by Jekka Jones
Ten. Ten monsters now occupied the tent with him. Landon felt like the air was being drawn from his lungs. He couldn’t breathe.
Get out, said his brain. GET OUT!
Landon turned, and slashed at the tent wall with both knives. He sawed at the fabric as he swept down, tearing a hole large enough for him to slip through. As he dove through the tear, the Alyssa-monster reached out to grab him. Her fingers brushed his sleeve, but they found no purchase. She made a strange howling sound of distress, and it was taken up by yells from the others in the tent.
Landon ran.
It was a nightmare of faceless beings. He ran past horse-like creatures that also lacked eyes, ears, mouths, and noses. The strange jabbering language was all around him, punctuated by animal-like bellows from the sky. He looked up and saw faceless dragons gliding overhead. They reminded him of Lin’Tella and all the other dead dragons. He tore his eyes from the dragons and prayed they wouldn’t find him. He didn’t want to suffer for their deaths anymore.
He had no idea where he was going. He just wanted to escape and find Sri’Lanca. Landon did his best to follow the bond, weaving around tents and horses at a full run. It was taking him towards a range of mountains a few miles away, reeling him in like a fish. Every time he moved in that direction, the bond thickened.
At first, no one noticed him, but then a few began to shout and pursue him. The monsters wearing swords or knives drew them and started after him. Many had no armor or weapons on their bodies. These darted forward to grab him, but he lashed out with the knives. Landon heard the Darrin-monster shrieking, egging them on.
He dashed through the terrifying alien world, dodging monster and de-faced horses. Terror, adrenaline, and the food he had eaten gave him the strength to run. How did he end up in a world like this? Was this more of the dead dragons’ punishment?
He had to find Sri’Lanca.
A man wearing a thin golden band in his dark hair stepped into his path. The faceless monster drew a short sword and swung the flat side towards him. Landon darted to the side, his bare feet slipping on the trampled earth. The blade missed him by half a foot, but he was heading towards another faceless monster. It was a woman with long blonde hair wearing a metal-studded riding skirt. This monster held out her arms to receive him.
“Dunnies! Shiquoa azerbajal, circanistul!” said the monster.
Landon recognized her voice. Sayre Drakshu. His gut told him she was a dangerous enemy. He tried to turn, but his feet wouldn’t respond. The woman’s arms embraced him, and they fell to the earth.
“You won’t take me!” Landon cried and stabbed with the knives. He thrust them into any part of the monster’s body, shrieking as his adversary tightened her hold on him. Bright red liquid splattered onto his clothes and hands. He kept stabbing until the monster’s hold loosened. He sank both knives into the monster’s chest and scrambled away. His stomach twisted with revulsion, but he shoved it aside. He had killed a monster, not a person.
He scrambled to his feet only to be seized by several pairs of arms. They latched onto his scrawny frame and twisted his arms behind his back.
Landon struggled and kicked. “Let me go you monsters!” he screamed. “Gerroff me! Sri’Lanca! Sri’Lanca!”
He expected a hand or fist to beat him into submission so they could turn him into a monster. Instead, his captors spun him around to face the Darrin-monster.
The monster seized Landon’s chin with one hand, and brought his head within inches of Landon’s nose. Landon could feel the other man’s breath on his face, and he stared at the unmarked flesh bordered by hair. The monster growled and snarled in his babbling speech.
Landon sobbed. “Please, no,” he cried. “Don’t take me! I just want to find my dragon! I’ll leave you alone, I swear!”
The Darrin-monster said nothing, but his hatred emanated from him. The monster reached into his trouser pocket and withdrew an amulet.
A hush fell over the surrounding monsters. The amulet had an amber triangular knot that looped through a silver circle. It appeared to be made of two separate metals that had been joined together, two continuous shapes with no end. It was beautiful, but seeing it in the Darrin-monster’s hand terrified Landon.
