The Tear of Gramal

by Phillip Jones

  Looking up at the second container that sat just below the one he had emptied, the demon-jaguar used his power to rip off the locks. Once the doors were open, the cat jumped into the opening to address these beings just as he had the others. As he did, Sam lifted Kael to his mouth yet again and whispered. “Kael, Kepler just spoke to me without opening his mouth. How does that work? Am I going crazy?”

  “No, Sam … the cat must have the ability to speak telepathically. If you can hear him, you also have the ability to return thoughts, though the process may require you to focus before you can employ the action.”

  Sam dropped the blade to his side. “No way ... I’ve got to try that.” The king looked up and concentrated on the jaguar. “Kepler, can you hear me? Kepler. Kepler. KEPLER!”

  The demon-cat stopped his speech to the criminals and turned around. “What? Of course, I can hear you! Stop shouting! What on Hell is wrong with you?”

  Sam shrugged and focused as he returned another thought. “I was just making sure.”

  The cat’s furry face clearly showed his concern. “Something’s wrong with you. Perhaps we should hold off on releasing the dejected until your ability to dominate returns.”

  Sam shook his head. “No. Don’t worry about it. I’m fine.”

  Rolling his eyes, Kepler turned back around to continue his speech. Only four elves in the second crate were slaughtered after they lifted their voices in protest. As the elves’ blood streamed past Kepler’s paws, the jaguar took note of the halflings’ ears as they worked their way to the ground. He looked down at Sam and sent the king a thought. “How boring. Their appearance isn’t much different than yours. I expected more.” As the spirit floated past, the cat added, “That’s more like it. You can see right through him.”

  In total, 13 elves, 6 halflings, 1 spirit, 2 sprites, and 11 kedgles made their way out of the crate to join the others. Sam looked down to study the manifests of the bottom containers. His eyes focused on the red demon that was locked in the silent container sitting on the ground. “Huh! Kepler, how about—”

  The demon-cat interrupted. “Call me Kep, Sam! On how many occasions must I tell you that?”

  Sam studied Kepler’s face. There was so much to take in. He still could not believe the demon truly felt they had traveled together as he mumbled to himself, “This is insane. I wonder to what end he’ll stand at my side. How deep is our relationship supposed to be?”

  “Sorry, Kep,” Sam finally responded. “You know me and my bad habits!”

  The demon yawned and did not respond.

  Sam rolled his eyes and then readjusted his gaze back to the manifest of the bottom container. He stepped forward and slapped his hand against the metal. “There’s a red demon inside named Orgon. If I’m right, he’s the most powerful being in there. We should have a conversation with him.”

  Before another word could be said, two of the humans started fighting. They had been sitting next to the fire furthest away from where Sam was standing. Without thinking, Sam lifted his hand and shouted, “Shut up!” As he finished his last word, a brutal wave of force erupted from his palm and barreled across the distance. It blasted the two combatants and sent them flying. The newly proclaimed King of Hell watched in awe as the men lifted off the ground and flew more than 18 paces before they landed and tumbled to a stop.

  Sam turned his back to the remaining criminals who sat stone-faced looking in his direction. A moment later, he lifted Kael to his mouth, looked down at his free palm and whispered, “I need you to explain what the hell just happened.”

  A long moment of silence passed as Kael searched for a response. “Perhaps Yaloom’s potion has inadvertently helped you release a portion of your old self. Soon, Sam, and I do mean soon, you’ll be a powerful being.”

  Kepler jumped down from the second crate and sniffed Sam’s palm. He snorted. “You’ve never had that smell before. Something large within you is emerging, and it smells magnificent.”

  The king did not respond. Instead, he lifted his palm in the direction of the bottom crate and shouted the elven word for lock. Both popped open. He turned his back to the criminals and whispered again, “Holy garesh, Kep! Did you see that?”

  Kepler nodded. “If you’re referring to the simple use of magic that any ordinary imbecile can command, then yes, I saw it. What’s wrong with you? You act like you’ve never commanded magic at all.”

