Traitor to the King

by Clare SM Keating

  The greedy eyes of the general were suddenly pulsating with frustration as one of the three other men looked irritated and stepped forward. His hand snatched at the stone, turning it a violent red colour as both men roared in pain from the burning. The general tried to yank the stone out of the other’s hand, but the skin was already burnt onto the glass-like surface as the other argued for his need for glory. The two men tugged one another back and forth as Damara and Karani looked to each other in concern over the sudden change in atmosphere between the men. They had never heard of Deep elves acting so greedy and barbaric before, let alone seen such a strange reaction within their eyes as they seemed to flash with yellow. It reminded them both of when some elves were foolish enough to get themselves drunk and not only shame themselves but everyone around them. Perhaps the stone was causing the same kind of reaction, but though the two women wanted to leave already they knew they could not abandon the stone to these fools.

  As the struggle continued the two remaining men began to swear and argue amongst one another over the situation. Their complaints were similar and so were their eyes, neither had even touched the stone but as the girls watched their ears twitched with the deep pulsating sounds the stone seemed to be producing. Whatever the intent of the magic to protect itself from danger, the stone had obviously marked these four soldiers as enemies and it caused Karani to snarl in anger. She looked toward Damara knowingly and both of their minds darted to the same conclusion – these men had been infected by the Hive demon they’d claimed to have destroyed. But if that scenario were true then Ijah was just as affected as his father and poor Kaloon had probably been killed for doing his job.

  “What should we do Damara?” Karani questioned, pulling herself back up off the ground with Damara once more and backing away towards the sign. She would have pulled her companion straight past the sign post of skulls into the woods, but her hips brushed one of the carcass pieces and disturbed a cloud of flies. The flies buzzed about her, making her leap and scream in terror to get away from them but to their horror the flies clasped themselves around the four elves that were now busy fighting each other, their hands still stuck to the stone. The pair still attached to the rock looked suddenly demonic as they hissed and snarled at each other, whereas the two behind were already punching one another with such force and aggression they looked eager to kill.

  “We can’t let them keep the stone… they’re going to kill each other!” Damara snarled, and she lurched forward into the fray. However, Karani was swift enough to grasp her at the back of her jerkin and pull her straight back to where it was safe. This proved a wise move as the general grasped a dagger from within his own thick garments and viciously stabbed the other gentleman straight in the eye. There was a strange hissing sound and a spurt of black ink-like blood onto the general before his opponent seemed to deflate visibly. Damara’s eyes wavered in horror as the general then cut the offending arm clean away from the stone and cast his dagger aside with a sneer.

  Ynvirius then pulled his sword from his side and advanced toward the two others rolling in the muddy pool in their attempts to drown one another. As they punched and choked and ripped each other’s hair out, their faces seemed to contort into something more menacing and unreal. Damara could not stop herself from screaming out to them to run but they did not want to listen to her. Instead, Ynvirius lifted his sword and with an easy stabbing motion pushed the gnarled metal blade through the back of one elf and into the belly of the other. Once again both seemed to deflate somewhat and there was no proper blood but a strange black mess that seemed to scrawl across the mud in search of somewhere to hide. Ynvirius chuckled malevolently as he pulled the sword out and then he spun on his heel to face the grassy wall nearby.

  With a roar of Damara’s name, Jarl Kelvis lunged out of the grass with his own rapier drawn and slapped his blade against the general’s before connecting his fist with the figure’s chin. As the general wobbled backward in surprise, spitting out a mix of blood and the strange black ink, he turned to face the young man who lifted his thin blade towards the figure’s face. Damara gave a yelp of surprise at his arrival before she realised that there was an opportunity now to grab the stone from the general. As Jarl slapped the blade past the general’s sword to widen the slash above his nose, the general snarled and lifted his hand upward with the stone still stuck to him. Damara grasped Karani’s sword and lunged forward, swinging it about as hard as she could to take off the general’s wrist with the stone as she collapsed forward into the mud from the force. The general gave a scream of anger as the stone bounced free of the hand and into Karani’s path. Karani darted forward, clasping the stone against her though it burnt and swiftly she stuffed it in the hood of her shirt, free of the burning pain but still in control of the stone.

