Box of Runes An Epic Fantasy Collection

by J. Thorn

  Shane tried to convince the Serpent King that he did not need to follow the protocol of battle. He explained that it was created by the Empire and was another example of old ways that were about to come crumbling down, but the Serpent King would not hear of it. He intended to ride out and meet Machek for their ceremonial exchange of words. He wanted to look in his eyes, to know if Machek planned to fight him to the knife or if he was going to surrender the capital to the coalition. The Serpent King did not care about tradition; he needed to know what Machek was going to do.

  The lord majors of the coalition watched as the hardened, wooden gate revealed the desired interior of the great city. They licked their lips in anticipation of the treasure inside. They saw visions of gold, ale, and unspoiled women. They followed the figures in the front and watched them walk out to the edges of the great plain towards the mounting forces. Some recognized Lord Major Machek, Jaguar Knight and supreme commander. Others did not and did not care. Their pulses quickened as the prospect of battle drew near.

  The Serpent King watched as Machek and his top commanders trotted their steeds towards his caravan. They rode with the sigil of the Empire raised high, supported by pride and determination. For a moment, the Serpent King pitied the poor men who would die at his hand. However, his pity did not take hold, and he smiled at Shane in anticipation of the verbal exchange.

  He had sailed across a universe and marched through infinite deserts. He had pulled the coalition together. The imminent demise of the One World sent an electric charge through the Serpent King as he bore witness to its death throes.

  The Serpent King motioned to Zona. He gave the signal to his commanders, and the coalition fell silent. Shane moved his horse to the right of the Serpent King and Zona moved his to the left. They pushed their steeds to match the pace set by Machek and his men so that the emissaries would meet between the wall and the front lines of the coalition. Machek’s eyes met the Serpent King’s. Each saw the spirit of the other, and both chased away a moment of mutual admiration and respect. War might take both men, but the gods would reunite them beyond the Region of the Dead, where they could fight again for all the glory of the universe.

  The horses of both parties stopped in front each other. The warriors sat upright, weapons down but ready. The war drums echoed across the open plain, but they did not faze the commanders of the coalition. Whistles of air serenaded the men as the wind picked up its intensity, and the Earth Goddess groaned with the morbid knowledge of what was about to take place at her feet. The men stood in complete silence, waiting for the customary exchange to take place. Desi spit on the ground and looked into the eyes of Shane, who returned his gaze with flared nostrils and furious pupils.

  The Serpent King tired of the posturing. He took the ceremonial gauntlet from his saddlebag and, with a swift toss, dropped it at the feet of Machek’s steed. The wind blew one flap open, and it lay twitching like a dying bird. Desi looked at Machek, waiting for his response to the customary challenge. As he had done before, Machek motioned for one of his commanders to pick up the gauntlet and place it in his hands. The commander did so, and Machek examined it. He turned it over and threw it back to the ground at the feet of the Serpent King’s horse. All of the men, those fighting with the Empire and those trying to crush it, gasped. Of the two supreme commanders, most thought the Serpent King would break with tradition, not Machek. Some of the older lord majors of the coalition spit and cursed at Machek. They thought his refusal to accept the war gauntlet would bring the wrath of the gods down on the One World. A few turned and left the meeting, riding back to ready their men for the final wait. Shane and the Serpent King laughed. The customs of the One World meant nothing to them, but they found it amusing that the leader of the Empire dispatched with his own people’s ways. Machek moved his horse to the side and dismounted. The Serpent King followed Machek’s cue and did the same, and the two men stood and faced each other on the battlefield for the final time.

  “We will find him.”

  “It doesn’t matter if you do or not. He failed me.”

  “I will not let you pass. I cannot lay down my arms.”

  “I know, Machek. You have the heart of the warrior and are prepared to die for your people. It is too bad that you cannot see how much power sits at my right hand.”

  “I can see it, but have no desire to use it.”

