Shadow of the Arisen: An Epic Dark Fantasy Novel (Lands of Wanderlust Book 1)

by Paul Yoder

  “The courtyard and the whole military and royal court districts seem completely deserted. No sign of Bede or even arisen over there,” Fin said, trotting back to the group that stood huddled under the siding of the officer’s housing building, waiting for Fin to return from his quick scouting task.

  “Not a single arisen?” Reza asked in disbelief.

  “Nope. No clue where Bede or whoever’s in charge here now might be residing. Maybe Lashik was left to guard the city in his master’s absence, maybe it’s Dubix, or neither, but whoever’s in command, isn’t staying over there.”

  “Oh,” Fin added, something coming to mind after his report, Reza giving him a questioning look.

  “You going to share that thought with us?” she asked, prompting Fin to elaborate.

  “Jadu, Zaren. You remember how Lashik had taken an interest in Zaren’s tower? If Lashik was left in command here, that’s probably where we’ll find him.”

  Zaren lifted a finger, eyes lighting up, agreeing with Fin.

  “You don’t go through the trouble of breaking down highly complex protection enchantments unless you have plans for that place. Yes. Being one who weaves hex himself, he probably is naturally drawn to a place with hexweave significance rather than a place of bureaucratic authority like the king’s courtyard like his master was. Weavers often prize knowledge over power—I doubt it’s much different for arisen. Their minds are quite simple after all.”

  “Darendul Tower it is then,” Reza said, having no other ideas of where to begin scouring the city for Bede’s remains, adding, “Fin, you know the way. Lead us there.”

  The streets were empty, and Fin didn’t have to halt the party once on the way to the tower. Other than spotting a far-off guard walking a route along the city wall, they saw no other arisen.

  The group lined up by the gate of the tower, Fin turning to ask Reza if she wanted him to go ahead and scout the tower before sending the whole group in.

  “No. We all go in,” she said, letting out an involuntary shiver while looking up at the structure, mumbling, “I’ve got a feeling whatever evil stayed behind, resides up there.”

  A few heavy clouds had just begun to drift over the desert city, the sun occasionally winding its way through to shine off the curiously moist petals of the exotic floral wall crowding the path towards the tower’s entrance.

  As she walked the path, Reza couldn’t help but notice the transplanted beauty of the vegetation that grew there—their aromas lending a pleasantness to a dour mood.

  A glint off to the side of the trail, brighter than a drop of morning dew could reflect, caught Reza’s eye. Approaching the small metal object in the grass, she picked it up. A chain dropped a talisman down, spinning until she cupped it with her other hand.

  Everyone stopped to see what Reza was so interested in.

  “Her talisman,” Reza whispered.

  Reza gazed upon it for a while before looking back up at the tower, her concern for the path before them deepening.

  “What if we’re too late?” Fin said, breaking the solemn silence.

  No one chose to answer his question, each keeping their thoughts to themselves, save for Reza who gave him a tired scowl.

  “I know nobody wants to think about it,” Fin continued, “but really, what are we going to do if Lashik has puppeted Bede? Are we going to fight her if we must? Are we going to destroy her? We need to discuss this before we go in there. Hesitation at a decisive moment can cost the mission—it can cost lives.”

  Reza’s fatigued scowl let up, now only showing forlorn weariness as she admitted, “You’re right. Finding her talisman here is more than likely no coincidence. Lashik may be performing rites currently or has already completed whatever dark acts necessary to turn her to his purposes.

  “If she is corrupted, do we attack and release her from her cursed imprisonment, or is there any way of reclaiming a turned spirit?”

  Reza’s question was directed at Zaren, who, getting questioning looks from the rest in the group, shrugged his shoulders, blurting out, “The domain of divine hexweave is not my area of expertise. I deal with enchantment. You’re the only one here that actively worships a deity, are you not? You are a follower of Sareth, one of her very children if I correctly interpret the symbols you’ve worn. Can’t you ask her?”

  Looking down at the cobblestone path, Reza mumbled, “It doesn’t work like that.”

