by Pedro Urvi
“To bring down one of these bastards you need a dozen arrows!” howled Honus.
“Release faster, then! For each one of yours I launch three!” Karm retorted.
“Riddle them with arrows!” Honus cried.
The last of the Executors was brought down on one of the roofs. With his chest and legs full of arrows, he toppled to the street.
There was a terrified silence. Nobody spoke. They were all staring at the lifeless bodies of the Enforcers, unable to believe what they had just achieved.
“Go down there, finish them off and retrieve the arrows. We’ll need them.”
Honus gave a huge smile of satisfaction. “I’ll finish off those bastards,” he said, and ran down with a dozen warriors following him.
Karm stared out towards the beach. “Will more of them come?” he asked Ikai.
“They will, and we won’t be able to surprise them again.”
Kyra reached the end of the path that led to the pass, where the two watchmen were waiting for them.
“Have you seen any Enforcers?”
“We haven’t seen anybody,” the youngest one said.
“Are you sure? They landed on the big beach.”
“Sure, Kyra,” the older one said. “Everything’s quiet and clear. We haven’t seen a soul.”
Kyra looked at the pass, which was barely visible under the water. But it was there: a stretch of firm rock which would take them to the beach on the other side.
She pointed to the coast. “And there?”
“Nothing. All’s quiet.”
“Very well then. You go first and make sure there’s no danger. Signal to me from the edge of the forest behind the beach.”
The two watchmen nodded and went down to the pass.
“Right then, on we go!” Kyra shouted, and waved at the line of refugees. They went on at once, leaving hope and sanctuary behind. Their steps were heavy with the weight of despair. The fire in their souls was dying out. They were no longer free, no longer able to live in peace. Their dream was dying, and with it a great part of their souls.
They climbed down the boulders, careful not to tumble, until they reached the water which covered the pass. Kyra signaled to the two watchmen who had already crossed and were waiting on the other side. In reply they signaled to her to continue. There was no danger.
We might make it after all, maybe we’ll be safe, she thought hopefully. But she was not entirely convinced.
She gazed at the long line. “Children, sick and women first,” she said.
And they started to cross over the pass. The water came to the waists of the adults. Romen crossed with the two girls in his arms, making sure the water did not reach their chins. Urda followed him with Solma. Kyra smiled at her lovingly. Her mother smiled back.
“Don’t worry, everything will be all right,” she said.
But Kyra was uneasy, as she always was. Idana came near her and nearly fell headlong as she tried to help the sick man.
“Give her a hand, quick!” Kyra said to two men who were waiting their turn.
“Thank you,” Idana smiled.
“Keep going!” Kyra urged. If the tide went on rising things would get complicated. Many of them did not even know how to swim.
Ikai was not mistaken. Two new sets of Enforcers appeared. They managed to repel the first with a concentrated rain of arrows, but the second attacked one of the houses and managed to get in by breaking down the bolted door. They climbed up to the roof, and there they slaughtered the Senoca warriors who stood no chance in close combat against the brutal Executors.
“Loose against them! Ikai shouted to his warriors. “Don’t let them get across the roofs!”
The colossal Executors took two more roofs. The warriors stood up to them bravely, but with tremendous blows the Executors threw them off like paper dolls, or ran them through with their spears as if they were made of straw. They reached the next roof. The Arkens were defending it, along with half a dozen more men. They let fly against the Executors, but failed to bring down the last two. Colem stepped in front of his two sons and faced the Executor advancing towards them. The monster shed black blood from multiple wounds, but did not fall. Colem loosed at close range and the arrow sank deep into the Executor’s chest, piercing his armor. But even that did not stop him. With a dull blow, he ran Colem through with his spear.
“Colem, no!” Ikai cried, powerless to help.
Telmas and Volte threw themselves at the Executor with shouts of rage and buried their knives in him again and again. The Executor tried to finish them off, but at last his strength failed him and he fell to the ground. Telmas and Volte stabbed him desperately. Colem died in his sons’ arms.
