by T. A. Uner
“I demand to know why I am here,” he spoke eloquently, but with a forceful tone that demanded respect from those around him.”
Arrogant and deceitful: Jarkos Wolfsbane.
“You shall have it, Lord Wolfsbane,” Serpentus said.
The others began grumbling amongst themselves. Serpentus turned to Spikeskull. The armourer nodded his head respectfully to his employer while Afaa shuffled up to Serpentus to get a closer look at their new charges.
“A fearsome-looking bunch,” Serpentus said proudly.
“That remainssss to be seen,” Afaa replied.
Serpentus puffed up his chest and exhaled. “My friends,” he said in a loud voice, “no doubt you are wondering why you are here?”
They all started asking Serpentus questions at once. The cacophony was maddening.
“Stop your quarreling!” Serpentus said. “Let me speak!”
“I was busy counting my currency when you summoned me,” Croctus Reptilius said.
“I was busy planning an ambush,” Jarkos Wolfsbane added.
Serpentus laughed and it echoed around the newcomers, no doubt wondering what their host found humorous. “Be calm my friends!”
“Tell us why we’re here, or send me back to my Alcazar,” Wolfsbane said.
“Of course, Lord Wolfsbane,” Serpentus replied, “but first, hear me out.”
Jarkos’ expression remained indifferent. “I am listening.”
“As am I,” the Minotaur said before he climbed off his steed.
“We are all interested why you brought us here,” Croctus Reptilius said. The reptilian at his feet snorted.
“Fine. Now that we are all here, I can tell you my dilemma,” Serpentus said, before he began pacing in front of his new audience.“Months ago I was cheated of my destiny by a man calling himself The Leopard King. I was once a man from a proud family. I had my whole life ahead of me. Then this man stole my livelihood. He prevented me from attaining my one true goal.”
“Which is…?” The Stone Ram asked.
“To harness the power of the Doors.”
“Doors?” The Bloody Ripper said.
The Hyena shook his head ruefully and used sign language to communicate his response.
Do not be fooled, Serpentus thought. One Door survives.
“Forgive my lack of faith but you claim to be a Snake Lord?” Jarkos Wolfsbane said.
“He doesn’t claim to be,” Afaa said aggressively, “he issss…trained in the arts of Serpent Eye, with the power of Reptokk behind him. The Reptor flows through his veins.”
Wolfsbane chuckled. And along with him his shaggy guards followed suit. “Forgive me, My Lord,” he said in a tone filled with insolence, “but weren’t the Snake Lords and their Cult defeated years ago? By the Air Paladins?”
“The Paladinssss were also destroyed,” Serpentus added.
Jarkos Wolfsbane pointed an accusing finger at Serpentus.“I find it difficult to believe the words of a charlatan dressed in the armor of a dead cult. And who are these other two imposters standing with you?”
Havoc’s eyes pulsated like red rubies while Chaos Spikeskull grunted at Wolfsbane and flexed his colossal hairy arms. Afaa grinned and hissed laughter through his teeth.
“I see that you all need further convincing,” Serpentus said.
“Bah!” Wolfsbane said. “Send us all back before we lose patience with your foolery.”
It is time to put to rest your lack of faith Wolf Lord.
Wolfsbane stared at him arrogantly, a twisted grin planted on his lips. Serpentus fed off the skin-shifter’s doubts and transformed it into anger. With Reptor in his veins, his power intensified as he felt Reptokk’s Demon Vigor inside him. “Fortitudo!”
Slowly, but surely Serpentus grew, and with him Havoc grew. They surged from their spot until they towered over the Wolf Lord and his companions.
Now it was Serpentus’ turn to laugh.
The laughter echoed throughout the clearing as gulls scattered to avoid its deadly tune.
Jarkos Wolfsbane looked up at Serpentus while Havoc hissed at him again.
“Very well,” Wolfsbane said. “What do you want us to do?”
