by K R Leikvoll
"What do you smell, worm?" Alex yelled, stopping the group. She knocked Lydris' legs out from underneath him without any hesitation. Kirin was on him in a flash.
"What is it? Speak!" Kirin said forcefully. Lydris squirmed under his choke hold for a few seconds before he was released.
"Kill me! I will never tell you where the temple is! Never!" Lydris gurgled as soon as he caught his breath.
"Tell me what you smell!" Alexandra yelled before punching him in the face. Kirin was holding him down for her. Part of me was compelled to ask them to stop, but only one thought about the bone snake kept me silent.
"Kill me! Kill me now! I will never talk!" Lydris said with desperation. Alex kneed him in the nose, knocking him to the ground.
"Speak, worm!" Kirin yelled as he fell. Lydris stopped trying to talk and resorted to screaming. Yes, back to the originally scheduled screaming. Only that time, Kirin wasn't having any of it.
"I'm not going to let you give away our position,” Kirin said as he pulled out his dagger. "Alex, hold his mouth open."
Alexandra was ready as if she'd known beforehand that it would come to this. She put her hand under his nose and used her other hand to grip his jaw, forcing his mouth open. Lydris was struggling and screaming so loud, I was surprised demons didn't pop up all around us. I forced myself to watch regardless of how I felt personally. I had to be able to handle that stuff. Kirin used one hand to pull his tongue out and the other to hold his knife. He put the blade to the back corner of his mouth while Lydris struggled.
"Last chance. Tell us what you smell! What foul demon is it? I know you'd let us get ambushed!" Kirin yelled at him. Lydris didn't respond. He stopped screaming and sat in silence, accepting his fate. Kirin used his knife to saw off his tongue halfway. Once he hit the halfway mark, he ripped the rest out in a quick motion. Blood poured in buckets out of Lydris' mouth. I wasn’t sure how he would avoid choking to death with how much he was sputtering. When they put the gag back in his mouth, I thought he really would die from all of the blood. It even rerouted and dribbled out of his nose. Alexandra dropped him and let him fall to the ground.
"I hate to interrupt, but we should get moving. Whatever he smelled would have most definitely heard by now," Codd pointed out. Kirin used Lydris' linen robe to wipe the blood off his hands before spitting in his face. It was definite overkill in my honest opinion. They joined us on the road, Lydris in tow. He was choking on blood worse than before, but he didn't stop moving. It gave me chills. Whatever demon was following us had to be pretty serious if he was content with having his tongue cut out.
There was no way I was going to be able to keep up with the faster pace. Zariya gracefully allowed me on her back and took her spot at the front of the group without me needing to voice my concern. I originally thought it was to keep me safe, but I could hear Kirin breaking Lydris' bones in the background, followed by muffled screams. I couldn't quite catch all of what Kirin was saying, but it sounded like a mixture of personal grudges and interrogation. Alex was even letting him do it! At that rate, Lydris wouldn't make it to the temple—wherever it was—alive.
By midday, we made it out of the woods. I hated the wide trees more than the twisted ones; I was waiting for something to jump out at any second. Zariya had her javelin held out in front of her the entire time as she led the way. She used it to cautiously poke around the corners as she hopped. When we entered the next clearing, we saw the first water source since we left Kirin's castle. I never felt happier to see a river in my entire life. I actually jumped off Zariya's back and ran straight downhill for it. Of course I stumbled, but I cared more about drinking than embarrassment.
"Val! VAL!" Codd yelled, almost tackling me away from the water's edge. I was so thirsty. I tried to fight his arms. "We have to check it first." He was right. It could be some kind of sea monster water, I suppose. I forced myself to stand back as I waited impatiently.
Instead of checking the depths, he stuck his face in completely. When he came back up, he was normal and unharmed. I wasn’t exactly sure what he was checking it for, but he seemed fine.
"Okay, it's safe, but make it fast," he instructed me as he pulled out his own flasks. I forgot about mine and used my hands to gulp down water as fast as I could. It didn't taste that great, and it was lukewarm, but I didn't care. Alexandra left Lydris with Kirin up on the path before joining us. She bolted down the hill as fast as I had before.
