The Boy and His Curse

by Michael P Mordenga

  Fragile and Ashen came face to face with Mollet and Budgeron. The Kalhari war prince could tell the Phaenix generals were holding themselves back from ripping their opponents apart. The troll general had wrecked their homes and killed their people and he savored every bit of their hatred for him. He had earned their ill intent.

  Ashen saw his warrior enemy standing mere feet away. Mollet was his perfect opponent; the warrior he wanted to spar the most. He smacked his lips at the sight of the black sword that had won many victories. Everything he had heard about Mollet seemed to be true; he emanated an aura of the perfect warrior.

  Mollet just sneered at him.

  Fragile dramatically puffed his chest out in pride. “I wanted to remind you of the charter rules of Truxton and all they dictate on the battlefield.”

  Budgeron turned hot with anger. Only his worst enemy would badger him with these universal battle laws. “Do not waste my time, General Fragile. We both know these rules. Because of our obvious advantage over your ground-burdened race we are not permitted to fly more than three persons high. But thank you for reminding us how superior we are to you.”

  Fragile flicked off the insult like it was a gnat. “Let me remind you also the curse the Truxton council will place on you if you do: your wings will burn the moment you go too high. I wouldn’t test it if I were you. We will keep our side of the agreement to refrain from eating your race. It won’t be hard to live up to since our diets do not include vegetables.”

  He snidely chuckled with Ashen over his joke. “It would be a waste if I did not bring up the fascinating news I just heard. Is it true that you have an Earthian among your ranks? That would be surprising, because I was under the impression your race didn’t need that kind, or any other kind, for that matter. Well, I’m sure you put him to work or in some kind of slavery. It would be a travesty if he were on the battlefield ruining everything.”

  Fragile could sense Budgeron shifting nervously because of his words and the troll general cracked the widest smile.

  “Earthian or no Earthian, we will destroy you!” Mollet threatened.

  “Enough, we did not come here to talk, but to battle.”

  Mollet and Budgeron left with rage building up inside of them. Budgeron whispered into Mollet’s ear, “Keep an eye on Devid, he’s our sign that the boy is evil. If the Daysun allows him to die, then so must the Earthian die.”

  Ethan waited nervously as Thief explained in great detail how to gut a Kalhari. Mollet suddenly rushed in and grabbed the boy by the shoulders, squeezing until Ethan could barely breathe. “One chance, that is all I am giving you. You side with them and I kill you where you stand.”

  At that moment Ethan did not know which side he was fighting for.

  A giant horn blasted again and the archers ran into position. They moved to the front of the field and readied their bows, aiming for the sky. Lining their arrows, they waited for the order from Budgeron.

  Budgeron spit at the enemy army. “I will die a thousand times before a crawlie takes over my homeland!”

  Fragile yelled back, “Then my goal is to kill you a thousand and one.”

  The Kalhari received the same orders from Ashen and tipped their bows to the sky. Everything was tightly wound, each side waiting for a word and the chaos would begin.

  A thick tension filled Ethan’s mind. He could feel the malice emanating from both sides. Both armies were one action away from becoming lethal killing machines. The reality crept in. He needed to be a lethal killing machine. Then he realized it was happening again, just like the day he had run over the old lady.

  Budgeron screamed and the arrows kissed the sky, whistling through the crisp air of morning. When they had reached the zenith of their arcs, they fell to their targets, slicing into the enemy below. The arrows pierced the ranks of the sword soldiers and those without their shields properly raised screeched in pain. The arrows felled some soldiers, but the Kalhari continued marching.

  Fragile barely flinched. He stood in the back, behind his vast army of men, and watched in safety.

  The Kalhari arrows pierced the same sky and rained down on the Phaenix. The Phaenix defended with their arm blockades that guarded the face and neck. While most of the sounds heard were sharp points nailing layered wood, some were the sharp cry following an arrow hitting an eye or an arm.

  That noise, the shrill spark of pain, echoed in Ethan’s mind. He swayed to the side, losing his balance.

