by Owen Black
“Listen,” Guderian said to Arodon, anxious to break the tension. “Why don’t I show you to the river? It’s a route the carnivores will take to reach us, so you will need to keep a lookout at all times. They could attack in smaller numbers as well, we just don’t know.”
“That would be fine,” Arodon replied.
“Do you need anything?” Guderian asked. “Weapons or materials?”
“No,” the Realmlord said bluntly. “We will come back before the attack begins. Place us toward the front. It is the only way we will fight.” His tone then dropped. “If I fall land dweller Guderian, you must honor your word. No matter the result, you must honor your word to help with the matter we discussed.”
Avryn peered at Guderian, obviously confused.
“We will do as you asked,” Guderian said, before turning Avryn. “I will explain when I return. Can you tell Airulli I will be a bit late? We were to meet and go over the report from his scouts.”
“I will take care of it,” Avryn replied. He paused and then added, “I almost forgot, Mordigal and a herd of horses are heading this way so perhaps you could describe them to the Aquans. I would hate the first battle to be amongst ourselves.”
“That’s great news!” Guderian exclaimed. “We will keep an eye out for them.”
Before being led away, Arodon glanced one last time up at Thane. Their eyes met and the world seemed to come to a halt around them. The Aquan then whispered something unheard by most, silent to all but one.
War was coming. He was ready.
***
Above fields and trees, rivers and hills the tiny sparrow soared, her wings moving with seemingly effortless fluidity, persistently pushing onward while her eyes anxiously scoured the land below. Although the air was cold, her rainbow colored feathers absorbed the sun readily, providing the needed warmth to protect her small frame.
Being a stranger to conflict, she did not readily agree to join the others who went to fight. It was not her war. She really did not believe any of them had any business helping the cattle. Nevertheless, when Airulli personally asked her to help, she could not resist.
Before that day, Airulli had never actually spoken to her although she had made countless efforts to capture his attention. However, like all good leaders he had always been too busy to pursue romantic interests. This really never bothered her because she had admired him since joining the habitat many years before. Not only was he handsome and strong but he was also a great man. So obviously when he had asked her to help save the Farseer who they all had thought was dead, there was no way she could have refused. Going to war was a small price to pay. Besides, she was a scout. She would never see actual combat.
The sparrow resisted the temptation to return to Avryndale and cut off her route early. After all, there were several of them scouting the land and she had grown bored, tired of following the same path every day as she had for nearly two weeks. Each morning she hoped they would change the routes doled out to them but she knew there was a reason for having them assigned. If a scout happened to not return, then they would know from where exactly the army marched in from. It was a grim but effective way to look for trouble.
Although her task had grown more and more tedious, there was an activity that occurred at the end of each day that she always looked forward to - giving her report to Airulli. Thoughts of him kept her going, pushed her onward and fed her quickly beating heart. She wondered if somehow he could love her and she grew anxious to see him. The thought of returning early continued to tempt her but then she realized that the mountain passage was just up ahead and in a matter of minutes it would be time to turn around. Surely she could hold out.
Far beneath the silent flight of the scout the forest gave way to rocky terrain just as it had done each day prior. But unlike her previous missions, something caught her eye and forced her to attention. From a distance the ground that stretched before her seemed darker and flowing, as if a volcano had erupted and spilled forth boiling lava that was destined to scorch the land.
Curiosity nipped at her mind as she descended upon fluttering wings. When the moving mass drew closer her eyes slowly discerned the countless figures that swarmed within.
Terror gripped her instantly and she quickly pulled back and stopped her descent. She only hoped that she had not been spotted. The carnivores would never expect to encounter Avians. They wanted their presence to be a surprise.
The sparrow anxiously turned east although her eyes remained locked on the army far below. She had to warn the others. She had to warn Airulli.
Without warning a stinging pain then shot through her body and she gasped for air. For a brief instant she hoped it was a cramp but then she realized that her wings were somehow pinned and unable to move. Breathing had become difficult and her chest felt crushed. Panicked, she turned her head and spotted a long dark wing stretched out above her. It was the worst kind of horror she ever could have imagined. How foolish she had been, never thinking to watch the sky, never considering the possibility. Who would warn them? Who would tell Airulli? And then, before her next heartbeat, her worries ended and her thoughts collapsed to eternal silence.
Chapter 35
Night had fallen on Avryndale and a faint pale light coated the land, the product of the crescent moon that sailed above like a ghostly galleon upon the cloudy sea. Calmness had descended on the village but the crisp air smelled of rain.
Semu walked the platform atop the wall and the boards creaked as he paced, his thick frame testing the strength of their workmanship with each footfall. His eyes were ever watchful, his senses focused on the terrain. After months of preparation, an army approached somewhere in the darkness. He could feel it.
His awareness of the impending threat was aided by the fact that the birds had stopped scouting when several had failed to return. Six had been lost in the recent days and the reason was obvious.
As he paced, his thoughts naturally shifted to the war. Nothing like this had ever occurred. Would they be remembered for their bravery? Would his family hear of his death? He knew better. They were far away and he had long been forgotten. No Alpha of his kind had ever abandoned his kind before.
