Blood Of The Righteous

by J. E. Sandoval

  “But why? We aren’t a threat to you.”

  “The master feels otherwise,” said Dameus.

  David surveyed his surroundings. El and Gabriel were lying unconscious to his right, also bound. He tested his legs, but they were bound as well. Seeing Sagaroth again had brought back some terrible memories. He looked around to see who else was there. Six guards and another man in a gray robe. “I remember you,” he said to Dameus.

  Dameus pulled back his gray hood. “I have to say that was most ingenious of you to make us believe you were dead. Tell me, where were you hiding?”

  “In the pantry. What do you care?”

  The necromancer shrugged. “Just curious. A fine job of being careless and helping us finally exterminate your bloodline. Go to the grave knowing that without you, your brother and sister would have most likely lived their lives in safety.”

  “You bastard. I am going to enjoy watching my brother gut you.”

  The entire caravan laughed, except Sagaroth. He had to admit to himself he wouldn’t mind seeing that too. From a safe distance, of course.

  David smacked his dry lips. “How about at least giving me some water.”

  Dameus nodded to one of the soldiers, who complied. Wouldn’t wanting his test subject expiring before the grand experiment. He shifted uncomfortably in his saddle. How did people ride these things?

  David closed his eyes. The light was really starting to bother them. He didn’t know what they used to keep the three of them out cold, but light sensitivity seemed to be a side effect, as were the strange taste in his mouth, the shakes, and the terrible headache he had. Fortunately, after about 10 minutes, the latter two subsided.

  Gabriel and Eleenia began to stir as they reached the castle gate. The two men who were standing guard opened it to allow the caravan in.

  “Sedate the girl,” Dameus said. “We’ll get to work on her first.”

  “No!” David screamed, sitting up and struggling against his bonds. “You want to take someone, take me!”

  Dameus smiled. “Don’t worry, ‘Lord’ Ki Kalendeen. We’ll get to you soon enough. Take the two males down to the dungeons.”

  Four of the guards hoisted David and Gabriel out of the wagon. David decided that now wasn’t the time to put up a struggle. The guards hooked an arm under each of their arms and dragged them backwards to the castle. David looked around, scanning his surroundings. Memories long buried flooded back to him. He could picture he and Liam running through the halls pretending to be defending the castle against foreign enemies, wikeracks, or dragons. He closed his eyes and could almost hear his mother’s sweet voice or his father’s encouragement as he missed the target with his practice bow. He stifled the tears that tried to surface.

  Gabriel opened his eyes. “What? Where am I?”

  The guards said nothing.

  “Easy, Brother. We’ve been betrayed. They took us back to our former home. We’re in our castle. Rest easy. You’re in for a rough few minutes. Close your eyes. It will help.”

  The two guards opened the door to the lower level and dragged the brothers down the stairs. The torches that lined the walls were burning bright, having been recently replaced by Dameus’ undead servants.

  The smell of mold and must filled David’s nostrils. He shivered as they dragged him past a pair of empty eyed peasants with sword wounds in the chest. Undead. The memories of the horrors he had buried in his mind tried to push their way back. He immediately pictured the open sea, standing it the jib of the Waverunner, the salt spray in his face. He felt calmed. He could focus again.

  How to escape? It was definitely too dangerous with these guards and with Gabriel bound. Two other guards followed them carrying their belongings. David dipped his head back to see where they were going. They were about to pass Angus McCracken’s old desk. Now was the time.

  David threw his weight forward, planted his feet and pushed. The two guards were taken unaware. David head-butted the one on his right and elbowed the one on his left to the temple. He then threw himself at the desk and grabbed a small metal rod, discreetly popped it in his mouth, and forced it down with a hard swallow. One of the formerly stunned guards kicked him in the kidney, dropping him to the ground on his back. They scooped him up again.

  “Try that again and I’ll cut off a digit!” the guard on his left said.

  “David, are you okay?” Gabriel asked.

  “I’m fine,” he replied.

