The water lapped at the side of the ship and he stood at the prow. It was a big monster of a wooden thing and would find no easy pier to land on. He stood against the wooden rail and looked at the dark land that was rapidly rising through the fog to meet them. Next to him stood the Lucky Lady. She held a long thin sword in her hand and still wore her long flowing black dress, she smirked at him, which gave him little comfort.
“We really couldn’t have brought an army or something?” Seth asked her, as the boat came closer to the rocky shore.
“He’d find an army, we have a better chance with just a small group,” she said.
“Two is a very small group, what about your fellows?” he asked.
“The judge has fallen but others will be giving us the only chance we have, they have agreed to lend you their strength. Close your eyes,” she said.
Seth closed his eyes and felt her ice-cold hand on his forehead. She didn’t speak but he felt a surge of power flowing into his body. It felt powerful, stronger than any taking had ever given him. As it flowed into him. His mind was filled with visions, the sun rising from its watery grave, people praying in the north to the warrior Famir and hundreds of others.” She removed her hand and he opened his eyes.
“What was that?” he asked.
“They have lent you what strength they can, we must do the fighting ourselves.”
“How is it you’re the strongest? Like you said, you’re not a fighter.” Seth said.
She laughed lightly. “What can I say? People like my statues, now get ready, it’ll be a battle through your fear as much as against a foe.”
The massive bulk of The Opulent was traveling fast towards the stony shore and he realized it was not going to stop. The huge boat crested from the water smashed into the earth and stones. There was a huge ripping sound of wooded destruction as the vessel lurched forward. Seth was ready and jumped from the ship. It was a huge distance but he landed lightly in the waist deep water. Holding his sword above his head he waded to the shore.
The land was black and dark, no grass only stone and dirt. He looked next to him and saw the lady. She grabbed his hand and they ran up the shore, water clinging to his legs and her dress.
“He’ll have heard that,” she said.
“No shit,” Seth cried back as they ran onwards. The beach was a small stretch of dark sand and soon they were up it. Beyond them stood a field of huge black stones and rocks. Beyond he could see what looked like a Keep. Fires glowed in its windows and off its battlements. They ran on hand and behind him he could hear the sounds of the black dogs, howling and trying to pick up their scent.
They ran through a crevice in the stone and pulling his body out, he cried in shock. He stood once again in the township of Bloodcrest, he remembered it from his youth. The Lady pulled him onwards through the town. All around Seth lay the desecrated bodies of people. The stalls were broken and torn and he saw soldiers and townspeople laying with their throats ripped out and blood around them in pools.
“Whatever you see, ignore it, he’s just trying to scare you,” she said as she pulled him on.
Seth tried to block out the vision and ran on. He couldn’t shake the feeling this was a vision of what would pass if, or more likely when he failed. He knew the town well and clearly she did as well, they ran through the main square and out the other side, but must pass the Keep as they did. Seth made the mistake of looking at it as they passed and saw it. The man Snake Tongue was in a black metal cage at the entrance. His body was broken and bleeding but alive, he looked at Seth with one eye, the other closed with blackened scars and marks.
“You will fail us all boy, you’re weak and you will let us all die,” he yelled.
Seth closed his eyes and let her lead him on past the broken man who he’d once so admired. Once again he tried to tell himself it was just a trick but it seemed so real.
“First real challenge,” she said, he opened his eyes and saw before them on the roadway stood three large and well-armed men, more visions he thought but they pulled swords as the two ran onwards at them.
“Are they real?” he asked raising his sword above his head as he ran.
“Real enough to kill us,” she said.
Seth was surprised that he felt a burst of rage and strength, here, at least, was something he could fight, not ghost or feelings but real foes.
He looked at the men and recognized them. He knew their faces but they were memories from what seemed a different life altogether. They were dressed as city guards and he saw they were his old friends from the north, Erik, Griffith and Ulrik. The very men who had come with him from Bloodcrest so long ago and left at the first sign of trouble. They drew on him and one smiled as he approached at a run.
“Good to see you again brother. Now you’ll die like we did!” Erik yelled, his voice wasn’t what Seth remembered. He was always the nice one.
Seth stopped and looked at the man, across his throat was a long cut mark, closed over.
“What? You all left me!” he yelled back, trying to regain his rage.
“Let’s just say we didn’t make it far,” Griffith shouted as he swung his sword at the stunned Seth.
He was too shocked to block the strike and just stepped sidewards as the blade passed by him. His instincts came back and he countered with a hard slash knocking the man back hard. He lunged sidewards and elbowed Ulrik hard in the face. He’d always been his least favorite, always stealing his chance at a girl.
Seth blocked out any thought of who they were and just fought as if they were faceless killers in some child’s play of swords. They surrounded him now and Griffith got a sword in the back from the Lady who they had ignored. She then stepped back and let Seth fight. He grinned at Ulrik who raised himself from the ground and lunged blindly at him with blood on his face. Seth sidestepped and punched his sword deep into him, the man collapsed.
Seth felt the wind of a blade pass his throat and jumped back. The last of his foes, Eric, stood. They’d always been close. For those years in training, he’d been his closest friend.
