Take My Heart...: Dark Ages - Fantasy (Dark Gods & Tainted Souls Book 3)

by Schenk, Julius

  The man looked back from washing himself and seemed to only know notice what had happened. He ran to his sister’s body and screamed. The dog creatures all took up the howl, hundreds and hundreds of them. They surrounded Seth and the Lucky Lady.

  “You’ll regret that!” he cried as he cradled the creature’s dying body. The lady took his hand and squeezed it, it was covered in dark blood.

  “We tried,” she said.

  The man stood and screamed. “Kill them!” The dog creatures howled and leapt to do just that.

  Seth stabbed down into one that leapt on him but was soon overcome. Tens of them were grabbing at his body. Hard teeth wrapped around his mailed armor. He fell backwards and was surrounded by a sea of fur. From the corner of his vision, he saw a white flash and then heard it, the vicious howl of the Wolvern.

  Within a moment, something had grabbed his leg and dragged him clear of the pile of furred killers around him. Seth was forced to his feet by big hands and looked. It was Silver and the Wolvern. It was a war of black and white colors. They attacked with a fury he’d never seen in the two, he watched them working together, she would slash a creature legs and he would finish the kill, they were a perfect team of death. There were only two of them but they cleared an area around Seth.

  “Hi boss,” he heard a voice say in northern and saw it was Grimm. He hugged the man though shock and smiled.

  “Good timing brother,” he said.

  “I thought you might need me,” he said and then swung around cut down one of the dogs that was on him. He felt a slight ring of hope and then he heard a voice. “Stop!”

  He saw the man standing with his sword pointed right at the Lucky Lady.

  “You’ve done well boy, but you keep fighting and she dies,” he whispered something to his younger sister and she traded places with him, holding a blade at the Lady. Seth looked at her and she winked at him again, who was she? As the man turned he saw her eyes change for a mere moment and realized it was Seraphina. He tried not to smile.

  The man walked towards Seth with his blade drawn.

  “Now you’ll let yourself be taken or she dies,” he said to Seth.

  Seth looked at the lady and his friends, they were outnumbered hundreds to one. Just dots of life in a sea of vicious animals. Seth felt tired, blood was dripping from his small wounds and he knew his friends might be strong but they were nothing against his. Seth dropped his sword and fell to his knees before him.

  The man walked to Seth where he kneeled. “You will die, but not by my hand, by their teeth,” the man yelled. The man raised his hand and the creatures around them readied to pounce.

  The man opened his mouth to say the word “Kill,” but they came out wrong. The Northern word “Kell” came out instead. Seth looked up and saw the man had changed and before him he looked at a guise of himself. Seraphina had changed him in body and voice, to a mimic of Seth. Seth looked to her and she nodded back to him. Looking quickly down he saw he was now in guise of the man. Seth knew this was his only chance.

  He pointed at the guise of himself and shouted again at the confused dogs. “Kill him.” The voice was the voice of their master, one of command, they had heard again and again.

  The mindless beasts didn’t care their enemy had moved, they saw and they attacked. He saw the man being dragged to the ground and screaming as they ripped him apart with their horrible teeth. Tens of the things surrounded his body and took his hands, neck and devoured him before them, it took long minutes and Seth looked away, only hearing the horrible sounds or it. Seth looked back at the fallen man, all that was left was a broken skull, part of his ribcage and a pile of bloody and gnawed bones. Slowly as he watched, the body began to rebuild itself. The skull grew skin, a torso formed, and grew, bones grew muscle and skin, but before the man could form into the familiar visage of their master and command them to stop, the dogs began to feast again.

  Seth looked at the sight and was sicken by it. Chance and bad fortune had created the perfect prison for a creature that could never die. He knew the man would be trapped in the prison of his own body forever. Healing himself just to be destroyed again and again, for all time. The other gods would never let him escape this time.

  Seth turned away from the horrifying image before him. It was done, the undefeatable, had been defeated.

  Seraphina ran to Seth and hugged him hard, him lifting her from her feet and laughing with relief as they did.

  “I thought I’d lost you for sure,” he said.

  “I knew you’d need me to save you,” she said with a laugh.

  He put her down on the ground and looked at her face, a bit dirty, bloody and still beautiful and yes just saved him once again. “I think I love you,” he said.

  She smiled back at him. “I think I love you too.”

  Grimm pushed past everyone else and hugged Seth properly crushing Seraphina to him.

