Take the Darkness...: Epic Fantasy Series (Dark Gods & Tainted Souls Book 2)

by Julius Schenk

  It raised its body high and snarled at her with all the hate it could muster. The pain that lanced though its body was staggering, but it was not going to be bowed by pain. Hundreds of years of hunger, cold freezing snows and winds. He took the pain and fought it.

  ‘Come and take it!’ It shouted back in her mind, trying to hurt her with its power.

  She advanced towards him, and focusing her entire will on him, shouted. ‘I said bow!’

  It’d done it, as it felt the entire power of her magic coming down on him, and with that her connection with the boy was completely broken. The pain smashed into its body and he tasted the blood in its mouth. The Wolvern coughed up his own precious black blood into the snow and bowed his head. The moment it did, the pain stopped completely. The relief washed over its body and it recoiled. Not to feel pain was to be weak. It’d rather die than be a slave to this creature.

  It raised his head, and with the last of his strength he pushed a dark laugh into her mind. ‘I’m nobody’s slave, I’m the King of this land, and I will see you dead.’ It stood up tall and proud and felt the power of her on him fully. It was in his bones and insides, crouching, pulling and ripping. ‘I’ll see you dead!’ It shouted again in her mind, and then with a final spit of blood from his strong mouth, it collapsed to the snow with a howl of pain as its very bones cracked apart, blood dripping from its nose and eyes.

  She stood above the creature as it lay in the snow. The white around it slowly growing black as its blood poured from it and pooled around its massive pale body.

  ‘Who’s dead, now?’ She asked with a childish laugh. Going to its body, she gave it a little nudge with her naked foot, making sure. After years and years, it was finally done.

  Seth felt it deep inside his body moments before he heard the howl of pain. It was like nothing he’d ever heard before, and it was deep within his mind, as well as ringing though the empty land of the dead. He knew something terrible had happened to the Wolvern. Whatever sacrifice it had made, he knew it had worked. He could feel any connection he had had with the Silver woman broken. He only felt hatred towards her now. She’d taken all of his sense of self and turned him into a mindless weapon. Even his own body wasn’t his anymore, and he could still feel the effects of her blood within him.

  His feet sank in the snow as he slowly followed after Seraphina, who now wore his face and the guise of his body like a costume mask. She’d said to go North and the Wolvern would find him, but after that howl of pain, he didn’t think it would be finding anyone. He felt a pang of deep sadness at the thought. If the creature was really dead, he’d be lost. Sure, it was a monster and fearsome, but it was on his side. Since the beginning of this bloody journey, it had been the one powerful force at his side, and now it had literally laid down its life for him. Why? He was nothing compared to the creature. He still thought of it as a god of sorts, and he was just a man.

  He had to be careful not to get too close, as if the woman saw him, she’d gain her control over him again. He didn’t know if Seraphina's powers would protect her from them, but she seemed to think they would. She was still embarking on a dangerous ruse. As the Silver woman’s champion, he’d already had to fight countless dead, Moon’s Children, and the woman herself. He doubted Seraphina would be up for the challenge, and the real question was, why?

  Why would she help him? Of all the things he’d done in his life so far, sending her here had to be among the worst. She’d clearly been here for years, alone, and maybe she’d developed some kinship with the Wolvern, but was that really the only connection she’d had? She must feel such hatred towards him, yet she’d saved him. Now she was in the fire while he walked free and directionless. He’d follow them as closely as he could and do what he could. If he could redeem himself for sending her here, then that was his mission now.

  Chapter 18

  The rough looking captain with his silver streaked hair hadn’t even bothered to put her into a cell, but had marched her with the tip of his sword pressing into her back, into a caged wagon at the back of the guardhouse. The young man who had shown her in looked surprised, but said nothing as they shoved her face first onto the dirty wooden floor of the prison carriage. Pushing herself up from the floor, she turned and looked through the bars at him.

  ‘Go fuck yourself,’ she spat.