A great man, an exemplary father, a free Senoca, Ikai thought. May Father Girlai be with you in your new voyage. “Keep shooting! Don’t let them take the roofs or we’ll be lost!”
Karm gestured towards the east with an arrow. “Two more teams,” he said.
Honus pointed to the west. “And two more over there, but they’re not coming near, the swine.”
Ikai saw that the Eyes-of-the-Gods were talking among themselves, but did not attack.
“Come and get me, you swine!” Honus shouted at them, “Come on if you have the guts!”
But instead of moving, the Enforcers kept out of reach of the arrows.
Honus was still taunting them. “Look at those cowardly rats! Look at them trembling with fear” They don’t even dare come any closer!” He turned to the Senoca warriors. “There they are, the terrible Executors, the slaughterers of men, scared to death!”
Karm took over from his friend. “Today is a great day! A day that will go down in the annals of our history! Today’s the day when a bunch of slaves fought the Enforcers and won! This is the day when these Senoca will make history! And I’ll die proudly today, so that my death can be an example for those who come after us!”
Karm’s words filled Ikai with strength. It was more than likely that they would all die, but it would not be in vain. Their sacrifice would inspire others. The Senoca would know what had happened there and never forget it.
Suddenly the smell of burning wafted to his nostrils, and he turned to face the wind.
“Fire! On both sides of the square!”
The Eyes had given the order to burn the houses. That was how they were going to force them down from the roofs. Hell! His gaze followed the two teams as they set fire to the outer houses. They’re closing us in. They’re going to burn the whole village, from the outside in, to cut off our escape. They’re going to roast us alive. The Senoca warriors became aware of what was going on. Nervousness spread through them.
“They’re going to burn us to a crisp!” Honus roared.
“We have to get out of here!” Karm said. He pointed towards the beach. “Now, before there’s no escape route left.”
The raging fire spread everywhere. Hungrily, the flames devoured the fragile buildings of wood and straw. The smoke thickened, the heat was suffocating and they could barely breathe. The Enforcers went on with their work.
Ikai watched his home, his refuge, his dream, going up in flames. Well… here ends the dream, my hope. All I wanted was to live in peace in this wonderful place, out of reach of the Gods. Now it’s all burning… it seems we’ll never live free… not as long as the Enforcers of the Gods come after us. It was such a beautiful dream… But the square was not burning yet, and they had one last possibility of escape. He made his decision.
“Everyone to the square! Fast!”
Ahead of him a narrow alley of flames opened out between several blazing houses. He did not need to think twice.
“Follow me! To the beach!”
He ran with the flames licking his body. All was heat, smoke, suffocation. He was burning. He ran faster and at last reached the forest. He turned and saw that the warriors were following him. In the flames, burning even more fiercely now, came Honus and Karm, with twenty or so warriors, including Volte and Telmas, r
unning after them. The last few warriors failed to make it when a house collapsed on them.
They hurried to the beach by the forest path. Behind them the village blazed. The Enforcers had seen them escape and were coming after them, running with a heavy, warlike tread. The beach and the sea opened up before them like salvation. But it was no more than an illusion. There was no salvation from the Enforcers.
“Now what?” Karm asked him as he reached his side.
“They’re… at our heels,” panted Honus.
The rest of the warriors arrived at a run. To the east, bordering the rocks, Ikai new the pass was there, Kyra and the others must have been crossing at that moment. To the west was the tiny fishing village. Anchored by the pier like nightmarish sea beasts were the three great triremes.
“We have to drive them as far away as possible from the sunken pass. Run to the harbor!”
Although he knew there was no possible escape, he was going to try every way he could to gain time for the others to reach safety. As he ran, he glanced back and saw the two groups of Executors following them. Luckily they were much slower, but they also had more stamina. Sooner or later they would catch them.
