by Matt Moss
Victor stepped to him. “Yes. That is exactly what I want. Is there a problem with that?”
Rico locked eyes with the high priest for a moment, then looked to Cain. “Alright. When do we leave?”
“Soon,” Victor told him. “I need to train both of you a bit more before I let you go.”
Rico’s eyes went to the book. “Is that The Path of Man? How’d you get it?”
“I got it for him,” Cain answered.
Rico nodded and shook his head. “I never understood what was so special about that book. A bunch of old wives tales from dead men long gone, that’s all it is.”
Victor placed a knowing hand on Rico’s shoulder. “My apprentice, you have much to learn.”
The Path of Man lie open on the high priest’s desk.
Victor studied the book with intensity, burying himself in the work, not stopping for drink or food. Sarie brought him a plate. “You need to eat.”
“Why do you care?” Victor replied without taking his eyes from the book. “Or have you had a sudden change of heart towards me?”
She sat the plate on the desk, nearly spilling the contents. “Fine. Don’t eat. I’ll make my leave, then.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, raising his eyes to meet hers.
“Why do you care?” she shot back.
He stood and walked to her. “Come here.” He pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers, searching to see if there was anything left. It caught her by surprise, but she succumbed to passion and he threw her on the bed. His hands ripped the clothes from her body as she spread across the sheets.
There must be something there that still wants me. Give yourself to me, Sarie.
He searched her feelings through every kiss, every touch. She returned each one in kind and moaned with pleasure as he took her. When they were through, Victor dawned his white robe and poured them both a drink. Sarie lie on the bed in ecstasy. She rose to take the drink from his hand. He smiled at her.
“That was… a pleasant surprise,” she said, then took a drink of wine.
Liar. I saw you wipe away my kisses in disgust.
He drained his glass and sat on the bed. “Do you still love me?” he asked, but already knew the answer. She had changed, and whatever was once there was now gone. You’re good for the stage, though. Any other man would have been fooled, but not me. You can’t fool me, Sarie. You can’t fool me, Oracle.
“Of course, I do,” she said and moved close to him. She nuzzled her head into his chest “I always will. I’m with you forever.”
He ran a hand through her crimson hair and kissed the top of her head. “I know. Forgive me for being silly…I’ve had much on my mind as of late.”
She raised up to look into his eyes. “I know. I wish you would talk to me more. Tell me what you’re doing. Let me in on your plans like you used to. I may be of some help, you know.”
Nice try. You want to find me at my weakest, and strike at the faintest scent of blood. I’m not going to bleed.
He stood from the bed and went for more wine. “The time has come to solidify the Religion and extend its reach to the rest of the realm. All deniers will be removed from the picture.”
He glanced back to find her sitting slack-jawed and staring blankly after his words until her senses came back to her and she clothed herself. “It must be done,” she stated.
“Does it?” he asked, returning with the cups.
She nodded. “There’s no other way around it. Deny the Religion, accept death.” She forced the rest of the wine down.
He grinned and brought the jug to refill her cup. “Thirsty for more?” he asked.
She held the cup out for him to pour. “When does it start?”
“I’ve already sent Rico and Cain to act as my hand. They should arrive in Greenehaven by the morning.”
She drank and Victor could see her trying to mask her nerves. “And what then? What happens after you kill all who oppose the Religion?” she asked.
A smile and a touch of her cheek was his reply.
When she finished the cup, he saw her out and closed the door.
He buried himself back in the book.
FOURTEEN
Arkin lie flat on the ground next to King Hobba and his best men at the edge of a cliff. They overlooked the Ungaki’s cave, lead by Hobba’s son, the scout, Bothar. “The horde’s lair,” he said, pointing to the mouth of the cave. Covered by the blanket of night, the six men had already killed the watchmen on the high cliff in silence so not to give alarm to their presence. Hempen rope tied around a tree made useful to descend the sheer face of the cliff, as Bothar suggested before leaving, noting it their best way to stay hidden. Landing unnoticed behind the mouth of the cave, they took position, three on the left, three on the right. Five guards at the entrance met a swift, peaceful death from both sides.
