by J. Thorn
“More bureaucratic waste. Once the coalition formed, and the need for a military base became evident, they handed me this place as a headquarters. Because I spend so much of my time here, it is also functions as my residence during the conflict.”
“I’m sure your wife and family understand the arrangement.”
“If I had one, maybe. My fighting men are my family and I get my fair share of pleasure from some of the same establishments you’ve visited.”
“You’ve monitored my movements?”
“If a strange lord major from a distant land arrived on your shores, on the eve of battle, asking to join your cause and setting men aflame, would you keep tabs on him?”
The Serpent King chuckled and thought of the men’s ghastly faces when he had punished the lord major’s guard.
“Why have you summoned me?”
“First reports arrived from the capital of the People of the Sun. As a key member of the coalition, I thought you’d like to be kept apprised of the situation.”
“Where are the other members of the coalition?” asked the Serpent King, smiling and enjoying the verbal spar.
“I wear my civilian clothes, drinking and smoking with a friend. Let’s quit playing games with each other and talk like men. Shall we?”
The Serpent King nodded. Tepan waved his arms at two sets of pillows spread out before a burning fireplace and led his guest to them. They sat down across from each other.
“Very well. We will dispense with the verbal jousting. We have witnessed your power and thank you for siding with the coalition. However, you must understand that all outward appearances and actions must give the perception that I control these forces. Chaos would reign supreme if the People of the Eagle, and the other members, knew you called the shots.”
“Do I?”
The two men paused as another servant arrived with fresh mugs and satchels of herb.
“When the conflict ends, and you have gathered your share of the spoils, what then?”
“I sail for the Eastern Kingdoms. I told you I am here to take my share. That is all I want.”
“Why should I believe that?”
“What choice do you have?”
“Lord Major Machek’s forces outside the capital of the Empire destroyed Acatel’s three regiments. Machek’s warriors took no prisoners and left no member of the coalition alive.”
The Serpent King sighed and gripped Tepan’s wrist. “Acatel is not dead,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“I know. He slithers back to Risenachen as we speak. He will concoct a fantastic story to cloak his putrid lack of courage.”
“Acatel is one of the most decorated and ferocious leaders in the entire coalition.”
“Then the coalition must be full of frightened girls.”
Tepan absorbed the sting of the insult.
“Regardless, the first attack failed,” said the Serpent King
“I disagree. It will provide Machek and the People of the Sun with a sense of confidence. They will relish in this victory and convince themselves of their superiority. In fact, they call us ‘infidels.’ We welcome the role of outsider. It will make their ultimate defeat easier when we shatter all hope.”
Silence settled in the room as Tepan drained another mug of ale.
“What’s next?” he asked.
“You tell me, Lord Major Tepan. You guide the coalition.”
“As one of my chief advisors, what do you suggest we do next?”
The Serpent King smiled at the lord major and nodded before speaking. “Tribes and villages between Risenachen and the capital of the Empire have been abused by the People of the Sun for generations. Anger and hatred boil over and consume these people. They cry for retribution and revolution. We should march on the capital. We must move forward with all the military might we can muster. As we move towards the capital, these people will swell our forces. We will chart our course the way water runs downriver. While single drops will not harm the Empire, a flood will wash their stink from the Earth Goddess. Like you, I desire total annihilation of these vermin. They have hoarded the riches of the One World for too long.”
“We have been mobilizing,” replied Tepan.
“You have done nothing. You have called together a group of sluggish, disgusting generals who cannot see their own feet past their paunches. You need to incite the warriors of the land. They will bring our destiny to the light. Give them a reason to fight. Promise them spoils of war.”
“I can sign orders this very moment that will have regiments on the march to the capital of the Empire before the Sun God makes two journeys across the sky.”
“Then do it. Apathy creeps into men like old age steals eyesight. If you do not use the spark of the proclamation to light the fire, nothing will go up in flame.”
“Your role in this?”
The Serpent King straightened Tepan’s soiled tunic. He placed a helmet on Tepan’s head and knelt before him. With a wide grin, the Serpent King slathered his words with mockery.
“You are Tepan, Lord Major of the People of the Eagle and charter member of the coalition. You command the forces and make the most important decisions.”
Tepan lifted the helmet from his head and threw it into a dark corner. His bloodshot eyes glared at the Serpent King. “Is there anything else we need to discuss?”
“There is one more thing. My commander, Shane of Gisanti, and I have grown fond of two whores from your fine city. Their names are Ri and Gishwan. They will accompany my regiment on the march to the capital.”
“Custom forbids it. You ask me to break a taboo that has lasted for generations.”
The Serpent King reached across the pillows and grabbed Tepan’s testicles. He turned them with a firm grip.
“I am sure the lord major has the power to make this happen.”
Tepan’s eyes bulged from his sockets as the pain in his abdomen caused stars to explode in his head. He nodded to the Serpent King, unable to form the words and send them out of his mouth.
“Excellent. I knew that wouldn’t be a problem.” The Serpent King released his grip and took another drag from his pipe. “They shall have their own tent, but it must be standard military issue. We don’t want our enemies targeting our women with their own swords of flesh now, do we?”
