Fate's Hand

by Lynn, Christopher

  “What did you do, Val?” She marched over to the edge of the bed. He struggled to sit up until he began to bleed through his new bandages. He whispered her name as to calm her, but she stood next to him, fixated on his hand. Its long black nails clawed at the sheets. Her fist clenched in rage as she slowly traveled up his arm to her brother's face. Her fist relaxed and tears formed in her eyes. Val was laying, helpless and defeated. Tears streamed down his face and he looked at his sister, depressed and ashamed.

  “I thought I lost you.” He closed his eyes and laid his head back. Daria lost all control and fell on her brother. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried until both of them were exhausted.

  Hours later, the two sat in the tent under dim candle light. Daria had changed Val’s bandages and they were served supper.

  “So, you sent some of the men to take uncle. This man Jerib helped you. Then you traveled alone?”

  Val nodded.

  “Then what happened?”

  Once again, he saw her gaze and lifted his hand so they could both get a better look in the light.

  “I was dreaming. Uncle was screaming and there was someone there, doing things to him. It was so bright I couldn’t see what. And then I woke up. Things were blurry and I was in pain, but I realized my hand was changed. Before I could even get my bearings, I was attacked by goblins. I thought I was going to die, but this—” he turned his hand over. “This saved me. It acts with a mind of its own. There is no way I could have defended myself without it. The weird thing is, I couldn’t feel any of it. I was trying to fight the movements, but I wasn’t strong enough. I fought more orcs , and once again the hand saved me. It is ruthless, fast, and extremely strong. I don’t understand how I could use that greatsword in the pass. My arm should not be strong enough to swing it, yet with this hand I can. I can’t explain it.”

  “So, this thing is a gift? You would have died, and we would never have been reunited if it wasn’t for your new hand.”

  “Yes and no. I can’t control it. And only since the fight in the pass have I been able to feel it at all. The night before we found you, it tried to…kill me. I think. I don’t know what happened. I woke up paralyzed, and the hand tried to stab me. It probably would have succeeded if it wasn’t for Asher.”

  “Hey, Asher, can you come in here?” Val called.

  The tent flap opened and Asher stepped in, holding several straps of leather.

  Val said, “I figured he wouldn’t stray too far at night. Not with a rogue hand in the camp.”

  Asher kneeled beside the bed and began to wrap the leather around Val’s fingers, tying them to a separate leather belt attached to the support of a worn-out root in the ground between the boulders.

  “Looks like you have been taking care of me while I was out. Thanks again.”

  Asher nodded and turned to leave the tent, but stopped. “Rylan and I have talked it over. You can’t live your life like this. If you want, we will accompany you while you search for a cure or an answer.”

  Val looked at Daria before responding. “Thank you, Asher, for everything. But I think we want to just travel home and—” Daria cut him off.

  “Yes, Asher, thank you for everything. I mean that with my heart. And yes, we would love your company while we figure this thing out.”

  Asher nodded once again and left. Daria shot Val a disarming smile.

  “What did they say? Can we go with them?” The two heard Rylan whisper loudly outside the tent. Daria stifled a laugh and Val grinned.

  “I think he likes you,” Val said.

  “And I think Asher was right,” Daria responded. “You can’t live like this.” They looked at his hand, wrapped up and bound in leather.

  Drask stood on the balcony, as he did each morning, to survey the process of the building. The initial spirited build had ground to nearly a halt. Resources, man power, and planning conflicts were brought to his lieutenants in masses. Drask put a quick end to the issues by throwing a foreman from the top of the tower. The demon was then immediately summoned from the abyss and put back to duty. Very few problems reached the top of the chain of command after that. As his labor force arrived, Drask relieved his army from working to begin training. He quickly found that his army did not work well together.

  Fights broke out constantly, so he decided to segregate them. He apportioned them as any commander would: archers, cavalry, and infantry. Except in a normal army, the spearmen don’t eat the archers during a fight. Drask spent a lot of time trying to think about how to best manage his force, with little luck. His thoughts wandered from the topic once again when he was interrupted by one of the newest assets to his troops.

