The Gaellean Prophecy Series Box Set

by C S Vass

  “Thank you for the advice,” Brett said. “We aren’t far from our destination. We make for the city of Meno.”

  “Meno?” Krut asked, suddenly surprised. “You travel to the domain of Lord Wolfbane?”

  “Yes,” Brett said. “What of it?”

  “Nothing,” Krut said quickly. “Just…my cousin, Rekki. It was said that she was headed to Meno when I last heard news of her. If you see her, would you give her a message from me?”

  “Of course,” Faela said. “We would be happy to.”

  “Tell her, I foresaw great misfortune in her journey. Tell her not to seek the aid of men. I urge her to return to Jagjaw.”

  “We’ll let her know,” Brett said. “Meno is not a large city. There’s a good chance if we ask about for an ogre someone will have seen her.”

  “Thank you,” Krut said, looking greatly relieved. “It means so very much to hear you say that.”

  “Krut,” Faela said. “How did you all manage to transform the werewolves back into their human forms? It was amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  Krut’s dark eyes shone like obsidian stones in the night. “Old magic. The way of days long past. It is an ogre secret. Not one I can reveal. Probably not even if I wanted to.”

  “I see,” Faela said.

  “Long ago, there would be no such need for magic like that. The Rainbow Wood would have sorted those beasts out for itself. Now, however…things are very different. The lands of sunny rain have been replaced by barren planes of snow. The world is a very different place from what it once was, and I fear there are more changes to come.”

  “Krut,” Brett said. “It seems to me that you know something. I don’t know how I can prove it, but I swear our intentions are good. For the sake of your cousin, Rekki, can you tell us anything?”

  Krut looked gravely concerned. “Nothing you don’t already know,” he finally said. “There is turbulence in the stars. Turbulence in the Jagjaw Mountains. Demons prowl the land. Now there are eastern werewolves in the Shield. When will it stop? I do not have the answers.”

  “You can tell us where your path leads, at least,” Brett pressed. “If you travel to Meno, then we can go together.”

  “We don’t,” Krut said sharply. “Though our journey is likely just as foolish as my cousin’s. Our path leads to Valencia, and possibly war.”

  “War?” Faela asked, awestruck. “Why war?”

  “Many of our comrades sought to live in Valencia. They foresaw the dangers written in the heavens and sought to make an alliance with the humans living there so that they might better prepare us all for what’s to come. Such thoughts were the utmost foolishness.”

  “What do you mean?” Faela asked. “Why foolish?”

  “Why?” Krut roared. “Because Lord Shade is more beast than man. My comrades live under his boot. He calls them humanoid! Humanoid! As if we were attempting to be humans and simply failing at it. Bah! Curses on Lord Shade, and on the rest of Valencia that treats my brothers and sisters as less than.”

  “I see,” Brett said. “So you seek to find your fellow ogres and bring them home.”

  “Indeed,” Krut said. “Along with any elves or dwarves who have sense enough to realize they’re living with those who would sooner see them disappear into the mines than enjoy the sunlight together.”

  “Your grievances are not illegitimate,” Brett admitted. “Lord Shade is a harsh man.”

  “My grievances are not illegitimate?” Krut mocked. “You speak like a foppish lawyer. My people are suffering under the boot of a tyrant in Valencia. I fear if I do not act swiftly, they may not be allowed to leave.”

  “Not allowed?” Faela asked, horrified. “What possible reason would Lord Shade have to force ogres inside the city against their own will?”

  “Bah!” Krut growled. “I’ve said too much as it is. It matters not. Let us see how your friend is doing.”

  They slowly approached Paetrick, giving enough distance not to crowd the healer as he worked. A small fire had been lit and ingredients were brewing in an alembic.

  “This was not an easy potion to brew,” the old ogre said. “It is a tricky combination of old magic and new magic. I am wise in the ways of the first and uninterested in the second. Still…it may be enough. Krut, hold the boy down. He will strain against the pain of it.”

  “You heard him, human,” Krut said to Brett. “Help me hold your friend.”

