Paladin Rising (The Paladin's Curse Book 1)

by Kristell Carnie

  I still have time, for some unknown reason all deaths must be on that rock – well at least the deaths of the ones they wish to consume in the end, and so far no one has placed me there. Until they do I will hold on, waiting for my chance. I would give anything, even my life, at a chance for revenge.

  My one working eye lands on Garvien, his arrogance surrounds him like a veil of fog, seeping from his pores, tainting all that is near. He eyes the others with open distaste, only the leader, Veridom, he shows any respect to, although any time he has to take orders from his King he visibly hardens and I can see the effort it takes for him to condone.

  I doubt the others have noticed his small acts of defiance, but I have had nothing else to do but watch him from a distance. I watch him and he watches me. My obvious suffering is the only thing which gives him any real pleasure, just like all the others before me.

  The others, I shut the memory down instantly, before it has time to form. The last thing I need right now is to think of my friends in their final days, the grief would slice me open. I need strength now and I am fast running out of that.

  My one good eye trails after Garvien, watching as he stands to the side of Veridom, not giving orders, yet influencing all decisions made. He is sly, his beady eyes roaming over everything as if he is the King and Veridom is merely the puppet.

  Any time things don’t seem to be going his way he plays with his ring, one similar to Veridom’s except for the colour of the stone. I see it now, as he twists it around his claw-like finger, while listening as Veridom insists upon another raid.

  The red of the jewel, which reminds me of a ruby, catches my eye and I instantly hate it. It reminds me too much of the blood he has spilled here - my friend’s blood, which stained his hands, hands that will soon be ripping through my flesh all too easily.

  If Veridom is already planning another raid it means I won’t be around for much longer, the thought sends my heart into overdrive.

  I twist my head, the ground slicing my cheek as I move, but it’s worth the numbing pain to see what I need. There, just beyond the campsite, are the rocks I so desperately want. They can’t be more than twenty metres from me, so tantalisingly close, yet impossibly far.

  The fear of the impending pain is nearly enough to stop me. I don’t know if I’ve even got the strength to stand, yet somehow I know this will be my one and only chance.

  For the moment they are not supervising me, leaving me lying here unattended, fooled by my lack of defensiveness, not having any clue of what I intend to do.

  I hold my body rigid, tensing as I prepare to jump at the right moment. I won’t dare move until Garvien is distracted or else it will all be in vain.

  I count the passing moments in time with my heartbeat, it drags by, each second antagonising and slow. Now that I have made my decision to act, I can barely stand the wait.

  Finally Veridom turns, ordering a group of the creatures to his side before Garvien’s booming voice speaks disjointed, unknown words. It is the distraction that I need. None of them are paying any attention to me.

  It’s time to move.

  Slowly I raise my head, my eye darting all around, waiting for someone to notice my movements and beat me back down into the dust again. When that doesn’t happen, I drag my body up to my knees, freezing as scolding pain rips through my arm and chest. My head is swimming, my whole body swaying with the effort of moving. What little I can see blurs into senseless images I can’t unravel and I have to force my stomach from emptying the tiny amount it contains out in front of me.

  Forcing air deep into my lungs I struggle to bring my body back under control. I have no choice, not really. They have taken that from me, just like they have taken everything else.

  Turning slightly I see Garvien and Veridom still with the others, oblivious to what I’m doing.

  Gingerly I stand, hunching over like an old lady is as much as I can bear, not thinking further than putting one foot in front of the other. Shuffling forward I hold my breath, unable to fill my lungs for fear of screaming in agony and drawing unwanted attention.

  My feet barely leave the ground as I advance, slowly at first, picking my way along the broken, uneven terrain towards my prize.

  I have gone barely ten metres when a high pitch noise blasts my ears. They have seen me, they must have. My breath releases in a rush as I pull myself upright. If I don’t run I will never make it and I have to make it, if not for myself, then for the others who went before me. They deserve some kind of payback for what was done to them.

