by Jeff Gunzel
“You five,” Viola said, handpicking three females and two males. Because the lerwick sexes were so different physically, she wanted to mix them during the drills. They needed to get used to working as a unit. Strengths and weaknesses would balance out once they figured out how to work together.
Hamas, Owen, and Liam stood near the far wall, watching the sparring session with great interest. Despite Liam’s extensive military experience, he promised himself that he wouldn’t get involved. This was Viola’s time to make her mark. She had grown so much since their paths first crossed. For better or worse, her legacy was being built right before his eyes, and he wasn’t about to stand in her way.
“Is this how you imagined the future you created?” Liam asked, watching as the next group surrounded Viola. Little doubt this next session would end the same, but they would be better for it. The sourly inexperienced group needed the work.
“I’m not sure what I imagined,” Hamas admitted with a chuckle. “One tends to check their expectations when trying to play god. Believe it or not, even my ego has limits.”
“I was beginning to wonder,” Liam laughed. Hamas’s point was well taken, and hardly an exaggeration by any measure. He had indeed done the impossible and managed to play god in many respects. “But you must have had some result in mind, correct? There must have been some foresight, some vision, a goal you were trying to achieve.”
“I suppose I did, at first, anyway,” Hamas said, the pitch in voice softening somewhat. “When I first began my work, my intentions were good. Pure. My goal was to find a way to deal with an inevitable reality. I knew the ghatins would be a problem someday. If not necessarily in our lifetime, then for a future generation to be sure. One day they would need to be dealt with, and if I could somehow contribute in some small way...”
“But...” Liam said, turning away from the sparring session to give Hamas his full attention. “Why do your words have the feeling of a confession?”
Hamas sighed. “In many ways, I am a prideful, arrogant man. As the failures mounted, I began to grow more and more frustrated.”
“Failures?” Owen chimed in. “I’m not sure anyone has ever thought of creating life as an easy task. Why, if I go a day without getting slapped or having a drink thrown in my face, I consider that day a success. I think ye standards might be just a touch too high.”
“The highest!” Hamas said sharply, not all that amused by Owen’s joking about such a serious topic. “You just don’t understand, do you? I am not like you, or like anyone for that matter. My mind is not average by any stretch. I have read entire books in under an hour, then recited the words back almost word for word. I have solved math equations that have plagued our scholars for decades. I do not fail at anything. Instead, I succeed where others fail. Furthermore, I did not create the lerwicks. That had already been done centuries ago. I was only attempting to bring them back, a feat that should have been easy for one such as I. I thought it would be easier, but when it proved to be more difficult than it should have been... I...”
His vacant eyes drifted away to a far-off place as the memory came back to him. “I became obsessed. I wasn’t used to disappointment, yet I seemed to be dealing with it on a regular basis. And then there was maybe the biggest reason of all. I am old.”
He shook his head as if saying the words out loud had forced him to face his own mortality. “My years are numbered, a reality we all must face sooner or later. And what had I accomplished up to that point? I mean really, truly accomplished. Yes, a few folks might remember the brilliant old man who astonished people with his clever mind. But memories of that old man would fade soon enough. I wanted to leave my mark on this world, to do something no one had done for hundreds of years. Before I knew it, I had become obsessed. I wanted my name to live on long after I was gone.
“Oh, now, don’t mistake my ramblings for an apology. I have nothing to be sorry for. The lerwicks needed to be brought back and I was the man who could do it. But in the end, I was doing the right thing for the wrong reason. Time will tell if history will remember me as a hero or a villain. But either way it will remember me.”
A scream drew their attention back to the sparring. Perhaps Viola had gone a little too far that time. But no, the sparring had stopped and heads were twisting about in search of the source. A second cry rang out, the hissing screech seeming to come from everywhere at once. Catching everyone off guard, a running tackle knocked Viola to the ground. Just barely able to grasp the attacker’s wrists in time, Viola pushed back against the woman. Her teeth clicked, snapping at air as she tried to bite into Viola’s neck.
Liam and Owen sprang into action, quickly wrestling the girl off Viola. With the thirst taking hold as it had, she was difficult to restrain even for one as strong as Owen. What’s more, she now had two new human targets to choose from. Turning her face from side to side, she viciously tried to bite each of them in turn. Each time she moved one way, the other was forced to compensate by holding on to her tighter. The back-and-forth struggle became a dangerous seesaw battle, each snapping lunge coming down to a matter of inches no matter which way she turned.
“Grab the serum!” Liam cried out, pointing with his foot towards the corner of the room. Hamas ran towards the sack sitting on the floor, his quivering fingers fumbling around the drawstring to open it. Finally, he retrieved one of the syringes and came running back with it. “Stick it in her neck,” Liam ordered, his voice strained. With her strength substantially enhanced by the thirst, keeping her immobilized was becoming nearly impossible.
Holding the syringe with a shaky had, Hamas jabbed it towards her in a timid fashion. It was obvious he had no idea how to administer the serum. “Here!” Viola said, snatching it from his grasp. Not being the least bit gentle about it, she jammed the needle into the woman’s neck. Instantly, her thrashing stopped as her eyes went wide. Pulsing black veins spidered up her body, covering her neck and face in a dark webbing. Calming, she blew out an icy-cold breath as her eyes rolled back. Liam and Owen carefully lowered her back down on the floor.
