“Maybe Omiroe and Noske? We will ask them. For now, Miss Davis is our guest, and we will show her what a Blackhorn feast is like. Ari, do we have some fresh chideer?”
“We will have some by this evening. I will gather some hunters, and we shall all be fat and lazy by sundown.”
“Very good. Until then, Miss Davis, I would like to show you around our small part of the world. I am sure there are a lot of people that would like to meet you.”
“Dahlah, Winter and I are headed to the cafeteria to get something to eat,” the doctor said, helping Winter onto her scooter. “Would you like to join us?”
“No. I am tired, and I would like to go back to my bed and rest.”
“That is understandable. Maybe you will join us for the evening meal?”
“Yes, I think I would like that.”
“Good. We will see you then,” he said as he and Winter headed off in the direction of the cafeteria.
Dahlah walked slowly until the couple was out of sight, then she picked up her pace as she crossed the main corridor of the complex and found herself traveling the north passage. True to what the doctor had said, the north passage ended not far from the main complex. There she saw an elevator, not unlike the one on the west end under Lexton. She looked at the button to summon the elevator.
“You shouldn’t be down here,” came a voice from behind. “If you took that elevator up, you could compromise this entire complex.”
Dahlah durned to see a middle-aged man carrying a metal box by a black handle.
“Who are you?” Dahlah asked.
“I am Dan, the maintenance man. At least, that’s what they call me, Dan the Maintenance Man. My real name is Dan. Dan Gentry.”
“Dan Gentry, it is nice to meet you. My name is Dahlah.”
“I know. You are the Midlander that was beat up pretty bad by your leader. We were all briefed.”
“Oh. Okay, well I was just exploring. The director told me I could go anywhere, I just wanted to see what was down here.”
“She’s right. We have no rules that say you can’t come down here, but I just want to make sure you don’t start pushing buttons and end up going back to Midlandia.”
“You are right about that. Thank you for letting me know of my possible mistake.”
“You are very welcome. Hey, I am almost done here. Have you had lunch yet?”
“Um, yes, I have.”
“Oh, okay. Can I meet you for supper?”
“That would be nice. Sure.”
“Great. So, what do you say you explore other sections of the complex? There is a lot to see.”
“Certainly. Boring down here anyway.”
Dan laughed. “That it is.”
“It is nice to meet you, Dan the Maintenance Man.”
“Nice to meet you, Dahlah,” he said, taking one last glance at the elevator as he started walking towards the main complex once again.
“There has been no sign of her, Sylys,” the Midlander warrior reported.
“Where could she be?” Malak grumbled.
“If you hurt her as bad as I have been told, she might very well be dead by now,” Nonham offered.
“She is not dead. Resume your watch,” he said to the warrior standing at attention before him. The Midlander turned and swiftly made an exit from the king’s hut.
“Then might I suggest that maybe she is unable to get away and cannot come out here as you wish? Maybe she is stuck coming and going from the town near Blackhorn?”
“You have all the answers, don’t you, Nonham?”
“I only offer all of the options so the king can make wise and informed decisions. I am only here to help.”
Malak pondered that a moment. He pondered what he would do if Dahlah did not show up, whether by choice or by uncontrollable events.
“Sylys, we must consider producing an heir from you. Our only breeder is soon to give birth. Thereafter you could start trying for a prince; someone to take over for you after you have retired from the throne.”
“I do not plan to retire.”
“We all must retire at some point. We can only rule over so much in this world. Time is not one of them.”
“And you are just offering this so I can make wise and informed decisions?”
“Yes, my King.”
“And you think one day that time will catch up with me?”
“It happens to all of us.”
“It will not happen to me. I will stop time.”
“I believe you will, my King.”
pART 5
The End
of Time
cHAPTER 35
It was dark when the girl was allowed into the village. A runner quickly made his way to Malak’s hut, only to be stopped by the guard outside. Muffled cries of pain and whimpers of protest could be heard outside the door at the front of the hut.
“You cannot go in there, kreb! The king is busy.”
“I must get a message to King Malak. The girl has returned. The one he was waiting for.”
“I will inform Nonham, he will know what to do,” the guard said, poking his head inside the door. He could be heard trying to get Nonham’s attention. Finally, the king’s advisor came to the door and stepped outside.
“Nonham, the girl has returned; the one King Malak was expecting.”
“Excellent. Escort her here at once.”
“Yes, Nonham.”
Nonham went inside and climbed the stairs. As he entered the king’s chambers and the kings bed came into view, he quickly turned and braced himself on the center post of the room. Trying not to retch at the display he had just seen. On the bed, tied spread-eagle, gagged, and crying, was Jasney. Her nipples had been sliced off by the knife in Malak’s hand.
“What is it, Nonham! I am a little busy at the moment.”
“I can see that, my King. It’s the girl, the one you sent to the outsiders. She has returned.”
“At this hour? Did she come back for me to beat her for being late?”
“I would guess that this was the most opportune time for her to get away. She will be downstairs when you get there.”
