by JD Franx
“We do. We have to go,” she begged, and then rolled over and threw up again.
Giddeon hugged her, relief showed all over his face. “Thank Inara, you’re all right.”
Yrlissa looked at Giddeon. “You’re welcome.”
He nodded his thanks. “What was that, Yrlissa?”
“I have no idea. Someone has done something to her mind. Something triggered the attack as a warning not to do it again. I don’t recognize the magic. It’s strange. We’ll have to deal with it sooner or later, Giddeon. Next time she might not be so lucky. We can watch for different triggers for now. The DragonKin seem to be one.” He nodded and turned back to his daughter. Yrlissa got up and went to her bedroll to keep an eye on Ember and to try and get some rest.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Almost three weeks have passed since the night I found Kael pinned beneath the hulking form of a fully-grown darga. I knew that night there was something different about him. It has been many years since someone has shown me kindness. I’ve come to rely on him as much as he has me. I’ve watched him these past weeks as he has slowly come to accept what has happened to him. The guilt over the loss of his wife eats away at his soul. The fact that he was forced to take the lives of those who attacked us in the Northern pass has only made the guilt he carries worse.
I told Kael that I know only a little about magic, but I was raised by my grandfather and magic was a part of my everyday life. My extended life as a vampyr has taught me even more. Though I have very little magic myself, I can still see the darkness growing inside him. The signs are there. It is no where near as aggressive as the Wizard and Elder Councils would have people believe, but it is there nonetheless.
My grandfather told me that magic must be mastered; you do not let it master you. I hope I can continue to be a calming influence on Kael and that he can master his abilities, because sooner or later, his guilt could turn to hatred and if it does, the true DeathWizard will tear itself free from the depths of Kael’s soul. I will do all I can to stop such a thing from happening, but I’m not a wizard.
JOURNAL ENTRY, LYCORI ALATAR.
END-WINTER, 2025
RUINS OF ARKUM ZUL,
TAZAMMOR MOUNTAIN
Kael woke to an onslaught of pain to find himself lying on Lycori’s lap. She held his head with one hand and caressed his cheek with the other. He could just make out her whispering voice. “Come back, Kael. Don’t you dare die on me,” she begged quietly, but her voice held a stern edge.
Kael croaked, his throat dry. “It’s okay. I’m here.” He put his hand on hers and looked up at her. “I’m alive. Miracles never cease here, do they?” he asked sarcastically. “I might just stay here and enjoy our little holiday together. What do you say?” Kael tried to make her feel better, but she slapped him lightly instead. It was obvious she’d been worried.
“You asshole. I thought you were dying.”
“Not yet, apparently,” he commented, gingerly touching the collar around his neck.
“What happened? The last thing I remember is trying to warn you about that little bastard sneaking up behind you.”
“I don’t know. This collar seems to blur my thoughts. Let’s just wait and see what happens, okay?” he said, trying to remain calm. She nodded and smiled.
With the Gyhhura collar still around his neck, Kael realized that none of his magic worked. Even his extra set of senses had vanished.
“Lycori? I don’t suppose you know what happened to my travel pack do you?”
“No. They took our packs and weapons.”
“That book from Jasala’s tower was in it.” He rolled his eyes, cursing under his breath. The look on her face told him it was long gone.
“They took everything, Kael. Even the jewellery we had. I doubt they discovered the book or we’d have already been asked about it.”
“Okay. We’ll have to keep an eye out for where they stored it. We have to get it back before we leave. They can’t have it,” he whispered.
With nothing else to do, Kael struggled to sit up. Leaning against Lycori for support, he studied their surroundings. The cell itself was small, about eight feet by eight feet. They were also alone. Three sides of the cell were constructed of mortar blocks, each inscribed with a lone symbol.
Seeing him eye the blocks, Lycori explained. “Even my minor illusion magic won’t work inside this cell. Those are defence wards. They’ll stop anyone from casting magic in here. They have to be Dwarven.” With Lycori’s steady hand, Kael fought his way to his feet. Approaching the fourth side of the cell, he examined the prison bars.