  “You bitch!” Ynvirius squealed in anger, his face splitting even more into something that was not an elf at all. His attention was no longer upon Jarl even though the rapier was stabbed into his chest; in fact, the general simply grasped the blade and snapped it in half with a shrieking sound of rage. Damara gave a scream of horror as the figure turned around to face her, eager to rip her face off until Jarl rushed forward and slammed into the body. He fell into the mud next to Damara, but the figure fell onto its side and instead of landing as the general it turned into something more vicious. Jarl grasped Damara and yanked her up onto her feet, grimacing as he tried to pull her away from whatever was going on and Karani leapt to their side. As they stared toward the general, the skin began falling off his head to show something alike to a pig with fangs and horns, spun completely around to howl at them. “The master will have you now… the master will devour your souls….”

  Damara had no idea what he meant by that but she knew she was in danger and the only person that could save her had no idea she was out here. As the general’s skin fell away into the murky mud pools his real form was revealed as a beaded series of scales all over his body and a great lizard-like tail, cattle horns upon his head and the terrifying amber eyes that Damara recognised from the pit. She had no idea what to do but she grasped at the sword on the floor and began to push her cold energy into it, lifting it upward in preparation for freezing the creature’s head off. However, Jarl grasped her wrist tightly and pressed back into Karani encouraging her to stay close as well… none of them were going to escape this on their own, but the light from the stone should have brought attention their way. They could only pray to Nabuto that someone out there would be willing to come and save their lives!

  Ten: The Stone

  “It was said that these stones had a great power to them; not only did they mean the people of Virenheim could do anything without needing sunlight but that they could clear the air of the poisons left by the Orcreich. One holding the stones could pass through the mountains as a prophet once did to bring a book of history to the other side to teach them to train birds to fly over the mountains and to learn how to battle Orcreich. It is believed that as Virenheim is the only place where every Deep Elf can use magic, the stones influence their birth and magical abilities so that they can fight the demons specifically. It is also believed and has been documented that the stones protect Virenheim from the First Ones as long as all twelve stones are present, that the stones when put in a special device produce a strong shield that surrounds Orcreich and stops all dreadful things from getting through… but as ten of the stones have disappeared the current two remaining only produce enough power to protect the King’s palace. It is also thought that the stones will reveal the true identity of beings hidden by dark magic or that have been cursed.”

  - “The Kingdom of Virenheim” by Ronvaldo Hilosa

  “Karayan? Karayan I heard someone screaming for my sister – please snap out of it I need your help!” Anouk had never been so panicked in her life! The bright light had made her head scream but water entering her mouth had brought her back to life. Coughing and spluttering to get the rancid soup of misbegotten vermin from her maw, she’d
yanked herself out of a deep patch of marsh in search of the light. Her eyes had caught the faintest gleam up ahead near the Goblin Meadows and she knew it would only take ten minutes in a frenzied gallop to crash through to the mud pools and she had heard screaming that way!

  However, her wish to just carry on saving her sister was tempered by a need to help the Karayan. The dark figure lay prone in the water, unmoving and she was not even sure if he was breathing at all! Lifeless he appeared little more then black driftwood floating on the bog and from the noises about them, the scavengers were coming in. If it were anyone else right now, Anouk knew she would have abandoned him for the sake of her sister and the greater good, despite the moral arguments that had always prevented such an act before. Yet she felt compelled to keep him at her side and desperately she slapped at his face and begged him to wake up and help her… frantic to have his help.

  She had never needed someone so much in her life before… at least, since her grandfather’s death.

