by TJ Reynolds
Spinning on his heels, Kai saw a scaled face emerge from around the hillock of reeds, pale-blue eyes peering at him. Its head twisted to one side and sniffed the air. It was as if a man had decided, quite foolishly, to lie with a lizard. The creature had black scales that faded into cobalt and then flared ether-blue at their tips. Its head was wide, and as it opened its mouth, Kai noted several rows of serrated teeth.
It held a small staff in its hands, atop which was affixed a crystal, which glowed with the same ethereal light as the beast’s eyes. The staff was pointed at Kai’s chest.
He wasn’t sure if he should run or fight, and it appeared the beast was similarly confused. When Ban saw what Kai had stopped for, however, he hissed. It’s a Baliska! Fiend, foul friend, egg stealer!!! he screamed in Kai’s mind.
The mental shout was so loud in his thoughts that Kai nearly dropped his glaive. The baliska’s face contorted when he noticed the tiny gargat. As it lifted the staff, the crystal glowed brighter, and Kai knew a spell was being cast.
Without thinking, Kai swatted the staff down and to the side. The bolt of energy meant for Ban flew past them, bursting into a nearby tree. Then, in the same lunge, Kai swept the glaive up and to the right, slicing the baliska’s neck cleanly. It dropped the staff and clutched at its neck. And as it died, it lifted its foul head to the sky and screeched. It seemed his cut hadn’t been deep enough to sever its vocal cords.
Kai glanced over to Ban, who finally seemed to have collected his wits. What have we done? As if to answer his question, the first of several screeching replies rose in the gloom of dusk, raising the hairs on his arms.
I don’t know, my friend, Ban replied, but I think now is a good time to run.
31
When Fate Calls, it Screams
Rhona
They sped several miles before the ground grew soft and the road dissipated.
Eventually, she convinced Honor to slow, and they rode on at a brisk trot. No longer barreling forward recklessly, Rhona was nonetheless worried about the horse’s legs. It would take but a single mud pit for him to fall in and turn an ankle, break a leg, or at a minimum, send her sprawling.
They slowed continually, the further into the swamps they got.
Eventually, the horse came to a stop and whinnied impatiently, as if to say, Get off me, girl, it’s time we trudge through this mess together.
Every time the ground grew firm enough, she’d mount up again and trot for a time, but such reprieves grew shorter the further in they got.
They happened upon a few groups of dead creatures. Rhona inspected them through her Etheric Interface and noted the bulky, black frog things were called Fell Bullies, monsters whose only prowess lay in ambushing the unaware with a surprising amount of brute force. A bit further in she saw inconspicuous bodies of Midgelings, beasties Rhona had all too much experience with. They lived near any wetland and were more pesky than truly dangerous.
Only once were they assaulted by a cloud of the Midgelings, and in a matter of moments, Rhona had swatted them from the air, dodging all but one of their darts. She let the burning injury linger, collecting the resulting ether with Blood Sunder and holding on to it in case they came upon anything more trying.
Honor would stop and snuffle at the ground every now and again, then lift his head and carry on as before. Rhona laughed, thinking he acted remarkably like a blood hound, just prettier and with hooves.
As the day waned, she reigned in the beast. They’d come a long way, and though Honor was eager to continue, she knew his limits.
Rhona fitted him with the watering skin and he drank it dry in moments. Then she set out a few handfuls of straw and some oats. He munched it all down quickly while she drank from her own water skin. Then, rather than eat, she took as much water as her belly would hold and pulled out some dried meat. She could snack while they jogged along.
After another hour of travel, they came upon the hulking corpse of a monster straight from her nightmares. Its stench filled the air from a distance, and as they approached, Rhona’s skin crawled.
“A shivving Miremog! Gods, I didn’t think they were so big!” she muttered as she led Honor in a wide arc around the body. It lay slumped and defeated, its twisted limbs splayed about it. The very air reeked of its death.