  Gritting my teeth, I tuck my broken arm across my chest, the pain awakening my senses and bringing clarity back into my mind, the added adrenaline pumping in my veins helps to push me forward.

  Deep snarls reach my ears, coming from every direction. I don’t dare look back, the image of a hideous creature chasing me right before my death is not the last thing I want to see.

  My heart is hammering against my chest; I don’t know how much more it can take before it explodes and I don’t want to find out.

  The snarls are gaining on me, I can’t push myself any faster, yet I try, digging my sliced up feet into the sharpened earth, sheer willpower the only reason I’m still going.

  I stumble forward, pain stabbing through my ribs right up my spine and into my head. A small cry escapes my lips, the first sound I’ve uttered in weeks and it’s enough to break through my resolve.

  This is stupid, to think that I ever had a chance for revenge. I am nothing compared to them and they know it. Yet even though it’s beyond idiotic, the desire for payback mixed in with the abundant fear of being caught, drives me on, especially as I sense a change behind me.

  I can feel him, I know he’s there, gaining on me in a sick game of cat and mouse, and I’m suddenly filled with the first trace of hope I’ve had since being captured.

  The boulders are right in front of me now yet I don’t slow down. Frantically my eye scours the ground, desperate to find exactly what I need. Within a heartbeat, I see it, a pure black rock, no bigger than my fist, its edge broken into a wickedly sharp point, perfect for slicing a throat.

  Question is, will it be mine or Garvien’s?

  Dropping my broken arm, my teeth clamp down onto my lip refusing to let another trace of weakness escape. I lunge towards the rock, releasing it from the pile of others as it cuts deeply into my palm.

  Spinning around I hold it out in front of me; my own blood running down my skin and dripping to moisten the parched ground below. A shiver runs down my spine at the sight before me and I cling to my resolve, needing it more now than ever before.

  At least two dozen creatures form a semi-circle around me; their thin cracked lips pulled back revealing impossibly sharp triangular teeth ready to sink into my tasty flesh.

  I would rather face any one of them than have to watch what is now happening if front of my very eyes.

  Garvien stands there, his thick shoulders pulled back, his fists clenching and unclenching with his head tilted, his eyes appraising my motives. Slowly a terrifying grin creeps onto his red lips.

  His whole body shudders, his muscles twitching as if snakes are crawling around beneath his skin. I watch in horror as his body continues to ripple, slowly transforming into something else, something far worse.

  His eyes are the last to change, never once leaving my face, all the while his shape takes on the human form. When it’s over I am struggling to breathe, the process was more horrible than I remembered.

  Standing right in front of me is a normal human-looking guy. In truth any girl would find him handsome, with his dark brown hair falling to his shoulders, his full red lips contorted into a breath-taking smile and a body that screams ‘gym junkie’, while still retaining the softness of youth.

  Yet even taking on the form of a different species can’t erase the cruelness from his hardened eyes. He might look different but there is no denying it is Garvien inside that body. As if reading my mind his sickeningly charming smile grows.


  “Are you going to kill me little girl?” his deep husky voice throws me. I wasn’t expecting him to talk, not in English anyway. It is disconcerting.

  My arm wavers as my mind tries to decipher between what I know is real and what my eye is seeing.

  “Go on now, put down that rock, you don’t want to hurt me, that’s not who you are.” His smile widens in a comforting gesture that never reaches his eyes.

  “You couldn’t possibly kill a human – not you, that’s not your way. You’re not evil, you are a kind, sweet girl.” His voice is soothing, lulling me into a false sense of security, one I’m unwittingly falling for.

  My heart slows, a warm rush seeping through my blood stream and with it I can feel myself relaxing, all my troubles melting away until nothing matters anymore. My arm lowers, unable to hold up such a weight when all I want to do is lie down and sleep.

  I’m so tired, overwhelmingly tired. The strange world around me spins and it takes all of my strength to stay upright.

