The Gods' Games Volume 1 & 2: Graphic Edition (The Gods' Games Series)

by Quil Carter

  It stared at Ben and tilted its head to the side as if trying to figure out how to get him down from the tree. It then opened its mouth and started snapping its elven teeth together, making a horrible clicking sound.

  “Tek tek… tek tek.”

  Ben broke eye contact and, with another untapped burst of adrenaline, he dug his claws into the trunk deeper and pulled himself up – right as the dryder’s leg reared back and stabbed the tree trunk, only inches away from where Ben’s hand was.

  Ben pulled himself onto the tree limb and looked down. The dryder had two of its spider legs up on the trunk and its other six legs stretched out to their maximum. It was so close to Ben he could see his reflection in the dryder’s black eyes.

  It looked at Ben and outstretched its grey elven arms, long black claws on each digit, including a thumb.

  “Tek tektek… tek tek… tektek”

  It clawed at the bark with its hands, leaving thin scrapes in its wake. Ben grasped for dear life onto the tree limb, hugging it with his hands and legs. His body a block of ice, frozen in fear as the dryder’s hands came only inches away from his body.

  “Tek… tektektek.”

  Behind the dryder Ben realized that Maki was gone. Where his body had been was nothing but scorched ground. Like he had hoped it hadn’t been the daraphin child’s body. He had been a hallucination, or a wraith or something; Ben didn’t know.

  Was the dryder real? It touched me… it had to be real.

  “Tek tek tek.”

  The spider-elf stretched out its leg further, trying to get Ben, but once again it was just a few inches too short. Its sharp black leg, spiked with hair and dew, flicked at him for a few moments before it dropped. The ground shook as the dryder’s leg slammed back to the ground, then it started pacing back and forth, clicking and clacking to itself.

  Ben tried to move, to push himself to the sitting position so he could climb higher, but as soon as he did, the dryder came thumping back. To Ben’s shock it jumped up into the air and took a vicious swat at Ben, the wind whistling from the strength behind its thrash.

  It didn’t get him, but it knocked him off-balance.

  Ben fell backwards. He reached his hand out to catch the tree limb, but his clawed fingers only grazed it.

  With a fearful cry he fell all the way to the bottom.

  His hibrid instincts kicked in though and he landed on his feet. He gave the dryder one look before he turned and ran, hearing the thumping behind him as he fled.

  Ben only got several paces before he felt himself get knocked to the ground. He landed hard on his stomach, quickly rolling onto his back as the dryder towered over him.

  The spider-elf clicked at him, before raising a stake-like leg and driving it down towards Ben’s chest. Ben jerked to his side and watched as the dryder’s leg slammed down between his arm and his torso, barely missing his body.

  The dryder gave a hiss and its head thrashed back and forth, as Ben stared at the creature he realized it was because its leg was stuck in the dirt; it couldn’t get it free.

  Ben seemed to lose control of his body. Another force, a braver one, scrambled himself out from underneath the dryder as it tried to free itself. When he was several feet away, he felt a surge of energy go through him. His mind told him to run, but he knew it was no use. He had to use his energy for something else.

  Ben held out his hands as the dryder pulled its leg free, and as it looked at him, its beady eyes echoing the moonlight, an immense flare of blue fire shot from Ben’s palms.

  The dryder screamed and reared up into the air, its massive spider legs writhing and thrashing under the hot inferno of sapphire flames. Ben coughed as he sucked in a breath of searing heat, the flames extinguishing from his hands as his maegic drained.

  The dryder fell to its side with a ground shaking thud, its limbs flailing. Ben turned and ran, feeling the heat burn his back as it cooked the spider-elf alive.

  Ben cried out from fear as he ran, gasping and choking from his desperate attempts to fill his lungs with cold air. He was limping now, he must’ve landed wrong when he fell, but he didn’t care, the dryder’s thrashing and screaming was right behind him.

  And the smell… the smell. Ben could smell the burning all around him mixed in with the damp aroma of the human.

  There was nothing but black in front of him, the brilliant blue behind as it burned the spider-elf alive. Ben passed a rock, and felt his legs brush against the thick mounds of plains grass as he ran, although his running was just a struggled limp now.