Malak looked down at the girl, bleeding and crying below him. “Don’t go anywhere,” he said to the bound-and-gagged girl.
Nonham walked out of the hut moments ahead of Malak. The girl was just arriving at the hut as the king stepped out, wearing his red and gold robe.
“Where have you been, girl?” Malak demanded.
“I could not get away until everyone had gone to sleep. There is a whole city underground, with marvelous magic and great power… power to make light and cause carts to move without anything pulling them.”
“And they are all asleep now?”
“Most of them. I can show you where to go once you get in there. You could use their magic to rule the world, my King.”
“My girl, you have done well. Nonham, rally me an army. We shall conquer the outsiders. Then we will conquer the world.”
Without saying anything, Nonham left to do as ordered. The king turned and started back into his hut but stopped short.
“Wait here, I won’t be long.”
Within minutes more muffled screams and cries of pain could be heard. And then they stopped. A short time later the king walked out, dressed for battle.
“Kreb,” the King said to a guard, “there is a mess upstairs that you must clean up before I return. Tend to it as soon as I leave for battle. Do not delay beyond that; I do not want my hut stinking when I return. Understand?”
“Yes, my King.”
Dahlah led them to a place in the woods that they had walked past, or over, hundreds of times before. Now there was a section pushed up into the air. Underneath the small plot of earth, higher than a person’s head, was an opening into a room that had never been there before, as far as anyone ever knew.
“This is magic!” Malak said.
“Come,” Dahlah said. “We must hurry before someone realizes that the elevator is not
down below.”
“Elevator?” Malak asked.
“Hurry! I will show you. There is much for you to learn.”
Malak and about a dozen other warriors filled the car, leaving another dozen waiting outside.
“I will come back up for the rest of you. Wait here,” she said, pressing the down button. The doors closed, and the occupants could sense the downward motion. Many held onto the thin handrail along the edges for security.
At the bottom, the doors opened, and Dahlah peeked out to ensure the area was clear. Seeing that it was, she ushered everyone out of the car and told them to stay where they were.
“I will be right back with the rest,” she said, pushing the button to close the doors and send the elevator back to the surface. Minutes later she returned with the rest of Malak’s army.
“Follow me, but move quietly,” Dahlah said, leading the way down the North Passage. They had gone a short distance when a door opened to into the passage ahead of them, and a man stepped out.
“Dan the Maintenance Man,” Dahlah called out. “What brings you out this late at night?”
“Dahlah, I wanted to ask…” he said, pausing as he noticed the band of warriors behind Dahlah. He looked over the Midlanders, their weapons drawn, and then back to the girl. “Dahlah, what is going on here?”
“I am sorry, Dan. This is necessary.”
One of the warriors stepped around Dahlah and plunged his sword through Dan’s ribcage before the maintenance man could retreat. Dahlah closed her eyes quickly to block out the site of the maintenance man’s demise. His death scream was silenced by the warrior putting his hand over Dan’s mouth. The lifeless body fell to the floor in sequence with the warrior pulling his blade free.
“Dahlah, you did very well. Please continue onward.”
Dahlah, holding back a tear, continued forward. She fought back the thoughts of second-guessing her decision to help Malak; there was no turning back now.
“Tell me, girl, how do they get to Blackhorn so quickly?”
“They have a special cart that goes very fast. In a few hours, it can travel what takes three days on foot.”
“That could come in handy,” Malak said, stroking his young chin hairs.
Slowly the small army made their way to the main complex. At the main intersection, they checked the passage to make sure it was clear before proceeding. They made their way past the cafeteria that had just closed after the midnight meal. They could hear a few people cleaning and moving chairs around but decided to continue past instead of risking alerting the entire complex of their presence.
“Where are they sleeping right now?” Malak asked quietly.
“Come, I will take you to them.”
Quietly they crept down the passages and finally into the open area that held the living quarters.
“They are on all of these levels,” Dahlah said, gesturing upwards with her hand.
“Show us how to use these elevators,” Malak said. “If you find my darling sister, she is not to be hurt. Anyone else, eliminate.”
The small, armed band of Midlanders split half and half to each side. Dahlah showed them how to use the elevators, and they began ascending, stopping at each level to let a few warriors off. Malak went all the way to the top, exited with two other warriors, and began running door to door, rushing into the rooms and cutting the throats of anyone they found there.
Muffled screams could be heard on several of the floors as some of the occupants woke up just before getting their throats slit, and slowly the noise level started alerting the Survivors that were on the farthest ends of the levels. Winter, about halfway around the top floor, awoke to the noisy commotion outside. She laid there, trying to decide if it was her imagination, considering she had not been living there that long, or if there was really something going on outside that she should be aware of.
The doctor was sleeping soundly next to her, but her warrior instincts told her that she needed to see what was happening. She quietly got out of bed, grabbed her walking stick, and hobbled out of the bedroom and over to the window in the main living area. She pulled open the curtains, and though the outside area had been darkened, there was still enough artificial light to allow residents to see their way around. Across the courtyard, up and down the opposite side, she could see men running from room to room. And what was worse, she could hear them coming toward her on her level.
