Fallen Ambitions

by Vann, Eric J.

  An audible crack sounded from the impact, but from the explosive pain in his hand, Aziel wasn’t sure if it was his bone or Kavali’s which had cracked. The Ogre’i growled, her hands clumsily reaching for him as she dropped to one knee once more.

  Aziel twisted, grabbing the chain, and in a series of quick maneuvers wrapped it around her wrist, chest, and neck then jumped behind her and used his entire bodyweight and strength to pull it tight. Adrenaline filled him as he gritted his teeth, his hands turning white.

  Kavali choked, her massive body bending backward as she tried and failed to find leverage with her injured leg, especially in her now awkwardly bound position. Aziel could see the chains dig into her throat, but just as he felt her struggle weakening, Kavali roared, her whole body tensing, and Aziel found himself flying overhead, the Ogre’i finally finding the strength to pull herself forward.

  Even so, as he sprang to his feet again, he could see it clearly now: the pain and fatigue in her eyes, in the way her body moved. He could finish this. The crowd was still silent as Aziel ran at her again, leaping high enough so that his fist smashed into her nose, then her head. More awful cracks sounded with each blow—and this time, Aziel was certain his bones were suffering just as much as Kavali’s were. Pain radiated from his fist and arm the more he struck at her.

  Kavali, whose nose was now broken, her right eye forced shut and swollen, kept glaring at Aziel as he assaulted her. Seeing no other choice, Aziel risked the harm involved and activated his Power Strike once more. Mana rushed into his arm—and for a moment, all pain disappeared.

  Then he slammed his fist into her face, and Kavali’s head flicked back, her whole body following suit as it absorbed the force of his blow.

  Even then, however, she still remained on her knees, refusing to fall onto her back.

  The mana which had infused Aziel’s arm dispersed, and he lost all feeling in that region. His arm fell limp to his side, his muscles pushed to their absolute limit by using the skill twice in so short a time. He thought that at least this fight might finally be over, but with an ear-shattering and defiant roar, Kavali flicked her head back and slammed it into Aziel’s side, one of her horns goring his shoulder.

  Aziel screamed as Kavali proceeded to shake her head, tearing his wound open further, his blood gushing out and onto her face. With every movement, the chains which still restricted her movements rattled. Kavali tried to pull her horn free, but Aziel pushed his body against her face—although he was confident that his healing ability would save his life, the sheer quantity of blood which would pour from his wound if she pulled out her horn was likely to render him unconscious.

  Clenching his jaw against the rising pain, Aziel felt around with his other arm until he finally found what he was looking for. Holding the metallic hook tightly, he raised it and used all his remaining strength to slam its sharp point into Kavali, right under her collar bone. The metal sunk deep, but the expected roar of pain didn’t come. Aziel twisted his head with an effort, and saw that Kavali was staring at him—her piercing blue eyes opened wide as her lips opened and closed, struggling to say something.

  Even without knowledge of the precise anatomy of the Ogre’i, Aziel could tell he had hit something vital. Blood began to bubble from her mouth.

  “Kuur,” she tried to say as she finally fell backward, her fingers reaching, struggling to grasp the hook, but failing to do so with the chains still wrapped around her arms and body.

  Realizing that the pain from the still-embedded horn had begun to die down, Aziel took a deep breath as he prepared himself for what he had to do. He let out an agonized grunt as he separated himself from Kavali before immediately pushing his fingers into the wound, allowing his Soul Rejuvenation more time to work before he started bleeding out.

  “Kuur… kuural,” Kavali continued to say, and for the first time, Aziel could see fear in her eyes, in her struggle.

  Aziel turned around, looking helplessly at the crowd as they looked back at him in silence. Finally, he found Neruul. “Are you going to end this or not?” Aziel shouted. Did the old Ogre’i’s intend to wait until she was truly dead before he called a halt?

  Neruul had a troubled expression on his face as he lowered his head. “A khan must express her surrender,” he said. Beside him, Aziel noticed that both of the other Ogre’i khans were glaring at Neruul, their teeth bared, but they did not speak against his ruling.

