Fate's Hand

by Lynn, Christopher

  Asher gave an icy stare at Jerib for an uncomfortable duration before returning to his meal.

  “Jerib, please,” Val said, but Asher waved him off.

  “It's okay, Val. We have been living with this for years. People have a hard time accepting what they don't understand. I figured someone so close to nature would receive us with more welcome arms.”

  “I’m sorry, son. I just…I don’t know. I have a very special relationship with the animals. I can’t imagine collecting the blood from one after its died and then…” He visibly shook off a chill then started again. “Look. I’m sorry. You’re right. I don’t understand it. Just please, when he is well enough to travel again, ask him to walk out of here on his two feet. There have been enough weird happenings here to scare away my friends, of late.”

  Val asked, “What weird things?”

  Jerib tossed the last piece of bread he had out the window and the chipmunk followed the free meal.

  “That’s why I was gone. Something else unnatural came here. A large three-headed dog. I was away gathering food in the forest, but they all told me about it.”

  “The animals?” Daria asked.

  “Yes. They said the beast came, sniffed around, and ran off to the east. Most animals are slow to trust, and that beast scared them away from my cottage, possibly for good.” The man looked down sadly. Daria exchanged looks with Asher and Val.

  “Something else happened. What was it?”

  “Well, I followed the trail of the beast best I could to see where it went, but after half a day’s travel, I found my good friend slaughtered in the woods.”

  Daria touched Jerib's hand and asked, “What was it? The animal?”

  “A brown bear. I’ve known him since he was a cub.”

  Daria gave a warm smile and slightly squeezed his hand. Val stood by the window, looking out into the woods.

  “You said you tracked it?” he asked.

  “It was a massive creature. It wasn't worried about covering its tracks.”

  “Did it come in from the south and go east after sniffing around?”

  Jerib’s saddened brow furrowed deeper. “Well, yes. But how did you—”

  “That’s the same way I went.” Val removed his right glove and returned to the table, revealing the hand to Jerib. “What can you make of this?”

  Jerib touched the ashy, red skin of Val’s hand in consternation.

  “Unnatural seems to follow you around, my boy.”

  Val told his story as Jerib sat back in deep thought.

  “It’s unlike anything I've ever heard of, son. Waking up to find a new hand. And it looks like you were burned at the wrist—no way you could have slept through that. Does it hurt?”

  “No. When I was fighting the orcs, I regained a little bit of feeling, and since then it hasn’t changed much. I can feel, but not all the way. Like it’s trying to wake up. With it, I can swing that greatsword one-handed and fight unlike I’ve ever been trained.”

  “It sounds like it was a blessing since it helped you save your sister.”

  Asher spoke up. “It tried to stab him one night. I stopped it by putting a dagger into his palm. The wound healed right away. Since then, we have had to tie him up at night.”

  Jerib sat in silence, contemplating the hand. “You say it acts on its own?”

  Before Val could respond, Jerib took a small splinter of wood he was chewing on and threw it at Val’s hand. The pick bounced off the back of his hand, leaving a small wet spot. Daria, Asher, and Val all sat quietly in confusion, staring at Jerib. The man shrugged and got up from the table.

  “I wanted to see it do something.”

  Val cracked a grin. Asher walked over to the side of Rylan’s bed to check on him.

  “It should be, at the least, another day before he will be able to keep something down. I gave him another dose this morning. For now, just let him rest. He'll be fine,” Jerib said to ease Asher’s mind. Asher gave a weak smile.

  “In the mean time, we can focus on this mystery,” Jerib continued as he studied Val’s hand.

  “Where do we start?” Val asked.

  “I believe you were on the right track. Let’s go back to the woods where it all began.”

  Daria put a hand on Val’s shoulder. “I’m coming.”

  Jerib smiled at her and looked to Asher. “Someone should stay with Rylan. I don’t know how safe these woods are, with a strange beast in the area.”

  Drask rolled the ring around his finger, impatiently waiting for Yarsik to respond. Tendrils of fear picked at Drask before the imp’s answer.

