fire
Book three of the 360 series
by Cheryl Twaddle
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Copyright 2018 Cheryl Twaddle
Also by Cheryl Twaddle
The 360
Wind
Blood
Fire
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Also By Cheryl Twaddle
Chapter 1 | Max and Howling Wolf
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 | Max and Howling Wolf
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8 | Max and Howling Wolf
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11 | Faelen
Chapter 12 | Gregorius
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16 | Max and Howling Wolf
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
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Chapter 1
Max and Howling Wolf
Max tried to open his eyes but the swelling would only allow a sliver of light through. He ran his tongue over his lips and tasted the blood that had dried and crusted over them. His mouth was so dry and the coppery taste of blood made his stomach want to wretch. The last thing he wanted to do right now was vomit, not when his ribs hurt so much. He was sure a couple of them were broken and the act of throwing up would cause a whole lot of unnecessary pain. His wrists were bound in front of him with rope that had started to rub through his skin. He curled his body up into a ball to try and keep himself warm, letting his mind float over the last image of Nicky he remembered. He saw her staring at him from beyond the portal's door, pleading with him to follow her.
He should have listened to her. He should have jumped through the portal instead of trying to take on so many men by himself. What was he thinking? Even if he and the colonel had managed to shoot five of them, they were still badly outnumbered. The colonel was smart enough to recognize their imminent defeat and jumped through the portal. Why wasn't he? There was no way he could fight them all by himself! He was being stupid, trying to be the hero. He knew he should have gone, he felt Barker pulling at his sleeve. But the portal closed and it was too late. He was alone. He had no choice but to surrender and let his fate lie in the hands of Howling Wolf.
Howling Wolf was a man who led by instilling fear into the hearts of his followers. He preached a religion full of gods that had strict rules to follow. Any act against the gods would be punished by death and, because Howling Wolf was the only one who talked to the gods, he was chosen to carry out the punishments. It was all a lie of course, but the men believed it. Falling down to this world left a person feeling lost and at the mercy of whoever they met. Howling Wolf took advantage of that and only chose those that were the weakest, the ones that would obey him without question. He kept them in line by performing ritualistic sacrifices on them or anyone they came across. Recruitment into the group was only allowed through Howling Wolf's approval and there was no room for women or children. Women would only be a distraction and children would only be hungry mouths to feed.
Whatever was done to him in the land above had turned his heart to stone; his only task now was to create a world where he ruled alone even if that meant killing everyone else no matter who they were. He proved that over and over again. He killed Emma Lee's entire community, men, women and children, he killed Billy and Kitten and mercilessly slaughtered Nicky's horse, Cocoa.
Max squeezed his eyes shut, feeling pain from the bruises that surrounded his eye sockets. One of Howling Wolf's men had punched him twice; once in the face and then in the stomach. The blow to the stomach made him crouch over in pain and the man kneed him in the face. He blacked out. When he regained consciousness, he tried to clear his vision and find Barker but the dog was gone. He must've gotten away, thought Max. If he had been captured, Howling Wolf would have sacrificed him for everyone to see; another chance to show his power. He breathed a sigh of relief; at least Nicky would have her dog back. He knew how important that was to her.
He looked at Howling Wolf and saw the anger in his eyes. When his friends had jumped through the portal and disappeared, a wave of confusion washed over the Blood Demons. They had never seen anything like it before; people just don't vanish into thin air. One minute they were there, the next they were all gone. Where did they go? How did they disappear just like that? Would they be back? All questions that the messenger of the gods should be able to easily answer, and yet, when they looked to Howling Wolf, he seemed to be just as confused as they were. Being confused was not something Howling Wolf liked to be, nor did he want his men to see his confusion. This was the reason Max was still alive. The pirate had to know where they went and Howling Wolf would force him to reveal that information to him but there was no way Max was going to do that.
"Get him to his feet," he ordered one of the men. "He can walk back to camp."
"Yes, sir," answered a man with dark skin and a shaved head.
"And someone mark this spot," he said, "I have a feeling we'll be coming back here and I don't want us to forget where it is."
The men started to look around for something to mark the spot but they were surrounded by empty fields, wet with the melting snow. The closest tree was hundreds of feet away and no one felt like making the long trek to break off branches for a makeshift marker. Their feet were already soaked, making them feel colder than they should be. Besides, why should they? It didn't look like their leader knew where the group went, so, why bother coming back? Why bother keeping Max alive? The people were gone and now they had all this land to themselves. Howling Wolf saw their hesitation and sensed their doubt in his leadership. He needed to put an end to their little mutiny as soon as possible.
"With what should we mark it with?" asked one of the men with a hint of sarcasm in his voice and a little too much defiance. Howling Wolf didn't answer, instead he reached up to rub his forehead, brushing the gun that was tucked into his waistband. Even through his swollen eyes, Max could see what was going to happen next. The men, however, were oblivious. Before the man could repeat the question, Howling Wolf had the gun in his hand. He let off two shots, killing two men, including the one who had asked the question.
"Well, now, there's a start," he smiled at the rest of them. "Add these men to the ones who've already fallen and anchor them to the ground so they don't get carried off by some hungry animal! I believe there is a tree over there that could be helpful. Be creative and don't ask me any more stupid questions!"
