Salt of The Earth: The Fall of Barcelona

by Vlada Asta

  Ulmanas’s steps were echoed by the empty street. The night was warm and quiet, and that made him feel like he was being watched, his movement too loud not to attract attention. With nobody else here, he was the only one a Hente could attack.

  But that was why the squads were sent here.

  He was getting ready to detect a predator, but saw humans instead. When he turned around the corner, he noticed two women walking ahead of him.

  He didn’t let their long dresses fool him. Decent women wouldn’t choose this time for a walk – even unmarried ones, even with rebel spirit in them… There were rules they didn’t dare to break. At least one man was to accompany them at night, it was a matter of safety.

  But since these two were the only ones on the street, they most likely couldn’t find a man not ashamed to walk beside them. They were staying well past the curfew, their last client must’ve thrown them out without letting the women stay in his house till the morning.

  Ulmanas had already met the ladies of that profession during his previous patrols, he knew why they were here. Seeing them again made him feel nothing but annoyance.

  “Hey you!” he called. “Get out of the street immediately! You may sleep in a public shelter if you have no home. Being here at night is against the law!”

  His voice made the women stop, but they didn’t answer. The minutes were passing by, and they just stood there without even turning around. Ulmanas found it too creepy to tolerate.

  “Have you heard me? Leave the street!”

  After his last phrase they turned to him slowly. Even the dim light was enough to see their solid black eyes.

  He literally had one second to react. These creatures were fast, much faster than humans. They jumped at him like two angry cats: jaws snapped inches from his face, claws moved dangerously close. But their bodies didn’t change, which meant it was their true form.

  That changed nothing for Ulmanas. It didn’t matter that they were slim and not too tall. These freaks were still amazingly quick, agile and strong. He had no idea how he was avoiding their blows; his sword blocked their movements but didn’t harm them. They retreated for a moment – only to attack again. Ulmanas knew that if he tried to reach for a throwing knife or a walkie-talkie, he’d give them an opening they needed to finish him off.

  He could rely only on his power. And it wasn’t that great! The fact he was the best during the training meant less here than Ulmanas would’ve preferred. He had never faced a Hente in a battle, let alone two of them!

  They were furious and completely unafraid – either they knew their opponent was weak or they simply couldn’t feel any fear. They started this fight to kill him, that was why they were on the street.

  He realized he wasn’t going to last long against them. His battle talent wasn’t as great as Sebastian’s, and he needed a plan in order to survive. But it wasn’t too easy to come up with a strategy when two monsters tried to tear a piece of his flesh every moment, drink his blood, get to his vital organs… The very thought of it trapped his brain in panic.

  Ulmanas could only hope someone would come to his rescue, though the chances for this weren’t too high. He felt like an eternity had passed since the beginning of this battle, and there was still no-one on the street. He had missed a couple of light slashes, and now fresh cuts were bleeding, but they weren’t going to end his life. He was waiting for an attack that would change the course of this battle…

  One of the Hente distracted him, acting as if she was getting ready to jump at the sword. The other used that moment, slid under the blade and kicked him in the stomach. The attack itself wasn’t dangerous – but it was powerful. His ribs cracked under such force, and he was thrown back until he hit the nearest wall. The window by which he fell didn’t open; the inhabitants of this house didn’t hear anything, or they were too scared to check.

  Ulmanas was glad they didn’t come out. He knew he was going to die, and he didn’t want to drag anyone else into the grave. He was too weak after all, and he was to pay for that…

  He couldn’t get up, not enough strength for that left in his bleeding body. The world in front of his eyes was blurry, he could pass out any moment now.

  The Hente understood that, they weren’t using their inhuman speed anymore. They were approaching him slowly, ready to enjoy their late meal. He hoped he would lose consciousness before they reached him, he didn’t want to feel anything… A moment before darkness finally took him, he heard rhythmic knocking.

  He didn’t expect to wake up – but he did. He was still lying by the wall where the Hente had left him. He could hear the screaming of his comrades running to him from the other side of the street.

  But the women were gone. The only thing that reminded of them were two pairs of identical black jaws surrounded by ashes. Not a drop of salt water was left on the pavement.

  The warriors of the Church had only just found him. The police wouldn’t walk away after killing two Hente – they’d make sure everybody knew about their success! Aeterni was not in the city. And nobody else had the power to kill two predators so easily!

  But someone did. And Ulmanas had no idea if it was a savior or a new threat to the city.

  ***

  Aeterni didn’t feel angry with humans at all. She studied them long enough to know their current motives. She didn’t care that one family had the power to influence her presence in the city. Her thoughts were concentrated on one thing only, she ignored everything else.

  But Sebastian took her silence for wrath. When they were left alone in the car, he said:

  “It’s not going to be like this forever. The Laas do what they want, but I don’t think Lord Cardinal is going to accept it. We’ll complete this mission and you’ll return to the city.”

  “I know.”

  “Then why are you upset?”

  “I’m not upset, I’m surprised,” Aeterni explained. “Those are different feelings.”

