Box of Runes An Epic Fantasy Collection

by J. Thorn

  Slight imperfections of Gishwan’s skin had disappeared. Her curves were rounded to perfection and her breasts lifted. Her hair shone with radiant brilliance, and Ri sat next to her, drinking in the natural beauty. A frown raced across Ri’s face as she thought about Gishwan and the dark figure.

  “What if he takes a fancy to her?” she wondered to herself.

  Her face flushed red and she squashed a crab with her bare foot, swallowing hard and forcing her lips into a slight smile.

  “Hello, my love,” said Gishwan.

  Ri shook and hid her inner thoughts. “How are you feeling?” she asked.

  “Wonderful. I feel rested and at peace. Is my conversion complete?”

  “Almost. The woman we rescued did not make it. She went beyond the Region of the Dead.”

  Gishwan grinned and twirled a strand of hair. “How terrible. Would you like to take a walk with me?”

  Ri smiled. “There will be time for that later. We need to prepare you for your initiation into the Order.”

  “I thought I was of the Order?”

  “You are. However, you do not gain true blood until the initiation is over. You will do fine, I assure you.”

  The two women spent the day lying in the surf. They explored each other in sensual bliss. Ri took as much pleasure as she could from her. If this were to be the final embrace, Ri would savor the experience. As the Sun God came down, searching for the edge of the Great Sea, Ri led Gishwan back to the house. She opened the door.

  “What happened to the woman’s body?” asked Gishwan.

  “I took care of that before I came to you.”

  The truth of her statement skipped through the air. Ri had dealt with the body, but not with her own hands.

  “Put this on.” She handed Gishwan a black robe with a hood.

  “What are we doing?” asked Gishwan.

  “You must trust me and do as I say. You will be tempted to ask many questions, which will delay us in our task. Please allow them to go unanswered. Enjoy the experience without wrapping your mind around it.” Ri placed a dark, hooded robe over her naked body as well. “Come. We must get into the forest before the Sun God disappears.”

  Gishwan followed Ri into the trees. The Lady of the Light rose and the Star of the North flickered at them. Gishwan knew there was no light in the forest, and yet she could see. They stumbled into a clearing. She did not know how far they had traveled, but she guessed they were many leagues from their house. The crashing of the surf vanished along with any trace of the Great Sea.

  Ri pointed at the clearing, which contained a quaint village. Three single-room structures stood in a circle around a pit. The fire begged for attention. The villagers had abandoned the communal gathering spot until the break of dawn, and cows stood in a dilapidated pen behind the largest home. As soon as the women looked in their direction, they became agitated and milled about the pen.

  Ri walked towards the fire, and Gishwan followed her. Gishwan noticed that the crickets and the creatures of the night fell silent as Ri walked to the door of the nearest dwelling. The villagers had constructed their homes from mud brick, with doors and roofs of split trees. Ri pulled on the door. Heavy breathing and slight movements escaped the yawn of the doorway, and Gishwan smelled four people in the dwelling. When she looked through the threshold, she saw a man and woman sharing a cot, and on the floor of the dwelling slept two young boys.

  “Take the boys,” said Ri.

  “But I don’t know what you mean,” said Gishwan.

  Ri grabbed her by the shoulders with flaming red eyes. “You know what to do.” Her voice shuddered with a throaty growl, one that Gishwan had not heard before.

  Gishwan approached the boy nearest her, the larger of the two. He lay on his back, naked except for a loincloth, and she knelt beside him and placed her hand on his chest. His body heat singed her palm. She bent down and placed her mouth over his, and power stirred inside of her. Gishwan inhaled, and the boy’s eyes shot open. He did not move or make a sound, but tears streamed down the side of his face and dripped from his ears. She felt a surge of energy that coursed through her entire being. The boy’s chest lurched and shifted as Gishwan sucked the rest of his life force. The boy’s eyes closed and his chest fell still.