  “What is taking the damned dog so long!” Drask screamed into Yarsik’s mind. The imp’s mind fumbled through a number of lies and responses. “The truth!”

  Yarsik blurted out, “He turned around!”

  “What do you mean he turned around?”

  “We were coming up to a rocky area, and he stopped for a long time, sniffing the air. Then he just turned around and started running back the other way, down the exact same path we had just come from.”

  Drask cracked a smile, as he realized what the news meant. “Stay with him, Yarsik. You are doing just fine.” Drask continued to smile and roll the ring on his human finger. When he realized once again he couldn’t feel it, his moment of happiness was lost and he summoned Yusar.

  Jerib, Daria, and Val left right after breakfast, traveling to the spot where Val received his hand. Along the way, they saw the wake of the mysterious beast. Following the broken trees and disturbed ground would take them to the spot Val mentioned. Jerib stopped constantly and touched the broken trees, often whispering to them.

  “You’re very in touch with nature. Are you a druid?” Daria asked.

  Jerib smiled as he watched several birds flying into the low branches, chasing each other through the sunlight. “No. I do love nature, but I am no druid. My best friend was, and I guess I just learned to appreciate his beliefs over the years. Now that he is away, I keep up his cabin and try to keep these woods safe.”

  “That cabin isn’t yours?” Val asked.

  “Well, no, but it isn’t really his either. We found it together and fixed it up many, many years ago. Like I said, I knew that brown bear since he was a cub. We found him not a stone’s throw away from the barn. My friend taught me how to earn the trust of the animals. They are constantly telling us things; you just have to know how to listen.”

  “I would very much like to learn how to do that,” Daria said.

  Jerib grinned and continued on through the sea of broken trees. A little after midday, they came into the clearing where Val said he had fallen asleep. Jerib scanned for any clues, touching the ground and trees as he went. Daria looked to Val for any sign of emotion.

  “I don’t know. I don’t feel anything. It’s just like coming back to a spot I remember from a dream. I know what happened here, but I don’t remember much about it.” Jerib picked up a broken stick from the ground and used it move the leaves around to expose the soil.

  “Wait, is this about where you were sleeping?”

  “Yeah, somewhere around there.” Jerib stirred the leaves aside, trying not to disturb the dirt below.

  “Does this look familiar?” The three circled around the spot and looked down.

  The ground was blackened and dry. Any blade of grass or vine that crossed the soil was withered and dead. Val squatted down to get a closer look. A small caterpillar was crawling along the edge and stopped before he could exit the blackened soil. Val prodded the insect , but it was already dead.

  “What is this?” he whispered and dropped the bug, frightened and embarrassed.

  “Val, I know this may seem like the last thing you would want to do, but…” Daria and Val both shot Jerib expressions of apprehension. “Place your right hand on the dirt.”

  Val looked back down at the soil as if it would jump up and swallow him. He clenched his jaw and slowly reached out, placing his hand on the ground. A flash of blinding light
came across his eyes, and as he tried to fall backwards, he realized his hand had thrust into the soil, taking a firm hold. Rapid and confusing flashes came across Val’s eyes as he screamed and thrashed, pulling at his arm and kicking at the ground, trying in vain to remove his hand. Daria grabbed at his shoulder from the side and lifted, crying out for help. Jerib leaped across the dark spot and shouldered Val directly in the chest, taking all three of them across the ground in a heap.

  Val grabbed his wrist immediately as he sat up and looked at his hand. Pain shot across his fingers and palm. He shook his head several times trying to wipe the residual images from his mind. Daria popped up and moved over to console her brother.

  “I'm okay.” He smiled at the sight of her, branches and leaves stuck in her hair. They both looked over to Jerib, laying on his back, eyes on the forest canopy.

  “I should not have asked you to do that.” The man sat up slowly, rubbing his shoulder. “No, you were right Jerib.” Val looked at Daria’s eyes and then at Jerib. “I saw…I saw everything.”