  The arrows flew up again and crashed down on row after row of Kalhari. More shrieks of angry pain. The Kalhari shot back and the Phaenix felt the onslaught of the arrows. Howls, grunts, and thuds rang out for into the empty air of the morning.

  With each ghastly cry, Ethan’s vision became blurry and distorted, causing his stomach to churn while the sounds came from further and further away. It was definitely happening again. This is exactly how he had felt at his driver’s test. He couldn’t get a hold of himself, nor could he get his heart to stop beating so rapidly. Still, he moved forward with Mollet and Thief. As the arrows volleyed back and forth, the armies moved closer to one another, causing the casualties to get closer and closer to Ethan. One Phaenix three rows up was struck in the cheek with an arrow. His scream was devastating.

  The arrows subsided and Budgeron yelled another command to his warriors. This time a few squadrons of foot soldiers ran to the front. They carried no weapons and their armor was a bit thinner than the others’. He yelled another command and the warriors stretched out their hands. The final command came and they began throwing globs of fire at the trolls. Streams of bright orange flames licked the frontlines of the Kalhari. When the flames reached the troll enemies, the fire consumed the fighters instantly. Another kind of shattering wail reached Ethan’s ears: the sound of a troll being burned alive. One ran around frantically until its own brother put it out of its misery. The squadron of artists poured more Phaenix dust into their hands.

  Ashen directed his troll armies to shift positions and change the order. Immediately, the trolls with the light metal armor and shields with holes in them came forward. Helpers with thick gloves stood with them. Each began to load giant magma balls into a position behind their shield. When the ball was slotted, the Kalhari would yell something and the magma ball would fire. It flew out of the shield, leaving tiny trails of molten lava behind. The first one found its target in the Phaenix frontline. The molten ball hit an artist Phaenix and showered fiery ash on everyone nearby.

  Large chunks of the Phaenix artistry frontline were soon victims to searing burn wounds, but they continued shooting back their fire streams. The fireballs whistled through the air claiming a poor soul.

  This twisted Ethan’s stomach even further. He found he couldn’t even walk anymore. Thief tapped on his shoulder.

  “Stay true, Ethan. You’re here for a reason.”

  Ethan knew he was here to fulfill some prophecy he had never heard of. Was it working?

  Budgeron watched from the side, protected by two Phaenix warriors. He was counting the casualties of the fire fight. He kept re-counting. His eyes were not deceiving him. The Kalhari were not winning! Every time the Phaenix artists launched a flame attack it did more damage than when the Kalhari shot a fireball. He had expected the magma balls of a troll to be more dangerous. They could separate armies and destroy whole battalions, but for some reason that was not happening with his warriors. He looked over at the larger army. Their soldiers were struggling to get more shield holders ready. There was actual confusion in the ranks. He knew it was time to hit while he had the chance.

  “Arrows and artists together now!” he yelled.

  Suddenly the Phaenix onslaught came from above and ground level. The arrows fell from the sky and the fire streams consumed the frontlines. Now the shield holders and dark artists of the enemy had to fire magma balls constantly or become pierced by the arrows or killed by the Phaenix flames. The plan had worked; the Phaenix had found a weakness in the Kalhari and exploited it.


  Ashen saw his frontline go on the defensive. He knew it was time to change his battle plans or he would be forced to waste good trolls on a defensive tactic. That was not the Kalhari way and he needed to bring the brutality.

  “Charge!” Ashen yelled, and one thousand screaming trolls pounded the ground. They left their dead behind with blood-curdling roars. Raising their blades in the air, they confronted the Phaenix.

  Budgeron could see the desperation in their rapid advance to combat and he knew he needed to keep a level head. He motioned for his archers and artists to shift rank. They obeyed immediately, leaving the sword warriors exposed. A new battalion of ground soldiers exploded onto the field. Immediately springing open their wings, each warrior lifted off and then descended on their enemies. They were like a brutal wave falling down on their foes, crushing them. The next sounds were the clanging of metal against metal. The Phaenix warriors dove through the troll armies. Their mission was to weaken and distract their foes until they could get a neck shot. If a warrior could cut off a tail of a troll first it meant extra pain and advantage.

