The Usurper

by James Alderdice

  “Both stones and arrows came now from some height above us within the cliff palace, though I rarely caught a glimpse of our assailants for I was dodging the threat.

  “A rock the size of a man’s head took the head of a brave beside me and his body went tumbling after.

  “Gathelaus shouted that we should charge their placements as best we could keeping a steady stream of arrow fire to keep their heads down and aim off.

  “This was exceedingly difficult for both the terrain which was almost sheer, the lack of arrows and the perilous assault from above.

  “I could not hope to cast one of my atlatls at this range and had to trust to the others to keep such a retaliation strong. I saw Gathelaus strike several of the men at the top of the trailhead and city, for I saw them fall from its front and land upon some flat surface at the base of the cliff palace’s walls.

  “From somewhere yet farther on within the cliff palace, we all heard a strange dirging horn blast thrice and almost all of the Picts now shook with terror for the sound was indeed answered by cries from some infernal beasts farther upon the slopes. The Picts cried aloud saying that it was the Eaters from the Sky and even Chief Jon was unnerved at this terrible revelation.

  “Gathelaus however had closed a good distance to the cliff palace and was well ahead of any other man. He struck men down in rapid succession and every few moments I saw another one of the defenders fall or cry out. If it were not for his reckless stalwart behavior I do not believe any of us would have left that mountain alive. This at least renewed the Picts courage enough that they did heed Chief Jon and rush up the slanting face despite their fears, which were not unwarranted.

  “The strange cries echoed from the canyon walls and I heard such an awful report as I hope to never hear again. It bounced from the cliff face behind, above and below. It was disorienting and I could not tell from which direction the monstrous call began.

  “Then they were upon us.

  “Hideous monster birds of a greater size than I would have ever thought possible. Like denizens of some lost world these reptile looking avians swooped and clawed and grasped at us and only now was I grateful for the atlatl spear for it saved me twice from their clutches. Others were not so lucky. I saw a brave grasped about the shoulders by those sharp talons and carried high above only to be dashed against the rocks. The foul monster birds then dove and took chunks of his flesh squawking at one another only to take flight again and try the same upon another poor soul.

  “We now faced two fronts, the tumbling rocks and arrows from the cliff palace above and the monster birds that swooped at our exposed backsides.

  “I managed to look up at the cliff palace in time to see Gathelaus ascending the first level and slaying men who came at him with clubs and spears. At least the barrage from above would cease.

  “The enemy blew upon the horn again and I heard his cry as Gathelaus sent him spilling over the side of the palace walls to crush his skull amongst the jagged stone.

  “Chief Jon shot one of the monster birds and this seemed to allay the fears of the Picts who fought back with renewed vigor and more of the monster birds wheeled from the skies with mortal wounds until there were no more.

  “We dashed up the face to reach the pinnacle city all the while ready to clash with our assailants. Oh how my blood pumped through my veins at this wild cataclysmic battle. Never in all my dreams had such a confrontation occurred as when we met the savage painted men that awaited us at the top.

  “I relate herein that some of this was a bloody daze to me as I was struck once with a glancing blow on the head from a war-club but I did feel my spear pierce the foe and I know I drove the weapons point home in his breast until he expired. Men died all around me whether my comrades or the dark painted enemy I could not fully tell for the din was so very loud and the blood, oh the blood that washed over this fell tower! Sounds of Gathelaus’s war cry blazed somewhere above and I made my way toward the sharp serenade of black death.

  “Then Chief Jon was at my side and bid me follow him as he had a spear and we went up ladders from one level to another. Cyclopean stone towers met us at every turn and in some few were dark things waiting, relics of a bygone eras when wicked men held sway over this land and always the trail of blood from Gathelaus’s fearsome talent was left apparent at his recent passage.

  “I began to fully understand and appreciate Captain Hengist’s words that Gathelaus was indeed his ‘Right Hand Man’ in such matters as these, though I would not believe it if I were not living them myself.

