by Mark Boutros
A boulder fell out of the sky and crashed next to Larnela’s grave. The force knocked Karl onto his back and the orb rolled next to a tree. Karl groaned and held his ribs. What was happening? Another boulder crashed into the tree. A branch fell, covering the orb.
Man-Hawk pairings carrying boulders in nets shrieked through the sky.
Karl stood, picked up his sword and unhooked the Star of Reech from his back straps.
A Man-Hawk landed in front of Karl and pointed her spear. She thrust but Karl deflected it with his shield. The Man-Hawk was fast, but Karl’s sword was lighter and his shield gave him an advantage.
The Man-Hawk’s stance was too wide.
Each time Karl blocked, the Man-Hawk became more aggressive, compromising technique. Sags had taught Karl to study his opponent while defending.
The Man-Hawk swept the spear at Karl’s legs, but Karl jumped and lunged forward, stabbing the Man-Hawk between her shoulder and neck.
It dropped its spear.
Karl pulled his sword out and whacked his shield across the Man-Hawk’s head.
Screams came from the courtyard. He had to help, but the orb glowed under the broken tree and cracked boulder. He would resurrect his mother first.
For The People
Sabrinia shot an arrow into the sky. ‘Everyone take cover!’ The arrow pierced a Man-Hawk’s neck. It dropped its side of the net and along with the boulder, crashed into Flowforn’s outer wall next to the tavern.
Another boulder smashed through the King’s Eye bridge, connecting the top of the King’s Tower to the Lookout Tower. The broken stone destroyed the roof of the Great Hall.
Sabrinia’s heart choked. Everywhere she looked, something was being destroyed or someone crushed. The statue of her father fell. Was this the end of her people?
She fired more arrows, but the Man-Hawks flew so fast they were difficult to hit. ‘Retreat to the alleys!’ she yelled to those fighting with her.
A flaming boulder crushed a man and set a cart ablaze in front of a door. Screams came from within the home.
Sags tried to push the burning cart but the fire repelled him.
‘We need to put it out!’ Sabrinia said.
Two Flowfornians threw buckets of water over the fire but it did nothing.
Marlens dropped her sack. ‘Cover me.’
Sabrinia launched arrows into the sky while Marlens ran into her workshop.
Sabrinia approached the cart but it was too hot to get close.
Marlens returned and threw a jar of blue powder onto the cart. A watery explosion extinguished the flames and soaked Sabrinia, Frong and Sags.
They pushed the cart away, freeing a mother and her child.
‘We need to get them out of here,’ Frong said.
A Man-Hawk flew at Sags with her sword pointed forwards. Sags threw an axe at the creature’s shoulder and knocked her head first into a wall.
‘There.’ Marlens pointed to the broken wall by the tavern.
‘I’ll do it.’ Hargon fired arrows into the sky. A Man-Hawk dropped through the roof of a house.
Sags threw another axe at a Man-Hawk. ‘Get everyone into the forest and hide among the trees.’
Hargon nodded and led people away.
A Man-Hawk swooped at Frong and slashed with his talons. Frong leaned back, grabbed the Man-Hawk by the leg and swung him into a statue.
The Man-Hawk struggled to his feet and flew away.
Sabrinia’s neck tensed. Man-Hawks swooped in a formation like a giant hawk. ‘We won’t survive this swarm.’
She took aim at four Man-Hawks carrying a flaming boulder towards the King’s Tower.
A Man-Hawk knocked Sabrinia to the floor and raised his talons to strike her, but Sags tackled him to the ground.
The Man-Hawk rolled Sags over and pecked his shoulder. The enemy drew his head back to peck Sags’ face, but Sabrinia stabbed an arrow through the Man-Hawk’s neck. She picked up her bow and another arrow and took aim, but it was too late.
The boulder smashed through sixty feet of stone, sixty feet of memories, and who knew how many people.
Sabrinia’s head throbbed. ‘My people.’ She ran towards the wreckage.
Marlens grabbed her but she tried to shake free. ‘My people!’ she protested.
Marlens wouldn’t release her. ‘We need to fall back to the forest. Stay close to the castle walls. Then when it’s clear, we make a break for it.’
‘You’re no good to your people dead,’ Sags said.
