Heart of the Maiden: (Lords of the Deep Hells Book 3)

by Paul Yoder

  She looked up to the mouth of the gate above them as light strobed down over the countryside, flashing brighter, tendrils of warped dimensional matter reaching out to latch on to the frame of bones around it.

  The sunlight splashed into the alcove of bones they were in, illuminating them, warming them like the Tarigannie sun used to do, flooding them with distant memories of their past lives in Una, when they had been in a land that still made sense, that had more than endless suffering and pain—a land they had sought so hard to return to.

  The rift inched open, widening every passing minute. The three sat there, surrounded by bones on all sides, waiting for whatever was to come with the rift’s completion.

  With the warm rays that flowed down like light from the heavens basking them, Lanereth laid herself out flat on the ground, completely exhausted, feeling numb and oddly enough, at peace, even though her body was wrecked.

  A tear ran down her cheek as she smiled, gladly awaiting what was to come through that gate, knowing comfortably that nothing—no other realm—could possibly be worse than the one they were currently in.

  34

  The Night Rider

  Yozo rode east, just north of the ruins the arisen camped at. He could see the dust of a large host making their way towards him along the highway. Surely that was the brigade of soldiers the captain had told him about.

  They had been desperate for him to make the connection with the Plainstate force. He knew the sultan and his band had made plans to be here, and though he had his opinions about the sultan, he didn’t doubt for a moment their motives were aligned with the Tariganniens and were here to wipe out the arisen.

  The last scout to ride at his side, the one destined for Rochata-Ung’s cavalry unit, turned to look his way, saluting after making eye contact, then riding off into the dunes as the sun began to set, casting orange hues along the ridges as the cool blue shadows slowly overtook the warm colors of day.

  He had been swept up in a war of nations; a war of worlds really. For years, his drive and enemy were clear—simple. Kazuhiro Kasaru, the one the people of this nation had known as Nomad, had left his life in ruins, and he had vowed to exact vengeance upon him for it. But what had that brought him? All those years hunting the man only seemed to keep the wounds of his past and his misery fresh and burning brighter than ever. He grew tired of the pain, the miserable solitude, the depression of it all. He hadn’t cared if he was dead or living for most of his travels, only that Hiro received punishment at his hand one day.

  Things, for the first time in years, felt…different now. He felt different. There were others that knew him, if only for a short time, but Fin…he did not wish to displease the man. Him and Matt had helped him, spoke with him as though he were a person, not like all others who saw him as a rat foreigner, a vagabond, no consideration given to him.

  He had received beatings, spat upon, jailed for simply walking a street. He despised people—but this group he had fallen in with, did seem to have a bond, and he could feel that they were extending their hand to him. He just hoped that all the damage that he had received throughout the years of being on the road would not cause him to ruin their invitation. He struggled with his own self-destructive faults, and he didn’t know how much his companions could take of his pessimism and aversions. Their convictions were so sure, while his were tender—hesitant.

  He knew one thing, though. He trusted Fin and Malagar—the sarens too, though they had shorter tempers with him. They were invested in this cause to put an end to Sha’oul, and so he would fight for that cause as well. It was, perhaps, the first unselfish thing he had pledged himself to in a long while, ever since Hiro had….

  He snapped his horses reins sharply, spurring it on over a dune. The night was coming on, and if he were to find the Plainstate contingent, he would need to hasten his flight.

  “Naldurn sent word of a lone rider headed our way from the west. She’ll be seeing him into camp soon,” Kissa interrupted, running up to Hathos who had been discussing tactics with Reza, the rest of the camp generally already bedded for the night.

  “A terms agent from Rochata perhaps?” Reza suggested, clipping her sword and strapping some of her armor back on as she motioned for Gale and Jasper to her side as they followed Kissa and Hathos to the front lines to meet the scout and rider at the edge of camp.

  The moon had well been on its path across the night sky by that point, and the group struggled to make out the silhouettes of the riders as they made their way over ridge after ridge.

  “Jasper, Gale. Keep sharp. See that our guest behaves themselves.”

  “Oh, I’ll make sure of that,” Kissa said, stringing her bow as they waited for the riders to descend the last ridge and gallop the stretch of open desert to their location.

  “Is that…,” Reza mouthed in disbelief, staring hard at the man Naldurn rode up with at her side.

  “I don’t believe this,” she muttered, drawing a questioning gaze from all others.

  She had no time to explain as the two rode up to the group, taking the lead as she knew no one else knew the man but her.

  “Yozo? What are you doing here?” she asked, baffled by the surprise appearance of the man she had least suspected to see that night. “If you’re looking for Nomad, he’s not here. He left our company many days ago.”

  “No, I’ve given up that hunt—for now at least. There’s more important matters at hand.”

  Reza stepped closer, motioning for Kissa to lower her bow. “What could possibly be more important to you than snatching Hiro?” she questioned as the man dismounted, Naldurn eyeing him cautiously.

  Yozo considered the question, giving his response some thought before answering sincerely. “The people of this land are in danger, and they are finally waking up to realize it. I…have decided to join the resistance against Sha’oul. If left unchecked, his force will bring about a great deal of destruction, suffering, and death among many nations.”