{II}
Serpentus’ new allies departed Capri after he had informed them of his plans. Using his Gift, he had given them the presumed whereabouts of The Leopard King and his Incantra Leopardess. Preying upon their desires, he had found the type of men who could serve his ambitions. But now it was time for rest. Inside their rented cottage, Afaa played his flute while Havoc slithered down Serpentus' back and into a corner. The Snake Lord watched his scaly servant listen to the hypnotizing music. Serpentus felt relaxed and for a moment his hatred toward the Leopard King abated.
Afaa moved the flute back and forth as his two serpents, Medusa and Wildfire, swayed to the rhythm. Spikeskull grew weary of the spectacle and went to find something to eat.
Serpentus smirked. “That one may be a great armourer, but he has no taste for your music, Teacher.”
Afaa ceased his playing. Medusa and Wildfire paused and disappeared into the basket. “It is no matter. I look forward to the end of your revenge wish. We must finish Reptokk’ssss work. That wassss the sole purpossss of the Serpent Cult.”
“I must know more, Teacher,” Serpentus said, “so I may serve best I can.”
Afaa nodded. “In the old dayssss, the Serpent Cult was charged with bringing Reptokk’ssss voice to the people. Unfortunately they were thwarted.”
“Perhaps they didn’t have our newfound allies to help them,” Serpentus said proudly.
“They had armiessss, my Student. I should’ve given you a lesson in their history.” Afaa paused. “The Eye, they bred Sky Serpentssss and had ussss Cultistssss train their riderssss. Skyfighterssss they were called. But the Air Paladinssss, they ruined everything.”
Serpentus stared at his Teacher, the frail-looking Afaa no longer looked like the tired old man snake charmer he had met in the tavern. He now had a purpose, perhaps that’s what gave him his newfound Vigor. “The Air Paladins are all dead, Teacher. Now, we can resume the old Cult’s work.”
Afaa nodded excitedly. “Exactly. But your training is incomplete, Serpentussss. Much more you must learn.”
His teacher was right, he had to practice his Penumbra spells and they still needed to find the Door. Their army would not recruit itself. He needed to find other minions and win them over. The same way he had won over Jarkos Wolfsbane and the others. He turned away from Afaa and looked outside the window of the rented cottage. It was a modest setting for such ambitious plans, and there was no guarantee he would succeed.
“Where is Maelstrom?” Serpentus complained. “I need a report on the construction of Sea Viper.”
“He issss coming,” Afaa replied while he fed his serpents, “be patient.”
Outside the clear blue sky painted the heavens while crispate clouds trudged across the sky. He drew FireSkull and its blade came alight.
“Yesss!” Afaa said. “Go practice your battle skills outside with Spikeskull.”
“Very well, Teacher.”
Outside he saw Spikeskull sitting on a stone bench. His spiked mask was lifted up to give his mouth access to a slice of watermelon. The mask’s shadow coated his face. Serpentus could only see outlines of a disfigured nose and two rectangular lips. Spikeskull slurped up the pink juices and licked his fingers before pulling the mask back over his mouth. “Lord Serpentus, would you like some watermelon?”
“Perhaps later,” Serpentus said. “We must practice.”
The armourer stood up and flexed his muscles, which resembled giant boulders under his spiked harness. The skull-shaped phalera in the center of Spikeskull’s harness stared at Serpentus tauntingly, calling him to battle. Spikeskull walked over to a weapons rack he’d brought from his forge in Tunis and picked up his favorite, a spiked mace with a skull pommel. He inspected it before taking up his silver shield, which was forged in the face of a skull.
/> “Ready, my Liege Lord?” Spikeskull asked.
Serpentus nodded. He drew his mace, Skull-Crusher, and swung it at Spikeskull’s shield. It deflected off of it without causing a scratch. Afaa had cursed all of Spikeskull’s weapons so that they could conduct magical weapons training. The armourer was glad to have the added protection of Serpent Eye.
He drew FireSkull and brought it down hard at Spikeskull’s mace. The armourer parried the blow and head-butted Serpentus. The Snake Lord landed on his back as his black cape swirled around him and quickly collected his composure before Spikeskull brought his mace down. Serpentus brought both FireSkull and Skull-Crusher up in a defensive position and the three weapons became entangled with one another before both combatants separated themselves.
