The Exile's Redemption (The Heart of a Tyrant Book 1)

by Reece Dinn

  Focus. Focus.

  There. He felt the familiar warm tingle of his Raiz and immediately began Brubah, strengthening it as much as he could. His pain eased, his chest loosening. It was too little too late though, his wounds were too many, his body and mind too exhausted. There was little fight left in him.

  The battle raged all around him. More and more ludenez came. Fires burned in every direction, the battlefield slowly turning into an inferno. The Lial slaughtered any ludenez that came near them, dispatching each one with ease. He win fight on his own. Even with the Lial's strength however victory looked hopeless. There were just too many ludenez.

  Through the fighting throng he caught sight of Lial Chicoroz furiously fighting, felling ludenez after ludenez with axe, lightning, and fire.

  Two more ludenez appeared behind Lial Seboraz as he was dealing the final blow to another.

  'Lial, behind' cried Melonaz.

  The Lial spun around, twirling Rorkaroz in a blur of motion. The two ludenez stopped their advance, the staff swinging uselessly before them. They leapt at him before he could muster another attack.

  'LIAL,' screamed Melonaz.

  The Lial ducked and rolled, moving unnaturally fast. The ludenez passed over him and before they'd even landed he was up and swinging his staff, beating both of them senseless with a bombardment of devastating blows, the two ludenez's bodies breaking under the assault. Within moments they were nothing more than a pile of fur, flesh and broken bones. With casual indifference the Lial torched them and turned to face his next opponent. More ludenez charged at Melonaz and the Lial, who sprung into action at once.

  Rudenoz suddenly dropped down from the sky and landed on top of one, smashing it to the ground as he impaled it with his spear. His ankaroc crashed into another, the ankaroc's broken body knocking it down. The ludenez underneath Rudenoz writhed around under his feet, howling as it struggling to free itself from him and his spear, tearing its own flesh in the attempt.

  The Lial was beating the others with little effort, frying one with lightning while smacking another on the head with Rorkaroz.

  Rudenoz torched the ludenez downed by his ankaroc, both ludenez and ankaroc igniting. Then he brought his foot down hard on the head of ludenez he'd felled, stomping down again and again.

  The burning ludenez flung the ankaroc corpse off it and went for Rudenoz. The Lial was too fast however and smacked it away with his staff, lifting it over head height. He spun the staff, jumped, and brought it down on its head, killing it before it'd even hit the ground.

  'You as strong as they say,' said Rudenoz, pulling his spear out of the ludenez he stood on then plunged it into its head.

  'Ludenez kill your ankaroc?' asked the Lial.

  Before Rudenoz could respond the Lial fired a lightning bolt over the Ankarocal's shoulder, striking a ludenez in the head, burning through one of its eyes. The Lial rushed past him and beat its head in.

  More ludenez attacked and the two warriors me them head on, slaying them as quickly as they appeared.

  Melonaz's wounds weren't healing fast enough. His mind was tiring too much, he couldn't maintain it much longer. With great effort he pulled himself to his feet, placing his weight on his good leg. If die, die on feet. Die fighting. He'd regained enough strength to fight, or at least he hoped he had, but he didn't dare stop Brubah. He remained close to the Lial, but he couldn't let him protect him forever, he had to fight.

  One of the airborne ludenez dropped down and attacked a Sehnal nearby. The Sehnal attacked it with a spear, but it dodged around his attacks, beat away the spear, then knocked him down with a kick. Melonaz glanced at the fallen Sehnal and gasped when he recognised the distinctive long nose.

  'Noooooooooooo,' he cried, but he wasn't heard. Strengthening Brubah as much as he could he staggered to his friend.

  Tenalkz got back to his feet and jumped away as the ludenez dove at him, then lashed out with its long claws. Dark veins bulged out of the ludenez's neck through its fur. Tenaklz stabbed wildly but the ludenez rose up over his spear, grabbing it with one of its feet. Tenalkz tried to free it, but couldn't, and the ludenez yanked it out of his hands.

  'TENALKZ.'

  Melonaz hurried to him as fast as his wounded body would allow him, but he could barely hold his own sword.