“They’re made of iron,” he said, as Lycori joined him. “These bars have channels and sharp burs of silver running through them.” He ran his fingers down the silver embedded in the iron. One of the burs sliced his finger as if it were nothing more than butter. “Crap, they’re razor sharp.”
“Those are to keep me in,” Lycori said, with a shrug. “Silver burns and it can kill a normal vampyr. Now you know why we’re not invincible.”
He remembered their earlier discussion. “So you said. I was kinda hoping you were lying.”
“Sorry, not indestructible. They’ve thought of everything, Kael. We may be here a while.” One-inch-long, several sharpened iron teeth had been forged within each bar, sticking out every fingers’ width from top to bottom, making it impossible to try and separate them for escape and still keep their fingers attached to their hands. The well-built cell left a hopeless and lonely feeling in the pit of both their stomachs.
Kael looked at Lycori and tried his best not to appear completely desperate. Lycori helped him sit down against the back wall of the cell. His hollow bravery was interrupted by the sound of several sets of heavy boots echoing down the hall and headed their way. In minutes, the creature who captured them walked into view. Sythrnax was accompanied by four large men and a young, very thin girl dressed in rags. Even with the amount of pain he was still suffering from, as well as the exhaustion he felt, Kael couldn’t stop his anger from stoking to a boil at the mere sight of Sythrnax looking down at him through the bars. He wondered for the second time why such an instinctual hatred could exist in what seemed to be the very core of his soul. Deciding it had to be magic related, he did his best to ignore it. For some unknown reason, his anger was greatly tempered this time, though he was too tired to dwell on why.
Lycori whispered in his ear as he took in the big men and their strange appearance. “This is bad, Kael. Those are Orotaq warriors, from the Black Hollow, up north. The Orotaq bend a knee to no one. Most come close to three or four hundred pounds in weight, and all the adults stand over seven feet tall. They are very, very, strong. Never forget that, not even for a single second.” He nodded slowly, but his stare was transfixed on the young woman. He felt sorry for her instantly. Noticing, Lycori added, “She must be a slave.” Kael quickly ignored the pity tugging at his heart and shifted his attention to the Orotaq.
“They look human, except... Their skin has a blue tinge, doesn’t it?” he asked in a whisper.
“Yes. Not sure why. The gas in the swamps perhaps. The Black Hollow peninsula is just as bad as the Forsaken Lands. Worse, possibly.” As the massive warriors came closer, Kael realized they weren’t human after all. Long black hair streaked with a sharp contrasting silver hung loose to their waist. They had facial hair growing from their chin, but none elsewhere. The chin beards were all either braided or fixed with bone beads that clacked lightly as they moved and hung down over muscled stomachs to their waists. Kael could see the faintest hint of sharp teeth from inside the closest of the Orotaq’s slightly-opened mouth. Fierce-looking individuals, raw strength and power seemed to emanate from their physically impressive bodies. The hopelessness that Kael had been fighting hard to keep at bay slowly rose to the surface once more.
“Their weapons are made from the same shiny black metal as the ones we found around Jasala’s tower,” Kael said, still whispering, as the Orotaq stopped in front of th
eir cell.
“They should, though it’s not exactly metal. It’s glass, found deep in the earth. Some people say it’s more common since the Cataclysm. The Orotaq are the last or maybe the only race capable of forging raw obsidian into those deadly weapons. They’re always looking for it; your weapons will have already been claimed by one of them. No one else alive knows how they do it. Even the Northmen can’t forge it, and they have the best blacksmiths in all of Talohna.”
As Lycori spoke, Kael paid close attention to the Orotaq guards. Their massive size should have made them slow and even clumsy, but it was clear they had exceptional agility and were capable of explosive speed and power. Though they wore no armour besides heavy metal cuffs on their wrists, their clothing was in excellent condition and well made. The layered, stitched leather pants would provide some protection, but seemed more for comfort than armour. The closest guard was shirtless and a six-foot-long, winged axe hung over his shoulder from a braided strap that was gilded with silver and gold. It was in perfect condition, as if it had just been pulled from the forge and polished, just like everything the other three Ototaq warriors possessed.
