by Steve McHugh
"That's the plan," I said.
"And to do this you plan on using your... magic." The word stuck in his throat; he'd seen the aftermath of my battle and how quickly I'd healed from my wounds, but he was having difficulty believing what Chief Blacktail had accepted so readily.
"Magic isn't a dirty word," I pointed out.
"I know, but it's just... I was raised to believe in certain things, that there's logic to the world. My father was a scientist and my mother his assistant. The possibility of magic flies in the face of that. The idea of men walking around with the power of a... a god, it's a foreign concept."
"I'm not a god, far from it."
"You can create fire and air from your body, what would you call it? I understand that you're a sorcerer, I really do, but it's hard to accept."
"You need to trust that I can do this," I said. "And you all need to be aware of the dangers. Sky spent time describing what both the ghouls and the barren were, and how best to deal with them. I need you to relay that information to your men."
"All-out attack," Chief Blacktail summed up.
"But be careful, these things will kill you quickly. They're not an opponent to underestimate."
"I will talk to my men," Chief Blacktail said and stood up, before leaving the building. We've purposely decided to sit next to the entrance so we could watch both the tribesmen and soldiers getting ready. I watched through the window as he walked across the yard outside, stopping occasionally to talk to his warriors.
"Some of my men are unhappy at fighting alongside Indians. No matter how dire the circumstances."
"Ask them if they'd be happier dead."
Sergeant Roberts sighed. "Distrust is hard to overcome when it's ingrained."
I looked through the window as Chief Blacktail's son walked past a group of army soldiers, snarling at them as they turned to glance his way.
"On both sides," I added.
"I'll talk to him," Sky said. "Or break his skull, depending on how he reacts to me." She made her way across the yard and slapped the Chief's son on the back of the head.
"She was concerned about you," Sergeant Roberts said, as I returned my attention to the maps on the table. "She beat the hell out of Lieutenant Brooks, broke his nose and jaw. She blamed him and Captain Waltham for your condition. And as the Captain's remains are now buried, Corporal Brooks was the only one she could explain her... displeasure to. She's quite the woman."
"Yes, she is," I said with a smile. "How are Tala and Wapi?"
"I put them together in an upstairs bedroom. Chief Blacktail took a lot of convincing to leave them here until this is over. I wanted to make sure they were uninjured before they travelled back to their tribe. It's too dangerous out there with those monsters running around."
"Thanks for your help. You might want to get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a very long day."
Sergeant Roberts held out a hand, which I shook. "It's been an honour," he said. "If anything should happen to me tomorrow, I wanted to tell you that."
"You'll be fine," I said. "And the honour was mine. You're a good man, Sergeant, and you'll make a fine officer one day."
I stared at the map once Sergeant Roberts had left me alone, and wondered if I really believed that everything was going to go well. No, probably not. People were going to die. I just hoped I could limit how many. Hopefully, my going in alone would let any ghouls or barren see me as the weaker prey. And I'd only have to worry about myself.
"So, what's my job?" Sam asked, as he walked over to me.
"You're staying here."
"No, I'm not. I've got just as much reason to give back to that damn town. I need justice for my dad; for my friend."
"Sam, I promise you that I'll do my best to keep the sheriff alive for you. But you have to stay here. Tala and Wapi are both staying, as are all of the civilians. You need to stay here because I need people I can trust. I've already spoken to Sergeant Roberts and Chief Blacktail; they've each agreed to leave five men here to protect the fort. Your job is to help them."
"My job is to—"
"No! There are two terrified children upstairs right now. All they've known since they arrived here is fear and pain and suffering. I know you want revenge for what happened to you, to your dad, but it has to wait. If ghouls and barren turn up here with everyone gone, I need someone here that I can trust to protect these children with his life."
Sam's eyes immediately dropped to the floor. "I'm sorry," he said.