  Tenalkz narrowly avoided the ludenez's attack as it plunged down at him, teeth a finger's breadth away from catching his nose. He avoided another, but was kicked back to the ground. He fired a lightning bolt at it but missed, the bolt shooting up into the sky.

  No. Get up.

  Melonaz tried to ready a lightning bolt of his own, but just trying to strain his Raiz to do it while maintaining Brubah was too much for him to handle. A small ludenez charged him from the left. It leapt, but he ducked underneath it, then carried on running.

  Tenalkz punched the flying ludenez in the foot and the ludenez screeched. It lashed out at him with the leg clutching his spear, cracking it over his head, the shaft splintering and breaking apart.

  'No. No. No,' cried Melonaz.

  One of the ludenez's claws dug into Tenalkz's arm. He screamed, falling to his knees, punching uselessly at the ludenez's torso.

  'TENALKZ.'

  Tenalkz screamed again as the ludenez dragged its claws down his arm, tearing his flesh.

  Melonaz growled, running as fast as he could, his ankle burning where he'd been bitten. A ludenez twisted around as he was passing it and he lashed out with Dajimoz, cutting into its face before it could attack. It whined as it staggered away, blood dribbling out of the wound.

  Tenalkz screamed again, but the scream was silenced as the ludenez clamped its jaws onto Tenalkz's head, teeth crushing his skull.

  'NOOOOOO!' screamed Melonaz.

  He stopped Brubah, created lightning and fired a blast at Tenalkz's attacker, striking the ludenez in its wings and body. It flew back screeching, body shuddering violently, fur burning where the lightning was frying it, its teeth ripping apart Tenalkz's head as it was blasted away.

  'DIE,' roared Melonaz, creating a huge fireball and hurling it at the ludenez as his own body gave in to pain and he fell down. The fireball struck the ludenez in the head and it exploded in flames.

  Excruciating pain kept Melonaz down, he was barely able to draw back his Raiz. 'NO, NO, NO, NO,' he cried, tears stinging his eyes, wetting his mask. He scrambled on hands and knees over to his friend, crying hysterically.

  Chaos swarmed around them, man and ludenez clashing on all sides. Men cried, ludenez howled in unnatural ways. Melonaz reached Tenalkz and pulled him in close. His friend's face was mauled, head split open right down the middle, like a gorge had been gouged out of it. One of Tenalkz's eyes remained intact, lifelessly staring up at him.

  No, I fix this. Heal head. Bring back to life. There's a way. I know it. Not let this happen. Melonaz pressed Tenalkz's mutilated head into his chest, forgetting his own injuries, sobbing uncontrollably.

  Bodies were suddenly flung into the air nearby, drawing Melonaz's attention. Something bellowed so loud it made him vomit in his mouth, made his body tremble, heart pound.

  More bodies were smashed aside. A powerful figure carrying a large axe strode through the gap that had been made. The figure's body had a dark purple hue and its eyes held the red glow of a ludenez. It was a man, but far bigger than any Melonaz'd ever seen, unnaturally muscular, with one arm much bigger than the other, the shoulder even more so. It strode through the battlefield hacking down ludenez and men alike like they were nothing. It bellowed again and beat a fist against its chest.

  The Apochal ludenez! Melonaz's heart felt like it was about to burst.

  A Sehnal screamed, dropping his sword in fright as he tried to scramble out of its path. The ludenez surged forward and cleaved the Sehnal in two with one blow, the pieces of his body dropping to the floor. Someone else charged at it, spear at the ready. Melonaz cried out when he saw who it was.

  Rudenoz? No, run away. It's too strong.

  Ru
denoz pounced on the ludenez and went to bury his spear into its chest. The ludenez roared and smashed its axe into him before the spear's point could touch him. The spear shattered on impact, blood exploding out of Rudenoz's body as he was flung away. He crashed down nearby, too far away to see if he'd survived. It didn't seem likely.

  Melonaz didn't even have the strength to cry out again, he just sat there, sobbing, helplessly watching the Apochal ludenez hack down everything in its path. It's too strong. We all going to die.

  The ludenez snapped its head around, eyes fixing on Melonaz. Melonaz's breath caught in his throat.