I finished drinking by the time Alex stuck her head in the river. I filled up my waterskins and the abandoned flask of Kirin's. Alex pulled her head back; her hair was completely soaked. She was smiling happier than I had ever seen her.
"I'd love to take a bath," she said, squeezing the water out of her red locks.
"Definitely. I'd rather have a hot shower, but that's just me," I said smiling back at her weakly. I would kill for a shower actually. And a bed. And Hulu.
"Take that water to Kirin, would you?" Alex said as she starting filling her own flasks. I could do without seeing the damage done to Lydris close up. Kirin didn't even drink water. I threw my stuff back into my pack and walked up the hill, unable to hide how grumpy I was.
Lydris was resting on his knees, continuing to drool blood on the ground. Kirin was kneeling in front of him, mumbling things under his breath. Probably threatening to shove knives in his ears. Damn, that guy was probably in hell. No eyes, no tongue, starved for twenty years in the fire. How was he still alive?
"Here," I said, holding the flask out to Kirin.
He stood up and snatched the water out of my hands.
"Why are you such an asshole?" I asked, rolling my eyes.
Kirin swallowed about half of it and used the rest to pour on his face and hair.
"It's easy to forget that it never takes away the burning. Even after all this time, I still hope that it will ease the pain," he said, smoothing back his long, black hair. I wanted to pity him, but it was hard to when he was standing next to Lydris, who was barely conscious.
"How is he going to tell us where this 'temple' is?" I asked, ignoring his statement. Kirin wiped the water from his face with his sleeve.
"I'll make him regrow his eyes. After he's shown us, I will execute him," he said before turning his attention back to Lydris. "I think it's only fair that you die where she died." Lydris let out a strange coughing noise that mildly resembled laughter. That guy was fucking bonkers; I wouldn't have had the guts to laugh about my own execution.
"And he killed your family member… Danielle?" I asked directly. Kirin scowled.
"Wife," he breathed immediately, I assumed to avoid the thought of her. Talking about it angered him so much that he took it out on Lydris. Kirin's fist made contact with Lydris' ear and knocked him to the ground. The sickening crunch had to be his jaw breaking.
The cracked headstone appeared in my mind. I was starting to understand their hatred for him beyond his insanity. He killed Kirin's wife, and Kirin starved him for twenty years in response. The flames were a form of torture that didn't need an overseer. I couldn't pity Lydris, though. After I saw how passionately Kirin loved to hurt him, I could see that he was not over her death at all. She must've been a doormat or more stubborn than him because I couldn't picture him in a healthy relationship with anyone.
Alexandra approached us cautiously trying to avoid Kirin's rage.
"Go take a walk with Codd. Check out the surroundings, see what Lydris has been smelling."
"And what will you be doing?" he asked annoyed.
"It seems to be deserted out here. I think we have enough time to wash off; the sand is destroying my skin. We'll make it fast. Besides, you need the walk," she replied evenly. Codd ran up the hill to meet Kirin, whom responded with a glare and thrust Lydris' chains into Alex’s hands. He folded his arms across his chest and stormed off with Codd following on his heels.
"We really aren't going to get into the lake with... him here... are we?" I asked Alexandra as we walked back toward the water's edge. She dra
gged him down the hill behind her since he refused to walk.
"He's blind. There's no way he could peek at you," Alex said seriously. "Just to be sure…" she added winking. She hit him full-force in the face, knocking him to the ground. He slumped into the dirt, clearly unconscious. No way that guy was going to make it. They better figure out the answer beforehand.
I scanned the tree line and the water before I was comfortable taking my clothes off. It was incredibly uncomfortable being naked in spooky woods with demons. I would've loved to bask in the water for a few minutes, but honestly, I was scared shitless. I didn't climb in all the way like Alexandra and Zariya did; I would only go thigh deep. I soaked my hair and did my best to wipe the dirt and sand off my skin. I still felt gross without having any soap, but beggars can't be choosers.