  Aziel clicked his tongue in frustration and quickly knelt beside Kavali. “Give up the fight, I can save you,” he said. Her breathing had already become labored, and her eyes met his as she choked several times on her own blood. “Na… Nana…” There was no possibility she was going to speak. She was drowning.

  Aziel glanced back and found Astrel amongst the crowd of Grauda. The Queen was looking down, unable to witness what was happening. Biting his lower lip, Aziel cursed inwardly. There was no other choice.

  He raised his one still-functioning hand and allowed a stream of nature mana to flow through it and form the required symbols. The glyph rotated once before melting back into his hand, creating a glowing green aura around it. “Healing Touch,” he whispered as he rested his hand on Kavali’s shoulder. The Ogre’i’s eyes bore into him into him as he channeled more of his healing power into her body.

  Murmurs spread amongst the crowd, but Aziel paid them no mind. He focused only on Kavali. Using his Nature Sense, he was now able to see the extent of the damage the hook had inflicted: it had pierced one of her lungs and punctured her heart. Frowning, he repositioned himself and sat across Kavali’s chest. “This is going to hurt,” he said as he grabbed the hook and pulled it out. Kavali gasped but otherwise remained still as Aziel tossed the bloody hook to one side. “Sorry about that,” he said with a weak smile. “Can’t heal you if it’s in the way.” Then he placed his glowing hand atop her wound.

  The Ogre’i khan kept her eyes locked on his as more murmurs spread amongst the spectators. Aziel had healed others before, but healing a creature as large as an Ogre’i—and one with such grievous wounds—was far more taxing than he expected. Thankfully, even with the high cost such a task required, he was flush with mana now. He continued to weave the Healing Touch spell until the most serious of her injuries were gone. Just as he was about to move on to the rest, he felt a hand glide across his shoulder, a warm revitalizing energy radiating into him as it did.

  “You are hurt too,” he heard a familiar voice say. Niyela stood beside him; Celia and Astrel too. Aziel faced them with a gentle smile. “I suppose things didn’t go quite as planned,” he said. And as if confirming his words, Neruul spoke.

  “By resorting to weaving, Lord Aziel has forfeited the duel. Khan Kavali is the victor.”

  His words had no strength or joy behind them, and by the lack of reaction from the crowd, not many agreed.

  Kavali herself growled and tried to pick herself up, but she was still weak, and the chain wrapped around her made her every move awkward and difficult. “Help me get this off her,” Aziel said. Celia and Astrel moved to either side of her body, and they pulled and tugged at the heavy chain, unwrapping it from around the great Ogre’i as she forced herself to her knees.

  Just as Aziel was about to continue with her healing, Kavali grabbed one of her horns—the one still coated with his blood. Her muscles flexed as she twisted.

  “Stop!” Neruul cried out in shock as Kavali let out a bone-rattling roar followed by a loud crack, her horn breaking off an inch above her forehead. In the dead silence that followed, the Ogre’i khan panted heavily, before opening her palm and offering Aziel the broken blue horn.

  The crowd of Ogre’i let out a collective gasp.

  Aziel extended his hand to accept her offering, but then hesitated. How many times was he going to do something like this without knowing the full impact of his actions? Noticing his hesitation, Kavali’s eyes opened wide. She looked more pained now, he realized, than when she had been choking on her own blood.

  A thu
ndering of heavy footsteps caught Aziel’s attention and he looked up to witness Jar sprinting to them, carrying Neruul. When the two reached Aziel, Jar let Neruul down gently and the old Ogre’i placed a hand over Aziel’s still-extended arm.

  “Take it, or you may as well cut open her throat,” he said, his tone urgent.

  “What?” Aziel said.

  “An Ogre’i’s horn is a symbol of pride and the individual. She is giving you a part of herself. It symbolizes more than winning any duel. Accept it, and she will serve you until you feel her debt is repaid, whereupon you may return her horn to her,” Neruul said as his grip tightened around Aziel’s arm. “If you don’t accept it, she will be dishonored. They will tear her apart to avoid having such a dark omen within the clans.”