  They were thrown into adjacent cells. The guard turned the heavy key, locking them inside.

  Gabriel sat up and opened his eyes. “Ugh. I feel like the entire Elgannan army marched through my mouth.”

  David pulled himself up onto the small cot. “You’re lucky. They shat in mine.”

  The guards left, leaving one of their number behind. He sat at McCracken’s desk, and began to rustle through it to alleviate the boredom.

  Gabriel heaved himself up to the small cot. “David, I’m sorry. Had I known it would come to this, I would have left you to your new life.”

  “It’s okay,” David replied in a strained voice. His stomach was starting to feel like it was on fire. He began to work on the bonds on his hands, pulling at the knot with his teeth.

  “No, it isn’t. I’ve led us to destruction. What would father say?” Gabriel buried his face in his bound hands.

  “He would tell us to work together and save El.” David pulled on a piece of rope and his hands fell unbound. He quickly untied his legs. “Come over here, let me get you free.”

  Gabriel hobbled over to David’s side of the cell and David untied his hands.

  “Hey, guard!” David yelled. “How about something to drink! We’re parched!”

  * * * * * *

  Dameus guided the guards dragging Eleenia up the winding staircase to her parents’ bedroom. Sagaroth was following closely behind, as Dameus knew he would. The trap was almost set. He would finally be rid of this annoying oaf once and for all, or he would finally have his suspicions put to rest.

  “She certainly does look a lot like her mother, doesn’t she, General?”

  Sagaroth was brought out of his thoughts. “Huh? Oh, yes, she does.”

  Dameus smiled. Time for the bait. “Untouched by human hands, pure as the driven snow, and ripe for the taking. In fact, I sense that she is fertile. If you take her today, she’ll give you a strong, brilliant son!”

  Sagaroth said nothing. What was the scheming bastard plotting?

  “No reply, General?”

  “I have nothing to say. The master wants her dead, we shall follow his will,” Sagaroth said.

  Damn, Dameus thought. He might have to put up with this insufferable bastard after all. They reached the locked door. Dameus raised his hand and a yellow bolt of energy shot out. A soft click echoed down the stairwell and the door gently swung open.

  “Put her on the bed,” Dameus commanded.

  * * * * * *

  The guard came back to the cell holding two wooden mugs of water. He set them on the ground in front of the cells, then quickly backed away. After smirking at the two captive brothers, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

  “Damn,” Gabriel said. “I was hoping to get a hold of him.”

  David reached through the bars and grabbed the mug. “Gabriel, I’m going to need your water.” He drained the mug in seconds.

  Gabriel shrugged and handed David his mug through the bars. “What for, brother?”

  “Getting us out of here.” David quickly drank Gabriel’s water also.

  “I don’t understand.”

  David threw the empty wooden cup to the ground. “Oh, how I hate this part.” He got down on his hands and knees and began to retch. Water started to flow out of his mouth onto the cold stone floor.

  “David, are you
okay?”

  David held up his hand. He needed to concentrate. Using his diaphragm, he pushed and continued to vomit. Finally after a few more seconds, a small metal clank sounded. He picked up the piece of metal, wiped the water and stomach fluids from it, and immediately began to work on his cell door’s lock.

  “I don’t think that is going to work,” Gabriel said.

  “Oh?” David replied. He pushed his door open. “I do. Get the guard’s attention.”

  He closed his door, picked up a small wooden bench, and stepped into the shadow beside the door.

  Gabriel grinned. “Guard! Help! There’s something wrong with my brother!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.

  After a few seconds, the bolt on the door was pulled back and the guard walked in. “What the hell are you…”

  David stepped out of the shadows and shattered the stool against the back of the guard’s head. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, landing face down on the cold floor.

  “Excellent work, David!”

  David grabbed the ring of keys off of the prone guard and searched for the one to Gabriel’s cell. Finding it, he freed his brother.

  “Come on,” David said. “They brought our gear down here with us. It has to be around here somewhere.