The men scrambled to the trees, afraid of upsetting their leader any further. Max stared at the dead men. Howling Wolf was mad, he thought, a kind of madness that could only be stopped by death. He had met men like this before while under the guidance of Captain Kidd. Kidd was a pirate and, from the age of ten, Max had sailed all over the globe watching him pillage and kill. The captain took whatever he wanted, with no sense of the pain he caused others. Kidd, like Howling Wolf, felt entitled. The world owed them and they would collect their debt however they wanted.
Max looked at Howling Wolf who was standing with his hands on his hips, chest puffed out, head held stiffly high and staring over the fields to the south; seeing what only he could see. It was the same way Captain Kidd would stand on the deck and stare out at the endless ocean. Yes, he thought, they were very much alike but Captain Kidd lived by a king's code. There were rules that a proper dictator must follow. Howling Wolf had no such code; in this
world, there was no king only a made up god that he had been ordained to represent and the only code he followed was to his own benefit. He owed no one, he cared for no one, he was loyal to no one. They could all die as far as he was concerned. That made him so much more dangerous than Captain Kidd had ever been.
On the ship, Max was Kidd's protégé; growing stronger every day. He learned to fight with the expertise of men twice his age. Kidd admired him for it and praised him daily. Thank the heavens that Howling Wolf didn't know about these skills, thought Max. If he did, he would only see it as a challenge to his leadership. That could prove to be very dangerous for Max. As much as it was against his nature, he would have to be weak and subservient. He had to make Howling Wolf believe that he wasn't a threat to him. Max lowered his eyes and stared at the ground, waiting to be taken to the Blood Demon's camp.
It felt like hours before they got there. Nicky was right; they had taken up residence at Marshal's but, instead of inhabiting the small house, they had set up tents in the small valley. He noticed a fire smouldering in a pit they had dug out. It only took a few minutes for the fire to be restored using the wood that Cornelius and Billy had chopped so meticulously. Again, Max thought of the lifeless body of the little boy lying in the snow. He looked over to the small house and then towards the little shelter they had built for the horse. Nicky had insisted they keep Cocoa warm through the winter. Max looked away. It was too painful to think of either of them; the horse being dead and Nicky probably lost to him forever. He had to focus his mind on something else.
He returned his gaze to the fire and noticed a stick jutting out of the ground like a spike. There was something on it. He narrowed his eyes so he could see it more clearly and felt his stomach turn. Could it be...but why? He stared at the stick again and knew he was right. Howling Wolf had impaled Cocoa's heart on the stick and left it by the fire, not cooking it but leaving it close enough to keep it warm. He looked to the Blood Demon leader and felt his body tense; Howling Wolf was staring at him. The warrior smiled and walked over to him.
"The heart of the enemy's horse is kept warm until the heart of the enemy can be reunited with it," Howling Wolf explained. "That way they can always be together, even in the afterlife."
"Is that what the gods told you?" Max tried not to sound so hateful but he was angry.
"It would be best not to question the gods," said Howling Wolf, recognising Max' sarcasm. "I am their messenger and it is I who they have chosen to enforce their laws."
"How convenient," Max muttered under his breath but loud enough for the warrior to hear him. Howling Wolf pulled out his knife and knelt in front of Max, pulling his head back by his hair so he could look him in the eyes.
"I will split you from pelvis to chin, peel you open and boil your blood if you mock me one more time." Max could feel the blade of the knife on his throat. "There is no one here that will save you."
"How did you know?" Max asked, showing no fear of the warrior's threat.
"Know what?" The leader looked confused.
"How did you know that the horse belonged to us?" asked Max. Howling Wolf smiled and stood up.
"The horse came to the aid of the fallen children," he explained and Max felt his heart sink. He had no idea Cocoa had found Billy and Kitten. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "One of my men saw her and we tried to capture her; one can always use an extra horse. But she had other plans and fled. That's when I knew her heart belonged to someone who lived close by; the people we shot at, your people, obviously. We tracked her and shot her with arrows, many arrows until she finally fell and I could take her heart." Max thought of Cocoa's body lying in the woods. He had not seen any arrows but it was dark and the Blood Demons could have easily removed them. He silently praised her strength.
"So, you have me," he said, hoping to convince Howling Wolf that he was the leader. "Why not kill me to unite our hearts?"
"Because you are not the leader," Howling Wolf smiled.
"Who else could lead a group?"
"You do possess an overflowing of pride in yourself," Howling Wolf laughed.
"All great leaders do," Max answered back. Howling Wolf fell silent and stared at his prisoner.
"You forget that I've been in your company before," the warrior smiled.
"I didn't forget," Max stared into Howling Wolf's eyes.
"I've seen your selfishness. I've seen the way you've let that destroy who you are. You could never gain the respect needed to be a leader," Howling Wolf said.
"I've changed since then," Max said. "I live my life more honestly now. I'm not the same drunkard you found naked in the sun."