Tepan nodded and vomited. The stench of stomach acid and stale ale wafted through the room. No servants rushed to clean up the mess. “The darkness of your soul surrounds you like a cloak,” he said.
“You have no idea.”
Chapter 39
“You will join us,” said the Serpent King.
“Where?”
“On our march from Risenachen to the capital of the People of the Sun.”
“Custom forbids women to accompany warriors to battle.”
“Tepan will take care of this.”
“He met with you?”
“Yes. I think we have an understanding.” The Serpent King felt himself grow larger as Ri massaged him.
“What do you need to know?” she asked.
“About what?”
“About the people of the One World. I lived my entire life here and understand the motivations and beliefs of the people.”
“Enlighten me.”
Ri crawled up from between his legs and turned to face him. “Once very superstitious and spiritual, the One World blames the People of the Sun for this cultural shift. The Sun God provided his people with five ages. We live in the Fifth Sun, which some prophets forecasted as the final age of the One World. The Guardians of the Ink scribed most of what I’m sharing with you into the Book of History.
“For a woman, dying during childbirth is the noblest end. Her reward is a quick journey through the nine divisions of the underworld. For a man, dying on the battlefield brings the highest glory from the beyond the Region of the Dead. Ri crawled up further towards his face, brushing her breasts against his sensitive areas.
“What makes the People of
the Sun so different from the rest of the One World? Why does the coalition seek their destruction at any cost?”
Ri propped a pillow under her head and laid on her side to face the Serpent King. “I am surprised at your genuine curiosity.”
“Know your enemy.”
Ri smiled at his remark and continued. “Long ago, the People of the Sun established themselves as the dominant tribe in the One World. They did this at the expense of tradition, which angered the leaders of other tribes. They elevated their status above the natural order. They saw themselves as rulers of the universe rather than inhabitants of it. This led to the destruction of natural environments for agriculture, which led to a population explosion, which led to expansion and seizure of other lands. The People of the Eagle, the Dog People, the Mountain Souls, all of these tribes watched as the People of the Sun took what they wanted by force.
“The tyrants ignored the ways of the old, ostracized and offended the soothsayers and prognosticators. Priests wailed in protest as engineers disassembled temples for marketplaces and governmental buildings. Most of the people of the One World interpreted this evolution of the People of the Sun as a form of heresy. They turned their backs on the ways of the ancestors and defiled the natural world in the process. The machine of industry, technology, and commerce marched ahead of the Jaguar Knights, swallowing entire villages to feed its ravenous growth.
“A system of subjugation formed with all tithes headed back to fill the coffers of the capital. The People of the Sun elevated themselves above nature and exist to subdue the nations of the One World. They rejected all spiritual and natural connections to the Earth Goddess.”
“You speak as a vengeful member of the Dog People,” said the Serpent King. He had lost all sense of time and mission while listening to Ri. The tale of the One World and her delivery of it kept him riveted. He feared questions would slow her momentum.
“I speak as an outsider, like you. I was born to the One World but have been removed from it as well.”
“Go on.”
“There isn’t much more that you don’t know. Some say that the omens foretelling the end of the Fifth Sun have begun.”
Gishwan walked into the room and dropped a black robe to the floor. Her smooth skin and supple body sparked fires of lust in both Ri and the Serpent King.
“I think Shane of Gisanti will be sleeping well this evening,” she said. “It is time to pick up where we left off.”
Gishwan climbed onto the cot and into a pulsing nest of sinful lust.
Chapter 40
“It looks as dead as the other outpost.”
“The gate is open. Let’s go.”
The lieutenant followed his commander into the main courtyard. “No sign of life. Let’s check the quarters.”
A cold sweat broke on the face of both men. Bodies spilled from cots in various stages of decomposition. Some gave birth to flies and maggots while others still pushed the vile puss from their open sores. They left the barracks and moved into the sun and fresh air of the courtyard.
“We must return with word of this. The lord major needs to be informed.”
“Do you think the Serpent King caused men’s skin to split and ooze diseased fluids?”
“The fort commander could very well have been delirious with disease. I know of no way any person could cause such calamity. Medicine men and curse bearers couldn’t conjure such a maelstrom.”
“He brings the power of the Dark One to the One World.”
“Of that I have no doubt. However, I make judgments on the evidence I have at hand. This appears to be more of an infection than a weapon.”
“What should we do?”
“I think we should burn the bodies out of respect to our comrades and their families, the same way we did last night. When we finish, we complete our mission and ride to the last outpost. We owe it to the lord major to provide him with the most complete and accurate report.”
“The stench hangs on the barracks. If we’re going to do this, let’s get on with it.”
The two soldiers went about their gruesome work in the same manner as they had the night before. Fatigue and pain set in their joints and both men barked rough coughs, which they attributed to the wretched smoke. As the Sun God dropped behind the Great Sea after yet another eternal voyage, the two men slouched against the inner wall of the fort. Three dozen bloating corpses popped and crackled under the infernal blast of the raging flame.