  Reza looked hard at the man, her trust in his words wary. “You have never seemed one to worry for others, and you have let us down in the past, Yozo, so forgive me if I don’t immediately trust you on the matter.”

  “I understand. You are not wrong to consider me anything but an enemy; but Fin and Matt…they changed my mind on many things—helped me see how empty my life would continue to become if I did not cease my pursuit of Hiro. I am trying to follow a new path.

  “Whether you choose to believe me or not is another matter, however. I come bearing news from the captain of the Tarigannie fort south of here.”

  “Wait, Fin? When were you with Finian?” Reza quizzed, cutting off Hathos who had looked as though he were going to ask a question as soon as the Tarigannie forces were mentioned.

  “We had been traveling together for the last few weeks, fighting the arisen. We parted ways not but a few days ago. He was heading to the Plainstate to gather forces to help combat Sha’oul and his army,” Yozo answered plainly.

  “Thank the gods he’s alive,” Reza offered a thankful prayer, quizzing the man again before Hathos had a chance to ask about the Tarigannie forces.

  “How did you meet up with Fin? He went to recruit a friend and we haven’t heard from him since. I’ve been worried sick over him. What happened?”

  “It is a long story, Reza. What I can say tonight is that I have traveled with your companion, Fin, for some time now. We met up with some sarens seeking Sha’oul’s destruction. We were defeated. Many casualties, but I carried on with him and a few of the surviving sarens and joined up with the company at Fort Wellspring. Once our report of the arisen army checked out, they took us on, and we’ve been providing aid and information as we’ve tracked Sha’oul until now.

  “I’m here tonight to offer an alliance to you and your company. It is clear we are all here for the same purpose; to eradicate the arisen army, and I will vouch for your band as I’ve been in your councils. I know your motives are well placed.

  “I will relay
this to Captain Durmont. With the two Rochatan companies to the west and east of us, Durmont’s men, and yours, we may stand a fighting chance at mounting an assault on the force on the morrow.”

  “Wait,” she held out a hand, holding off Hathos’ attempt at getting a word in. “You ride with saren? Where are they from?”

  “Yes…,” Yozo hesitated, knowing Reza shared blood with his recent companions, not enjoying the idea of being the one to deliver the news that their force had been badly decimated by Sha’oul. “A saren High Priest named Lanereth led our charge. Eleven in her group they numbered before our battle with Sha’oul. Three they number now. I am sorry, but many fell by his hand and the claws of his minions.”

  “Lanereth…,” Reza fretted, trembling slightly at her fears coming true that the sarens in question were that of her own order.

  “And what three saren do you still ride with, Yozo?”

  Yozo could tell Reza was affected by the news. His tone was mournful as he made known the list of saren that survived the slaughter in the temple.

  “Revna, Jezebel, and Alva remain with us.”

  Seeing her turn away, hiding the tears that began to well up in her eyes, he added, “Though Lanereth’s fate is not necessarily sealed. She was whisked away in a rift to the Planes of Ash. There is no telling what has become of her from there.”

  “Sareth save her,” she whispered before taking a few steps away from the group, needing some space to recollect herself and to take in the news.

  Hathos watched her for a moment, hoping she was able to come to terms with the announcement, but knowing there were matters at hand that he needed to discuss with the spokesman.

  “You are saying that the Tarigannie military is wanting to ally with us to aid in an attack on the arisen army tomorrow?” he asked.

  “That’s the short of it. Yes. Captain Durmont is proceeding under the assumption that you are here to face Sha’oul. He sent riders to the Rochatan armies to spread the word of the alliance and of the plans for an attack on the morrow. Revna will send a flare into the heavens sometime after noonday. Look for the sign from the ridge along the east of the ruins. That will be the sign that all riders have returned and all companies have agreed to the plan.

  “At that time, you and Rochata’s cavalry will enter the ruins where Sha’oul hides from the east. Fort Wellspring will split, attacking both north and south ends of the ruins, and Rochata’s infantry unit will drive in from the west.

  “We’re outnumbered still, the arisen army numbers close to four thousand. Together we only number three thousand,” Yozo answered, explaining the orders he had been given.

  “Why press the attack if we’re outmanned? You said the arisen are holed up in the ruins. Couldn’t we request the full might of the Rochatan military to ensure our victory?” Hathos drilled the man, concerned with their odds and strategy.

  Yozo nodded his head in understanding, explaining, “The warlord is at work within the ruins. Some ritual is being performed, and Durmont does not think we have much time to wait. He does not wish to allow the enemy further time for their preparations and rites. Call it a gut feeling, but I have seen the ritual glow of runes along the two tall pillars at night, and it does bespeak power; a power that if we let continue in its dark construction, may become too much for even a sizeable number of reinforcements to answer. Durmont believes we need to make our move tomorrow.”

  Hathos thought on the man’s reasonings, looking to Jasper as he sorted through his options. “I guess we don’t have the privilege of talking this through with this Durmont, do we.”

