Angst Box Set 1

by David Pedersen

  “You don’t understand. It’s as though magic...found a way out after being ignored for so long. Angst uses magic the old way, as a means to an end. Tarness, and you, seem to be imbued with magic.”

  “I get that a lot too,” Hector replied snappily, waggling his dark eyebrows and taking a bite of dried meat.

  Aerella rolled her eyes. “This doesn’t worry you?”

  “Can I change it?” Hector asked.

  “Not in any way I’m aware of.” Aerella avoided eye contact and brushed her long hair from her shoulders.

  “Then what good does worry do me? Not to mention, I like who I am, and what I can do.” Hector grinned at her mischievously while raising both eyebrows. He looked at Angst. “You okay, old man?”

  The song in his head was becoming louder, with blaring notes, most off-key. Angst dropped to one knee and covered his ears to focus. The song was jarring, but he needed more. Angst looked at Chryslaenor and said aloud, “What do you want?”

  “What is it, Angst?” Dallow asked.

  “Something’s wrong...Hector,” Angst said, making a circling motion with his finger to indicate the area around them.

  Hector sprinted toward a nearby tree and scurried up before Aerella could even stand, and she shook her head in amazement. Angst remained still, concentrating to quiet Chryslaenor.

  “If you’d allow the bonding, you would understand what it’s trying to tell you.” Aerella gently rested her hand on his shoulder. “It’s only trying to communicate, and you can’t speak the same language without becoming Al’eyrn.”

  “Thanks, but Chryslaenor and I are only dating...just friends with benefits, nothing serious,” Angst replied, attempting to ward off any further discussion.

  Hector dropped down from the tree to land nearby. “Trouble,” he said, pointing at a large flock of birds flying toward them.

  “What’s the matter, Hector, afraid of a little bird crap?” Tarness asked dryly.

  The black cloudy mass was only minutes away. Little black dots seemed to ebb and flow like the tide. En masse, the shadow lifted up and then down, a beautiful display of organized chaos, like any group of small migratory birds.

  “Everyone get close, now!” Aerella yelled. It seemed to take forever as they waited for Rose to carry Scar off the rock. “Angst, watch what I do very carefully, because when I can’t sustain it, you’re going to have to.”

  He didn’t understand, but nodded. Aerella leaned forward and grabbed at the air, as though catching a feather, and held it tight. She waved her other hand in complex patterns above her fist. When she stopped moving and opened her hand, a small clear ball hovered over it. The ball quickly grew to surround them in a semi-transparent dome.

  The flock was on them just as Aerella finished her spell. At first it sounded like the gentle patter of spring rain. One hit the dome with a pat then another with a tick, followed quickly by a couple of thuds. Within moments, the storm arrived. The flock darkened the skies as the birds dove straight at them, moving too fast to see what kind they were. Even the ones that apparently died on impact were quickly pushed aside by the constant barrage.

  Sweat beaded Aerella’s forehead. “Angst, you’d better start now because I can’t hold out much longer.”

  “Start? Start what,” Angst yelled over the storm of birds and Scar’s barking. “You waved your arms around and then those things were bouncing off air.”

  “Weren’t you watching?” Her eyes opened wide. She looked angry and tired.

  “Watching you do something that apparently hasn’t been attempted in two thousand years. Sure, let me get right on that!” Angst snapped in a panic.

  “Angst,” she was gasping for air, “we don’t have time for this. I can’t...” The dome shimmered, and a deep crack crawled from the top to spider web around the sides. “Hurry!”

  “Aaaargh,” Angst yelled in frustration then pulled Chryslaenor from his back and jammed the point deep into the ground. The ground shook violently, someone screamed, and Scar yelped and barked. Just as Aerella collapsed from exhaustion, they were engulfed in darkness. The storm instantly quieted, and they could hear only a muffled patter that sounded far away. The air around them quickly became stuffy and thick.

  “Oh, right. Air,” Angst stated matter-of-factly.

