Rise of the Red Harbinger

by Khalid Uddin

  Through the gateway all that could be seen was ocean that stretched out forever. It would be impossible to get to the House by ship as long as the gateway stood. She had no idea how Maqdhuum planned to stop Maven Savaiyon from keeping the gateways in place, but there was an anger growing inside of her aimed solely at the thought of Maqdhuum. Adria could not understand why. The anger pounded in her mind so strongly that her head began to ache. The anger turned to hatred. Her body tensed as the pain in her head neared unbearable. Blood flowed from her nose and her vision grew hazy.

  The grip released and Adria felt her mind and body decompress. Tears streamed from her eyes and mixed with the blood dripping from her chin. She thought about Maqdhuum, whom she swore had stood before her only moments ago. Adria had no idea why, but she suddenly adored the man and wanted to do everything she could to help him.

  ***

  Maqdhuum reached the top of his galley’s crow’s nest. It was too dangerous to attempt to Travel to the island if he could not see where he was going. Even from this height, he could not see over the gateway. He crossed his arms and stared out at the sea. Of everything I have experienced, I’ve never had this challenge. He stared up at the sky as snowflakes danced around him, almost cursing the Orijin, when a thought dawned on him. He looked back at the gateway to judge his height, then back at the sky. “Well this is going to be a first,” he muttered to himself.

  How difficult can it be? Travel as high up as I can. Get a good enough look. Find a destination. Fall. Travel again. Before hitting the water. Easy. He eyed the scout that sat up there with him. “You. How loyal are you to Jahmash?”

  The scrawny man responded instantly, “I would give my life for Jahmash.” Maqdhuum had hoped the man’s loyalty wouldn’t have been so strong.

  Fool. All of you are fools. Giving your life for a Harbinger. For any Harbinger. He spat at the word. None of them were willing to do the same until they had to. Until there were no other options. “Good.” He leaned to the man and grasped him by the arm. “You are about to.” The man eyed him curiously as Maqdhuum pictured a place in the sky that would give him the best view. All it ever required to Travel was to concentrate hard enough on his destination. In a blink, Maqdhuum and his scout disappeared from the crow’s nest and appeared in the sky, hundreds of feet above the ships. Their plummet began instantly. With as much force as he could, Maqdhuum shoved the other man away from him. Luckily, they were moving too fast for the man’s scream to be heard. The man’s loyalty to Jahmash would be his death, simply because Maqdhuum could not trust him to witness his Traveling.

  Island. Focus on the island. He looked toward the gateways. There it is. Clever. They are smarter than Jahmash gave them credit for. Past the gateways the island was clear. A few hundred yards from the coast stood The House of Darian. Impressive. Likely holds a couple hundred. We’ll attack at night. Catch them in their sleep. If the girl is right, they won’t know how to fight back. Stupid. Modern day Harbingers, my ass. He knew exactly where he would land, but it would be unwise to start the attack in the daylight. Maqdhuum Traveled back to the crow’s nest on his galley. He watched the scout fall from the sky far off in the distance. From this far away, no one would know who it was, or even that it was a person.

  He climbed back down to the deck and his crew gathered around him immediately, expecting a directive of some sort. “We wait here until night fall. Ready the cannons when the sunlight has completely gone and the sky is black. Once you see the gateways disappear, advance the ships. It may take a while for them to go down, but be at the ready. The scout on the crow’s nest is gone. Replace him. The rest of you must be vigilant. The coast is not far off. Fire the cannons first. Only when you have no more cannonballs do you leave the ship to attack. We may be able to destroy them without leaving our ships. We’ll try that first. I am retreating below deck. Do not disturb me. I have given you your orders. Obey them or I will kill you.” They all nodded or gave an affirmation and returned to their duties.

  Maqdhuum returned to his cabin below deck. It was the only private area on the ship, but his crew feared him too much to disobey his orders. How best to kill Savaiyon? Perhaps go to his quarters. If he is there, stab him. If not, hide until he returns. Then stab him. He must be very powerful to maintain the gateways for so long and still function. I wonder how long they have been there. Do they know we’re coming? No matter. They cannot stop me. He cannot stop me.

