looked over his shoulder and his eyes went wide.

  Behind him was not just Liogan Andellis and the one eyed cyclops guardian of the temple. There were a handful of wolves, three hiroon, birds, deer, and two golden skinned minotaurs. They all huddled close, made no noise, and waited for Lavress Tilaniun.

  He moved into the streets, quiet in the cover of tall old buildings. He heard her voice, faintly, and the voices of many men. Some were praying in a dark tongue, some chanting infernal songs, and some were quiet, but Lavress could sense them. He peered around a temple wall, and then pulled back with his eyes closed hard and tight.

  “What..what is---“ Liogan felt a large kithian hand go over his mouth.

  “Ssshhhh.” Lavress readied his bow and quiver, counted only nine arrows. He looked to Ihros, his quiver had but eight. He looked to the creatures of the forests and the Whitemoon, he saw no bows nor arrows at all. He had counted over one hundred men, surrounding a circle of flame. He had seen horns rising up through it, black horns in the fires. Lavress had also seen Shinayne, her head was down on a block, and an Armondi soldier stood over her with his scimitar ready. A tear fell to his cheek, then another, he knew there were too many soldiers and not enough arrows. The center of the temples was open, nowhere to hide, he would be running three hundred feet in the open.

  Liogan peered around Lavress, he waited one second, then two, then fell back quietly. He reached out his hand to Lavress, and took the bow and the quiver. “That is her, your beloved Shinayne?”

  “Yes.” Lavress took a breath, and drew his falcata and kukri.

  “She is beautiful beyond words, my friend.” Liogan knocked an arrow, as did Ihros Seeing-owl. The two minotaurs drew great curved blades, the three hiroon drew scimitars, and the birds and wolves all looked to Lavress.

  “Liogan, Ihros, you cannot miss. When I charge, they will see me, and they will take her---“

  “I never miss, hunter of the Hedim Anah.” Ihros blinked with his one eye.

  “I will not miss, master Lavress, I will not miss.” Liogan nodded, made the sign of the feathered cross, then the sign of love to Seirena, heart to lips, to the sky. “I vow to you, on my knighthood, my arrows will hit true.”

  Lavress nodded to the forest creatures, the silent minotaurs, and the hiroon. He heard Shinayne stop her song, the men stopped chanting, and the silence of but flames infernal was deafening. He closed his eyes to pray to Seirena, just for one moment, but it was broken by scream of terror. Shinayne’s scream. Lavress turned the corner and charged the hundred men, headed straight for his beloved.

  Kendari IV:III

  Tower of the Scepter, Arnhast Fortress, Vin Armon

  Eleven hours of kneeling prayer, eleven straight it had been. No food, no rest, not even a change in position. Kendari watched as the ceiling had turned to match the floor, circling flames from the netherworld summoned in dark sacrificial rites. He had the chant nearly perfect, me
morized now, and the mark upon his chest was burning hot and glowing. The Nadderi swordsman had not found a valid reason for interruption yet, not a word to edge in, nor the opportunity to create one. He had kept his mind clear, waiting for the right moment.

  Andorra was naked, on the other side of the circle of infernal fires, always watching as she chanted. Kashtamias was massive and dark, his red eyes saw everything, yet now his horned head was melding into the portal above. The horned bat wings spread from twelve feet of chiseled hard flesh, and now a black bone straightblade and matching triangle shield had summoned into his clawed hands. Kendari glanced up, and he saw what was on the other side. He could hear it now, faintly, his elven senses were keen. He heard her song, it was Shinayne T’Sarrin, the highborne elven woman he had thought about for months now, long after their duel in Chazzrynn. Kendari focused, trying to see but yet keep his false chant sounding real.

  The lords and knights of Armondeen were there, the ones he had spied upon with Angeline. They chanted the same words, led by a man in black robes he knew to be Harron. He could see the minotaur, the knight of southwind, and a dead woman beside them in black robes. A knight with a scarred face was whispering to Shinayne, men with blades waited to cut and kill, and watched the man kneeling before the flames. The horns appeared, a ripple in the space between here and there waved across both portals, and Kendari heard Shinayne scream. He knew there was not much time left before the knight of the hells was through.

