Tainted Blood Anthology

by Jeff Gunzel

  “And that goes for the rest of you too,” he shouted up above, even though he knew that none of the other workers were listening to their conversation in the first place. “Stop staring and get back to work.” He sighed again and kept stirring the mortar in his bucket, then mumbled under his breath, “Strange days indeed.”

  Although the tower was nowhere near complete, it was still functional enough for the lerwicks to live in and begin their training. Here in the main training hall, unorganized lerwicks sat around the room, most having no idea what to think of their current circumstances. And these nosy humans that kept peering down on them from the outside walls weren’t making them feel any more comfortable.

  A few decided it would be fun to swipe a weapon or two from one of the many weapons racks, and try to mimic the fighting styles of their human counterparts. They looked more like barmaids beating hung rugs than skilled soldiers as they pranced about, swinging and slashing at imaginary foes.

  Others sat by themselves, balled up in corners or other suitable hiding places. After years of isolation, it was hard to deal with being surrounded by so many people, even if those people were their own kind. Working in such large groups was going to take some getting used to.

  There were some gathered in small circles, introducing themselves and telling their own personal stories of their former lives. It was more than a little odd that each of their stories was more or less the same. These bolder, more social lerwicks also made a game of trying to catch the humans watching them. At the count of three they would look up at them quickly, then snicker at their reactions. It was fun, considering they were once the ones frightened of humans not so long ago.

  The sound of a door opening was hardly a significant disturbance given how many were already in here, but this time it was enough to make everyone pause at once. Instantly there was dead silence. No more than a second or two passed before swords were hurriedly placed back into weapons racks, and lerwicks began lining up in rows starting from the far wall. Their movements were chaotic and rushed, but at least they were trying to show effort.

  The room was so quiet that even her light footsteps could be heard crunching along the matted floor. Moving past the group, she casually observed their behavior and body language. Trying their best to stand at attention, the loose formation was clumsy at best. Foot spacing, chin height, and even how their arms hung were only a few of the problems. Amateur and awkward, it was beautiful in its own way. They were trying to act like soldiers, and that was enough for now.

  Hands on her hips, Viola turned and smiled at the group to show she was pleased.

  “Welcome,” she said, arms wide in a casual, inviting stance. “I know that for most of you, the journey here was not an easy one. It took a lot of courage to travel this far. Not knowing what to expect, leaving behind the only lives you have ever known, well, that takes a special sort of courage. And for that I commend you all.”

  She paused, allowing her modest praise to sink in for the moment. She really was proud of them, and in many ways felt honored that they would come here to join her. She knew how hard a choice like that could be. But of course, like anything worth fighting for, it would come at a price even if they were not yet aware.

  “But now that your choice has been made, there are a few things I must make clear before we proceed. In coming to the tower to join the cause, you have effectively bonded yourselves to me.” The group began to stir. “You see, the winds of change are ripping through the realm even as we speak. Many of you have joined me because you were sick of your old lives. You were little more than dirty little secrets that were hidden away by your masters, never to see the world or to understand your place within it.

  “Perhaps some of you simply wanted to find a safe place to go, where you could find food and shelter before deciding on your next move. To those of you who stand before me now, your reasons for being here are your own, and I have no intention of judging you. But this is what separates you from those who are sure to join us in the not too distant future. Those who follow in your footsteps will most likely not have the same choice once presented to you. It will have already been made for them.” Again, the lerwicks began to stir. What was the meaning behind such a cryptic statement?

  “Things are moving quickly, and soon there will be no room for indecisiveness. You had a choice where others will not.”

  She held up a fist. “As the world begins to break right before our eyes, everyone will be forced to choose whose side they are on. No lerwick shall be able to remain neutral, nor will he be able to live outside the system. You are either with me,” she lowered her hand and swept her eyes across the group, “or you are with my brother. There is no third option.”

  She shrugged and paced off to the side. “Hence why I say you are all bonded to me. Your choice to come here was your own, but soon you will find that leaving is not an option. I do not say any of this to frighten you, I say it because it is the truth. We are at war, and whatever your reasons for coming here today will mean nothing tomorrow.

  “That is a fact.”

  “So you’re saying that as long as we are here, we are slaves to your will just as we were in our former lives?” asked a man near the front. Unafraid of being noticed, he stepped out of formation to make himself seen. “Because if that is the case, perhaps we should have just stayed where we were. Nothing has been gained, as far as I can tell.”

  “I said no such thing,” Viola calmly replied. “Any are allowed to disagree with me, but you will do so at the right place and time. But as for the cause itself, no, you may not challenge this. You are either with us or against us. And as for your former life, I assure you that going back is no longer an option. The life you remember is already long gone.

  “You will never see your guardian again. And even if you found him, he will have nothing to do with you now. A new chapter has begun and there is no turning back. All of this is none of my doing, it’s just the way it is.”

  “I came here because I heard the call and had nothing to lose. I was practically a slave already, so I didn’t see any risk in leaving my current life.” Viola nodded at his honesty. She suspected many here probably felt the same way. “But now that I’m here, I’m not so sure I like what I’m hearing about this place.”