I almost forgot to get all of the sand out of my clothes, I was so nervous. It took me almost a minute alone getting it out of the cracks and crevices on my corset. Alexandra was still in the river by the time Kirin and Codd came back, but she seemed unconcerned by their presence.
"There was something on our tail, but I'm not sure what. The tracks ended a decent distance away," Kirin said to Alex as she swam around freely. Her nudity didn’t seem to faze Codd or Kirin at all.
"Yeah, probably means it's time to go," I said, anxiously pulling my pack on. I started ahead of them on the other side of the pond. The last thing I needed was to accidentally use demonic power again and be hurled back into the flames. The bone snake had almost killed everyone—and that was just the beginning of our trip! I assumed that the monsters were only going to get stronger from there.
Kirin and Zariya followed behind me. They probably were thinking the same thing. Alex was being stupid leaving herself out in the open for so long. There was no need to die unnecessarily. I needed to get home. Codd had to carry Lydris on his back because he was still unconscious, and it would be harder to drag him along. He wasn’t enjoying it at all either. I didn't blame him. Lydris was openly bleeding all over everything.
The trees on that side of the pond were fewer and further between. There was annoying brush in the way and no clear path, so I had to stick behind Zariya. She was doing her best to stomp down the bushes and vines to make it easier on everyone else. It only took Alex a few minutes to catch up to us, but she looked refreshed and unmaimed.
"I stayed behind to wait for something. I gave them the perfect opportunity to attack me, and nobody showed," she said when she reached us. "I think whatever it was has moved on."
We kept a pretty steady pace into the evening. It only started slowing down when Kirin was unable to keep up. I was the first person to notice that something was off because I had fallen behind myself. My calves were aching horribly, and I needed to slow down. It was starting to get dark, and fear had kept me going thus far. Everyone seemed to have better vision than me, too—probably from years of walking in absolute darkness. I was so blind I had to be ready for something to attack me at any moment.
Kirin stumbled into a tree, nearly knocking me over in the process. His eyes were dazed as if he were somewhere else. He could barely stand back up without my help.
"What's going on, dude?" I asked, trying to help him stand. He held his head with both hands and stumbled forward some more. I yanked him back by his cloak to keep him from falling, almost getting myself crushed in the process.
"Just hard to see," he grumbled, pulling himself away from me. He only made it a few more steps before finally falling to the ground. Alex noticed just in time and doubled back, letting Zariya take the lead.
"What's wrong, Kirin?" Alexandra asked as she helped him up. He didn't speak. I watched a bead of blood fall from his nose.
"Damn it," Alex growled under her breath as she forced him to sit.
"Keep going. I'll catch up," Kirin whispered to her. He had a broken vessel in his eye. The blood began trickling out of his nose in a constant flow.
"You just have to fight it a little bit longer," she said wiping the blood away with her sleeve. He grabbed her wrist.
"If I don't do something soon…" he mumbled under his breath. "Better to just leave me here."
Alexandra shook her head.
"Absolutely not. Val, help me," Alex said, trying to help him to his feet again. I braced him under his other arm and helped Alex carry him into the next clearing. He had to be succumbing to the flames, I guessed. There was really no way to help him sacrifice; I assumed that it would end in death for his victim.
Zariya and Codd doubled back and helped us to a smaller gap within the darkened woods. Alexandra directed us to lay him on the ground while she fussed with his belongings.
"What should I do?" I asked, feeling like I was in everyone’s way.
"Codd, gather wood for a fire. Zariya, try to find something living for him to eat. Val, stay here," she instructed. She gave me a nod of encouragement before pulling her bow off and starting into the woods. Somehow in a matter of seconds, Kirin and I were alone together.
If it hadn’t been for the light of the stars, I wouldn't have been able to see his face. I lifted his head into my lap and used the only kerchief I had to wipe away the blood.
"If Lydris can put up with it for twenty years, you can handle it," I whispered to him, hesitantly holding my rag to his nose. He didn't respond. His eyes were closed, but at least I could feel him moving shallowly from his soft exhales.