  He sat there in thought for nearly two hours before looking outside again. The snow had stopped and the sun had begun its descent, but too much light remained. Maqdhuum waited another hour and assessed the light once more.

  He finally appeared on the shores of the island in complete darkness. He hadn’t bothered to bring his armor, only two of his swords on his back and a dagger belt around his waist. It helped that his breeches and shirt, as usual, were black as well. He didn’t bother with a coat, despite the cold. Maqdhuum traversed the sand to the frost-laden grass and came upon The House of Darian within a few minutes. Magnificent structure. Almost like a castle. Shame it has Darian’s name. No Harbinger would want this. Maybe Jahmash. But he doesn’t count. He walked toward the right of what seemed to be the main entrance. The wing on the right extended farther back than he’d originally thought. Maybe there are more here than we expected. The girl wouldn’t lie though. She can’t. Shame Jahmash has her. She’s a nice kid. Probably kill her once he doesn’t need her anymore. Even Farrah isn’t so bad. Slade either. I’m sure they’ll all die soon. Of course he’ll keep around dimwits like Aric.

  The entrance to the right wing was locked. Dammit. If only it had a window, then I could Travel inside. Maqdhuum walked around to the side. Most of the windows were dark or covered in blinds. He assumed those were private quarters of Descendants. Through one or two windows he could see the main hallway. He looked up. Sure enough, the windows were four stories high. Twice in one day? I’ll have to get close to the window to be able to see in. As soon as he’d thought it, Maqdhuum was eye level with a window on the fourth floor, looking in. He’d chosen one with a light on. He clung to the frame and looked in. A short woman paced back and forth around the room, talking to herself. She walked around in her undergarments; she was not nearly the most attractive woman he’d ever seen. Maqdhuum waited until her back was to the window once more and Traveled inside.

  He walked right up behind her and swiftly struck a dagger into her back while covering her mouth. That’s right. Lie down gently. He pulled the dagger back out before resting her on the floor, then put a finger to his lips. He whispered, “If you scream, I will kill you. Tell me where Maven Savaiyon’s quarters are or I will kill you.” He pressed the dagger to her neck. “Do you understand?” She nodded as tears streamed from her eyes into her light brown hair.

  “I will not tell you.” She choked out the words, her eyes defiant.

  “I do not have time to waste.” He pressed the blade more firmly into her neck, gripping her throat more tightly. “If you refuse, I will do the same to every Descendant I find in this place until I find him. You have two choices. Tell me and live. Be stupid and cause many deaths.

  She gasped out what she could. “You aren’t here in peace. You will still kill them. Do what you must.”

  Bitch. This is getting nowhere. She isn’t scared enough. “Very well.” They reappeared hundreds of feet above the House, falling together. “We can go back to your quarters as soon as you tell me. Or you can fall and be a lovely bloodstain on the ground!” Maqdhuum was finally thankful for the cold, windy day.

  The woman finally acquiesced once the details of the ground became distinct. “The third room after mine! Three rooms past mine! Please! Please!”

  Maqdhuum promptly brought her back into the room, to the same position they’d been in. He slit her throat quickly. He stood up and wiped the blade on her bed. I wanted to let you fall. Too much noise. Before we’re done destroying this place, maybe I’ll get to do it to someone else. These Descendants aren’t s
o bad though. She had some fire. Shame we’re killing them. They might’ve stood a chance. He appeared outside of the building once more, in front of the window that should have been his destination. Dark. Good. Maybe away. Hopefully sleeping. Just as with the previous window, Maqdhuum positioned himself close enough to grasp the outside. He peeked in as well as he could to glimpse inside the room. All he needed was a fleeting image.

  He let go and Traveled inside the room shortly after his fall began. He appeared less than an inch in front of a bed. Too close. Have to be more careful. He had never tested his theory, but he assumed that he could appear in the middle of something solid and be hurt by it. He’d never tried it with water either. The last thing Maqdhuum wanted was to drown in the process of testing a theory.

