Box of Runes An Epic Fantasy Collection

by J. Thorn

  “He could have killed you.”

  “Not in a thousand years. I know his story, and there is nothing to fear from the Serpent King. We will raze the battlefield and continue to grow the Order. He will not stand in our way or impede us any longer.”

  Gishwan’s new sense of assertiveness and power aroused Ri. Her eyes flashed with a red rage. Ri hoped this new force would not make her careless in her decisions.

  “The One World is ours. It will be our domain,” said Ri.

  “The One World is just the beginning,” replied Gishwan.

  The two women left the tent. As soon as they did, servants cut the ropes, dropping it to the ground. They folded the fabric and packed it on a mule. Along with some other provisions, they sent the mules to the back of the battle lines. A guardian force of six warriors stood around Ri and Gishwan. Ri shouted instructions at them, telling them that rewards of the flesh would be given to those who completed their mission of protection. Gishwan and Ri let their robes flutter as they spoke, making sure the warriors caught a glimpse of the prize that awaited their success.

  The fighting party of six sentries and the two mystical women found the Serpent King and his personal entourage of advisors and warriors. He would not be on the front lines when the fighting began, but had to make sure the necessary intelligence made it to those who faced the enemy. He saw them coming and looked in the other direction.

  “We will begin here,” said Ri.

  “It is too risky. You must wait in the second or third regiment to avoid the unpredictable beginnings of battle.”

  “That is not your concern,” said Gishwan.

  “But it is mine. I command the front line and I will not have you on it,” said Shane.

  Ri looked at Gishwan, unsure how much Shane knew. He did not appear to have the same level of understanding as the Serpent King.

  “You may join us, or you may get out of our way,” said Ri to Shane.

  “My lord, what is your command?” Shane asked the Serpent King. He looked dazed and bewildered by the women’s newfound power.

  “If the whores wish to die on the first rushes of the fight, let them.” He spun his horse and left with other lord majors and sentries. Ri and Gishwan looked at Shane, who was shaking a nervous twitch from his face.

  “Why? Why do you want to be on the front line?” Shane did his best to keep his voice low and not panic the men standing around, the ones who would die in the first moments of battle.

  “The reasons are of no concern to you. You either step aside and let us fight, or you stand in our way as one of the enemy.”

  Shane shook his head and turned to look at the horizon over thousands of soldiers. “Fine. Have your guts spilled on the edge of the great plain. If that is your destiny, so be it.” He waved his hand at the two and winked at the lord major next to him.

  “Lord Major Shane, we thank you for your cooperation and hope to see you inside the walls of the capital,” said Gishwan.

  “Yes, that is the fate of our forces.”

  Ri and Gishwan let the odd remark hang in the air and gave instructions to their personal guards.

  Shane rode hard through the lines until he reached the Serpent King, riding hard beside him and attempting to get his attention. The Serpent King did his best to ignore Shane until he could not any longer.

  “Why do they make their own decisions, and why do you allow them to do so?” asked Shane.

  The Serpent King took a labored breath and faced his commander. “They wish to die in battle, and it is not up to me to stop them. Let the filthy bitches bleed out.”

  “Do we need them?”

  “Not any longer. The women inside those walls will serve our needs. Enough talk of those two. Gather your personal bodyguards and meet me here. The war launches soon, and we need to make sure we have the best vantage point.”

  “But aren’t we going to fight?”

  “Of course we are, but we must wait until the time is right. These may be mortal men, but they can still deliver a death blow.”

  Shane did not push the issue any further and followed the Serpent King deep into the ranks.

  Chapter 73

  The Serpent King raised his right fist, holding it there for several agonizing moments while the beating of the war drums rang in his ears. The lord majors of the coalition received his signal and moved three regiments to the front line, where the men spread out in their battle positions, three deep in places. Most carried a shield and sword, while others had little more than a stone hammer. When the regiments on the front line moved into position, the Serpent King slammed his fist down with a droning battle cry.