  For the Karayan though, everything had stopped and he’d realised where he stood in the world as darkness had enveloped him and drawn his soul upwards from the earth though his body remained motionless. Perhaps the sight of the light had been too much for him and he was now dying, but if that were so why was he being drawn to the sun? His mind was already throbbing with the primitive tribal sounds and songs of his people, the Great Eye itself no longer the burning sun but the black ink spirals of art he recalled in his youth. In his mind he heard the screaming sounds and the wagging tongue gestures of the tribe he’d been born to and as he seemed to reach the great opening eye it practically hissed at him.

  Born of the dark that captured the light, born of the dragon and the primal might…

  Karayan blinked at the strange noise to reach his ears and then he heard Anouk screaming for him to get up. He felt something within his body change, something painful clawing through the membrane of his soul as if it had been sealed away for the danger and power that resided within. At the desperation in her voice his heart gave a hefty thump and the image of Nabuto was shattered and instead it flooded his mind with every memory he’d ever had. The shards of black ink smeared his face, reawakening the truth within him that had been hidden away and the strands of spell that had warped him were cut, but his body did not change from it. Instead he felt his soul fall, crashing down back into his body and he jerked upwards with a snarl of anger. Anouk turned to him to speak but had no chance before he stood up and grabbed her at the waist, throwing her over his shoulder as he began to run with her towards the grasses. She managed a few swears of anger but they only seemed to make him chuckle.

  “By the way I’m calling that Dreggling Bumble and he’s never going to fight for anyone’s entertainment!”

  “But that’s got nothing to do with right now you… you idiot!” Anouk snapped but before she could protest further he was on the move. The Karayan had found a new zest for life it would seem and his heart thundered as if it had been slapped by a bolt of lightning. His limbs pumped with blood smothered in this new energy as he galloped onwards to the long strands of grass in ignorance of the beasts it might contain. Anouk could do nothing but grasp him and smirk at the staring figures of the horrid little swamp scavengers that had been lured by the promise of a corpse and yet found nothing. It was curiously satisfying to witness.

  Damara held the sword tightly in her hands but grimaced with fear as the creature slowly stepped toward her. Ynvirius was no longer an elf but somehow he’d opened himself up to a demon and willingly allowed a deadly possession by whatever kind of creature this was. She had never seen this kind of thing before, only heard of the possessions and no description had ever mentioned the addition of a mouth in the chest and eyes in the belly – it was so disjointed and wrong, and it made her feel quite sick. But she was not sure how she was supposed to be able to fight something with two faces and an evil laugh that was clearly tormenting her and scratching its way into her brain!

  “You’re hardly worth the effort, no fun to just kill. Get your friend to leave the stone and you can all run away with nightmares but breathing.” Despite the fact a hideous monster was telling them such things the voice was soothing, charming and trustworthy as if it were her father asking her to do something. But Damara shook her head and stepped back towards Karani, unsure why the monster did not just charge her as it snapped its crooked jaws in fascination as if it had not breathed or tasted air before. Yet the fact it did not address Karani, did not appear to want to fight Jarl and focused on Damara alone was frustrating. Was it because her reaction to the Hive Demon had made her appear weak… or was it because the creature might actually fear her?

  “Karani… you and Jarl need to get back…. If you brought any help with you Jarl, please go to it. I’ll stand and fight.” Damara could hardly believe her own words but doubting them would make her weakened. She knew it was the Benaga way to show such self-sacrifice, but it was also a little terrifying to be left alone. Still, she encouraged the ice magic into the blade and prepared to lunge. The creature turned its head towards Jarl, its other eyes blinking mischievously towards Damara and in that moment she charged with a roar.

  Jarl had not been willing to leave with Karani and thankfully she did not want to go either. When Damara charged Jarl darted forward with his rapier, he prodded at an eye on the belly before darting back, making all the eyes turn to him as Damara was able to swing. She held the blade tightly, unwilling to let it go as the metal wheezed with the cold droplets cutting into the monstrous form. She slapped the beast just above the hip, stabbing into the mouth as it began a hideous series of whirring alarm-like barks before its tongue froze and fell out. The demon head screeched as Damara tried to pull the sword out but realised with horror that the cold had stuck to the flesh and frozen the blade in place. She could not tug it free and her feet were losing grip in the slippery swamp mud.