  They went out into the guard station. There was a pile of packs and weapons. Gabriel grabbed his sword and the knuckle dagger David had given him and strapped it to his waist. David pulled out his scimitar and his father’s dagger, as well as his set of lock picks.

  “You said you hated that part when you brought up your lock pick. Have you done that before?”

  “Once,” David said. “About two years ago, Fyke and I were captured in Port Cirill by some guards that the guild had bought off. Here.” David handed Gabriel a pack of the soldier’s rations. He grabbed one himself. “We’ve been out cold for two days. If you are as hungry as I am,”

  “Mrrphf?” Gabriel said, his mouth already stuffed with the dried meat and hardtack. They ate as quickly as they could and drank from a pitcher of water.

  “Dear Lord, please don’t let us be too late,” Gabriel said as they ran up the stairs.

  There were two guards standing by the doorway chatting casually. Gabriel pointed to himself then the one on the left. He pointed to David, then the one on the right. David nodded. The brothers snuck up behind their victims, and quietly pulling out their daggers, grabbed the guards faces, covering their mouths. Gabriel stabbed his in the back, while David dragged his knife across the other’s throat. David’s victim expired immediately, spraying warm blood onto the stone floor. Gabriel’s continued to struggle, so he had to be stabbed repeatedly. Finally, he perished as well.

  “Remember Gabriel, when attacking from behind, cut these two arteries,” he said quietly pointing on either side of his neck, “and puncture the windpipe to keep him from screaming. Edge taught me that one.”

  Gabriel nodded. “Handy knowledge to have. Thank you, Brother.”

  They continued to sneak around their ancestral home, weapons drawn.

  “How many times did we pretend doing this while we were boys,” Gabriel asked with a grin.

  “I know. I’ve been thinking the same thing.”

  David led, quietly listening and peeking around corners as they made their way to the heart of the castle, the grand dining room. At one point, he peeked around the corner and was seen by a group of three guards.

  “Oy! Stop there, you!” The three guards charged as David stepped back around the corner.

  “Three of them,” he said.

  Gabriel nodded. “I’ll take the two on the right, you take the one of the left.”

  The three guards rounded the corner and David swung hard. His blade bit deep into the guard’s shield arm. He dropped his shield to the ground with a clatter. David pressed the attack. The wounded guard did his best to try to put up a defense, but the pain of his gushing wound was too much. Within a few more seconds, David beheaded him with a hard swipe. He quickly turned to see if Gabriel needed aid, but found him calmly cleaning his sword, standing over two felled guards.

  They continued on and reached the grand dining room. The hairs on Gabriel’s neck started to rise. “Something is wrong in here,” he said, placing his hand against the oak door.

  “Here, let me look.” David bent down to look through the key hole. A shiver ran down his spine as a horrible memory of his past washed over him. “Oh, dear God. There must be at least 20 undead in there, as well as six soldiers!”

  Gabriel nodded somberly. “Stay back. I’ll need room. If I fall, don’t try to help me. Go find and rescue El.”

  “Gabriel, wait,” David said, grabbing his arm as he reached for the door. “Those things can be dispelled. I saw Bishop Malachi do it. He held out his hand and prayed for God to take them from his sight. There was an explosion of energy and six of them dropped.”

  “Funny he never mentioned it to me. Well, give me a few seconds to prepare.”

  David stood guard as Gabriel dropped to one knee and began to pray. After a few minutes, he stood up and kicked the door open. All eyes in the room, both living and dead, looked up to him.

  “By the power of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, I rebuke you, Satan! Lord, take these abominations from my sight!” he said, voice ringing with authority.

  One of the guards started to laugh, but his laughter was cut off when he was knocked to the ground by a blast of energy. Gabriel leapt over the fallen undead and set upon the soldiers. Two were dead before they could recover. One more was cut down before he could stand. Another before he could draw his weapon. Gabriel blocked a strike by one, and in a spinning counter beheaded him. The final, he tumbled to the side, rolled behind him, and plunged his sword through the guard’s back. It punctured his heart and protruded from his chest. He gasped his dying breath, then slumped to the ground.