  Machek and Desi flashed the signals down the lines of their regiments, and the Jaguar Knights spread out towards the front, fifteen paces from the coalition forces. With the precision of a well-trained militia, the soldiers stood like statues awaiting the blast of the first attack. The Jaguar Knights were dressed in the best armor of the One World, fine ironwork and inlaid designs covering their helmets. Polished steel swords reflected the blinding rays of the Sun God deep into the ranks of the infidels. Decorative ribbons fluttered about their armor like trapped birds. They held their shields in their left hands, creating an impenetrable wall of defense. Each soldier’s shield protected the man to his left. Machek knew these soldiers would defeat any of their contemporaries, even outnumbered three or four to one. He raised his hand and silenced the war drums with one motion.

  Men of the One World stood motionless, facing each other. Some shuffled on their feet in a last attempt at grounding with the Earth Goddess, while some left puddles of piss in the dirt. Murmurs of prayers, tears, and anger flowed down each line and across the barren strip of uncontested land.

  “I am Lord Major Machek, commander of the Jaguar Knights, leader of the Empire. We forbid your entrance into the capital and will defend it to the death. Turn and take your arms with you, or prepare to taste our swords.”

  Machek delivered the ceremonial address as best he could, in the same manner that generations of Jaguar Knights had done before him, the final attempt at avoiding bloodshed.

  The Serpent King heard the words delivered from Machek’s mouth. They traveled over the ranks with ease, considering how many men stood between them. He looked at Shane and pulled his mask down from the top of his helmet. The Serpent King reached for his sword and slid it from the sheath. With the Sun God high above and the Earth Goddess below, the Serpent King thrust his sword into the sky and let out an emotional, violent cry.

  ***

  The coalition forces on the front line rushed forward. Men screamed and spittle flew as they advanced across the barren space between themselves and the Jaguar Knights. The Jaguar Knights, trained with lifetimes of experience, held fast against the onrushing horde of warriors. Obscenities, shouts, and insults flew from the lips of the infidels. They swung battle-axes, swords, and other weapons during the inevitable rush to the first line of defense. Still, the Jaguar Knights held their position, facing the violent stampede. As the coalition reached the Jaguar Knights, a symphony of metal greeted them. With coordinated accuracy, the first line dropped to one knee and thrust long, steel spears upwards toward the oncoming rush. The spears of the Jaguar Knights impaled the coalition’s first line of forces. The knights moved them to the right and prepared for the second wave as the coalition soldiers moved forward like the inevitable advancing of the tide. Some of them broke through Machek’s first line, but most fell again to the destructive steel spears. A third wave of the Serpent King’s united tribes advanced on the regiments of the Jaguar Knights, and again the spears prevented them from breaking through the ranks.

  Machek watched the start of the battle as sweat formed on his forehead. “How many do you think they can turn away?” he asked Desi.

  “I hope they turn as many as possible, my lord,” Desi replied.

  The land between the two forces disappeared as bodies littered it. The Serpent King sent waves of soldiers into the fron
t lines of the Jaguar Knights. Line after line fell. The piled bodies of the coalition forces made it difficult for new regiments to attack.

  Shane said nothing at first. His eyes twitched and he circled his steed. “My lord, we must try something else. We cannot penetrate their lines.”

  The Serpent King looked at his lord major and nodded. “They prove to be stronger than I anticipated. Send the signal to Ri and Gishwan. Set them loose.”

  Shane sent word through the ranks to the northern flank, where Ri and Gishwan waited. Neither felt bound to follow the Serpent King’s orders, but resisted entering the battle until the right time. Ri received the Serpent King’s command to attack and winked at Gishwan.

  The Angels of Darkness rose and leapt into the middle of the melee. Their swords sliced through the armor and flesh of the Jaguar Knights and their dark, flowing robes confused and bewildered the enemy. They floated above the men’s heads and brought their weapons down with ungodly speed and force. The two women punctured a hole in the front ranks of the Jaguar Knights. Warriors of the coalition swarmed towards the opening at the northern end of the battle line and hacked their way through the compromised portion.

