by S C Gowland
It was a distraction, but it was all the time that Kaoldan needed.
He thrust his right hand out, beckoning his Walkerblade towards him. The blade thundered out of the wall, with a dull phut sound it passed straight through two of the Otan that had formed a wall between him and the other Walkers. The dead Otan fell to the floor - red and orange Orbs emerging from their bodies.
Zalen threw his hand to the right and roared. Green light springing from his hand into a long hungry sword. At the same time Aralorne charged forward two pink swords in hand cutting and hacking, making busy in the business of death.
The screams echoed loudly behind Kaoldan, there was a snap, his blade arrived in his hand and he grinned.
Dref continued to growl, wrestling with Rhazien as the lean man screamed in pain.
Kaoldan charged towards Rhazien, his blade flashed green into a broadsword. With a snarl he swung the blade overhead, but with a bone jarring clank it hit another blade. A purple blade.
Ormirk had intervened, saving his master from a killing downward stroke.
‘About time we did this again.’ Ormrik growled through his teeth.
Kaoldan clenched his teeth and shoved the older man back. He glanced to his side Zahara appeared to be coming to her senses. She reached for her Walkerblade -which shot through the air like an arrow - passing straight through three other Otan soldiers with a sickening crunch and they flopped to the floor like dominos. Light flickered and ghosts emerged from their fallen bodies, rising silently towards the Abyss.
Behind Kaoldan blades clanked together – steel on steel – interrupted by cries of agony. Ormrik came at him, glaive spinning and swirling Kaoldan ducked dropping back into a crouch. He was breathing heavily now, sweat hot and satisfying on his brow.
Despite his best effort Rhazien was beginning to get the better of Dref. With a final scream the shaggy haired man was able to prised the dog from his arm just as Zahara swung her blade at him. The blade bit deeply into his forearm. He let out a cry and fell backwards. Otan soldiers moved to his aid, attacking Zahara, who fell back flanked by Dref
‘Get it.’ called Rhazien pointing at the bag, before wincing in pain at his injured arm.
One Otan soldier sprinted forwards picked up the bag and then retreated.
Rhazien, face creased with agony scrambled to his feet. He backed towards the entrance cradling his arm, surrounded by half a dozen Otan soldiers.
‘Get her too…’ he cried nodding towards Zahara before disappearing through the door.
Otan soldiers swarmed around her - Kaoldan could do nothing as Ormrik’s blade swished close to his side again. She let out a scream as a pair of hands grabbed her from behind, Dref hemmed in by purple blades snapped and growled but could not reach her.
Kaoldan watched in horror as his daughter was dragged kicking and screaming towards the door. He tried to charge towards her, but Ormrik was there again.
‘I’m going to enjoy getting to know her.’ snarled the giant man.
Kaoldan caught a look in Ormrik’s eyes and something inside him snapped.
His head became lighter, all other choices gone, he knew what he had to do.
‘No.’ Kaoldan swore under his breath.
Ormrik swung his glaive, Kaoldan parried it.
‘No…’ he said again, his weary muscles tingled and relaxed.
Ormrik swung again, a huge double handed chop over his head, Kaoldan side stepped it with ease. Doubt appeared on his bearded face.
‘NO…’ he said thrusting his left hand outwards. Nova’s blade was still embedded in the wall - with a whistle it shot through the air straight into Kaoldan hand, it flashed green and formed into a short sword. The scraping sound of moving stone rang out behind him.
‘Tell me again, what you intend to do to my daughter.’ said Kaoldan voice calm and even, as he and Ormrik circled each other.
‘You don’t want to know.’ said Ormrik with a grin, heaving breaths in.
Kaoldan clenched his teeth, out of the corner of his eye he saw Zalen and Aralorne moving towards the door.
‘Get her.’ he called without looking, shouts of acknowledgment echoed out as the pair battled their way forward.