  Kael was the one to respond. “Kepler, perhaps you could give us a moment. I need to speak with Sam alone.”

  The jaguar turned to enter the bottom crate. As he opened the door, a wave of heat poured out. The jaguar waited for the temperature to drop and then stepped inside to announce his presence.

  With the cat out of earshot, Kael addressed the king. “Sam, you must not react to the changes you’re experiencing. To do so will cause Kepler to question his beliefs. Who knows what would happen if he realized a different reality. You must tread lightly. Act like a king … not a simpleton. Be smart.”

  After pondering the sword’s words, Sam turned to face the criminals who were eating. “Is there anyone else who has the desire to piss me off?”

  It was unanimous. Everyone shook their heads—even the two criminals who were hobbling back to their meals had no comment.

  “Great! Then it’s settled. You’ll all eat in peace.” Sam pointed Kael in the direction of every criminal and commanded the blade’s flame. “If any of you run while I’m inside the crate, you will have seen your last Peak. Do I make myself clear?”

  Everyone nodded.

  Sam turned and walked through the pool of blood. He stepped inside the container and stopped next to Kepler. The stench clubbed the new King of Hell upside the head. Most every being was passed out, except one—the red demon.

  “Damn, it’s hot in here!” Sam exclaimed as he lifted Kael and commanded the blade to burst into an icy flame. It was not long before the temperature inside the container dropped significantly.

  Seeing the condition of the crate’s inhabitants, Sam stepped outside and commanded the humans to gather enough meat to feed those who were suffering. Next, Sam commanded the Minotaur to go into the container that held the frozen corgan meat. “Bring me as many blocks of ice as you can. Give them all a chunk. They’ll be thirsty when they wake up.”

  Once his orders were being carried out, the king walked back into the crate and went to the far back. He stopped in front of the cage that held the red demon. “Tell me, Orgon…” He passed his hand across the others in the container. “This is your fault, isn’t it?”

  The demon smiled.

  Sam placed Kael’s icy flame against the cage. “Don’t be coy. Answer me.”

  As the demon moved to the far back of the cage to avoid the discomfort of the ice, he responded. “Yes, I’m responsible.”

  Sam’s brows furrowed. Before he uttered another word, the king turned and walked away. He strolled past Kepler, stepped out of the crate and then lifted Kael back to his mouth. “How did I know how to speak Demon just now? I’ve never studied their language.”

  Kael’s blade pulsated. “Sam, there’s much you don’t know about yourself. Again, I cannot answer your questions. Your mind isn’t ready for the answers. What is, just is. You must accept that for now.”

  Sam dropped the blade to his side. “You’re really pissing me off.” The king re-entered the crate and stopped in front of Orgon’s cage. “I want to know why you did this to them. What harm did they cause you?”

  The demon chuckled. “None. I simply wanted them to be silent. Their clattering was excruciating.”

  Sam could not help but smile. Not only was he holding a conversation in demon tongue, he could tell the demon was smart. “Seems like a reasonable answer. What do you think, Kep?”

  Kepler looked at Orgon and growled. “I suppose if I was locked in a cage, and the beings around me made noise like they did prior to opening their crate, I would also command their silence.”

  “As would I,” Kae
l added.

  The demon’s eyes widened as he watched the blade pulsate. “Your weapon speaks. Was it a gift from the gods?”

  Sam pondered the demon’s question and then thought to himself. Why would the gods allow the souls on this world to maintain knowledge of their existence? What could be the reason for that?

  Sheathing Kael, Sam redirected the conversation. “Why are you in this crate? What wrong did you do to land you in here?” the king demanded.

  It was easy to see that Orgon was searching for an answer.

  Sam shook his head. “You don’t know why you’re here, do you?”

  Orgon’s response was what Sam thought it would be. The king turned around and walked to the center of the crate. He reached up and grabbed one of the horns of the largest Minotaur who was distributing ice and then forced the beast-man to his knees. “What wrong did you do to land you in your crate?”