  “In our journey through the cliff palace we did find a chamber of slaves that had been stashed away by their foul masters. These poor souls were gaunt, sick and feeble; they were afraid that we meant them harm, but Chief Jon assured them we were there to help and he did enquire of them the whereabouts of Toohoo-emmi and his most powerful acolytes.

  “They told us that the above mesa had a terrible kiva and that entrance was forbidden to only but the most trusted men of Toohoo-emmi. Were the slaves to dare approach, they were pitched off the cliff. The slave then said that if we had attacked the cliff palace then surely Toohoo-emmi and his men had retreated above to their sorcerous refuge.

  “Out upon the level stage overlooking the whole of the canyon, I could just make out a veritable ladder of a path with handholds cut into the living rock and as I scanned all the way to the top I saw Gathelaus disappear over the edge. I told Chief Jon and we did prepare ourselves to follow.

  “Chief Jon called to the Pictish braves and three of them joined us on the ascension. I was last in line as I held less skill in the climb and was the slowest amongst us. Halfway up the dizzying height and I realized I bore no weapons either but I would not stop now.

  “Clinging to the holds I made my way over the edge to look upon the horror of the kiva’s entrance. I was aware of the existence of these underground chambers and their sacred use to Pict rituals and practice, but I had never yet beheld one for myself and this was not what I had expected. A dark rectangular entrance loomed ahead and I could not help but notice the resemblance to a skull’s mouth, as the mound loomed up and two dark, what would could only be described as eyeholes, were spaced evenly farther up. The aura coming from it gave me chills and though it was full daylight, all seemed dark and foreboding here.

  “I wondered that I should be so alarmed, as this was the longest space yet where I had not heard Gathelaus’s battle cry and I wondered if he yet lived.

  “Chief Jon leveled his spear and bid the three braves accompany him forward into the entrance. I was close behind and as I took a step inside, cold wind met my face and a terrible smell of stale blood and offal met my senses threatening to catapult my morning’s nourishment free. Chief Jon and the braves went down the ladder and I followed.

  “Pillars of light from the skull’s eyeholes above pierced the dark but the rest was lost in shadow.

  “We are not alone, whispered Chief Jon.

  “Nothing was in sight and I moved forward a step but was quickly pulled back by Chief Jon as something struck right where I had been. I felt the air and heard the thump.

  “We surely disappointed the ambush by not dying.

  “I saw the quick movement of black on black only because of the sheen of sweat glinting faintly upon the muscular giant who charged me.

  “Then the flash of light dancing on swords edge lit the gloom and a cry of shock and pain revealed we had lost a man. Framed against the sudden violence I saw big shadows of men charge and soon I was struck across the mouth by a broad hand and taken to the dirt floor. Chief Jon stabbed a man and I felt a body fall against me on the ground. I struck back against who I know not. And then just as suddenly it was over.

  “Breathing heavily I was picked up and brushed off. Chief Jon’s voice said we had slain the men who meant to ambush us and that we should go outside to the cliff behind the kiva where he believed Toohoo-emmi and Gathelaus had gone as everything inside the kiva had been but a trap or distract
ion.

  “I was dazed and bleeding from a scalp wound but I followed and realized we had lost two of the braves who had come with us but Chief Jon was resolved to hurry and deal with this wicked threat.

  “Outside and behind the skull like mound of the kiva stood Gathelaus, facing a tall man covered in black paint who held a woman to his chest with an obsidian dagger to her throat. He called out in broken Vjornish for us to surrender to him and he would spare the woman.

  “Gathelaus answered, Like Hell. He had his sword held ready to attack but he did not move yet as he did not wish for the man to pitch her over the side if he was hit. Let her go! Gathelaus ordered.

  “Toohoo-emmi knew he was in a desperate situation; his men were all dead and we had conquered his sacred city. He had nothing left but a hostage and a glass knife. His terrible eyes swept back and forth at us and he muttered some wicked verse low under his breath.

  “What foul powers of darkness can be contained in but mere words I know not, but I was a witness that they do take hold and demand to be reckoned with. The Pictish brave who had followed us all the way up the slopes and fought beside us suddenly went mad and tackled Gathelaus sending them both off the precipice.