Serpentus stood and landed another blow upon the Skull Shield, which grinned at him, causing a loud noise to explode from the impact. Afaa appeared at the cottage’s door and smiled as he witnessed the fight.
“Use Serpent-Eye,” he said. “Crush all that stand in your way!”
Serpentus felt the anger boil within his veins as the Reptor intensified his wrath and gave him Vigor bestowed from the eyes of Reptokk. He drew both his arms back and hacked at Spikeskull’s shield, knocking the armourer down. The spiked mask flew off Spikeskull’s head and landed a few steps from where he lay, revealing a disfigured face lined with scars and stitch-marks. Spikeskull crawled over to where the mask was and pulled it over his face while Afaa stared at Serpentus proudly.
“Yesss….yessss!” he hissed, gleefully. “Your Vigor issss getting more impressive.”
Serpentus sheathed FireSkull and Skull-Crusher. He looked at the sea that stretched out before him. His teacher was right. He felt his power growing. Once The Leopard King was dead he would use it to conquer the Roman Empire.
But first he needed an army.
{III}
The ice peaks glistened from the mountain tops as spring began its ascent. Tullus was glad winter was behind him. The constant snowfall that plagued Hradack’s mountain stead distracted him from his Elemence studies. He had been scolded a few times by The Leopard Master for his lack of focus, but his many years of living in Syria had alienated him from frosty climates.
“One with Gift does not complain about weather,” Hradack had once told him.
Tullus knew Hradack was right, but it would’ve been easier to train under a hot sun than a winter one. He assumed Celestra was happy, but nowadays she often spent her time in the company of Mithras the Jaguar.
I’m glad she’s found someone, Tullus thought. Even a Leopardess needs company.
He strolled through the woods, making sure not to wander off course. He had learned his lesson against the Skeletons. Patches of snow were scattered throughout the forest ground, while the melted snow had formed puddles, saturating the ground with mud. He heard someone talking and stopped. Using his hearing, Tullus found Caltus within a clearing. He was grasping Cutter and fencing with a tree.
Tullus emerged into the clearing. “A tree does not make a good fencing partner,” he said smiling. “Unless it’s an Elementus.”
The young man stopped and looked at Tullus surprisingly. “Tullus! You snuck up on me!”
“Come then, practice with a moving opponent.” Tullus drew LeopardClaw.
Caltus stared at the greatsword. “Go easy on me, Tullus, I’m still learning.
They practiced for some time as the birds watched them from the branches. Tullus taught Caltus various defensive stances and offensive thrusts. “Good! Good!” Tullus said. “You’re getting better!”
“Now am I ready to become a soldier?”
“Don’t rush things,” Tullus replied. He recalled his own impatience when he was a youth. Decimus had struggled to teach him to channel his youthful enthusiasm.
I was once like Caltus.
After they had finished practicing, Caltus unrolled a blanket and they ate breakfast.
“Sometimes I come here to think,” the young man said.
“Think?” Tullus replied. “Think about what?”
“About the universe, about life, about women.”
Tullus chewed on a piece of hard bread and swallowed. It eased down his chest before settling in his stomach.
“I suppose you’ve been with many women.”
Tullus chuckled. “Four. But only two of them loved me.”
“What is it like?”
“Love?”
“No…sex.”
Tullus laughed. “When you lay with someone you love, there is no better feeling. Not even battle fury can match that.”
Caltus stared down at the ground. “I’ve never lain with a woman.”
“I don’t believe that,” Tullus said. “I’m sure a fine lad like yourself has had plenty of opportunities.”
“No, not around here, Tullus. I’ve humped my hand a few times, but I didn’t like that.”
They both laughed until tears streamed from their eyes.
Tullus slapped Caltus on the back. “When I‘m done with my training, I’ll take you back To Rome with me. I’ll introduce you to my friend Decimus. He knows a lot of fine women.”
“Really?”
“Really, but don’t get too worked up over sex. Remember, too much of anything isn’t good.
Caltus stretched out against a tree bark. “I doubt that.”
“Have it your way.”