  As the Minotaur struggled to respond, Sam realized two things. First, he had spoken in the beast-man’s tongue as if it was a natural part of his being. And second, he had forced the Minotaur to his knees with ease. He was stronger than before—far stronger than he was after he received the gift of strength from Mosley. He could crush the Minotaur and not even break a sweat.

  The king released the Minotaur’s horn and took a step back. “What’s your name?”

  This was a question the beast-man could answer. “I’m known as Poldas, My King.”

  Sam smiled. “You’re a lot smarter than you look. Come with me, Poldas.” The king led the Minotaur to the back of the crate and stopped next to the red demon. He grabbed the lock and ripped it off the demon’s cage and then allowed Orgon to exit.

  With Orgon and Poldas standing speechless in front of him, Sam lifted Kael and commanded the blade to produce a watery flame as he spoke in both languages, consecutively. “This is your lucky Peak.” He pointed Kael at Kepler. “This is my advisor.” Sam reached out and patted the red demon on his bare chest. “You, Orgon, are my new General Absolute.” He then patted Poldas on his hair-covered chest. “And you are Orgon’s second in command.”

  Kepler cleared his throat. “Sam, perhaps we could speak.”

  The king pointed. “You two stay right there. I’ll be back.”

  Once Kepler and Sam were clear of the crate, the jaguar spoke. “You already have a General Absolute. Why would you create another?”

  Sam had to think fast. “I’ve only got one General Absolute, right?”

  The cat confirmed.

  “And since he’s not with us, he’s at the stronghold. Am I right?”

  The jaguar shook his head. “No, Sam. She’s at the stronghold. What is wrong with you?”

  Sam shrugged. “He, she, it doesn’t matter. You know what I meant.”

  Kepler’s brows furrowed as a cat’s would. “Why promote the demon and the Minotaur when you already have these positions filled. They can’t even understand one another.”

  Sam reached out and patted Kepler on the shoulder. “You didn’t give me a chance to finish in there. Their positions are temporary. We’ve got to get from here to home without incident, don’t we? All we’ve got to do is deal with the language differences for now.”

  Somewhat pacified by Sam’s response, Kepler re-entered the crate. “This seems like a waste of our moments,” he said as the end of his tail disappeared.

  Sam lifted Kael to his mouth again. “I’m going to have to think fast around here. What a cluster the gods have left me in.”

  Entering the crate, the new King of Hell stopped in front of Orgon and Poldas and spoke his orders in both languages. “You two open the container just above us and inform its occupants of the order of things. I want them to understand their new chain of command. You’ll spend the rest of this Peak interviewing those whom you’ll command. In the morning, I want you to choose an officer for each race. This island is about to become our new home. I want shelters built. I want walls constructed that surround the entire island, and I want them to be impenetrable. I want them to be 80 paces high, 30 paces wide, and I want the base of the wall to be submerged in the water that surrounds the island. Anyone or anything that approaches will have to swim up to the wall and climb over it. This should give us the advantage.”

  Sam looked at Kepler. “We need to form search parties for food. Once the trolls in the container above have conformed, take Orgon onto the mainland and gather the rest of our forces. This island will be our new stronghold. While you’re out there, search for reinforcements. I want our army to continue to grow.”

  Sam reached into his pocket, pulled out a map of the mainland that he had brought with him from Grayham and showed it to Kepler. “Does this map look right to you?”

  The jaguar studied the topography. “Of course, it does. Why?”

  “I have a reason for asking. Just bear with me.” The king lowered the map to the floor of the container. “Put a claw on the location of our current stronghold.”

  Kepler’s response was filled with irritation. “Why? You know where it is.”

  Sam looked up. “Have you ever known me not to have a reason for doing the things I do?”

  The jaguar’s response was immediate. “No. You’ve always employed clear thought.”

  “Then stop questioning me, and point to the stronghold.”

  Kepler rolled his eyes and placed the tip of his claw on the location.

  Seeing that the Temple of the Gods was to the south beyond the mountains, Sam changed his mind. He pointed his finger at the temple. “Screw this island. The temple is where we’re going to go. That building is fit for a king.”