  The two men stood face to face, speaking in hushed tones. Desi stood a few paces behind Machek. Shane did the same behind the Serpent King. Both awaited the final call to war.

  “My regiments are ready. There are thousands of men beyond your line of sight, waiting to enter the walls of the capital. How they do so is up to you.”

  “The Jaguar Knights will take them to the knife.”

  “I would expect nothing less. But you must understand, Machek. If you do not allow me to march through the gate and into the city, I will be forced to send the coalition instead. They hunger for the taste of your blood. Generations of tribes demand justice. I cannot pull them back once the slaughter begins.”

  “I am not motivated by fear. I will go beyond the Region of the Dead from this battlefield. I will do so with honor, not as a coward who invited the wolf into the henhouse.”

  “You sacrifice your wives and daughters for personal honor?”

  “Do not think you can manipulate me with your broken promises. Do not think for a moment that I believe you would spare any of my people. The infidels bring nothing but pain and suffering. This cannot be tempered by you once it begins.”

  A single hawk circled high above the plain. The Serpent King inhaled and looked over his shoulder at the dozens of regiments covering the land. “Do you ever think of your sons or your wife?”

  Machek shifted his weight to one side, attempting to counterbalance the unexpected verbal blow from the Serpent King. “You have no right to speak of them in my presence.”

  “Do you know that it was me who summoned their spirits? The Soothsayer is nothing but a lackey, a foolish servant. The omens are my doing; they succumbed to my call.”

  Machek felt tears of hatred welling in his eyes. Even though he knew the tactic the Serpent King used on him, it still stung and made his chest ache. “When I leave this battle on my shield, my spirit will find them and release them from whatever cursed fate you have arranged. If you speak of them again I will separate your head from your shoulders.”

  The Serpent King let out a bellowing laugh, which surprised the lord majors on both sides of the battle lines. “You are powerless to threaten me. You have been powerless since the day the Earth Goddess dropped you in the dirt from your mother’s womb. We are all slaves to destiny. You play your role in the story written for all because control is nothing but illusion. This moment has been cast, and it will happen regardless of you or your morals.”

  “Then what stops me from slaying you this very instant?”

  “Nothing, you fucking fool. Don’t you understand? We are pieces on the board, moving at the pleasure of the Dark One. Your life is meaningless, and your decisions are worthless.”

  “I don’t believe you,” said Machek. His timbre bordered on hysterics, and he was careful not to let his men see or hear it.

  “You do now. Your people have raped the One World for too long. Many, many citizens of this place have succumbed to your tyranny and self-righteousness. You think you know what’s best for this land, its people. You know nothing. The Earth Goddess groans under your yoke. You shit in your well, you stupid fools. I am the manifestation of the leveling force, and through the power of the Dark One, I will reset the balance of the One World so that it may once again be inhabited by spirits of this plane. The Spirit gave you and your people everything, and you ruined it. A new sun rises, one that will not smile on your indignant Empire. The People of the Sun have sown the seeds of their own destruction, and the time has come to reap the consequences.”

  “You stand before me as the redeemer, is that it? You and your powers of evil will set
everything right? The Spirit doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t send the scourge of mankind to settle scores.”

  “Call me what you want, but it will not change what I am here to do. This body of the Earth Goddess must be purged of the sinners before it can support life again. I have brought the cleansing flood through the east to the threshold of your kingdom.”

  “Do you think the burden of conquest is any easy one? Do you think the People of the Sun set out to enslave and exploit the other tribes of the One World? Once a man is locked in a cell, he has no choice but to be a prisoner.”

  The Serpent King laughed again, enjoying the discussion with Machek. “A most common defense, Lord Major. You had no choice. You inherited a rotten system and so you did your best with it. Do you have any idea how many people have succumbed to that defense? There is no such thing as a burden of conquest. You look into the eyes of your children and yet you cannot see through the eyes of those you exploit. You label them ‘different’ or ‘the enemy.’ You justify your actions with a sick commitment. You determined that the existence of the One World is your responsibility, that you are its protector. It did fine without you. Eons have come and gone without your ‘protection.’ The future will rid itself of false protectors. I will cleanse the energy of this place and wash it clean with the blood of the tyrants.”