A Man-Hawk with a scarred cheek swooped down and chopped a Flowfornian’s head off as casually as slicing through an apple.
Sabrinia tried to pry Marlens’ hands from around her, but her friends were right. Her eyes filled with tears. She turned away from her people and tried to shut out the screams.
Buried Alive
Hargon, followed by panicked Flowfornians, neared the broken wall.
A boulder crashed in front of the gap and blocked the path to freedom.
Hargon needed a solution before the Man-Hawks spotted them, but he had nothing. His hands trembled but he tried to stay focused for the others.
Peezant hovered above Flowforn Arch and squawked.
‘This way,’ Hargon told the people and ran for Flowforn Arch, but two Man-Hawks landed in front of it.
‘Back,’ Hargon told the people. He ducked behind a building, thankful the Man-Hawks hadn’t seen him. He looked for Peezant, but the parrot shook its head.
All those Flowfornians. They were going to die because of him. He took a breath, ready to risk himself to distract the Man-Hawks so the people could make a run for it.
‘In here.’ Bar Witch poked her head out of the tavern door.
‘Quick everyone, to Bar Witch,’ Hargon said, relieved. He’d been a leader for a moment and that was long enough.
A Man-Hawk with a scarred cheek swooped down and stabbed an old woman in her stomach.
Hargon followed everyone into the tavern. He worried the scarred Man-Hawk would turn his attention to them. ‘What do we do?’ he asked Bar Witch.
‘Follow me.’ She ran into the back room and moved barrels onto stones.
‘Surrender or slaughter? Your choice,’ a voice yelled from the bar area.
Hargon’s eyes widened. He peered into the room and saw the scarred Man-Hawk at the tavern entrance.
‘Hurry,’ Hargon told Bar Witch.
‘Don’t rush me!’ She pushed a stone to open a secret door. ‘Everyone in here.’
Everyone entered. ‘Hold the door,’ Bar Witch told Hargon.
She kicked the barrels off the secret stones and entered.
‘You can close it now,’ she said.
‘Thanks for saving us.’ Hargon closed the door.
Bar Witch turned to him. ‘Let’s hope the others stay alive and come back for us, otherwise this is our coffin.’
Back From The Dead
Karl squeezed and strained his arm between broken pieces of boulder, but the orb was out of reach. He stretched his sword at the orb but couldn’t get the angle.
‘Karl!’ Sabrinia called from the cemetery entrance. ‘Come on!’
He couldn’t leave the orb. ‘I’ll follow!’
‘We have to go now!’ She fired an arrow into the sky. A Man-Hawk crashed to the ground.
‘Hurry, Karl!’ Sags called out. ‘We’re overrun.’
He shook his head. He’d resurrect Larnela and take her with him.
‘Karl!’ Sabrinia called.
Another boulder crashed. He almost had the orb.
‘Hello, Karl,’ a whiny voice said.
Karl turned. Arazod, his mother’s murderer, stood next to another Man-Hawk holding a sword so demonic only the most sinister would wield it.
Karl held his sword and shield in front of him, using all of his restraint not to lunge at Arazod. ‘I’d hoped the Great Dragon would’ve eaten you, but I guess it didn’t like the taste of misery.’
Karl pointed his sword at Arazod�
�s companion. ‘Who are you? His new servant?’
She smirked. ‘I’m his big sister, Ryza.’
Karl turned to Arazod. ‘During all the fun we had together you never mentioned a sister.’
Ryza’s beak twitched.
Karl shook his head. ‘And to be honest, he displayed all the characteristics of an only child.’
‘Give me the sword,’ Arazod said to Ryza. ‘Let me end him.’ He reached for the sword but Ryza moved it away.
‘I think I prefer you,’ Karl said to Ryza.
Ryza flew at Karl and swiped her bladed wing at him.
He ducked but she cut his cheek.
Karl’s body tensed and he faced her. He swung his sword but she dodged. He blocked a thrust with his shield and deflected another swing, but she was too fast and her sword too powerful. Before he could think of his next move, she was in the middle of hers.
They fought over graves and around trees, leaving mementos to the deceased scattered behind them.
Ryza swung her sword down.
Karl pushed his shield against it, but he couldn’t keep this up and pain shot through his arm. There was never an opening and she never got frustrated. His training was worthless and delayed the inevitable.