  Aziel looked at Kavali once more; she was still holding out her broken horn to him. “Is what he says true?” Aziel asked.

  Her gaze flicked to Neruul for a moment, before returning to Aziel. “Life debt,” she said, extending her hand closer to him. “Debt must pay.”

  Witnessing the determination which had suddenly flooded into Kavali, Aziel saw no other choice. He wrapped his hand around her horn and accepted it. At this, a cacophony of roars and cheers exploded from the Ogre’i spectators, and they began to beat their chests and feet in rhythm.

  Niyela stepped forward to place her hand on Aziel’s back, continuing to heal him. “Thank you,” he said softly, and Niyela flashed him a bright smile.

  “I will do what I must to keep my Grove Master safe.”

  “And I appreciate that, but I am already well enough for my Soul Rejuvenation to easily do the rest.” He held the Dryad’s hand and pulled her closer. “Would you look after her for me?”

  “As you wish,” Niyela said, moving her glowing hand to Kavali’s shoulder instead. “Stay still,” she said firmly as she focused on her weaving. The female Ogre’i did not seem pleased by the Dryad’s proximity, but neither did she do anything to stop her.

  Aziel snorted at that before noticing Astrel’s unhappy expression. “What’s the matter?” he asked, concerned.

  The Grauda queen turned to him, her antennae drooping as she held up the hilt of his shattered blade. Aziel laughed. “I hope you aren’t blaming yourself for that!”

  Astrel twisted her lips into a deep frown. “It broke.”

  “I have a feeling any unenhanced weapon would have broken under the strain I put it through.” He tilted his head toward Kavali. “Her bones were as dense as steel.”

  “We have company,” Celia interrupted as the two other Ogre’i khans stepped closer. They glanced at Aziel, then at his three companions before focusing on Kavali.

  “Nedrana tala?” the older of the two asked the still kneeling Kavali.

  “Kintara,” Kavali replied before gently shaking Niyela’s hand from her and lowering her head. The female Ogre’i said nothing for a few moments, but then she began speaking in the unique tongue of her race. When she finished, a notification formed before Aziel.

  Clan Noros, led by Khan Kavali, have asked to join your faction. As Faction Leader, you have final say over whether or not to officially admit this racial guild.

  Do you accept? Yes or no.

  Aziel gripped the bloody horn tighter. Was she doing this out of respect for him, or out of duty to the person who held her horn? But his question became moot when the other two khans dropped to their knees, repeating the same words Kavali had spoken, their own notifications appearing slightly after.

  Aziel couldn’t hold back a grin of pure relief. If the other clans saw fit to join him, then the Ogre’i had indeed found him worthy, even if he had technically lost the duel.

  Seeing no reason to prolong his decision any further, Aziel accepted all three Ogre’i clans into the Fallen before reaching up to place his hand atop Kavali’s head. The Ogre’i khan tensed slightly at his touch, but did not object. “Tell me Kavali,” he asked, “how do you feel about leading the Fallen into battle?”

  Kavali looked up, the movement forcing Aziel’s hand aside. She met his gaze and a wide, blood-soaked and toothy grin spread across her face.

  “I break Nanatheel’s enemies,” she said.

  Aziel laughed as he prepared to appoint his High Commander. To his chagrin, it seemed that the title she had chosen for him was going to stick.

  Chapter 30

  Aziel knocked on the double doors of the bedroom, the two male Grauda guards staring at him as he awaited a reply.

  “Come in,” a female voice called.

  “Princess Lucienne,” he said warmly as he entered and closed the door behind him. The princess was sitting on the bed, wearing a flowing white gown Melody had provided her and a frown.

  Ever since his meeting with Adara, he had visited the Princess of Maiv daily, and had moved her to one of the lavishly furnished rooms on the first floor. At first, she wouldn’t talk to him or even face him. Aziel did not mind this; he used the time to talk about his day, his plans for the Fallen and the city under construction. Talking aloud helped arrange his own thoughts.

