“I would like to think I’m not traveling with someone dangerous.”
“By that same logic, I should hesitate to journey alongside you.” Nishka looked insulted. “You swung an axe at a man in Sepulzer and maimed him.”
“I did so out of self-defense! Didn’t you see what he was going to do to me?” They winded further down the road. “So... you aren’t a danger to me?” Nishka asked.
“I am sworn to protect you. I am a danger to anyone who would bring you harm.”
“You have a charming way of saying you’ll kill for me.”
“I didn’t say that.” Nishka couldn’t help but laugh at the amusing exchange.
“What can you tell me about Azia-Nocti?” Arxu asked.
“Azia-Nocti is an oligarchy ruled by two kings and a council of elders. Oligarch Nizaz and Ichari oversee the city affairs. They are constantly opposed to each other. Azia-Nocti is plagued with political rivalry largely because of their egos. They are preoccupied with gaining influence in the council. I imagine they bribe the elders for their allegiance.
“Fortunately, their efforts to undermine each other haven’t harmed the city... yet. Anyway, Azia-Nocti is often regarded as a city of opportunity. It is very friendly compared to other city-states, and there is much business to be explored.”
“Considering our reception in Sepulzer, to say it is friendly in comparison does not say much at all.”
“That’s true,” she laughed.
Arxu and Nishka set up camp along the road as the evening unfurled. They gathered around the small bonfire Arxu provided. Its flames gently coaxed light across Nishka’s face from her pink lips to her blue eyes. She looked somberly at the sky, a vacuum of color with no beginning or ending. The night stretched on for eternity, and like a jewel in its depths, the moon hovered high above. A rich halo encircled the moon, an icy corona that glazed her vision. It entranced Nishka as she quietly nodded off.
She predicted the Nightwalker would spirit away in a few hours. Arxu set down his staff by the fire, also lost in thought. He had no intention of leaving her alone after the incident with the bandits.
He could only think about the task appointed to him by Nishka’s father. Arxu would escort her to the remaining city-states and part ways with her. He would likely never see Nishka again.
They had spent the afternoon discussing the city-states they would soon encounter. Nishka described her childhood in the village of Riverwell. She shared her happy memories with Arxu, painfully aware that he could not appreciate them. Despite the emotional barriers, she enjoyed recalling her childhood experiences. How strange it seemed that she confessed her dreams and hopes to a man she barely knew. Perhaps she confided in Arxu because he would never judge her.
She sighed with content and glanced at the stern Nightwalker.
The soft clip-clop of hooves startled Arxu. He looked over his shoulder toward the road blanketed in shadow. Arxu reached for his staff, but he relaxed as a merchant came into view. He led a chestnut brown horse by its reins. The merchant was clad in a traveling cloak that blended into the forest. His middle-aged face was friendly but weary, a somber expression taking hold of him.
“I come from Sepulzer,” he announced. Nishka shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the city. Arxu gestured at the fire, inviting the merchant to share their camp.
The stranger said, “It has been a long journey since I left the city. Although, I fear it is not over yet.” He sank in front of the fire across from Nishka. He sighed and shut his dark eyes.
“A great tragedy has befallen the city. Someone led an assault against a local temple. The temple was dedicated to the worship of Astalla. The people say there were no survivors.” He stroked the side of his horse, comforting the tired creature. “I left Sepulzer shortly after the atrocity. As soon as I heard about the attack, I gathered my belongings and left. I’ll take my business elsewhere—where I won’t die!”
“We left Sepulzer not long ago,” Nishka said with concern.
“Nothing of value was taken,” the merchant continued. “According to the city guards, the crime was carried out with a bladed weapon.” He shook his head in what could only be dismay. He bit his lip as if reluctant to speak his mind. “They were slaughtered like animals.”
For many moments no one spoke. He looked toward the direction he had come, as though he could still feel the pain and horror creeping up the road.
“What is their religion?” Arxu asked.
“Astalla is the demigoddess of virginity. Her disciples are comprised of virgins and people seeking spiritual purity. They honor their relationship with their demigoddess by resisting the desires of the flesh and tending their spirit with generosity and love.”