  No one lay in the bed. Dammit. He’s out. Closet. Hopefully not for too long. He opened a slatted door that led to a closet. There was barely enough room to stand inside, so he left the door ajar and hid behind it.

  Maqdhuum stood there for nearly an hour. At times he stretched or squatted just to keep alert. Finally, he heard the door open. In the moonlight he saw the silhouette of the man. It was the dark, statuesque Shivaani that had been in the Taurani village when he’d taken Adria and Gunnar, just as Adria had described. Good girl. Maybe I will inform Jahmash of how valuable you are.

  Savaiyon walked to a lantern beside the bed and leaned over to light it. Maqdhuum quickly crept to him, dagger in hand, and thrust the blade into Savaiyon’s midsection. The tall man doubled over before Maqdhuum could pull the blade back. As he reached for another, Savaiyon seized him and threw him across the room, too fast for him to be able to Travel and avoid the impact. He crashed into a wooden dresser, breaking it in the process. He shook his head to regain his bearings. As he looked up, he saw Savaiyon fleeing through a gateway and hurled another dagger at the man’s head. It struck Savaiyon beneath the shoulder blade as the gateway closed. Maqdhuum grunted. Too dizzy.

  But before the gateway closed, Maqdhuum saw that Savaiyon had ron to Sundari. Maqdhuum Traveled there immediately behind him. As he appeared on the street, he saw Savaiyon still running, head turned behind him. Another gateway had formed before Savaiyon. I know that city, too, Savaiyon. Wolf’s Paw. Damaszur. He shook his head and Traveled once more as Savaiyon’s gateway closed. Dammit. Still dizzy. He ran as soon as his feet touched the ground, though his balance was still somewhat off. Sure enough, Savaiyon ran ahead, gateway already formed. Port of Granis. This is going to be extremely fun. I am going to be so proud to kill you. He Traveled once more, another dagger in hand.

  ***

  The booms had come from all over the House, shaking Lincan out of deep sleep. He blinked several times as the House trembled again with a thunderous boom, Lincan knew he would soon need more out of his manifestation than a few hours of sleep could provide. For the first time, he’d regretted that Delilah slept in his bed. An attack on the House meant that dying from overexertion was just as likely as dying in combat. He’d definitely overexerted himself with Delilah throughout the night.

  Lincan looked across at the other bed. It had been less than a day since Baltaszar had been exiled. Though Tasz hadn’t slept in the room for over four days, Lincan doubted he would ever grow accustomed to it. Delilah stirred as he nudged her a little too harshly. “Get up! We’re being attacked!” He jumped out of bed, glanced at the beam of moonlight shining through the window, and cursed as he ran out of the room just ahead of Delilah. Lao won’t be able help us for a long time. The other residing Descendants on the third floor scurried about, still half asleep. Most just leaving their rooms.

  He looked back and forth from one end of the hallway to the other. For the love of Orijin, the front of the House has been torn open! Lincan could clearly see the night sky where the wall once stood. The floor had given way, a number of Descendants were running from the collapsing floor past Lincan and Delilah. He spotted Malikai, a tall Markosi boy, running past, and grasped his arm. “Kai! I need your help! We need to take the injured down to the infirmary!”

  “Now, Linc? We should find shelter first!”

  “There won’t be any shelter soon if floors are already collapsing! Find anyone you can and have them help you! Any injured! Infirmary! The sooner we can heal people, the easier it will be to fight back! Your skin will protect you well enough. Just get them downstairs so Delilah and I can start working!”

  Malikai nodded and ran back the other way, pulling his friends to help him. His skin could harden into an almost rock-like protective layer. It could withstand strikes from swords, clubs, maces, and numerous other weapons; they’d tested as many as they could find in the past several months, and perhaps had a little too much fun in the process.

  “Come, Lincan! We do not have time to waste!” Delilah pulled him to the staircase, following the others who fled. He felt embarrassed getting lost in thought at a time like this.

  As they reached the first floor, Lincan marveled that no one had been trampled. The booms were more frequent now and the House shook constantly. Anger filled him as he followed Delilah. We all knew this day was coming and still Marlowe refused to prepare us. What are we supposed to do now? The infirmary will likely have collapsed by the time we get there.