"Don't be. You're so close to getting what you've wanted for so long, that you can taste it. But I need to ask you something. Will killing the sheriff bring anyone back? Will it help with that knot of rage inside your gut?"
Sam stared at me. "I don't know."
"What matters in situations like this is doing your best to help those who can't help themselves. Those two children need someone they can trust. You're not too much older than they are, and you're not a member of the U.S. Army. They need you more than you need that rage satisfied. When this is over, if you still want to kill him..." I placed my finger-tip against his forehead. "You aim here, and you pull the trigger."
Sam nodded slowly, his eyes remaining on my fingers. "It's getting late," he said finally. "I'll check on the two upstairs and get some sleep."
"I'll see you tomorrow, Sam, but be safe, okay?"
He nodded again and ran toward the stairs, taking them two at a time until he reached the floor above.
"You're really trying to stop him from getting revenge," Sky said from behind me.
I turned around. "How long were you listening?"
"Not long after you started looking at my ass when I walked away."
I couldn't help but smile. "And a lovely ass it is, too."
"What happened upstairs," she said. "It wasn't a precursor to some sort of relationship."
"Don't worry, I never assumed otherwise. And to answer your point, I'd rather he didn't start killing people."
"You mean you'd rather he didn't turn into you?"
"He would have had to start a lot earlier to do that. He's a good kid, and not a killer. I can see it in his eyes, in his expression. Killing someone for revenge would do something to him."
"You can't know that."
"Are you saying that you think he'd be fine with it?"
Sky shook her head. "It would break him. But it's still his decision. He has to figure it out for himself or he'll always resent himself."
"When I was growing up, a sixteen-year-old killing someone would have felt normal. But now, after such a long time, I'd have hoped things would have improved. Sometimes I don't think we've moved on at all."
"That's a very melancholy attitude."
"I'm going to have to kill people tomorrow morning. I don't want Sam to feel like I do now."
"And what do you feel?"
"Nothing," I said honestly. "I feel nothing. It just has to be done. A bit like killing the wolves that want to eat a farmer's sheep. Merlin always said that I have this ability to turn into a killer—emotionless and cold, like someone turning a lamp on and off. He's right, I can. I can go to a place and kill without concern." Most of the time, I added silently.
"Then I'm glad you're on our side," Sky said. "But this is the life we lead. We kill to keep those we care about safe. We trade in our own futures to ensure that others get to have them. How many times have you taken a life to save another? How about a hundred or a thousand others? You're too hard on yourself."
"I'm just tired. It's been a long few weeks. You and your team take care tomorrow, okay?"
Sky hugged me tight. "You, too. Don't go doing anything crazy."
"You need the ghouls dead. I'll make sure that any in that town are gone before you meet the lich."
"I know you will," she said and kissed me on the cheek. "Get some sleep, Nate. Tomorrow will be a long day, too."
I watched Sky walk away and waited as the darkness of night came and the tension rose inside the camp. Sky had been positive tha
t the lich wouldn't launch another attack so soon. That he wouldn't risk losing anyone else. But even so, there was a nagging doubt inside my head that he could do something. That doubt stayed with me as I fell asleep on the comfortable chair next to the large table.
When I woke someone had placed a thick blanket over me, I shook it off as the crisp morning air woke me fully. There was already a lot of commotion in the courtyard—Crow warriors and Army soldiers working side-by-side to prepare for the coming fight. Tala and Wapi were walking around with Sam, who appeared to have taken the job of protecting them to heart. My Winchester rifle was in his hands. I wasn't going to have much use for it and I was glad he had something important to do that would keep him busy.
Sergeant Roberts appeared with a cup that he placed in front of me. "Good morning, sir."
"Nathan will do."
"Not today, today you're in charge. Everyone here knows it. I can't call you Nathan in front of the men, it's too familiar. So, I'd best get used to calling you sir, sir."
I smiled and picked up the cup. "Tea?"