“Would someone kill Astalla’s faithful for ideological means?”
“Many men believe virginity in a man denotes weakness, an unwillingness to have power, sexual defect, or all of the above,” he casually replied. “In addition, a distribution of the public believes that virginity is just a tool for ideological people who fool themselves into thinking they are righteous.” He sighed morosely and again his gaze wandered to the distance. “I don’t know what kind of monster would do this, nor why. It is inhuman.”
Nishka met Arxu’s eyes. There was so much she wanted to say to him in that moment. She couldn’t fathom how any human could hurt so many innocent people. No logic, no matter how twisted, could justify such crimes.
Chapter 7
Margzor stalked fearlessly into the unknown. Nothing could disturb or horrify him that overshadowed what he had witnessed in the past few years.
Just as he drifted through the wilderness, so did his mind disconnect, careening down memories accumulated over the past twenty years. He could not focus on anything besides the imagery he had witnessed in the temple. He remembered the look in the eyes of the women within: utter horror and something more. Aversion.
He could remember the disgust in their eyes, raw terror and dread, something that went far beyond fear. He sucked in a deep breath and buried the anger. Something deep within him rumbled like laughter, a mocking sound vexing against his mind.
More than any other creature that acknowledged his existence, the most beautiful women always regarded him with aversion, bordering on hatred.
He examined his hands, wondering what he had become. What had compelled him to crawl on all fours, eating the carrion of deer and wolves, stalking on the edge of society? Deep inside, he knew the answer, but he dismissed it. He did not want to think about the source of his hatred. His past would be irrelevant once he reached his goal.
But he feared his childhood would nonetheless haunt him until he died. His past was a blur, that much he knew; he couldn’t even remember becoming a man. Childhood seemed to abruptly end.
Suddenly, one day, he was a boy running through the thickets, bleeding from a dozen wounds, terrified and lost. Crimson stains flowed down his legs and sides. He had lost control and plunged into the forest, losing himself in its occult depths. He was reduced to eating deer, preying on weaker creatures and scavenging the dead.
Margzor realized he had not eaten in days, and his hunger was slowly draining him. He had an unexplainable craving for meat, for he had lived on it for so long. It was the only thing he could eat in his bestial isolation.
He lowered his head to the ground and examined footprints in the earth. The tracks were faded, quite possibly left there two days ago. It had been so many years since he crawled on all fours through the forest, now to stand upon his feet. It was during that period he came to acquire his enhanced senses. With these attributes, he would inevitably find something to feast on.
Nothing could impede his senses from finding his prey, no matter where it hid, no matter where it ran. That same logic applied to humans.
* * *
Nishka opened her eyes to find the merchant had vanished, and all that remained were the hoof prints of his horse.
Dawn’s glow kissed the earth, lavishing the landscape with mystique.
The day was clouded in fog, and the haze of sunlight flickered through the mist. A breeze wended through the trees, swaying leaves and carrying the smell of dew-kissed flora. Arxu’s voice distracted Nishka from the tranquility of the oasis.
“I suggest we travel in the forest.” His eyes swept across the labyrinth of trees. “The fog provides cover for bandits on the road.”
Nishka absently nodded and guided the donkey from the road. They journeyed at a slow pace for the cart, maneuvering between trees and over rough ground. Nishka scanned the majestic canopy overhead. The shadows were like a blindfold stretched across her eyes, deceiving her with every step. With a cry of alarm, she tripped over a root snaking above the earth.
“I can’t see anything,” she grumbled. “How can you see through the dark?”
Arxu dipped his hand into his pocket and produced an opaque stone. It hummed between his fingers until moonlight emanated from within, bending against the fog. Nishka sighed in relief. The soft light bathed her surroundings in a tranquil blue, sending ripples in the dark.
The wilderness seemed to defy time itself, host to ancient trees that soared too high to see. She could only imagine how many eras shaped this land.