"That monster isn't worth your life. Don't fall asleep," I said, shaking him slightly. His eyes fluttered, but they didn't open.
Codd returned with firewood first and tried to get it started. He was glancing nervously between Lydris and Kirin, whom both appeared to be dying. I was ready to leap away from Kirin at any moment in case he tried to make me into a meal again. Lydris still appeared to be unconscious; he was lying entirely still and barely breathing. It was hard to tell without his eyes. We wouldn't be able to fight very well with two gravely injured people in our group, especially when one of which was the strongest.
Alexandra returned before Zariya. She had a fist full of some kind of yellow flower that was dripping white puss on the ground. I could smell a foul, death-like odor wafting from it when she dropped to her knees next to me.
"This will keep the thirst at bay," she told me confidently as she slowly opened his mouth. She was braver than me, that's for sure. No way would I stick my hands in that death trap. She delicately tucked the petals of the flower into his mouth.
"Chew it," she instructed close to his ear. I could see him make the minimal amount of effort before he swallowed.
"This was all I was able to find," Zariya said, startling me. She brought over a small creature like the one she had caught that morning: a fanged bunny with feathers, but it was hard to see in the poor lighting. Codd was struggling to get the flames going with the cool breeze that had kicked up. Alex took the small animal from Zariya and pulled out her own gold-edged dagger.
"It will barely diminish it, but hopefully it will be enough," Alex whispered as she slit the creature's throat. "Hold his mouth open."
"Um... I don't know if I want to do that," I said, squirming under the pressure.
"We don't have time to argue—just do it," she said more seriously than I had ever heard her. With an unsteady hand, I carefully braced his jaw to gently get his mouth open. Alex held the slit she had made over his mouth and squeezed around the site of the wound. Blood spilled down his throat, all over his face and onto his clothes. After a few seconds, he sat up like he had been shocked by electricity.
Kirin shoved both me and Alex away from him on either side and inhaled deeply.
"That's only going to buy us a little bit of time," he finally said to Alex after catching his breath. His face was still in a strange state of shock.
"What else was I supposed to do?" she asked slightly above a whisper.
"This thing is going to kill me or all of you if I don't sacrifice soon," he replied with a hint of irritation in his voice. He looked horrible, like he w
as dying or something. His eyes had sunken in and were dimming. Even his face was hollow and skull-like. Alexandra grabbed his hand and stared intensely into his silver eyes.
"Nobody is going to die. We are going to figure this out," Alexandra said firmly. She pushed him back down. "Now rest. We can stay here tonight." He resisted for a moment before collapsing back onto the ground.
“Zariya,” he said in a strained voice. “I need you to get the Valkyrie… have them meet us on the Icy Shore. You must go fast.”
“Please rest, Maundrell, we cannot lose you," Zariya said in response. She gave each of us a careful look before darting off into the trees. It was scary to watch her leave, not knowing if I’d ever see her again.
Kirin pushed Alexandra from him once again and rolled away from the fire Codd had started. He probably wanted to kill every person there. It was hard to think of him as a hero in that light. Despite that, I really didn't want to fight without him to help us.
Codd, Alex, and I crowded around the fire for warmth when we were assured Kirin wasn’t going to die or lose his mind. The new icy chill in the air was turning my skin red. Even the cloak Alex had packed for me wasn't keeping the cold away. They said we couldn't build a bigger fire because we'd be easier to spot. Good reason, but I was getting frostbite for sure. Codd scooched next to me and handed me a glass bottle.
"That will warm you up," he said, unscrewing the cap.
Booze... the last thing I wanted, but also what I knew I needed. I swallowed hesitantly and braced myself for the sting. And it did sting. I was drinking liquid fire, which was not as pleasant as I thought it would be. I felt my cheeks grow rosy. My hands were still numb, though I couldn't feel the bite of the cold. It made my perception of reality a little fuzzy, but I was careful only to take a swig. I didn't need to be shitfaced if a monster showed up. Codd took the bottle back and started to gulp it down. He didn't mind that he spilled it down his beard. It was probably going to make him colder in the long run, but whatever. I wasn't his life coach.