  Drask was looking over some of the architect plans in his study with Sirash and Yusar when the feeling came. It began as a slight tingle in his fingertips. He immediately called for silence and concentrated on the feeling with his every fiber, leaving his hand on the table, afraid to move it when the rest of the pain came. He was no stranger to immense pain, so he took it with a smile and thrust his hand into the air.

  “At last!” Drask grimaced from the sharp aching. Yusar walked over to watch and possibly aid his master. Drask’s smiled dropped off his face in an instant. The pain was gone, and so was the feeling.

  “What is it? What do you feel?” Yusar asked.

  Drask ran his finger nails across his palm a few more times in disbelief. “Nothing,” he whispered.

  Yusar began slowly backing up. Drask’s face contorted into one of anger. His chair skidded across the room as he leaped up from his seat. He grabbed the drawing table with both hands and chucked it skyward, sending it smashing against the stone ceiling. Splinters of wood and paper rained down on them all. Drask, blinded in rage, lashed out and seized Yusar by his cloak.

  “I feel nothing. Not a damn thing!” He threw Yusar into the air at the open window and leaped at Sirash. Lightning fast, the point of several blades rested on Drask's vitals. Sirash looked past her numerous swords and said, “Please, prince. Calm yourself.”

  Drask stopped his assault and tried to steady his breathing. He slowly placed the palm of his human hand against the tip of one of the swords and pressed in against her grip. As the blade pierced the skin, Sirash pulled back on the sword.

  “I feel nothing, Sirash,” Drask said once again, calmer but still shaking.

  “You just threw your pet out the window,” Sirash said.

  Drask spun to the window only to see Yusar hovering a few feet from the window. He moved closer and placed his feet on the window ledge. His cloaks fluttered and flapped as he landed on the tower's stone floor. Drask opened the door to the study and began to leave.

  “I am sorry for the outburst. Nice catch, Arihem.”

  Yusar straightened his robes as Drask shut the door. “Yes, nice catch, Arihem. Next time, I'll take care of myself.”

  “Good.” Arihem’s hot breath touched Yusar’s ear and the wizard felt himself being picked up once again. Arihem launched him out the window even harder than Drask had. Arihem ended his invisibility and sauntered toward Sirash.

  “Seems like we are alone for the time.”

  Sirash looked past Arihem’s shoulder to the open window and smirked. Arihem grabbed her jaw and forced her gaze back at him.

  Yusar fell a few stories before he finishing the spell to let him float to the ground below. He began to cast a second spell in anger, planning on flying back up to the window and showing Arihem just how well he could take care of himself, but stopped. He looked around at the gnoll and demon workers and soldiers all around him. They were all stopped and staring at him.

  He was out of his element.

  He ceased casting and started for the lower entrance of the tower. The smooth, black stone entrance was left open all day for an easier flow of traffic in and out of the tower. Yusar walked down the halls of his once greatest treasure. The sound of rash demon and orc voices echoed off every surface. He entered the main hall and looked up in disgust. The devil prince had decided to profane every empty wall with some sort of decoration. He looked at the new banners hanging all around with Drask’s chosen design: a deep purple cloth with a black winged serpent coiled around a shield.

  Yusar headed for his room his only sanctuary away from the constant activities in the tower. Demons and gnolls alike parted the halls for the human general. Yusar ignored them all and looked down at the stonework. He reached his haven and closed the door behind him. Silence, afforded by magic wards, finally welcomed him.

  He closed his eyes and tried to think back to when the tower was empty and quiet. He opened his eyes and looked at the smaller room he had been placed in. An uncomfortable bed, a small lounging chair, and a dinner table covered in scrolls was all he could count as his own now. He walked over to the table and looked at the study material laid out on it. Everything he had been working on was centered on the subject of Drask’s human hand. He considered going back to his normal routine, drowning himself in the work to forget his current situation. Yusar the Red sat down and grabbed a quill. He slowly and carefully dipped it into the inkwell and moved the tip over to the paper. Yusar watched as the sharp tip touched the paper, pressed down on the quill, and watched as the black ink slowly spread across the paper and saturated the fibers. He pushed the quill down harder until the sharp point forced its way into the paper and violently snapped off, stabbing into the table.

