Daughter of Hell

by Thomas Green

  Astril spun and stabbed his chest, the tip of her spear exiting through his back. She withdrew her spear and whirled to sever his head. Zerae stared at the invincible Goddess before her, speechless.

  Astril removed the wooden mask to hide it beneath her armor. She forced her mouth to form the fakest smile Zerae had ever seen, for above the curved mouth lay two eyes devoid of any happiness or hope.

  Zerae pulled the rest of her vitality to speak. “Help… others.”

  Astril shook her head. “These were the last.” She stepped to Zerae and caught her around the waist to lift her to her feet. Zerae had no strength to stand, so she let Astril carry her.

  The hill swarmed with Sil Haen who were finishing the remaining soldiers under Hilmeria’s command. At the side from where Astril came, the forest looked like hit by a typhoon while a large chunk of the hill was missing.

  What happened there? Zerae bit her inner cheek, using the pain to remain conscious. Everything hurt while her arms felt as if they would be better off severed. Chloe and her warriors soon arrived. The battle was over.

  Astril took Zerae to a chair to sit down while she called for girls to come help. As Zerae’s coat was half-melted into her arms, the best they could do was to soak them with healing ointments to stop the wounds from getting infected. They wrapped her arms with bandages, put an extra layer one onto the gash in her side, and made her a pair of makeshift crutches.

  Zerae swallowed the sadness that made her want to curl up and cry every time the image of Patricia dying to save her passed before her eyes. She let go of her pride not to use the crutches and hung onto them to keep herself up. Astril, Chloe, Hilmeria, and Leena gathered around her. Leena looked thin, almost malnourished.

  Zerae motioned to the corpse of Lord Bellarm. “Gather everyone and mount his head on a spear. We need to march to the city, now!”

  They all nodded and obeyed. Astril pried off the lord’s helmet, revealing the expression of utter terror that marred his face in the moment of his death. She struck the neck onto the tip of her spear and held it as a banner straight above her.

  They marched out within minutes. Zerae glanced over their force. Almost everybody was wounded, but there were many more Sil Haen alive than she expected.

  The vacated city walls proved Zerae’s suspicion of their army being dead or scattered. All who remained were few hundreds of men who stayed at the two fortresses, and they knew better than to waste their lives on an attempt to attack doomed to fail.

  Zerae motioned to Leena. She spread out her arms, formed a fist made of gray flames and punched the gate with it, smashing it open in a fountain of splinters before the stone turned to dust.

  Zerae shook her head. Neither she nor Astril are in a backlash. I am downright pathetic in comparison. “Kill anyone who crosses our path, but spare the rest.”

  They marched into the city. The people inside panicked. Some ran away screaming, some shut themselves inside their houses, some straight up fainted as they saw the Sil Haen army march in through the shattered gate.

  Hanging onto her crutches, Zerae headed straight to the town square. “Chloe, do you have anyone who can amplify my voice?”

  Chloe called one of her warriors.

  Zerae nodded. “She stays with me. You take a hundred and find all oil you can and then pour it over the roofs. The rest will soon join you to help.”

  “Got it.” Chloe motioned her warriors to follow her.

  Zerae limped to the city square, resting against the fountain standing in the middle. There were hundreds of people gathered around the edges of the square, yet nobody dared to attack them or get in their way. Zerae motioned the warrior Chloe brought to do the spell.

  She traced a few arcane symbols around Zerae’s head and covered her ears, telling everyone else to do the same.

  Once they did, Zerae drew a deep breath. “I am Zerae Hellwind, the War Leader of the Sil Haen and this city is mine. One hour from now, I will put the town to the torch, so pack your belongings and leave to the southwest, else you will burn in our flames or die by our blades.”

  Panic exploded within the city. Zerae rested by the fountain and commanded the rest of the Sil Haen to help with the oil.

  Two hours later, Zerae and her force left through the main gate with the city burning behind them.

  ***

  They rejoined with the wounded and gathered by the exit from the secret tunnel of the city. Inside, a massive supply of food and a hundred Darkscream warriors awaited them.

