Byzantium Infected Box Set

by James Mullins

  Successful, its hand closed around Athos’ Spatha, even as the razor-sharp metal, cut through the soft flesh of the gorilla’s palm. Athos’ Spatha sliced the creature’s hand in two as the metal blade bit through flesh. As it reached the beast’s wrist bone it came to a stop. The gorilla, desperate to reach its feet and get away from these two humans that nearly ended his immortal existence, used its powerful legs to leap backward. Surprised by this move, Baltazar’s blade, still stuck in the gorilla’s shoulder is ripped from his hands. As the Gorilla retreated backwards, Athos manages to hang onto the pommel of his sword. With a jerk he pulled it free of the gorilla’s hand in a stream of purple fluid and chunks of flesh.

  The gorilla, headless of the other damned as it leapt backwards, landed on two unfortunate lesser brethren. The immense weight of the powerful beast, drove the two hapless undead humans to the cobblestone street crushing their skulls between unyielding stone and powerful feet.

  Enraged at the meal being denied it, the damned gorilla bared its fangs at the two men, and attempted to pound its chest with its two fists. The maneuverer, a dim memory of its previous life used to intimidate foes, lost most of its effect as the gorilla’s ruined right hand slapped loosely against his torso. As the beast continued to beat the wounded hand against its chest, purple blood streamed out of the horrific wound.

  Athos and Baltazar, enraged by what the beast had done to Nasir, were filled with an inner fury. Unable to contain their hurt and anger at Nasir’s loss the pair roared back at the beast. Overcome by the wrath erupting from within, the two men ignored the other damned and advanced toward the wounded gorilla seeking to avenge their fallen comrade.

  As pair moved forward, two other damned moved in from their flanks and attempted to tackle them from either side. Both of these damned were dropped short of their goal as one stone and then a second whistled through the air and smashed into their skulls. Before other members of the frothing horde could move to fill the void and attack the two men. Sharven, Gor, Revig, and Jerry moved out onto the street to set up a line to keep their backs covered as the two young friends faced off against the monster.

  The gorilla, seeing the two men advancing, raised it’s two arms up and brought them down in a blur of motion toward their heads. Athos and Baltazar, raised their shields to deflect the blows. The clenched fist of the gorilla’s left hand smashed into Baltazar’s shield with a loud thump causing the metal of the shield to buckle under the mighty blow. Baltazar grunted as his entire left forearm went numb with the force of the blow and he was forced to take a step back.

  As the gorilla’s hand came down upon Athos’ shield, the useless appendage slapped against his shield with a dull wet smack, smearing purple blood along the length of his shield. Athos used his shield to push the beast’s arm further to the right exposing the monster’s shoulder. Heedless of the danger noise created, Athos screamed, as he brought his blade down upon the arm of the gorilla. The hungry blade bit through, fur, flesh, and bone, cleaving the arm off an inch from the shoulder and causing a fountain of purple blood to erupt from the stump.

  Stunned, the damned gorilla paused and looked down at his missing arm, “This one feels pain!” Athos yelled in glee.

  Baltazar, focused on the opening he now had, thanks to the distraction that Athos had just provided, swung his axe at the side of the gorilla’s head. The moment before impact, the gorilla heard the ax blade whistling through the air and turned to face it. As it let out a yelp of surprise, Baltazar’s ax sank deeply into the beast’s forehead. Incredibly, saved by its thick skull, the gorilla was not slain by Baltazar’s attack.

  Roaring in rage, the gorilla swung its left hand at the Dekanos and connected, punching his chest. Letting out a surprised grunt, Baltazar was knocked back several feet, before skidding to a halt on his back. He felt a sharp pain in his right side where the gorilla’s fist had impacted his chest. Ignoring the pain, he scrambled back to his feet.

  Athos, seeing another opening as the gorilla’s fist smashed into Baltazar’s chest, raised his Spatha and swung downward at the enormous head of the undead horror. The beast confident it had just removed Baltazar from the fight turned to face Athos. It bared its fangs and roared as Athos’ blade came down on the top of its head. The blade smashed into the thick skull of the damned gorilla and like Nasir’s blade before it, bounced off.