  An incredible bolt of power raced through Gishwan. She felt energized and light as she stood and stepped over the dead boy to the other one. She took him by the shoulder and rolled him onto his back. Repeating the same ritual as before, Gishwan stole the life force from the younger brother. She sat back against the dwelling and had a difficult time focusing. Sparks of light and bolts of energy flashed in her eyesight, but her vision cleared when she looked towards the cot for Ri.

  Ri’s head bobbed up and down over the groin of the man. Her eyes met Gishwan’s with a twinkle as her mouth engulfed the man’s flesh. He groaned a few times but remained motionless. The wife next to him stared at Gishwan with dead, vacant eyes. Ri’s pace quickened as the man’s body shuddered with orgasm, and she threw her head back, laughing as she licked the juices from her chin. In the next instant, Ri’s face locked into the man’s as she drained his life force.

  “There are two more huts. I have stolen my share of seed and divine force tonight. The rest belong to you,” she said to Gishwan.

  Gishwan left the killing floor and did not hesitate on her way to the next.

  Chapter 22

  Machek entered the Soothsayer’s hut and sat across from the old man. The ceremonial fire crackled and hissed, making him uncomfortable. The Soothsayer passed Machek a pipe and lit it, the old man’s herb lightening his body and his mood.

  “You sent for me?” he asked through the floating blue haze.

  “The point of conflict nears. They have commissioned you to make the hard decisions. The chief elder respects you and your position. Scouts delivered news of approaching forces. It is time for action.”

  “You brought me here to tell me things I know?”

  “The divinations have changed. The entrails of the first one foretold of a single blocked gateway. My interpretation led me to believe that an onslaught from a single enemy was imminent.” The Soothsayer paused, took a drag from his pipe, and exhaled.

  “And now?” asked Machek.

  “Now the divinations show many blocked gateways. I examined the entrails of pigs, cows, and goats. They all show multiple blockages.”

  “I am the warrior and you are the soothsayer. What does this mean?”

  “Our enemy has grown many heads. We can no longer prepare for one onslaught. We must prepare for a multi-pronged attack.”

  “Any leader in a time of war is aware of multiple fronts. What are you suggesting?”

  “We must send legions to meet the revolting tribes. Our defense of the capital will be overwhelmed. The only way to defeat the dark forces is to face them on the battlefield.”

  “I understand. You are suggesting that I leave the capital defenseless.”

  “No. However, the bulk of your legions must march from our cities and engage the enemy as they approach. Many of our foes have allied. If they strike the Empire with a single blow, we will be destroyed.”

  Machek exhaled a gust of blue smoke. “The chief elder will think I have lost my senses to suggest such a plan. Taking my forces afar means there will be few here to protect the people. He will not think that an appropriate measure, and I’m not sure if I do either.”

  “You have seen the omens. You know the prophecy. I show you the path to success, but you must decide whether you will follow it.”

  Machek left the Soothsayer’s dwelling, feeling as though an audience with the chief elder would be necessary. Battle plans needed to be approved and implemented very soon.

  Chapter 23

  The Soothsayer removed the polished skull from his satchel. Its empty eyes stared back into the violent past, a purple light pulsing from the sockets and growing in intensity. The old man smiled a crooked grin in anticipation of the message. The light
blazed upon the inner skin of the hut, casting its hue upward into his tired face.

  “Have you shared the false divinations with him?” the skull asked.

  “My lord, he has just left. I shared the tale of the entrails, but I am unsure as to his course of action.”

  “Give him time. He must process. Remember that his oath of loyalty will make it difficult for him to put his people in jeopardy.”

  “I feel the Serpent King.”

  “His presence draws near, this I can assure you. Continue the subterfuge and await my next message.”

  The purple haze collapsed to a pinpoint of light, and then vanished from the tent.

