Severance

by Fergal F. Nally

  The northern lights in the sky danced and flickered. He smiled. The ancestors were feasting again. It was a sign. He sent a silent prayer to his mother and father and asked them for the strength to continue in the days ahead.

  Veran snored quietly below. Ossian let him be, he needed his rest. The night progressed and soon it was Veran’s turn to take watch. Ossian climbed down out of the tree and woke his friend. He then turned in and drifted off to sleep in mere minutes, his muscles stiff with cold and tense with the cares of the day.

  Agathe awoke to the sound of firewood crackling and spitting. It was mid-morning; she had slept the whole night. The smell of smoked trout welcomed her. Veran had been successful in his fishing trip to the river. Her muscles were stiff and sore. She stood slowly and stretched the pain out of her cold limbs. She looked around for Ossian but he was nowhere to be seen.

  Veran turned the fish on the fire. “Ossian has shape shifted, he’s gone exploring. He has done much for my people. We owe him a great debt of gratitude.”

  Agathe nodded, she recalled the account Ossian had given the day before which had included his adventures and alliance with Queen Karina and Clan Horse. She had never witnessed his shifted form and she was intrigued to see him as a wolf. He had been right; she found it hard to give up the freedom of the skies for her earthbound state. This gift had a sting in the tail. It drained her increasingly each time she changed. She wondered where it would lead.

  Veran grunted. “Here, have some, it’s good.” He leant forwards and offered her some of the trout. She took it and ate, it tasted good. She smiled and nodded in thanks.

  The sun was high in the sky and its warmth was welcome. Birds flocked above and filled the air with movement and song. A cooling breeze rustled the treetops. It was deceptive; the world seemed at peace, just in this minute. But she knew what was out there, what was to come, she had seen it first hand. It had made her blood run cold. Death lay just beyond the horizon. These few hours were but a brief respite. She let out a sigh, lost in her own thoughts.

  Some time later Ossian reappeared in his human form. He had covered much ground and had found his own food as hunter. He looked flushed and animated. He embraced Agathe warmly. “Good to see you Agathe. You’ve eaten? You feel rested?”

  Agathe nodded. “Veran has looked after me well.”

  “There’s no sign of human habitation hereabouts. My plan was to follow the river until it took us to others. Now we have you Agathe, we have eyes in the sky. Can you tell us where we need to go next?”

  Agathe opened her mouth to speak then inexplicably fell to the ground doubled up in pain. She cried out in anguish. “Father, father what have they done? No, no, no!”

  Ossian rushed to her and held her. His face distressed and concerned. “Agathe my love, what is it? What ails you so? Agathe?”

  She wailed and then quietened to a low sobbing. “They’ve killed my father, he is no more.” Her voice and demeanour changed. “LeSouris and that dark elf, S’Jukdara, they are responsible. They’ve sent me this message. I’ll find them and they’ll pay for this.” There was a finality to her tone. She stopped shaking and looked up at Ossian. Her eyes were puffy with grief; tears streamed down her face.

  Ossian’s heart cried out to her. He embraced her tightly. “Together we’ll find them and take vengeance. The Erthe needs to be cleansed of this blight.”

  Agathe stiffened. “Ossian, there is one thing I didn’t tell you yesterday. I was afraid to. I didn’t know how you would react. He took me. LeSouris. When I was in captivity, he came in the night and bit me, drank my blood. I am one of them now. I have to feed like them. My life is lost to this sentence. You’ll not want to know me.” Her face was wracked with pain and she looked away.

  A constellation of emotions gripped Ossian. Yet another blow this war had delivered to his heart. First his family, then his village and now this. He clenched his fists, but his resolve only strengthened.

  “Agathe, you are closer to my heart now than ever.” Ossian turned her to face him and looked straight into her eyes. He saw fear, doubt and then joy there. They kissed and held each other for a long time.

  “There is a cure you know.” Veran approached. “Sorry, I overheard…forgive me.”

  “A cure?” Agathe looked astounded. “What do you mean, a cure?”

  Ossian looked blankly at the warrior.