  As Athos took a step back to regroup, the gorilla swung its left fist at his head. He ducked under the fist and swung his blade wildly at the gorilla’s legs. Missing with its fist, the beast followed up with a kick to Athos’ right hand. This unexpected blow, caused Athos to let out a yelp as the blade was knocked from his hand.

  Desperate, Athos lunged and snatched up his Spatha. As he did so, he turned to face the gorilla and brought his shield up just in time to block a mighty blow from the beast’s left fist. Athos’ left arm went numb as he stood his ground and absorbed the blow which drove him down onto one knee. The attack left a fist print in the metal of his shield.

  The gorilla, now towering over him, bared its fangs and roared at Athos. The young Kentarches, thinking quickly, thrust his Spatha at the gorilla’s face. Surprised at the counter attack, the gorilla did not react as Athos’ blade sank into his left eye. Athos, with a scream of triumph, kept pushing his blade into the gorilla’s eye socket. The beast whimpered and then collapsed to the ground in a heap.

  The victorious Kentarches, placed his foot upon the gorilla’s chest, and pulled his blade free of the corpse. Overcome by the anger and rage he felt at the beast, he slipped into a berserker fury. Heedless of the danger to himself, he began cutting down the damned faster than they could fill the holes his impassioned assaults created.

  This went on for several moments until he felt a hand on his shoulder and Baltazar said in a gentle voice, “Peace, Athos, we must go from this place or we will be overwhelmed.”

  Athos ignored the soothing pleas of his friend and swept his blade before him. In a single blow, he cleaved the heads of three damned in half and took another step up the street.

  “Athos my, love. Please come back to me we must make our escape while we can.” Athea pleaded.

  Somewhere deep within Athos, the voice of his beloved stirred him. As that kernel of personality began to rise within him, he continued to butcher the damned and advance up the street. Mercilessly hacking down all that stood before him, he advanced at such a rate that Jerry, Sharven, Gor, and Revig could not slay the damned flowing around him fast enough to keep his flanks covered. He was in danger of being cut off and surrounded.

  Tears filled Athea’s eyes as she pleaded with Athos, “Please, my love, come back to me. I know not how I could continue without you. Don’t thrust that most horrible of trials upon me by dying here.”

  The piece of Athos that Athea called out to blossomed into his mind. As it did so, the rage drained from him and he felt a huge wave of fatigue overcome him, “He’s snapped out of it.” Baltazar said.

  Heedless of the danger, bizarrely Athos turned and started walking toward Athea. As he walked, he slipped his Spatha into its sheath and opened his arms up to embrace her. The damned horde, finally seeing their opportunity to put an end to this fierce unconquerable foe, charged his unprotected back.

  Baltazar took several steps forward to protect Athos. He raised his shield to block the advancing undead. As he slew several with his ax fetid fists pounded on his shield. Despite the odds, he continued to hold the damned at bay. The injured Dekanos grimaced, as the right side of his chest screamed in protest over his actions.

  Athos and Athea embraced as Liana said, “This door here is unlocked, we can get off of the street.”

  Gor, Sharven, Revig, and Jerry, formed a loose square around the three females and Athos. Hearing Liana’s words, the couple broke their embrace and looked over as Liana pushed the unlocked door open, “It’s another villa foyer.” Liana said.

  Baltazar, exhausted and in pain, slipped through the line of the half circle that the
four men had formed and said, “We can use this to break contact and get away.”

  Athos walked through the open doorway and joined Liana inside. This foyer, like the first villa’s, was a large room. Busts of several people that Athos did not recognize inhabited alcoves set in the walls. Ignoring them, he quickly walked across the room and opened the door. Beyond was a courtyard. At the center of the courtyard was a bubbling fountain, surrounded by lush, unkempt and overgrown greenery.

  Cautiously, Athos stepped into the courtyard and looked up. Thankfully there were no damned jumping off the roof tops to tackle him. Satisfied, he turned around and walked back inside the foyer. Quickly emerging onto the street, he said, “Fighting withdrawal. We can use this villa to break contact.”

  Grinning Jerry said, “You heard the man. Keep the line, but start stepping back every chance you get.”