  Since Astril and Leena already flanked Zerae, she called Chloe and Hilmeria. When Hilmeria arrived, Zerae threw her a smile. “I know how this sounds, but I need you to write a letter that announces our victory, sign it by my name and fly it to Stormshriek.”

  Hilmeria nodded and asked her warriors to fetch her a quill, ink, and a parchment.

  Zerae bit her tongue to overcome the sudden rush of exhaustion. “Chloe, I need you to stay here with the force and tend to the wounded. There should be no more enemies around so you can stay in the forest until everyone can march.” She paused, gazed at the girls. They trusted her with everything. They deserved more than another lie. “For the wounded, injured, and everyone else who has had enough of this war, I prepared a refuge at the south-east. There is a camp by the Chimera Chasm through which anyone can descend into the caverns where I struck an alliance with a city of Langburn to house any of our refugees until the war ends. Whoever goes there will be guaranteed to survive, no matter the result of this conflict.”

  She half expected Chloe and Hilmeria to punch her for the blatant betrayal. They didn’t. Instead, they looked at each other, nodded and smiled. “We will take our best warriors back to the main camp, but only after we take everyone else to the chasm.”

  Zerae couldn’t stop tears from sliding down her face. “Astril, help me to my mount. We need to fly north.”

  Chloe threw her an inquisitive stare. “No time to take it easy, hmm?”

  “No.” Zerae tried to reach for her pocket, but her hand didn’t listen, answering the command with but a burst of sharp pain.

  Astril reached into Zerae’s pocket to pull out her whistle and put it to Zerae’s mouth. She returned it and blew on her own whistle.

  Leena approached Zerae. “Should I come as well?”

  “I need you to keep giving visions to the people we chased out to direct them toward the Palai camp, so please stay with Chloe and help her with the wounded when you aren’t dream-walking.”

  Belenus and Tlikk soon arrived. Astril strapped Zerae into the saddle and climbed onto her mount. Zerae lost consciousness before her bird left the ground.

  29

  Luna

  Luna’s days became the most bizarre routine she had ever had. She marched with the army she knew she would fight one day, chatted with them, exchanged tales, played cards, ate their rations and slept in makeshift tents, each of which housed ten souls. Despite her best efforts not to remember the names of the people who accompanied her, not to listen to the stories about their children, wives, and homes, she did.

  Luna wished she could erase it all from her head, but knew she would fail. She wanted to run. She wanted to scream not to hear them, but she couldn’t because Lucas kept walking before her and she had to follow him. Her mind found little reason in doing so, but her body allowed no discussion. And so another day ended, and they built their makeshift tent.

  A sigh escaped her mouth when she saw everyone inside the tent other than Lucas stuffing their ears before going to sleep. They knew what was coming, and so did she. Her insides froze while panic exploded through her veins when her mind wandered to the last night. To her nightmare.

  They waited for her every night. Whenever she fell asleep, she woke up paralyzed in a nightmare while Nancy came to torture her. Sometimes herself, sometimes through insects, sometimes by showing the images of her past like Daniel being beheaded before her eyes. Tonight would be no different.

  As Lucas sagged by the side
of the tent and she lay next to him, bracing herself. She didn’t want to sleep, but couldn’t help it, for her body was still so weak she barely managed the daily routine.

  She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but soon she realized she couldn’t move, lying on her back, staring at a stone ceiling. Nancy’s boots stepped to her while her head entered Luna’s view. She wore a kind smile as her wavy hair hung above Luna. “You came to see me again. How sweet of you. We will have so much fun tonight.” Nancy stroked Luna’s hair with a caring touch.

  Pain burst through every spot of Luna’s body. Her legs, her torso, her arms, her throat, her eyes, everything was stabbed with pain. From every epicenter of pain, something came out, long with pointy legs, hatching beneath her skin. She felt thousands of small centipedes crawl through her, tearing her muscles, writhing through her body. Luna screamed and trembled, wishing the pain would knock her out to make the feeling of a thousand insects crawling inside her disappear. It didn’t.