  Thunk thunk…. Thunkthunkthunk.

  Ben looked behind him. A strangled groan came from his lips as he saw the dryder, partially engulfed in blue and orange flames, start to crawl towards him, struggling and collapsing as it did; its thick legs thudding hard but uncoordinated against the ground. It clacked at him, mixing in with its cries of agony, but its face showed no pain or emotions at all.

  Tek… tektektektektek

  Tektektektektektek

  “BEN? BEN!!”

  A strangled sob broke from Ben’s lips, a cry of pure relief.

  It was Teal’s voice.

  Oh god, it was Teal’s voice.

  “Teal!” Ben sobbed. He clasped his arms into one another and started to cry as he ran towards the voice.

  “Ben? I can hear him!” he heard Malagant yelled, his voice shocked but excited.

  Ben ran, he ran for his life towards the voices. His heart, though exhausted and shattered, soared with relief.

  He was safe, he was safe.

  With his leg buckling, and the thumping of the dryder’s heavy steps behind him, he ran, tears streaming down his face.

  “Ben!” Teal’s voice sounded close. Ben wiped the tears from his eyes so he could see better. An unfathomable sense of relief washed over him as he saw his friend’s blond head, looking from side to side, trying to spot him. He could see Malagant beside him too, both looking around, calling for him.

  “Teal, Malagant!” Ben choked as he got closer to them. “It’s right behind me. Help me. Help me!”

  As he got closer to his friends, exhausted, worn, and emotionally shot, they turned around at the same time.

  Ben stopped.

  Teal had teeth embedded in his face, screwed into his bleeding eyes. Malagant’s face was nothing but dozens of shrivelled shrunken eyes, surrounded by stitches of shimmering moonsilk. They both stared at Ben, their mouths, unnaturally low, wide open and groaning.

  Ben looked at them, unable to move, unable to run, unable to do anything but stare in shock and terror.

  And it was in that moment… that Ben felt the last strands of his sanity snap.

  As his deformed, distorted friends let out twin ear-piercing shrieks, Ben just stared. And as their screams reverberated off the plains, Ben joined them, laughing as he did.

  49

  Melesch extended his guard-issued bow and released it with a twang. There was a squeal in the darkness and a flurry of hasty movements.

  Teal, Malagant, and Josiah leaned over the edge of the walls and watched a wild pig flail and shriek, bleeding from the arrow that pierced its neck. It grunted and squealed as its thrashing became less, until it collapsed near a pile of dead animals. A pile growing larger by the hour, as the herd of animals made their way past the walls of Birch.

  The walls were covered in lit torches. Every one of the guards were on duty tonight to monitor the herd going by.

  It had been a fascinating sight. There were hundreds of glowing eyes reflecting in the torches that were stationed on the walls, every one of those eyes making their way north. Teal had seen jare cats, giori, deer, moose, gruleon, even plains buffalo which were usually only seen in the flatlands west. He even saw a few animals he had never seen before, like raptorlizards, brought from Xal’Crith by Erick during the invasion, and cattuli bats.

  There was a loud snort below him. Teal looked down to see a wild horned borsow shake its head in distress as it got to the wall. Borsow were stu
pid, it would probably take it all night to figure out it had to get around the wall.

  “Prick it in the ass,” Malagant said with a laugh as they watched the heavy-coated animal snort and moo in distress. A cloud of flies buzzing around it, landing on its dark brown fur only to burst off with every jerk of its head.

  Melesch reached into his pocket and pulled out an iron ball bearing and drew it in his bow, he released it on the borsow which sent it running back towards the plains. A bunch of rabbits scattered in its path.

  “This food is going to feed the town for months,” Melesch said happily. “We’ll bring it to Richopher and salt and dry a bunch of it for your travels as well.”

  From the west side of the wall there was another squeal, followed by a cheer. Fenton and several other guards were watching that wall, and taking down animals as well. Pontis and the lord of the town had given the guards and a few of the townsfolk the all-clear to take some of the animals for food. The meat was going to be rationed to the town, and there were even talks of having a celebration too.