  Chapter 24

  The Serpent King’s gang mutated and grew as they explored the islands. Shane of Gisanti and a handful of other miserable wretches comprised the original crew. Men of many shades made up the rest. Each archipelago presented a new culture and people for the Serpent King to exploit. The Great Sea lost some of its mystique. Men of the Eastern Kingdoms did not suffer the blade of the horizon, or man-eating dragons, as the old tales claimed. With each new set of islands, the One World came a bit closer.

  Shane took over most of the commands on the voyage. The original mates harbored resentment towards him, which he dispelled with a blow to the head or a public thrashing on deck. Some claimed that the dark essence of the Serpent King had seeped into the boy from Gisanti.

  It had been leagues since the last raid. Some of the crew enjoyed the spoils, including some of the island’s exotic women. They killed the men on sight to avoid conflict amongst the crew.

  “How will we know when we’ve reached the One World?” asked Shane.

  “You will know. The land will rise up out of the Great Sea to meet you. Birds will circle above and cities of foreign splendor will beckon you,” replied the Serpent King.

  The two stood on deck as the Lady of the Light appeared above the southern horizon. Purple streaks raced from behind the dying Sun God. He would return with a vengeance, as he had for all of time. Scattered crew members moved about. Most slept in the hold or fell drunk in puddles of their own piss.

  “There is a port city situated near the coastline. We should be steering towards it. It is a massive settlement that belongs to the People of the Eagle. Treasures of gold, herb, and flesh abound.”

  “My lord, what are my orders once we reach land?”

  “Stay by my side, keep your head low, and cut down anything in our path.”

  ***

  The ship stumbled back to life. Drunken sailors shook off the night’s excess and began their morning duties, sloughing across the ship as if in a dream. The steel-gray water stared back at them yet again. Shane climbed the mast to the crow’s nest, high above the deck. He would be the first to see the One World and he would deliver the message to the Serpent King.

  As the Sun God climbed higher in the sky, a distinct line formed on the horizon. Shane dozed in the warm rays until his eyes caught hold of the horizontal, snapping him from the hypnotic sway of the ship. With a spyglass, he observed swarms of seagulls swooping back and forth in his vision. The distinct line morphed into a ragged silhouette of lumpy hills stretching back from the sea. Shane dropped underneath the crow’s nest and scampered down to the deck. He ran to the Serpent King’s quarters and knocked on the door.

  “My lord, I think I have sighted the One World.” His breath caught in his chest and his feet tingled with anticipation. “My lord—” he began to say again, when the door swung open.

  The Serpent King stood before him in his battle armor. Shane’s breath stopped short. The Serpent King’s chain mail gleamed like the black night. A long, flowing cape fell over his back, and the Serpent King’s fiery red mane framed his face as it wrestled with his beard. A sword, polished with the blood of the vanquished, swung from his hip.

  “We have,” he replied.

  The crew buzzed about the deck. Excitement of permanent landfall thrilled the old sailors and captured crew alike. For some, it meant the end of a hellish voyage. For others, it meant the slave block. Either way, the men would be free of the rotten ship. Shane barked orders as the coastline rushed forwards. Barren stretches of virgin sand pulled them to the shore, and swaying palm trees greeted the foreigners with their rustling song. Men launched themselves from the deck and swam through the tide. The Serpent King stood at the helm and faced the One World, never flinching or moving.

  The tide crept in, allowing the main vessel to drop anchor close to the shore. The rowboats fell from the side of the ship, smacking the surface of the water. Shane, the Serpent King, and three of the original sailors from Concothy took the first boat and drifted to the shore. Seven other rowboats followed them, strung together like a shell necklace. Shane carried the flag of the Serpent King, pitch black with the profile of a white snake; its jaws were locked open and its fangs dripped venom. No one on board suspected the Serpent King would fly the colors of King Jofina. The mercenaries would not subject themselves to the foolish monarch.

  The Sun God moved behind them in the sky, casting a deep, orange glow on the beach. The Serpent King felt the solitude, and smiled as he thought of a powerful weapon, the element of surprise.

  “Sir, there does not appear to be a settlement here,” said one of the original crew members.