“I’m sorry,” Seth said.
The man grinned and Seth saw there was no light in his eyes, he was truly just a ghost, shade or some dead thing. He met his blade above his head and taking a move from somewhere kicked the man hard in the stomach. He bunched over and Seth brought his sword down hard into his exposed neck. Erik fell dead, or dead once more, whichever it was.
Seth felt his own pounding heart, breath and looked around at the three dead friends from his childhood. He fought against the emotion, they weren’t real. The Lady just took his hand and led them onwards.
“At least, it wasn’t your father,” she muttered as they ran.
***
He’d lived up to his word. She was marched at sword point by the youngest of the three sisters towards the Keep and she guessed the dungeons. She had to do something, she couldn’t just let them throw her in her and hope that Seth came to rescue her. She remembered what she was like in the land of the dead when she’d taken his guise. She was strong and powerful, she’d fought better than any of them. She felt a flicker of pride at herself then. Her powers of guise were useless here, they worked well enough but to try and deceive people who could read your every thought would take something more.
She felt the lazy blade against her back and knew the woman who marched her was bored and not ready for anything. She thought of her own mind, her thoughts and she changed them as if it were her face she tried to change it to a vision of love for the brother.
The girl behind her laughed. “Now you love brother, you humans are a fickle lot,” the girl said. Seraphina felt a burst of hope. She was the weakest of them but maybe it would work. The girl led her onwards through the Keep. They avoided the main rooms but she still heard the groans and cries of the people strapped to the racks in there. They walked down a cold hallway to a doorway she knew it led downwards. She’d have to time it right.
Thankfully the prison room was e
mpty. No guards or other prisoners, they were all on display in the dining room clearly. The room was low lit with candles and stank of blood and fear. In the middle of the row was another of those terrible black crosses covered in dried blood. The girl pushed her onwards to one of the open cells. Seraphina looked at her face for the first time. She had such a sweet look but her eyes were dark and cold. She still held the guise of a normal woman but Seraphina knew what she really looked like.
“Get in,” she said simply and reached out for some keys.
Seraphina walked in and grabbing the edge of the heavy metal door, stepped clear and swung it hard into the girls face as she fumbled at her waist for the right key. The edge of the metal gate hit her perfectly and hard. It caught her right on the temple and she flew backwards with a grunt of shock and collapsed on the stone floor. She felt a feeling of elation that the move had worked and walked to the girls crumpled form. She stood over her and saw a thin trickle of blood come from her forehead. She was softly breathing, asleep for who knew how long.
Seraphina took the girl by the hand and using all her strength dragged her body across the stones and into the cell. She found her keychain and after a few tries found the right key. She heard a noise at the door and quickly locked it. Now was the moment of truth. Thinking hard she changed the girl’s guise to be that of her and hers the girl’s, But that was not enough. She tried to change her thoughts, the way they looked, smell and acted, she made them black and bloody.
The door to the dungeon swung wide and he was there. She’d never done this before. She could actually feel the Girl’s thoughts in her mind, running next to her own. Seraphina felt revulsion but the girl felt safe, she let the safe though come through.
“What took so long, little sister?” he asked. Looking at the woman on the floor he laughed. “Was that needed?” he asked.
“She fought back, that’s what took so long,” she said in a voice not her own.
He laughed again, “We’ll aren’t you full of surprises, come on, he’s landed and we need to make him welcome.” He took her hand and led her from the room.
Chapter Forty One.
She led Minsetta through the dark landscape and then ended up letting her lead. She could see better at night and stepped easily passed branches and stones that she herself only saw at the last minute. They were headed back to their own camp but she’d learned time and time again it paid to be cautious. She’d never once thought she wished she’d been less cautious and careful. They had slipped easily passed two scouts and now crouched on the outside of the camp that was like a ring of firelight. Farirkar stood in the middle pacing back and forth with Flint and Stone next to him. She trusted those two if no other.
“Why do we delay?” Minsetta asked.
“Better safe than sorry,” she whispered back. The army of the Reds was much smaller than she thought, there was only around two hundred of them and almost all were Northmen or dark-skinned desert men and women.
Josette let out a whistle, two short and one long. It was loud enough and they all turned in her direction. Stone shouted out with a grin on his face. “It’s all good.” That was good enough for her. She stood from the darkness and walked with Minsetta towards them.
Skinner had appeared as well. But Flint and Stone grabbed her up, it was something they did every time, she wasn’t that incapable.
“Well met, little sister. You ok?” she struggled free.
“I’m fine,” she said.
“And so am I, thanks,” said Minsetta, she turned to Farirkar and spoke to him. “What’s going on, Josette said some of your men went crazy or something.”
“Don’t ask me. I have no idea, all I know is every Pellosi in the group started acting like the king had died, running riot, thieving, raping, fighting. I had to disband half the troop or end up killing half of them myself,” he spat.
“But you’re ok?” she said.
He laughed. “Do I look like I worship these piss-weak gods?” Now let’s get to business. I’m angry and I want to hurt someone. I’m guessing you’re planning this shit?” he said turning to Josette.