  Paetrick mumbled a weak thank you to Krut and Brett as they knelt besides him and placed their hands on his body. Then the healer poured the ointment, almost boiling hot, straight from the alembic into Paetrick’s open wound.

  Paetrick screamed.

  “Good,” the healer said. “He passed out from the pain of it. That will make this easier.” Faela grimaced while the healer carefully cut away some of the dead flesh around Paetrick’s wound. He would have a terrible scar, and probably lose some of the function in his right arm, Faela realized.

  When Paetrick’s wound was treated the healer used thick banana leaves to wrap the injury.

  “This is unwise,” an angry voice blurted out. Faela turned to see a large purple ogre carrying a war axe strut forward. “If you save the boy, he’ll be hunting us down in a week’s time. The curse has been transmitted to him. There can be no doubt of that.”

  “Quiet, Yetto,” the healer said without turning from his work.

  “Quiet?” the ogre named Yetto snorted with derision. “Is that all you have to say to me as you use our own limited supplies to heal a human who will be more demon than man by the next moon’s turn?”

  “Yetto is right,” another ogre from the group snapped. “Why save the human? These two can go, but the wolf-man will be nothing but trouble. Is not our mission to prevent the spread of these beasts?”

  Faela swallowed nervously as more and more ogres shouted with agreement. “Krut, help us,” she urged him.

  Krut shrugged. “I believe in listening to the voices of my people. Someone has to as humans never do.”

  “Stop!” Brett shouted above the fray. Immediately, an eerie silence descended upon them.

  He glanced about nervously at the angry eyes that silently watched him. “My name is Brett. I am the Captain of the Guard of Iryllium, personal servant to King Boldfrost. I urge you not to allow my comrade to die. In return, I will grant you a boon. I will speak your interests directly into the ears of King Boldfrost.”

  Yetto was the first to snort with laughter, but not the only one. “So what?” he mocked. “I have no interest in dealing with your King. Humans lie. They always lie. You forget your vows faster than a married man in a whorehouse.”

  A murmur of agreement rose amongst the ogres. “I can give you nothing better than my word, which I do not take lightly,” Brett said. “But still, I hear your concern. Consider the choices carefully. If I speak the truth, you will have a chance to speak with the most powerful man in Western Gaellos. If I lie, then there is simply one more werewolf in a world that multiplies its demons every day.”

  The ogres muttered amongst themselves. The general sound was not friendly. Faela watched anxiously, trying to figure out what it was that they were saying to each other.

  It was Krut who approached them, smiling. “Very well, Brett servant of Boldfrost. But there is one more condition I will add to your honorable vow. It is not enough that you will speak our interests to the King. You must also answer our call. Join our people, and fight alongside us when we summon you.”

  Faela could tell from Brett’s expression that he did not relish the idea of the ogres being able to summon him on a whim. Still, he had to accept. If he didn’t…

  “That pony,” Brett said, gesturing to one of the ponies that the ogres had in the supply wagon. “It’s meant to be a meal, is it not? Give it to me, for my injured comrade to ride, and I will agree to your terms.”

  Krut smiled even more wickedly. “An acceptable arrangement,” he said. “But I urge you to remember, Captai
n Brett, you had best be careful. Wolves like the smell of pony just as much as ogres.”

  Chapter 26

  Past the masked face of his opponent, Godwin could see Unduyo burning. Smoke rose skyward through the trees and floated towards the swirling spread of stars that swam above.

  Underneath his jerkin he could feel sticky blood glueing his body to his clothes. The wound was not life threatening, but it was extremely painful. If he didn’t find a way to end this fight soon, then the masked man surely would.

  “Unduyo will burn to the ground soon,” the masked man said. “What an unfortunate end for such a historic monument.”

  “Who the hell are you?” Godwin growled.

  The masked fighter ignored him. “Can you hear the screams of your allies, Godwin? They are burning alive in that castle.”

  “I don’t know what you’ve heard about us,” Godwin grunted, “but I promise you, my brothers and sisters have survived a lot worse than a little fire.”

  “It’s not always the fire, my Shigata friend. Sometimes it’s the things that come when the fire is put out.”