  He just laughed back at her. ‘You relax, you little redhead bitch, or I’ll smash those fine teeth in or let my men have you to pass the time. Once a pleasure slave, always a pleasure slave.’

  ‘I’ll fucking pleasure you with my dagger if I get a chance.’ She said back, but sat down on the rough bench.

  ‘That’s right, be a good girl and just wait here while I go get your friends from the tavern, and tell them what dirty lies you’ve been spreading.’

  The Captain walked away, leaving his two guards standing at either side of the cage door. They had taken her bow and dagger from her, but she still had two long steel needles that she used to keep her long hair up and out of her face. They could be enough.

  Josette felt such anger at herself. She’d been entrusted to help Seth and Elizebetha and she’d let them down by trusting this man. He’d looked like such a reliable old fighter, and not one of the fine-dressed Guild people at all. Still, he was on his own rung looking to win his way into favour by selling her to the Duke. Once he went to the happy merchant tavern, her life would be getting a lot worse. She didn’t want to think what Goldie or that fuck of a mercenary captain would do to her to keep their plans intact.

  Slowly, she reached up and, pulling the long steel needles from her red locks, let her hair fall down. She shook out her hair and then tucked it back into her hood. She looked at the men guarding her cage. Even if she killed them, she’d still be locked in here. She saw that one had a big ring of keys hanging from his black leather belt, but that wouldn’t help her if he was dead on the ground out of her reach. Do what you have to do, kid. She hated this shit, but men were so stupid that it was really her only option. Her deft fingers undid her thin hooded cloak and took it off so that she sat bare armed, just wearing her leather tunic and tight pants. She unbuttoned the tunic a little at the top so her breasts were showing some cleavage. Men had always liked her body, for all the good it had done her. She liked that it was good at killing.

  Turning to the guards who had been watching her as she began to undress, she said in her best sultry voice. ‘So, who’s first?’

  The older of the two guards, who was at least twenty years her senior, laughed at her. ‘What, you think we’re going to let you go if you fuck us?’

  ‘Oh no, of course not, but I’ve been in this situation before, and I’d rather you want to give me decent food, water, and not break my jaw. I’ll be a good prisoner if you’re good guards,’ she promised as she opened her legs wide and leant forward on the rough bench.

  The young one looked at her with lust in his eyes, but looked to the other man askance. ‘She was a pleasure slave, Smith, what’s it to her? And she’s fucking tiny, so what’s she going to do unarmed?’

  ‘Okay, okay, but quickly before the Captain comes back,’ the older one said.

  He reached out with his key and started to unlock the door of the cage. She knew what would happen now. The older one was actually too smart, and would just lock her in with the other, and she’d be fucked again, quite literally. He’d have the key on the other side, and even if she put her needle to the young one’s throat it would be no use, as this one looked hard enough to let his comrade die.

  As soon as the door opened a crack, she leapt off the bench, her metal heeled leather boots slamming into it hard. The heavy cage door swung fast and wide and smashed the older man in the face. He reeled back, clutching his bleeding and broken face as he staggered to the ground. She collapsed out of the doorway with less grace than she would have liked, but landed on top of the stunned younger guard. She quickly brought the steel needles which were in her left hand up into the underside of his soft throat, aga
in and again. His blood sprayed out in spurts as his screams slowly died with him.

  She stood and faced the other guard who was back on his feet already. He was a tough bastard. His nose was broken and at least three of his teeth were missing. The blood poured freely from his face but he just drew his sword and pointed it at her, ignoring the pain.

  ‘Now you’re dead, bitch’ he said through a bloody mouth.

  She just smiled at him and, flicking her left hand hand twice, letting the needles fly. It was a nice skill she’d learned from Stellos, her captain in the Cold Death. One hand, two thrown, different targets. One missed his eye and cut below it, but the second sunk deep into his open right eye. The man screamed with pain and collapsed to his knees a second time, dropping his sword.