The beasts were deadly to all but the most skilled or the most lucky. It was easiest to take them down with a squad of archers or at the very least spearmen. In her years of service, Rhona had never had the misfortune of fighting one.
Cold and honest fear filled her, and she shook herself, trying to focus on the task ahead.
When they came around the other side of the hollow, a high-pitched squeal filled the air and Rhona looked down to see a squat, though substantial beast hurtling toward them. She dodged its initial charge. She feared it might continue on and harry Honor, but the horse was already leaving her behind, so intent was he on his march.
Shaking her head, Rhona focused on the fight that had found her. The creature resembled a pig but with a vile and disturbing face. She couldn’t see its eyes at all, only row upon row of tusks that protruded from the sides of its head. Inspecting it, she saw it was called a Peet Swine. Cute name for such a right nasty bastard, she thought, side-stepping another blind charge.
She wasn’t worried about being able to defeat the monster, but she wanted to be careful. The largest pair of tusks spanned over two feet in length and twisted irregularly. If she got skewered by one of those, there would be no recovering.
Timing was everything in a fight, so she counted its steps and watched as the pig charged past her dodging form once more. It circled and prepared for another charge. This would be its last.
As it barreled toward her again, Rhona held still until the very last moment, then side-stepped and struck the side of its temple with her ether-charged fist. She used the ether to extend the force into its skull, and the swine lurched and fell, its legs spasming as it died.
Rhona stayed only long enough to absorb the meager offering of Progression that leaked from the corpse, then turned only to see Honor’s proud arse trotting off into the distance. “You lout! Wait for me!” she shouted.
Darkness began its slow and inevitable fall. Honor was as exhausted as she was, and though they tromped onward, they no longer ran, not even when the ground temporarily grew firm. Thoughts of her odd dream returned to her unbidden. The endless cloud-streaked sky was as opposite a setting to her present one as she could imagine, yet it kept forcing its way into the forefront of her thoughts.
The old man’s eyes had churned with the same clouds. His insistent voice rang out in her memory. “She is your master. Sheerda is the 8th, goddess of time itself,” he’d told her. Even thinking about that morning’s odd interaction made her hair stand on end.
Did the old man mean an actual god? And why haven’t I heard of this Sheerda? I thought there were only the three, she mused, worried the answer would bring her little comfort.
Then, ahead in the murky gloom of the darkening swamp, a scream arose. It was shrill and inhuman, a call to everything fell and evil.
Honor broke into a brisk trot again, splashing through the puddles. Rhona’s legs throbbed and her throat was raw from breathing so hard. Yet, she had pushed herself further than this before, so rather than avoid the danger that lay so obviously ahead of them, Rhona Bloodspar ran beside her war mount toward the sound.
A swarm of Midgelings, four or five of them, buzzed out of a group of reeds. She struck one with her fist, and ignored the rest. A few more darts found purchase in her arms and neck. The pain was useful, returning to her an ounce of clarity. The real danger of pushing the boundaries of your strength and endurance wasn’t in damaging your body, she knew, but in allowing the mind to falter at a crucial moment.
Rhona grasped hold firmly of the wakefulness the pain brought, and accumulated all the ether offered by the minor wounds. It wasn’t much, but the creature making that noise wouldn’t kill itself.
&nbs
p; More howls and screeches lifted up above the gathering gloom and mist. The farther they ran, the thicker was the fog that threatened to swallow them whole. For the briefest of moments, Rhona wished she had her sword, if only for the sake of its familiarity. Her fists were enough to face any threat.
Ahead of Honor, a few hundred strides away, and emerging from the swirling mist, Rhona spotted the figure of a man sprinting toward them. Well he isn’t the one making those noises. What, then, is chasing the shivving fool? she wondered.
As the man came closer, she saw his face was gaunt and drawn. His hair was dark and his skin waxen, despite a deep Hintari coloring. Had I made it to Hintar then? No, surely not by a hundred leagues. And as he came closer, she saw the fear in his eyes.