At the end of the beach they stopped, undecided. Ahead was the tiny harbor. Fifteen or so Executors were guarding the ships, led by an Eye-of-the-Gods. Ikai glanced at the forest; the best option was to go back into it and make them follow. He was about to give the order when two more teams appeared at the edge of the trees in a line.
“They’re cutting us off!” said Karm.
Honus was looking back at their pursuers. “So what the hell do we do now?”
Ikai weighed up the situation. They were trapped. They might try to break the enemy line and escape into the forest. It was the logical thing to do, even though many of them would not get through. Or we might try something crazy… like Kyra would. He considered it again and decided. We’ll do it Kyra’s way!
“Follow me!” he shouted, and ran to the harbor. The guardian Executors saw them approach and formed a double barrier of brutal bodies across the entire width of the wooden pier. Their way was blocked.
When they stepped on the first planks Ikai raised his arm and shouted: “Stop!”
Stumbling, his men obeyed. Facing them, ten paces ahead, was the barrier of Executors. Behind them, approaching from the forest, were the remainder.
The Eye pointed at him with his silver book. “Turn yourself in, Hero, and your men will be spared.”
“Don’t listen to him, Ikai,” Karm said. “They’ll kill us anyway.”
“You have no way of escape, you are surrounded,” the Eye said, still more shrilly. “Turn yourself in and you will not die.”
“In your dreams, you filthy pig!” growled Honus.
Ikai considered the possibility of surrendering. I might be able to save them. They don’t deserve to die like this, at the hands of these ruthless beasts. A shadow emerged from the water and crawled stealthily along the pier behind the Enforcers. He realized at once it was not a shadow at all. We’ve still got a chance. I’ll have to take the risk and grab it.
“Split up! Half of you hold the rearguard, the other half charge against the barrier!”
“Stupid slave!” the Eye said. “You will pay for this!”
The shadow took shape behind the Eye at the exact moment the warriors charged against the Executors. Albana materialized out of the shadow, and her two black daggers slit the Eye’s throat. The Enforcer died without even realizing what had hit him. The charge of the warriors was repelled with brutal strength by the Executors, whose spears ran the first Senoca through, giving them a clean death. Devastating blows hurled the second wave of warriors down into the sea and on to the beach.
Ikai, Karm, Telmas and his brother Volte were releasing their arrows against the Executors at the ends of the line, but the monsters, even when struck by many, fought on.
“We have to clear a way through!” Ikai cried. But the pier was too narrow to permit a united charge.
“I’ll do it,” Honus said. “Leave it to me!”
He hurled himself against the two Executors in the middle of the line like a raging bull, crashing against them with all the weight and momentum of his huge body, toppling one to the ground and forcing the other to give way. Albana, behind the fallen warriors, started to deal death, stabbing mercilessly at inhuman speed. A spear sought to pierce Honus, but he deflected it to one side. Seizing it with both hands, he gave a mighty heave and wrenched it out of the Executor’s hands, then speared him with a brutal blow.
More warriors joined in the fray. Ikai, Karm, Telmas and Volte loosed their arrows and advanced, trying to avoid their own men in the process. The warriors struggled and fell amid screams, while the Executors came down with no more than a few cavernous grunts. A spear flew towards Ikai’s chest, but Karm shoved him and saved him from being skewered. One of the Executors broke free and hurled himself at Telmas. Both of them fell to the ground. Immediately Volte and Karm stabbed the Executor in an attempt to save Telmas. Ikai got to his feet and went to support them. Under their blows the monster’s black blood formed a pool, and at last the monster died. They shoved it aside in order to free Telmas. But it was too late; the Executor had broken his neck. Volte bent over his older brother’s body, tears rolling down his cheeks.
“I’m … so sorry,” Ikai said.
Volte wiped away his tears with his bloody sleeve and said: “I’ve lost my father and my brother. And I don’t care if I have to die myself too. Let’s fight, Ikai, let’s fight until these filthy beasts and their ruthless Gods are no more than a painful memory.”
“We’ll fight!” Ikai answered, and offered his hand to help him get up.