  Josette walked up to the man and kicked his sword away into the dust of the roadway, and was glad they were at the back of the guardhouse and not the front. Looking at the man’s broken face, she just muttered, ‘feeling any pleasure yet?’ With that she brought the heel of her boot down hard against his windpipe, again and again until he stopped moving. Looking around the street and making sure no one was coming, she went back into the carriage and retrieved her cloak. She put it on and jumped back down to draw the keys from the dead man’s belt.

  Pushing against time, she went back into the guardhouse via the backdoor, and there resting on the Captain’s desk were her bow, quiver, and dagger.

  ‘I missed you,’ she said, taking her bow and looping it over her shoulders before she did the same with the quiver and tucked the dagger into her belt scabbard. She looked for the letter, but it was gone: the Captain must have taken it. Josette left the room via the backdoor, and fighting the urge to run, just walked back to the carriage. Lying down on the ground, she crawled on her belly into the darkness beneath it and waited.

  The wood of the underside of the wagon was smooth and now that she had time she slowly let her heartbeat come back to normal, and the battle rage calmed from her system. She’d never fought like that in her life. The only time she’d felt that much rage was when she had killed her former owner in order to escape. It was the same now as then, as she didn’t care if she died so long as she inflicted as much damage as she could. Dagosh and Stellos had trained her to be a fighter and not a killer, but men like that who just saw her as a hole to fuck filled her with such hate. She thought of the man’s blood dripping from her boot heel and tried to make herself smile. The Northmen had it right: the only good enemy was a dead one.

  Soon she heard what she was waiting for. She could have run, but how would that redeem her stupidity? She had to make this blunder worthwhile, and at least she’d unmask the Captain, if the lucky lady helped her get away from this. She heard the crunch of heavy footsteps on the roadway and looked out from under her wagon. She saw three sets of feet and recognised one set of boots as Goldie's, the other huge ones as Flint’s.

  ‘I think she’s escaped,’ said a voice thick with Northern accent.

  ‘Fucking hell, but she was in the cage with no weapons,’ he said in disbelief.

  ‘Well, she’s obviously had help,’ said Goldie. ‘You think that little girl crushed this man’s windpipe?’

  ‘Why did you even capture her? She’s with us.’Said a voice she knew as Flint’s.

  ‘I told you, Flint, she’s working for the Duke and wanted to tell him our plans,’ said Goldie as if to a child. ‘You go wait around the front while I talk to the Captain.’ She heard his big long gait crunch away.

  ‘What the fuck do I do now?’ Yelled the Captain. ‘Your plans all for shit if she warns Elizebetha.’

  Josette heard the blade draw and the sound of it going into the Captain mid-word. ‘That all depends on what I’m fucking planning, doesn’t it?’ She heard the man’s body drop to the ground.

  Chapter 19

  Seraphina had never seen a look of such pure glee on a face before, and certainly didn’t except to see it on the face of the silver woman. It sent a thrill of fear and rage up her spine. She’d heard that howl and had never heard the Wolvern in so much pain. She’d heard anger and rage, but never pain like that, and then it had stopped. Now she was here with a look of such happiness on her face. Seraphina stood in the guise of Seth and went to her as she said, ‘Come, champion.’ She heard the words in that ancient Northern dialect, but felt no pull to obey. They were just words to her, and yet she needed to play along.

  ‘Yes, mistress.’ She replied simply and walked slowly to her side.

  The silver woman surveyed the slaughter field of bodies. ‘You’re growing stronger and stronger every battle, and now we are so close to the end. Soon you’ll be among my people and we can start our work truly.’

  ‘Why are you so happy?’ Seraphina asked in Seth’s voice.

  ‘So curious, champion. I’ll show you why I’m so happy.’ She said.

  They followed a faint trail of huge claw prints and human feet in the snow. Each was a great distance from the next and Seraphina knew they traced the trail of the Wolvern. Now she would see what had truly become of her protector. They walked for a few minutes and then she saw the darkness of the blood and the body of her fallen friend.

  The creature looked much less fearsome now. It was still huge, but its head slumped into the snow and its entire white hairless wolf body was surrounded by snow soaked black with its blood. Its long rat’s tail was curled up next to it, and those sharp yellow eyes were closed. At the sight, Seraphina could barely control her rage. She just wanted to plunge her sword blade into this bitch’s bare back.