Arkin nodded to the group, then took the lead as they entered the cave. Lit torches hung along the walls as the tunnel descended into the earth. Burned flesh and sulfer filled his senses, and he fought back the urge to cough so not to give alarm. Behind him, he heard the footsteps of the men who joined him and that gave him comfort—knowing that he wasn’t alone. King Hobba and his warriors feared no man, and feared death even less. It was one of the things that Arkin admired about them.
They were descending into hell to unite the clans. And in doing that, they would have to kill a queen.
The tunnel winded on until it opened up into a grand room. Three Ungaki sat on the floor, casting lots, throwing a game of bones. One caught an arrow through the eye as he turned in surprise. A throwing knife buried itself in the chest of another and drove him to his back. Hobba’s men rushed past Arkin and slit the third man’s throat before he could run away. They slit the other two throats for good measure. After putting the knife away, Bothar looked to the group and held a finger to his lips. Arkin nodded and pressed on. Deeper the tunnel went and Arkin noticed the air more damp, chill. An opening led to a thin path around a crevice that looked as though it might reach the center of the world. The narrow path circled around the abyss and Arkin minded his step, keeping his back to the wall until they reached the other side. In darkness, through another tunnel, they moved on. Ahead, light grew inside of a great room. Sounds of at least twenty men could be heard from within, and Arkin peaked around the wall to confirm. He turned to his companions. “There’s at least twenty men, all armed.”
“Just twenty? Are you sure?” King Hobba said.
“Maybe thirty. And there’s two separate tunnels, each with a man standing guard next to it.”
“How do we know which one to take?” Hobba asked. Arkin thought for a moment. Bothar spoke. “Attack the group and watch for what tunnel the guards run to. That is our path.”
“We’ll have to take them out quick, before they can run for help,” Arkin noted.
Hobba nodded and readied his bow. “I will take the runner.”
Silence ended as Arkin led the group in. His sword cleaved into the neck of the nearest man that leaned against a wall. The blade then whirred at the man sitting next to the entrance and carved deep across his chest. Screams and curses flew from the Ungaki as they jumped to their feet and grabbed weapons. Upon seeing the invaders, the guard at one of the tunnels turned and ran. Hobba’s arrow was swift and true, burying itself into the back of the runner’s neck. The other guard ran for the same tunnel, letting Arkin know which path to take. Hobba dropped the man mid-stride with an arrow to the head before he could reach the entrance. Bothar and the others engaged the Ungaki with ferocity and the conflict was over in moments.
Steadying his breathe, Arkin turned to the group. “Are you alright?” he asked one of the men, noticing a deep gash on the man’s leg. He grunted as he bandaged it with cloth to stop the bleeding. He slapped the wound, signaling he was fine.
“Keep going,” Hobba told Arkin.
Deeper into the earth they went, and Arkin could hear the sound of water. It grew
louder until the group emerged from the tunnel into another great room. A large waterfall gushed from a tunnel to the left, and crashed into a large pool of water far below. The path led to the right and into a pocket room that held another large group of men. The only path Arkin saw led through the guards and down to the bottom of the great room by the pool of water. Beyond the pool, the way was clear.
“What is it?” Hobba asked when Arkin turned back to them.
“Not good,” Arkin replied.
Hobba leaned around and stole a peak. He looked at the path that led to the room of men, then he looked down at the pool.
“It’s tight quarters in there. Will make for a hard fight,” Arkin noted.
“Then we jump,” Hobba said.
Arkin’s eyes widened. “Are you serious? You saw how far that drop is. And you don’t know how deep the water goes.”
“It will be fine. Go, man of the west. Jump.”
Arkin shook his head. “If you’re so confident, why don’t you jump?” Before Arkin could protest Hobba any further, the king tossed the bow over the edge and jumped. He held his arms tight against his chest, his feet close together as he hit the water. Arkin held his breath as he watched to see if Hobba still lived. He let a sigh of relief when the king emerged from the water and held a hand up to signal he was alright. Arkin turned back to the others and shook his head. “This is nuts.” He jumped. The others followed one by one and they swam to the bank, unnoticed.