After nearly an hour of walking, the moonstone suddenly winked out. Nishka stared into the darkest abyss, afraid to move and fall from the edge of the world.
“What happened?” she asked. Arxu didn’t speak, proceeding cautiously through the forest. His stare bore straight ahead. With every step, he scanned his left and right, like a deer being hunted.
Nishka followed him closely. Something produced an eerie noise to her left and she froze. The same shrill sound repeated, vaguely insectoid. The fog lingered in the forest, obscuring their path. Suddenly, Arxu stopped and Nishka looked up to see a group of entities in the distance.
“Run,” the Nightwalker commanded. If Arxu had emotion, he would have screamed it, because they had encountered a wandering band of igliuhs.
The igliuhs spotted them and ran in their direction. Their bestial cries crashed through the silence, an inhuman sound that flooded Nishka with nightmare. She instantly halted and grappled for her crossbow. She couldn’t tell what they were.
They looked human in appearance, but the closer the figures came, the more exaggerated the difference became. Their eyes were vacant, black pits hollowed into their faces. Muscles bulged upon their large frames, their bodies not typical of any human.
Nishka wanted to scream. She felt rooted to the earth upon which she stood, holding the crossbow in her hands. Her mind told her to shoot, but her body wouldn’t obey.
Villagers had described igliuhs as vicious humanoids utterly incapable of sentient thought. It took little if anything to provoke them; the presence of vulnerable prey was all that sufficed. Nishka panicked and ran, dropping the crossbow. As she fled, she saw five igliuhs besiege Arxu out of the corner of her eye.
An igliuh splintered from the main group and pursued her with a wicked-looking blade. Nishka glanced over her shoulder and she nearly screamed when she saw the weapon clutched in its hand. Its blade was twice as long as her arm. She wanted to cry out for Arxu’s help.
The igliuh breathed hoarsely as it pursued her through the dark forest.
Nishka spotted a tree ahead and her initial instinct was to climb it. She couldn’t possibly outrun this thing. The igliuh roared and she dove to the ground, barely evading its arcing sword as it sank into a tree trunk. Nishka scrambled to her feet and bolted. The disgruntled igliuh abandoned its weapon and gave chase with its bare hands.
Nishka’s mind was racing. Her feet slapped across the earth, scattering dirt and leaves as she burst through the undergrowth. Her lungs ached as she pushed herself forward, but it didn’t match the throbbing in her legs. The bruise on her left knee sent tremors of pain through her. The forest was becoming less dense ahead and she could see pockets of coniferous trees that stretched high in the gloomy forest.
She broke from her course and veered toward an empty copse. Nishka flattened herself against a tree, hiding in its shadow. The forest was suffocated in silence.
She considered the blanketed fog and felt anxiety rising. She didn’t know whether an igliuh would emerge or if Arxu would appear out of the mist.
She feared he may be dead.
Her heart leaped into her throat. Suddenly, pain exploded on the back of her head and she violently keeled over. The ground rushed up to meet her and darkness erased her consciousness.
Arxu raced through the forest without a sound. He could barely spot the trail Nishka left in her frenzied escape. Arxu abruptly stopped and found an igliuh circling Nishka’s body, debating what to do to her. An ugly gash split its lower jaw. It gnashed its blackened teeth and spat blood upon the forest floor.
Enwrapped in shadow, Arxu studied the monster from beyond a cluster of trees. It seemed to grow more volatile by the second as though it could no longer contain its primal urges. Arxu couldn’t delay any longer.
Deliberately abandoning stealth, he stepped forward. The igliuh swerved suddenly to regard him.
Arxu’s eyes plunged deep into its. Cords of muscle bulged across its shoulders, stretched taut against its neck. A blood vessel burst in its right eye. The igliuh roared vehemently and charged Arxu in unbridled fury.
Arxu tumbled into a roll to avoid its frontal assault and he flowed back to his feet. He snapped the staff across, stabbing the igliuh in its knee. In a testament to its endurance and strength, the igliuh faltered slightly but it did not collapse. Instead, the hominid charged again, eager to retaliate. Arxu narrowly dodged to the right as it swept a muscled arm across.