  The ludenez bounded straight for him, smashing aside a small ludenez with the same idea. Somehow this Apochal ludenez was even more terrifying than all the other ludenez combined. Its purple skin was covered in boils and bulging veins that looked like they could burst at any moment. Its face was inhuman, disfigured and lopsided on the left, set in a permanent scowl, made more menacing by two red, glowing eyes. It bellowed again, beating its chest as it advanced.

  Melonaz could do nothing but watch it come at him while he clung to his fallen friend, waiting for the inevitable, fatal blow. It's over. I fail.

  An almighty roar behind drew its attention, stopping it in its tracks. It twisted around to meet its challenger.

  The Lial hurtled towards it, Rorkaroz poised, ready to strike.

  No Lial. Run. Won't watch you die too. Melonaz wanted to close his eyes or look away, but couldn't.

  The ludenez twisted to take him head on and swung at the Lial's chest..

  The two collided, weapons smashing together, the force of their collision so powerful the snow exploded all around them, shaking the ground. The Lial remained standing, his attack equal to the ludenez's. The two combatants trembled as they pushed against one another, metal grinding against metal. They both growled, baring their teeth.

  With lightning speed the Lial broke free and smashed Rorkaroz's butt into the side of the ludenez's head, causing it to stagger away. Before it could recover he struck again, hitting its head, chest, legs, pummelling it with swift blows, the ludenez unable to defend itself. He struck it in the face and it staggered back, dazed, blood pouring out of its nose.

  The Lial swung again but this time the ludenez was able to raise its axe to block. Metal rang against metal, more snow exploding around them. The ludenez hacked at him but the Lial beat aside the axe and launched another flurry of blows, both ends of his staff striking the ludenez's head. He battered it, blood splattering out with each hit he landed.

  The ludenez grabbed Rorkaroz with its free hand, halting the barrage. The Lial kicked it in the chest but his foot bounced off its body. It bellowed and a huge gust of wind blasted out of it, blowing the Lial high into the air. Sparks ran along the ludenez's arms.

  NOOOO.

  The Lial flipped in the air and fired a lightning bolt of his own, striking the ludenez in the chest, stopping its attack before it could unleash, sending the ludenez reeling back. It bellowed again, stomping its feet angrily, beating its chest where the bolt had scorched its skin.

  Melonaz sighed in relief.

  Before he hit the ground the Lial created a fireball in each hand and threw them at the ludenez. As they flew through the air another gust of wind blasted out of the ludenez and the fireballs were blown away. The Lial landed on both feet and resumed his assault. The ludenez swiftly raised its axe up above its head and brought it down on the charging Lial. He nimbly dodged around it and grabbed Rorkaroz with both hands. Kicking the ludenez in the head he yanked his weapon out of its hand.

  'Yes,' Melonaz whispered to himself. He can win. He too strong to lose.

  Lial and ludenez smashed together, exchanging blows wildly. Fist crunched against fist, knee against knee, neither combatant able to over power the other. Both fighters were a blur of motion, beating against one another tirelessly, frantically trying to break through the other's defence.

  The ludenez swung its free hand at the Lial and lightning blasted out of it, striking him in the chest. The Lial cried out as he flew back, body shuddering. Before he'd even hit the ground the ludenez was bounding for him.

  No. No.

  The Lial crashed down and before he could rise again the ludenez brought its axe down on him. With a roar, the Lial brought Rorkaroz up in time and the axe thudded into his staff. The Lial's arms almost gave under the force of the blow, the ludenez forcing its axe down towards his chest, pressing all its weight down on him.

  Need to do something. Need to stop it. Melonaz tried to focus his Raiz, but couldn't. He was useless.

  The Apochal ludenez bellowed, its eyes flaring as it pushed down harder. The Lial cried out then, in one swift movement, booted the ludenez's axe out of its hands. The axe spun away and thudded into the side of another ludenez, felling it instantly. The Lial sprang back to his feet and attacked, hitting the ludenez with everything he had, smacking it from one side to the other, his attacks powerful and too fast for the ludenez to counter.

  Can't sit here. Get up. Fight. Melonaz looked down at Tenalkz's mutilated face, into the one lifeless eye still staring up at him. Where's this power? Why doesn't it come? I need it. Help me. Help me save them. It could stop all of this, he knew it, he'd felt it. He could bring back Tenalkz. Stop the ludenez. He just had to do what he did in the forest. What I do? Why it come then? Not need in it forest. Need it here. He closed his eyes and attempted to feel for it, but all he could feel was the immense pain all over his body.