  “Okay, what are you surprised with?”

  “When we were in the house of Robert Laas… Remember I told you I could feel Hente there?”

  “Yes, and I thought you made a mistake,” Sebastian nodded. “I mean, what kind of psycho would keep those freaks in his own home?”

  “They were experiment subjects, so it was logical, and I’m not talking about that.”

  “Then what are you talking about?”

  “When I killed those Hente, I expected the feeling of their presence to go away – but it didn’t.”

  Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her, clearly waiting for some continuation to follow, but Aeterni had nothing else to say.

  “Maybe one of the servants was a Hente in disguise?” he suggested. “But then we need to go back, because Laas is in danger!”

  “You think you’re so smart? If it was that simple, I wouldn’t be bothered by this. But all humans we met that evening were really humans. I don’t know what to make of it… There was a feeling of Hente, but it was very light, with no clear source to it.”

  “Is that why the Laas family wanted you out of the city?”

  “I don’t know. But we’ll need to take care of it when we return to Barcelona.”

  “Agreed.”

  And right now they had to complete their mission. The group of Hente that broke through the border had already made a couple of attacks on civilians and still remained undetected. It wasn’t too hard, because there areas between the cities were not under surveillance most of the time.

  Aeterni didn’t treat this mission lightly. She remembered that Goar and Tsiara were pretty determined to get this territory. She could feel a certain degree of despair in their strategy, which she didn’t fully understand. Sure, the wild lands had less food with each day. But the Clans were far from starvation, and that made the rush ever weirder.

  There had to be something else… Or maybe she was simply imagining things, she considered that option too.

  “We’re almost there,” Sebastian warned her.

  She c
ould see small white cottages ahead. It was more of a village than a town, though it was probably bigger in the past. Now half of the buildings stood empty, and the other half was inhabited only by the brave few who tried to earn more money on providing goods and services to the travelers. This place was the only spot of stability between Toulouse and the protected city of Andorra la Vella.

  People normally didn’t live here. They came to this village for a year or two to get some money, and then they were off. No wealth could compensate their constant nervousness and poor amount of salt water they could store. Besides, that was the place most Hente tried to reach after breaking through the border. Many attacks had been registered through the last years, but none of them were serious.

  Even now the situation wasn’t crucial. The surveillance cameras caught a group of three large Hente lurking around here, and it didn’t look like they were planning to leave.

  Aeterni was confused by this. They lived here without showing any interest in humans! But if they learned to feed on animals, why would they stay by the village? Why break to the peninsula to begin with? No, they were too smart for that.

  It looked like they had planned something. They had to know that appearing beside a village would bring the attention of warriors to them. That had to be a trap! But that didn’t scare Aeterni, it only added a certain thrill to the whole situation. She knew she’d be able to defeat them.

  She’d complete that mission even if she was sent here with just Sebastian. Being part of a bigger squad turned into a problem for two major reasons. First of all, she was surrounded by heavily armed men who didn’t trust her. There was no telling how they’d behave once the battle started! Second, the squad was controlled by Brother Lukas, who hated her from day one. And she had to obey him! The humans were nuts to send her on such an assignment!

  So far Lukas remained all professional about it. He was glaring at her occasionally, but he kept his mouth shut, and that was enough for Aeterni.

  The cars moved through the village and stopped on a parking lot designed for traveling vehicles. It was empty: the news about the group of Hente scared everyone away.

  Aeterni noticed that the village was maintained in perfect condition. Even the abandoned houses had fresh white paint on them, their window shutters and doors in blue or red colors, and that gave the streets the impression of carelessness. Almost every house had a tiny garden in front of it.

  “That takes a lot of time,” Aeterni nodded at the flowers. “Who’s doing that?”

  “Don’t underestimate the number of local population,” Sebastian told her. “There are more than four hundred people living in that town now.”

  “I thought it was a village…”

  “It’s not the word, it’s the meaning that should concern you. Of these four hundred, the majority are young people capable of physical labor. They come here to work, not enjoy their life. Men mostly work with traveling services: they keep inns, fix cars, deliver goods. Women take care of the town, making it look attractive. It’s important that travelers choose this route – though it’s not the shortest one, and the only good thing about it is this town. But if we don’t get rid of the Hente, it’ll all be over soon.”

  “So much fuzz over three little Hente,” Aeterni grumbled. “How are you still alive, humans?”

  She couldn’t see even half of the population Sebastian had mentioned at this point. Most windows were blocked with shutters, and if people dared to look outside, they hid quickly. Only a few stores were open, and their owners looked like they were about to faint.

  They weren’t happy about the warriors’ arrival. It wasn’t the first squad trying to capture that pack. The previous ones returned to Barcelona with no casualties – and no results. People stopped believing them.

  The pack that hid from warriors instead of attacking them… Another reason for concern.

  “Stay close to me,” Lukas ordered. “Right behind my back.”

  He talked to them emotionlessly, trying not to look at Aeterni. But the Hente was able to feel the rage coming from him. He probably didn’t hate her in particular – she was just the embodiment of some image he had been taught to despise since childhood.