  He made a sweeping motion, trying to point out everyone at once. “The gossip here is that we are going to save the human race, that somehow this is our destiny. Well, maybe I don’t want to save the humans. Maybe I think they should just rot in the hell they created for themselves. After all, what have they done for any of us?”

  Viola was on him in a flash, flesh blade tucked beneath his chin as they stood face-to-face. His jaw dropped, as well as those of all watching. Such speed! She could have killed him ten times before he ever saw it coming.

  “And it is your right to think as you wish,” Viola assured him, her voice so calm it was as if they were chatting over tea. “But if that is indeed your belief, then your days under my command have come to an end.” Retracting her blade, she stepped away so she could address the others.

  “And that goes for the rest of you too. I will only make this offer once. If you think you have made a mistake in coming here, you may go. Choose to leave now, and I promise that no harm will come to you this day. But I also promise you this: the next time we meet, I will not hesitate to kill you.”

  She twirled her finger up in the air. “Now, everyone turn around and face a wall.” After a moment of confused hesitation, lerwicks began moving towards the walls, faces so close they could almost kiss the stone. Satisfied, Viola also turned around and even closed her eyes. “For those who are opposed to the cause, this is your one and only chance. Leave now and you will not be judged. I have no need to follow you, for there is only one place you can possibly go.”

  Deathly silent at first, Viola could even hear the sound of the wind whistling through the scaffolds outside. Then the sound of a hurried set of footsteps crunched across the matted floor ju
st behind her. Resisting the urge to turn around and look, she held her pose and kept her eyes closed. Then more followed, moving quickly across the mat and out the side entrance.

  Viola sighed, unable to hide her disappointment. She had really hoped that no one would leave. Her words were not a threat, but the cold, hard truth. The next time she saw them, she would be forced to take their lives. In leaving, they had sealed their own fates. Each must walk his own path, she thought, dismissing any emotion she may have felt a second earlier. And in doing so, each must face the consequences of those choices.

  “Is that it then?” she asked, turning back around. As far as she could tell, no more than ten had left, including the man that challenged her earlier. Even with so few leaving, which was really not that bad considering, part of her still wondered if she could have handled the situation differently. Ten wasn’t many, but none would have been better. Perhaps if she tried not to be so—

  She shook away the doubts creeping into her mind, reminding herself not to worry about things she couldn’t control. Constantly questioning herself would drive her mad. Their choice, their consequence.

  “They are traitors now, are they not?” a man asked from the back of the room. “Shall we go after them? We could eliminate them before they even reach the bottom of the—”

  “Yes, they are traitors,” Viola quickly agreed. “But they are traitors who were promised temporary amnesty.”

  “Bu-But no one would ever know,” he dared to push further. Even a few nodding heads proved he was saying what others were thinking. It was true, no one would ever know if they were to just eliminate them right now. And of course, it would be ten less enemies to worry about in the future.

  “I would know,” Viola replied softly. “And you would know too. Believe me, taking a life is not a memory that ever leaves you. If it is killing you crave, I promise you shall have more than your fill before this war is over. So for now, just let it go.” At this point she was considering dismissing them for the day. The mood didn’t seem right for training anymore, and another day or two of familiarizing themselves with their surroundings might be good.

  Just then she noticed Liam and Hamas leaning against the far wall near the doorway, watching casually. She wondered how long they had been standing there. Suddenly having an idea how to lighten the mood, she motioned them over to join her.

  “Please, allow me to introduce two of the men who will also be assisting me in your training. Liam here,” she threw an arm around his shoulder, “will be teaching you field tactics. He has served many years in the military and will be sharing his wealth of knowledge with us.”

  Enjoying the attention, Liam stepped forward and swept down into a flourishing bow. Not fully understanding how to react to the human’s introduction, most lerwicks just smiled at him. He even received a bit of scattered applause.

  “And now,” she pulled Hamas forward, who suddenly began to look quite nervous for some reason. Even Liam’s calm was beginning to show some cracks. “Haven’t most of you wondered about our history, where we came from and why we are here?” Their smiles melted away, quickly replaced by intense stares. What was this? The answers they had longed for nearly all of their lives? “Let me introduce to you your bringer of life. This man here is about to explain to you how—”

  “Hello everyone,” Hamas said, quickly stepping forward to draw attention away from Viola. Normally he hated being the center of attention, but this time it seemed rather necessary. “What Viola is trying to say is that I will be working with you so closely, it will be like we’re family. I will be studying you all for a paper I will be writing. Rest assured, your heroics will be recorded, and talked about for centuries to come. In the meantime, I will assist in your training in any way I can. Thank you.”

  Hamas made his way toward the door, flashing Viola a stern look as he passed by. Taking the hint, she dismissed the group for the day and hurried to catch up with him. It wasn’t easy, as the old man walking with Liam seemed to be anxious to put some distance between themselves and the curious lerwicks.

  “Hey, where are you two going? Why did you—” Viola began.

