Broken Earth

by C M Blackwood

  The Lumaria had been given their instructions; and the band of boys led by Antony Bier was well-versed in its assignment. So, as the wolves flooded through the gate of the city like a rushing river, Dain and Zana took up the opportunity to set their own plans into motion.

  In an instant, the rain and the tumult disappeared from their eyes, and they found their footsteps passing down the halls of Eredor. They faced their backs to one another; turned upon their heels; and made their ways in opposite directions, each heading towards her own happy errand.

  ~

  Lila was late in rising that day. By the time she woke, the sun had already moved past her window. After the noon meal, that meant. She rolled out of bed with a grumble, and made her hasty way down to the meeting she had promised to hold.

  Fortunately enough, the Rally Room was only beginning to fill, as she took her own seat at the round table. She waited for all of the men to enter; and then cleared her throat to speak.

  Thomas Henry sat beside her, quite as always. He said nothing of his long absence; and none questioned him about it. They looked only to Lila, and listened in complete silence as she spoke.

  After her opening statement, the men began to speak too, talking quietly to one another as one fellow at a time voiced his own thoughts to Lila. They had done quite all they were able – and were being hounded still by the people of the city.

  “Dain Aerca will come for us!” said the people repeatedly. “And we’ve nothing but you lousy oafs to protect us!”

  The men looked miserably to Lila, beseeching her for a solution to their problems. But what could she do for the sentiments of the city? They would think what they would think, and would do what they would do; and she would not be at all surprised if anyone else was hung from a tree, before the whole situation was resolved.

  Though it was indeed beginning to look as if the collective death of the city was at the head of the agenda, long before any sort of resolution could either be thought of, or begun to be put into practise.

  “Can you not keep her away?” asked the men, referring to the Sorceress. and alluding to the “magic” which Lila was said to make, just as her mother once had. What they did not know (and what Lila was not willing to tell them) was that she was not her mother; and that she would never be.

  It was while these conversations were being held, that a fierce storm started up. All eyes were turned to the windows; and all mouths were silent, in the face of that raging gale.

  Yet the table had begun to resume its speech, when the blowing of horns sounded in the distance. Everyone stood up, and rushed from the room; and were met nearly instantly by a terrified group of soldiers who had run to them up the stairs, to deliver the news of a siege that was entering the city.

  No one needed ask who. No one needed ask why.

  “What?” bellowed Harn Fala, lifting a particularly frightened-looking boy up off the floor by his collar. “Why were we not informed of this – before they entered the city?”

  “Everyone’s t-trying to hold them off, sir,” stammered the boy. “N-no one could get away till now.”

  “Nonsense,” said Fala, releasing the boy from his grasp. “This is why our city does not trust us! Because we always fail to protect it!”

  The terrified boy took advantage of his temporary freedom from Fala’s strong hands, and ran with his comrades back towards the stairs.

  “I must go,” said Fala, motioning to some of the other soldiers to follow him. “There is work to be done.”

  Only Henry remained behind with Lila. She was pacing a short space of the corridor, and was thinking as quickly as she was able, but felt nowhere near to any sort of plan.

  “I knew this was coming,” she said. “I knew it was coming, but I could not prevent it.”

  “No one could have,” said Henry.

  “My mother could have.”

  As soon as she said this, she remembered her mother; and that she was all alone.

  “I must go to her,” she said quickly, turning to sprint off down the corridor. “Go to Fala, Henry!”

  She looked over her shoulder to see him running towards the stairs; but was seized with horror, when she saw a mass of wolf-men swarm into the hall to engulf him. She quickened her pace, for she was still far ahead of them, and knew that she could escape. She had run towards the West side of the castle, so as not to meet with the traffic of the soldiers upon the main staircase. She watched, now, as her Captain disappeared into the horde of Narken, and wished that she could return to him; but remembered her mother, lying helpless a floor below, and knew that she could not leave her alone.

  At the end of the hall, there was a door that appeared to belong to a closet, but which opened unto a narrow and rather rickety set of stairs. Both up and down, it went, and down it now Lila ran, until she reached the door below, that opened to the East hall of the fourth storey. In the South hall, the wolf-men were already filing; so Lila ran quite as quickly as she could to the North side of the castle, where she burst into her mother’s chamber, and bolted the door behind her.

  When she entered the room, she did not cast eyes to observe any who might already lay inside it. First she secured the door; and then she took a much-needed moment to regain her breath. For that reason, when she turned towards the bed, she was startled nearly into a scream at the sight of the Sorceress.

  She sat with crossed legs in the chair beside her mother’s bed. She smiled widely, as Lila’s eyes fell upon her.

  “Princess!” she exclaimed. “I have been waiting for you.”

  ~

  After they had sat silent in the dusty wardrobe for what seemed at least an hour, Heidi and Dera rose slowly to their feet, and opened the door cautiously. Though they had not heard the door to the chamber open, they looked warily all about, before stepping out of the closet.

  “I told you this was ridiculous,” said Dera.

  “Ridiculous or not, we’re alive.”

  “And what is to say that we would have been anything otherwise?”

  “Now you’re just being daft.”