Before a familiar pain could consume him, Semu was rescued from his shameful thoughts when something caught his eye. His muscles tensed while he stared into the night.
Movement stepped from the shadows at the bottom of the hill. It was the Aquans and they were running toward Avryndale. His pulse quickened when he realized their approach meant one thing. The army had arrived.
He looked down at the two guards standing idle near the closed gate.
“One of you run and get Avryn,” he ordered. “The other get this gate open.”
The two men looked at one another blankly, unsure who should take action. “Now!” Semu roared.
***
Avryn climbed the steps leading to the walkway with Mordigal following closely behind. He had woken the assassin - although he wondered if the wolf ever really slept - after Semu had alerted him. Mordigal was their only insight into the mind of their enemy and, if the army was indeed approaching, his thoughts could be valuable.
The men reached the platform and quickly spotted Semu and Arodon, two strikingly different figures whose attention was now locked somewhere in the distance.
“Arodon, I heard there was a fight,” Avryn said as he approached. “Are your men ok?”
Avryn was immediately struck by the Aquan’s unusual features that were even more spine-chilling when cast in moonlight. His lipless mouth then opened.
“We met an attack party in the woods,” Arodon said. “There were twenty or so, it was dark and hard to tell. They were brown with thick fur and clawed fingers. They stayed in animal form mostly and didn’t last long, but a few got away. We surprised them when they tried to cross the river but we could not match them on foot.”
“Probably foxes or dogs,” Mordigal said. “Fatalis won’t waste his best troops on skirmishes like that. He was likely testing
the forest before marching through.”
“Do you think he will attack at night?” Avryn asked.
“I doubt it,” Mordigal replied. “He will want to watch the event unfold personally.”
“Probably better for us then,” Avryn said. A thought then popped into his mind and he asked, “So what is his animalkind any way? We had some ideas but I meant to ask you about that.”
Mordigal stared up at the sliver of a moon. He then turned to the king, “Fatalis is an abomination, a giant cat unlike any other with enormous teeth and reflexes that amaze even me. They call him a sabertooth and when you see him you will know why.”
“Sounds charming,” Avryn said then focused his attention on the cloud cover above. “They are separating a bit. Maybe we can see something now.”
The others looked up at the sky then stared into the distance as a wave of faint light slowly crept across the land and slowly, ever so slowly, revealed the terrain. Their voices were silent as they watched, anxious to learn what lurked unseen in the darkness.
Far to the west, where the fields gave way to the forest, a swarming evil horde was exposed. The mass of carnivore soldiers blanketed the land near the trees and disappeared within to an unknown depth. From afar it seemed to pulse and throb, as if it was a single entity that had been plucked from the darkest realms of evil.
Avryn could not make out detail but their numbers were incredible. He had feared a thousand and several times that had come.
“Now there is a sight,” Mordigal said, breaking the tension that had captured the group.
“Indeed,” Arodon added.
“It’s not too late to head back Arodon,” Avryn suggested.
The Aquan shook his head and replied, “Our fates are tied now King of the Land Dwellers. Those that escaped us in the woods certainly told them of our kind and they will march all the way to the shore. There is no choice. We will fight to the death.”
Avryn knew he was right. Fatalis would not forgive any who dared challenge him. He then turned to Semu, “It’s time. Sound the alarm and get those not fighting to the tunnel. But first give me a few minutes to wake my son first. He isn’t going to be happy.”
***
Thane stirred quickly, almost the instant that his father’s hand touched his chest. Still in his clothes he sat up in bed, wondering if finally it was time to fight. He squinted as his eyes adjusted to the burning lantern his mother was holding by the door. Her sad face was awash in a soft orange glow that danced about the room as if the burning wick was somehow excited by the imminent bloodshed.
“Is it time?” Thane said, practically leaping out of bed. “Are they here?”
“They are close,” his father replied. “Come, follow me. We need to get ready.”
Thane reached for his swords that he always kept next to his bed. Every night he placed them within reach, always within reach. He would sometimes feel for them in the night as if they somehow comforted his nightmares. He knew he had placed them there last night but now they were gone.
“Where are they?” he asked.
“I moved them to where you will get ready,” Avryn replied. “Don’t worry. They are safe.”
“Why? Why would you do that?”
“Come on,” his father urged, grabbing Thane by the hand. “We need to go.”
Thane shook his hand free and closed his eyes. He would go where he wanted. They couldn’t stop him.
“No!” his father yelled.
“I’m not going to the tunnel!”
“Listen,” Avryn pleaded. “I won’t make you go to the tunnel, I promise. But if you go now you won’t find them. If you want your swords you will have to come with me.”
Thane had no choice but to go with his father. As they left the room, he stopped at his mother when he spotted tears trickling down her cheeks.
“Sweetie, we love you,” she said, sniffling. “Always know we love you.”
Her words tugged at his heart. He understood her grief, she was afraid he wouldn’t return from battle.
