Tales Of Eleutheros

by S D Huss

  He quietly finished what he could of his meal and leaned his head back on the cave wall with a sigh. He cradled his right arm, something he did now constantly, wallowing in the despair of losing his hand. The wound was gruesome, and needed to be tended, Robert knew, but it seemed to remain uninfected. Considering the filth of the cavern, he was quite confused.

  Dio’Mar floated in front of his face. “Get up… you have eaten, now we can begin our training again.”

  “I need more time to let it digest… if it can be digested. We mortal organics have our limitations. Lots of them.” Robert looked again to the darkness above him, he contemplated his life and his choices. How he ended up in this strange and cruel world still eluded him. What would happen to him if he died here? He began to ponder. He was never a religious man, but he had contemplated the existence of a higher power for many days since he arrived here. At home he never gave it much thought, it all seemed so strange to him, so backward to put your faith in something that you couldn’t see. After all that, he found himself here, where there were spirits, magic, and monsters. The irony of it all brought him back to something his father told him before he left to college. That people who fancy themselves intellectuals often find that they are the most ignorant of all. Things may not be as they seem, because there could always be an unseen or underlying equation. He let out a sigh and groaned as he adjusted his battered body. “Wish you were here dad…” He said to himself softly. And chuckled at the foolishness of it. “Never thought I would say that out loud…”

  “You creatures are so strange…” Dio’Mar said. “We must continue with the instruction… you can listen, can’t you? Your ears still work.”

  “Listen…” Robert said, still looking up. “I don’t care anymore. I’ve got nothing left, this damn cave can have me. Just let me starve to death, it would be better than eating this shit.” He tossed what was left of the strange meat.

  “You must not give in to despair, human… you must continue… we made a deal, remember?”

  “Don’t care.” He said.

  Dio’Mar’s almost non-moving mouth turned into a frown as she got above him in his line of sight. “I will not accept this… you must-”

  “Fuck off,” Robert said harshly, cutting her off. “There is no deal!” As the last words left his lips, the cave erupted with the sounds of growls and snarls from the Cugorii. Robert jerked back in fear, looking frantically at the creatures, but quickly saw that they were focusing their attention on Dio’Mar. The small spirit noticed this as well.

  “Interesting…” She said, turning to face the aggravated creatures.

  As quickly as the aggression of the Cugorii came, it disappeared, alongside Robert’s anger it seemed.

  “Did I do that somehow?” He asked, shaken.

  “It would seem that you have the ability to command these creatures, human…”

  “But, how? I haven’t done any training, I don’t even understand this power that everyone has.” He began to stand, but the spirit halted him.

  “It would seem that I have been approaching this from the wrong direction.” She said, floating to him and putting her hand on his cheek. “The Dunamis can do many things, much even the spirits do not know of… but of what knowledge I have… I can promise you, it will change your life.” Dio’Mar’s mouth tilted up in a strange smile. -another sinister looking smirk- Robert thought, still not sure whether or not he could trust this little spirit.

  “It can even replace your hand…” She said, her little tin voice ringing in Robert’s ears.

  He looked at her now seriously.

  “You can… what?” he said, his voice quivering with muted and guarded hope. There was no hope, there couldn’t be. After all the pain and suffering he had endured, all that he was still enduring, how could there be any?

  “I said… if you listen… and follow my instructions… heed my wisdom… you will be able… to replace your hand.” She said, slowly.

  He stared at her, still unsure how to proceed. She lifted her hand and outstretched her little fingers. “Stand, human…”

  ◆◆◆

  Robert found himself floating in the sky and surrounded by clouds. A light breeze gently caressed his skin as he stared in confusion at the seemingly impossible circumstance.

  “This is your Dunamis…” Dio’Mar said, inside his head. “This is the vastness of the power here… spiritual energy that has been in this cave… unused and dormant for thousands of years. None who have come here have been able to use it… even I have not been able to do more than sustain my existence with my own energy… But you… you can tap into it… you can control it.”

  Robert took in a deep breath and looked into the vast sky around him. He looked down, expecting to see the surface below, but still saw nothing but the blue, vacant sky. He felt the pulse again, one that he had felt many times before, but never fully understood. It was intoxicating, but he was terrified to take it. Terrified that if he indulged in this world’s fruits it would lay claim to him, and he would never return home again.

  “Why do you hesitate…?” Dio’Mar’s voice rang again.

  “I… I can’t…” He told her, closing his eyes to the beautiful sky, struggling against the pulse, the beat of his own heart.

  “You are trying to deny that which is already within you, human… you would have better luck running from your own shadow… you are afraid?”

  Her voice began to deepen from the small and fragile sound he had come to know over the last week, to a harsh and vile one. The change made his skin crawl.