“Aaron! You must get up now. Come on, get up!” she said, running back into the bedroom and grabbing her sword and bow from the closet.
“What is it? What’s wrong, Winter?”
“I am not sure, but I think the Midlanders have broken into the complex and are killing everyone while they sleep.”
“Winter, they couldn’t get in here if they tried—” His comments were cut off as several screams, much closer than before, could be heard just outside.
“Can you fight?”
The doctor looked confused. “I don’t know, I have never tried.”
“Then you better learn fast. Do you have any weapons?”
“We have some ancient ones in our armory, but that is not going to be easy to get to.”
“Do you have knives?”
“In the kitchen area, there should be some knives.”
“Then get the biggest, sharpest one you can. This is going to get messy.”
cHAPTER 36
Within a fraction of a second of the door to her room flying open, Winter was on the intruder, her sword piercing his abdomen, dropping him to the floor. The second Midlander in the door barely had time to process what had just happened in front of him before Winter, her dagger quickly pulled with her left hand, slashed him across the throat, and he fell down on top of the first.
“Come on, we have to get out of here,” Winter called back into the bedroom for the doctor. He quickly came out, and they both headed to the walkway outside her apartment. She looked down and could see several Midlanders rushing along other levels. Without hesitation, she pulled an arrow of out her quiver and readied her bow. She let an arrow fly, taking down one of the Midlanders, gaining the attention of another. Within moments, Winter had taken down the second one as well and was training another arrow on a third target.
“Winter!” a voice came from her right. It was not that of the doctor’s.
Quickly Winter turned and re-aimed her arrow at the source of the voice. It was Malak, accompanied by another warrior. “Get behind me, Aaron! Do it now.”
“I can’t let them get you, Winter.”
“I said, get behind me!”
“Winter,” Malak interrupted. “Put the bow down.”
“Call off your wolves.”
“You cannot stop what is happening, dear sister.”
“Half-sister!”
“Right. Throw that back in my face; fair enough. We are taking this place. These people are useless to us. What we need is you. Agree to join us, and no more blood will be spilled.”
“Tell them to stop.”
“Very well,” Malak said. He walked over to the railing and yelled down to the others, “Midlanders! Stop the killing at once. Hold fast!”
Winter looked downward at the opposite walkways and could see that the Midlanders had stopped in their tracks.
“Now put your bow down, and no one else will be killed.”
Winter considered her options. What she wanted most was to put an arrow through Malak’s eye socket, but she didn’t want to risk the lives of any of the others getting hurt or killed.
“No one else gets killed. Give me your word.”
“As long as no one does anything stupid, no one will get hurt. I give you my word.”
Slowly, reluctantly, she lowered her bow. The warrior with Malak advanced and relieved Winter of her sword, dagger, and bow.
“Who is this outsider?”
“This is Aaron. He is a doctor.”
Malak looked him up and down, noticing the doctor was holding a knife in his hand and flexing his grip on
the handle. Malak approached him and stopped, inches from his face.
“Do you want to try to take me down with that pathetic excuse of a knife?”
The doctor stood firm, though his nerve was waning.
“I was about to hand this over, Malak.”
“King Malak!”
“I am sorry. King Malak,” the doctor said, holding the knife up in offering. Malak snapped the knife from his hand.
“Do you think you deserve to mate with my sis… half-sister? What makes you think you are good enough?”
“He is good enough. He is a better man than you!”
“Are you? Are you a better man?”
“Malak, back off. He is no threat to you.”
“Come here, Aaron doctor. Step over here,” he said, motioning to the railing. “I would like to show you something. This is what you are facing,” he said as he pointed to the various levels with Midlanders standing guard over many of the Survivors. “Do you see those warriors? Those are fighters. They would die for me. What would you die for? Would you die for Winter?”
“Yes. I would die for Winter.”
“Good. I am glad to hear it,” Malak said, thrusting the knife into the doctor’s side, and then lifting him up and tossing him over the railing before he or Winter could react.
“Nooo!” Winter yelled. “You bastard! I will kill you,” she screamed, lunging at Malak. The other warrior kicked the heel of her bad foot and she went down. Suddenly there was a sword pointing at her chest.
“I am sorry, did you have feelings for poor Aaron?”
“You lying bastard! You said you would not kill anyone else!”
“I said, I would not kill anyone unless they did something stupid. He did something stupid; now he is dead.”
“What did he do? What could he have possibly done to you?”
“He said he would die for you. That sounded pretty stupid to me.”
“I will kill you!”
“We shall see. But for now, we need to see that you stay put. Let’s tie her up.”
Malak and his aid proceeded to hogtie Winter and dragged her back into the apartment. Then Malak went back out to the railing to call one other warrior to come up and assist in standing guard on Winter.
The kDira's World Anthology Page 43