“I thought you made sure that each of them was taking the serum,” Liam scolded, carefully slipping his hand out from behind the woman’s head. “You were lucky we were here, otherwise she could have caused a lot of damage. Maybe even killed a few of you.”
“I know!” Viola said, not in the mood for a lecture. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and shook her head, looking down at the woman. “But...of course, you’re right. I should have been watching closer. This is my fault. If I had just been—”
“You are now a recognized figure who holds a position of power and rank,” Liam said, stepping in close so only she could hear. Viola braced for the inevitable scolding she knew was coming, but knew she deserved. “Which means you must try to find the good in any situation, no matter how badly things went wrong. What’s done is done, so your only option now is to make sure the lesson has been learned.” With a subtle gesture, he tipped his head towards the lerwicks. “This is not a time for apologizing, nor is it a time to look weak in front of those you command. Do you understand what I am saying?”
Nodding her understanding, she stepped away and stood at the center of the room. “I assume all of you saw that?” she said. “I warned you of the thirst and the hold it has on our kind. At least some of you seemed to heed my warning.” She pointed down to the now unconscious woman. “She, however, did not. And look at what happened! Taking such a risk is unacceptable. Defying my orders will not be tolerated.”
“But it’s never happened to any of us before,” one man protested while nervously twisting a hand on his wrist. He was obviously quite shaken by what he had just seen. They all were.
“That is because your keepers,” she flashed a look towards Hamas, “always made sure you were given enough blood to stave off the thirst. It doesn’t take much, only a few drops in most cases. But that is why none of you were even aware of this infliction. A drop or two in your food and you were none the
wiser. However, this is the real world. I will not shelter or coddle you. Follow my instructions and we will not have a repeat incident. Forget to take your serum,” she eyed the woman once more, “and I will put you down myself. Am I clear?” Their silence was answer enough.
The door swung open and in rushed Bella and Rishima. Viola’s heart sank. How had they heard about the incident already? This wasn’t fair. She had it under control...mostly. They promised they wouldn’t interfere with her methods, so why were they... No, the looks on their faces was not anger or even disappointment. It was horror. Shock. Something had happened.
“The curse has been lifted!” Rishima blurted out, rushing up to them in a panic.
“What?” came nearly everyone’s reply at once.
“The ghatins,” Bella chimed in. “We have received word that the ghatins have sacked your home city.” Her gaze shifted between Liam and Viola. But although both were from there, she was speaking mainly to Viola. “The city has been purged. None were left alive.” If either of them was emotionally crushed by the news, they didn’t show it. “And...the ghatins are still in the city.” Liam’s eyebrows climbed a bit higher, his first show of emotion. “They used no ash, and they have yet to return to the volcano.”
“Other reports are coming in as well,” Rishima said, finally regaining enough composure to keep speaking. “Towns all over the realm are being attacked. There was no warning, no ash, and the ghatins are occupying the towns they take. It is just as we have always feared. The curse is broken and the ghatins are free.”
“Good,” Hamas said. Heads turned, stunned at the old man’s position on this terrifying news.
“And why is this good?” Owen asked, the question all were struggling to voice through the shock of the news.
“I see we are not all in agreement,” Hamas replied, the wrinkles around his eyes scrunching together with his amused grin. “I suppose I just don’t see the point in fearing what we all knew was coming. I understand that most of you hoped this day would never come, but I’m afraid that destiny cares little for the hopes and wishes of fools. I, on the other hand, was the only one who was prepared.”
“That is because you are directly responsible,” Liam growled. He knew the only way they could have broken the curse was by sacrificing one of Hamas’s lerwicks.
“I assume I have moved the date of their escape closer, if that is what you mean.” He shrugged. “But there was no other way. What I did was a necessary evil, if you will, in order to prepare for the inevitable. How long do you think it would have been before the ghatins freed themselves without the aid of my life’s work? A few years? Maybe even a century or more? Perhaps. But the end result would not have changed. Either we as a species defeat them here, now, solidifying our places in history as the victors, or we wait. We wait for a future generation to face the same danger with no possible chance of defeating them.
“I made sure that we had a fighting chance, and I will not apologize for that. You all seem to think that the ghatins have been released into our world. Well, I say they’re trapped here! No longer can they slip away into the night after applying their hit-and-run tactics. No longer can they flee to go hide in their fiery prison. Do not fear them, my friends. Our ancestors beat them once before, and now it is our turn to do the same. But unlike those generations before us, we will not imprison the demons. This time we will annihilate them and make sure they never return.”
He stepped over to Viola, throwing his hands up on her shoulders. “This is why you are here, Viola,” he said softly. “Your mother gave up everything so you could be standing here today. But although I gave you the gift of life, I assure you that gift comes with no strings attached. From the moment you took your first breath in this body, you have been your own person. You answer to no one, not even to me. Be true to your heart and there is no way the choice can be wrong.”