  “Bloody glad to see you, boss, and you, my girl. We’ve heard many good things.” He turned to the Lucky Lady who was looking fine wiping her blade of bloody and regarding Silver and the Wolvern.

  “Valuable friends, Seth,” she said and walked over to them. “I’m the Lucky Lady,” she said.

  “The Goddess?” said Grimm and then realizing she spoke true, bowed to her, she just smiled. “The time for that is passed.”

  “Is it done then?” asked Seth, looking at the horrible sight of the man, the once feared god, being torn apart again and again.

  “This battle has been fought before and it will be fought again. There is always a battle between hope and fear somewhere. But not by us, so long as more people believe in hope, we’ll keep winning,” she said.

  Seth felt a wave of relief flood through him as he realized it was over, his finally battle was done.

  “What now?” he asked.

  The Lucky Lady spoke back to him. “It’s up to you, you’re welcome to stay with me and my kind or we can send you home, but if we do you can’t take your gifts, you have to choose,” she said.

  Grimm looked at her and shook his head. “Sorry to speak against a goddess and all but you don’t Seth. I can send us back and we can keep what we have,” he said.

  “You have that power? A mortal shouldn’t know such things,” she said, looking a bit wary of him.

  “Mortals, Gods, the distinction isn’t what it used to be, but he deserves a real choice,” Grimm said.

  Seth looked at his friends and thought of his life from his first moment on meeting the Wolvern to now. It had been one day of blood after another. Death on death, being chased killing, fear. He was tired of it.

  He held Seraphina’s hand and looked at her. “What do you think?” he asked

  “Let’s go home and try to be normal. I have a lot to make up for,” she said.

  “Could you give it all up?” he asked.

  “So long as we are like this, people will always be against us, they will always seek to take what we have,” she said.

  Seth shook Grimm by the wrist. “Well met brother but she’s right I’m ready to hand it back,” he looked at the Lady. “But not all of it, you can take the killing and summoning but I don’t want to be some illiterate again. I still want the languages and words.”

  She smiled at him. “A fair trade.”

  The Lady led them away from the carnage and they talked as they walked. He held Seraphina’s hand and the Wolvern paced alongside him. He thought back to the first time he’d seen the creature, in all its horror but it had chosen him and saved him. He’d carved a bloody path with it by his side and truly he was happy to be able to just stop and let someone else worry about these things. Maybe he’d show Seraphina his home or just not killing someone for a while, that would be nice.

  “Thanks, friend, this is the end for us all well. I assume?” he said turning to the Wolvern.

  It’s true, it spoke. In his mind, there are many kinds of hunger and she can help sate them all, you deserve to rest and besides the world only needs one Druheim
at a time.

  They reached the beach and Seth saw the sky had broken and the sun was out. In the harbor stood. The Opulent with its sails in full bloom. The Lucky Lady turned to Seth and smiled her wicked grin at him. “I always liked you Northmen, now I must be off, so much cleaning up to do.”

  She hugged him and held him close. Her body was warm now. She started to vanish in the red light she’d first appeared in. “Tell Goldie I’ll find him in his dreams.” Within moments, she was gone and he turned back to his strange group of friends.

  He shook hands with Grimm and Silver and patted the Wolvern. “Goodbye, friends. If you ever need me, I’ll be there. Grimm, you know what they want from you? You could come back too. I know a few boys who would love to see you.”

  Grimm smiled at him. “I know, but this is right, Seth. I’m a simple sailor and now they’ll sing songs of me as well. Say hi to the lads for me.”

  He then whispered in Seth’s ear. “Besides, I think I’m starting to grow on this Silver girl.” He laughed and hugged Seth one last time.

  Seraphina took Seth’s hand and they walked along the gangway onto The Opulent. As he walked, he could feel the memories of fighting and killing leaving him. Skills and summoning and magic words all faded, leaving only the learning. He looked at Seraphina and knew it was the same for her. Her gift was leaving her. He saw a tear run down her face.

  “Are we making the right choice?” he asked.

  “We must be because it’s hard. What the hell are we going to do now?” she said.

  “Being a scribe always seemed like a good life,” he said. “And if we ever change our minds, Grimm told me where he hid some nice drops of wine.”

  Chapter Forty Seven.

  Goldie stood on the docks with his motley group of friends. They were all washed and clean, yet still drew looks of fright from people who passed by. They were still a very dangerous looking group of people. The night had fallen and it was lit with lanterns along the small dock. He stood next to Minsetta, Josette, and Farirkar. Flint and Stone were in a tavern waiting there. He’d been told Seth was coming home, but not when.