  Emotionless, Yusar sat and stared at the black spot. He stretched his arm out across the table and casually swept all the books and papers to the floor. He rested his head on the open space, enjoying the feel of the cool wood on his cheek. He closed his eyes and eventually fell asleep.

  Some time later, Yusar woke up and looked at the mess on the floor. With no window in his room, he had no idea what hour it was, but he quickly realized he didn’t care. He collected the books and papers off the floor and stacked them on the table. He turned his head to the side to stretch the sore muscles in his neck from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position. As he did, a stack of books at the end of his bed caught his attention and gave him pause. Yusar dropped the papers he was holding and walked over to the books. He grabbed the top volume and sat on the edge of his bed. He flipped to the beginning and started to read his own personal journal starting several months past.

  He read over the information he had written about learning Drask’s name and the details of summoning the powerful demon.

  “There might be something in here to help me out, something I missed Surely.”

  Yusar quickly flipped to a fresh page and began writing the events he witnessed when Drask briefly regained feeling in his hand, and then he began to read. He started where he first learned about the magical tower. He read all night and far into the next day.

  “It’s a demon. I can’t really make out his name, but I can see his face. He had Uncle Pent and…” Val trailed off with moist eyes. “He had him chained against the wall and pushed his hand into his chest. When he removed it, he had my hand. He needs it for some book…but that part is confusing and fuzzy. He took my hand by chance. He just picked one of the dead and it happened to be my uncle.”

  Daria wiped her tears away. “So, Uncle Pent was sent to the abyss?”

  “I’m sorry, sis. I’m not sure where he is. After he removed his hand from Pent, there was a blinding light. Then he disappeared.”

  “But why would he be sent to the abyss? He was a great man.”

  “He was the best man I’ve ever known. But he did a lot of things in the war before we came along. I don’t think he ever brought himself to atone for his actions.”

  Jerib cl
eared his throat. “I’m very sorry. But we need to get going.” Jerib’s eyes were following a deer bounding through the trees a bow shot away. Then, a few birds flocking in the same direction.

  “Something is out there,” Jerib said. The three looked down the trail past the black soil, as if expecting the beast to leap out and show itself right then. Val helped Daria up and the three hurried off down the broken path.

  “Information is one of the greatest weapons I wield, Arihem. But this…” Drask let the words hang in the air as he held his hand up. “This is one thing I have no information on. I don’t know how to get my feeling back. And now I have all these other unforeseen elements to deal with. Construction is far behind schedule, since my labor force is composed of mindless animals. I have a human wizard that can banish me back to the abyss at any given moment and has no idea of the fact. My army cannot get through one exercise without fighting each other. My brothers and father are conspiring to drag me back into the abyss and appropriate my plans. Oh, and several of my scouts I sent to the East have not returned, so I sent out another party to meet them—and now they have disappeared as well! Despite all these woes, I still come back to this.” He stared at the calloused, white hand.

  “What can I do to ease your mind, my Prince?”

  “I can’t go hire or enslave the real workforce I need: humans. I have to keep Yusar alive since I am unsure about his bond with my summoning. It’s just too large a risk and it's easy to keep him in the dark for now… And my brothers. I have agents feeding me information on their plans, but I have a feeling I’m only learning what they want me to.”

  Drask finished and reclined, motionless and in deep thought. Arihem broke his concentration.

  “The scouts.”

  Drask rolled his eyes. “I forgot about the scouts.”

  “I can take care of that for you. Let Sirash post a few guards at your room, seal yourself in, and rest a while. I know for a fact the human is just sitting in his room, reading his books, probably working on finding a solution for your hand. With your permission, I will take a leave of my role here and scratch an item off your list of worries.”