Hamas turned to the other lerwicks. “And that goes for the rest of you as well! You were created for a single purpose, yet I cannot force you to fulfill your destiny. Each one of you is different, unique with your own thoughts and feelings. The gift of free will is just as precious as the gift of life. And both are yours to do with as you wish.”
He sighed and lowered his voice. “But understand this. If you choose to go your separate ways and leave the humans to their well-deserved fate, then you will most likely doom yourselves as well. You may flee to the countryside, hide in the forests of Ayrith, but sooner or later the ghatins will find you. Scattered and unorganized, they will pick you off one at a time. You either face them now as a united force, or end up on the wrong side of a widespread witch-hunt. But face them you will.”
One of the lerwicks stepped forward, his hands straight down at his side, stiff. He looked uncomfortable but was still determined to speak. “Hamas,” he said in a shaky voice. “I know I speak for all of us when I tell you that we have already made our choice.” A series of nodding heads confirmed his statement. “We already know what it is like to hide in the forests, to try to blend in with the shadows because we knew we had no place to call home. Well, that ended the day we heard her call.” He glanced at Viola.
“And we have no intentions of ever going back to that life. The moment we stepped into the tower, we knew our old lives were gone forever. We have a purpose now. Even after Viola promised it so, then you came along and confirmed that very same promise. We do not fear death, for we have been dead for years. This is why we are here.”
Viola stepped forward and took his hand in hers. “I am grateful that you are willing to place so much faith in me,” she said, then turned towards the others. “I am proud of all of you. And as we move forward together, I hope that you will continue to give me your best as I will give you mine.” She softened her voice. “Your time will come, I promise you this. But it will not happen today. You are not ready yet.”
“What?” Hamas protested, the old man nearly jumping out of his skin. “But this is your purpose! You are perfect, flawless beings. How can you possibly say—”
“Because they’re not ready,” Owen agreed, interrupting the old man’s fit. “Send them out there now and many won’t be coming back. Believe me, I’ve seen this pattern too many times. The ground already be soaked with the blood of young men and women who died before their time because they didn’t know to handle themselves on a battlefield. There’ll be plenty o’ violence to go around before it’s over. No reason to send them to early graves just because ye be impatient.”
“And what does a brute like you know?” Hamas argued, unwilling to give up on his stance. His creations were perfect and physically superior to nearly every other being. What did it matter if they were somewhat lacking in battle experience?
In a flash, Owen’s sword was drawn, the beast of a man crossing the room before anyone could blink. Lerwicks yelped, hands rising up instinctually as the streaking blade stopped just above their heads. Some of their arms had even turned into flesh blades, their bodies’ involuntary reaction to being threatened.
“If I be a ghatin, I’d have killed half of ye before you knew what was happening. The other half? Well, at least you’d know you were being killed.” He tapped one of their flesh blades with the flat end of his sword. “Half of ye don’t even know how these things work or how to control them.” It was true. Many didn’t even understand how their bodies worked. With their blood mixed as it was, they didn’t have the natural instincts of a pure-born being. He sheathed his sword and glanced back at Hamas. “They’re not ready.”
Hamas lowered his eyes. Even a man as brilliant as he could make no further argument in his favor. Owen was right. They simply were not ready.
“But that doesn’t mean we should stand around and do nothing,” Viola said, turning her attention to Rishima.
“And what do you propose?” she asked earnestly. Rishima had come to value Viola’s input, even if she did not always agree. What Viola lacked in experience she made up for in instinct. “By your own admission, your
men are not ready to act. I don’t see that we can do much of anything.”
“Soldiers get all the glory but they seldom win the war,” Viola said, thinking back to one of the books Assirra had given her. “It doesn’t matter if we are ready to fight or not if we still don’t understand the enemy. We have to see what we are up against before any other decisions can be made.”
“A scouting party?”
Viola nodded.
“And who would lead this party?”
Viola’s smile was answer enough.
“Very well, I will leave it up to you. But...” She had to stop Viola, who was already in motion, seeking to form her team. “This mission is to gather information, nothing more. Find out what you can then return to the tower. Under no circumstances are you to engage the enemy. Do I make myself clear?”
Viola bowed her head.
I’m placing my trust in you, Viola.
Please do not make me regret this...
Chapter 20
The speeding lerwicks raced across the landscape, a billowing cloud of gray dust coiling up behind them. Shadowy funnels of black birds whirled into the air, then settled back down nearly half a mile up the road. They could have moved even faster if Jarlen were to push, but there was no point in using up that much energy. Redwater wasn’t going anywhere and they still needed to conserve their strength for what lay ahead.
When the city came into view, Jarlen signaled for everyone to slow down and get organized. No sense in rushing in recklessly, especially since they weren’t quite sure what to expect. As they drew closer, what had recently transpired here in the city became more and more obvious. Bodies littered the street with swarms of flies swarming all over their bloated faces. The ghatins hadn’t even bothered removing them after the slaughter, perhaps leaving them scattered about as a warning to others. Their rancid scent tainted the air, hanging over the city like a vile smog of rotten death. And the blood-stained streets had turned dark, a sickly brown crimson that further gave off a tangy stench of its own.