  Several small holes appeared near the ground opposite the onslaught of birds. The light was barely enough to illuminate the interior of their solid dome shield. Angst pulled the sword from the ground and looked at his handiwork. “Heh, I made a dome too.”

  “Angst, what is this made from?” asked Tarness, tapping the interior with his knuckle.

  “There’s ore in this hill, so I pulled it up through the ground. I didn’t understand how to make the dome out of air, but I can do about anything with rock and mineral, so here we are.” He smiled, nonchalantly resting one hand against the thick barrier.

  “How did you know the ore was there?” asked Aerella, barely visible in the darkness. She was breathing very heavily and sounded as though she were still resting on the ground.

  “I knew as we approached. I always know. That’s my...uh, that’s part of my thing.”

  “Magic has changed,” Aerella said, letting out a deep sigh. “This really is amazing. What kind of metal is it?” she asked, indicating their covering shelter.

  “More importantly, how can we get out? I hate small places,” Rose said from the middle of the group.

  “It’s not like you take up much space,” Tarness quipped.

  Aerella conjured a ball of light, which hovered near her on the ground. They could all see that the dome had been mostly formed from gold.

  “Wow... So, why are you working?” asked Dallow.

  “I wish it were always this simple to find gold,” Angst said, patting the dome. “I can’t choose what kind of ore is in the ground.”

  “Is it done yet? Are they gone?” Rose asked. “I don’t hear anything outside.”

  The constant patter of attack had finally stopped. Chryslaenor’s song had been a sort of warning, so Angst concentrated, a little, to see if the song was still angry. He was rewarded with a barrage of musical excitement as the sword reacted to his attentions. It was several moments before it calmed again. None of the music made sense, but it was different enough that he felt confident the attack was over. Angst focused again, creating a door-sized opening in the dome.

  The sun was bright, and the cool air was refreshing despite the wind. Rose tried to push past everyone, but Hector blocked her passage. She seemed angry, and Hector shot her a warning look. “Rose, I’m not playing. Just wait while we make sure you aren’t going to get eaten or something.”

  She waited impatiently, hugging Angst’s cloak tightly about her.

  Angst nodded at Hector and Tarness, and the three of them stepped out with their weapons at the ready. They moved carefully around the dome to find their attackers lumped in an unmoving pile.

  Angst gently poked at one with his sword so they could get a better look. A black disc rolled away from the pile, circled on its edge like a dropped coin, before coming to a wobbly stop.

  “I thought they were birds!” Hector exclaimed.

  Angst flipped it over then over again with his sword. “It has no mouth that I can see, no eyes. I think we were just attacked by giant game pieces.”

  “Ha! What exactly were we afraid of?” Hector walked to the black disc and nudged it with his foot as one might do to see if something were truly dead. The front of his boot sank into the disc, and color immediately washed from his face. When he pulled back, every bit of his foot that had entered the disc was gone, including the front of his boot and part of his big toe. Hector didn’t scream, though his foot was now gushing blood, but he immediately sat on the ground.

  “Hector, wait!” Tarness yelled, rushing to catch his friend.

  This time Hector let out a wail as he inadvertently sat on another disc. Tarness and Angst rushed to his side to lift him off the ground. Hector was n
ow bleeding heavily from both his foot and his rear. Angst quickly scanned the area and found a clear spot where they laid Hector gently on his chest.

  “Rose, I need you!” Angst yelled.

  Rose came out, followed by Aerella and Dallow. “What now?” she asked testily and then paused to stare at Hector. “What did that? That’s disgusting!”

  “Stay away from the hole...things, those black discs, and get over here,” Angst yelled.

  She tiptoed past the pile, still staring at Hector. It was as though someone had carved a perfect circle out of his rear, leaving behind a pool of blood. His wounds were bleeding freely, and he grimaced in obvious pain.

  Angst grabbed her shoulders to get her attention. “Rose, he’s losing a lot of blood! He’s going to die.”

  “Angst? Angst, I don’t know if I can...” Rose was obviously petrified and began stepping back.

  “No, it’s too much!” Dallow interjected.