  She wasn’t offended. She though it was ridiculous.

  The whole squad moved into a hotel – to leave their luggage and choose a place for rest. Their hunt was to last a week, that was the plan suggested by the Church. Aeterni doubted it would take more than a day.

  That was why she didn’t enter the building. There was something cozy about this town and the warm wind blowing here… She lifted her face to the sky and smiled.

  “You’re finally relaxed,” Sebastian commented. “And I’ve started to suspect you were planning your revenge against Laas!”

  “He’s not worth my revenge. It’s just… I like it here, and I relax when I can. But now is not the best time for it.”

  “Why?”

  “Goar spoke to my Mother,” Aeterni answered. “They don’t like me helping you.”

  “As if they’d be glad if you ate them in some other place…”

  “It’s different – it’s a matter of territory. They’ve made their final warning, and since I didn’t listen, they’ll have to take action.”

  “Are you afraid of them?”

  “I’m afraid for you. They know they won’t defeat me with a simple attack, so they have to prepare something colossal.”

  She expected Sebastian to be worried, but he only shrugged.

  “That’s the point of our deal, isn’t it? You protect the city, we cover your back when other Hente are trying to kill you.”

  “You may die in such battle, I won’t be able to protect you all the time!”

  “You don’t have to. We’ve been fighting them long before you came here! It’s not only about you, Aeterni. Your enemy is our enemy, and we’re personally interested in winning.”

  He was telling the correct things approved by the Church, and still there was something else in his eyes – something greater than a warrior’s duty. At least that was what Aeterni wanted to believe.

  They didn’t have to wait for too long: the squad left the hotel in about ten minutes. All warriors were fully armed, the road wasn’t long, and they didn’t need to rest right now.

  “Let’s check the southern limit,” Lucas commanded. “That’s where they’ve been seen for the last time. I don’t think we’ll fight them today. According to the data we have, those creatures are quite cowardly.”

  “Hente can’t be cowardly or brave,” Aeterni interrupted. “They can’t be different at all. They are one personality spread through multiple bodies, their independence is conditional.”

  “…We’ll find suitable locations for the night traps,” Lucas continued, as if she didn’t say anything at all. “Let’s go!”

  She knew he’d ignore her. Aeterni understood there was no sense in pointing such mistakes out to him. It wasn’t about stupidity – Lukas was actually a good warrior. He just chose his attitude, and he was going to be stubborn about it.

  Sebastian understood him too. They hadn’t talked since the beginning of the mission, and it was the only protest available to Lukas without breaking the military discipline.

  “Do you think they’ll attack?” Sebastian whispered into the Hente’s ear.

  “We’re about to find out. Actually, it’s going to mean a lot. If they don’t attack, trying to hide instead, Tsiara must be using them for gathering data here, there’s no battle value to them. But if they attack me immediately, their previous appearances were nothing but a trap meant to lure me here. There are no other options.”

  “Why are you so sure?”

  “Because no matter what humans think, Hente don’t commit useless acts.”

  He didn’t change his behavior and didn’t try to prove to the other warriors they should be more careful. He knew they wouldn’t believe him. Sebastian kept his hand on his sword instead.

  Two rows of houses at the town border
were left empty. They were used as an improvised wall against Hente attacks. These buildings were also painted and repaired, and they had their own gardens, but people were too afraid to live here.

  Outside the town there was a new wide road stretching out through meadows and disappearing into low woods with young trees and emerald green bushes. The fields were empty, and the day seemed entirely peaceful. This perfect scenery didn’t have a shadow of menace in it, and the warriors relaxed.

  But not Aeterni. She could feel there was only one life form in the wood ahead of them. Nothing else was left there: no animals, or birds, or even insects. Some of them were eaten during these weeks, while others chose to flee.

  “They’ll do it, won’t they?” Sebastian asked loudly.

  “Absolutely,” Aeterni replied. “As soon as we’re close enough.”

  Lucas turned to them, disgust clear on his face. Aeterni didn’t care about his attitude, she felt the change to the other warriors’ heartbeat. They took her warning seriously, that was all she had to know.

  Her prediction was alarmingly correct. As soon as they were close to the wood, the Hente attacked them. There weren’t three of the creatures, but four – two on each side of the road. That didn’t make any difference. Even if Aeterni wasn’t around, a squad of this size would cope with them.

  However, it was as if the Hente didn’t see the humans at all. They were looking only at Aeterni, trying to grab her. That made them an easy target for the warriors.

  During the initial attack Aeterni jumped back, giving Sebastian a chance to cut the predator with the sword. She moved forward, fast enough to hit another Hente. She had already figured where its life core was, and the rest was a matter of speed – it took her one moment to get her reward.

  A throwing knife flew beside her, sinking into the ground by her feet.

  “Watch it!” she exclaimed. “If I throw this thing back, you won’t have the time to feel sorry!”

  Nobody answered, but she saw one of the warriors pull back. He was too spineless for an open attack, so it was just a mistake.