  Lar, the large and intelligent gnoll, waited patiently, having given a low growl to let his presence be known. Drask waved the gnoll to come beside him. As a leader, Lar had been given the privilege of sorting through the armory before the troops. The large gnoll had chosen a set of deep green, spiked armor that covered his broad chest. The armor was heavily enchanted to give the wearer greater strength. The gnoll was already an imposing figure, even with his body still healing from the burns he had received from his altercation with Yusar. But with the armor, the beast looked even more fearsome.

  “Lar, you are an enigma to me.” He waited for a response but the large beast gave none.

  “It means a mystery I can’t figure out. Anyway, what can I do for you?”

  The gnoll looked out over the work site as he responded. “I see you segregated the army as I suggested to Sirash. A wise choice, my Prince.” Drask studied the gnoll's eyes. He showed no signs of malice or sarcasm, only deep thought and intelligence.

  “Yes, well, it did seem like the best choice. Did you come to gloat or did you actually need something?” The gnoll smiled, showing a long row of sharp fangs.

  “No, my Prince. I thought since you have allowed me to be part of your commanding force, it was my right to ask you a question.” Drask watched the gnoll's smile turn very serious.

  “Do you plan to use my clan as fodder in battle? Or will the others—giants, orcs, and gnolls—be considered equals in your command and kingdom?”

  Drask held Lar’s gaze for several moments and let the question linger. “I am a Devil, you are a gnoll. Of course, my kind will hold a certain preference; there is no denying that. But you are no fodder, Lar. Your gnolls will be welcome among us for as long as you like. I had to force you to come here, to see my plans, and hear my ideas. You have had time to think about it, so now I will give you a choice. You can leave and take your clan with you. Neither I, nor any other here, will try to stop you.

  “Or you can stay. I will make a kingdom; there is no question in that. And I’m sure, at some point, the humans will try to stand against my rule. Your gnolls united behind me might be the weight that tips the scale. But I will fight for it either way. A kingdom where giants, orcs, demons, gnolls, and other creatures can exist by their own free will, as equals.”

  He finished by putting his hand on the shoulder of his gnoll and smiled.

  “Let me take twenty of my men and two of your demons. In two weeks' time I can have you four more clans,” Lar said.

  Drask straightened up, smiled broadly, and nodded his head. “Thank you for your confidence in me.”

  Lar tilted his head down in acceptance and walked away. Drask listened as the gnoll walked off the balcony and could not contain the large smile that broke out across his face.

  “Equals?” Arihem asked.

  “That gnoll is intelligent. I would dare say more than most demons I have under my control. His gnolls and their allegiance to him as a major asset. We just have to keep him happy. He turned to the demon. “I want to see your face.”

  Arihem ended his invisibility and stood before the prince. Drask immediately looked up to meet Arihem’s eyes and chuckled. “I always forget how tall you are. Arihem, you know what this is all about. Freedom. Freedom from the abyss. The constant decay and stink of that hell. I am going to ma
ke us free. When I have my rule established, I will not force any creature, demon or otherwise, to stay here. You will have freedom of choice. My actions will change this world forever.”

  As Drask looked away, his point made, Arihem re-established his invisibility and stood by. Drask looked at his human hand in disgust. “But before my reign can begin, I need this hand to work. Without it, we are a force without an end. Where is the Cerberus?” He looked back to the air where Arihem was standing, but didn’t expect an answer anyway.

  Temo stood before the few he had called to his room in secret. The last two people he invited slipped in quietly and shut the door as he began to speak.

  “Everyone has been asking what happened to Jora and me. I have thought long and hard about this, and I am ready to tell my story. He looked around and made sure he had everyone's attention. Temo started at the beginning when Yusar came into their guild. He told of his travels and encounters with the red wizard. Many of the men had lost friends and companions in the fight against Yusar, so the story stirred up bad feelings.