  As the demon clasped the cold blade with the only hand it seemed to have, Jarl lunged again. He stabbed straight into one of the eyes, piercing the pocket so black fluid spurted out in a hissing shriek. The creature produced a gut bending roar of agony as it swung its stump at Jarl with a violent jet of red steam pouring from its nostril like slits! Suddenly the great stump began to shudder and vibrate at a speed that made it blur to their eyes and then a long bony finger with a massive black claw shot out in a bloody spray through the stump’s scales to try and snatch the fabric of the young man’s clothing. Damara did not want to let go of the blade now, but she could not seem to disconnect her powers; the more she became fearful the cold increased and the blade swelled in the demon’s grasp. Eventually the talons managed to hook themselves into the flexing lines of the metal caused by the extreme cold and with this knowledge if began to squeeze, its eyes still focused upon Jarl. Finally, with a sound like a cough, the sword fractured and Damara skidded over to the demon’s feet.

  The great heavy clawed pads stepped up from the mud and slammed into Damara’s back as she fell forward onto her knees. With a choking gasp she was smashed into the mud and permitted to bounce upward thanks to her bulging chest and gasp for help. Jarl’s attention was lost and yet he managed to dodge the swing of the claw and instead produced a sudden ball of light. With a bark for eyes to close the demon attempted to do so and when it did to try and avoid the pain of the light, Jarl used the distraction to swing his sword and hit the foot. The creature tumbled over with a shriek as the ball of light burst into a swirling spiral of wind to grasp the creature and throw it backwards into the mud. Jarl grasped Damara by the shoulder and yanked her painfully up, practically dragging her over to Karani and pushing the women away as the demon tried to fight the wind form slapping at him.

  “Hang on kids!” From out of nowhere the remaining eye on the belly was speared three times by small sharp arrows. The creature gave a squeal of pain and wobbled about, unwilling to try and pull itself up as it swam about in the mud. It did not get a chance however as a massive hulk suddenly threw itse
lf upon the beast, ignoring the stabbing hook of its stump and grasping its head hard. The youngsters realised that it was Alard and he was trying to twist the head off the creature as Ling emerged from the shadows with a bloody scratch upon her bare legs chuckling evilly. “You know what… by the blood of Mala I should have known something fishy had happened when Kaloon was killed. But come on little ones, if we don’t start getting through the grass then when Anouk turns up she’s going to realise you were fighting something and I’m going to lose my scalp!”

  “Ling… can you stop jabbering and help me out!” Alard roared angrily, the massive Aeron locking his arms around the head of the demon that was slowly being ripped upward. Sinews and scales locking this head to the body snapped and pinged off gently, the creature was groaning from the agony of loosing its stomach eyes and mouth, but still the claw and the talons of the monster scratched at him. Although Alard’s species meant he could not be killed by the demon’s magic, he was not strong enough to tackle the creature completely on his own and his companion came rushing over. She pulled a dagger from within her clothing and quickly stabbed the creature in the neck, twisting the blade and starting to saw her way through the connection. Alard noticed the youngsters still watching and gave a bark of annoyance at them. “Get going… Anouk should be on her way!”

  The two figures continued to attempt to remove the head and Damara grasped her companions by the wrists. She did not care about weapons now and even though she did not want to abandon the two figures, she knew that Ling and Alard were more experienced in battle than her. Plus, the warning that Anouk was on her way encouraged the scraped and bruised elf maiden to drag Karani by the wrist through the grasses with Jarl running ahead of them ready for battle. Their ears strained outward to catch the sound of the enemies, but it was clear that the presence of the stone in their hands was keeping the monsters at bay as they dove through the grasslands.