Dark Age

by Felix O. Hartmann

  Chapter 21

  The night grew darker and I knew there was only one place I could find Terric. I climbed up the ladder to the outer wall and caught sight of him in an instant. Before I had even stepped into his field of vision or made a sound he had felt my presence. “It’s been a while since you were up here,” he said.

  “It has. You know that there must be a reason for my change in behavior,” I remarked.

  “Yes. I have been trying to figure it out. If we were still inside the city I would have said that a girl is at fault for your sudden disappearances.”

  “Maybe there is such a girl,” I said in a serious tone, using the opportunity to lead into what I had planned to tell him.

  He looked at me in an odd way, trying to find out if I had intended humor.

  “Over the past years I have gained much respect for you,” I said. “I trust in you, knowing that if I tell you something, it will be received with the greatest discretion and be acted upon with unmatched goodwill.” By his look I could tell that he knew that I was getting at something, “And because of this, I feel confident sharing with you something that could be consequential to be told anybody else.” I quickly glanced to my sides to ensure that no one was in hearing distance.

  “Over a year ago, I met a girl,” I started only to be interrupted.

  “But how? Is Yorick now trafficking humans in and out of the city too?” he asked confused.

  “No, no, nothing of that sort. Just listen,” I said shaking my head vehemently, “The girl I am talking about is one of the villagers, or savages as most of you would call them. We ran into one another at night by accident. But how we met does not matter,” I tried to get to the point. “We taught one another our languages and shared our history and culture. They are no demons, Terric. They are human beings that feel just like we do. Just this afternoon I visited their village for the first time and talked to the tribe.”

  Terric was speechless. He examined me carefully as if he yet needed to tell apart whether I was telling him about another nightmare of mine or an actual experience.

  “They want peace, Terric. They are tired of the fighting just like we are. I offered them peace and promised to speak to you. All they ask for is some land and resources.”

  “I don’t know what to say Adam,” he said. “As much as I have faith in you, I have trouble believing such a wild story.”

  “I knew you would say that,” I noted. “Janari, the girl, is hiding out in the forest. If you have any doubts, let us eliminate them right away. Just follow me and you can meet her.”

  He considered for a moment and looked at me carefully, “In that case, I don’t need to. They would never risk revealing their location to us, unless they meant it. And more importantly, you would not lie to me,” he said, calming down from his excitement, “I have been waiting for this moment for a long time, and not rarely dreamed about it. Now that the opportunity to bring peace has arisen I will not let it pass. Tomorrow the two of us shall go to the village and change history.”

  “What about the Inquisitor? Will you notify him or await his approval?” I asked.

  “Damn that devil, he can go to hell. Once there is no more enemy from whom the city needs protection, there won’t be a need for an Inquisitor at all,” he hissed enthusiastically. “This is not just our chance to end the bloodshed, Adam; this is our chance to bring an end to the Inquisition. If not a single death occurs in months, the people will begin to wonder why they are being secluded when there is nothing to fear. Soon after, the masses will want the gates to be opened.”

  As the words left his lips we looked at one another in marvel. Never had the dream been so real, so graspable; we had been chasing it for so long and finally it was our time.

  “Do not tell anyone, do you hear me. I will come to your camp tomorrow and release you from your duties. Then you will lead me to the village, and we shall talk to the sav…,” he corrected himself, “people. Now go to bed, tomorrow is a big day.”

  After a quick glance at Orion who loomed above me as my protector, I nodded and made my way towards the ladder. I climbed down the wall with a bright smile of accomplishment. It was finally happening.

  Ice cold fingers brushed over my neck and dug into my shoulder as I reached the ground, “Oh how unexpected to see you at this late hour, Adam,” Yorick said.

  He must have been able to see the fear radiate through my eyes. It was unexpected indeed, and shocking. I could not stop thinking whether he had been able to overhear my conversation with Terric.

  In my perplexed state he continued, “Tonight you will do me a favor. It’s a simple task. All you have to do is deliver something for me.”

  I freed my shoulder from his hard grip and started walking away without looking back.

  “Just delivering something,” he said. “It is much easier than stealing, Adam. I heard you are quite good at that.”

  I froze. But before I could question he continued, “And your lady friend seems lonely nowadays. The carpenter girl, what was her name again? Katrina? You never know, maybe one night she will receive a visit from one of my men that just finished service. Let me tell you, they get quite hungry after ten years of solitude.”

  I twisted around, aiming with my fist for his face. His hand caught my arm in midair, “You do not want me to be your enemy, Adam. From now on be wary of your actions, and maybe we can work something out. There are two things you must know about me. First, I am everywhere. I hear everything, I see everything and I have influences that you cannot even imagine.” He let go of my hand and said as a matter of fact, “Second, I always win.”

  No form of rebellion was either useful or proper at this point. In obvious subordination I apologized and stood straight, listening to what he had to say. My behavior disgusted me, but my feud with Yorick was not worth risking Katrina’s safety for.

