Fighter

by Isaac Hooke

  Aurora collapsed onto the sleeping bag.

  “I just wanted to touch it,” she said, panting, on the ground.

  “Why does that sound like a double entendre?” Malem couldn’t resist saying. When she appeared confused, he added: “You know I can’t trust you with this blade.”

  “You gave it to me before,” she insisted.

  “Yes,” he told her. “And I might give it to you once again, when we are in dire need. But until then, the sword remains in my safekeeping. You are not to touch it, is that understood?”

  She lowered her eyes. “Yes.”

  “Now get back to your tent,” he told her.

  “I still want you,” Aurora said.

  “I’m not in the mood, not now,” he said.

  She scowled. No one liked rejection.

  “You’re an asshole,” Aurora said.

  “This rejection will be good for you,” Malem said. “It’ll make you stronger.”

  “Like I said,” Aurora told him. “Asshole.” She stood to a weak crouch, and then ducked underneath the flap, exiting the tent. He held the canopy open for a moment to watch her walk away with her head bowed, and then released it.

  Maybe I should have just fucked her.

  No, she needed to be punished for what she had just attempted.

  Malem secured the belt to his waist, deciding he was going to sleep with it on, even if the two swords restricted his movements. He didn’t plan on doing too much tossing and turning anyway. If he couldn’t sleep, he’d simply stare at the underside of the tent. Or join Grendel on watch.

  He couldn’t sleep, so opted for the latter.

  “Hey,” Grendel said when she spotted him. “So what did she want?”

  “Tried to seduce me,” Malem said. “To steal the sword.”

  “Sneaky,” Grendel said. “But not entirely surprising.”

  “No,” Malem agreed. He stared at the stars beside her.

  “Do you see it?” she asked. “The Square of Pegasus?”

  He nodded. “I do.” The constellation in question was the box shape that formed the body of the horse. He could see the stars representing the wings, head, legs, and tail arcing outward from the main shape.

  “What do you know about the pegasus?” he asked.

  “Not a whole lot,” she admitted. “I’ve heard they graze here, at the fields on the edges of the world, because it’s the only place where man leaves them alone. They’re more intelligent than ordinary horses, but they can’t speak, not with language, like we do.”

  “But I can communicate with it,” Malem said.

  “Well of course, you’re a Breaker,” Grendel said. “But whether or not you can Break this horse remains to be seen.”

  “I don’t want to hurt it,” Malem said. “But I will, if I have to. Weyanna will simply have to heal it. I don’t have time to waste hunting down a recalcitrant animal.”

  The pair were silent for a moment.

  “Gwen means a lot to you, doesn’t she?” Grendel asked.

  Malem nodded. “She’s the first person I ever Broke.”

  “I’m sorry that you had to lose her like this,” Grendel said. “But we’ll get her back. I promise you.”

  “You don’t view her as competition?” Malem asked.

  “Why would I?” Grendel replied. “Remember, we both promised never to get emotionally involved with one another.”

  “Probably a good policy overall,” Malem said.

  She smiled wanly. “I admit it’s a lie.” She looked away.

  “What do you mean?” he said.

  “I got attached to you,” she said.

  “Ah,” Malem said.

  She shook her head. “I didn’t want this to happen. I’m not even sure how it happened. But something happened when we were in that keep. And I was terrified I was going to lose you. I was ready jump in front of the Gorgon if I had to, to stop it from reaching you. And that’s when I knew I’d gone over the edge. Now I know for sure that I can’t stay with you when this is over. It will be too painful to live my entire life with you, to watch you die in the end. Better to break off what we have now, and endure the temporary pain, rather than the pain that would come when I lost you after fifty years. A pain similar to what you must be experiencing now, with Gwen, even though you have a chance at getting her back.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Malem said. “But the choice is yours, of course. I’d love it if you stayed.”

  “I can’t,” she said. She grabbed his hand, and wrapped her other around his palm at the same time, and lifted it to her cheek. She pressed against it with her soft, warm skin. “I can’t. Which is why I can never sleep with you again.”