  She knew Zaren’s claim to be true. She was the only religious one in the group now. She knew the answer she sought for, if within any in the group’s grasp, should be within her circle of understanding. But, though she was a saren, she, out of most of her sisters, had always been more detached from her faith than was normal for her kind.

  Her sisters often looked down on her curiosity and drive to break from tradition. She had always insisted on exploring and learning the ways of the vast world rather than studying and gaining favor of their heavenly mother in monasteries, temples, and their most holy sites.

  She regretted that character trait about herself now, though. She knew that any of her saren peers would know tomes-worth more about the arisen and their dark powers than she did, even with her being twenty-seven years old, having had plenty of time to utilize their vast libraries to become well learned on religious subjects.

  Though she hadn’t formal tutelage on the subject, she had field knowledge to some degree on the subject of the state of a soul after being chained to a dark cleric after death. Isis had been under Lashik’s command, and broke free from it, but only through her stronger, preexisting enchantment that bound her soul to her ring.

  She was no hexweaver, and though she figured a powerful enough hexweaver might be able to rebind Bede’s soul to an object, she doubted Bede’s order would condone that practice, Elendium being very much against prolonged life or magic that would alter the natural cycle of life and death.

  “If we find her controlled by Lashik—we must do everything we can to put her soul to rest, and that means we must destroy her. There is no option for reclamation for her. Elendium would not approve of any, even benevolent, resurrection magic, and she wouldn’t either, I’m afraid. She’d want us to set her free.”

  Fin’s usual jovial disposition was considerably dampened as Reza gave her final verdict on the matter.

  Hand over his forehead, shaking his head, he breathed, “Glad Cavok isn’t here for this task. He’d be furious about what we’re talking about doing. Gods be damned….”

  Turning to Zaren, Reza motioned him over to her, the old man obliging.

  “Would you take the lead? This is your tower after all. If there are any traps laid by Lashik, you would be best suited to detect and handle them.”

  Nodding his approval, Zaren called for Jadu, whispering to him to keep close, explaining to him in a hushed voice what he was looking for in terms of wards as they entered the building.

  They had entered and ascended the spiral stairwell without any opposition, a deep sense of pending dread growing in each of their guts as they neared the top of the tower.

  At the top of the stairwell now, Zaren nodded to Reza that it was safe for her to lead them into the upper loft of the tower. Allowing Reza, Fin, and Nomad to pass on the stairwell, the group ascended the last flight to the open hatch that led them into the highstudy.

  Standing at the threshold to the room, Reza looked down at Bede’s talisman she had picked up at the base of the tower outside. Looping the necklace over her neck, tucking it away underneath her chainmail, she steeled herself as best she could to the task that lay before them before stepping into the room.

  Advancing into the wide room shrouded in a deep-purple glow, Reza looked around, searching for a familiar figure, a mixture of hoping beyond hope to find her—and not to. The toxic mix of emotions and anticipation churned her stomach until she felt sick.

  Seeing only stands, furniture, tables, and strange relics of every imaginable kind adorning the r
oom, nobody in sight, she waved for Nomad and the rest of the group to come up with her, now walking silently further into the room, her eyes carefully scanning the scene.

  Her gaze locked as she looked out the balcony past the wispy drapes dancing in the threshold.

  A woman stood, her back to them, looking out over the city from the balcony, her hoary hair flowing in the breeze oddly in the opposite direction of the drapes, making the already strange image seem that much more out of place.

  Draped in a black satin dress, hemmed in purple embroidery, the figure slowly turned, showing a face similar, but horrifically changed, from the one they knew and loved.

  Bede stepped into the room, the drapes blowing out of her way as she entered, her jawline sagging slightly, skin a marbled pale blue and ash. Her face showed no emotion, but Reza noticed that her usual greyish-blue eyes were now a fiery mix of green and orange, the whites of her eyes turned to an unhealthy black and red, which matched her dark lips. Whether it was a grim lipstick she wore, or a natural putridity causing the color, she did not know.