  “The gods won’t approve,” Kepler protested. “They won’t allow you to claim their temple as your own.”

  Sam laughed.

  “Have I said something funny?” the jaguar queried.

  “If you knew what I know about the gods, you wouldn’t make that claim. The temple will be my new castle. I don’t care how the gods feel about it. We’ll surround it with a wall that extends from the mountains into the ocean. The wall will parallel the coast to the south and then follow it east until it rejoins the mountains.” Sam used the tip of Kael to poke his finger. He used his blood to mark an X on six different locations and then drew paths between them. He pointed at the first X just west of the temple. “The first wall will start here. It’ll follow this line against the coast and end here.”

  The king looked up at Kepler. “Use your power to make these markings look like fortified walls fit for a kingdom. I want my map to be detailed.”

  Kepler pondered Sam’s words.

  Sam could tell the demon was struggling to visualize the concept of a fortified wall.

  “Come with me.” The king took Kepler out of the container and knelt onto the dirt. He used his finger to draw a wall. “There. Take that idea and put it on my map where my lines of blood are. And get rid of the blood when you’re finished.”

  After spending a few more moments studying Sam’s illustration in the dirt, Kepler made the adjustments to the map.

  “Perfect,” Sam announced. “You’re a regular cartographer, Kep. What would I do without you?”

  Without waiting for a response, Sam lifted the map and motioned for Orgon and Poldas to come out of the container. As they stepped through the mud the blood had left behind, Sam noticed that many of the occupants inside the container were beginning to stir. He spoke to the demon first and then the Minotaur as he explained the details of the wall that would be built around the Temple of the Gods. Once they understood, he ordered them to empty the final crate and then he walked to the far side of the docks with Kepler while he continued to study the map.

  Beyond the spot where Kepler had said the stronghold was located, the mountains failed to provide protection to the north. It would not be acceptable to have this area exposed. “Kep, is the water near the stronghold consumable?”

  The demon-cat was astounded. “Of course, it is, Sam. That’s why you chose its location.”

/>   “Exactly,” the king responded to throw the cat off. “So what am I thinking now?”

  “How am I supposed to know?” the jaguar growled. “It’s as if you’ve become a stranger to me.”

  Sam tapped his knuckles against the map. “Relax, Kep. I know what I’m doing.”

  “Then get to the point,” Kepler snarled.

  “Okay. Okay. We’re going to create a wall to protect the stronghold.”

  Kepler snorted, “There is a wall already, Sam.”

  Sam responded without hesitation. “I know, but there isn’t a wall like the one we’re about to build. With the damned migrating, we will need greater protection. We need a wall that encompasses a vast area of land.” Sam marked four more X’s on the map. “Walls will extend between these locations. By the moment we are finished, we will have land to cultivate, water to consume, and we will have as much cattle as we—”

  “Cattle?” Kepler interrupted. “What is cattle?”

  Sam frowned. “I’m talking about corgans, horses and any other kind of animal we can get our hands on. We’ll need meat.”

  The jaguar studied the map. “Sam, the walls you intend to build will encompass a vast territory. It’ll take seasons for our army to build them.”

  The king rolled up the map. “We’re not going to build, Kep. We’re going to create. I want you to figure out who wields the strongest magic. Gather them into a group. We’re going to make my walls the easy way. We’re going to cheat.”

  “Even if we do use magic, it’ll still take the majority of a season.”

  Sam unsheathed Kael. “How long will it take the damned to migrate?”

  The blade began to pulsate. “Lasidious said they’re migrating from a location southwest of Dragon’s Backbone. You have more than enough moments to build your walls. I also suggest you use the magic in your army to scar the mountains where they remain assailable. You don’t want the damned to climb over them.”

  Sam nodded as he looked up to pat Kepler on the shoulder. “Anyplace you can climb … fix it. If you can’t get over it, they won’t be able to either. We’ll start from the south and work our way north. We will out-create the bastards as they work their way this direction.”