  I can’t remember what it is I am supposed to be doing; it feels like it was important. Why can’t I remember? A stabbing pain flickers on the edge of my mind and it slowly dawns on me that my hand is stinging. But why?

  My eyes drift down, focusing through the thick fog that is blocking my mind. I’m holding a rock, an incredibly sharp rock, and it’s digging into my tightly clenched fist.

  Every muscle in my body has relaxed, all except my fingers which are holding on in extreme desperation. Why am I holding this rock? Why do I need it so badly? Nothing makes sense, yet deep down I know it should.

  I don’t want to think about this, to unravel whatever it is my senses are trying to reveal to me. My eyelid droops, weighed down, burning with desire to close, if I can only just shut my eyes and rest for a while, just a little while. I’m certain everything will be alright.

  “That’s it, good girl.” A soothing voice drifts around me, yet even the soft tone can’t conceal the bitter edge lingering beneath, sparking a deep set recognition in my gut. Something is not right, I know it.

  I draw on all of my willpower, buried deep beneath a mountain of tranquillity, just to open my eye, struggling against an unseen weight making it nearly impossible to do so.

  In front of me, so very close, I can make out a silhouette; it’s hazy, distorted, but there nonetheless. The image confuses me further and I struggle to recognise the man before me.

  Fighting through the dense fog hovering over my brain, I force myself to focus. It is like walking through quicksand, nothing makes sense, yet my fingers still refuse to relinquish the damn rock.

  His lips are set into a sickening smirk, the kind you just want to smack off his face before kicking him where it hurts the most. Heat rises in my chest, tightening my muscles and chasing away any relaxation I had fleetingly felt. My body is reacting on instinct, waiting for my mind to catch up.

  His smirk wavers, giving way to a deep frown.

  “How are you doing that?” his words hold a biting edge, no longer soothing in any way.

  Finally I bring myself to look into his eyes, his cruel, cold, calculating eyes, and it all comes rushing back with so much force I stumble as if I’ve been physically pushed.

  The pain, both physical and emotional, consumes me, reigniting my overwhelming hate for this monster. Without hesitating, my arm swings up, slashing the rock at Garvien’s face. He responds quickly, flinching back, allowing the rock to only graze his cheek, causing very little damage.

  All around me I see the other creatures move into attack mode, their anticipation of a fight brimming over.

  Tendrils of fog try to encircle my mind again, seeking to work their way through my barrier at any cost, but I refuse to let it in, knowing somehow that Garvien is behind this psychic controlling.

  His head tilts to the side, his lips twitching at the corners while his piercing stare studies me as if I’m some kind of anomaly.

  “I knew there was something different about you, that’s why I kept you for last.” His smile is creepy, not even trying to pretend to be human anymore.

  “You are stronger than the others, stronger than any I have met in a long while.” He takes a step towards me, his fingers outstretched as if to stroke my cheek.

  Repulsed I jerk back, the sudden movement sending burning pain throughout my chest. I can’t take much more of this, what little energy I am drawing on is fast diminishing.

  He reaches for me again, undeterred by my obvious physical hate towards him. This time I don’t pull back, instead I rush forward, using my damaged body to power my hit and taking him by surprise.

  The rock is slippery in my hand as blood continues to pulse from my palm, but I am still able to control it as it glides through the air, slashing violently until I finally connect.

  Garvien’s roar of pain fills the air and with it hysterical laughter bursts from my mouth. The pleasure of causing him agony fuels me on and I lunge again, slicing at his arms as he attempts to control me.

  His human form is weaker than the creature he actually is, and it shows as blood pours from his wounds. The other creatures advance, clearly shaken by my sudden personality change which has prevailed in causing some minuscule damage of my own.

  Garvien gestures them back, shooting me a look of disgust. There is no way he will ever succumb to a tiny human girl. He thinks I’m pitiful for even trying.

  Within an instant, he begins to transform back into his true form and that’s when I strike, using his momentary disadvantage against him.