In that moment, Landon knew this amulet was how the monsters created more of themselves. The throng of faceless heads were turned towards the amulet, jabbering eagerly. One of the monsters holding him said something to the Darrin-monster. The Darrin monster nodded and began to bring the amulet closer to Landon’s face.
Landon wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn’t. Terror kept them open as the amber and silver trinket drew near. His whole body trembled out of his control, and tears fell from his eyes. This was it. As soon as one of those amber loops touched his skin, he was going to die. Landon would vanish, and a faceless monster with his body and voice was going to take his place. He wondered if the process was painful.
“M-m-mercy,” Landon said, his voice barely a whisper.
A shattering cry rent the air. Both Landon and the Darrin-monster started and turned to the source of the noise. The monsters’ hold on him slackened, but Landon stayed put from dread. A cold chill slid down his spine.
The ground around the Sayre-monster was drenched in blood. The two steak knives protruded from her chest, the handles streaked with blood. The dark-haired monster with the sword knelt beside her, holding her body. Landon saw the Sayre-monster tremble and then fall still. The monster bowed his head, visibly shaking, before pulling the knives from her body. He laid her on the ground and stood, picking up his sword. He turned his faceless head towards Landon and raised the blade.
Landon gazed at the monster, horrified. He knew he was as good as dead. He had killed one of their own. Like the dragons, they would seek vengeance.
The monster began screaming at Landon. He waved the sword in the air, tracing silver arcs with the tip. The longer the monster spoke, the more Landon remembered he was the Menrian king, Jerich Issachar. He couldn’t remember much about him, but that he had allowed Sayre a lot of power.
“P-p-please,” he begged, mustering his last shred of courage to speak louder than a whisper. “S-speak Tarsli. I don’t understand your language.”
The Issachar-monster stopped at this. Every head turned towards Landon. The Darrin-monster whispered something, but it was more gibberish to Landon.
“Astlui bishuiz pitouphis killapoo, turnabout!” shouted the Issachar-monster. He pointed straight at him. “Mozzi lockustopus!”
“Please, I—” Landon tried again, but chaos broke loose.
Over half of the faceless ghouls raced towards Landon with either small knives or bare hands. The Darrin-monster yelled, and the other half surged forward to meet them. Landon was soon surrounded by fighting creatures. They howled at each other, blood spraying where weapons found unprotected bodies. It became a mass confusion of bodies, blood, and unintelligible screams.
Landon’s terror paralyzed him. He stood motionless, unable to escape the mayhem. He would have died if it hadn’t been for the Darrin-monster. No sooner had the fighting started that the faceless man dragged Landon away from the melee. He was shoved into a group of monsters carrying short swords, and then he was being dragged through the camp. All the while, the Menrian king-monster’s cries resounded through the air, promising death upon his soul.
Landon allowed the five monsters to lead him away. They formed a loose circle around him and prodded him forward with their hands. They seemed more interested in keeping him alive than avenging the Sayre-monster. The Darrin-monster led the way, turning his faceless head over his shoulder to check on Landon. He still had the monster-creating amulet in his hand.
After several yards, Landon realized they were taking him back to the tent. He felt the bond was growing thin again, and the tent came into view. The monsters posing as his parents stood outside with six guards, waiting for him.
“No!” Landon yelled. “You won’t have me!” With a spurt of energy, he lunge
d for the nearest monster. He seized the creature’s sword and ripped it free. The monster stumbled back, twisting to avoid the blade. Landon bolted for freedom.
The Darrin-monster cried out in alarm, and the ground trembled as the monsters gave chase. He could hear the Diego, Sierra, and the Alyssa-monster screaming at him. Their stolen voices stoked his terror.
Landon ran and ran. He spotted a faceless horse standing outside a tent, wearing nothing but a halter. Although the beast terrified him, Landon went straight for the animal. He cut the rope free of its picket and scrambled onto the animal’s back.
The sounds from his pursuers increased. He wheeled the horse towards the mountains and dug his heels into its sides. The faceless beast tossed its head and leapt into a gallop. Landon leaned forward, twining his fingers in the creature’s mane.