"You're British, so I thought it would be nice to have some. No one else here drinks the stuff."
"Uncouth ruffians, the bloody lot of you," I said, which made Sergeant Roberts laugh.
The humour soon faded; Sergeant Roberts and I shook hands. "Good luck today," he said.
"Keep everyone safe," I told him, before drinking the rest of my tea and handing him the cup. "I'll see you all in the town after we clear it out."
Sergeant Roberts saluted and left me alone with my thoughts as I got ready. I'd told the woman who had wanted to kill me that I was coming back to burn down their town and piss on the ashes. I aimed to keep that promise.
Chapter 33
I leaned forward in the saddle, patting Valour's neck to calm her as the Crows tribe joined me. The town of Kilnhurst was close by—we could see it clearly as we waited on top of the hill to the south.
Sky had taken her men to the big house outside the town. One of them was going to throw a ball of fire into the sky—our signal to begin the assault.
Chief Blacktail sat next to me on his dark brown horse, his twenty warriors behind him. I hoped it would be enough. It would have to be. "I wanted to talk to you about the deputy we spoke to back at fort Pennywise. The one my son wanted to kill."
"Is he dead?" I asked.
Chief Blacktail shook his head. "We left him there, tied up in the jail. I felt it best to let him live."
"By now people will have wondered why they haven't heard from him. They're probably out there searching for him. Maybe they found him, maybe they took him back to town."
"Does he still need to live?" Chief Blacktail's son asked as he rode up next to his father.
"If you find anyone in that town who doesn't surrender, make them. They brought this on themselves."
The boy's smile was cruel and evil. Today, he fought side by side with the army to eradicate a mutual threat, however uneasy that made them both feel. But I wondered if one day someone from that same army would be coming back here to end him because he'd become a problem to the local communities.
The flare-like bolt of fire shot into the sky and Chief Blacktail raised his rifle into the air. "To the glory of battle," he cried and urged his horse on, followed immediately by his warriors.
I rode with them for a short time, the anticipation for the battle ahead almost palpable between the men. As we reached the town, everyone slowed and I nodded toward Chief Blacktail, who returned the gesture. I rode off alone toward my planned entrance.
A few minutes later, I entered the town itself and got down from Valour, tying her to the nearest hitching post. I hoped she'd be safe this close to the edge of town.
As Valour sated her thirst at the trough, I removed my Jian and ensured that my throwing knives were secure on the sides of my belt—three on each side.
I patted Valour on the neck and she stopped drinking. "I'll be back for you." I loosened the reins slightly—one quick tug and she'd be free. I didn't want ghouls or barren getting hold of her.
She nudged me with her head and I rubbed her nose until she went back to drinking. I fished a few apples out of my saddle bag, acquired from the fort's larder, and tossed them into the water. She snatched one immediately and set about crunching it into a fine paste.
The cold air whipped up around me as I walked further into the town, tossing around loose grit and earth. It was cold today, even with the sun out, and the building clouds gave the impression that the sun wouldn't be a permanent thing. Darkness was rolling in from the east. It would get here soon, but hopefully not soon enough to cause any problems for the assault.
The town was abandoned. Doors were open and the contents inside that I could see were thrown about. I stepped up onto the sidewalk and pushed a door all the way open with the toe of my boot, exposing the mess inside. Blood had been smeared on the walls; there'd been a fight here. A big one.
Something moved further inside and I readied a ball of fire, just as something barrelled into me from the side, sending me sprawling onto the ground outside. I flung the fireball at my attacker instead, but it was already dashing aside as doors opened all around me, and barren flooded out onto the street.
I rolled back to my feet and caught the first two barren with a blast of fire, which threw them back against the nearest wall. They tried to get up, but the fire quickly spread over them and ended their fighting days.
Three more barren charged at me, dying before they got close, as I lashed out with a whip of fire and severed their heads. That left five more, while the ghoul that had hit me initially prowled around behind them, waiting for its moment to strike.