  I aim for his neck, wanting nothing more than to slice his head clean off of his shoulders, but he changes fast, leaving my death blow falling short and only inflicting maximum damage to his arm.

  A mangled roar of pain rushes from his monstrous mouth and for the slightest moment, our eyes lock. Within that second I am filled with overpowering sensations of hatred and disgust, and yet there is something else there too. Fear. Garvien’s Fear.

  My chest is burning as my lungs refuse to expand. Everything hurts and yet I have never felt better. Garvien is afraid – maybe not true fear, but even a slice of fear, which I have installed inside of him, feels like a huge victory.

  Before he has fully transformed I act again, my shaking body barely under my control, only the tickling warmth that vengeance creates deep inside of me, powers my erratic movements. I grab his mutilated hand, his taloned fingers deadly sharp and with the last of my strength I thrust his hand towards his stomach, the talons piercing through his skin like a knife through butter and automatically injecting their hidden venom. I can only hope it’s enough.

  He reacts instantly, the fist of his uninjured hand flinging out, belting me across the face and sending my body crashing to the ground in a crumpled, useless heap.

  Watching him advance, looking down upon me as if I’m nothing more than a bug to annihilate, I refuse to look away. I want to see what is coming. I need to witness the pain I’ve caused him, no matter how insignificant.

  The vile creature grunts in disgust, spitting out words my ears don’t understand, it doesn’t matter, I grasp the concept.

  I smile up at him, grinning so wide my cheeks hurt. Then with a trembling hand, I flip him the bird.

  Laughter dies in my throat as his monstrous foot connects with my ribs, sending piercing pain through my chest.

  Garvien bends down, his body nearly engulfing mine, his beady eyes savouring my anguish as a fire builds in my chest and I struggle to breathe. My lungs refuse to cooperate, burning with each unsteady gasp I take.

  He bares his teeth in a repulsive smile, knowing his victory is near. With his limp wounded hand, he runs his blood covered fingers down my face, gripping my chin and forcing me to watch as he pulls back his other fist to inflict the final blow.

  I can’t help but be pleased that I will die here, on this hard uncomfortable dusty ground, at least I’m not on the death rock, my body won’t be their next meal.

  Just as he is about to make his fina
l strike, he freezes, his head snapping up peering those narrowed eyes out into the distance.

  Once again the high pitch siren blares, even louder than before, echoing throughout the land like a menacing war cry, and instantly I am completely forgotten by the surrounding creatures as they take off, running faster than I have ever seen them move before. Garvien glances down at me, his lips pulled back in annoyance before dropping my head onto the ground.

  A heavy weight pounds on my chest, increasing the burning sensation to an excruciating level. I shake my head, chasing away the shadows hovering at the edge of my vision, to watch him retreat with his injuries back towards the camp. I don’t understand what is going on, nor do I care.

  I don’t bother moving, or summoning the strength to scurry away to some secluded rock to die. Instead I choose to lie here, feeling the rocks radiating warmth into my aching back in the final moments of my life. Blinking away the blood that drips into my uninjured eye to stare up at the freedom of the grey sky, wanting nothing more than to slip away into nothingness while the creatures are distracted, and die with the dignity of being alone.

  From the distance, I can hear fighting. Metal connecting against metal, sings out all around me, but I am in too much agony to contemplate what it is. My mind is already set on letting go.

  Shouting joins in, making my heart leap as words I finally understand call out across this barren land, bringing my surrendering mind jolting back into my violated body. With what little strength I have left, I twist my head towards the noise, shocked by what I see.

  There are people, not many, but still more than I had ever hoped to see again before my death, and they are here, fighting the creatures, not cowering in silence as I have done. Could these people be humans?

  I try to call out, scream for help but my lungs are too damaged to work. The pain is beyond anything I can handle. These people may have arrived to destroy these evil creatures and for that I am eternally grateful, but it is too late for me.

  My body is beyond repair. For however long I have left, the minutes will be agonising, but at least I will die with the satisfaction of knowing that many of these creatures will not survive either.