  Then Temo told them about the mysterious new foe, about the battle he played out in his mind, and of the mass of demons in the tower. Temo finished by telling them about his escape with the help of Virmire and the imp visiting him. Some men looked around nervously as if demons would jump from the shadows at any moment.

  “I have ensured to the fullest that no creature or man can see what is being said in this room right now. But the wards will not last forever, and I am sure if they are watching they will be suspicious now. We need to figure out our plan here and now. If a devil has come into this area, I would say that’s great for business, but I have been watching extremely closely. In the last few weeks, we have had a massive drop in work. Even the guards and city officials have recognized a drop in crime outside the city.” The men looked around for someone to clarify. One of the cloaked men from the back stepped forward and took down his cowl.

  “The orcs and goblins did not just die overnight. They are not hiding. And I’ve checked the surrounding cities. They did not move on to give someone else trouble.”

  The men in the room eyed the unrecognized stranger.

  “This is Arctus Emanu. General Emanu. I invited him here. This is beyond our guild.”

  The room was quiet except for the few candle flames cutting the air. “You believe this time of peace is because they are gathering under the rule of this devil? To what end? What would a devil want with orcs and goblins?” the general asked.

  “And gnolls.” Everyone in the room looked to the corner as Virmire appeared from the shadows. The woman seemed to have materialized into the candle light.

  “Reliable sources say several gnoll tribes have disappeared. They would number in the hundreds.” The group looked at General Emanu, then back to Temo as the battle mage shook his head. “I believe we are standing in the calm before the storm. And we need to prepare to meet the storm head on.”

  “I think we should go back to the place where you received the hand,” Asher said to Val A few weeks had passed and Val was up and moving once again. His wounds were not completely healed, but getting there. He rolled a rock around in his red hand, feeling the cool stone across his palm.

  “I don’t think the area had anything to do with this, but I don’t have any better ideas.” He looked up to see Rylan and Daria returning from one of their many walks.

  “We will leave tomorrow morning, backtracking the way I came,” Val said to the two, interrupting their talk. Daria frowned and began to reply, but Val cut her off.

  “Yes, sister, I am well enough to travel. My wounds are closed up. If we get in any trouble, I won’t need to lift a finger.” He looked at Rylan and Asher.

  Rylan patted his chest, strapped with bottles. “That’s right. With the brothers traveling with you, you need not worry.” Rylan smacked his brother on the back. Val smirked and left to pack up for the trip.

  Early the next morning, the four said their goodbyes to the last few people staying in the camp and headed out. They traveled back the way they had come and talked all along the way. Days went by and the group found themselves back on the trails of the Grey Hills. A storm was coming in, so Asher scouted out a cave for them to take shelter. They made camp with a small fire at the mouth of the cave and Daria began to prepare a meal. The dark purple clouds swirled around in the evening sky. Silent flashes from somewhere high above the clouds would light them up. The cave was high enough that the lighting flashes lit up the terrain as if it were mid-day. Several deer and other creatures ran through the small outcrops and bushes. Rylan joined Asher and shared the view.

  “We could use the meat,” Asher said.

  Rylan looked at the warm fire and dry cave with longing. Daria smiled up at him from across the fire.

  “I hate you,” Rylan whispered to Asher as he unsheathed his dagger and exited the cave. Val watched Rylan leave, his cloak flapping in the sporadic, violent winds. “Why wouldn’t you just go shoot one with your bow?”

  Asher walked back toward the fire and started to remove his pack and weapons. “It’s his turn. Besides, he works well in the dark. It won’t take him long, I’m sure.”

  Daria gave a silent smile and watched the oncoming storm as their last bit of meat cooked. Val peered into the darkness of the cave. “You know, I think I actually came into this cave at one point.”