  “Toohoo-emmi threw the woman at Chief Jon and lunged with his knife. I was in shock but grasped the woman and pulled her from between them. She was either in shock or drugged as she went limp in my arms and fell to the ground.

  “Chief Jon grappled with Toohoo-emmi and I went to assist him when I heard Gathelaus’s cry for help.

  “He was not dead?

  “Clinging to the edge of the cliff with both hands, the dark-haired swordsman had the possessed brave holding at his left foot and growling like a mad dog.

  “I’m trying to shake him loose but I can’t do that and climb up, shouted Gathelaus.

  “I looked behind me and Toohoo-emmi and Chief Jon were in a terrible tussle. I looked to Gathelaus and he shouted, Hurry up and do something!

  “I picked up a stone the size a fist and looked from Toohoo-emmi to Gathelaus and his assailant.

  “Gathelaus saw what was on my mind and said, don’t miss!

  “The mad brave was trying to bite Gathelaus’s slipping boot and I carefully released the stone and hit the poor deranged man square in the face. He swatted at the missile and came loose of Gathelaus and plummeted the hundreds of feet to the ground below, all the while clawing at the air as if he might suddenly take flight.

  “I extended a hand to help Gathelaus up when I felt someone tugging at my shoulders to send me over the brink!

  “Toohoo-emmi had knocked Chief Jon senseless and was striving to eliminate me! The last of his foes still upon the summit.

  “I pushed back in vain, Toohoo-emmi was much the stronger and I had no traction. My silver knife fell from my pouch and Gathelaus caught it.

  “Barrett! Duck!

  “I looked just in time to see Gathelaus training his knife right at me. I ducked and I felt the blade as it went right past my ear. But Gathelaus had sent a silver knife right into Toohoo-emmi’s face. Yet the wicked shaman was not dead!

  “He gargled and grasped at his face as blood poured over his black-painted body, his cheek and ear were ruined but he was not yet even close to dead. He turned and ran from us as I pulled Gathelaus up and over the edge.

  “Chief Jon had been sorely struck but was still alive as well. The woman remained catatonic but appeared otherwise undamaged.

  “I helped Chief Jon to his feet and senses as Gathelaus went in pursuit of the foe.

  “Toohoo-emmi had run to back side of the mesa and to another ladder and further down a relative back entrance to Kai’Enepi. As near as I could tell, from this high place you could climb down into another slot canyon and eventually make your way back to the Virgin River.

  “Gathelaus was already halfway down went Toohoo-emmi reached the bottom and began kicking and knocking away at the long ladder in an effort to knock Gathelaus loose.

  “He succeeded in knocking the ladder loose and it started to fall over to the left and into an awful gorge. Gathelaus leapt free and caught a jutting pinnacle of stone.

  “Toohoo-emmi then disappeared into the crags and we saw him no more. It took Gathelaus sometime to be able to climb back to our position.

  “We would camp in the cliff palace that night and care for our dead and wounded. Chief Jon led us all in prayer to cleanse this place and among the purifications that were done, we did burn some of the towers and the great skull kiva at the summit. It was a bonfire for the ages and finally by morning did the thing collapse upon itself and release what evil spirits it held.

  “The next day we began the long arduous journey back to St. Gorthon and Gathelaus did grumble exceedingly about, ‘the one that got away’.

  “Chief Jon reminded him that we should see Toohoo-emmi again soon enough and though it was a bitter defeat for him, the black magic medicine man would not leave us alone for long. He would have to be challenged again.

  “We reached St. Gorthon a day later and I did then begin to relate these events to Captain Hengist and herein record them for myself alone as it was not recommended that we share such stories of Pictish black magic foul sorcery with the body of the troops.

  ***

  “The last night we remained in St. Gorthon, there was a dance and gathering of the townsfolk. Captain Hengist did advise them to be sober minded and such but it did not dampen the festivities much. I was discussing some of the recent political maneuverings with Bonelli and as you may recall I was called away by adjutant Sorenson.

  “Now I shall relate the rest of the evening to you and leave this full recollection in your care as I cannot take it back to Hellainik for further scrutiny.