Arazod laughed.
Ryza shuffled a talon, so Karl swung his sword at her neck, but she knocked his blade away. She bashed his shield until he fell to his knees and dropped his protection.
Karl was so close to seeing his mother again, and took small comfort in the knowledge that they’d be reunited in the Realm of the Dead. He looked into Ryza’s eyes. ‘It’s a shame Arazod didn’t kill you along with your father.’
Ryza’s eyes burned. She thrust her sword towards Karl’s face, but he was knocked to the soil.
Karl lifted his head from the dirt.
Sags was skewered through the chest.
’Sags!’ Karl’s breath caught in his throat and everything was blurry.
Ryza pressed her talons against Sags’ stomach and kicked him off her sword. The small blades of her weapon ripped Sags’ chest open and bits of his flesh hung off them.
Sags dropped to his knees and fell face first onto the soil, his blood colouring it.
Ryza turned to Karl.
He wanted to chop her beak off. He searched for his sword but it was too far.
Ryza raised her blade. ‘Now I’ll do what my useless little brother couldn’t.’
A glass bottle smashed against Ryza’s armour and filled the area with smoke.
‘Cowards!’ Ryza called out.
‘No!’ Karl shouted. ‘Where are you? I’ll rip your head off!’ He reached his arms out, trying to grab anything, and found his shield. His head was hot and terror filled his heart. ‘Sags!’ he called out.
An arm grabbed Karl and dragged him away.
A Friend For Life
It was Karl’s fault. All his fault.
Sags’ limp body rested on a broken tree stump. His dark skin was dull and his breath was slow, too slow.
Frong removed Sags’ blood-soaked undershirt. Sags’ life flowed from the jagged wound by his heart, down the bark and dotted the soil.
Please don’t die. You can’t die.
Frong knelt on the soil and squeezed Sags’ hand, pressing his forehead to his knuckles. ‘Stay with us, Sags.’
Marlens rummaged through her sack of bottles. ‘Come on, come on.’ She pulled at her hair, mumbling different combinations of ingredients.
Sags grabbed the necklace around Frong’s neck. ‘It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere until we’re married.’ He smiled through bloody teeth.
Karl swallowed the lump in his throat, wishing he’d choke on it.
Sags closed his eyes and groaned, so vulnerable.
‘Come on, Marlens,’ Frong said. He glanced at Karl, his eyes full of anger and hurt, but he didn’t say anything. He turned back to his wounded lover.
Karl wished he could swap places with Sags.
Marlens placed three jars on the soil – one full of black thorns, the second a red powder, and the third a white sludge. ‘Okay, hopefully this does it.’
Marlens took a small steel pot from her sack and poured the sludge into it. She grabbed a jar of orange liquid and poured it in a circle on the soil, starting a fire. She inhaled, placed the pot in the circle and sprinkled a pinch of red powder into it. Once it bubbled, Marlens counted twelve black thorns and dropped them into the mixture. She stirred it with a twig until it blended into a purple liquid, bubbled and glowed.
Frong removed his armour and undershirt. ‘I think you’ll need this.’ He stuffed the shirt into Sags’ mouth and held his hand. ‘Crush my bones if you have to.’
Karl wanted to get closer but didn’t dare.
Marlens took a cloth, grabbed the steaming pot and placed it next to Sags. She stroked his sweating forehead. ‘I love you, old chum.’
Sags nodded.
Karl held his fist to his mouth.
Marlens lifted the pot and poured its contents into Sags’ fleshy hole.
Sags bit down on Frong’s undershirt. His body arched and his eyes bulged. The liquid fizzed and brown smoke billowed from the wound.
Karl wanted to turn away, but he had to watch, because it was his fault.
Frong stroked Sags’ face. ‘It’s okay. It’s okay.’
First Karl’s mother, now one of his best friends, both stabbed to protect him. Why did people die for him? No, they died because of him.
Marlens tapped the pot. The last of the liquid dropped into Sags. His eyes rolled into his head and his body relaxed. ‘Help me turn him,’ she said, her face stretched by pain.
She and Frong rolled Sags onto his side.
The stench of Sags’ burning flesh hung in the air.