  Supported by the two ladies and their slings the five men started backing up toward the door as they continued to slay the damned. Baltazar, clutching his chest, was the first to fall out of the line. Finally having a chance, he looked down at the right side of his torso. Blood slowly oozed from beneath his armor. The chain links on his mail were broken where the gorilla’s fist had hit.

  Liana, seeing him looking at his chest, came over and looked at it. As a look of worry flashed across her face Baltazar said in a strong voice, “It looks worse than it feels. I’ll be fine.”

  Liana rolled her eyes, “Says all stubborn men everywhere, especially warriors.”

  “No really, I can still fight.” Baltazar replied.

  Liana, ignoring the statement, wrapped her arms around Baltazar in an embrace. As she did so, he cried out in pain, “You’re fine, alright. I swear I don’t know how wounded men ever survive a battle. You idiots could lose a leg and you’d tell your Kentarches, I’m fine I can walk it off. Just to get me back into the fight.”

  “The other men need my help. I can’t let them down.” Baltazar replied in frustration.

  Liana threw a glance at the contracting line outside, “You don’t think getting your stupid self-killed would not let them down, too? They seem to be doing just fine without you.” She threw a glance at Maarika who was sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around her knees still sobbing. Daisy licked her on the cheek trying to give her comfort, “Keep an eye on Maarika for me. I need to help with my sling.”

  Baltazar, unconsciously placing a hand over his wounded chest, glanced down at Maarika and nodded, “Very well.”

  Liana joined Athea and the pair used their slings to aid the four men slowly backing toward the open doorway as they slew damned after damned. Spatha bit into putrid flesh and bone, and sling bullets whistled through the air as the undead horde pressing down upon them lost member after member to the skilled assault.

  Athos, seeing that everything was under control, left the group. Hoping to find a way to escape, he moved into the courtyard and walked across it to the opposite side. Still wary of damned on the roof top. He kept moving his eyes from the path in front of him, up to the red tiles above just to be sure. He began checking the doors on the north side of the courtyard one by one.

  Back on the street, Sharven, and Revig stepped into the foyer as the line withdrew from the street into the doorway. Both Jerry and Gor held the doorway with shield and Spatha. Turning to Gor Jerry said, “The next time we get a gap, I need you to disengage and step into the foyer.”

  “Yes, sir.” Gor said.

  From out of the crowd a large male emerged. He was wearing the tattered remains of a leather apron. The muscles on his arms bulged and his bald head, inexplicably polished to a sheen, reflected the sunlight from above. As the giant putrid horror loomed above them, Jerry slammed his shield into the damned’s chest before he could attack, “Now, Gor. Disengage!”

  Gor, obeyed the order and stepped into the foyer. As Jerry brought his ax down in an attempt to slay the man, a hand reached out from his right side and grabbed his wrist. The large damned, roared in triumph as it slapped Jerry’s shield to the left exposing him to attack. With a whistle, the hand of the damned that had stopped Jerry’s attack loosened. A sling bullet had slammed in its head.

  Jerry turned to the side and used his shield to absorb the attack from the large damned as the man loomed above him. Another snap and whistle followed and a stone impacted with the shiny bald head of the large damned. Unlike the first sling bullet that dropped the opponent to his immediate right, this one bounced off the skull and was deflected upward.

  The damned’s milky grey eyes locked on Jerry’s as the beast grinned at him, “What the hell?” Jerry asked.

  The large damned began to open its mouth as if to answer the question when two stones slammed into its skull simultaneously. The first stone again bounced off, causing it to stagger backwards. The second, penetrated bone and with a dull smack, traveled into the man’s brain. With a sigh of relief, Jerry stepped back into the foyer, as Sharven and Gor slammed the door shut. A moment later Revig dropped the bar in place.

  Within moments, the damned began pounding on the door. Jerry sheathed his Spatha turned to face the ladies and asked, “Where is Athos?”

  “He went to see about finding a way out of here.” Athea replied.

  Jerry looked over her shoulder and saw the open door to the courtyard, “Let’s see if we can bar or block that door shut as well. It wouldn’t hurt to put two doors between us and the damned. God only knows what mutated horror will befall us next.”

  “That sounds like a good idea.” Baltazar said.

  Athea nodding, knelt down, put her arm around Maarika and said, “Hey, we have to go now. Can you stand up?”