The monsters fell behind. He guided the horse around tents and wagons, sometimes knocking over monsters that stepped in the way. Monsters grabbed at the horse’s halter, but Landon discouraged them with a swipe of his sword. He managed to seriously wound many of the hands and arms that reached for him. The more monsters he injured, the more his terror faded. He was heading in the right direction. The bond thickened the closer he got to the mountains.
After many long minutes, Landon’s steed carried him past a line of tents and into an area filled with large cages. His heart quailed at the sight. There were so many! Hundreds of them stood in neat rows, each able to house several dozen people.
“This is where they did it,” Landon said to the horse. “This is where the monsters kept everyone. They used that amulet to steal their bodies and voices.” He shuddered. “I’m sorry they did this to you too.”
The horse faltered in its gait, and Landon glanced over his shoulder. He couldn’t see any of the monsters behind him, yet he was sure they were still following. He knew they wouldn’t allow him out of their sight now that he was awake. He scanned the mountains, noting where the line of trees stood above a quarry and series of unfinished buildings. Straight in front of him was a cliff, but off to the right was a rocky slope that could take him into the trees. He searched the mountain range with his gaze, trying to gauge from the bond where Sri’Lanca would be. It directed him to a large, half-constructed building. Landon smiled and steered the horse that way. For once something had gone right!
The rows of cages ended, and he galloped into a large expanse of barren earth. Off to his right were the buildings, with carts and lumber strewn about. To his left was a series of square plots, almost as numerous as the cages. Those plots filled Landon with fear, and he urged the horse to run faster. The horse tossed its head, white lather forming around the end of its oblong head.
“Just a little further,” Landon said, patting the poor beast’s neck. “We’re almost free.”
No sooner had he said it that more monsters appeared. They sprang from the ground, shouting and shaking weapons. The horse reared. The next thing Landon knew, he was on the ground and the short sword lay a few feet from him. He had half a second to suck in a breath before he felt the ground tremble and heard garbled shouts. Landon rolled onto his front, wincing from the throbs in his head and back, and got to his feet.
Not again!
Just like the other monsters, these ones had no faces. Every single man and woman monster bore some sort of weapon. Picks, shovels, hammers, swords, knives, maces, anything that could maim or kill was in their hands. They wore breastplates over ragged clothes of various browns and grays, caked in dust to help camouflage among the stone blocks. A few had grabbed the horse’s halter and were patting its neck, making soothing noises in their gibberish tongue.
Landon and the monsters stared at one another for a heartbeat. Then they gave a joyous cry and rushed at him. One monster drew an arrow with a bright yellow shaft and fired it into the air. A signal.
Terror once again robbed Landon of his voice but not his feet. He spun on the spot, snatched up his only weapon, and pelted towards the cages. It was the only place that was monster free. With shouts of surprise, the monsters ran after him.
God above, please help me . . . don’t let me become one of them. . . . Please, don’t turn me into a monster. Landon didn’t know who he was praying to, but he hoped someone was listening.
He was almost to the cages when monsters on horses appeared among the structures. The Darrin-monster was in the lead, his short sword raised. He cried out in joy, his call being taken up by his minions. Landon skittered to a halt, terror robbing him of all thought.
He was surrounded.
“Lick gribble slatus lampropeltis!” The Darrin-Monster screamed and spurred his horse towards Landon. His supporters yelled with renewed fervor, cheering their champion to claim his prey. With a roar of anger, the ragged army behind Landon surged forward, their weapons winking in the sun.
Landon whirled, searching for an escape, but there was none. He could either die on the Darrin-monster’s sword or the assortment of blades coming at him from behind. The Darrin-monster’s sword was leveled at him, either to run him through or take his head from his shoulders. He hoped it was the latter. If death was his fate, he wanted to die quickly and as painlessly as possible. He couldn’t become a monster without a head, right?
The monsters were almost upon him, the blades feet away from taking his life, when a dragon’s screech sliced through the air. The Darrin-monster’s horse reared, almost throwing its rider from the saddle. The rag-tag army behind him stumbled to a halt. Landon looked up to see a dragon streaking through the air.