Cresting the hill in the great room, a sense of dread washed over Arkin as he saw the queen sitting on a throne of bones far in the distance. He couldn’t explain the feeling because he should be thrilled upon seeing his target, but a gut feeling told him that something was wrong.
It can’t be this easy.
“There she is,” Hobba exclaimed in hushed excitement. He raised up and pulled an arrow from his quiver.
Arkin grabbed his arm. “Wait. Something isn’t right. She’s alone.”
“Perfect time to strike, then,” Hobba noted. His men readied their weapons.
“There’s no sneaking up on her. When we step over the cover of this hill, it’s on,” Arkin stated.
Hobba gripped Arkin’s shoulder. “Then let us commence with our mission. Time to kill the bitch.” He walked tall as he topped the hill and locked his eyes onto the woman in the distance. His men joined him and they stalked towards the queen.
“Shit,” Arkin said and joined the men. The six of them walked through the massive cave, the surface smooth and rolling gently. Arkin scanned the room. Ahead, tunnels were on both sides of the cave. “Look,” Arkin told Hobba. “How many do you count?”
“Ten. No, eleven.”
“Let’s make this quick and get the hell out of here,” Arkin said.
Hobba notched the arrow to the bow. When the queen saw the men, she shrieked with an ear-piercing cry that sounded more animal than human. It echoed through the cave and after it was gone, a war cry resounded in reply from somewhere deep inside the cave.
“Let’s go,” Arkin said and started into a run. Hobba let the arrow fly. It missed the queen, and she drew back and fired an arrow in return. Bothar grunted and rolled on the ground. “Bothar!”
“I’m fine, father,” Bothar grunted and rose to his feet. The arrow had penetrated through his leg, the bloody tip emerging from the other side. He broke it off and pulled it through, spit towards the queen and kept running towards her.
Arkin and the rest of the men were already halfway to the queen at a full run. An arrow zipped by Arkin’s head, narrowly missing the right side of his face. He paid it no mind and pressed on.
Hobba notched another arrow and pulled back. “Die, bitch.” It flew straight and true, arcing over the distance and burying itself deep into the queen’s shoulder. The impact drove her to the ground and she shrieked in pain. The tunnels came to life as the horde emerged.
“You wanted to poke the wasp nest? Well, here they come,” Arkin shouted back to Hobba. Shit.
The queen crawled behind her bone throne in seek of refuge as hundreds of men flowed into the great room from both sides.
In a dead run, Arkin soul tapped and dashed towards the queen at incredible speed. As the men closed in on him, he focused his energy and drove a force wave against the horde, breaking bodies against the wall of the cave. Extending his arm to the other side, he did the same once more, and the sound of thunder echoed through the cave as he unleashed the blast. With sword drawn, he leapt over the throne to kill the queen from above. Landing, he noticed another tunnel behind the bones that she must have retreated to. A quick look behind let him know that the others were safe for now, as Arkin had dispatched the Ungaki that came at them. He walked into the tunnel.
The queen sat on the floor, naked and covered in clay. Her body was deathly thin, and her eyes full of hate. She tended to the arrow in her arm and hissed as Arkin walked into the chamber. Flames from a fire reflected off the blade of his sword as he drew near to her. She pulled a knife in defense and spat at him. “I know you, man of the west. Demon. You will die, and everything you know will burn. All that you love will burn.”
The fact that she spoke his language took him by surprise. Even more disturbing, she was describing the dreams that he’d been having as of late.
She lunged with the knife, aiming to pierce Arkin’s stomach. He knocked the blade away with ease and kicked her in the chest. As she raised up, his sword sliced through her neck and her head rolled on the floor of the cave. Her body fell limp and blood poured from her neck, trickling towards the fire. Arkin stared as her blood drew closer to the hot coals. He pondered the witch’s words, delving into reverie. Another war cry came from behind him. He snapped back to his senses and ran back to join his friends.
