“Do an X on your finger?” he muttered.
“Pardon?”
“An X. Like, two interlocked lines.”
“Kassius, this hurts, by the way?”
“I’m really sorry about that, Alana, but really think of this as something bigger than ourselves”
“Alright, anything for the cause,” she said, thinking of the power of the thunderbolt and how it would save her people, and then cut it again. The blood poured freely. Much more blood than she had thought. The cut was quite bad and painful. She would need to wrap it tightly later.
“Kassius, I’m bleeding a lot.”
“Lay down the sword over the chalice.”
She quietly obeyed. Kassius then held the gem up and drew it closer to the blade.
“Guide my hand and help me place it in.”
Alana grabbed Kassius’ cold fingers and did as he said. The gem clanked inside, thanks to Tor’s efficient carpentry skills.
“It’s time,” he said, proceeding to clear his throat. Then, he recited the hymn:
As ypsothuón kai páli oi gioi tou Ári
afíste tous pa iperischysoun enantión echthrou tous.
Ou gigantas tis geas.
Etsi, amfisvito to aionio kakó.
Immediately, a tremor shook the earth and Alana got up, startled. The earthquake stopped immediately, but a noise was heard in the distance, like rocks crumbling down from a mountain.
“What’s that?” she asked.
Kassius removed his blindfold and looked around with curious green eyes.
“Gods, I hope it worked.” He stared at the sword below him.
“I guess it did. Would you like to try it?” she asked.
“I’m not a swordsman. You are the sword expert here,” Kassius winked one of his wide eyes.
Alana cleared her throat and stared at the enchanted blade. Although the metal was rough and unpolished, even a laughingstock for anyone who had seen a sword before, she felt proud of it. And now, excitement crawled through her spine. She imagined the immense power of the stars and prayed deeply for it to be effective against the enemy.
“Just don’t aim it at me.” Kassius staggered to his feet and stepped away from the circle.
Alana solemnly grabbed the handle tightly with both hands and lifted it above her head. She took a deep breath that whistled through her runny nose.
“By the power of Ares!” she called. “I call on the Thunderbolt of Venus.”
Alana shut her eyes, expecting lightning to come out of the sword, but nothing happened. She looked around, checking if at least the ravens had noticed the magical power that had made the earth shake.
“Try calling Venus’ name,” Kassius suggested, scratching his head.
“Venus,” Alana yelled. “Grant me the power, oh Mother of the Stars!”
Not even the wind answered her pleas.
Kassius’ eyes drifted from side to side.
“What was that spell all about,” Alana asked, shrugging and letting out a shiver.
“Something, something, I challenge the eternal evil. It doesn’t matter, say what you were saying, but do it in the ancient tongue. Repeat after me:”
Agrimpasa, dóse mou to keravnó sou.
Alana repeated the formula, but nothing happened. Her shoulders were starting to ache.
“Am I not saying it right?” Alana asked with an arched eyebrow, lowering the sword.
“What in the world?” Kassius shook his head and jumped around the circle, running to check the sword, gently taking it from Alana’s hands. “What did we do wrong… I mean… Maybe we didn’t channel the power right… I mean, did you feel the ground shake? It was working.” He pressed the jewel into the handle, making sure it was fitted right.
“No idea.” She cleared her throat and dropped to her knees. “Now, if you’ll excuse me,” she said, as she dried her toes with her coat and proceeded to put the boots on.
She stood up, putting on the cloak, and she turned around toward the path. Then, she stepped back, as her heart turned around like a pancake and her mouth dropped.
Six horsemen stood before her. The one in front was riding a white stallion, his hair was brown, and he wore an eyepatch.
“Well, well, well, well, well,” the man with one eye said. “What do we have here?”
“I...”
“You smell like a scoundrel,” he said, sniffing the air.
Alana frowned and stood in a fighting stance.
“What are you holding?” The man mocked her. “Is that a spatula? Do you call that a sword?”
“You!” she said. “It’s you who ordered the death of so many. You are… You will see.”