  They had practiced one maneuver their entire time in the Drift Space: a wave formation. Half the warriors would lift above the ground and the other half would clash with the foes. While those on the ground slashed with their swords, the flight crew would descend and go for the kill strike. They continually changed formation so the Kalhari couldn’t gain an advantage.

  Budgeron screamed for the artists to strike from the back and they started to fire from where Ethan stood.

  One artist was reaching for Phaenix dust as a magma ball struck him. The Phaenix dust ignited and spread out to three close by warrior artists.

  Ethan watched in horror as all three of those Phaenix victims burned in great agony. He wanted to curl up in a ball, but he found that his legs couldn’t even buckle. He had been paralyzed ever since Budgeron commanded the sword warriors to attack.

  Thief pulled desperately on his arm. “We need to fight! Time to go!”

  Instinctively, Ethan shook his head.

  Mollet had already taken flight and was in the middle of the battle. He rammed through the warrior's blade first. A horde of Kalhari would know of his legacy and run at him with furious speed. His long black sword powerfully swung them off stance and he could take their lives in a few powerful hacks. More Kalhari tried to jump on his back as he was lifting off, but he threw them off and cut them down where they lay. He felt his adrenaline rise with every kill and he fearlessly drove deeper into the fighting.

  Ethan watched in horror as he saw Phaenix scream out as their wings were sawed in half or as swords slit their bodies. Their limbs would go momentarily tense, but then fall limp and lifeless. He also noticed the battle was drawing closer to where he had become immobile. He saw death crawl closer from all angles. Then the Kalhari discovered he was there.

  Two troll warriors pointed to the boy and shouted. They lifted their swords over their heads. They were coming for an easy kill. Fragile would reward them for this.

  Ethan’s world started spinning and all he could do was shield himself with his own hands. His sword fell at his feet and he was truly defenseless.

  Thief intersected the path of the raging Kalhari troops and dropped the first one with a swift cut to its knees.

  The other foot soldier doubled back and realized there was a child on the battlefield. He charged toward Thief; his blade raised to strike.

  Thief was pushed back, struggling against the blade that was mere inches away from his face.

  Ethan watched, blurry and sick, trying not to cry as Thief tried his best to fend off the troll.

  The troll swiped Thief’s arm and he spun to the ground. His eyes were wide with fear as he looked toward Ethan for help.

  “I’m sorry,” Ethan choked out.

  Hurtling from the sky, Mollet crashed down and took the Kalhari foe with a chop. The slice was so clean and fast the Kalhari did not even realize he had lost.

  Mollet pointed his finger at Ethan. “Get into battle, now!”

  Ethan could only shake his head, letting tears of remorse shake from his eyes.

  “Fine,” Mollet said, taking Thief’s hand. “You dishonor me.” They brought their swords together and stood ready for battle.

  Budgeron saw that almost all of his artists and archers had been depleted and they were drawing back to the rear. On top of that, the Phaenix warriors were being stopped in the battle zone. The Kalhari outnumbered them and were beginning to overcome his forces. If this pace continued, the Kalhari would begin to mow right through the Phaenix. Budgeron flew above the battleground to check on Ethan. Sure enough, he was standing still while the battle raged around him. Hinson had said that he needed to be in the fight and now he was watching, possibly cursing the Phaenix. That was true—he was abstaining from battle as a judgment to the Phaenix.

  Budgeron’s eyes scanned the field. He searched the battle for Devid and his red ribbon. He spotted the fabric tie on the grassy ground, attached to a downed warrior. Devid lay sprawled on the ground, motionless. Phaenix soldiers stepped over him to get into the battle.

  Budgeron flew overhead, readying himself to give Mollet the order.

  Suddenly a fellow warrior tapped on Devid’s helmet and lifted him up. Devid slowly got to his feet and turned back to the battle.