  Reza thought for a brief moment that she saw the faintest sign of heartbreak, her eyebrows and sides of her lips dropping slightly, the aged lines along the side of her nose to her mouth trembling momentarily, perhaps in remorse for what she had become, perhaps in pity for what she was commanded to do to those who entered her master’s chambers.

  Within an instant, the expression had washed away, leaving Reza and the rest to realize that whatever Bede was to them in life, was not what was standing in front of them now.

  42

  Grim Rendezvous

  Bede stretched a hand forth, Black tendrils of energy splitting the stillness of the chamber, blowing Jadu and Fin across the room, Jadu igniting in a burst of colorful flames as multiple bottles of alchemical components and liquids concealed in his robes shattered from the blast.

  Skidding to a stop, both remained motionless, neither appearing to be conscious after the deadly impact, and worse off for Jadu was that his robes were still lit like a torch doused in oil from the combustible attack.

  Reza, Nomad, and Zaren looked back to the two. Zaren rushed to Jadu’s side, producing his blue marble, quickly drenching the little praven in water to extinguish the flames while Nomad checked on Fin.

  Nomad pointed for Reza to deal with Bede as they made sure their allies were not slain from the attack.

  The attack had happened so quickly and without warning that Reza froze for a moment, looking to Bede who seemed to hunch over slightly, her face sagging a bit more after the powerful attack before straightening herself, once again raising a hand, this time towards Reza.

  Reza jumped to the side just in time before another bolt of black lightning erupted from Bede’s outstretched pale hand, cutting lines in the floorboards and desk that lay directly behind Reza, scattering lit paper everywhere.

  Reza rolled off to the side, Bede’s cold stare slowly turning to her, the grim woman lining up her fingertips with her prone target.

  Bede was knocked off her feet as Nomad plowed into her, shouldering her over not a moment too soon, another blast of dark energy crackling through the room, narrowly missing Reza once more.

  As soon as Bede was down, she rebounded, quicker than Nomad had expected, a demonic rage showing in her features from being denied her target twice now.

  Nomad’s sword was out now, and he stood over Reza as she got back to her feet. Even with the resolution he had to destroy Bede, Nomad now had a clear opening of attack, sword at ready, hesitating to slash into his previous friend for only a moment before Bede took advantage of his delay.

  Bede shot her hands forward once more, this time lighting up the whole room with a column of energy directed straight at Nomad.

  Reza, on the ground behind Nomad, held her arm reflexively over her eyes to guard against the attack, but after a moment, realizing Nomad wasn’t flying backwards like Fin and Jadu had from the blast, she looked up to see Bede’s continued outpouring of energy being sliced to the sides of Nomad’s gleaming, bright sword, his weapon’s white aura canceling the darkness that pecked angrily along the aura’s edges.

  Bede’s features contorted, her rage engulfing her once beautiful face. Reza barely recognized her old companion at that moment.

  She knew what they had to do, and though at that moment she wanted nothing more than to leave the task undone and leave that horrible situation, she drew her seax, gripping the hilt hard, and stood up behind Nomad.

  The dark pricks of energy engulfed them for a moment longer before Bede let up her deadly bombardment. Nomad’s shoulders sagged as he lowered his sword, the glow dying out instantly after the assault.

  Reza was out, dashing at Bede a moment later, driving the seax into Bede’s unprotected torso, the blade going cleanly through.

  She brought a foot up instinctively, kicking Bede’s body off of her blade, throwing her to the wall.

  Bede, black blood oozing from the slit in her dress, still stood, resting against the wall, looking a bit haggard from either Reza’s attack, or her own after unleashing on Nomad full tilt.

  Reza advanced, short blade coming in once more to stab at her corrupted friend.

  Bede didn’t even attempt to dodge the attack, welcoming the blade, letting it sink deep into her chest again, throwing arms around her assailant, gripping her in a death-like hug, refusing to give even an inch to Reza who began to thrash, trying to power her way out of the grapple.