Frong rubbed Sags’ neck. ‘You did great.’
Sags spat the undershirt out and saliva ran down his cheek. He groaned; it was like a punch to Karl’s heart.
Marlens took an orange leaf from a jar and rubbed it into Sags’ gums until he passed out. She wiped her sweaty hair out of her eyes and removed her armour, fanning herself with her drenched undershirt. ‘Okay, next bit.’ She grabbed the loose flaps of skin on Sags’ back and pinched them together to close the wound. ‘Karl, pour that green and pink mixture of leech mouths over this line.’ She pointed to the join of Sags’ skin flaps.
Karl took the bottle in his shaking hands and poured the thick, lumpy liquid over the flaps. He watched the leech mouths bind the skin like metals being welded.
Marlens shook her head. ‘I wish I had stronger potions, but this is the best I got in me.’ She bit her lip.
‘You’re amazing.’ Frong looked into her eyes.
Sabrinia emerged from the trees carrying water in Karl’s helmet, but she didn’t acknowledge him. She approached Marlens. ‘How is he?’ She handed Marlens the helmet.
Marlens rolled Sags onto his back and poured water into his wound. ‘He’s fighting.’
Frong pulled on his beard and wiped his eyes.
‘I need more skin.’ Marlens tried to seal Sags’ chest wound, but the skin wouldn’t meet and her finger poked into Sags’ flesh.
Karl winced. ‘Use mine.’ He offered his arm.
‘No.’ Frong took a dagger from his boot. He closed his eyes and cut hairy skin from his thigh. He handed the bloody flap to Marlens.
She soaked it in the water in the helmet and placed it over Sags’ wound. She grabbed the potion bottle from Karl and poured it on, sealing the hole. ‘Now we hope.’
Sags’ chest rose and fell. So fragile.
Frong clasped his hands. ‘Please.’
Sags’ breathing slowed and then stopped.
Marlens pressed her ear to Sags’ mouth and touched her fingers to his neck. She looked at the ground.
Why did she look at the ground?
‘No...’ Frong said.
Karl’s heart clenched.
‘Look.’ Sabrinia pointed to Sags’ hands opening and closing.
Sags blinked and looked around. ‘Thank you.’ He smiled.
Marlens put a hand to her mouth and tears danced in her eyes.
Sabrinia put an arm around her.
‘Sags!’ Frong wept. ‘You did it, Marlens.’ He pressed his face to Sags’ arm.
Sags stroked Frong’s head and groaned. ‘I’ve decided I want a cake made of mole-rat hair at our wedding.’
Frong chuckled. ‘Anything you want. Even that terrible troupe of tree people you love who sing those morbid songs you love.’
Sags laughed. ‘You all heard him say that. No backing out now.’
Karl burst into tears. ‘I’m so sorry, Sags. I’m so sorry.’
Sags grabbed Karl’s hand. ‘Seems you need a bit more training yet.’ He chuckled and coughed.
Karl smiled. ‘Then you’d better recover soon so we can get back to it.’
Sags looked into his eyes. ‘I’m glad you’re okay.’ He coughed again then choked. His eyes widened and his grip weakened.
‘Sags?’ Karl said.
Marlens nudged Karl out of the way and took Sags’ hands. ‘Sags? What’s wrong?’ She held the back of Sags’ hand to her face and tapped it. ‘He’s goin’ cold.’
Sags’ lips whitened and his veins turned a dull grey. His body twitched.
Frong held Sags in a seated position. ‘Sags. I’ve got you.’ He rubbed and tapped Sags’ chest to help him cough.
‘Sags, no…’ Karl trembled.
Frong kissed Sags’ cheeks. ‘Hold on, Sags. We’ll find something.’ Frong looked at Marlens. She stared at her bottles and shook her head.
Frong placed Sags’ head on his lap and looked down at him.
Sags’ eyes watered. ‘I love you all.’ He coughed blood. ‘Thank you, Frong, for being you. Never stop expanding your world.’ He put his hand on Frong’s.
Frong squeezed him. ‘We need to do it together. It’s not an adventure without you.’
Sags nodded. ‘Then don’t forget me.’ He ran a finger under Frong’s eye. ‘I love you, Frong. I’ll miss your stories.’