“What will I see? I will see many interesting things, it seems. What do you say, boys? Hey! I know that guy. That’s the old Iberian slave. I wonder what’s he doing here. Hey, don’t get away, you little rabbit.” The governor turned around and winked at one of the soldiers. The man had long blonde hair and a full beard. He was a barbarian, not an Itruschian. He removed an arrow, the tip was shining bronze, and held it, pulling the arrow and the string, aiming at Kassius’ heart.
Alana turned quickly, yelling in despair.
“Stop!”
Larius giggled.
“Before that little rabbit gets out, come on Jürgn, shoot that little rabbit.”
“No! No!” Alana’s sword gripping hand shook.
The barbarian shot, and the arrow pierced Kassius in the chest. He gasped and fell back, as another arrow shot into his body.
The governor chuckled and licked his fingers.
“Well done, Jürgn. You people can go hunt some more. The rest of the pack must not be very far. Let me have some good times with torchead, will ya?”
The hunters nodded and dispersed.
“What do we have here...” he said, dismounting.
“I,” she proudly said. “And I will be the last thing you see.” She held the sword in both hands and quickly pointed the blade at him, visualizing a green thunderbolt coming out of it.
But nothing happened.
She prayed in silence, but no magic came out.
She sighed and solemnly placed the sword on the ground, then she unsheathed the dragon blade that hung behind her cloak. On her left, she held the black Parzhian dagger.
“I am ready,” she said with a frown.
Larius laughed and kept walking with his head up, unconcerned.
“Want to play a bit? I was looking for a blonde, but… Maybe I’m not good at judging hair colour. Are you the one I’m looking for?”
Alana didn’t answer. She frowned and lunged at him with both blades.
Larius parried both hands easily and kicked her in the shin, making her fall on her elbow and feeling the biting snow on her arm. Alana got up, preparing to fight back. She let out a war cry that only made Larius laugh more. She tried to smite him with two alternating blows, but he blocked easily and sent her dragon blade flying. As usual, her grip was not strong enough.
She kept attacking with the black dagger, but Larius was playing around, blocking every blow. He yawned as he did, stepping back and giving Alana a chance to attack.
But Alana smiled as something jumped behind him. Larius turned in time, as the old Arcturus jumped him and bit him in the leg.
“Miserable beast!” Larius yelled.
He waved his blade at the dog and blood sprinkled about. Arcturus moaned like a lost puppy, and Alana opened her eyes in terror as the dog was cast out with the blow.
“You damn animal. You ruined my boots.” Larius strode furiously, smiting the dog again. And again.
Alana swallowed, then ran toward Larius with the knife in hand. The man was quick to catch her left hand. He squeezed it, forcing her to open it and drop the dagger. He pulled her closer, without looking at her, and struck his blade at Arcturus’s neck again.
She could not believe it. The poor dog lay agonizing on the
side, and Larius turned and pushed her back into the woods. Soon, she had her back against a tree.
“You did put up a fight. Well, you’ve been doing it for a while, I’ll give you that,” he said.
Alana spat on his face.
“You bitch,” he said, licking the saliva that had splattered on his cheeks. Then, he held his sword forward, grabbed Alana’s hair up and stuck the blade in the trunk, directly above her. He removed it, then cut her hair with a slash.
“I’ll have fun. And… Yes… Bit by bit. I’ll cut you little by little, so you remember. So you feel and don’t forget.”
Alana was paralysed. She put down her hands. Now she was disarmed, her back against a tree and at the mercy of the man who had destroyed her people. Larius’ moves were superior and faster than anything she could try.
“I hope you don’t have any more toys in there. You know what happens when you misbehave,” he spat.
But there was something else she could try.
“No, no,” she said, calmly. “I will hit you in the face. I can break your teeth. I could even knock you out with one slap.”
Larius raised an eyebrow and then laughed at the suggestion, treating it like the innocent threat of a young girl.
She reached for her pocket, she felt cold iron and rust. But that was no sword, it was something small, almost insignificant.
“Oh, now that you asked. Come on, little one, hit me. Give me your best, I’ll enjoy it, I’m sure.”
Larius shut his only eye and leaned forward, presenting his cheek as if asking for a caress and at the same time, grasping her hair tight, not letting her go.