Volte stared at the Executors, filled with hate. “Death, for the Senoca!” ‒ and he ran back into the fray with Ikai and Karm following him. The line of Executors fell soon afterwards in the face of the bravery and despair of the last Senoca. Ikai turned to give the order to retreat to the rearguard, but he realized to his horror that it was already too late. The Executors had reached them and were decimating them. None of them would survive.
“Run!” Albana cried, and gestured with her bloody daggers.
Ikai watched his men being annihilated behind them. An infinite rage and pain filled his heart.
“Come on, Ikai!” Albana urged him.
He cursed and ran down the pier, jumping over the bodies of the Executors and of his own men. Albana ran ahead of him, followed by half a dozen surviving warriors. Among them was Honus, with a tremendous cut in his forehead which was bleeding profusely. They reached the first trireme and saw the Executors already coming down the pier after them. Ikai saw Albana ignore the trireme and keep running. As he approached it, he realized that its stern was blazing. When they passed the second trireme it was also burning. Ikai began to understand her game. They reached the third trireme, which was not burning.
“On board! Quick!” she shouted.
On the ship they found two Executors lying dead on the deck. Honus and Karm went to the oars at once, and two warriors followed them.
Albana pointed to where the enormous ropes held the ship moored at the pier. “Cast off!” she cried.
Ikai freed the ropes on one side, while Volte and another warrior did the same on the other side.
“Get a move on! They’re nearly here!”
An Executor raced up to Volte and his companion just as they freed the ropes.
“Watch out!” shouted Ikai.
The Executor hurled the spear with such force that it went through the warrior beside Volte. The young man grabbed the spear with both hands and fell dead with a moan. But Volte did not cower. Eyes glaring, he attacked the Executor. Ikai, fearing he would be killed, drew sword and knife and attacked. The Executor was a head taller than the farmer and twice his size. Volte’s knife sank deep in the Executor’s groin, seeking the vital points, as all the warriors of the Shelter had been taught. But the Executor, without flinching, hit Volte�
��s shoulder with his massive forearm. There was a crack, and Volte fell to the ground as if he had been split in two by a hammer.
“Noooooooo!” Ikai cried when he saw the youngest of the Arkens fall. He launched a furious blow which pierced the Executor’s thigh. A knife shaped like a half-moon searched out his neck. He bent to one side, and the silver edge brushed his head. He rolled on the ground and crouched on one knee. Watching the monsters fight, he had noticed they had difficulties against small mobile targets. The Executor struck from above, bending awkwardly with an unbalanced move. Ikai rolled nimbly to one side and stabbed twice at the other leg.
Blackish blood fell down both greaves. “Stand up and fight, slave,” came a cavernous voice. Ikai, still crouching, positioned himself behind the Executor, who started to turn ponderously. Ikai stabbed at his legs again. His enemy tried to reach him with two powerful horizontal slashes, but his nimbleness and speed allowed him to avoid them. The monster’s legs failed him and he toppled over. Ikai went to finish him off.
He heard Albana call: “Ikai, behind you!”
Several Executors were about to reach him. He moved away from the wounded monster and lifted Volte on to his shoulder.
“Leave him! You won’t make it carrying him!”
But he was not prepared to leave Volte there. He would save him; he would not let him die like his father and brother. He made his way to the ship as fast as he could. The whistle of Albana’s arrows told him how close they were. He reached the gangplank. One last effort. He was very tired, and when he set foot on the gangplank he lost his balance and almost fell into the water.
“Come on!” Albana cried desperately.
He took a deep breath, adjusted his precious cargo on his shoulder and staggered across the gangplank, then stumbled headlong on to the deck. Two Executors came up the plank, but Albana blocked their way from the deck.
“Don’t even dream about it, you’re not coming on board!” she said. She murmured several words, and from her hand there issued a dark mist which moved towards the Executors. They hesitated in surprise. The mist circled them and turned solid, like an arcane rope. With a twist of her arm she made them fall in the water.