  “So you had a dream about the Lucky Lady and she told you Seth was coming home?” Josette asked him.

  “She sure did,” Goldie said with a happy grin.

  Josette laughed at him. “People think you’re crazy, you know? We hear you when you’re asleep now. It’s obscene, you moaning like a pleasure house girl! Every bloody night. Is sex all you dream about?”

  He just laughed back. “Hey, I earned it and ‘Dream about’ is a very pale description. Anyway, in between other things she did tell me he was coming back and he was bringing a new woman, so…” he looked at Minsetta pointedly, “You behave.”

  “I always behave. The woman is Seraphina, right? The one he pushed into the Land of the Dead?” Minsetta said with a laugh.

  Goldie laughed as well. “I think so. Well, you know our boy. He can be pretty charming. He killed you and you still like him. Probably saved her life. Women love that. Wait, you do like him, right? We’re not going to have any drama are we?”

  Minsetta just smiled so her teeth grew sharp and her eyes blackened, but she laughed. “Of course not. You don’t blame the lighting for striking you. You blame yourself for going out in the storm.”

  Goldie looked at her. “Good. We should be happy. The king is dead, because of me. The realm is saved, because of me. Now before Seth gets here and everything changes... plans? Anyone? What’s next? The king is dead, after all, and I hear he is heir-less.”

  They all laughed. He was half serious.

  “Nothing has changed for me,” said Farirkar. “I’ve never even met the man and I fully intend to keep on being a bloodthirsty mercenary. I was kind of hoping you’d all join me,” he said.

  “I will. I know that,” said Goldie. “I’m good at it and I think, with the money we’ve made so far, we can even expand the ranks. We’re running very low on men and as mentioned, the king is heir-less!”

  Farirkar grabbed Goldie in his big arms and crushed him to his chest. “Thank Famir! I was worried I’d have to do all the planning as well as the fighting. Partners?” he asked, releasing him.

  Goldie shook the big man’s hand in the warrior’s grip. “Partners. Sounds good. We’ll discuss the money split when you’re drunk.”

  Josette looked at the approaching boat and thought of Seth. Were things changing for her? Her feelings for Seth had changed, that was for sure. Before it was like a crush of a young girl imaging a silly life that couldn’t be. She had become so much in the time he’d been gone. She was a different person and a person he didn’t know. She was glad he was safe and she had repaid him, but now her life was her own.

  She looked deep inside herself and she knew that the fight was far from over. Not within her and not for this land. They had stopped some men who had risen up and tried to control it all, but she knew better than ever there were always more, and the only way to stop all the killers was to be better at it. She looked at Minsetta and the woman looked back. Strong, but a slight tinge of fear in her eyes; she could read it and it was just fear of being alone.

  She took Minsetta’s hand and looked at Farirkar and Goldie. Killers and mercenaries both, but she loved each one. “Of course, we’ll stay with you. We’re family now.”

  The ship, The Opulent, had slid up to the dock silently and without help. It rode quietly on the waves, like a silent ghost. Goldie looked up and saw Seth standing at the edge of the wooden rail, waving down to him. He was dressed as a simple soldier once more. Rough tunic and, at his hip, hung a simple eating dagger. Goldie felt such relief at seeing him. He looked just the same as he had before, just a Northern soldier with some important shit to do.

  “Do you think he knows he left the Black Rock Keep in Elizebetha’s will?” Josette asked Goldie, as they began to walk towards the gangway and greet them.

  Goldie laughed. “Doubt it. We’ll tell him, but first comes drinking. Lots and lots of drinking. We have a lot of catching up to do.”

  From Julius

  Well we've come to the end of the series and it's been a big journey for me as a writer and hopefully a fun one for you as a reader. I've gone from a guy wanting to write a book, to someone who writes full time and has done a series. I really hope you liked the series and found it to be unique and a bit different from other things you've read, or at least with some new kinds of magic and beasts.

  Next, i'd love to do a stand alone book for maybe one or two of these character. I really like Josette, and Goldie was hell fun to write. I'll be doing a survey soon, so give me you're thoughts on who you'd like to see more of.

  Also my new series will be out hopefully, sometimes this year, called something like 'Shadows of the Sea' it's all slave pirates, vikings and water wraiths.

  As always, do me a favor and give this one a review on Amazon, it helps, a lot.