  Veran shrugged. “There’s a poison spider in the highlands of my home. If it bites you, it injects venom. The venom creates a paralysis so deep the body shuts down. The victim effectively dies. The heart and breathing stop. The spirit departs to the spiritworld. Any aberration that has been contracted during this life departs the body too. The body leaves this life the same way it entered this life when born, untainted and pure. This applies to those afflictions such as the victims of the vampire’s bite.”

  Veran paused. Agathe listened in rapt attention. The campfire spit and sparks flew in the air as a log collapsed. He continued. “Once the venom wears off, the body usually returns to life free of any ailment or torment. The spirit is recalled too and the victim gets a second chance at life. I have seen it happen once before. A great friend of our queen fell to the sleeping sickness and was unable to be cured by our healers. She underwent the spider bite. Within a day she was back, temporarily weakened but healthy and hale of heart.”

  He stopped. Silence descended. Agathe moved. “What is this spider called? And you said the body usually returns back to life. What can go wrong?” her face was intense,

  Veran looked away then back at Agathe. “The spider is called the T’jorn, a yellow backed spider. If the cure fails, sometimes the victim can die but this has not happened to our people in a generation.”

  Agathe looked at Ossian and Veran. “Ossian, promise me… you too Veran. Promise me if we get through this that you will take me to this T’jorn spider and that you will let it bite me. I have to have a chance at this cure. I cannot carry this taint in my blood the rest of my life.” She steeled her voice. “I would rather die.”

  Ossian felt mixed emotions. He had only just been reunited with Agathe and they were already contemplating her death. However, a flame of hope had been ignited with this new knowledge. Its light was pushing back the darkness that threatened to overtake his heart. His voice faltered as he spoke. “I promise you my love, I will take you to this spider’s cure once this is all over.”

  Agathe looked at Veran who nodded. “I too vow to take you Agathe, once these Shiffante bastards are defeated and we are avenged for the wrongs done to our lands.”

  Agathe stood and smiled. “It’s settled then. LeSouris will not have this hold on my life. I will take my spirit back from him.”

  They broke camp and set off later that morning. Agathe led from the skies and soon Ossian and Veran were heading west. Agathe knew where the message regarding her father’s demise had come from. They would be there in two days. The weather held and they pushed on. They hunted as they went. Luck was with them the first day and they successfully bagged four rabbits. Agathe hunted for herself in the skies and met with her own successes.

  The second day the weather broke and a storm rolled in from the east. Torrential rain and strong winds hampered their progress. Determination however prevailed and by late evening, they had reached the whispering caves.

  Chapter 34

  Demise

  Q’uaina had only travelled a few hours on horseback. Something was wrong. She felt a presence behind her, following. Once or twice, she thought she saw movement to her right and left in amongst the trees. But when she stared directly at the place there was nothing to be seen. She kept on moving but her feeling of unease grew. She spotted an area of high ground ahead and made for it.

  After twenty minutes, she broke through the light undergrowth and reached the top of the rise. A good vantage point, she could see for miles in all directions. The mare made a snorting sound and tweaked its ears in alarm. Its nostrils flared and eyes widened. Q’uaina dism
ounted and secured the horses to a wind stunted tree, her voice all the time soothing the fretful beasts. Her eyes darted this way and that; her weapons at the ready.

  She concealed herself behind the low-lying rocks that capped the hill and waited. After some minutes, she saw a figure dressed in black slinking through the trees at the base of the rise.

  “LeSouris! How did he find me?” she muttered under her breath. Fear welled up in her stomach. She looked behind her and all around. Could she escape? Perhaps he would stop once he had found the horses? She knew however that it would not end until one of them was dead. She gritted her teeth and hunkered down.

  LeSouris seemed to hesitate before breaking cover. When he did, he looked around and moved with caution. He glanced over his shoulder twice as if hearing something that distracted him. Q’uaina did not have silver arrows; the only thing she knew of that would stop a vampire in its tracks. She had her iron arrows and they would have to do. Perhaps she would get a lucky shot and slow him down a little. She waited; she would use surprise and only take a shot once he was in range.