Behind the man flew an ugly gray creature, and for a moment, she thought it must be the source of the howls. But as another few screeches rose into the air, much closer now than before, the little beast’s mouth didn’t move. It wasn’t chasing after but running with the young man.
They entered a clearing amid a few dozen swampy bushes. The man’s strength seemed to give out and he fell to his knees. He panted and for a moment, looked like he might vomit. Rhona closed the distance between them and Honor ran ahead and circled the man a few times, before drawing closer, leaning his head down and sniffing at him.
As Rhona slowed to a walk, the oddest thing happened. Her proud and mighty warhorse bowed his head, bending his knees, shaking with fatigue, and touched the crown of his head to the ground.
Then as soon as it happened, Honor lifted himself up again and turned to face the howling monsters who continued to get closer.
Rhona peered at the little flying beast as it landed near the man. Its little gray hand touched the man lightly on the shoulder and they seemed to share a thought. They both turned to Rhona. She caught the young man’s eye and he forced a grin. “Hello. Nice to meet you, stranger. It’s really too bad you don’t have a weapon,” he said, and used all of his might to stand once more on shaky legs.
“I don’t need a weapon. But we can exchange pleasantries later. What on earth is chasing you?” she demanded, staring past the man, straining to see more than five yards before them in the thickening mist.
Before he could answer, she saw at least a dozen forms skitter and leap across the ground, moving at frightful speeds. They were darkly colored but glowing blue eyes lit their fell faces.
And as the man hefted an ornate glaive in arms so weak she doubted he could knock down a single Midgeling, she knew what they were. “By the scorching sack of Yugos! Baliska!” she spat.
She walked forward and interposed herself between the baliska and the man and his strange beast. Rhona fell into a fighting stance. Might as well have a little practice while there’s still light. And then this bastard is going to tell me exactly what’s going on here, she thought. As the first of the scale-covered horrors came into range, she struck out with her ether-enhanced fists.
32
Bright Against the Black
Kai
The woman who appeared like an apparition out of the fog was as fierce as she was striking. Were Kai in any other state, not fighting to swallow a rising gorge, fevered and weak, he would’ve had trouble not stealing more than a glance at the woman’s beauty.
Her features were classic Brintoshi: pale skin, full pink lips, crimson-colored hair, and a round face. Her nose was upturned and matched her prominent cheekbones, marking a wide face and strong jaw.
She was the kind of girl he used to avoid at all costs.
But here, amid the dreary stagnant swamp, she was a conundrum, a contrast of strength, force, and grace that made no sense. No better was the horse that trotted before her. A beast of immense strength, as soon as it had faced Kai, it seemed also to have bowed its head towards him.
He held a hand up to his forehead and felt his burning skin. No, definitely didn’t bow to me. That would be crazy. But why in the seven hells are they here?
Ban touched him on the shoulder and looked him in the eyes. I don’t know, but I feel they are allies. They must be, else how will you survive?
I don’t know. I’m not sure how much longer I can even hold my glaive, let alone swing it.
Ban’s face was creased with regret as he nodded with determination. But you must at least try. Stand, Kai. They’re upon us.
Kai used all his might to stand once more. His knees almost gave way, but he used the butt of the glaive to push himself upright. If this was his time to die, he could at least be standing at the start of it.
They turned and saw the first wave of the baliska approach. The monsters ran close to the ground, almost like cats, each leaping bound propelling them a great distance. Ether-blue eyes glowed in the near dark, causing Kai’s blood to run cold. He hoisted his glaive and tried to crouch in a fighting stance. The woman moved to stand before him, alongside her horse, and Ban flew up into the air. These three were protecting him, for what reason, he did not know. But he could not sit by and watch them fight alone.
A mid-sized baliska leaped in the air, its jaws popping open. Hinged like a fish’s, the mouth seemed to expand rapidly as it did so, its teeth like black razors. The woman just stood there, and Kai nearly called out. Did she not see the danger? he thought, but in a flash, she ducked and struck up into its chest twice. The blows were incredibly fast, and seemed to land almost at the same time. The baliska didn’t immediately die, but its chest bones snapped under the force as it flew past her and slid into the mud.