  “Do you not hate them? For all they have done to you, do you not wish death upon them? The vile Dae who broke your body, and your spirit! Who cast you down to be devoured by monsters!? Who branded you a demon!?”

  Her voice was now a shout, dripping vile hatred. This was the true form of Dio’Mar, not the simple and gentle spirit of the forests, but one who had been tormented for millennia.

  But her words began to take hold on the human. His thoughts did turn to the tormentors who butchered him. He opened his eyes now and beheld a dark and stormy sky, violent with fury. The wind now tore at him, feeding off this anger he felt, the resentment to all involved.

  “I want…” He said, his mouth dry. “I want to go home… if you can help me do that, then I will help you. I will do everything that I can, but I need your word… you need to swear to me that you will help me, with all of your power.”

  “I do.” She said, rasped and jagged.

  “Swear it… Swear to God!” As the words left his mouth, the turmoil around him came to a halt, and all that was chaos became clear and beautiful again. The blue sky returned, bringing forth warm rays of light that soothed Robert.

  “I…,” said Dio’Mar, her voice now normal and small again. “I swear…”

  Robert found himself back in the dark of the cave. He blinked in confusion of the strange vision, but within his chest, he could feel it. The Dunamis beat with a rhythmic boom, and a power that he could never have imagined seemed to be at his fingertips.

  A small shape shifted on the ground below him. Robert looked to see Dio’Mar’s tiny form floating just above the ground. She tilted her head toward him, and her eyeless face seemed to be in great pain.

  “I have used… much of my strength to bring myself before you… It is all I have been able to accumulate over the years… it is gone now… Human… Robert… you are my last hope for salvation… will you help me?”

  Robert looked at the spirit in her pitiful state, and he knew she was not what she claimed. Perhaps at one point, she was an innocent spirit who loved all around her, but she was broken now. A shell, filled with nothing but regret and hatred for all things in this world. -All things except for me…- he thought to himself.

  He reached his hand down and touched her. Feeling another painful jolt, she shrieked but did not dissipate as she did before. He didn’t quite know what he was doing, but he suspected the act of making contact with this sp
irit somehow gave her strength.

  “Are you ok?” he asked, attempting to cradle her with his left hand, only to see his fingers slip through her as though she were made of smoke.

  She solidified and sat on the palm of his hand, her sinister smile returning. “You are a very smart thing…” She said. “I will recover… the energy you have given me was more than last time… and more than I have felt in thousands of years…”

  The two were silent for several seconds as Robert stood, this time on his own. “So, where do I start?”

  ◆◆◆

  Turak woke from his slumber in a cold sweat, nearly jumping out of his bed. It was usually this way for him, the demons of his past came to visit while he slept; this was a common occurrence for many who have seen battle. Most of these nightmares he would shrug off as nothing of great importance, but lately, he had been plagued by visions of guilt, having thrown an innocent creature into the Pits of Mar. Several weeks had passed since the ceremony, but time had done little to quell the guilt he felt.

  Turak stood from his bed, trying not to wake the two female companions he had for the night, who stirred peacefully, still in a deep sleep. He made his way into his chambers bathroom and looked at himself in a massive reflective stone that acted as his mirror. With a flick of his wrist, water began to flow from several tubes that protruded from the wall. As he washed his face, he heard a distinct and loud knock on his large door. Grumbling, he opened it to see Demessa standing there, wearing her bone plate mail, and her grey cloak.

  “Good morning, my Lord.” She said with a salute, pounding her fist against her chest. “His Highness, King Alektor wishes to speak with you. We have received riders from Torre’, emissaries of the High King, supposedly.” She leaned slightly to her right, then she saw the forms of two naked Dae women, sitting up from his bed and stretching. Her eyes widened and she looked again to him.

  “Don’t mind them. I will be there shortly… you are dismissed.” Before she could finish her salute, his large door closed on her.

  Turak finished bathing, which took longer than usual as it would have been terribly rude not to invite his guests to join him. He made his way to the palace of his friend and the King of Rexun, Alektor.

  “Lord Turak of House Skotos!” called the announcer as he entered the throne room. There were hundreds of nobles and officials present already. Turak did love the sight, it never got old seeing all of Thule’s nobility, standing awkwardly, waiting patiently for their commoner King to begin.

  “Very nice to see you this morning, Lord Turak, you are looking well.” Said a noblewoman, wearing fine, fashionable clothing.

  “Lady Daiees, it is good to see you as well.” He said, trying to make his way past the crowd toward the throne. Before the king were four Dae warriors, all with fine and deep purple cloaks that seemed to outshine all who stood around them, even the king, who sat upon his throne contemplating the discussion that was taking place. Besides the warriors were Espi-Arl and his entourage of Espi-Dae.

  “Your Highness, it is a great honor to see you this morning,” Turak said, bowing in respect. The warriors turned to face him as the king nodded, in recognition of his arrival.