  ‘The beast is dead finally. Many times we faced each other over the years, but this time he took all of my power. I think he thought he could defy me, as if that was possible.’

  Seraphina couldn’t control herself, and she sank to her knees and started to cry. Her knees sank into the bloodstained snow and she rested her version of Seth’s head against the creature’s snout. She spoke though the sobs of tears. ‘You fucking bitch, he was noble and strong and you killed him.’ Seraphina felt strong hands pull her to her feet by the collar.

  ‘What the hell is this, champion? Where is my control!’ She yelled.

  ‘Fuck your control, I’m going to kill you,’ she said, overcome with emotion.

  The silver woman tossed her aside into the snow and laughed. ‘I understand now, I used my power on him and released you. Never mind, champion, soon you’ll be back safely with me. I command you to obey me.’

  Seraphina wanted nothing more than to fight, but she’d had her outburst and knew it was only luck that had saved her this time. ‘I’m sorry, mistress, I will obey.’

  ‘Good, doesn’t it feel better to not have to decide, but just let me decide for you?’

  ‘Yes, mistress,’ she said, standing and walking to her side.

  ‘Friends with that dirty animal,’ she said with a laugh, kicking the body of the Wolvern lightly with her foot. ‘What a funny thing to say.’

  Seth saw it all from a distance and was ready to rush in with his own sword drawn if the silver lady had drawn against Seraphina in his guise. It was so strange to see himself walking around and talking. He saw her by the fallen body of the Wolvern, and saw too the deep emotion she felt. More than ever, he regretted what he’d done to her. Truly she was a decent person. A member of the Dark Guild through and through, but loyal no doubt. He felt her grief as his own. This creature had led him on a dark path, but it had also saved his life all those months ago in the study with Stephan.

  He was in danger now himself, he knew, as he was alone for the first time in the land of the dead, with no protectors. Once Seraphina and Silver had moved away, he ran through the snow to where the Wolvern lay. It looked so small and defeated now. Its powerful body half covered with snow and a ring of black blood all around its body. Seth wouldn’t cry for his fallen brother, but he was angry. He didn’t know much about this Silver, but he didn’t like the idea of her or her people at all. The land of the dead was so far from what he�
�d expected. No legend or stories he’d been told as a child said anything like this. A land of permanent cold and darkness. Where the dead were like animals and were hunted by silver-haired creatures for their food.

  The land of the dead was meant to be a place where those who’d passed on journeyed through and finally came to their place of judgement. There was no judgement here, or moving on. Just an endless suffering. He couldn’t even imagine what had happened to the dead he’d killed again: was he destroying their souls?

  He knelt by the Wolvern and almost by instinct stroked its huge head. ‘I’m sorry, friend, you’ve fallen, but you’ll be avenged. I’ll cut that bitch’s tongue out of her mouth. I just wish I could start a fire and send you off the true Northern way.’

  He felt a twinge of heat in his right hand when he said the word ‘fire’. Deep in his mind, he thought of the sun. The burning, cleansing power of it. Without knowing why, he said the words ‘Give me fire and take the cold’. The heat in his hand ignited and it felt locked to the Wolvern; he tried to pull his hand back but it was fixed, like skin to a hot brand. He watched as the powerful creature’s body burst into flames before him. As the flames took, his hand came free and he rolled back into the snow. Standing quickly he watched with complete shock as the flames soon leapt and grew until he could see nothing of the Wolvern and had to step back from the heat of the now raging blaze. Seth looked at the sun symbol on his hand that was now just a simple scar again. What power he had absorbed into it?

  Seth tried not to think too much about it, and just said the Northern prays to a fallen friend. He’d asked for the fire and was given it. As the fire burned, he began to hear something. It was a low growl, and it grew in strength and power until he saw something moving within the huge fire in front of him. Seth stepped back as the massive creature leapt fully from the flames, unburnt.