  “Don’t talk to me like that.”

  “And what are you going to do about it?”

  Dera ignored the question, and asked only, “What should we do?”

  “Try and find the others, I suppose.”

  Dera closed her eyes for a moment; but opened them nearly straightaway, shaking her head at Heidi. “There are too many bodies,” she said. “Too many in one place. I can’t see them.”

  “Then we shall have to make a guess,” said Heidi, taking Dera by the hand as she began to creep towards the door. She loosed the lock, pulled the handle, and opened the door, so that she might peer out of an inch-wide crack beside the jamb.

  “Do you see anything?” breathed Dera.

  “Nothing at all.”

  “Perhaps we should stay here.”

  “No. We must find the others.”

  They snuck out of the chamber, and made their way softly to David’s and Helena’s rooms. A moment’s silence, and then:

  “There is no one there,” said Dera.

  “Are you sure?”

  She cast Heidi a sharp glance; but Heidi tried the doors, anyway. Both were unlocked; and both rooms were empty.

  “I told you so,” said Dera.

  ~

  While Heidi and Dera stole through the halls in search of their friends, Queen Abella’s chamber was becoming much more crowded. Lila sat upon the bed beside her mother, with her body positioned protectively in front of her. Dain Aerca strolled to and fro, looking down on the three individuals who sat bound and gagged upon the floor. It had taken a considerable amount of time to wrangle them together; and binding the Auren had been a near impossibility.

  Zana had disappeared for several minutes; but she returned now with the four fire-eyed fellows. At the head of them was Antony Bier. He stood with his eyes fixed upon his sister; and as he watched her, the corners of his lips curled into a wicked smile.

  �
��Dearest sister!” said he. “It has been too long.”

  At the sight of him, Lila leapt straight to her feet. She seemed to want to approach him; but was dissuaded by a voice from behind.

  “Leave it be,” said Abella. “It is not Antony.”

  “Oh, but Mother!” said Antony, holding out his arms to her. “Do you not know your only son?”

  Abella only watched him sadly, from her place on the bed.

  “This is not quite the reunion I envisioned,” said Aerca, frowning upon Lila and Abella. “But no matter. I shall simply have to make do.”

  She went back to the chair in which Lila had found her, and sat down with an intent to speak. She looked round at everyone in the room, her eyes coming to rest last upon Jade Misaria.

  “Now, this is what I am going to do,” she said. “First of all, I am going to take you home with me. You shall be my pet for a while. I feel I need warn you, though – my last pet, I think it was a dog, died of a swift kick between the eyes.”

  Her brother, who was bound beside her, began to struggle at this. But the Sorceress only laughed at him.

  “And what are you going to do?” she asked.

  He spoke out loudly against the gag in his mouth, but his words came as nothing but muffled nonsense.

  “Quiet down,” said Dain, casting him across the room onto his back. “Now, where was I? Oh yes. I will take the Auren; and I will kill her brother, and whomever you happen to be.” She pointed to Helena. “Then, Princess, I will try once more to get you to come round to my way of thinking. If you do, all shall be well. If you don’t, I shall kill your mother.”

  Abella displayed not a flinch at this threat.

  “What is it that you want?” asked Lila.

  “I want you to come with me!” said Dain. “We have much to do, you and I.”

  “I shall never help you.”

  “I really cannot see what he wants with her,” said Zana to Dain, in reference, of course, to the Master.

  “That does not matter,” said Dain. “It matters only that he does. Now, Princess – will you come with me? It would make things so much more pleasant, you know, for your darling Queen.”

  She was immensely pleased by the look of serious contemplation, what flickered across the Princess’ face.

  “Do not even think of it,” snapped Abella, laying a hand upon her daughter’s arm. “It is not the way.”

  “What is the way?” asked Lila, turning to face her. Her voice was only curious.

  It was more than Dain could take. She felt as though she might scream with happiness.

  “You will know when the time is right,” said Abella.

  “Is it not too late to speak of such things, Mother? The enemy is sitting at your bedside.”

  “That I am!” said Dain. “What shall it be, Princess?”

  Lila raised her eyes to the Sorceress, and asked, “If I do this, will you let my city alone?”

  “I will.”

  “You will never return?”

  “I will not.”

  “She lies!” cried Abella, reaching for her daughter’s hand.

  But Lila was on her feet. “I will come with you,” she said. “I will come today.”

  “Splendid!” said Dain. “Then all is well.”

  Tears sprang into the eyes of the Queen, and rolled down her face, as she struggled to reach out to Lila. But Lila only sat down beside her, and kissed her shining cheek. Then she went to Dain.

  “It seems that my business is finished here,” said the Sorceress, clasping the hand of the Princess. “Now I need only collect my earnings . . .”

  Here she stepped to Jade, pulled her up to her feet, and cast the bonds from her wrists and ankles.

  Just when the girl seemed about to fight, Zana came to grab hold of both her hands. Then she laid a hand on her stomach, to call forth her hunger; and the girl began to scream, and fell writhing down upon the floor.

  Dain looked down upon her; and aimed a swift kick towards her head.

  “There will be none of that,” warned Zana. “Let her alone, Sorceress.”