  She released him, letting his hand fall, and turned away. “When this task is done, and we’ve Broken Banvil, I’m going home.”

  “Then I hope it takes a very long time to find the demon,” Malem said, before turning around to return to his tent.

  18

  Malem flew upon Sylfi, with Grendel in the saddle behind him. It was early morning. Below resided a barren landscape pocked by erupting volcanoes. Plains existed on the shoulders of the mountains between those volcanoes, a savanna that stretched all the way to the edge of the world. Beyond it, on the distant horizon, the land abruptly ended in what looked like a starry, black sea at this distance.

  He continued approaching, until it became clear that was no sea. Instead, the land literally opened out into the darkness of the night sky. It was such a strange sight, to see night during the day.

  Don’t get too close, Wendolin sent.

  He turned Sylfi away from the edge, and gazed down as he traveled alongside the brink. As he watched, chunks of land broke away before his very eyes, falling into the darkness below.

  Why would a pegasus hang around such an ominous place? Aurora asked.

  They like the flavor of the grass that grows close to the edge, Wendolin replied.

  Grendel told me they grazed here because they didn’t want to be disturbed by men, Malem said.

  Good guess, but wrong, Wendolin told him. There’s something about the air this close to the edge of the world that changes the flavor of the grass in some way. The pegasi can’t get enough of it. Usually, you’ll always spot at least one or two after a day of riding on horseback. And since we’re on dragonback, we should come across them a whole lot faster.

  Do they travel in herds? Aurora pressed.

  No, Wendolin said. They’re solitary creatures. Not what you’d call gregarious.

  It only took a few minutes of flying alongside the edge before someone spotted something.

  Got one, Brita announced.

  Malem squinted. Ahead, next to the brink, a white, winged shape grazed on the grass. It was very close to the edge. So much so that Malem worried the land would break away and the animal would plunge off.

  Begin circling in place, Malem ordered the Metals. Weyanna, Wendolin, you know what to do.

  Weyanna dove, heading for a spot about a mile in from the edge. The winged horse raised its head and watched the dragon land in the distance. Wendolin dismounted, and a moment later the white was airborne once more, and flying back to where the other Metals circled. The mob spider was still held in its talons—Weyanna had probably released the monster before landing, only to scoop it up again before take-off.

  Malem waited for Wendolin to approach on foot. She moved at a jog at first, but when she closed to a hundred yards, she slowed, and advanced at a crouch.

  The winged horse looked up when the tree elf was about twenty yards away, and Wendolin froze. The pegasus stared at her for several moments, and then leaped, flapping its wings to fly away.

  Vines burst from the grass beneath the pegasus, and snatched it up.

  The winged horse struggled in their grasp, but in moments the plants had subdued the animal, and pulled it back to the ground. More and more vines kept growing, until the animal was thoroughly subdued.

  Sylfi, your turn, Malem sent.


  The chromium broke away from the circling Metals, and closed with the pegasus below.

  Malem felt rising terror from the animal as the chromium came in, and so he reached out, sending tranquil vibes, hoping to calm the creature.

  As Sylfi came in, Malem opened his restraints and leaped off the saddle; he slid down the rope that looped underneath Sylfi’s belly to secure the saddle in place, and let go at the bottom, dropping the final yard to the ground. Sylfi didn’t even have to land.

  “Show off,” Wendolin said, coming to his side.

  Malem held out a hand to her, motioning for silence. While Sylfi retreated, he continued to emit calming vibes, and slowly approached the animal. Meanwhile, Wendolin backed away, giving him room.

  Weyanna, retrieve Wendolin, he sent.

  Malem approached, and the winged horse stared at him with a mixture of anger and fear beneath its bonds. It issued a soft squeal.

  He squeezed a hand between the plants and stroked the soft hide below.

  “It’s all right,” Malem said. He tried to wrap his will around the creature, but the animal was strong, and his touch evaporated.