  “You have to! Please!” Angst pleaded, grabbing her arm to stay her retreat.

  “This is going to hurt a lot,” Rose said, dropping to her knees. She closed her eyes and gripped Hector’s bare arm with both hands. Rose screamed in pain, and her leather breeches and boot were instantly drenched in her own blood.

  They all watched in amazement as Hector’s toe grew back and the hole in his rear closed. His bleeding stopped, muscles knit together, and skin formed over the injuries.

  Dallow pried Rose’s hands from Hector’s arm as the scar on his chin began to fade and appear on her face. “Rose, that’s enough. You saved him.” He held her close as she sobbed through the pain. It was several minutes before anyone spoke. Rose whimpered, but it was apparent that much of her own healing was already taking place.

  Hector rolled over to look up at her. “Rose, I didn’t know you could... I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

  She gave a little nod and buried herself in Dallow’s arm once more.

  Angst paced, feeling absolutely helpless. He looked at Aerella, who was shaking her head in wonder. “I’ve never seen healing like that—”

  “Would you stop it?” Angst snapped loudly, making everyone jump. “Quit being amazed with us like we should be studied. Quit analyzing us. We don’t need any more of you acting surprised. We need help. I don’t care if magic is an element, or if it’s some crazed beast that needs to be beaten down. We need to understand how to keep this from happening again.”

  He stepped over to one of the holes and plunged Chryslaenor deep into its black center. It melted into orange and black smoke, leaving no other trace of its existence behind. Angst sighed deeply, wearily, as he realized that the hundreds of discs lying about would probably have to be removed the same way. The work just never seemed to end, no matter where he was.

  He peered over his shoulder at everyone. “This is going to take hours. Hector and Tarness, check the road and surrounding area for anything else odd. Aerella, please help Dallow tend to Rose.” He turned around and got to work, because that was what he did.

  39

  “I think this counts as odd,” Hector said, looking down at the disfigured woman sprawled unceremoniously across a deep rut in the road. She was lying on her stomach, a long cat-like tail poking through her mane of red hair. Hector reached forward with his foot to nudge the purple body when Tarness stopped him.

  “Maybe best not to put Rose through that again,” he said in warning. Tarness unsheathed his sword and used it to press against an arm.

  “Good idea,” Hector replied thankfully. Noticing that the sword hadn’t disappeared, or been eaten, Hector crouched down next to the woman and lifted the tail. It was stiff with death. “I’d say she’s been dead for a day. Looks like another victim of the Vex’kvette.”

  “I don’t think so,” Tarness argued as he removed his helmet and rubbed his dark bristly hair in thought.

  “What do you mean?” Hector asked, letting the tail drop. “She’s obviously not human. Not anymore, anyway.”

  “I’ve seen the animals that survive the Vex’kvette,” Tarness said. His thick brow furrowed as he studied the body. “They either come out a mess, or they don’t come out.”

  “She certainly doesn’t look normal.” Hector said.

  “The monsters we've seen come out of the Vex'kvette usually change into something scary, like two animals mashed together. They also don’t have genders.” Tarness knelt to get a closer look at the body without touching anything. “This woman was changed into something perverted, but not scary. And she is definitely, well, a she. It's like the Vex'kvette tried changing her into something and she died while it happened.”

  “Would you get the others?” Hector asked, feeling both frustrated and confused. “I’d like to see if I can find anyone else this may have happened to.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Tarness replaced his helm and called forth his obsidian stallion.

  When everyone arrived thirty minutes later, Aerella immediately dismounted her white tiger to examine the purple woman. She rolled the woman onto her back and muttered spells in Acratic while waving her hands over the length of the body. When Dallow approached, she spoke more slowly so he could follow, but didn’t stop. Silver glimmering dust hung in the air where her hand had been.

  Rose limped over to join the group, carefully stepping down into the deep rut where everyone stood. She looked shaky and paler than usual.

  “Uh, thanks Rose,” Hector whispered. He reached up to the scar on his chin and then teased, “I’m still not sure why you would want to try and remove my handsome scar though.”