  “You have a gift for the obvious,” replied the Serpent King.

  Red with embarrassment, the man jumped out of the rowboat and pulled it to the beach. A soft breeze pushed through the palm trees and they waved in unison at the new arrivals, hiding a gentle slope rising into a hill. Shane winced when he thought of the jungle they would need to clear in order to get to the heart of the One World.

  “Gather driftwood and set the fires. Night will be on us soon,” said the Serpent King.

  The crew set about their tasks, except for Shane. He stood to the right of the Serpent King, observing the last of the rowboats coming ashore.

  “It is not the glorious port city I expected.”

  “Relax, young man,” the Serpent King replied with a smile through his tangled hair. “One must not rush the destruction of a civilization.”

  Chapter 25

  “A floating village,” said Kin to his fellow lieutenant. “How does one float a village across the Great Sea?”

  Harvi pushed the leaves from his face as he looked down from the outpost. The vessel sat in the natural harbor, and the soldiers could see men moving about the beach like a colony of ants. Fires sprung up to do battle against the forces of night.

  “My ancestors spoke of the return of the Serpent King. They claimed he would traverse the Great Sea to reclaim his throne in the One World,” said Harvi.

  “I am aware of foolish superstitions as well. We should send a message right away,” replied Kin.

  The two men turned their backs on the newcomers and climbed down the steps of the lookout tower. The fort below buzzed with activity. Fires came to life and songs filled the air. Swords functioned as skewers and shields overflowed with food. Whiskey and music flowed more often than the blood of the enemy.

  “Sir, we have spotted the arrival of a floating structure carrying men,” said Kin to the fort commander.

  They sat in his quarters, where the swords of defeated enemies hung on the walls. A candle held by a tarnished sconce threw a mustard aura over the room. The commander sat behind a polished desk, protected by generations of dust and dirt. The smoke from his pipe tickled Harvi’s nostrils.

  “Men?” he replied.

  “Yes, sir, they appear to be making camp in the harbor,” said Harvi. He sneezed. The particles of dust in the room danced before the flame.

  “Do they appear to be hostile?”

  “We cannot tell, sir. It could be a fishing expedition or traders on a voyage. However, the vessel they command looks like a floating village. It is massive,” said Kin.

  The commander took another drag from his pipe and looked from Kin to Harvi.

  “The men have begun their eve
ning rituals. Can we address this with the return of the Sun God?”

  Kin shuffled his feet on the worn rug and looked at Harvi. “Sir, that is your decision,” he replied.

  ***

  “Where do we march tomorrow?” asked Shane.

  “Our Book must tell us,” replied the Serpent King. He sat with his back to the Great Sea and gazed into the rising forest.

  “They have marked our arrival.”

  “Who?”

  “It is of no consequence. They are not a powerful tribe and will be subdued, should that be necessary.”

  “Our gold?”

  “The One World holds more gold than you can imagine. We must choose our friends with deliberate thought towards the size of our expeditionary force. If we appear too eager to peek into the coffers of the wealthy, suspicions may arise regarding our true intent. Our plan is to join the coalition against the People of the Sun. The tribes are rising against their former oppressors. If we cast our lot with the revolutionaries, we will taste the spoils of war.”

  Shane did not understand most of the Serpent King’s explanation. He knew nothing of a coalition, or People of the Sun. He did not feel the need to push the conversation forwards.

  ***

  Kin and Harvi walked to the main fire pit inside the fort. Men sprawled around it, and some drank themselves to sleep. Traces of folklore filled the air, losing momentum. Kin took a swig from his jug and handed it to Harvi, the liquid making him want to retch, though it tasted slightly better than infested swamp water.

  “I think the commander is making a mistake,” Kin said.

  Harvi leaned back onto his bedroll and wiped the dripping liquid from his face. He tossed the jug back to Kin. “That tastes awful.”

  “I do not drink it for exquisite taste.” Kin threw another swig over his tongue. “The commander is lazy and stupid.”