  Teal had already made up a thousand excuses in his head as to why he wouldn’t be attending. He would be just fine staying inside Anagin’s home, far away from any social interactions. There was no part of him that felt like celebrating while Ben was out there in the darkness and though he understood Malagant and his ability to compartmentalize what was happening with Ben… he still felt hurt whenever he saw Malagant enjoying himself.

  There was a flicker below him; Teal glanced down again to see Suana and Pontis quickly cutting the throats of the animals they had killed so their meat didn’t spoil.

  Melesch scanned the area, bow drawn to cover for them. “Anything off, hibrid?” he called.

  Teal knew Melesch was talking to him. There was another hibrid guard, a lady named Talissa, but she was taking the north wall tonight. Teal had the best night vision right now on the south wall.

  Teal looked around. It seemed like the herd had slowed during the last hour. All of the bigger and faster animals had already passed, and now just slow grazing animals seemed to be making their way through. The grass around the wall had been stomped on over and over again, reducing it to a bog of mud, rain water, and soaked grass. The churned quicksand-like soup had been a trap for the lesser agile animals, which had made them easy targets for the guards on the wall.

  “There is a large moose but it looks like it’s heading east where the ground slopes, besides that I just see dark shapes, rabbits or plain squirrels probably, or the equivalent.”

  “Just ask and we can get Sunshine to throw some of his happy beams over to light the area,” Malagant said. A moment later he gave out a loud owe as Josiah smacked him upside the head.

  Malagant grinned at Teal, obviously trying to get a laugh out of him, but all Teal could manage was a smile.

  “And also, just ask and we can get Malagant to… wait.” Josiah paused and gave Malagant a mock look of confusion. “Just what actually do you do?”

  Malagant glanced at Teal before pointing to Josiah. “Get ‘em. Go get ‘em, demenos spawn.”

  Josiah gasped at Malagant in shock. “You can’t say that about him!” he said exasperated. “Dad said you couldn’t use that term. It’ll encourage him!”

  Malagant scoffed, before raising his hands in the air. “Well do run and tell Daddy, Sunshine! Go on now; go tell Dada what Mally said about the feral-demenos-hibrid-spawn.”

  Teal couldn’t help himself this time; he cupped a hand over his mouth and laughed. Though all Josiah had for the both of them was a pained look. “Those who laugh at demenos soon find themselves without tongues,” he warned.

  Malagant roughly put his arm around Teal and rubbed his head. “I’m not laughing at demenos; I’m just playing with one. He’s an anomaly, a phenomenon! I knew he was special and not just Mugabee special.”

  Teal flushed and ducked out from under Malagant’s headlock. He straightened his hair. “It does explain a lot I suppose…”

  Teal paused, he felt his shoulders slump. “You don’t think I’m manic and crazy?”

  Malagant gave him a smile. “I don’t think you’re crazy, Teal. I know you’re crazy, but at least we know why you’re crazy, right?”

  Teal gave him a flat look. Malagant started to laugh but Josiah was still giving them pained looks.

  Josiah took in a deep breath, worry heavy in his dark blue eyes. “But… in all seriousness, no jokes. Teal, Dad is right when he says you need to keep him in check. I mean, I shouldn’t refer to him as he because it is you, just… please, Teal, be careful,” Josiah pleaded. “The demenos blood is faint in you, but it is there and it can grow, and it can take over you. You have a long journey ahead of you. Malagant, you need to watch him. Promise?”

  Oddly enough, Malagant’s mood shifted. The smile disappeared from his face and he gave his brother a serious nod. “I will, Josiah. I might joke, but you know as well as I do… I have seen the Smokes of Shol; I know what we’re dealing with.”

  Josiah sighed with relief and nodded, before they all turned back to the edge of the wall.

  They talked amongst themselves on the wall for another hour, before Anagin called up to them. Anagin had his dark cloak wrapped around him, but his mages robes could be seen underneath. He was holding a flare of ruby-red fire in his left hand to light his way, his right hand leaning on his fox head cane.

  “I lit the beacon. Are you three done shooting scared animals or do you need another hour?” Anagin called up to them, the flare of red fire turning his eyes a brilliant orange colour.