  Rylan looked up at the brewing storm as light, stinging drops of rain began to fall. He gave a heavy sigh as he pulled his cowl down. A movement to his left caught his eye—a juvenile elk cantering through the rocks. The animal disappeared among the terrain and Rylan ran his hands across his bottles, deciding which to use. He smirked as his fingers stopped on a certain vial, and he used his body to shield it from the rain as he uncapped it. He placed the mouth of the bottle against his neck and tilted it slightly. Immediately, he felt the changes surging through his body. He slid up his thick, leather collar as a second shield from the rain and replaced the vial.

  The pain was intense, but he had taught himself to tune it out and focus on the sensory changes in the transformation. His knees buckled, but he hissed and tightened his muscles to keep standing. He felt his fingers growing longer as the joints popped and extended. The change was relatively fast, but it took a few minutes to settle into a form. He kept his eyes closed and listened.

  He could hear the deep rumble of the storm and small pebbles being blown around the rocky ground. He listened to the wind sweep across the small, thin branches of nearby bushes, and he could hear the elk. He smiled as he heard the creature's labored breathing and its hooves trotting across the stone. He opened his eyes. Even though the sun was setting behind the dark clouds, the area was illuminated. He blinked a few times and focused his new panther eyes. The colors were dulled, but the details of the rocks and trees were almost outlined to highlight each rock and shrub. He looked down at his hands unclenched his fist, stretching his fingers out. His palms were thickly padded and each finger had a long, sharp claw on the end, retractable enough so he could unsheathe his knife without cutting himself.

  Satisfied, he took a few practice bounces. His legs were tight and light, and moving felt as easy as if someone was lifting him. He jumped straight up and brought his knees all the way up to his chest with ease. He landed with only a slight muffled sound.

  He could feel the claws on his toes scratching the inside of his boots, but he had dealt with this many times before. His boots were custom designed, padded in a way to give him freedom of movement without having to remove them each time he changed. He took quick steps in the direction of his prey, but came to a halt after he felt the pressure in his waist. Smiling, he pulled the back of his pants down slightly and freed his long, furry tail. The tail whipped out from his pants and gave a few playful swings.

  He took off on all fours, running silently across the rocks. The elk had run up a game trail, but Rylan used his new form to easily leap from boulder to boulder and make his way almost straigh
t up the rock face. He stopped, crouched in the shadows, and listened once again. He could hear that he was ahead of the animal now, so Rylan unsheathed his dagger, his muscles tense and ready to spring.

  Rylan took in his surroundings and immediately noticed a large fissure in the mountain. He looked at the ground and his eyes picked out worn rocks to avoid. He listened and decided he could move out of the rain and get ahead of the elk undetected. Rylan silently slipped across the open ground and over to the edge of the cave. He peered in and, with his keen night vision, made out the layout of the cave. It was short and narrow, and after a few spear lengths, the shaft took a hard turn to the left. Spider webs covered the walls of the cave and grew thicker and larger as they neared the turn. Rylan took a few deep breaths and smelled the rain and animal droppings in the cave.

  He waited for several moments but the animal never came. A cool breeze from behind Rylan raised the hairs on the back of his neck. He turned and looked into the cave once again. The older loose spider webs hanging off the cave wall were blowing and being sucked back as the draft changed. An ending somewhere far away on the other side of the cave whistled as a strong wind rushed across its opening. Rylan stared at the webs and imagined the size and number of spiders it took to accomplish such a task. A thunderous clap and the sound of hooves ringing off stone snapped Rylan from his contemplation.

  He prepared to ambush the animal as it ran past the cave. He was shocked to find a massive male elk charging into the cave to escape the thunder. Rylan tried to roll out of the way, but the narrow cave gave him little space. The large elk barreled into Rylan and rammed him into the cave wall. Rylan grimaced and took the hit, but was more upset about the sound of glass cracking against the stone. Rylan dropped his knife and grabbed the thick fur of the frantic elk, trying to push it away. The large elk raised up with its front legs as it turned its body, pushing Rylan directly ahead of him once again.