Kaoldan charged at the hulk of a man, long and short blade sweeping and slashing towards Ormrik, who parried them with increasing difficulty. They traded blows, strike and counterstrike – metal on metal rang out – but they were now alone.
Kaoldan saw the light behind Ormrik shrinking. He heaved in a breath, closed his eyes and dropped both his blades. They clattered to the floor as Kaoldan clapped his open hands together. Ormrik spasmed unable to move, his glaive skittered and slid out of his hand, screeching across the floor.
Kaoldan felt something between his hands an object, pliable and slippery; like trying to hold a giant wriggling fish. He took a deep breath in through his nose, his aching arms began to tremble. He opened his eyes and turned his palms outwards and began pushing Ormrik backwards, the giant tried to move, but he could not get free. It was a battle of wills.
Kaoldan clenched his teeth, the more Ormrik struggled the harder it became. Sweat began to trickle down Kaoldan’s back. His arms burned; his heart felt as though it was about to burst.
He continued to push, step by trembling step, but it was getting harder and harder - as though pushing a giant boulder uphill – the weight increasing with each step.
Kaoldan opened his eyes, his brow furrowed.
Ormrik continued to struggle his head and neck were now moving freely. The door of the black stone wedge continued to grind closed behind him. The giants head turned seeing the danger for the first time. He roared in desperation.
White hot rage consumed Kaoldan, but it was not enough - he was losing control. Ormrik thrashed his head, bellowing like a wild animal. Kaoldan winced, his hand slipping half an inch. Ormrik raged, the upper side of one shoulder now free.
Then from nowhere images flew through Kaoldan’s mind, his wife - Morveen, his son - Jayk, Yasmina, Nova; all dead. All to the abyss. He felt the familiar glorious rage burning deep inside him.
No more.
This would happen, no more.
Years of anger, years of hurt, years of shame, years of regrets, flooded his head. The rage turned cold, terribly brutally cold, he dropped his shoulders and pushed harder, every muscle within him screamed in agony.
He pushed and pushed until slowly Ormrik passed between the sliding stone walls into the glowing chamber. The walls continued to close grinding like the dead brought back from hell.
Ormrik caught sight of the walls closing around him, a flash of dawning realisation crossed his face. Eyes filled with horror, unspeakable horror as he envisaged his fate.
Kaoldan clenched his jaw tight, his teeth grinding like the stone walls, he dropped to one knee, with a final push and fling of his hands. Ormrik flew backwards, crunching against the wall. He was free to scream now, his desperation silenced with a deafening boom as the stone walls closed around him.
Kaoldan felt all the strength wash out of his body, he collapsed to the floor. He heaved in heavy gasping breaths when a thought struck him.
He scrambled across the floor on his hands and knees, reaching towards Nova's body.
The old man was somehow still alive but in terrible shape. Chest caved in, blood spluttered from his mouth coating his beard, covering his face, limbs twisted and ruined. Kaoldan pulled him up, the old man gasped in pain, blood dribbled from his mouth, breath rasping.
Kaoldan cradled the old man’s head, brushing hair from out of his face and eyes. His mind racing, tears stabbing at the back of his eyes.
‘I'm sorry.’ Nova wheezed between each word.
He gasped, eyes wide.
‘I should have told you…’
Kaoldan frowned.
‘She is alive,’ said Nova. ‘Do you hear me? She is alive….’
His head ached and fizzed.
‘Morveen.’ whispered the old man.
Kaold
an’s head was instantly coldly clear.
‘She is alive… Morveen is alive.’
Nova’s body spasmed then relaxed and his eyes went blank, his head slowly dropped, lolled to the side. A sky blue image rose from his body upwards silently into the sky and Kaoldan was left cold and alone in a quiet blood splattered room.
This concludes Book One: The Dark Crown of The Souls’ Abyss.
Book Two: Master of Shadows will cover the desperate search for the long-lost Dark Crown, Kaoldan’s missing family, reveal the truth about the Otan
through far lands and strange adventures.
Go to www.scgowland.com to find out more.