  Godwin ground his teeth together. Pain seared his injured side.

  “It is unfortunate you saw me slaughter the ogre,” the masked man went on. “I would have been happy to have a civil discussion with you.”

  “Yeah?” Godwin breathed. “It’s never too late to bring out some tea and biscuits.”

  “I’m glad to hear you say so,” the masked person said. “I feel the same way. In fact, even the fight with your friend Rekki was a misunderstanding. Her wounds are being tended to even as we speak.”

  It was only then that Godwin realized how far they had moved from where they started the fight. It didn’t matter. He could do nothing to help Rekki until the stranger was dealt with.

  Godwin stumbled, cursing. “Want to do me next? You seem to have pricked something under my armpit. Must have been an accident.”

  The masked fighter ignored the comment. “Tell me, Godwin. With which home do you place your loyalty?”

  “What?” Godwin asked, annoyed at the randomness of the question. “What are you blabbering about?”

  “I want to know who you are loyal to,” the masked fighter replied calmly. “Is it to your fellow brothers and sisters of the Shigata? Is is to your country? Perhaps you feel an allegiance towards your fellow Star-cursed, like that wizard Torin.”

  Godwin snorted. “Wizard? You must have the wrong Torin. But regardless your questions bore me. Why don’t we talk about something interesting like what the hell is going on at the castle? Why are you attacking the Shigata?”

  “I’m so glad you want to know,” the masked fighter said. “But I don’t think that I’m the one who should tell you.”

  “Somehow I’m not surprised,” Godwin said as he thrust himself forward. His legs ached and he felt like his side was going to burst, but there was no choice. If he didn’t win this fight soon, blood loss would make it so that any chance he had would disappear.

  Swinging his blade like a madman he hacked and cleaved at the masked fighter. His opponent leapt and dodged without so much as trying to swing one of his twin daggers in retaliation. The more he fought the angrier he became and the wilder his blows were.

  This is no good, Godwin thought desperately. It’s like he knows me. Like he knows how to get under my skin. He halted for a moment to collect himself, his sword raised defensively. The masked opponent leapt at Godwin, and punched him hard in the face. Godwin saw red explode into the black sky as blood erupted from his nose like a volcano.

  Stumbling blindly he managed to grab ahold of a tree branch and keep himself from falling to the ground.

  “Calm yourself, Godwin of Brentos,” the masked fighter said in a mocking tone of voice.

  Godwin’s breathing became more labored. Even standing was causing his legs to scream in protest.

  “A time of great turmoil is coming to the world,” the masked fighter continued. “Many of your brothers and sisters know it, but unfortunately the ones who arrogantly call themselves Sages do not. This fire at Unduyo is a fire of cleansing. Many aspects of this world will be washed away to make for the coming era. It has all happened before. It will all happen again. The gods will it, and thus it is so.”

  “What the hell are you babbling about?” Godwin asked. “Who are you? Has the Cult of Jericho lost its one collective marble, or are you with something entirely different? If you’re not a coward, then answer me!”

  “I already told you,” the masked fighter said calmly. “I am not the one who should explain these things to you.”

  “Then who is?”

  The masked fighter didn’t answer. Instead he turned his attention to the heavens. “Beautiful, is it not? The closer we get to the time of turmoil, the more urgently the stars dance. One can only wonder what secret messages are being written for us right now.

  “But the message of the stars is not always beautiful, is it Godwin? Who would know that better than you? Star-cursed. Forsaken. Marked by fate for a luckless existence and destined only to cause chaos and confusion in the lives of those you care about. I wonder, what if it could all go away?”

  Godwin hardly dared to breath. He knew better than to trust anything an opponent in battle said…but the way the masked fighter was conducting himself it seemed like the fight was over. He was only reacting to Godwin’s movement. Ever since he had pricked Godwin with the dagger his only moves had been defensive.

  “The question wasn’t rhetorical, Godwin. I’m asking you, what would you do if I could change the color of your eyes? What would you do if the curse that has plagued you your whole life simply disappeared?”