  Squeezing even tighter than she had been, she began to crush Reza, causing her to inwardly curse the fact that she was only wearing chainmail and not her usual breastplate.

  She knew her already injured ribs were about to snap, the dead flesh demonically exerting more energy than it physically should have been able to. Her arms were acting more like a maniacal device than a living thing.

  Jumping with everything she had, she managed to lift Bede off her feet, toppling the two, bringing Nomad into her view above them now, sword out and glowing again; but, before he even had touched Bede, she screamed in pain, releasing Reza abruptly, skittering away from her.

  Looking down to what had been the source of Bede’s anguish, Reza saw that her talisman had slipped out of her garments and was hanging freely over her satin tunic. It now glowed the same aura of color as Nomad’s sword had.

  Bede glared frighteningly at the talisman as Reza held it up. Reza took the moment of hysterical fear to stand up and slowly advance towards the scared creature, with Nomad close behind.

  Bede, seeing the two advancing, was up and running for the window, turning once on the balcony to stretch forth her hands to blast a charge of dark energy at them both.

  Nomad shot in front of Bede, his sword flaring up to take on the bolts of blackness, absorbing them, rushing forward with Reza at his side, letting down his blade just as Bede stopped her assault, looking to leap from the balcony from the duo.

  Reza lunged at her, slamming her against the railing just before Bede jumped. She pressed Bede’s own talisman against her former companion’s chest. Silk melted away from the area as the warm metal of the talisman seared into Bede’s flesh.

  A hellish scream issued forth from Bede—tormented, desperate. The whites of her eyes, once black and red, were awhirl, taint leaving them, her skin becoming more ivory and less blue.

  As if a gust of wind finally blew out a stubborn candle flame, the wracked demonic cries were snuffed out, leaving a visually changed Bede from the one they had just faced in mortal combat.

  Reza now releasing the talisman, Nomad lowering his sword, they both breathed heavily as the two waited to see what had just happened, not sure if the arisen curse had passed from Bede for good, or if the moment of stillness was just a reprieve in the fight.

  Bede’s greyish-blue eyes opened slowly, the warm smile Reza knew so well accompanying her pleasant features.

  “Bede!” Reza said, completely taken aback from the reemergence of her once
thought fallen comrade. Hope injected into her like a bolt of lightning.

  “Yes, child,” she said, her smile quickly turning to anxiousness. “Please make sure Fin and Jadu are alright.”

  Nomad squeezed Reza’s shoulder before rushing back into the tower to check on the two.

  “Don’t worry, Nomad will take care of them,” Reza soothingly said, grasping her cold hand.

  “I remember everything. Everything I did. Oh, I’m so sorry,” Bede said, black tears easily falling as she began to break down, Reza propping her up, hugging her tight, trying to comfort her.

  “Don’t worry about that. We’re all fine. We’re just glad you’re back with us! That’s what matters,” Reza said, patting Bede’s back, for the first time in their relationship, the old woman’s back feeling very much her age—frail and almost as if it were ready for the long journey home.

  “No,” Bede said, struggling to regain her composure momentarily. “My visit will be brief. I know the magic Lashik used to preserve me, and I know that without it, I am as good as dead, but rightfully so. I should have departed this world that night Nomad and I stood against the darkness. It was my time, and though I didn’t leave then, I thank you dear for giving me that opportunity now—”

  A weak fit of coughing forced Bede to stop talking, black blood issuing from her mouth. Reza held her closer, not knowing what else she could do to help her dying friend.

  Holding up a hand to Bede’s forehead, Reza took a deep breath, hand beginning to glow as she started to channel her life energy into Bede, attempting a healing.

  Barely had she begun when Bede gripped her wrist, causing her to stop the healing process. looking to Bede, she waited for her white-haired companion to speak.

  “Don’t,” Bede said in a serious tone, “it won’t help. You can’t heal this kind of wound. I’m already dead.”

  Reza was dumbfounded, not sure what else to do for Bede, the old frame beginning to tremble, her breath slowing.