  He looked up at the Enemy still floating above the mountaintops, its light pulsing, sparks flickering across its form. He pressed Tenalkz's body tighter into his chest. This wrong. Give me power. Help me stop this. Too many are dying. Let no more die.

  The Apochal ludenez roared. It swung a fist and it crunched into the Lial's face, stopping his attacks with one blow. With its other hand it smacked Rorkaroz out of the Lial's hands, then grabbed his throat, large fingers squeezing into him. It lifted him off the ground, the Lial struggling in its grip, kicking at its chest and face with little effect. The ludenez grabbed his left arm, growled, then with one great yank ripped it from his torso.

  'LIAL!' screamed Melonaz.

  The ludenez threw the arm away, then smashed its fist repeatedly into the Lial's face, beating him bloody. It released its grip on his throat and the Lial fell to his knees. The ludenez brought its elbow down on top of his head, smashing him into the ground.

  'LIAL!'

  The ludenez grabbed him by his Sehnal braid and heaved him up again, the Lial dangling limply in its grasp. The ludenez laughed wickedly. The Lial's Lialstone swayed and for a moment the ludenez became entranced by it, following it as it drifted from left to right, the sight of it seemingly calming its murderous rage.

  Melonaz tried to rise but his body wouldn't budge. Tears stung his eyes.

  An ankaroc swooped down and its rider leapt off its back and booted the ludenez in the side of its head with both feet. It was knocked down, the Lial dropping limply from its grasp. The Ankarocal landed on his back with a grunt but sprang back to his feet a moment later.

  Gillenaz. He crouched down to inspect the Lial, but was interrupted by the Apochal ludenez struggling back to its feet. It growled and dove at Gillenaz.

  No. You not die too. Melonaz held Tenalkz tighter.

  Gillenaz jumped up over the ludenez and stabbed it through the neck with his spear. The ludenez stumbled forward but didn't fall. It twisted round and smacked Gillenaz in the back of the head, knocking him down, then booted him in the side, sending him tumbling across the ground.

  The Enemy's eerie glow suddenly bathed the battlefield.

  It was hovering over them all, its form spreading out, filling the sky, its shape changing into a large cloud, lightning flashing inside of it. Hundreds of thin, wispy arms descended down from it, weaving towards the many corpses that littered the battlefield, both man and ludenez, aiming for those still intact and not burnt. Each arm pulsed with its light.

  So
me men faltered at the sight of the Enemy above them and were caught off guard by ludenez.

  Gillenaz scrambled away as the Apochal ludenez dove at him again and he threw a fireball at it, but missed, the fireball sizzling out on the snow.

  Some of the wispy arms reached their targets and attached to the corpses. Lightning shot down each wisp. The corpses glowed with red and purple light, convulsing and jolting as they began to return to life. They were changing rapidly, bodies and limbs bulging, some parts increasing more dramatically in size than others. The light emitting from their bodies faded to reveal their skin changed, now tainted with the purple hue of the ludenez.

  It's going to make more?

  Above a wispy arm weaved its way down towards him.

  'NOOOO!' screamed Melonaz, 'You won't claim my friend.'

  He snapped out of the melancholic reverie that'd consumed him. You won't claim him. No. He focused his Raiz, the fight finally returning to him. His body was useless now, but his mind was still alive.

  He imagined the wind sweeping across the plains, blowing the Enemy up to the moons and stars. Wind. He raised his arms and pushed Raiz out. A powerful gust of wind surged out of his hands at the wispy arm.

  It recoiled suddenly, like a hand that'd just touched a flame. The wind blew the hand back up towards the Enemy. It remained coiled up for a moment, then resumed its descent.

  'Stay back,' Melonaz snarled.

  The wisp continued towards him. The Enemy's light pulsed, purple lightning crackling along its many wispy arms.

  'NO! NO MORE KILLING.' Melonaz readied a lightning bolt, sparks shooting up and down his arm. 'STAY BACK.'

  He glared up at the Enemy, into its pulsing light, trying to penetrate that strange wall to see what was inside it, if anything was. The lightning formed into a huge ball of lightning in Melonaz's palm.