It pawed feebly at the ground, unable to get up.
Already, three more were closing in on the woman. This time, the horse spun and kicked one in the face, shattering its mouth. It twitched and died as the woman dealt with the other two.
The first baliska managed to rake her with its claws, leaving bloody furrows along her arm and shoulder. But then the glow of ether enveloped her, and her counter attacks exploded into both monsters, bursting their heads in a shower of scales and slime.
Another wave of baliska emerged from the mist, and this time, two headed right for Kai. Ban dove and gouged the eyes from one, flying up just in time to avoid its bite. Kai slashed at the second, cutting through its jaws. The beast howled in rage and pain but turned and struck at Kai with the substantial claws on its forelegs. A pair of gashes cut across Kai’s leg, sinking into the exposed flesh just above his greaves. Swiveling back on his heel, the young man cut back with his glaive, this time successfully opening the monster’s throat.
The baliska fell but was quickly replaced by another. The next beast was larger than the first and raced towards him. Kai felt sure he wouldn’t be able to stand, let alone fight, for much longer, so he thrust his glaive forward in a desperate attack. His blade sunk into the beast’s chest, cleaving through bone as the sixty-pound monster slammed into him.
Its momentum carried Kai off his feet and tumbling to the ground. He tried to stand again but slipped and nearly lost consciousness. The world teetered as he stared down at the baliska in its death throes.
Kai placed his hands on the tops of his thighs and breathed heavily. His body shook and he retched, coughing up a few mouthfuls of bile.
When he recovered, he gripped the handle of the glaive wedged in the baliska’s chest, but regardless of how hard he tried, he lacked the strength to pull it free. The strain caused his head to spin again and he fell back on his haunches, exhausted.
The sounds of combat surrounded him, so Kai did his best to lift his head up once more, if only to honor those who fought in his stead, to witness their courage.
A line of baliska raced out and surrounded the warhorse. Kai winced as one bit into its flank, drawing blood and removing some of its glossy hide. But the horse was not so easily undone.
Something happened in the beast.
An aura of ether surrounded it and Kai knew it must have used some kind of ability.
A horse with a class and skills? How is that even possible? Kai just gaped and admired the horse
as it bucked and kicked at its enemies.
The reptilian monsters were flung aside and stomped under hoof, though more baliska replaced those that fell. As these continued to charge, the horse’s movements increased in speed. The destrier was in a full frenzy, even biting one of the monsters at the back of its neck and flinging it through the air.
Then the horse charged a few dozen paces, plowing into a line of baliska that held staffs like the first one that Kai had killed. A few bolts of energy scored the horse’s hide, but most of the ethereal missiles missed somehow, veering off at the last minute.
Ban fought savagely, unleashing glob after glob of his acidic spit, and sinking his claws into unwary beasts from above. He wasn’t causing as much damage as the woman and her mount, but his attacks were relentless, and both dismayed and slowed the tide of enemies.
Kai looked to his other side and saw a huge baliska churning up mud as it raced toward him. He held up a hand at that last minute, unleashing Flame Dart into its face. The blast made the monster turn away, missing Kai by less than a foot. It soon recovered, however, despite losing the lower half of its jaw, and charged at Kai once more.
Thank Andag, Ban fell in front of Kai and used his scream skill. Though the baliska didn’t fly back like the Bully had, Kai witnessed the bones in its face crack under the intense pressure, the blue glow of its eyes winking out instantly as it died.
It was almost full dark now, and Kai’s head swam with the expenditure of his ether. He’d only recovered a little of his natural stores, most having been sacrificed to fuel the healing spells he’d attempted. He couldn’t afford another Flame Dart. Forced to rely completely on the potency of his allies, Kai concentrated on fighting the growing darkness that threatened to swallow him.