  Yozo didn’t answer, Hathos eventually reluctantly agreeing to the terms laid before him. “If Tarigannie rides to face the arisen on the morrow’s evening, then the Plainstate will join the effort—and may the hearts of all the men and women, and all the gods that we follow, be stronger than the hate that binds our enemy to their cause.”

  Yozo bowed, honoring the Hyperium primus’ words and answer, returning to his horse just as Arie and Cavok showed up from the shadows of the night, Arie with a look of surprise, and Cavok with a glare that promised death to the man if the two had happened to be alone in the dunes that night.

  Yozo met the man’s glare but showed no recognition of the feud between the two, snapping on his horse’s reins, turning it off into a gallop back the way he had come, disappearing over the dunes as quickly as he had arrived.

  Hathos took note of the two that had approached, looking to Reza as she returned to them after Yozo’s departure.

  “We got what we were hoping for. The Tarigannie military will fight alongside us, though, the numbers of the arisen force do concern me. This will be no easy war to win,” he spoke aloud to all present.

  Metus met the eyes of each there, gauging their readiness to the cause they had signed on to.

  “Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow we prepare for battle. Tomorrow we go to war with the spawn of hell.”

  35

  The last day for many

  “The blood-red glow of dark magic set the monoliths alight all night, Captain,” Scars announced, Durmont and Revna listening to the man as he saluted, reporting of the watchers’ findings through the previous night’s shift.

  “Any sight of the riders we sent out?” he asked, knowing the probable answer, expecting that word would have been delivered promptly if they had returned.

  “Nothing yet, but we’ve been on the lookout for ‘em,” the veteran soldier replied.

  “More rituals last night then,” Durmont mused, rubbing the stubble along his jaw, looking to Revna for her thoughts on the matter, gauging how much of a concern it was for her.

  “I saw the pillar lights for myself. They are planning something, and it does look worrying. I don’t know why he’s chosen these ruins in particular to camp at, but it looks like those pillars have something to do with it.

  “Telenth is a lord of the Deep Hells. His rites are nothing to scoff at. If his avatar establishes a foothold of evil among those ruins, there is no telling what may come of his efforts. They could be catastrophic,” she offered.

  The captain heeded her words, agreeing with her. “That is what concerns me. Few in Tarigannie are superstitious, but they also do not come from a place that deals with the supernatural all that often. I know the horrors that lie beneath our feet where Hell awaits to open its maw and swallow us. I do not know of this Telenth, but know of devils like him. Show any sign of hesitation to the advances of a devil and you will see Hell spread into the realm of man faster than man can contend with. We must strike this day, or I fear what will come from those ruins in the night.”

  “Scars, Captain,” a man hailed, running up to the group, looking as though he carried urgent news.

  Durmont and the others looked to the watchman, waiting for his report.

  “Your companion, my lady, looks to be returning across the highway. Should be here within the moment,” he offered, catching his breath.

  “Go and meet him. See him to us,” Durmont ordered, sending the man running off after a quick salute.

  “If Yozo has returned, then my rider northbound for the infantry unit should be returning soon. We may need to wait a bit longer for the rider destined to connect with the cavalry unit to make his way back. He would have had to travel farther than both the other riders,” Durmont considered as they waited for Yozo to make his way to them.

  “How visible will your flare be? It must be seen from miles around during the light of day,” the captain asked of the priestess.

  “Sareth rarely holds shut simple spells such as that. If she does not heed my cry, it will be a sign that our path is one she does not condone,” the saren offered, though her answer did not seem to please the calculating man.

  They looked to Yozo as he ran up to them, the scout taking his exhausted, lathered horse to water once he had arrived.

  “I know the company from the Plainstate. I spoke with them last night and gave them your orders, Captain,” Yozo ti
redly announced, trying to stretch out his aching legs as he made his way to the three.

  “You vouch for their commitment to this war then? We can depend on them?” Durmont asked, demanding a firm answer from him.

  “Yes, I vouch for them,” Yozo easily said. “They are committed more than anyone I know to the extermination of the arisen. They will be ready to ride by this evening, approaching from the west of the ruins.”

  “That is good,” the captain softly spoke, looking over the crest of the dune that stood between them and their enemy entrenched within the ruins.

  “We will need all the help we can get. We will hit them hard from all sides. With no ramparts to stop us, the ruins should offer little haven for their numbers.” He stopped to look over the scene off in the distance where they’d be charging to mere hours from then.

  “Revna, Yozo,” he softly spoke, grabbing the two’s attention. “Will your band still be riding with us into battle this evening?”

  The two looked slightly confused by the question, figuring it was apparent they would be riding by their side that night, but affirmed then and there that they would fight along with the company in the coming war.

  Durmont smiled, looking to the two. “I have a feeling I need you in this battle. I don’t often have premonitions, but something about this fight tells me we are in desperate need of a god, and Tarigannie forsook their god a long time ago. It is my hope Sareth watches over us this night.”

  “It is my hope as well,” Revna whispered.

  The four of them watched the unmoving army of dead a few minutes longer, wondering how many lives would be lost along the fallen ruins that evening, knowing the count would be high, even if a victory was theirs to claim.

  36

  Flags Unfurled