  Liam was the first to turn back on her as she came running up. “Other than offering our expertise, I know we promised not to get involved in how you handle your followers,” he said, voice tight and irritated. “But Viola, you must think before you speak. That could have been a disaster.”

  “Do you honestly think they’re ready to hear about who they really are and how they came to be?” Hamas added. “I’m not saying that they don’t deserve the truth, Viola. Someday we will tell them. I’ll do it myself if you wish. But they are simply not ready yet. Such a story would prove to be horribly distracting at the very least. We need them sharp, focused on the task at hand. Turning their worlds upside down would have the opposite effect. Do you understand?”

  “I understand,” Viola nodded, feeling foolish. The more she thought about it, the more obvious his point was. Although she truly cared for them and didn’t like the idea of keeping secrets from those loyal to her, at the end of the day, they were just weapons. As cold as that thought seemed to her, it was true. Getting them ready, with as little distraction as possible, needed to be her top priority.

  “Good,” Liam said, the tension in his voice bleeding away. “We just came down to see how you were doing.” He smiled at her. “And we think you’re doing a fine job. We’ll start fresh in the morning and see what they’re really made of.” With that, he and Hamas went on their way. Working together these past few days, the two of them were tasked with studying the ghatins. Surely, two elite minds working as one could find some weaknesses that could be exploited.

  Thinking she just might get a chance to relax for the first time in a while, Viola started to make her way back to her quarters when she ran into Owen. But upon seeing him, her smile vanished almost immediately. “What are you doing?” she asked, although the question itself was foolish. It was quite obvious what he was doing.

  “I just wanted to come say goodbye to ye,” he said, bags in hand with a bulging pack strapped to his back.

  “Where are you going?”

  “There be something I have to do.”

  “But you can’t lea—” Her voice cracked, and she paused to swallow the lump of sadness swelling in her throat. “I need you here with me.”

  “No you don’t,” he said, shaking his head slowly. He even managed to flash one of his toothless grins her way. “You got Liam, Hamas, and hell, this whole tower of ghost people behind you.”

  “Spiritists,” she corrected, coughing out a quick laugh.

  “That’s what I said!” He winked to show he was only kidding, but then a sad look came over him. “You have lots of folks helping you out, but who does my boy have watching his back?” She winced, dropping her eyes to the floor. “That’s right,” he reminded, as if she could ever forget. “Xavier is out there somewhere, and I’ve put this off long enough.” He scoffed, shaking his head while scolding some spot on the ceiling. “That fool boy thinks he failed me somehow. But I be the one guilty of that. I let him down, Viola, and now I have to go and make it right. Do you understand? If it were me out there and I was in trouble...”

  “He would turn over every rock, every grain of sand until he found you,” she sniffed. It was all she could do not to cry. She stepped aside and bowed her head. “Go with my blessing.” Owen stepped past her with his gear. “Owen?” she said as he neared the far door. The bear of a man glanced back. “Do not fail me. I expect you to return, and Xavier had better be with you. Promise me.”

  “I’ll drag him back by his toes if I have to. And that, little lady, is a promise.”

  *

  Standing outside the tower, Owen stretched. With a deep breath, he filled his lungs with the frigid air. “It be getting too cramped in there anyway,” he chuckled. Drawing two fingers up to his lips, he blew out a sharp whistle. The wait wasn’t long; it rarely was. A gurgling bellow rose up from the
rocky valley below. Tremors radiated up through the stone, the vibrations tickling the bottom of Owen’s feet. The crunching sound of rock breaking under sharp claws grew louder with each powerful leap.

  A bony head covered with bent and broken horns rose up from the edge of the cavern. What was a bellowing moan only a moment ago had now become an affectionate cooing of sorts.

  “I missed you too,” Owen said, stroking her muzzle before climbing up on the saddle. “And I know you miss Xavier as much as I do. So let’s go bring him home!” As if shot from a catapult, the mighty lavics leapt into the air before hammering down onto the stone several yards away. Two more leaps and she was off and running, a thundering gallop racing them into the night.

  Chapter 2

  The broken-down old mule clopped along at a pace that was only slightly faster than one might walk. “Giddy up. Come on, old girl, get moving,” Assirra said, dropping her heels down against the animal’s side. Bracing her hands against the back of its neck, she rocked back and forth while pushing, as if that might somehow add some momentum. “Stubborn beast,” she mumbled. Giving up any hope of a speedy journey, she sat up straight and slapped her thighs in frustration.

  But even though riding a mule was a less than ideal way to travel, she was still thankful to have it. And luckily the farmer who gave it to her didn’t bother bargaining for any coin. She didn’t have any. Money meant little these days, whereas safety and security were in high demand.

  The farmer had been in the midst of packing up his family to head east when she showed up asking about buying a horse. He heard there were at least a few cities still holding strong in that direction. Of course, no one knew whether or not it was true, but keeping his family out here all alone was a death sentence for sure. He simply gave her the mule without any thoughts of profiting from it, knowing he couldn’t take it with him anyway.