  He didn’t want to hurt the beautiful animal, but he would, if he had to. There was no time for him to break the animal the traditional way, as a horse whisperer might. Such men spent weeks and even months breaking the same animal, each day getting a little further with the animal. No, he had to subdue the creature now.

  Weyanna arrived, and landed on the plain behind him, next to Wendolin. He was about to ask the tree elf to squeeze the vines that held the pegasus, but before he could do so, the ground began shifting and rumbling. Weyanna plunged as a sinkhole appeared, and he realized the weight of the white had triggered a collapse—they were too close to the edge. Weyanna flapped her wings frantically, scooping up Wendolin in one talon; she lunged toward him with her jaws, but before she could reach him, the collapse spread to his position. His hand was still pressed through the vines against the flank of the animal, and so he was drawn down with the pegasus.

  He tightened his grip upon those vines as chunks of dirt and rock rained down all around him. Beside him, the animal struggled against the binds.

  Malem drew Balethorn and slid the sword underneath the woody plants. He cut away the binds in rapid succession, until those wings broke free. Then he sheathed the sword and pulled himself onto its back, between those wings, and squeezed his thighs together to latch on.

  “Fly, pegasus!” Malem said.

  With his hands, he shoved away the chunks of rock and dirt around him as best as he was able, and then he hugged the animal’s flanks with his upper body.

  “Fly!” Malem ordered.

  He sensed fright and confusion from the animal, but it finally started flapping its wings. Malem discovered he could wrap his mind around the creature—the raw fear had weakened its will. That happened sometimes. He squeezed, but the animal struggled, and he couldn’t quite get a complete hold on its mind. He released it, not wanting it to have to fight two foes at once—the fall, and him.

  It pulled away from the collapsing rocks, and continued flapping its wings frantically, managing to make some headway toward the topmost edge of the cliff beside them. Beside him, he could see the rocky face of the world, extending all the way down to infinity.

  World without end.

  A strong wind gusted contrary to their direction of motion, fighting against the pegasus.

  Malem glanced over his shoulder, and looked down, away from the wall; he spotted a huge vortex spiraling in the distance: a swirling, black hole inexorably drawing them.

  Soon the winged animal ceased to make any progress, and merely hovered in place, unable to break free of the vortex’s suction.

  Sylfi appeared overhead, above the lip of the world; Grendel lit up in the saddle on top of her.

  Time slowed down around Malem, and he realized Grendel had granted him and the pegasus a speed boost.

  The pegasus made progress once more, pulling away from the vortex, but quickly tired, so that soon its upward movement ceased once more.

  Malem wrapped his will around it and squeezed as hard as he was able. The winged horse didn’t resist this time, and instead gave itself completely to him. It was too exhausted to fight.

  The Breaking used six slots, and weakened Malem, but he had no time to worry about any of that. He immediately drained stamina from those bound to him, and fed it all to the pegasus.

  Fly! Malem ordered the animal.

  And fly it did. It continued upward, boosted by Grendel’s buff, and Malem’s stamina. He continued to feed it endurance until it reached the top of the cliff face, and as soon as it flew over the edge, the downward pull ceased, and the pegasus broke free. It swooped upward and outward, moving away from the end of the world. The relief flowed from its energy bundle in waves.

  But then it tried to fight his will, so Malem took away some of the stamina he had just gifted, instead sharing it with the others.

  The animal’s flight faltered, and it ceased its struggles. It plunged, and Malem quickly fed it more stamina, but the pegasus didn’t right itself.

  What are you doing? he sent. Fly!

  He sensed defiance from the animal, and gave it more stamina, but it didn’t help. The pegasus was going to kill them both, because apparently it would rather die than serve a man.

  Malem tightened his will, squeezing hard, and let his order echo through the animal’s skull.

  FLY.

  Finally, it began flapping its wings, at essentially the last moment, and pulled up.

  Is it just me, or was the pegasus playing a game of chicken with you just now? Weyanna asked.

  It was certainly defying me, Malem replied.