  As time passed, he began to notice short glances—interest even—from the princess, which was when he ventured to tell her about his conversation with Adara. When she read the scroll the fire Divinity had given him, the princess freely let out a string of enraged curses. It was the first time he had heard her speak for some while, and the manner of her speech had caught him off guard, but as time passed, she had calmed down considerably and was more open to discussion.

  “Have you given it any thought?” he asked, pulling out a chair to sit facing her. “The gathering is today.”

  The princess remained silent.

  Aziel sighed. “Princess, every day you delay, the more likely it is this decision will be taken from you. Adara may have been manipulative in the way she went about arranging this…”

  “I can hear a ‘but’ coming,” the princess interrupted, sourly.

  Aziel smiled. “But… although she hid it well, she acted out of desperation. She seemed ready to do anything to keep Maiv and her daughter from rejoining the Jannatin Empire.” Aziel took a deep breath before broaching the next part. “Your father,” he began.

  “My father is being tortured in Majara to give up Maiv,” Lucienne said, her voice soft.

  Aziel nodded. “If what Adara said is true, then yes, it is very likely the case.”

  “I still don’t understand why you would come to me with this? As Divinity, Adara could approve an arrangement without me—she still could. Why do you care what I think?” she asked, her head still down as her hands gripped the bedsheet tightly.

  Gazing at his open palm, Aziel remained silent for a few moments before looking at her again. “These are your people, your faction. Your father, the king, is powerless to lead now, but you as the Viceroy and his daughter are not. If Maiv seeks the help of my faction and would pay this price,” he said, pointing at the scroll Adara had given him, which lay open on the princess’s dresser, “then I want to know the leadership is united in this decision before I bring it to the Conclave.”

  “You believe I may go against you at a later time? Lead a revolt like in one of those fairy tales—the warrior princess beating back the oppressors of her country?” the princess asked, sharply. “My father, grandfather and those before them: they all fought and struggled for an independent Maiv. Adara is asking you to absorb Maiv into the Fallen, for us to become your vassal. What difference is that to fighting the Jannatins to the end? Joining you instead of surrendering to them would only prolong the war, the suffering. Or can you promise me the Fallen will win?”

  “Oppressors… is that what you think is going to happen?” Aziel shook his head.

  “Of course I cannot promise we will win. I can only promise that the Fallen will fight for those it considers its own. So will I.” Aziel stood and walked to the door, but just as his hand gripped the handle the princess spoke.

  “Autonomy,” she said.

  Aziel turned. “Aut
onomy in what?”

  “Governance. If I sign that, the faction of Maiv will cease to exist. In exchange, you give me a faction guild charter, and under that charter I will lead the autonomous region of Maiv,” she said, still staring at the ceiling from her bed.

  “If you want to have your own laws, I agree. As long as those laws don’t contradict anything passed by the Conclave.”

  “Then I want Maiv to have a seat.”

  “No,” Aziel replied immediately.

  The princess sat up, her eyes meeting his. “No? Why not?”

  “The Conclave and its council of races will have one human representative, just like the other races, and if that person is from Maiv then so be it. I will not have a single race commanding more power than the rest, not at that level,” Aziel said firmly, crossing his arms.

  “Economic support?”

  “Of course,” Aziel replied.

  “How much?”

  “As much as is required and is reasonable. Melody will be in charge of that, assuming it is approved.”

  “Military?”

  “Only garrisons and defense. Any other armed forces will go under Kavali, the Head Commander of the Fallen.”

  The princess stood and walked to the dresser before taking a seat in front of it. Aziel watched her. They’d had this conversation at least twice now, and he wondered if she had finally made her decision.

  “You’re not giving me any solid numbers, just vague promises,” Lucienne said as her eyes skimmed over the document. “You’re not exactly the most trustworthy person I’ve met. I have suffered nightmares after what you did in Whiteridge, you know.”

  Aziel blinked, surprised. So he was not the only one. “I did what I did for the good of my faction and those I wish to protect,” he said, even more firmly.

  The princess gave him a sideways glance. “I’m sure the Jannatins are telling themselves that as they bombard those poor soldiers in Bastion. That it’s for the greater good of their empire.”