  “Queen Andorra, how many---“

  “Quiet, fool of an elf. The ritual is nearly complete, save your breath for after.” Andorra whispered in anger, still praying.

  “I beg your pardon, but it may be you who are the fool.” Kendari stood, knowing his weapons were outside the door with the deer and three of her demonic guardians.

  “Before I have you skinned alive, please do tell---“

  “What is this disruption!” Kashtamias, son of Shukuru and knight of the Seventh Hell, roared into Kendari’ face as black smoke misted into the air. He had lowered his head and horns out of the portal, blade to the elf’s neck, and flames trickled from his eyes.

  “My great lord, immortal majestic being that you are, I see an error in your arrival, is all.” Kendari showed no fear, even when the blade nicked his chin, a blade of sharpened infernal bone that was as long as he was tall. “And, before we dishonor you, I suggest we correct it.”

  “How so, servant of a servant of my insane uncle, Cancuru? Tell me, in your mortal wisdom, what you see that I do not?” Kashtamias growled, ash fell from his wings, and acid dripped from his fangs and sizzled into the stone floor.

  “Your greatness, you have five sacred blades attuned to your sacrifices, five that were blessed in virgin blood and flame, but you have only three offerings that I see.” Kendari pointed with his hand to the view through the flaming portal in the ceiling.

  “Harron will offer two of his servants, it is of no concern.” Andorra retorted with anger, humiliated that this elf would dare question anything at this point.

  “Yet, they may believe that the dead woman there, the one whose blood is trickling into the circle, counts as one. Perhaps they will offer but one servant, and the repurcussions could be---“

  “Enough! I will not tolerate this game of yours, Kendari. Harron knows well what to do, he has been trained by me. We have gone over---“

  “But why take a chance at failure, when I have guaranteed success, Queen Andorra? Let me bring the virgin deer, the one from Seirena’s grove, and offer it to Kashtamias with a sacred blade. And, if Harron does not sacrifice a servant, or if I was incorrect, I give myself as the final offering. My flesh and blood, for your greater glory.” Kendari bowed to them both, then fell to his knees.

  Andorra stared with suspicious glances, Kashtamias growled low in ponderous thought, and Kendari remained still. The seconds were as hours, the flames crackled, and the breath of the demon echoed in the chambers in the Tower of the Scepter.

  “Bring the deer.” The son of Shukuru ordered with a curling fanged smile.

  “Yes, your great infernal majesty.” Kendari got up, taking his chain shirt quickly as the demon turned to Andorra, and made for the doors. He walked out, closed them slowly behind him, and turned.

  Quickly donning his black chain armor, he looked left and right as three scimitars came across his chest. He glared at the hollow eyes of the Nataloni guards, and spoke low with a wicked gleam to his eyes.

  “Kashtamias wishes me dressed for battle, as I will be going with to the site of consecration. I am bringing the deer for sacrifice, per his command. Step aside.” He gritted his teeth as he reached for his belt and blades.

  The deer pulled back from the leather strap holding it in place, it was afraid, and its hooves clacked in terror. The scimitars withdrew, the guards backed up a foot or so, and sheathed their weapons. They made no noise, but watched as the cursed elf took the leash holding the deer.

  Kendari picked up the Nadderi longblade, went to place it in his belt, and sighed. He looked confused. He nudged the door with his foot, making sure it was fully closed.

  “Do you happen to have a scabbard for this? I seemed to---“

  Slice, slice, shing, slice, slice

  In five moves, too fast to see, Kendari slashed the Nadderi blade across the neck of the guardian to his right, then spun left and took the head from the one behind him. He released the leash with the deer, drew Shiver in a reverse grip and cut across the stomach of the third to his front, and crosscut with the Nadderi blade low above the hips, severing the demonic soldier in two pieces. He froze in place, so did the deer, as two heads and a torso hit the floor. They smoldered, slowly, black blood pooling with wisps of smoke. And in moments, just three shadowstains and bone remains were left with their swords and daggers.