  A slight triumphant smile spread over his lips, “That’s the spirit, very well. I told you, working with me is not as hard as you might think. Now,” he said, “you will take this flask of fine liquor and bring it to a friend and fellow lumberman of yours. I believe he is your camp leader, Jacob. That’s all you have to do, but you have to bring it to him tonight.”

  My mind was racing searching for a possible catch. After a moment I grabbed the flask from his hand and inspected it closely. “We are not bad people,” Yorick said. “It is just less suspicious for a friend like you to talk to him and present him with something.” His composure relaxed, “Well that is it for now. I shall see you tomorrow and give you your reward.”

  I nodded and waited for him to leave. Slowed by doubt but ridden by fear I went into the common-hall where Jacob was still vividly spreading his tales and adventures of the woods. His listeners were enchanted by his mollifying deep voice as he described a fight he once had with one of the savages. Proudly he pushed down the armor at his shoulder to show the battle scar the monster had given him.

  At last he noticed me, “Surprised to find you here so late, Adam. Grab a seat and listen. The story is just getting better.”

  I shook my head with a yawn, “It’s alright my friend, I’m going back to the cottage any moment. I just wanted to give you this,” I said, pulling out the flask from my coat.

  His eyes widened in alarm. With a quick snap of his hand he took the flask out of my hand and hid it in his coat. He leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “I am glad you joined us, Adam. But be more careful, there are many eyes around us that we need to be wary of. Otherwise they will start asking questions. For example, how do you get your hands on liquor like this? And every time people ask questions, bad things happen.”

  The next morning when Jacob assigned tasks for the day, Terric entered the clearing of the camp. All looked towards him and hailed the master.

  “Jacob, I will be borrowing Mr. Blacksmith for today. He might be back by this afternoon,” Terric said as a statement rather than request.

  “You are free to leave,” remarked Jacob and nodded at
Terric.

  We remained silent until we were out of the camp’s hearing distance. With no one around we stopped to discuss what we were about to do. I explained all the relevant information about the village and her family, “If something goes wrong or if you lose me for some reason, run southwest. The village is directly in the Northeast of the Guard settlement. You will not be able to speak to them, so all they will see is your expression. Do not show disgust, no matter how grotesque or pitiful some of their children might look. Janari’s father seems to be the chief of the village. We shall address him first. You will recognize him immediately.”

  Without delay we delved deeper into the woods. Every now and then we had to wait out in the bushes for moments that ranged from seconds to a quarter of an hour, to ensure that the guards passed by without noticing us.

  At last we made it. The final line of thickets separated us from the world that we were about to pacify with ours. Terric held my upper arm to stop me from passing through, “It’s all or nothing now,” he said. “We cannot let this chance pass. There will not be another.”

  I could sense the pressure he put on us. I swallowed the lump in my throat and entered the village. The elders stood in a semicircle in front of a poorly constructed town-hall, already awaiting us. Among them was Janari, wearing a long green gown. The corners of her lips and the shimmer of her eyes transformed a worried glance into a radiant smile the moment she saw me. To her side stood her father, wearing the same bear pelt around his shoulders. They had recognized us all now and began to approach us. From a safe distance they stopped. Her father spoke up, “Good morrow Guardsmen. Lay down your weapons.”

  I translated for Terric and without hesitation he unbuckled all his swords, knives and axes. My sword and bow looked pathetic next to his arsenal of killing tools as I waited for him to finish his disarmament. In his eagerness to hand over his weapons, I could see that he was willing to die for this cause. At last we stepped forward to the row of elders that made up the governing body of the village.

  The chief’s attitude had changed from my last encounter with him. No longer was he spitting fiery rhetoric with his hands clenching steel, but boasted of the special nature of this occasion. “Together we can change history,” he said. “Even over my long life I had not often had the chance to speak to my enemies. Maybe,” he thought for a moment and continued, “if we had been able to talk all along, we never would have been enemies.”

  As I translated everything Terric kept nodding. For the first time I had seen him smile; a real untainted smile from his heart.

  “In the name of the Guard and the city, I apologize for all the wrongs we have done you,” Terric said earnestly. “Tell me what you want, and I shall grant you your wish. It is time that our people cease the fight and live in harmony.”

  “We need cattle, and lands for them to graze,” one of the elders said.

  “You shall give us some of your fields,” another added.

  “Grant our people the choice to live in the city,” the chief requested.

  “Sacrifice one of your men to ask our gods for forgiveness,” the shaman urged.

  “That is not what you told me!” I hissed at them before translating to Terric. “You said lands and resources would be all you ask for.”

  Terric looked at me with glaring uneasiness. The old shaman pointed his cane at me, “We only speak to your commander, boy. What does he have to say?”

  As I translated for him he maintained composure. “Tell them this,” he said. “I will create a borderline throughout the woods that neither party shall cross. Additionally they shall be given a proportional part of our fields and livestock. We will help them breed the animals and cultivate the farms if they wish so. Unfortunately, the city will not be an option for them as I have no control over it.” His voice intensified as he glared at the shaman, “And no man shall die for peace, for a peace based on blood is bound to fail. Too many men have died, and I will not sell a single soul to any god, be it theirs or ours.”