  Shane smiled, and the Serpent King motioned towards the opening and spoke to his lord major.

  “Now is the time. The break in the line is the one we needed. Ride with your regiment and force that hole into a gaping wound.”

  Shane pulled his helmet down. “On your command, my lord.”

  By the time Shane and his warriors had reached the puncture created by the Angels of Darkness, men of the coalition had split through the regiment. The Jaguar Knights to the south of the breach turned ninety degrees and held fast with their brothers at their backs. However, the coalition warriors slaughtered those north of the breach like cattle. With no forces to bolster the line, the coalition warriors swarmed upon them like locusts. Ri and Gishwan’s hair could be seen swirling and flying amongst the spray of blood and cries of death.

  The break compromised the entire battle formation of the Jaguar Knights. Machek ordered regiments to outflank the enemy and cut off the corner they had opened at the far northern edge of the battle line. He was unsure whether they could hold it, but had no other choice. The men on the front became weary and fell back behind fresher warriors. The exchange of swords on the front line caused some confusion and disarray amongst the Jaguar Knights. Some stabbed their own in the back as they ran towards the walls of the capital. The Serpent King’s forces pushed the front line back a hundred paces, and he sent the angered tribes of the coalition into the fight one after another, like ocean waves pounding the shore. Machek realized he would not be able to defend the land in front of the capital. If his forces had any chance, they would need to make an offensive move somewhere along the line.

  Desi and Machek watched the front line creep closer to their position. Soon, the fight would be at their feet. The regiment of Jaguar Knights that moved to the break at the northern end of the front had managed to stall the advancing coalition forces, holding their ground for the moment.

  Machek signaled another regiment to be released from inside the capital, one of a few remaining. If he could not turn the tide of the battle in his favor, retreating inside the walls of the city might be his last option. Once he made that decision, there would be no turning back.

  Jaguar Knights continued to slaughter the rampant hordes. Many felt the effects of fatigue, staggering through the battle with burning muscles and bloodied limbs. Soldiers fought hungry, tasting only the coppery sweat of their foes. A few caught a glimpse of the Angels of Darkness as they managed to rise above the fight and rejoin it, like great birds of prey diving on defenseless animals. The women attacked one lord major, the first high-ranking casualty of the battle.

  Ri and Gishwan bared their teeth and fought like wounded tigers. Blood matted their swaying tresses and the fight tore their robes to pieces. Flesh glistened with blood where armor left it unprotected. Their lustful yet primal look made men pause, the brief hesitation costing them their lives.

  “Gishwan, over there!”

  “What is it?”

  “A growing ball of flame.”

  “But it’s too early. We haven’t broken through the wall.”

  “If he summons us now, we must follow.”

  Gishwan spat on the ground and drove her sword through a man’s neck. “I am not ready to be summoned,” she replied with bloodlust lighting her eyes.

  “If we disobey him, he will punish us.”

  A glowing orb formed above the men’s heads. It hovered and pulsed, spilling a sick yellow light out from the center.

  “He cannot take us yet.”

  A wild explosion rocked the ground and threw the women backwards. Ri looked up into the sky and pushed a detached arm off of her breast. Gishwan lay next to her, alive but unconscious.

  The glowing orb disappeared. Underneath where it flashed, hundreds of bodies lay scattered in the bloody soil. Another explosion detonated, raining dirt and debris upon the battlefield. Ri tried to sit up, but dizziness and nausea held her down. She rolled over and crawled to Gishwan. Ri looked into her face, removing twisted pieces of shrapnel from her smooth skin. Gishwan’s chest rose and fell in ragged movements. Not another body within Ri’s field of vision had moved since the explosions began. She sat up to scan the area when another blast rang her ears. The concussion knocked Ri back to the ground and left her incapacitated.

  ***

  “My lord, those are powerful weapons. They have obliterated part of the front line. There is no one left standing.” Shane peered through a spyglass at the destruction caused by the explosions.