  The horses were skittish and disturbed the ground with their hooves. Q’uaina drew her bowstring ready to fire but it snapped. Her arrow fell uselessly to the earth. Her heart skipped a beat. She was dismayed and lost a few moments in panic. She did have a spare bowstring but LeSouris would be upon her before she had a chance to change it. She cursed and fumbled for her short sword and dirk.

  LeSouris saw her movements and like lightening, ran up the hill and fell upon her. Q’uaina looked up and froze, dropping her weapons as he held her in his fierce gaze.

  “Again, you interfere bitch. You are becoming tiresome. I’ll take my horses and your life as payment for your thievery.” LeSouris laughed as he reached out a clawed hand to Q’uaina’s neck. She rolled over and covered her head. As she did this, a movement behind the vampire caught her eye.

  A whooshing sound filled the air. LeSouris groaned. His body shuddered. He wheeled around to face whatever had crept up on him. Three arrows protruded from his back. His flesh was smoking and sizzling.

  Silver arrows!

  “Cowards, I will take your last breath. I will crush your heart and rip your lungs out. I will drink your blood and watch as…” his words stopped dead as another two arrows tore his throat away. LeSouris sunk to his knees in shock. His eyes filled with something unfamiliar, fear.

  Q’uaina found her strength and gripping her short sword, half crouched and ran at the kneeling vampire determined to use this chance. She raised her sword and swung the blade down with all her might. The steel bit deep into LeSouris’ neck. The vampire’s head sprang from his shoulders; he let out a surprised sigh. His form crumpled to the stony earth, black blood pumping from his severed neck.

  The arrows stopped. Familiar figures stepped out from the trees nearby. Light walkers. Illiana in their number. Their eyes met. Q’uaina heard a sound and looked down. LeSouris’ form became blurred, indistinct. A vortex appeared within the body and Q’uaina stepped back quickly. His decapitated head was sucked in towards the body. Once they were united, the remains vanished in a cloud of thick smoke accompanied by a brief, mournful wailing.

  Q’uaina breathed a sigh of relief, then cautiously examined the spot. Nothing remained of LeSouris apart from a slight stain on the ground where he had fallen. Illiana and two of her number approached, the others kept watch on the trees behind. Q’uaina stepped forwards to meet them.

  “Well met Illiana. Am I glad to see you. Thank you for rescuing me. I owe you my life. Do you have any news?”

  Illiana reached Q’uaina and the two embraced briefly. “We’ve been following you covertly since you took the horses. We spotted the vampire on your tail and thought it best not to warn him by alerting you. We bided our time until he was committed to his move. Fortunately for us all, it worked out. It could easily have gone his way if he had been able to prepare.”

  Q’uaina nodded. “Any word of Agathe? Last I saw of her was with you when we were ambushed by the wraiths in the glade.”

  “No I’m afraid I’ve nothing to report on that score. What of your news, you are shaken but uninjured? What of the drow?”

  Q’uaina filled in Illiana of all that had happened to her since the ambush in the clearing when they had been separated. Illiana listened without interrupting, her expression inscrutable.

  Illiana nodded. “Our borders have clearly been breeched. We are now fugitives within our own land. We will continue to fight for our homeland and our freedom until the last light walker. What are your plans now?”

  “There’s still the drow to deal with. He is a powerful adversary. He has access to arcane magics that can deal serious harm and mislead even the greatest warrior. Don’t underestimate him. I’ve a feeling he won’t give up easily. These two seem to be in it until the bitter end. When have you ever known the drow nation to form an allegiance with the vampire nation?”

  Illiana shook her head and snorted. “Never. We may never find out the true depths of their machinations but we are now left with the trouble they have stirred up with the Shiffante.”

  Q’uaina looked to the west. “I need to find Agathe, we had planned to head west and regroup. Come up with a plan. Distract the Shiffante somehow. Buy time for Carutha and Ossian wherever they may be. Carutha is the key in all this, she has knowledge. She alone has the capability of using the Aerithryl Shard, to defeat the Shiffante.”