  “Do you want another one?” she asked with a weak smirk.

  Aerella continued casting her spell. She withdrew a small dagger from her side and used it to puncture the woman’s chest. The glimmering dust spiraled and collected, becoming a sparkling whirlpool that poured into the hole Aerella had made. The purple woman sat up abruptly, and everyone jerked out their weapons. She stared straight ahead with large golden eyes. Aerella held out a hand to signal that weapons weren’t necessary.

  “Our new Takarn has shown his face,” said the purple woman. Her voice was hollow and distant. “He made me his, but I was not strong enough.”

  “What happened to you?” Aerella asked with concern.

  “I was walking home when I found Takarn. We’ve been lost for so long, and now he has come. I began to worship him when he gave me this.” She opened her arms and looked down at her body.

  “This is bad,” Tarness said under his breath.

  The woman began to lie down once more.

  “Who is he? Who did this to you?” Angst asked the woman. When she didn’t respond, he looked up at Aerella. “Can’t you make her tell us more?”

  “Angst, I’m sorry. There’s nothing else I can do,” Aerella apologized, watching the woman return to her prone position.

  Angst held the brightly-glowing Chryslaenor over the body. Bones cracked as he shoved the blade into the purple woman’s chest in the spot Aerella had with her dagger only moments before. “Who did this to you?”

  Her eyes opened wide, and she screamed, “Takarn comes for you, Angst!” Her body shuddered one last time before dissolving into dark orange and black smoke.

  “That, uh, well, that’s not really what I expected,” Angst said as he wiped Chryslaenor clean on nearby grass.

  “You aren’t supposed to desecrate bodies like that, Angst. It isn’t right,” Aerella whispered, obviously horrified.

  Angst wanted to snap at her but took a moment to calm himself with a very deep breath. “Thank you for the help, Aerella, but we needed to know more. At least she wasn’t left like that.”

  “You were right,” Hector said to Tarness. “It wasn’t the Vex’kvette.”

  “Oh, I would’ve been okay to be wrong about that,” Tarness replied.

  Dallow, looking suddenly panic-stricken, backed away from the body as he moved his hands in a large circle. He pointed at the ground around them, outlining the rut in which they stood.
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  “Dallow, what is it?” Angst asked.

  “I thought we’d been standing in wheel ruts this entire time,” Dallow said, stepping out of the four-inch deep groove. “These aren’t ruts. They’re footprints.”

  Their swifen trotted along the highway, following the five-foot-wide prints that lead to the capital of Fulk’han. The deep grooves in the road were shaped like a cloverleaf without the stalk, as though three giant horse hooves had been bound together and stamped into the ground every ten feet.

  Hector and Tarness rode in front to keep watch, discussing what creature could leave such prints and how large it must be. Rose once again rode with Dallow. She rested against his back, flushed with exhaustion.

  “It’s too bad you can’t take some of our health instead of taking our injuries. I know everyone would share,” Dallow said, sounding apologetic.

  “That’s sweet, Dallow, but it doesn’t work that way. I can’t even control it,” Rose replied with a sigh.

  Angst rode in the back with Aerella, his swifen banging and creaking loudly. He watched his friends while petting Scar, who rested awkwardly on his lap. The dog’s breaths were quick and shallow, and every so often, he let out a whimper. Angst had tried to will Scar back to full health, but without success. The Vex’kvette was too close and too overwhelming for the small pup.

  Every few minutes, Aerella attempted to say something, but he cut her off.

  “It’s not going to happen, so forget it,” Angst snapped before she could complete a thought.

  “I don’t think you realize what we’re facing,” Aerella pleaded, her airy voice filled with concern.

  “I don’t think any of us realize, including you. How can we? I’m so frightened for my friends, I could vomit,” Angst said quietly as he gripped his shuddering stomach through the cool chainmail. “The last thing I want is even more magic in my life. I’m not bonding.”

  “I think we’re facing Magic. I think it’s the element come to life, and I don’t think you—”