Hobba loosed arrows as fast as he could, and the others were engaging the next wave of Ungaki that came out of the tunnels. Even Bothar fought with savagery despite his wound.
“It’s done. Let’s get out of here,” Arkin yelled, rejoining the group. His blade cutting a man’s guts mid-stride.
“Run,” Hobba commanded his men as the horde poured from the tunnels in droves. Ahead of them, more Ungaki crested the hill, blocking their path. Hobba killed the man in front with an arrow to the chest. “We’re trapped!” he yelled.
Arkin reunited with the group and the six men huddled together with hundreds of blood-crazed Ungaki surrounding them.
“Die with honor,” Hobba told his men. “We will be reborn to live once more if we die well.”
“Nobody dies,” Arkin replied. He closed his eyes.
Forgive me, Moses. I’ve no other choice.
He fell to one knee and placed a fist to the floor of the cave. The ground began to shake with his power, and tiny pebbles rose in the air around him.
I hope this works.
His energy exploded and collapsed from him in a prismatic wave, and it seemed as though the air was sucked out of the cave. The Ungaki stopped and stared at him for a moment. Then the killing began. Bloodlust and under Arkin’s control, they ripped each other apart. All around them, the Ungaki fought and slaughtered one another until there wasn’t a man left standing.
Stepping over a twitching body, Hobba surveyed the carnage. He looked at Arkin. “I won’t ask. Just remind me to not make you angry.”
“We need to move,” Arkin said, trying not to let his exhaustion show. The tap had nearly drained everything in him, and he, himself, was surprised that it worked. He’d only used mind-control on one other person he found on the road who had tried to rob him, and he felt what Moses was talking about—the hollow, dark feeling that takes hold after taking away someone’s free will. This was different, though. It was for survival. He felt no remorse for the Ungaki and thought of them as savage dogs.
He knew it was wrong to think of them that way, but that’s what he told himself so that he could cope with stealing their minds.
They reached the pool and heard more Ungaki coming from tunnels behind them. As
they looked back, Bothar collapsed to the ground. His eyes rolled in his head and he leaned to the side, vomiting uncontrollably.
One of the men felt Bothar’s head. He looked to Hobba and made a gesture with his hand.
“What?” Arkin asked.
“Poison. The arrow…” Hobba replied and knelt beside his son. Bothar’s eyes glossed over, but he ground his teeth and focused in on his father when he saw him. Through sheer will, he stood to his feet with Hobba’s help. “Go. I will stay,” Bothar said.
“Then I will stay and fight with you,” Hobba stated.
“No. You will go with Arkin and fulfill your purpose,” Bothar replied.
Hobba looked into his son’s eyes. “My purpose is you.”
“No longer. You must live and fight for both of us now.” Bothar embraced his father and drew his knife. “Go.”
Hobba declined, his emotions taking hold of him. Arkin gripped his arm. “We have to go. Right now.”
Bothar broke free from his father’s grip and walked to the hill—to meet the Ungaki. Hobba watched him go and was pulled away by Arkin and his men. At the top of the falls, he turned and saw his son fight with bravery. Five Ungaki fell by Bothar’s hand before he died, and Hobba averted his gaze as the horde fell upon his son.
Arkin led the way, cutting through the stragglers that came at him through the tunnels. He chopped through three men that charged at him, and took a cut to the arm as he dodged a knife lunge. Cursing, he spat to the side and led the way down the next tunnel.
“No. This way,” Hobba said and pulled him towards the other tunnel.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Arkin trusted Hobba’s guidance and led the group as they ascended. Daylight could be seen ahead, and it was one of the sweetest sights Arkin had ever seen. Behind him, he could hear the cries from the Ungaki, hot on their heels.
Blinding light pierced his eyes as he emerged from the cave. He held his arm up to shield the light, never slowing down as he ran. When the five men were fifty paces away from the mouth of the cave, the horde emerged.