  “Well then we are but a side show to all this. So be it. We’ll do our part. No matter what it takes,” Illiana said.

  Q’uaina looked back at Illiana. “Why don’t we join forces for the present and search for Agathe. If we encounter the drow we’ll have a better chance of defeating him.”

  Illiana nodded. “It makes sense. I’ll give these horses to two of my scouts and they can cover a greater distance on our flanks. We’ve already patrolled west of here; nothing new there. I suggest we explore the east, for that is where you came from chased by these two. We may be able to make a difference if there are more enemies abroad in that area.”

  Q’uaina nodded. “We have a plan then. Come let’s go.”

  ~

  Carutha left her body and floated upwards. She looked down on her broken form from above. She was emotionless, detached. She had escaped, that was all that mattered. The speech runes and the flood of her information had distracted the Shiffante. They had not noticed her spirit leaving until the last second and then it was too late.

  Now she looked down and saw her body lifeless, broken and useless to the Shiffante. She was fairly certain they had not gleaned much useful intelligence. Perhaps they had found out about Silverwing and her part in this but Silverwing had told her that she was leaving her safe haven anyway.

  Carutha turned from the scene below. The Shiffante lord there was irate and intensely angry, frustrated that his captive had died. Her last image of the scene was of the Shiffante kicking her body in desperation. She smiled and turned her attention to the calling of the Blood Fields. Q’uaina’s shaman, S’acryx remained there. Perhaps she could find and use his help like a stepping stone.

  She felt a deep pulling of her spirit. Erthe power welled inside her. She knew the Shard had bestowed strength upon her and she let that strength take her spirit and fly. She visualised the Blood Fields in her mind’s eye and wished it so. A series of bright flashes followed and she looked down and saw the Blood Fields beneath her.

  Carutha allowed herself to descend and in a heartbeat, she stood on the surface of the Blood Fields. She was aware of raw, wild spirit energy everywhere. These spirits were of the animal kingdom, open and yielding. Without focus, without coherence.

  She reached out searching for the one human spirit trapped here, S’acryx. Her spirit struggled to read the massed, lesser animal energies. She relaxed into it, allowed the animal presence to wash over her unread, and focused deeper, longer feeling for a different echo.

  Then she found it. A long way off, remote. She detecte
d human memories, a human signature. S’acryx. It was him. She chased his energy and attempted contact. At first, his spirit shied away from hers but then, the feeling changed. Recognition dawned. She had the shaman’s attention. She concentrated all her effort on communication using her Erthe energy, bonded with S’acryx, and shared all that had happened and what remained to be done to defeat the Shiffante.

  A momentary touch between spirit energy was all it took. Understanding and acceptance returned to her. She would have his cooperation. She was no longer alone, she had an ally. Erthe power had revealed to her the only way to defeat the Shiffante was to introduce insanity to their collective mind.

  Insanity would be the door to their ruin. The only realm the Shiffante had not yet crossed over to was the spirit realm and the Blood Fields. Insanity would provide both the bridge to the Blood Fields and the method of their destruction.

  She melded with S’acyrx’s energy and they became a new entity. The Shiffante would not recognise her energy once they came looking for her as she was now woven with the shaman. Carutha was ready, she opened the door and sent her challenge out to the Shiffante. She let it be known where she had found sanctuary. Carutha watched and waited. She knew they would come for her; it was in their make up to vanquish any resistance.

  S’acryx spoke in her consciousness. “We need to reach out and harvest more allies against this great enemy that threatens you. There are dark things here in the Blood Fields, not just animal spirits. I have sensed them myself. They are but an undercurrent, you must find them. I speak of the once men and undead who have left their remains in the physical world. Their spirits are banished to the Blood Fields with the animal spirits. Seek and you shall find an army of madness.”

  Carutha attended to S’acryx’s advice. “Yes, we must fight fire with fire, insanity with insanity. This time I shall not hide in the Blood Fields. There are no rules. Come shaman we shall do this together. Let us summon the spirits of the undead and the once men.”