“I will be fine mother,” Thane said as he hugged her. “Don’t worry about me. I will make you proud.”
Felia wiped the tears from her face. “Oh Thane, you already have honey.”
Thane smiled and paused briefly to carve her loving face to memory one last time just in case. He then turned to his father and followed him out of the house and into the night.
Together they walked at a brisk pace through the quiet village streets and eventually arrived at the stockade that had briefly held Mordigal a few months back. Two large guards were posted beside the door, armed with spears and standing at attention.
Thane stopped immediately and glared at his father. Avryn continued to the door, withdrew a key ring from around his belt and then looked over his shoulder.
“Oh come on, what are you afraid of?” his father asked. “We have them under close watch. Where else would we store them?”
Still uncertain, Thane felt something was wrong. After a brief hesitation he shrugged. There was no reason not to trust his own father.
The lock opened with a loud click and he followed Avryn into the small building where indeed his swords were waiting, still sheathed and sitting on a table in the far corner of the room.
Anxious, Thane moved past his father and toward the alluring blades. They called to him as if they yearned for his grasp, somehow longed to feel his power.
Before he could reach his precious weapons he was startled when something struck his wrist. It was cold and hard and when he looked down he was shocked to see a metal shackle had been clamped shut. It was a binding chained to the wall that had been designed to prevent escape. He had been tricked. His father has tricked him!
Avryn backed away as tears swelled in his eyes.
“I’m sorry son,” his father said. “Listen to me, please.”
Thane glared at him with hate-filled eyes. He thrashed and tore at the chain. He tried to use his gift but it was no use, his abilities were worthless when in contact with metal. He was a prisoner.
“NO!” Thane screamed.
“Listen son, please. This is for your own good. I can’t lose you, we can’t lose you.”
Thane then remembered his mother’s tearful exchange minutes prior. She had known. How could they do this to him? Why would they do this? As panic set in, he tugged on the chain as hard as he could, ignoring the pain as the metal tore into his flesh. Reason was gone and he was now consumed by anger.
“Please Thane stop,” his father pleaded. “They are here for you. Don’t you see that? This monster wants to kill you – you Thane! I won’t let him. I will find him and end this myself!”
Thane abruptly stopped his thrashing while his chest heaved while he caught his breath. His face was red and shrouded in anger.
“So you will just leave me here?” Thane asked. “Let them find me chained up? Why not serve me on a platter father? Is that what you want?”
“No. No, of course not. Several of us have keys. If the battle turns bad someone will let you out so you can escape with the others.”
A loud horn sounded nearby. It was the alarm.
Avryn moved toward the door. “You will have to find it in your heart to forgive me. Some day when you have children you will understand.”
“No! Don’t do this! I need to find Alia!”
Then, with one more saddened glance at his son, Avryn left the building. He ignored his son’s pleas and turned his attention to the larger problems he had to deal with. In a matter of seconds the once peaceful village had turned to chaos.
***
Peering through the darkness with feline vision, Fatalis could make out the tiny walls of the village that stood in the distance. It sat atop a rather steep hill and was just as Ash had described yet for some reason it seemed small. He had expected more. It would be over before it started.
Fatalis roared and paced in front of his army as he enjoyed the rush of power that his animal form provided. His super
ior senses fueled a bloodlust within him, a hunger waiting to be quenched by his long, sharp fangs that tore the thickest flesh with ease.
Astutely aware of his environment, he smelled the blood as it sped through his men and felt their footsteps in his paws. His power was incredible.
Fear was a crippling weapon that Fatalis had mastered long ago. He craved the thought of the mindless cattle as they looked upon the horde that had come for them. He could imagine their thick skulls peering above the walls with eyes filled with terror while whatever ounce of courage they had mustered vanished in an instant.
All around him a swarm of hungry soldiers yelped and cheered, ready for battle. They were an awesome collection, a massive force of the deadliest beasts from across the land. He wanted to turn them loose. Not yet, but soon.
From his homeland in the north he had personally brought the cats - lions, panthers, tigers and scores of smaller species. They were the most eager to serve him because, after all, they were his blood.
From the southwest, the dogs had joined. He naturally hated them, but they were eager to prove their value. The pitiful things, they failed to realize the significance of being sent in first. Useless fodder to soften up the lines, that’s what they were.
Called from all parts of Animar, Vulpo had gathered an impressive legion of foxes. Although they were small and weak their speed proved a valuable weapon. He would use them to chase down any who tried to flee his wrath.
From the south, Crocuta had brought her swarm of devilish hyenas. Scavengers of the worst kind, Fatalis could slaughter them all himself. Against helpless sheep however they had a purpose, for there was power in numbers.
Of course there were also the wolves, his favorite kind outside of his own. Now that he was properly motivated, Ash had provided the direction the lupines so desperately had craved. Leaving nothing to chance, Fatalis had assigned them a single yet important task - to bring down Mordigal before he inflicted too much damage.
Lastly, in addition to the forces his generals had gathered, ruthless mercenaries of other kinds had joined the fight - boars, jackals, bears and more, all hungry for blood and anxious for a cause.