As soon as he saw the dragon, he knew it wasn’t Sri’Lanca. It was silver, not the mottled brown and red of his dragon. The lack of facial features made its triangular head arrow-like. It swooped low and a stream of white fire blasted from the end of its pointed, faceless blob. The fire poured in a wide arc, creating a barrier between Landon and the monsters. A foul smell filled the air from the smoke, causing him to cough.
Boots caught his attention and he looked up in time to see the Darrin-monster running towards him. The creature had dismounted the horse and ran through the wall of fire. The monster leveled his sword, and his demonic scream kicked Landon’s survival instinct into action. He swung his sword and was able to deflect the Darrin-monster’s blade, but it threw him off balance. He managed to regain his footing and retaliated.
The creature came at him fast and hard, striking for any part of Landon. He barely managed to keep the blade from cutting him. In the corner of his eye, he saw all the monsters trying to come to the Darrin-monster’s aid but the dragon kept them back. No doubt it wanted to take Landon’s face and voice for payment of its slain kin.
“God above, save me!” Landon cried desperately.
At one point, the Darrin-monster crouched and spun, throwing out a leg as he did so. Landon tried to jump to avoid it, but it caught one of his ankles and he fell hard on his back. Gasping for air, he clawed away from the creature. The Darrin-monster rose and strode towards him. He growled furious words that Landon couldn’t understand. He once again reached into his pocket and withdrew the amulet. He must have pocketed it when Landon escaped his circle of minions.
Desperate, Landon rolled to his feet, grabbing a handful of loose soil in the process. The Darrin-creature darted forward, and he threw it at the faceless head. The creature brought up the arm holding the amulet as though to shield his eyes.
Landon seized his chance. He clenched the short sword in both hands and ran at the Darrin-monster. He knew this would seal his fate, but he didn’t care.
Landon’s sword took the Darrin-monster through the heart. He shoved as hard as he could, causing the creature to stumble back, and ripped the blade free. The creature let out a small sound of surprise and sank to his knees. The creature dropped his sword and the amulet.
The Darrin-creature clutched his chest and laughed. “Voltus crea laendaist, allany,” he said, pointing his head at Landon. “Mousk wilbur yunubumux nincomp trackusdor.”
“I would rather die t
han become one of you!” Landon shouted. He slashed the Darrin-creature’s neck. The monster toppled to the ground, blood splurting from his throat. He quivered as dark blood pooled around his body.
The Darrin-monster gave one last shudder and then was still.
Landon stood in place, panting. He looked around and saw the other monsters were still trying to break through the flames. They were shouting in earnest. Acting quickly, he knelt and used the longsleeves of his shirt to pick up the amulet and slip it into his pocket. He stood and turned to face the horde.
The dragon had ceased breathing fire but continued to circle overhead. The flames died, revealing Landon next to the corpse. A cry of despair rang from the monsters among the cages, and those opposite cheered. Landon raised his sword, trying to appear threatening. After killing two of their kind, he knew they would show no mercy.
Both sides made to move forward, but the dragon landed on a cage and breathed a stream of fire into the sky. The monsters retreated, leaving Landon and the corpse in a wide space of dirt.
Landon shrank from the dragon, expecting it to seize him and end his existence. The dragon instead shouted out gibberish that was met by a roar of protest from both sides. Four monsters wearing richly embroidered clothes and a fifth dressed in a white suit nudged their faceless mounts forward. They spoke in ringing tones, and although Landon felt he knew their voices, terror kept him from remembering. The ragged army that had chased Landon from the construction area raised their weapons and shouted back. The two groups went back and forth, screaming nonsense and pointing at Landon.
Landon’s terror reached a peak that was beyond his comprehension. He sank to the ground, his stomach twisting itself into knots. He sat there, staring at the faceless creatures on all sides. The silver dragon sat like a statue upon its perch. Even though it had no eyes, Landon felt it watching him.