  Godwin was too beaten down both physically and mentally to resist the alluring pull of his thoughts. His parents. Selena. They were all alive. They were all waiting for him. He could go back. He could start over.

  Of course, it was ridiculous.

  “You expect me to believe you’re some kind of a god?” Godwin asked.

  “Of course not,” the masked fighter said. “Don’t be absurd. But the stars are no longer a matter for just the gods. Not anymore. Nobody better than you should know the possibilities that new magic presents. You’ve studied the arcane arts. You should know that no curse is unbreakable.”

  Godwin’s mouth was dry. He wobbled on his feet.

  “I know all about you, Godwin,” the masked fighter continued. He stepped nearer. “I know about your time in the Bloodwater Wars. I know about your service to the Shigata. I know about your friendship with Torin. Your complex relationship with Yaura and the other woman who waits for you.”

  Godwin wasn’t sure how he knew, but he was positive that the masked fighter was smiling behind his mask. “I know all of these things Godwin, and if you want me to, I will help you. I will return the power that you have lost. The power to be the author of your own destiny.”

  “You…you can’t,” Godwin said, breathlessly. “Nobody can do that.”

  “I can.” The black cloak and painted red symbols made the masked fighter look like a giant candlestick glowing in the darkness. “I can do all of that and so much more. You don’t even have to trust me. Trust in Torin. I was able to—”

  A blinding crash interrupted the masked fighter. A bulking figure had shot from the wilderness like a cannonball and slammed into the masked fighter’s stomach with a massive war hammer tipped with a thrygta.

  “Logun!” Godwin shouted, not sure whether to be relieved or horrified. “Is that you?”

  “I thought I heard you whimpering like a girl back here,” Logun said, smiling. The Shigata’s massive muscular arms were naked against the cold. The masked fighter fell to his knees and backtracked like a snake in the grass faster than Godwin would have believed possible.

  “Don’t forget what I’ve told you,” the masked fighter rasped as he made his retreat. “Seek me out, Godwin. I alone can save you. I will show you the way.”

  “I’ll crush your head into th
e dirt you eel!” Logun shouted as he started after the masked fighter.

  “No!” Godwin shouted, surprising even himself.

  Logun turned to him. His beady blue eyes were narrowed with suspicion. “No?”

  “I mean, it’s not worth it,” Godwin rasped. “He’s been previously injured and isn’t going to harm anyone else tonight. We need to get back to the castle. What the hell is going on?”

  “One thing at a time there, Godwin,” Logun said. Godwin was surprised to feel his Shigata brother embrace him in a massive hug. “It’s been how long? Two years? Three?”

  “We Shigata don’t keep track of time,” Godwin said. “It’s good to see you, Logun. What’s going on here?”

  Logun chuckled, a dark and grim sound. “More than I’ll be able to explain before some demon leaps out of the woods and tries to crush our heads in. Come on. We’ve got to get to Unduyo. I’ll explain on the way.”

  “Torin, just what the hell is going on?” Yaura asked.

  “A great deal,” Torin replied. His silver eyes shone in the darkness in a way that made Yaura uncomfortable. “I would not be overly concerned, Yaura. Let us see just what is waiting for us in the castle.”

  “Wouldn’t be overly concerned?” Yaura asked, horrified. “Torin, Unduyo is burning to the ground!”

  Torin glanced at the castle as if he had only just noticed it. “Oh, that? Nothing that can’t be repaired. Come, we need to get inside. Most of the fighting is over.”

  “Most of the fighting is over? What in the name of the gods is happening here? Who’s winning?”

  “We are, of course,” Torin said. He looked Yaura straight in the eyes. A strange feeling crept over her. She felt both cold and warm at the same time. And very sleepy. “Come now, there’s a chill and this can all be explained inside.”

  Yaura nodded. That made sense to her.

  “I…I suppose we’ll follow you then,” Robert said nervously.

  “Indeed,” Torin replied in a tone that suggested he was completely oblivious to the battle that raged around them. His thrygta bobbed happily on its chain like a bizarre third eye that had emerged from Torin’s neck.