  Neither of them breathed, just waited, both hoping no one heard it. Three seconds passed, then seven, then ten, and they exhaled slowly. Kendari sheathed his blade, stuck the Nadderi sword in his belt, and took the leash. He put his finger over his mouth, telling the deer to be silent. The deer nodded.

  “When we go in there, do not be afraid. You need to struggle with me, cause a distraction if you can. When I let you go, you need to keep the queen busy while I stop this demon from getting through to Shinayne, understand?” Kendari looked into the brown eyes of the deer. It nodded to him.

  “Whatever happens, get out fast once it starts. Do not worry about me. Just tell Seirena, when you see her, that she still has my undying hatred. Agreed?” Kendari rubbed his little horns, saw a little urine speckle the floor as the deer paced nervously. His mind wandered, drawn to someone, he knew who the deer was. He shook his head as the deer nodded again, letting him know he understood. The cursed elf felt the blade of Cristoff, hoping the holy edge would hurt Kashtamias as it did Nareene.

  “No fear now, just follow my lead.” Kendari stood, pushed open the doors, and strode inside.

  “Your grace, your mighty lordship infernal, I offer you the virgin of Haven Glen, the blessed deer of Seirena by the name of----“ His bow was most pronounced yet his words were cut off.

  “Why are you armed, Kendari of Stillwood?” Andorra backed up behind Kashtamias and grabbed her black robes.

  “In my six centuries of mortal life, I have always bathed my armor and weapons in the blood of sacrifice. Is that offensive to you, young queen?” Kendari bluffed and stared at Andorra.

  “I am just over ten thousand years of immortal age, elf, and I have never heard of such a practice. You lie.” Kashtamias grinned at Kendari, smelled the fear on the virgin animal, and stepped forward.

  “We are worshippers of darkness, my lord, we all lie.” Kendari bowed, letting the demon knight get closer. He tugged on the leash, hard. “Shall we?”

  “Spill his blood at my feet, now.” The demon roared, black ash fumed from his norstils at Kendari and the deer.

  “His sword, the one with the feathered cross, why is it glowing?” Andorra walked tow
ard the altar, toward her staff, something was not right.

  “Interesting, why do you carry such a blade, Kendari?” Kashtamias leaned over, inches now from the face of the elf. He brought his sword tip close to the elf’s neck.

  “I enjoy killing with sacred holy blades, it makes me wonder if the gods feel the blood I spill.” Kendari smiled, face to face with the towering demon. “I took this from a priest I killed, one of many.”

  “You do not impress me, elf. Tell me, which hell does Cancuru rule?” Kashtamias drew in even closer, stepping one clawed foot outside the circle.

  “The one below your father, Shukuru.” Kendari bluffed, he assumed, he guessed.

  “Ha, ha, ha. As I thought, you are fake. Cancuru rules the abyss, the lake of insanity, Holavis. He rules no layer of hell. How would you care to die?”

  “You are rather clever, I must say.” Kendari smiled. “But you must agree, this ritual was terribly long and boring. If you would like more worshippers, in days to come, try to shorten things up a bit, would you?”

  “Your tricks and humor do not fool me, elf. I see through you. You have dishonored me and the Nochti, and now I accept your flesh as repayment. Time to meet my father, in hell, Kendari.”

  Kashtamias laughed as he forced the doors shut and the flames to rise with his will, a thousand burning demons in laughter echoed from his chest. Then, Kendari laughed with him, hysterically, and the leash fell from his hand. “Not even close.”

  The deer leapt though the fires, past the demonic knight, and slammed into queen Andorra, knocking her into the altar. Kendari drew Cristoff’s holy longsword in his right, Shiver backheld in his left, and struck both blades into the bone sword of Kashtamias. The sword turned up and aside just enough to step in, and he spun. Shiver slashed deep into the abdomen, sizzling its heat into demonic flesh. The crossblade cut higher, near the chest, its glowing white edge went through black infernal muscle clean and fast. Two more lightning cuts, both into the left thigh of the demon, sprayed dark blood across the circle, and Kendari rolled back just in time to parry the mighty boneblade with both of his.