  The centipedes pierced their way through, filling her stomach, skittering up her throat. She felt dozens of them reaching her mouth from the inside while others found their way by tearing her skin. The first centipede crawled out of Luna’s mouth, skittering over her face to Nancy’s hand.

  She petted the insect. “Good girl.” Nancy detached and walked away while the centipedes kept crawling out of Luna. Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands. They would crawl out of her body only for it to regenerate and new centipedes to hatch within her. A batch after another, for hours, for the entire night.

  Luna woke up screaming, shaking, covered by a cold sweat. The surrounding tent was waking up, their faces telling the story of their stuffed ears being insufficient in stopping Luna’s shrieks.

  Lucas towered above her. “Come.” He offered her his hand, and she took it, letting him raise her to her feet.

  They packed the tent and marched onward. The others stopped trying to stop her nightmares as nothing they gave during the past few days helped.

  Their march changed their direction. Lucas led them marching sideways to climb up a small hill to see into the distance.

  In front, beneath tall white peaks shining in the sunlight, an army of soldiers in green-black armor was about to join theirs. Them and the demons, twisted forms of snakes and birds.

  Lucas’ face darkened. “This is where the path across the Frozen Heights where I sent Beatrice to lead the companies lies. If Ebilezerhar’s army holds it, they didn’t make it.”

  Luna gulped, the image of the snake demon prince torturing the rest of her friends haunting her thoughts. “So, are they captured?”

  “We will see.” Lucas smiled, but there was no joy in his eyes. “If we march back, they were. If we head south-east, they escaped and are heading to Snowhaven for their last stand.”

  Luna turned her gaze to the ground. I’m sorry, everyone… this is my fault. She wished the emptiness within her would finally devour her soul. It didn’t, forcing her to live on.

  “Come.” Lucas motioned her forward to follow him. They rejoined the militia, marching south-east for the rest of the day.

  Before them opened a valley hidden between the Frozen Heights and a sharp mountain ridge. At the end of the valley lay a town embraced by steep cliffs, its walls tall and made of stone. As they crossed the valley, Luna noticed a mountain by the side had its peak carved into the shape of a snake’s head with its mouth wide open, looking exactly like the symbol of Ebilezerhar.

  Luna’s eyes widened as she motioned to the mountain, gazing at Lucas. “I suppose that is a part of the plan.”

  Lucas smiled. “Good eyes. Ebilezerhar’s main sanctum lies within that mountain.”

  Her gaze wandered to the town. “And that city is where the companies and Raven will be fortified.”

  He nodded.

  The icy grip of fear strangled her insides. She gulped the feeling down. “It’s too small. There is no way that the town can contain over five thousand soldiers. They will all die there.”

  Lucas shrugged. “Perhaps yes, but perhaps not. Kayleanne’s and Ebilezerhar’s armies have no siege machinery and not that many supplies.”

  This could never work. Luna shook her head but said nothing. She had more immediate worries, for the blood of dusk flooded over the sky. They built the makeshift tent as every day of the march.

  Lucas sagged down by the side, and Luna lay next to him. As she remembered the last night, the thousands of centipedes hatching within her body to skitter their way out through her skin, she burst into tears.

  He raised an eyebrow in her direction.

  “I… I don’t think I can do this,” she stuttered, avoiding his gaze.

  Lucas grabbed her by the shoulder and pushed her head onto his chest, wrapping his arm around her. “We try like this.”

  The strength she felt from him soothed her soul, drying her tears. She fell asleep.

  ***

  Luna woke up in the morning after a dreamless night, feeling rested for the first time this week. She was wrapped around Lucas’ body, holding onto him like a tick with arms and legs clenched tight, hearing his steady breath as her ear lay pressed on his chest.

  He threw her a troubled smile, awkwardness pouring from his expression. “Morning.”

  Luna turned red and detached from him.

  They packed the tent in awkward silence. From what Luna could see, the army surrounded the town, preparing for the siege.

  Lucas motioned her to follow him. “Come.”