“I doubt my grandfather will ever let me leave,” Caltus said.
“Why do you say that?”
“He says the world is filled with evil. That I should stay here.”
Tullus didn’t want to believe the boy’s words. How could a man as enlightened as Hradack want a boy like Caltus to remain secluded? It would be a waste, the boy had much to offer society.
“I’ll have a talk with Hradack. Maybe I can convince him to let you come with me so I can show you that not all the world is bad.”
Caltus shook his head ruefully. “He told me about his life as an Air Paladin, and of the old Serpent Wars. One of his closest friends betrayed him.”
Tullus sighed. “It happens, but that doesn’t mean all people are bad.”
“He’s stubborn, stuck in his ways,” Caltus said sadly.
Tullus understood Caltus’ frustration. He knew it when he served as Norbanus’ pawn, before he had found true freedom. “I understand how you feel.”
“How can you?” Caltus replied. “You and Celestra are free to go wherever you choose.”
“It wasn’t always that way,” Tullus said. “Before I met Celestra I was no better than a slave. Trapped in the military for twenty years. Unable to break my vows to the Legions without being called a deserter. But I survived, and when my opportunity came I took it. Now I am free to choose my own destiny.”
Caltus looked wearily at Tullus before pulling out some scrolls from his knapsack. “My grandfather says that we do not choose our destiny. It is chosen for us.”
“That is foolery.”
“Maybe he is right. Maybe the gods have written my fate. I am to live and die here. A virgin,” he said mirthfully.
Tullus picked up one of the scrolls. “What is this?” he asked.
“Only my studies…it’s called The Republic.”
“Wasn’t that written by Aristotle?”
“Plato,” Caltus corrected him. “Tullus you sure don’t know much about philosophy do you?”
Tullus smirked. “I know how to read and write. How do you think I became a Centurion? But let us enter a bargain, I will teach you more about sword fighting and in return you can be my philosophy teacher.”
Caltus’ eyes widened and he stuck out his hand before Tullus shook it. “It’s a bargain!”
After they returned to Hradack’s stead, Vespillo put Caltus to work. Tullus found Hradack inside the main house looking over some ledgers at the kitchen table and seated himself across from The Leopard Master.
Hradack looked up from his ledgers. “Just figuring out our expenses for spri
ng.”
Tullus nodded. “I wish to speak with you Hradack.”
Hradack looked up from the ledgers. “What about?”
“Caltus.”
Hradack looked at Tullus discerningly. Tullus had a feeling the old man knew what was on his mind.
“Very well…what about him?” Hradack asked calmly.
“Why are you filling his head with foolery?”
“Foolery?”
“Telling him the world is filled with evil!”
“What has he been telling you?”
“That you are keeping him here against his will.”
Hradack snorted. “Now that is foolery! I am only protecting him.”
Caltus was right. Hradack is stubborn, Tullus thought.
“I am not stubborn!” Hradack said.
“He has a right to learn and to grow. Both good and bad experiences are necessary in life.”
Hradack stood up from the table. “He is learning and growing. With knowledge from the ancients.”
“That’s not enough. He needs to be around people.”
“He is around people,” Hradack exclaimed, “he is with his family!”
“He hasn’t even lain with a woman yet!”
Hradack laughed. “There is more to life than sex Tullus.”
“Perhaps, but he will never learn that if he stays here the rest of his life.”
“I am only trying to protect him. I left my home to join the Air Legions, against the wishes of my father. Look where it brought me. All of my friends killed, the world changed for the worse, and this curse that eats away at me every day!”
“The boy deserves better!”
Cornelia entered the kitchen. “What are you two arguing about?”
“Caltus,” Hradack replied.
“Hradack doesn’t want the boy to go out into the world,” Tullus said.
Cornelia shook her head. “I know, Tullus. I know,” she said sadly.
“You know?”
“We’ve had this discussion before, my boy,” Hradack said.
“More like an argument,” Cornelia replied.
Tullus reseated himself. “Please, Hradack. After my training is completed, let me take the boy from this place, for a little while. To let him see the world and make his own decision.”