Alana slid her hand back, then pushed the old rusty nail into the governor’s eye.
He let go, his face contorted, he opened his mouth in agony and let out a heart wrenching shriek. The ravens flew away, shaking the branches overhead. He stumbled back, touching his face, but remained standing.
“My eye, my eye, not my eye!” His voice had morphed into what Hades must sound like.
Alana had three choices.
The dragon blade, the black Parzhian Dagger, or the Sword of Ares.
For Father, she thought.
She grabbed the dragon blade and quickly thrust it in his abdomen. She stabbed him again, and he lost the strength of his limbs and fell on his back. As he was still holding onto his face, shaking his arms and legs in dolorous spasms, Alana smote his head. The cries faded, as his neck split opened. A pool of blood stained the white snow. The colour of Ares, her Father.
She grabbed him by the hair, struck again, and severed his head. She dragged it by the hair and tied the brown locks to a low branch. It hung deformed, with the blood still descending from the grotesque nail, quickly freezing. That would be a warning to the ones who murdered the innocent and tried to take away their freedoms.
As she regained her senses, she said her husband’s name and ran to his bloodied body. He breathed still and opened his eyes softly and sweetly.
He muttered her name, but the sound did not come out.
“Kassius, my love,” she said, looking at both the arrows.
“You…” he struggled to speak. “You can…”
“Hold on,” she said, reaching for his hand and grasping it tightly. It was cold.
“Take them out!” he said.
“Me?” She looked at the arrows that stuck out from his body like flowery ornaments.
“Do it! Please,” he pleaded. “It doesn’t matter if I scream.”
She nodded, then proceeded to tear them. He yelled and then tilted his head back in silence.
“Are you okay, Kasha? Kasha… Don’t leave me, please.” She reached for his hand again.
“I… I love you, Alana,” he said, with droplets forming on the rims of his eyes.
“Me too,” she said, staring into his deep pupils. His face was paler than ever, and shadows took shape under his eyes, but he was hers, and she belonged only to him.
“Ala… Please...” Kassius stuttered.
“What, Kasha? What?”
“Now… You can give me a real kiss. It’s all done.”
“Yes,” she said, as her eyes watered. She reached forth and kissed his dry lips, as if she were devouring a loaf of bread after a famine. Like a thirsty traveller drinking from a desert well. Their mouths slowly opened.
Alana felt as if the whole world pulsated around her. It vibrated, like an earthquake.
But the earth was also shaking.
And yet, she did not stop. Their tongues touched softly.
He softly grabbed her shoulders and tilted her back.
“Ala,” he said, as a thread of saliva drifted from their mouths. He looked behind her, and she followed his eyes.
The earth was indeed shaking, as well as the trees. The ravens flew away as if possessed.
“The sword!” He pointed with his trembling fingers. She looked back. The emerald of Venus shone like a small moon of green light.
“What?” she said, standing up. “What is going on?”
“I don’t know...” He said. “Please help… I’m bleeding. Stop the bleeding… And kiss me again.”
“Let’s go,” she said, narrowing her eyes.
Alana bandaged him with Larius’ cape, then helped him up and walked with him toward the clearing. The hunters could be anywhere. They had to be careful.
But she saw figures through the white foliage, all bathed in red.
“Do you want to take a closer look?” he asked. “To see if it’s safe?”
“Sure,” she said, and quietly left Kassius sitting against a tree. Then, she peered through the leaves, and dropped the blade in amazement.
“Kasha…” she stuttered. “They’re all dead.”
“How dead? Do you...” He smiled. “Do you think the girls got them?”
“I don’t think so… Unless, the girls decided to tear them limb from limb and take the time to hang their legs from the trees. And… Stain the trees with blood.”
“What?”
“And… Well, it’s as if someone had a big spoon, he cut and stirred. And… Oh…”
“What is it, Alana?”
“K-k-kasha…”
“What?”
The footprints before her sunk deeper than a yard.
“I’m not sure if you want to see this. But… Remember the book?”
“What about the book?”
“Remember the part about the giants?”
To be continued in Part II
Iron and Flame
Sword of Ares Page 24