  Maarika used her left arm to wipe away tears and mucous and nodded dully in response. Athea unconsciously scratched in-between Daisy’s ears as Maarika slowly gathered herself and stood. She reached her feet, turned toward the open courtyard, and started walking.

  As the two ladies emerged into the sunlight beyond, Athos reappeared and said, “We have a way out. Follow me.”

  Chapter 66

  Mid-Morning, October 19th 636, Joppa Road West of Jerusalem, Palestinia Province, Byzantium

  Constan scratched Viribus’ ears absent mindedly. Overwhelmed by fatigue after a long night, it was a heroic effort just to keep his eyes open. The surviving members of the 5th Babylon, having successfully disengaged from Fonda’s horde several hours ago, had ran until they collapsed from exhaustion. Now, Hovig, Constan, and the surviving Kentarches, watched over the men as they slept on the ground where they dropped.

  Constan, facing west down the Joppa road, with the sun rising behind him. Fought every moment to keep his eyes open. His eye lids seemed to have large stones tied to them dragging them inexorably downward. The blissful lure of slumber tugged at his every thought as his mind was overwhelmed with fatigue. As his eyes jerked open for what seemed like the hundredth time, his nose began to register a smell that shouldn’t be here now in this moment. Smoke?

  Turning in his saddle he looked over at Droungarios Hovig who was leaning forward in his saddle. The occasional loud snore erupted from him as he swayed back and forth. Drool dripped from his mouth onto is horse’s neck, “Droungarios!” Constan gruffly barked in Hovig’s ear.

  With a start, Hovig jerked himself awake and looked over at Constan, “Sorry, sir.”

  Constan reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Hovig’s shoulder as he said, “No worries, we’re all exhausted. My nose just picked up a whiff of smoke. It came from behind us to the east. I’m going to investigate. Can you keep an eye on things while I’m gone?”

  Hovig, bleary eyed, nodded wearily, “Yes, sir.”

  Constan smiled, “Good, no more naps while I’m gone. Clear?”

  “Yes, sir.” Hovig responded.

  Constan, pulled on Viribus’ right reign to turn the animal around. Now facing east. Constan maneuvered the horse carefully through the sleeping forms of the Skutatoi of the 5th Babylon. After several minutes carefully dir
ecting his horse, he emerged from the other side of his much diminished Tourma. As he did so, his nose caught another whiff of the smoke on the breeze.

  He stood for several moments trying to determine the direction of the smoke. It was coming from the east. He thought to himself. Looking south he noticed a slight rise on the side of the road. Viribus seemed really interested in eating some of the scraggly grasses that grew in tufts next to the roadbed. Satisfied that Viribus would not go far with a meal at hand, he dismounted, and climbed up the rise. He noticed several pairs of hoof prints, and along with the prints of humans. I doubt the damned would be leading horses. Eating horses more likely.

  As he reached the top, he spotted the source of the smoke. Below him was the remains of a camp site. In the center was the burning embers of an abandon campfire. The ground immediately surrounding the campfire had been scraped free of the rocky topsoil characteristic of the area that made sleeping on the earth so difficult. They cleared the rocks, so that they could sleep better, Constan thought to himself.

  He walked down the side of the hill and into the camp site. His eyes scanned over the area until they settled on a stone sitting to the side of the dying campfire. He walked up to the stone, it was flat and about ten inches across. Bending over, he picked it up and raised the stone to his nose. The familiar smell of campaign bread greeted him. This is where Athos’ group must have camped last night, Constan thought. We must be close to Jerusalem!

  Excited by the revelation, Constan, with newfound energy, quickly made his way over the rise back to Viribus. As he reached the top of the hill, he spied the horse still munching contentedly on the grasses that grew next to the roadway. Viribus, focused on his meal, ignored Constan, as the middle-aged man climbed into the saddle.

  Leaning forward, Constan said, “Horse, ye can eat later, I need to go see where we are at.”

  Viribus responded with a snort of displeasure as the horse raised its head up from the source of food. Smiling Constan kicked the beast lightly in the sides and loosened the reigns slightly. Dutifully obeying the command Viribus started walking quickly toward the rise in the road in front of them. As they topped the rise, Constan’s eye took in the city of Jerusalem as it slid into view before them.