A plume of fire left my hands, engulfing the five barren and incinerating them where they stood. The ghoul dove aside before the flames reached it, sprinting toward me with cruel purpose.
I unsheathed the Jian in preparation for his attack, but the window nearest to me shattered and a second ghoul flew toward me. It was too fast to avoid, and slammed into me, knocking us both to the ground as the sword fell from my grip.
The second ghoul sat on my chest, pinning me down, and unhinged its jaw, showing rows of razor sharp teeth as it tried to bite me.
I took hold of the second ghoul's jaw with both hands and forced its head to one side, using air magic to blast it off me. The ghoul flew through the air, straight into the first ghoul.
I didn't wait to watch what happened and dove for the Jian, grabbing it as another barren came charging out of the nearby house. A blast of air removed its legs from under it, sending it tumbling to the ground, where I finished it with a sword thrust to the back of the skull. I twisted the sword with a sickening crunch, removing it just in time to see the two ghouls get back to their feet.
"Okay then," I said. "Let's see what you both can do."
The first ghoul ran directly at me, its razor sharp claws looking for purchase in my flesh. I dodged the swipe and smashed an air covered fist into its temple, sending it to the ground. The second ghoul didn't wait for an invitation, he was already moving from the moment the first had run at me.
I waited until he was close enough and then swiped up toward his neck with the Jian, but he anticipated my move and launched himself into the air, catching me with a clawed foot in the chest. It cut through my coat and I felt the familiar sensation of blood trickling down toward my stomach.
I reached out with air magic and grabbed hold of the ghoul's foot before it hit the ground, hardening the air in an instant and then using the ghoul's own momentum to spin him into the wall of the nearest building.
Brick and dust exploded from the impact, but I had no time to rest as the first ghoul was back, swiping at my face and neck with his claws. He was too close to use the sword effectively—all I managed were superficial cuts. And death by a thousand cuts wasn't something that worked well with ghouls.
I used air magic to push him away, but he'd sprung backwards, the gust of wind missing him by inches. We
circled one another, watching for any signs of attack. My magic couldn't kill or seriously hurt him, but my sword could, and he knew it. And so could my other blades.
He avoided the first of the small daggers, but the second and third kept him on his toes long enough for me to close the gap between us and stab the sword through his heart.
The ghoul shrieked as I dragged my sword from its chest, black blood oozing out of the wound. The ghoul collapsed to the ground and I wasted no time in using the Jian to decapitate it, just before its friend rejoined the fray.
I barely managed to stop the second ghoul from tearing my ribcage apart, its claws glancing off my arm.
Blood dripped down the back of my hand, making the sword’s hilt slippery.
The ghoul barely paused before launching another attack, sprinting toward me and swiping continuously with its deadly claws in the hope that something would catch. I dodged or blocked the first few, but I couldn't keep it up forever, and the ghoul only had to get lucky once.
I released an explosion of fire directly between us, which gave me space, but the ghoul merely waited until the flames had died down and then walked toward me.
I waited until the ghoul was close enough and unleashed a fresh inferno. There was nowhere it could dodge in time to avoid the flames, and while it wouldn't kill the ghoul, the howls of pain told me that it had done enough. The ghoul flailed wildly in my direction, and I dodged aside, plunging my Jian into its neck and tearing open the jugular. A few seconds later its head joined that of the first, rolling across the ground until it stopped by a set of steps.
I left the ghouls to dissolve into the earth and made my way toward the bar at the end of the street. As I stepped into the shadow of the large building, several windows were smashed and shots were aimed at me. I sprinted behind the nearest wall and tried to ascertain exactly where the shots were coming from.
I edged to the far end of the wall and peered around to the bar again. The ground floor window was smashed and a rifle barrel poked through the broken glass. The same was true of the window directly above it. Both rifles were still aimed at the point where their users had last seen me before I vanished from sight.