  “I knew they would be. What a shame that the Angels of Darkness happened to be in the line of fire,” said the Serpent King.

  He sent the signal to the lord majors in charge of launching the projectiles. He had brought the fearsome technology from the Eastern Kingdoms and introduced it to the One World. Leather pouches concealed satchels of black powder. Around the powder, men packed shards of steel and tin left over from the sword-making process. A technician inserted a fuse inside the bomb and placed it on a catapult that the Serpent King hid deep in his ranks. After lighting the fuse, the men shot the missile into the fight. It killed all within range, friend and foe alike.

  Several bombs flew overhead, accompanied by a subtle flapping noise, landing in various places on the front lines. The flash came first, blinding anyone within close range. The concussion of the blast roared through flesh and armor. The force blew apart those in the direct line of the missile, and the projectiles lacerated those within a dozen paces. The shrapnel tore through all with ease.

  The Serpent King had stored enough powder for ten bombs. He had to conserve their force and numbers. The first four he launched blew a bloody hole in the front line. Men crawled and staggered away from the black smoke while some lay still, the flames eating their flesh.

  “What was that?” said Machek to Desi.

  “Sir, an explosion near the northern edge of the front line.”

  “Where we sent our reinforcements to close the breach?”

  “Yes, sir, in that general area.”

  “I need to see.” Machek grabbed the spyglass from Desi and focused on the area hardest hit by the bombs. He could see the aftermath of the explosion and handed the spyglass back.

  “What do you think they are, my lord?”

  “The force has blown the limbs from men and left their bodies burning and charred. The Serpent King brings weapons beyond our reckoning.”

  Desi shook his head and looked skyward for an answer that did not come.

  Machek ordered half of one regiment to reinforce the line devastated by the explosions. Men were not eager to rush in, but the Jaguar Knights followed the command of the lord major. Desi and Machek rode north along the lines as fighting continued in front of them. Tens of thousands of swords met steel and skin. As Machek rode to the site of the devastation, he saw burning crater marks
in the earth. The force of the bombs had dug depressions of soil from the ground and thrown it into the air. He heard the moans and cries of dying men, some babbling in unrecognizable speech while others called for their mothers. The smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils, and Machek held down the contents of his stomach. He had difficulty differentiating the Jaguar Knights from the infidels. Black soot covered all the men, and few moved. The half-regiment Machek ordered to the area arrived, but found that the enemy had abandoned the surge, pulling back to wait for another opportunity to overwhelm the Jaguar Knights. Machek rode to his right and spotted two women lying motionless on the ground. He shook his head and convinced himself that the daze of the fight had distorted his vision. As he approached the two, he noticed their chests moving. Unlike many of the other soldiers nearby, the heat of the explosion had not blemished their skin.

  ***

  “Sir, Machek has ridden to the point of the breach. He has taken the bait.”

  “You see, Lord Major Shane, I know this man. I can anticipate his movements.”

  “Shall I give the signal to launch another round of bombs?”

  “No. I want him alive long enough to see us rape and burn his beloved capital.”

  “What of the Angels of Darkness?”

  “What of them? Many unfortunate accidents take place in warfare, Shane.”

  With Lord Major Machek near the northern edge of the front and preoccupied with the aftermath of the devastation, the Serpent King refocused his forces on the southern front. Another set of catapults launched more satchels of death into the same vicinity. Like the ones before, explosions blew limbs from bodies and tore men from the plane of the One World. Panic crept into the hearts of the feared Jaguar Knights. For generations, they had ruled the One World as the bravest, strongest warriors. No enemy had ever been able to drive them back or subdue them. But pride and history was no match for the new weapons of the Eastern Kingdoms. While many Jaguar Knights perished from the initial blast, many more lost their minds. They dropped their weapons and shields, falling to their knees while weeping and pulling out their hair. Many cited passages from the omens that foretold the end of the Fifth Sun. Some saw the Bonfires in the Sky and fell upon their swords.