The young slave girl, however, was an exact opposite. She looked like a mouse hiding in corner surrounded by jungle cats. She couldn’t be any more than seventeen or eighteen years old. It was hard for Kael to guess her age, as her eyes never left the ground. With her shoulders slouched and the bruises covering her arms and legs, it was obvious that beatings were a part of her everyday life. At only five feet tall, she barely reached the waist of the tallest Orotaq warrior escorting her. Kael would have been surprised if she weighed a hundred pounds. Dressed in wool rags that hung from her thin frame, it left her arms and legs bare. Her long, unhealthy black hair was matted with knots even though it hung to the middle of her back, and her skin was layered in filth. Even though she was beaten and dirty, when she glanced up at Kael for just a second, her incredible, bright silver eyes were full of intelligence. Under all of the grime and her emaciated appearance, he couldn’t even tell what she looked like. His heart wept with pity again, wondering what a horrible life the girl must have.
Sythrnax’s voice snapped his attention back to the matter at hand. “It is good to see you relaxing, Kael. Getting some rest before the real pain begins?” he asked, smiling. Things weren’t looking good and Kael knew it. Already in a considerable amount of pain from the Gyhhura spikes embedded in his neck, he had no idea how they were going to get out of wherever it was they were. Still, he couldn’t resist spouting back at Sythrnax, at least once.
“Yeah. I had planned on catching up my sleep. You know how it is, never being able to sleep all night without having to get up and stand watch. So how about you leave, and then I can go back to sleep? I was just getting comfortable. Come back in a few hours and we can talk then. It was good of you to drop by, though…” Kael trailed off, faking a yawn.
“It is good that you retain your sense of humour, newborn. The Gyhhura often seems to cook the mind of a weaker soul. We shall see how long your good humour lasts, Kael. Stronger men than you have broken under the collar’s magic. You may want to listen to what I have to say before you go back to your beauty rest.” Kael was positive that Sythrnax smirked under his mask, and a strange rattling sound came from under his hood as well.
“These ancient ruins are under my command. You will be fed twice a day. This girl’s name is N’Ikyah.” He grabbed her by the neck, jerking her closer to the cell. “She is a slave. Your food will be brought by her, or others like her. She will also clean your wounds and heal any broken bones or injuries that you may receive. Later this day I will return and escort you to the place where your magic will be taken. If you survive the process we will find other uses for you. For now we will move you both to a common holding cell where you will stay. Enjoy yourself, Kael. You will not be leaving any time soon, I would think.” Without another word, he turned and left.
The Orotaq guard used a large, rusted metal key to open the cell door. He allowed only the slave girl to enter the cell. She quickly knelt beside Kael and put her hands onto the Gyhhura Torque embedded in Kael’s neck. Magic flowed from her fingertips onto the collar’s spikes, down under his flesh and into his neck. In mere seconds the pain it caused subsided.
“How did you do that, I…” Kael started to ask, before she interrupted.
“It matters not. My name is N’Ikyah. I am sorry, but that is the most I can do to help your pain caused by the collar. I know it is still very hurtful, but I am allowed to help you in no other way. Now come. We must go. Please do nothing foolish. Quickly, come now.” She continued to look at the ground like a cowed animal, but moved to exit the cell.
Never being one to listen to others, Kael gave Lycori a slight nod. Once she’d returned his gesture, the moment he was clear of the cell door, he stomped the knee of the closest Orotaq guard. It forced the big man to drop to his opposite knee. In his peripheral vision, Kael caught a flash of movement as one guard pinned Lycori to the wall after dragging her from the cell. The speed of his attack was astounding. Not hesitating, Kael jumped up as high as he could and brought his fist arcing down with every bit of strength he could, onto the back of the kneeling guard’s neck. The big man grunted, but nothing more.