The igliuh tore part of his shirt and revealed circlets of chainmail underneath. Its nails stabbed hard against the metal links. Arxu could feel the bruise left from the impact, but he escaped without any broken ribs.
The igliuh swung its arm and knocked the staff out of Arxu’s hands, casting it far across the glen. The Nightwalker ducked a swift blow and sprang back. He was grateful the igliuh didn’t possess a weapon, although, it was arguably just as dangerous without one.
Arxu raced toward his staff and the igliuh eagerly pursued.
He wouldn’t have time to equip his staff before the creature tackled him to the ground and began to rip him apart. His thoughts raced as his options narrowed. The igliuh’s pounding footsteps were too near and he could hear it breathing. A roar exploded from its throat and the igliuh pounced. Arxu leaped forward.
His feet landed on the head of his staff, his body acting as a force to lift the staff on its fulcrum. The sharpened steel tip swung upward and impaled the igliuh’s chest. Arxu spun around with a dagger in his hand and struck down the creature. The monster released a death growl and lifelessly collapsed.
Arxu quickly approached Nishka’s unconscious body. Her blonde hair was matted to the back of her head with blood. Arxu felt a strange twisting in his stomach when he saw the injury. He needed to stabilize her before infection set in. He cradled her body in his arms and noticed how serene her face looked despite her ominous fate.
Blood began to spread across his shirt, its warmth soaking through the material to kiss his skin. He couldn’t recall the igliuh piercing his skin, nor had he felt anything beyond a bruise. Then a realization even more visceral than a wound stabbed his heart. It was Nishka’s blood.
An alarming feeling took hold of him, one foreign to his brain. He felt something tantamount to dread, but he didn’t have time to contemplate its significance. Preserving Nishka’s life was his greatest priority.
Racing past the smoking husks of igliuhs that surrounded him earlier, he set Nishka down in a small clearing. With a cloth in his hand, he tried to clean the wound, but his effort simply wouldn’t suffice. More and more of her blood spilt onto the grass like red dew.
Arxu retreated from the glen and broke into a run, looking for anyone to help. The road beckoned him beyond the flora and he plunged ahead. An unearthly darkness had gathered in the sky above lik
e a premature night. He knew it was day but the forest only reflected thick shadows.
As darkness parted before him, his path became one of confusion and twisted turns. Every step was met with uncertainty. The likelihood of finding anyone in this obscure forest was bleak.
Nishka was far behind now in the secluded wilderness. He almost turned away and ran in the direction where Nishka was dying.
He caught sight of a distant figure. He seized the chance and rushed toward the silhouette lurking in the middle of the road. Arxu stopped in his tracks and regarded the curious character.
A darkling garbed in cloaks, rags, and a pointed hat stood silhouetted against the mist. The creature had distinguishable features about its face, including a small nose, green skin, and horns. Several sharpened teeth protruded below its upper lip. Its ears were pointed at the tips, alluding to demonic ancestry. It was short in stature, no more than four feet tall, the top of its head level with a grown man’s waist.
The insidious nature of these creatures was known throughout the land, told in stories to children from youth. Every boy and girl was versed on their cunning and danger. Darklings prowled the wilds and forests, creatures whose very origin was shrouded in mystery. This preternatural being could be considered more dangerous than most creatures for its ability to think like a human.
It was swathed in layers upon layers of decrepit cloaks, and its conical hat was secured by two horns through the rim. Its large green eyes reflected mischief and supernatural intelligence.
With that image in his mind, he approached the darkling and abandoned all caution. Arxu could not begin to appreciate how truly sinister in appearance the creature was before him.
Chapter 8
The darkling observed the man approaching with its uncanny, wide eyes.
“I need help,” Arxu said urgently. For a moment, the creature didn’t respond.
“Hrioshango’s help?” it croaked. Arxu immediately noticed the tone of its voice. It was distinguished with a throaty rasp conjured up from a fiendish soul.
The Undying God Page 5