"It is true, you do not smell of the poison drink anymore," acknowledged Howling Wolf. "But it would be harder for you to let go of the evil that lives in your veins. Your weakness for women will always push you away from the gods. If a woman ever touches your heart, she would be a fool. Your mind will always wander; it's in your blood," Howling Wolf said and then smiled as if reading Max's mind. "Or am I mistaken? You carry sadness in your eyes."
"I assure you," said Max, trying to deflect the attention away from any implied relationship he might have. "I could never be tamed by a woman."
"I saw the dog obeying the girl, pawing at her," Howling Wolf studied Max as he spoke. "Animals are loyal to the one who is in charge. I believe that the girl is your leader. Hers is the heart I want; I need."
"A girl?" Max felt his body shake and prayed it went unnoticed. He had to do something to keep Nicky safe. Howling Wolf would be ruthless in his pursuit of her, especially if he believed it would put Max through hell. "What group would allow themselves to be led by a girl?"
"I am not stupid, Max," he said. "The girl is the leader and you are hers. I can see it in your eyes and I can hear it in your voice as you try to protect her."
"And the dog?" Max wanted to steer the conversation away from revealing any further feelings he had towards Nicky. Besides Howling Wolf was wrong; there was no leader amongst his friends. They all had equal say in how they lived. No one was more important than anyone else. Even Billy and Kitten were regarded as equals. "What's become of him?"
"The grasses are tall in this country despite the snows of the season," Howling Wolf said. "A creature as small as that can easily disappear into the fields. It is not so easy for a person." Max had been right; Barker had gotten away.
"No, I suppose not," Max tried not to show any sign of relief that Barker had gotten away.
"It is more difficult for a person to flee through the fields unseen and, yet," Howling Wolf stared into the distance and then turned his gaze back on Max, "your group did just that. Tell me, how do six people disappear into the sky without leaving something behind? There were no tracks, not one blade of grass was bent. There was nothing to show the path they took. It is curious don't you think?"
"Hey, they left me behind too," Max said, trying to sound convincing. If Howling Wolf believed that he, too, was abandoned with no explanation, maybe he could form some sort of trust between them. He knew the torture he would have to endure to keep the portal a secret. He knew he could survive it for Nicky, but, still, he'd rather skip it if he could. "I'm just as confused as you are."
"Are you?" Howling Wolf stared at him, trying to see deceit in his eyes.
"Yeah!" Max looked at the ground and shook his head back and forth. "One minute we were running from you, firing off the occasional shot to keep you at bay. Then, poof, they were gone! I was alone. I didn't even see where they went. Did you?"
"No," said Howling Wolf, "but you did kill some of my men."
"Well," Max said, knowing he would be punished for this, "I was defending myself and my friends. You were going to kill us were you not?"
"Perhaps," Howling Wolf nodded and Max realized he had been pardoned for killing the men. They were casualties of war; Howling Wolf understood that. "And your friends?"
"Like I said," Max gazed up at the warrior, hoping his face held the innocence he was tryin
g to convey, "I had my back turned. The colonel was beside me firing and then he was gone. I thought he had been shot but his body was nowhere on the ground beside me. That's when the dog grabbed my arm and started pulling me. I knew he wanted me to run but I didn't see the point. There were too many of you and you were all on horseback. How could we ever outrun you? I knew we had to make our stand but when I looked back to the others, they were gone! All of them had just...just disappeared! I don't know how or why; they were just gone! They left me! Left me to face you and your Blood Demons alone. Now, I'm here and wondering why you haven't killed me, yet."
"I will not kill you Max," Howling Wolf stated. He motioned to a couple of his men who came over and pulled Max to his feet. He was face to face with his captor. "But you're going to wish I had."
Chapter 2
"We have to go!" Robert shouted in my ear.
"But they're still out there!" I said. "I can't just leave them!"
"There's nothing we can do about it right now," he pleaded with me. "We have to go, now!"
"I have to try!" I cried.
"We'll come back for them," he said. "I promise."
"But it's not right! This isn't the world I came from! It isn't my home," I pleaded, looking at the rubble around me. "It's a mistake; I don't recognize anything. If we leave, I don't know if I'll find the door again! Oh, god, I don't know where we are!"
"Don't worry, it won't be hard to find our way back here," Robert reasoned, trying to calm me down. He had his hands on my shoulders and was trying to hold me steady while turning his head to cough into his arm. "We'll come back here. Look, the building behind you is red, bright red. Even if it crumbles, we should be able to see the red bricks. Just make a note of everything around us and we'll be able to make our way back here again but, right now, we have to go. It's hard to breathe with all the smoke in the air. We have to find somewhere safe, away from the gunfire."
I looked around, trying to memorize everything. I still didn't want to leave. Maybe I could force my way through the portal. Maybe I threw the rocks too high; if I aimed them a little lower maybe...I reached into my pocket for another rock that we had taken from the colonel's mine. It was empty. I looked at the ground to find the ones I had already thrown. There were dozens of rocks scattered all around me. Mine were all mixed up with the rest. I would never find the right one. Maybe if I just picked up all of them and threw...BAM!! What sounded like a bomb went off and I had to cover my ears to try to block the noise. That was close, I thought, still hearing the echo of the blast. Robert was right, it wasn't safe to be here.
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