  Ashen’s eyes searched hungrily through his horde of ravenous soldiers. They were stabbing, biting, kicking, and chopping their way through endless Phaenix and it was looking better for his side every minute. He wasn’t looking for his troops, but rather one particular Phaenix. Every so often Mollet would appear in the battle crowd, slashing through the ranks, and then disappear again to the back.

  He noted the positions of the other generals. Kashun was shouting commands to his magma artists. The magma artists had finally gained the upper hand over the Phaenix artists. Urk, officer of the battle trolls, watched his soldiers from the sidelines and sunk his teeth into any Phaenix his warriors missed. Fragile was nowhere to be seen. It appeared that the head general loved his life too much to risk it being devoured by the sword of war.

  Ethan felt something pound him in the chest, sending him to his knees. It had hit him while he watched another Phaenix take an arrow to the chest. The hit felt like an arrow, but when he checked his armor it was still intact. It hadn’t been an arrow at all; it was a feeling. The urge rose up in him. He needed to enter into the battle. It was calling out to him to be part of the fighting.

  Why? He begged the urge inside of him, but the feeling pounded harder. Squinting his eyes shut, he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to ignore it. He fell to his knees. It was no use; the feeling would not relent.

  I can’t.

  A Phaenix fell backward with an arrow in his chest right beside Ethan’s face. The look of shock and disbelief flickered inside the warrior as his eyes went lifeless.

  Ethan knew what he had to do. It was stronger in him now more than ever. He picked up his sword and straightened his helmet.

  His legs bolted. They carried him through the field. He ran away, far from the battle field and far from the fighting. His legs hauled through the grasses, through the weeds and meadow. He made a break around the fighting troops that had given their lives for their homeland. Weaving between the vicious Kalhari army, he had no idea where he was going. He just had to run away. Explosions erupted around him and screams echoed off the trees, but he shut them out. When he found the edge of the trees he darted inside the safety of the shadows.

  The sun had risen to the brightness of day, but Ethan was surrounded by darkness in the shade of the trees. He ripped off his armor and shield and dropped to his knees, retching on sod. He slumped over, hitting the dirt. The shaking started in his body and he repeated “I’m sorry,” over and over and over again, not even knowing who he was speaking too. This was not his battle.

  Caitilin was on her knees begging tearfully in a prayer, “No, Daysun, don’t let him do it.”

  But i
t was no use; Ethan would never be in that battle again.

  Warm up the bowels of N’vira

  Fear the worm that eats your flesh

  We have stolen everything

  -Kalhari Victory Chant

  XXII: Our Favorite Weapon

  Budgeron felt it like a wave descending over his warriors. It was bright as ever in the sunlight, but the hope of his warriors turned black as pitch. Within minutes of Ethan’s departure, the Kalhari sword soldiers pushed forward, breaking through the lines of battle. Each squad of Phaenix that had been acting like a thick wall began to disperse and scatter. Large groups of Phaenix were picked off by the bows and axes of the enemy until some battalions were down to the single digits.

  Two axe soldiers of the Kalhari tried to chase down Thief, but Mollet charged in and cut them down with tremendous force. He looked at the young sprout who was riled up and simultaneously terrified of the battle. He couldn’t take much more of this. In fact, the whole Faeria army couldn’t take any more of this. He took Thief’s hand and they ran farther into the battle.

  Across the northern plateau of the Drift Space, a pocket of Kalhari warriors pushed their way through a Phaenix squad. They would soon flank all the warriors and the Phaenix would be surrounded in their own trap. Mollet let his thick wings open and he took flight with Thief, who immediately knew what to do. Like a downpour of heavy rain, Mollet dropped on the Kalhari hoard and began swinging his sword. The hungry blade devastated all who came within its radius. Thief stayed a safe distance away, giving the killing blow to any of the wounded Kalhari that tried to escape. Not a single troll was able to get his axe in full swing before Mollet cut him down. The final troll was kicked in the chest and hacked before he even knew what was coming.

  That small victory gave Mollet and Thief a little assurance, but the Kalhari were still picking off the scattering groups. The two couldn’t fight the whole army and the Phaenix artists and archers were starting to thin out. But that wasn’t the worst of their problems.