Vultures cackled and circled above, but none swooped down to feast on the rotting flesh. Crows walked through the main courtyard but remained silent as the Earth Goddess shivered.
Chapter 41
“What did he say?” asked Falton.
“Not much,” replied Sianta. “He read the message, listened to my words, and promised to look after me.”
Two soldiers escorted the young couple out of the tent and towards the center of the capital.
“I fear another influences his thoughts. I cannot explain it,” she said.
“Do you think your mother gave you the power to scry?”
“I am changed, but I do not know if she had a hand in it.”
An elderly man approached Falton and Sianta, escorted by two boys. The street urchins were accompanying the old man to his destination for gold, but if he dropped his guard, they would guide him into an alley and slit his throat. Falton looked past the man, seeing him as nothing more than another brushstroke on the canvas of the scene. Sianta froze and her hand gripped Falton’s. The two soldiers escorting them into the capital stopped and turned, waiting for the two. The old man’s gaze fell upon Sianta, and a gray haze covered his eyes, hiding an empty, cold, and beckoning stare. He stopped in front of her and spoke.
“Flee now and have no further contact, or your mother will rot in eternal torture.”
Sianta stepped closer, raised her head, and replied, “He is the Redeemer. You know this and cannot corrupt him. He will see through you.”
The old man stepped up to Sianta and reached for her arm. His bony, callused hand gripped her wrist with unnatural strength.
Sianta felt her head spinning. She fell through the air, her body turning over until she landed on the ground. She opened her mind’s eye to another vision.
Sianta stood on a vast plain, where the land stretched to meet the horizon. It was as if she stood in an inverted bowl. Scraggly, dead trees dotted the landscape, having lost their will to live. Night crept through the empty and forlorn sky. The stagnant air hung heavy with the scent of sulfur, and Sianta could taste it. The Lady of the Light and the Moon Goddess had forsaken this lonely place.
A hundred paces from where Sianta stood, a robed figure sat on the ground with its back to her. A light wind ruffled her robe, whispering ancient curses in her ear. It brought the smell of burning and death. Beneath her feet, the Earth Goddess cracked and winced, devoid of any life-sustaining moisture.
“Sit,” a voice commanded, as she got closer to the figure.
Sianta observed details as she closed the gap between herself and the mysterious creature. Maggots crawled out of the ragged holes of the frayed robe. Sianta felt her stomach turn, sickened by the odor that infiltrated her nose.
She stopped behind the seated figure, the ground spinning under her feet. The invisible disk stopped, placing her in front of the creature, which lifted its head, blasting Sianta with pain and recognition.
“Mother,” she said, choking on each syllable.
In life, Shinta had radiated beauty, full of energy and sensuality. The specter desecrated that memory. Flaps of grey skin oozed down the side of her skull, revealing flashes of gleaming white bone. Two burning embers functioned as her eyes. A serpent hissed at Sianta as it slithered out of her dead mother’s mouth. Worms infested Shinta’s body, burrowing and devouring her rancid flesh.
A hardened, deep voice emanated from within. “If you do not give up this foolish mission, this is where you will reside forever. The Plain of Miklin awaits you and your trou
blesome man-child. Forces of the Dark One will feast on your precious body and infiltrate your most sacred places.”
“Mother,” said Sianta, doing her best not to panic. “Mother, this abomination is not you. Come to me and guide me. Throw off this evil mask.”
The vision in front of Sianta flickered. Golden lightning filled the sky, and thunder rolled across the open plain, bellowing its discontent. A torrential rain fell, brackish and rotten.
“You will not dispel me, bitch,” said the voice of her corrupted mother.
Another voice struggled to break free, one that Sianta recognized.
“Honey, it’s the old man, the Soothsayer. He deals with the Dark One and aims to set Machek on the path to self-destruction. You must go back and advise Machek.”
“Shut up!” the darker voice commanded. “This is my vision and you have no power here. Go back to wandering the Region of the Dead, I command you.”
Shinta’s voice responded. “You have no power over me or my child. The Light will crush the Darkness and banish you to the bowels of eternity.”
“Mom,” Sianta said, “how do I escape the old man’s visions?”
“You cannot escape me. I will haunt you and your children’s children. You will bear the curse of the Dark One,” responded the deep voice.
“Sianta, listen to me. Will yourself back to the Earth Goddess, to your plane of existence. Warn Machek of the Soothsayer’s intent before it’s too late.”
As the last word rang in Sianta’s ears, a bolt of lightning struck the representation of her dead mother. Flames ignited and consumed the robe. Insects squealed and fell from the corpse in an attempt to escape the fire. Eventually, nothing but a pile of ash sat on the parched ground.
Sianta watched the lightning, thunder, and rain stop. From the horizon, the sky ate the earth. Darkness spilled like a bottle of blank ink, covering everything in its path. A whisper brushed past Sianta’s ears.
“You can do this, my child. You have the power of the Light within you.”
Sianta closed her eyes and fell to the ground.