  “That is for my husband,” said Dain to the Auren, ignoring Zana’s words. “And you shall see much more of it in days to come, believe me.”

  “I know nothing of your husband,” Jade groaned.

  “You killed him!” shrieked Dain, unable to contain herself. She kicked out again; and Zana went so far, this time, as to advance towards Dain with a hiss.

  “I did no such thing!” said Jade, struggling up to her knees.

  “Liar.”

  “I am not.”

  “Hush,” said Zana. “This is not the time for such things.”

  Jade said nothing; for her face had grown pale as wax, and a shadow had entered her eyes. The blacks were swollen, and the remaining whites were stained red.

  “Come along,” said Zana. “You shall return with me.”

  She stooped down as the girl swooned; and she fell in a fainting fit directly into her arms. Then they were gone.

  “Goodbye, Abella,” said Dain, holding tightly to the Princess’ hand. She looked to the two bound persons upon the floor; but decided that she was in no mood for torture and death.

  “I always hoped that I would be able to kill you,” she said to Abella. “But I suppose that this is not the end – is it?”

  Lila looked to her mother, whose eyes were full of supplication. She felt the grip of the Sorceress; and it was as though thousands of repulsive insects were crawling over her skin.

  “It is the end,” she said suddenly, wrenching her arm free of the hand that held it. She ducked down to avoid a blow from Aerca, and took a few steps back, to create a Santra. Antony and his boys were running towards her; but before Aerca knew what was happening, Lila had thrown the Santra full against her chest, and an ugly black burn came to show above her gown. In the time before she retaliated, Lila tossed another orb into the pack of boys that was nearly upon her. Two fell back.

  Not a moment later (and without even seeing what had caused it), she found herself reeling across the room, and into the wall. She struck her head, and fell to the floor. Aerca came to stand above her – and she used what strength she still possessed, to aim a blow towards her face.

  Shocked by the force of the blow, Aerca staggered backwards. She aimed another blast towards Lila; but she was already gone from her place on the floor. Two more Santras were thrown; and Aerca was felled.

  Lila knew, however, that she would not stay felled. So she cast the ropes from the two who were still held captive, and shouted to them to run from the room. They only just escaped, before Aerca gained her feet.

  Presently, she sported two additional burns: one upon her right cheek, and the other upon her left arm. It seemed as though the second Santra had blurried her vision, as well; and so she stumbled towards Lila, blasting all of the air what lay betwixt them. Bright green sparks flew forth from her fingertips.

  Only one boy was left conscious; and he sprang after Lila. He leapt upon her back, and forced her down to the floor, where she had a terrible time dislodging him from round her neck.

  “Curse you, Deegin!” she shouted.

  He bucked upon her back, and tore at her hair like a wild beast. It was some moments more before she found the might to thrust him away. She turned and brandished a white-hot orb just above his face; and that was when he ran from the room. It seemed that his two comrades had come awake, and had fled just the same. Only Antony was left – but he stood in the corner with a twisted expression upon his face, and with eyes whose flames seemed to appear and disperse every few seconds.

  “I will not come,” cried Lila, dodging another blast from Aerca, who had come on again when Deegin Bryte was cast away. “Leave without me – or we will fight to the death.”

  Aerca paused, doubled over and gasped for breath. It seemed that she had sustained serious injury from the final Santra.

  “The choice is yours,” said Lila.

  Aerca looked hateful
ly upon her for a few moments more; but clutching her side and favouring her right leg, eventually dissipated into the air, and back to whatever hole she had crawled from, into the earth that did not want her.

  Antony had fallen to his knees. He was rubbing madly at his eyes; and indeed, it seemed as though the very hair upon his head was smoking. But he was bowled over by the sudden entrance of Heidi Bastian and Dera Black, who burst so forcefully into the room that he was trampled beneath their feet.

  “Where are they?” shouted Heidi, looking frantically all about the room.

  Lila did not answer her. She looked back to her mother; and when she saw her there, lying motionless beneath the coverlet, she hurried to her side.

  “Mother!” she cried. “Mother, open your eyes! It’s all right now, you can look now . . .”

  But the woman remained still.

  Antony had managed to rise up to his feet. He looked towards the bed, and moaned.

  “Mother!”

  Lila looked from her brother to the two women who stood by the door. She gathered her voice up in her throat, and screamed for them to leave.

  “Get out! Get out of here, all of you!”

  The women left first; but Antony seemed to be debating with himself, whether really he should go.

  “Lila,” he said, with one step taken forward.

  “Get out!”

  He scurried away, then, just as quickly as his band of troublemakers had done.

  “Oh, Mother,” said Lila. “Won’t you wake up? It’s over now, Mother – can’t you see?”

  Abella’s eyes fluttered open, with some difficulty. They rested upon Lila; and she smiled.

  “My darling,” she said softly, taking Lila’s hand up in one of her own weak ones. “Why do you weep?”

  “I thought you had gone. Oh, I thought . . .”

  “Never mind that now,” said Abella, patting her cheek. “There is much to talk about, and very little time.”

  “We have all the time in the world,” said Lila. “All the time in the world, Mother