  “Turak, this is Lord Bosmun from Torre’. They are emissaries to the High King, and have come all this way… unannounced, to speak with us.”

  Bosmun bowed to Turak. “Lord Turak, you must be very important indeed for your king to postpone our message until your arrival.”

  Turak bowed in return and looked around him at the crowd of nobles. “Your Highness, may I ask whose idea it was to ensure that the entire court was here to see this?”

  Alektor sighed and gestured to Lord Bosmun.

  “It was the High King’s wish that we address this matter with all the lords and ladies of note in Thule. I am sure that your majesty will enlighten the rest of your court?”

  Alektor nodded.

  Bosmun opened a satchel at his side and pulled a golden scroll, that bore a large royal seal.

  “His majesty, High King Phobos, ruler of all the clans in Eleutheros, thanks you, here and now, formally, for clan Rexunii’s cooperation in dispatching the demon that you had in your custody... however, it has been brought to our attention within the court of the Torre’ that violence was committed against distinguished warriors and a high Lord of Lokkadonia in order to obtain it. This has been reviewed by the high council, and has been deemed a war crime, in violation of the Belous decree of non-action against a rival state without explicit permission from the High King himself.”

  The nobles around began to shout in protest.

  -Betrayal… Why am I not surprised- Turak thought. Feeling hatred build in his heart, his eyes darted to Espi-Arl, who stood with a grossly smug look on his face.

  “Silence!” Alektor roared, bringing order to the throne room.

  “Because action was taken before any true agreement could be made, our High King orders that you compensate the Lokkadonian crown for your trespasses against them, in whatever form they deem appropriate.”

  “But what of Agron!? And his blasphemy! You would betray us!?” one of the Lords shouted, inciting another outburst of chaos.

  ◆◆◆

  Turak sat in one of Alektor’s many fine chairs in his chamber. His high council had been present earlier, but he sent them away. None of them truly understood the King, not like Turak did. They had known each other since they were children, brought together in a twist of fate when Alektor’s father freed a Doulos camp in the southern region of Lokkadonia.

  “Why do you say nothing?” Alektor said, pacing back and forth. “Go ahead! Say it, say I was wrong for trusting these noble fools.”

  Turak sipped his bowl of wine and said nothing.

  “They made a fool of me… in front of my own court. The bastards… I will see them all dead…” Alektor closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. “I should have listened to you at the start. Used the human as leverage against the Lokkadonians, instead, I handed it over to the damned Espi-Dae.” He looked to Turak, still sitting there. “Turak… for the love of the great spirits, if I have to stand here and look at your passive aggressive face for another moment, I will kill you.”

  “What would you do after that? Ask Lord Reddun for council? Or perhaps Lord Mullo?”

  Alektor fumed silently for several moments.

  “Listen, I am not going to say anything like that to you, I only hope that you now have the sense to take my advice every now and then,” Turak said.

  Alektor looked daggers at him.

  “I’m sorry. Your Majesty.” He added, giving his friend a mocking smile.

  Alektor couldn’t help but grin at the difficult situation. “So, what do we do now? We have lost any edge we once had.”

  Turak inhaled to speak but was cut off by a loud banging on the door to the King’s chambers.

  “Enter!” Alektor shouted.

  A young palace guard entered the room and bowed his head. “I am sorry for the intrusion your highness, but we have a disturbance at the Temple of Mar!”

  “Wait…” Alektor said, looking to Turak. “What kind of disturbance?”

  “Demons! Creatures are pouring out of the pit! They are attacking everyone inside!”

  chapter 27

  Robert held his right arm out to the Cugorii. “Are you sure about this?”

  Dio’Mar floated beside him. “These creatures are very special… they were created by several very powerful spirits… for reasons that are not known to me, they seem to obey your commands… even react to your anger…”

  The Cugorii took its right hand, and with a sickening display of violence, began to gnaw on its wrist. Flesh and black blood gushed from wounds that were made from its hideous teeth.

  The sight made Robert reel back in disgust, but he didn’t protest. With a pop, the creature pulled its right hand from a bloody stump. The cut was not a pristine and surgical one like when Robert lost his own hand, but Dio’Mar said that it would make
little difference.

  “It does not matter if clay is cut or torn… it can be melded… shaped… repaired…” The spirit said, gesturing for Robert to take the hand from the creature.

  “But… what about its hand?” Robert looked at the monster, a pang of guilt crossing his face. The feeling was a relief to him in a way, he hadn’t lost his humanity… yet.

  The Cugorii turned and began to walk back into the darkness of the cave, out of sight.

  Robert looked at the large and gnarled hand, black blood still dripped from the wound onto his now tattered and dirty ceremonial robe. “It's too big…” He said, looking at the oversized appendage. “How the hell is this thing not supposed to make me look ridiculous?”