  Machek straightened his back. His hand reached for the hilt of the sword, which he squeezed. He replayed the devastating vision in his mind’s eye before replying to the Serpent King. “Your energy does not cleanse. You hide behind the powers of darkness. You manipulate men and women alike, using them and destroying them with abandon. Don’t you dare paint yourself as the savior of this place. The One World will wither and die under you. The Sun God will weep, and the heavens will cry rivers of tears.”

  The Serpent King smirked, leveling a wry grin at Machek. “Righteousness lives on the blade of the victor. Your kind has wielded it for generations. In your eyes, conquest brings morality. You have twisted the past to fit into the present. The great irony will come to pass when I eliminate your kind from this plane, following the path your people blazed. I will justify the cleansing the same way you did. The People of the Sun will be washed away like the retreating tide. A new empire will be built on the bones of your people.”

  Machek glanced skyward and took a deep breath. “I have had enough of your preaching. The gauntlet lays at your feet. I reject all compromises and resolutions you offer. I break with custom because you are not worthy of custom. You are not of the One World and do not deserve its ceremony. Tell your men that no quarter will be given and that none is expected. If they are foolish enough to follow you to the Plains of Miklin, so be it. I am Lord Major Machek, supreme commander of the Jaguar Knights and protectorate of the Empire of the People of the Sun. We will not surrender. We will not retreat.”

  Machek shouted these last words at the Serpent King so all lord majors could hear the exchange. He wanted to dispel any hesitation in his voice or his head. The Serpent King looked into Machek’s eyes and over him to the gate of the capital. He turned to head back towards his regiments.

  “Machek,” he said. The lord major stopped and looked over his shoulder. “You are responsible for all that will follow.”

  Machek faced the Serpent King. “No, Commander. That burden is now yours.”

  Machek walked towards Desi and his other lord majors. Still stunned from his refusal to accept the battle gauntlet, they stepped back from him in hopes of escaping the fury of the gods. Machek gave simple commands to the lord majors, and they dispersed to their regiments to relay the commands to the warriors. Desi looked Machek in the eye and put his hand on his shoulder.

  “We shall follow you beyond the Region of the Dead. Do not hesitate.”

  “Thank you, my friend. We may travel there together, and soon. He has amassed dozens of regiments that stretch beyond the horizon. He will not spare a single soul, and we should not either. If the Empire’s time is up, we shall go out as legends of the One World, defending our wives and children to the end.”

  “There is nothing else we can do. Our Book of Horoscopes has brought us to this time, and it is up to us to finish it.”

  “I am not so sure of that any longer. I am sure that I will die with honor rather than live in shame. I do not want to be part of the future the Serpent King offers.”

  Desi looked deep into his friend’s face and nodded in agreement. A shiny tear formed in the corner of one eye, and he brushed it aside, kicking up a puff of dust from the parched soil. “The regiments inside the city guard their stations, and those outside welcome war.”

  “Thank you, Lord Major.”

  Desi saluted his commander and went into the ranks to support his men. Soldiers fidgeted with weapons and inspected their armor repeatedly in an attempt to fend off their worst fears. Machek stood alone, watching the Serpent King and his entourage ride back towards their lines. Once they arrived, it would be up to the Serpent King to launch the first wave. Machek knew the Serpent King would wait until all of the forces of the Jaguar Knights had secured their positions before he gave the order. The words and thoughts from their conversation rattled around in his head.

  Chapter 72

  The Serpent King and his men rode back to the caravan, and he dismounted his horse and entered the tent. He smelled desire on the Angels of Darkness, but refused to give in to the temptation. The balance of the One World hung on his next move.

  “The fighting will begin soon,” he said to Ri and Gishwan.