  David walked into the room, clapping. “Most impressive, Brother! It was like watching a death dance!’

  “It’s what I have been trained to do. That should leave just one guard, the general, and the necromancer. Where do you think they are?”

  David rubbed his chin. “It would be somewhere that wouldn’t have been looted.”

  “Mother and father’s room!” they said in unison.

  They ran out of the dining room, leaving bloody footprints as they ran. They turned the corner and arrived at the spiral staircase that led up the central tower to their parent’s room. Gabriel darted up, followed by David.

  As they approached the top of the spiral staircase, David’s stomach started to twist into knots. The memories and feelings he thought he had drowned at sea crept back into him. He looked down at his hands. They had begun to shake. A sudden rush of panic overtook him.

  Gabriel got to the door and gently turned the knob. It was locked. He turned to look to David, only to find him with his fists clenched and his eyes tightly shut.

  “David, what’s wrong?” he asked putting his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

  “The Necromancer. Oh Gabriel, you weren’t there. All of a sudden, I feel so… terrified!”

  “Easy, Brother. It’s okay. Take a deep breath and relax. Don’t concern yourself with the Necromancer. In fact, I think its best you wait out here so I can concentrate. Get this door open for me, and I will handle it from there.”

  David nodded and unrolled his lock picks.

  * * * * * *

  A guard stood at the locked door and watched as the Necromancer arranged the unconscious girl on the bed while the hulking general looked on.

  “What are you going to do?” Sagaroth asked, a look of concern across his scarred face.

  “I, my dear general, am preparing her as a sacrifice, then I am going to raise her as a greater undead.” Dameus dragged the ceremonial dagger across his palm, made a fist, and held it over Ele
enia. Blood flowed freely, covering her face and neck. “There, that should do it.” He opened his palm. There was a sickly yellow flash and the cut on his hand vanished.

  He handed the hilt of the knife to Sagaroth. “General, please have the honor.”

  “Um,” Sagaraoth hesitated, “I’d rather not. Here, you do it.” He handed the knife back to Dameus.

  “I can’t kill her. If I do, I can’t raise her. No, it will be you who does it.”

  Sagaroth stared at the beautiful young girl. She looked so much like her mother. A feeling of regret swelled in his chest. “No, I won’t do it.”

  Dameus gave a half grin. “General, I knew you didn’t have it in you. I’ll tell you what, kill her, or you will be forced to kill me. Because if you don’t, I will most certainly kill you.”

  Sagaroth turned the knife in his hand so he was poised to plunge it into Eleenia’s chest. Kill the Ki Kalendeen girl or kill Dameus… The necromancer, with his impertinence, insolence, and arrogance had made this an easy choice.

  Suddenly the door burst open and the young Holy Defender entered the room. Before anyone could react, he stabbed the guard at the door through the chest. He yanked out his blade and looked to his sister. Rage filled him at the sight of Eleenia covered in blood. “Unclean bastards!” he screamed. “You will die for this!”

  Dameus turned in disgust and held out his hand. He fired a blast of pure evil energy into Gabriel’s chest. However, instead of knocking him to the ground, it rebounded. The energy instead hit Dameus and knocked him through the air. He slammed hard against the far wall and fell to his knees.

  “Well, get him you fool!” he screamed to Sagaroth.

  Sagaroth drew his Hellfire blade, hilt turning into bone and blade becoming alight. Confidence and power filled him as he and Gabriel moved towards one another. He swung down, expecting the blade to slice through Gabriel’s sword and into the Holy Defender’s flesh. However, it did not.

  Gabriel smacked the blade aside and countered, his blade biting into Sagaroth’s forehead just above his left eye. The large general reeled back at the unexpected hit. Blood poured from the wound and his eyes started to sting from how much was flowing into them. He looked at Gabriel in disbelief as the knight stood in a fighting stance, ready to attack.