  They wove their way into the main common room in the central section of the House. Delilah had a girl limping at her shoulder and Lincan scraped a boy from the floor and hefted him over his shoulder. The infirmary lay beneath the main floor. It was big enough to hold almost all of the Descendants currently in the House. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that, Lincan thought as he and Delilah ran down the final flight of stairs at the back of the room and set their companions onto cots. Malikai stormed down shortly after with a following of helpers. They placed a dozen more injured Descendants onto surrounding cots.

  “Good. Get us more! As many as you can find! They’ll be safe down here for now! And if any of you think that you can’t fight back or help up there, then come back to us! We could use your help!” The House shook again. “Go! We don’t have much time down here!”

  Malikai and the others ran off and Lincan looked at Delilah as the woman gave him an order. “We’ll start with Sindha. It’s just a broken leg. If we get her back up there, she can help to repel whatever they are hitting us with.” Sindha was a wiry Shivaani who could repel nearly anything that was about to hit her. Hopefully she could prevent the walls and ceilings from falling in on people. The ceiling thundered again and dust fell on them.

  “Let’s start. I’m numbing her now. You set the bone.” Lincan held Sindha’s bloody knee firmly and submitted to his manifestation. The girl let out a sigh of relief as the numbing began. Delilah set her hand on Sindha’s shin and closed her eyes. I love when she does this. Her hand disappeared into Sindha’s leg and within moments she brought it up again. Lincan could only imagine how much trouble he would get into if he could make his body pass through objects. He smirked for a moment, then quickly refocused. As soon as Delilah pulled her hand out, Lincan focused on healing the bone and torn muscle and skin. After a few minutes, he stopped the numbing and looked at Sindha. “How does it feel?”

  Sindha smiled, “Sore, but good as new. Thank you.” She hopped off the cot and clasped his shoulder. She gave Delilah a tight hug and ran up the stairs. The ceiling boomed again. We don’t have much time.

  ***

  Desmond ran toward the rubble, Badalao in tow, and instantly the melody flowed through his veins. He flung the collapsed floors and walls out of the House so that the others could escape the ground floor corridor. Shortly after, the halls brightened drastically and he noticed Marshall running along with them. “How did ya get down here so quickly? Fall through the floor?”

  “I was already down here. Couldn’t sleep! Still angry about my mother! What do you think this is?”

  “I’m puttin’ my coin on Jahmash. We’re definitely bein’ attacked! Worst part is, Lao is useless ‘til the mornin’! As Desmond finished clearing the destruction
at the end of the corridor, more of the ceiling caved in from where they had just come. “We’re not goin’ ta be able ta save this wing. Move ta the front o’ the House! Maybe we can properly assess everythin’ from there.” Another chunk of the front wall exploded inward as they moved on. “Let’s go!”

  Desmond ran; Badalao and Marshall kept pace. Most of us will be useless to fight back, Desmond thought. Those of us who can must do something. Desmond looked around as dozens of Descendants ran by in every direction. The walls were exploding in the Mavens’ wing as well. They must know the layout of the House. They know exactly where to attack. Another explosion hit the common room where scores of Descendants were finding shelter. Before Desmond even realized he’d summoned his manifestation again, the melody screamed to him. Hundreds of broken pieces of the wall and glass hung in the air above everyone in the room. Only then did he see the cause. A large iron ball hung in the midst. He’d heard rumors of weapons that could propel such things. Usually they were held on ships. Cannons? Another explosion came. He put all of his focus into the front wall. Several minutes, and as many explosions, passed. Where a solid wall and entryway once stood, hundreds of fragments and a dozen cast-iron balls hung in mid-air.

  Desmond didn’t care how long he would have to hold it all up. He knew he could handle more. He cleared his mind. Explosion after explosion came, breaking fragments into smaller fragments. He pulled deeper from his manifestation and willed everything to float in the air.

  Badalao yelled as he ran away, pulling Marshall with him. “We’re useless to you right now, Des! We are going to deliver the injured to the infirmary! We just heard that Linc and Delilah are down there healing people!”