  “I was told that on the southernmost edge of St. Gorthon there was a ruckus of some kind. Some said that it was not unlike the one the first night we had arrived and that it was involving the Picts. Still I was advised to go as I had some doings with them in the days previous and it was thought that perhaps I could help in calming things down.

  “I arrived to discover that Gathelaus was already there and was facing off with a rather large Pict. Who to my astonished eyes turned out to be Toohoo-emmi himself. He spoke in an angry broken Vjornish, calling down blood and fire upon Gathelaus for the destruction of his city and his acolytes. That he did blame both Gathelaus and Chief Jon for the desecration of his sacred priesthood and he was there for terrible revenge and through the power of Xuthaloggua [his toad-like idol] he would conquer.

  “Chief Jon had not been found as yet but Gathelaus did not seem worried. He said to the big Pict to, throw down and do his worst.

  “Toohoo-emmi then raised his hand which held the curious idol and crying aloud the earth rumbled and rose at his very feet.

  “I was aghast at the sight of it.

  “In a circle of some twenty feet round, the ground churned and pitched as if boiling and then a blast of lightning went from his hand that held the idol of Xuthaloggua, to Gathelaus, centering upon the medicine pouch from the Pictish maiden that he still wore.

  “While the lightning from the toad did seem intense it was swallowed whole by the medicine pouch and no harm came to Gathelaus.

  “Whatever force there was blasting from the vile shaman, it was taken and held by that maiden’s pouch. Gathelaus looked askance at the blackened pouch and then to Toohoo-emmi and he said dryly, My Turn. He threw the silver knife at the dark shaman.

  “There was no effect at the impact of those knives. The dark man smiled mockingly and proclaimed the power of Xuthaloggua and I could see that even Gathelaus was worried a moment.

  “But as Toohoo-emmi went to attempt a second blast from his idol, the Pictish squaw who Gathelaus had rescued twice over, struck the toad-like deity Xuthaloggua, with a broad stick.

  “The wicked shaman did wince in fear as the broken clay god crumbled in his hands from the sundering. He then grabbed the squaw and stabbed her with his own dagger.

  �
��Gathelaus raced forward and stabbed the sorcerer again and this time blood flew from the man’s chest.

  “I counted at least nine direct cuts in the big man’s torso as he shook with the force of them and then fell over dead with a look of astonishment upon his face.

  “The maiden was dead and for her Gathelaus did mourn.

  “But those who had gathered cheered and swept over to Gathelaus and then some cast stones at Toohoo-emmi’s corpse and even his destroyed idol. Before I could say anything, Gathelaus admonished them to stop and bury the wicked man’s body right where it lay, especially since the ground was already broken up and made for easy diggings.

  “After this was done, Chief Jon arrived and asked about what had happened. He looked to the medicine pouch Gathelaus had and proclaimed that it had done what it was intended and was now used up. That seemed to strike Gathelaus fine and he cast it off.

  “Chief Jon was also rather concerned on where Toohoo-emmi was buried and he was shown approximately where that was. But because the ground had been thrown up in such force it was difficult to tell exactly where the body lay so a guess was ventured forth to tell Chief Jon and he then went and fetched a sacred tree which he did plant on the spot that most agreed was correct.

  “I thought it a strange custom but he assured me that it was necessary. He said that unless great care was taken it would be possible for as powerful a sorcerer as Toohoo-emmi to rise again from the clutch of death unless his dark spirit was contained by the sacred tree.

  “I had seen the broken shattered body full of wounds and my rational mind thought that his diabolical resurrection impossible yet, I had seen many terrible wonders that week previous including the lightning from his clay god Xuthaloggua and upheaval of the earth at his command so I cannot be sure how many more dark and mysterious wonders are in our world, hidden away in some terrible corner of the globe, defying, Nay! Even mocking our imagination and comfort in the world at what is both right and sane.

  “Gathelaus and Chief Jon and I did take the maidens body farther out into the wilderness and did give her a sacred funeral pyre, which we alone did witness.