  “No, we’re done, Dad,” Malagant called down. He gave Melesch a nod before walking towards the iron rung ladder that was a few feet away from them. He stepped back and motioned for Teal to go down first as he turned to his guard friend. “Save that pig for us, Melesch. I haven’t had some salted ham in a long time. Josiah, do we still have the soft cheese with the–”

  Suddenly there was a high pitch wailing shriek coming from the plains. It sounded far away but the distance didn’t make it any less terrifying.

  It caught Teal completely off-guard and made him jump from surprise. Unfortunately he landed crooked on the battlements of the wall. Teal tumbled backwards but with a twist, he landed on his feet beside Anagin.

  He looked back up at the wall he had just fallen from. Malagant, Josiah, and Melesch were all as still as statues, a look of confusion and unease on their faces. When the cry died down an eerie silence fell over the town, only broken up when a second terrifying scream tore through the darkness.

  Then Teal’s eyes went to Anagin’s. A strike of fear shot up his spine when he saw a fleeting look of dread cross Anagin’s face. But it was only for a fraction of a second before Anagin’s expression went back to his usual collected calm.

  “It’s a kimevrah from Xal’Crith, caught in the herd. Erick must’ve brought them,” Anagin said loudly to the three elves on the wall. “No harm in them. It will die once it gets further north. Let’s go home.”

  Teal dusted himself off and started walking with Anagin back to the house. A few moments later Josiah and Malagant jumped off of the wall and jogged to their father. They didn’t speak, but they both looked rattled by the noise.

  “Dad?” Josiah whispered.

  “We’re securing the house tonight, Josiah,” Anagin said quietly. “Once I am home, I’ll go to the attic. You’ll get your robes and follow me.”

  “What was it?” Malagant said to him, his voice barely a whisper.

  “I don’t know, that’s why we’re securing the house, Malagant.”

  “What could it…”

  “I have been to Kar’Endia and Xal’Crith. I have seen Kitzan, the Jeva, the displaced, wraiths, dragons… I have heard their cries. I have been to Shol and I have heard their cries as well.”

  Anagin stared forward, his eyes grave and serious. “I have never heard that noise before, but inside me my blood ran cold. Whatever that creature is, the animals are running from it.”
/>   “Ben…” Teal choked. He turned around, feeling his chest tighten.

  Ben was out there. Ben was out there with that thing.

  “At daybreak we’ll send everyone out again,” Malagant reassured Teal. They started on the dirt path away from Birch and towards the house.

  “What about the herd?” Teal asked quietly. He looked back behind him, where the rows of houses were disappearing into the darkness. Pontis had made it clear he wanted everyone on the wall while the animals were passing through. Would he still be willing to send out the guards?

  “It will pass by morning, I’m sure,” Josiah answered. “It was already thinning before we left. The predators seemed to be gone as well. I’m sure Pontis won’t mind.”

  Teal let out a breath and nodded. “Okay.”

  Malagant put a hand on Teal’s shoulder as the house came into view. “Teal can come too, right, Dad? You don’t need him for anything else?”

  Anagin shook his head. He took his cloak off and handed it to his son. Underneath was a different set of robes, different from when he performed sheomancy. These ones were dark crimson, trimmed with embroidered gold and brown. They had small swirling designs on them and golden clasps and cuffs.

  “You’re not going to like it, but neither of you can,” Anagin said. He opened the gate and started walking down the red brick walkway towards the door.

  “What!” Malagant exclaimed, walking through the gate after his father. “Both of us? Why!?”

  “Because I don’t like this. I don’t like any of this. The scream is the last straw for what I let you two do. You two are not leaving the protection of the house, neither is the Jewel of Elron.”

  “But that’s our friend out there!” Malagant’s voice rose as they both walked into the house. The door slammed behind them. “You can’t stop me from going out there. What will the guards think? That’s our responsibility. Only we know him. We have–”

  “Shut your gods damn mouth!” Anagin whirled around and yelled.

  Teal immediately shrunk down as Anagin glared at his son. He had never heard Anagin yell before; his eyes were ablaze with anger.