  As Janari translated, the elders nodded quietly. Some lit up with radiant smiles, yet others appeared offended at Terric denying some of their requests. They huddled together arguing fiercely back and forth. When the shaman dominated the discussion, Janari stepped in.

  “Remember why they are here,” she said. “They are more powerful than us, yet they come here, unarmed offering to give away their goods. And you still debate over some human sacrifice? Enough children have been sacrificed for this mindless war.”

  The chief looked at his daughter for a moment and nodded. The elders formed a line again facing us. “We shall leave you in peace. I accept your offer,” the chief said and held his hand out. But before Terric could take it, an arrow pierced the heart of the chief.

  Chapter 22

  A second arrow struck his stomach, and a third delved into his shoulder. For a moment everything turned quiet before the world was lost in tumult. The villagers cried out and ran to their huts, while Guardsmen jumped out of the thicket surrounding the village with slashing blades and lit torches.

  In the midst of the madness, the chief and Terric still stood in front of the town-hall facing another. Blood ran from the chief’s shoulder down his arms. His immortal blood dripped from his hands onto the ground. Their expressions were frozen, caged in their minds. They had come so close to their dream that fate had lain at their fingertips… so close to be grasped. In his mind Terric must have taken the chiefs hand wishing that all this was not real. It could not be real, I thought to myself.

  In frantic confusion my glance drifted over to Janari who looked at me with bitter disappointment and disbelieve. “Why?” her lips spelled. By her mere expression I could feel what she saw in me; I was the monster. At last her disappointment turned into resentment. Furiously she jumped on me thrusting my whole body to the ground. Her hands clasped my throat, digging her fingers into my skin. Pain shot up into my chest as I fought for every breath of air.

  “Why did you lead them here Adam? Why!” she cried. “I had trusted you. I had faith in you. You killed me. You killed us. You killed our dream.” As her fingers dug deeper into my flesh, a tear fell from her eyes onto my cheek. I wanted to say something but I couldn’t bring a syllable out.

  I did not want to fight her until my love almost killed me. With all my remaining strength I pushed her from my body. “Go!” I incoherently cried ringing for air, “Not safe here.” She jumped at me again, but I stopped her when she was just inches apart from me. This time the tears came from my eyes and burned into the bloody flesh on my throat, “We don’t have time for explanations. Run Janari! Just run and don’t turn around. Take your brothers with you. Your revenge on me will be wasted, because I never did anything to hurt you,” I rambled hastily pushing her off me towards the northern end of the village. I wanted to say it, tell her that I loved her, but there was no purpose in it now. She ran off and looked at me one more time with the same longing and uncertain gaze she wore when we first met. At last fate had tossed us at another in enmity.

  Half the village was blazing in fire. Women and children were slaughtered like pigs, while their men fought the best they could. Unarmed and outnumbered they stood no chance. Two guards teamed up on a young lad with nothing but his fists to protect him. They taunted him, until he struck first. With a quick strike, they cut of his right hand, and watched him go to the ground bleeding and whimpering. Bored of him, they cut his throat and went on.

  One of the two raised his finger and pointed at Janari fleeing. With a loathsome smile the other nodded and started running her direction.

  My blood was boiling. These men were not my brothers. They were monsters. With all my strength I sprinted towards them. What I would do with them I did not know, they just needed to pay, and stay as far away from Janari as possible. With a powerful jump I body checked them, ramming them to the ground.

  The one I tackled was immediately unconscious.

  “What are you doing you idiot?” the other yelle
d at me.

  “All of you made a grave mistake,” I said and punched him in the face, till his dirty grin was covered in blood. When he was begging for mercy, I took his sword and left him on the floor.

  Terric and the chief had not moved from their spot. While men were running around them, fighting and dying, they had only sunken to their knees. I needed him now more than ever. He had to pick himself up. Vehemently I shook him by his shoulder trying to wake him from his hypnotic state.

  “Terric!” I yelled at him, “Get up and fight! You said yourself that this is our only and last chance. Don’t let it pass. We must help the villagers,” I rambled incoherently trying to get some sign of life out of him.

  “It’s over Adam,” he said lowly, staring off at the bleeding chief. “It will take centuries to restore the trust we gained and lost. We won’t see peace, Adam. Your children and their children won’t see peace. We are doomed to kill and be killed in a cycle of hatred. Our cure for pain is the very root of it: Revenge.”

  As the resistance shrunk, the sounds of death grew fewer. A laugh rang further down by the huts. I looked over and found Yorick facing an old man holding a cane. The man struck out. Yorick caught the cane with his hand and ripped it from his assailant’s hands. With a delicate smile he broke it over his knee. The old man was terrified, awaiting what came next. Before he could raise his fists, Yorick’s face turned hard. With a cut throat the old man collapsed to the ground.

  By the time I looked back at Terric, he was already gone. He retrieved his weapons and approached his second-in-command.

  “Look at what you have done,” Terric hissed throwing out his arm to the side as if needing to pinpoint the destruction that had been evident all around.

  “I successfully destroyed the enemy,” Yorick responded with an air of superiority. “I did what you have not been able to accomplish in years. Instead you betrayed the Guard by working with the enemy.”