“If that’s ok with you?”
Farirkar laughed again. “Of course, we’ll do it like with Goldie, you give me the plan and if I like it we’ll do it.”
“Most of the force attacks the front, lots of noise, blood, and blunt force. A few of us, sneak over the wall, take out the main temple”
“What’s the point though? I mean I don’t mind killing people for gold but a reason it always nice,” he said.
“The craziness your men had, imagine that across the entire land, every city, every race, everyone,” she said in a low voice.
“Good enough for me,” Farirkar said. “I’ll get my men ready and take the front. I’m not much for sneaking,” he said and walked off yelling at the top of his lungs for the men to rally.
Josette laughed as he walked off yelling, he was in his element again and felt at peace, she liked simple people.
“Now Minsetta you know that place best, what do you think, south wall, where you came over?” she said.
“We need to take out that statue and all the priestess. I got their leader but they will be the best fighters and ones who will fight the hardest” she said.
“How many?” Josette asked.
“Around twenty, I’d say.”
“Well, you, me. Skinner, Flint, and Stone should do it,” she said.
“We have to climb a wall?” Stone asked with a shake of his huge head.
She laughed. “Yes, you do. Now let’s get moving.”
She ran back to Farirkar and spoke to him briefly and rejoined her group of killers.
“We’ll go now, get set and wait for his signal,” she said and started back towards the keep.
“What’s the signal?” asked Stone.
“Lots of yelling, what do you think?” said Skinner as she followed behind.
Soon they were once again crossing through the brush but the other way. The moon was hanging low in the sky and cast only a pale light. She had drawn her bow but didn’t have an arrow to it. She wasn’t looking forward to this. They were just using the very tactics of their enemies against them. Killing holy people. At least, these were well-armed holy people who would fight back. She didn’t know how she would do against a group of unarmed peace lovers. She didn’t want to let herself get that dark and find out she actually didn’t care, she was far enough down the path of darkness and didn’t need to go any further.
In another time, she would have joined with these women. She’d heard Minsetta story of the killing of the innocent men but that tale had left her cold. Sure they may have killed one or maybe a hundred men who didn’t deserve it, but how many did? The entire world was filled with men who thought it was their right to take whatever a woman had.
“Deep thoughts?” whispered Minsetta as they traveled.
“Just thinking I’m going to kill some people I partially agree with,” she said.
Minsetta laughed. “Trying killing people you’re falling in love with,” she said in the darkness.
“Seth?” Josette whispered in shock.
Minsetta laughed. “No, not Seth, that wasn’t love, it was just sweetness and a good dose of lust, anyway we are here,” she said.
They had traveled the few short miles to the camp in what seemed like moments and she realized she must have been making so much noise as her mind was elsewhere and not on the actual task.
The walls were lit and she saw two women on guard walking back and forth in set routes, idiots. They passed her every few minutes to walk the length of the wall and the back again. She would have to wait now for Farirkar. Who had hopefully inspired his remaining mercenaries to give it their all. They had been wandering around for a near a week with no one to fight so it shouldn’t be too hard.
Soon she heard it. The sound was of distant drums. It came closer and closer to her left. She heard the wars yells of the Reds and then the ringing of bells and f
emale shouts joining it. It had begun. One the guards left her position to run to the gate leaving just one, who looked to the gate, the darkness, the gate and decided to stay.
Josette looked at the woman. She was older, around forty and wore a nice leather armor shirt, it looked solid. Reaching behind her she pulled out a long arrow with a huge metal head. It had eight spikes from the point. She attached a thin but strong rope to the end of it and cast the rope on the ground giving it freedom to unravel.
Marking the woman as she walked, Josette let out a low whistle. The woman turned to look into the darkness and she let it go. The arrow flew through the air and darkness and hit her hard in the chest. She flew back off the wall with a look of shock. The rope running out though the night.
She looked back and smiled at her group and handing the rope to Stone got him to pull. Hand over hand he pulled it until they saw it was fixed hard in her body that was trapped against the wall.
“I’ll get up and then put down one that can hold all off you,” she grabbed the rope that swung tight through the air and hand over hand started to climb up it. The rope sagged down but held. Soon she was at the wall around half way up. She felt it start to give and grabbing the stones of the wall pulled herself up.
Stone let it fall and she saw the woman’s body topple back down. Two more guards were running towards her from the courtyard yelling. She looked around her and thankful saw the guards own bow and arrows sitting waiting for her. She grabbed the new weapon up and fired two fast shots at the running women. She took them both down and crouching she looked around. It was all quite except for the sounds of yelling and fighting from the gate.
Grabbing a thick rope from her bag, she fixed the metal hook on the battlements and threw it over into the night.
Chapter Forty Two.
The plan was simple. They had waited until the moon was high in the sky and light was low, now they would attack. Assuming these dog things had the brains he thought they did they would just be expecting the Silver woman and the Wolvern, not him.
Take My Heart...: Dark Ages - Fantasy (Dark Gods & Tainted Souls Book 3) Page 22