  “What do you want us to do?” asked Ri.

  “Stay far from it. You may cruise the battlefield for injured souls once the front moves beyond your position, but do not enter the melee. I cannot protect you in the midst of it.”

  “We don’t need your protection.”

  Gishwan smiled at Ri when she said this.

  “I was not implying that you do. I need you to convert as many to the Order as possible, but you cannot do this in the middle of the fighting. This must be done on the injured or dying.”

  “What will we do when the battle ends?” asked Gishwan.

  “We will destroy as many regiments as possible. Machek will call three or four from within the walls of the capital to add to those he shows on the battlefield. The coalition forces will cut through with ease. When we reach the main gate, I will lead us in. Once inside, we unleash the fury of hell, bringing the swine to their knees. The Dark One will revel in our destruction.”

  “Does that mean we take as much blood as we want?” asked Ri. She licked her moist lips in anticipation of the blood orgy.

  “Their souls belong to us. Do your bidding.”

  “I don’t believe you,” said Gishwan. Silence gripped the tent as Ri and the Serpent King stared at the raven-haired beauty.

  “What did you say?” asked the Serpent King. His mouth twisted into a snarl and his eyes narrowed.

  “I said that I don’t believe you. I think you send us into a trap. Why would you unleash us in what will become your domain?”

  Ri stood motionless to the side as Gishwan challenged the Serpent King.

  “If you don’t shut your disrespectful mouth right now, I will drive my sword through it.”

  “You don’t frighten me any longer. The Angels of Darkness serve powers greater than you.”

  The Serpent King walked over and grabbed Gishwan’s throat. He squeezed hard and could feel pulsing blood vessels bursting in her neck. She stood upright, eyes fixed on his.

  “I will choke these words out of your wretched soul.”

  Gishwan looked at Ri without fear or pain. She brought her hands up and placed them on the Serpent King’s, and the smell of charred flesh filled the room as wisps of smoke rose from her neck. The Serpent King pulled his hands away and yelped with pain. His fingers had turned black, burning where they had contacted Gishwan’s skin.

  “Stop, stop burning me,” he cried, stumbling backwards and falling to the ground.

 
“We will take the battlefield with you, and we will convert men as we so desire. You will assign guards to us and they will give their lives protecting ours. When the fighting ends, we will decide what happens inside those walls.”

  Ri stood still the entire time, fascinated by Gishwan’s assertive stance. The Serpent King nodded, but did not reply to Gishwan. She walked over and kicked him hard in the groin.

  “I want an answer from your lips,” she said.

  He groaned and shoved both hands under his robe in a failed attempt to ease the pain. “I will protect you both. But listen to me. I release you from obligation. I will not forget your insults and disrespect. When the battle is over, and the Empire falls, be gone from here. If I find you, I will steal both of your souls.”

  Gishwan stood over him and spoke. “You are in no position to make threats. Protect us on the field of battle and we may be able to part ways without bloodshed.”

  Ri stood next to Gishwan and put her arm around the woman’s shoulder, guiding her away from the Serpent King and back into the tent, where they finished getting dressed.

  “We go to war soon. Once this tent falls, you are no longer my concubines.”

  Ri decided to speak for herself. “We are nobody’s concubines. Protect us in the battle or face the consequences.”

  The Serpent King stood and stumbled out of the tent to attend to his final commands.

  After he left, Ri stared at Gishwan. She could not believe the timid young girl had emancipated them both from the service of the Serpent King. The two slid sharpened knives and daggers into sheathes, which covered their bodies. Under the black robes, the women stood naked. Black leather straps crossed their bodies in various configurations, holding armor and weapons close to their skin. Should they drop the robes in battle, the ensuing sight would be one of ferocious beauty.

  “Did he speak to you in the vision?” asked Ri.

  “He did not have to. I felt the power and I felt the future. The Serpent King is not what we think he is. He is nothing compared to the Dark One.”