  They walked through the ranks. Despite being out of place, nobody stopped them. The cold feeling of power and authority oozed out of Lucas, making everyone clear their way as they passed toward the town. Luna was not surprised because the overwhelming aura of might shining from Lucas made the hair on the back of her neck stand.

  Lucas led her forward. When they left the army ranks, a few shouts followed them, but nobody stopped them. As the two of them walked to the gate, Lucas stretched out his hand and a ruby-covered cloak decorated by a golden symbol of a sword with wings, the symbol of Palai. He threw the cloak over his shoulders and the gate creaked open.

  Looking into the ground, Luna followed Lucas into the town, seeing soldiers dressed in the red-golden armor of the Palai Order ranked in front of them. A tall, square-faced man, a lieutenant by his uniform, stepped forward, and they stopped before him.

  Lucas gave him a nod. “Akku.”

  The man grunted. “General.”

  Lucas smiled. “Inform Li Mu of our arrival. The enemy army will need two to three days to prepare for the siege, so have Li Mu use them to let the legion rest.”

  Akku nodded. “Sir.”

  Luna stared at Lucas with wide eyes and mouth gaping.

  He turned to her, raising an eyebrow.

  “Sorry, sir, but—.”

  He frowned. “The next time you call me with an honorific, you get a month of bilge duty, clear?”

  “Yes, s… Lucas.”

  He smiled. “I had this town fortified by the 1st Legion as a last-resort refuge. Don’t get your hopes up though—” He stopped mid-sentence, staring over Luna’s shoulder.

  She followed his gaze to see his eyes were fixed on a stable full of horses.

  Lucas took a deep breath. “Akku!”

  The lieutenant spun and returned to him. “Sir.”

  Lucas looked up at Akku in the way that made the air around them freeze. “What are the horses doing here?”

  The lieutenant shrugged. “Eating hay, sir.”

  Luna chuckled but caught her mouth with her hands as she did.

  Lucas’ glare didn’t yield. “Why aren’t they being processed in the kitchens?”

  “We wanted to do that, but the prince had a different opinion, sir.”

  “Within our army’s ranks, Prince Raven is somewhere below a freshly recruited private. Treat him as such and have the horses turned to food, now.”

  He nodded. “Sir.” His retreat to his men was one of the fastest Luna had ev
er seen.

  She couldn’t help herself but smile. Horses are useless when defending a city, but grilled horse meat isn’t.

  Lucas turned back to her. “Get Akku to show you around and reunite you with your company. I told them you and Nancy were kidnapped by Ebilezerhar, tortured, spilled nothing and that I went to rescue you.” He walked away.

  Luna stared at him leaving. After she caught up with Lieutenant Akku, he showed her where she was to sleep, gave her a rundown of the fortifications, and explained the rules of accessing the local brewery.

  From what Luna understood, the 1st Legion held the city together with the local garrison and militia, making their entire force number about five thousand men.

  After her tour had ended, she walked to where her company was to rest. She swallowed the nervousness, sadness and swore herself not to apologize or break down crying because she wanted to do both. Lieutenant Redeye welcomed her with an acknowledging nod. He knew the truth. But he was the only one who did. Chief Bull, Rod, Willem, and Sparks greeted her with happy hugs and pats on her back.

  She didn’t deserve them, but couldn’t tell them the truth. It clawed onto her insides, yet the lie was what she had to say. After her reintroductions, Luna grabbed her dinner, a raw chunk of horse meat, separated from the others and scaled a watchtower by the side, gazing upon the city. Its walls were layered in three separate circles with the central keep at the middle. From the people inside, Luna saw no women, no children, no elderly, only soldiers.

  The valley around them lay filled with soldiers and demons, so many they were hiding the grass beneath the sea of steel and banners. Luna didn’t bother to count them or figure out the formations. She scanned their forces, seeing they had no siege machines as Lucas said, borderline no large demons and up to two hundred bird demons.

  She swallowed a piece of the steak and chewed off another one. This is actually defensible. We might be outnumbered about six to one, but the fortifications look solid, and we have no dead weight.