  Well, you did it, Sylfi said. I’m almost a little surprised. I thought it would be harder.

  That certainly wasn’t effortless, Malem said. I know, I make it look easy, but…

  He was already flying instinctively away from the edge of the world, and the dragons had taken up positions alongside.

  Hey, how is the pegasus able to keep pace with us? Brita asked.

  It must be because of Grendel, Malem said. Sylfi, ask her how long she can maintain the speed boost.

  Sylfi rotated her head in mid-flight to address the light mage upon her back. She wasn’t glowing anymore, Malem noticed.

  Hm, Sylfi said. She says she stopped a while ago. When you drained her of stamina.

  Interesting, Malem said. I’m curious to see how long the pegasus can keep up this pace.

  But a few hours later, the animal was still keeping pace with the dragons. It seemed to consider it a challenge. He could sense pride welling from the animal whenever it glanced to one side and saw that it was slightly ahead of the Metals.

  You know, I think this is going to be my new preferred mount, Malem sent.

  He sensed jealousy from Sylfi. At least until you give up the animal to Euryale, she told him.

  I name it Lantos, a lantern in the dark, Malem announced.

  Don’t be going and naming it, Aurora said. You’ll just get attached to it. Sylfi’s right, you promised the animal to Euryale.

  And so I did, he admitted. He stroked Lantos between the ears. I’m not attached to it.

  He was lying to himself. The animal had saved him from the vortex at the end of the world. It flew as fast as dragons, and hadn’t yet flagged after hours at that speed. True, he had intermittently fed it stamina, but he had to do the same with the dragons. So either way, it was an amazing animal.

  It’s going to be hard to give it up.

  He reminded himself that Gwen’s life was at stake. As much as he hated to admit it, he would gladly trade the life of the pegasus for Gwen.

  19

  Malem stopped every four hours or so, when the animal’s flanks would be soaked in perspiration, to let the pegasus rest and graze. The dragons appreciated the pauses, and sometimes made quick food runs. Malem shared salted meat with anyone who wanted it, and
gave extra stamina to the pegasus, drawing from himself, and the other riders.

  They rode on all through that day, and late into the night. He had to make more pauses, because the horse, and the dragons, were growing tired from the journey. The Metals were especially weary, since they had essentially been flying for two days straight, with only a short three hour rest after the first day, and the smaller stops in between.

  With dawn only a few hours away, Malem forced the dragons and the pegasus to fly faster and further than ever before, not pausing to rest. They arrived at the keep just in time with the rising sun, and when Malem landed, the pegasus, sides heaving, body covered in perspiration, folded its wings and collapsed.

  He rolled off its back and quickly fed the animal stamina.

  “I never told you to kill the animal!” the familiar voice of Euryale came from the entrance to the keep.

  Malem backed away from the pegasus, and hid behind a statue.

  The metals had landed behind him, and they transformed back into humans so that they, too, could take cover. So far, Euryale hadn’t struck, but that could change at any moment.

  Weyanna had deposited the mob spider on the ground in the courtyard, and it had taken cover. He told it to disperse the arachnids toward the entrance, and he hopped between viewpoints as they crawled down until he found one that had the doorway to the keep in sight. He could see Euryale standing there impatiently.

  “The pegasus lives!” Malem called.

  He fed it more stamina, and then ordered Lantos to stand. The weakened animal obeyed, its sides still heaving slightly from the effort of the past few hours.

  “You have almost driven it to the ground,” Euryale said. “This was not part of the deal.”

  “It will recover,” Malem said. “I had no choice but to rush back here, given the terms you laid out. Now, I have fulfilled my end of the bargain. You will fulfill yours.”

  “You’re too late,” Euryale said. “I told you to come before the dawn.”

  “No,” Malem said slowly. “You said, return no later than the dawn.” He glanced at the light in the distance. “The sun has yet to completely crest the horizon. Technically, it is still dawn. And so you will restore her. You will live up to your end of the bargain. ”