A third guard backhanded the crouching slave girl. The heavy blow sent her face-first into the spiked silver bars of the cell. Her shriek of agony made him stop fighting. The last guard smiled at Kael and then raised both of his fists, clicking his metal wristbands together twice. The first click sparked a small globe of yellow electricity that rushed across the space between him and Kael. It struck the Gyhurra collar and sent him crashing to his knees in agony. The second click summoned a larger ball that struck the collar in the same place and filled his very existence with a blistering onslaught of pain. Lycori screamed at them to stop, but soon begged them as blood burst from Kael’s eyes, ears, and nose. Somewhere in the throes of the merciless magic coursing through him, Kael knew that he should have known better. It was the only conscious thought he could hold on to, the savage torture inflicted by the collar wiped all else from his mind.
The guard let Kael writhe in pain the entire time it took for another slave girl to come and heal the one that had been assigned to Kael and Lycori. The whole time Kael suffered, Lycori yelled and begged for them to stop hurting him. When the guard holding her finally tired of hearing the ranting, he punched her in the mouth, repeatedly, until she could no longer speak, let alone yell. Her crumpled body slid to the cold floor. Only when the second slave had finished healing N’Ikyah did the Orotaq guard permit Kael’s suffering to end. Ordering the second slave girl to ease his pain, she used the same technique N’Ikyah had minutes before his foolish actions.
As the pain receded and his muscles unlocked, Kael rolled over, heaved, and threw up, splattering the floor with bloody bile. Even though she had just been smashed into the spiked bars because of him, N’Ikyah hurried and slid to his side. A new sensation entered his body as her healing magic flowed into him. In a short amount of time the damage to his body began to mend and his retching stomach calmed.
Kael apologized to N’Ikyah as soon as he could catch a breath and she smiled at him but the hollow look in her eyes never left. Guilt swallowed him, though he was sure the beatings happened to her and the other slaves all the time. His entire being ached at the thought of her life with these monstrous creatures, beaten or even killed on a whim. Life should never be so cheap, in any dimension. For the life of him he couldn’t understand how such a place could exist. The thoughts rolled through his head like an out of control roller-coaster.
When she finished healing him, N’Ikyah and Lycori helped Kael stand and two of the guards led the way to their new prison cell. A monstrous hand around his neck kept Kael from any more attempts at doing something stupid.
They walked for about ten minutes, following the two guards down carved, granite steps and then across a large open area that looked like it had been a va
st marketplace with vendor stalls built into the stone walls long ago. Though he knew they were underground, without his magical senses Kael had no sense of how far. Past the market they came to another set of stairs leading down to a large room with a square-shaped, stairwell column that dropped further into the ruins. Each of the three flights down housed a level of prison holding cells identical to those they had left farther up.
The level they stopped on, however, was much larger, and dozens of cells lined the vast room from one side to the other. Also layered in silver, the new cells were equipped with the same sharpened points, inches apart along four sides of the bars. There were no spelled blocks and no privacy at all. There were hundreds of cells spread out across the level, all occupied with at least a thousand captives in total. Though he tried, Kael couldn’t see the far side of the prison block. There were so many people here; why? What were they all doing there? It took a few seconds for the reality of his situation to hit, but when the smell of unwashed humanity and the heavy sense of desperation hit him, he gagged. Real hopelessness set in. This is insane. They were all going to die if they didn’t escape. Kael prayed for the strength to survive.
A short way off of the stair column was a cell with only two people in it. The cell itself was off to the side, on its own, with no others at its back and a solid wall that made up the guard house to the right. Inside, several Orotaq guards sat around a table situated on an elevated floor. The windowed security room overlooked every cell on the level. Narrow hallways surrounded it, heading to other parts of the prison. The attached cell was also larger than the rest Kael could see. A lone cell, reserved for special prisoners.
When they reached the cell, one guard held Lycori as the other picked Kael up by the Gyhhura collar. The rune-covered spikes inside his neck tore at the nerves they were anchored within and shooting sparks of electrical pain fired through his central nervous system. Unable to do little more than twitch from his misfiring nerves, Kael hung by his collar until the Orotaq guard flung him inside. He smashed into the bars at the farthest end of the cell. The guard’s immense strength turned Kael’s one-hundred-eighty-pound body into nothing more than a ragdoll. The Orotaq laughed, loud and abrasive, howling like a wolf as Kael’s twisted body fell to the floor, unconscious.
