Authors: Laszlo,Jeremy
Pulling the war horn from his belt, he pressed his lips to the mouthpiece and blew with all his might. A deep blast issued from the intricately carved horn, which was picked up and repeated by every dwarf charging into battle. Bouldergate had come to Valdadore’s aid, and now the humans would know it.
Sara crept towards the man who had made her his captive just days before. She planned to kill him. She could not wait to hold his heart in her hand. She even thirsted for his blood, but would not allow herself that particular indulgence. No. Instead she would pull his heart from his chest and thrust it down his own throat.
She heard his words. She ignored them. Moving ever forward, prepared to spring upon him at the slightest sign of a twitch, she continued.
“However could anyone love you again?” he asked her.
The thought had occurred to her. She wondered just how she could be with Seth when they now lived in virtually two different worlds. She was so fast and strong, but physically he was fragile and slow. He could not even understand her words.
“Does your prince love you? After all, he just tried to kill you,” his words broke through again.
Would Seth really do that to her? No, it had to be a plan. Right? Seth loved her. He would never hurt her. Would he? He did say that to save many, a few sacrifices might have to be made. But surely he didn’t mean her. Did he?
On and on Sigrant went, speaking of things that she all but ignored, her mind so full of doubt and confusion. But then, once again, his words caught her attention, stopping her in her tracks.
“We could save the world from war and disease. There would be no more death.”
There it was. The tree people had spoken of lives and collisions. Oh, what a collision this must be. Even Seth wanted to stop wars and death. He would do anything to accomplish it. Was this what it was all leading to? This moment? Is this what Seth had envisioned? Is this why he had not yet changed her back into a human? Is this what the tree people foresaw when they released her? Sara was a mess of emotion. His words were true. She could feel it. She could see it…
In about a week a huge portion of the human race was changed into vampires. There were a few other small nations, but they would be no trouble. Within a few months’ time they could rule every kingdom. They could change everyone into vampires and no longer would disease be a problem. The solution was right there. The end to all pain and suffering. The end to all wars. The end to the gods’ plot to use the races of man to their own agenda. Sigrant had come to the solution that Seth had sought. Was he a player in the same game of thwarting the gods? Sara focused through her confusion to listen some more. Everything he was saying made so much sense.
“Take my hand. Be my bride. Let us save the world together,” Sigrant concluded, stepping forward with his hands extended.
Then it occurred to Sara. Shaking her head to clear his words, she focused on him again, realization of his true intentions filling the void left by his empty promises. The man was afraid of her and was only trying to gain her trust.
“Fuck you, I’m married!” Sara spat at the invader, and sprang at him with all the speed she could muster.
* * * * *
Linaya’s mount was no match for the wolves at a dead run. It simply could not stretch its limbs out the way the wolves could and so could not cover as much ground in a single bound. Further and further the dwarves pulled away and Linaya watched them go, simply happy she had brought aid. Not long ago the ground had shook unnaturally and the sky was filled by magical lightning. The war was raging and it appeared to already be at the gates of the city. If Valdadore was besieged, the sooner the dwarves made it to the battle the better. Who was she to slow them?
Racing along as fast as her Valdadorian warhorse could carry her comfortably, she aimed directly for the eastern gate of the city. It was dark for daytime, the eclipse hiding the sun completely, though she could still see the darkened silhouettes of the moons against the backdrop of stars. Even so, the stars seemed brighter somehow and she had little trouble picking out a navigable trail for her mount.
Approaching the gate, she expected the massive thing to open and permit her entrance, but to no such avail. She screamed out to the defenders who should inhabit the wall, but no call came back in return. Confused, she trotted directly up to the gate and pounded her small fist upon the wood. Still nothing.
With no other options presented to her, besides waiting to see if someone arrived, she decided to round the city to the next available gate and present herself there instead. Surely someone had to be manning one of the gates, who could let her in?
* * * * *
Just as if her move was announced by the horn blasts, Sigrant watched Sara tense before she sprang at him and, expecting the attack, he dropped and rolled to the side, barely avoiding the collision that might have been his last.
Damn, she was fast.
Rising again, he did all he could do. He ran. Sigrant sprinted just as fast as his legs could take him, little more than a blur of color to any of the humans on the field of battle. Sara was hot on his heels.
It was a poor conclusion, Sigrant knew, but he no longer had any options in this battle. He could not simply go home, Sara would follow and eventually she
would
catch him. The best he could hope for was to destroy as much as he could while avoiding her wrath. A feat he was not sure he could accomplish for long. Though she was faster than he, Sigrant knew it to be both a blessing and a curse. She could outrun him in a straight line, but because he was slower he could change direction more easily, needing less time to alter his momentum, whereas she had to take wider turns in order to change direction. It was that understanding alone that he would use to his advantage, and began taking a very circuitous course across the battlefield.
Sweeping low as he exited the remains of his camp, he scooped up a short sword and changed course towards his retreating army.
* * * * *
Garret led the charge on Sigrant’s troops, though slowed to a stop as the war horns sounded. They had not come from anywhere on the battlefield which meant that another force had arrived. The dwarves had arrived. Linaya was home.
Garret looked upon the battlefield as the first mounted warrior of Bouldergate spilled out from around the northern corner of the city. Another blast of, horns and he turned to realize that another force came from the south. Both forces of dwarves were small in comparison to Sigrant’s remaining army, but even so, they each fanned out to flank the retreating forces and pen them in. Instead of attacking, however, the dwarves created a wall to either side of the invading army and dismounted their dire wolves.
It was the wolves who sprang at the enemy first, but then explosions and popping sounds ensued as Garret realized what was occurring. All down the line to either side of the enemy, blessed dwarves called on their gods and charged into the fray. All but one.
Garret turned as he saw the giant dwarf upon a giant wolf bearing down on him, and turned to greet his closest friend and most trusted ally.
“Zorbin, you have returned!” Garret boomed in his blessed form.
“Indeed, my king, did you have any doubt?”
“I did indeed, Zorbin, where is my lady? Where is Linaya?”
“More dwarves come, my lord, but seeing that you have them on the run I doubt we’ll need them. Oh, wait… Linaya is at the eastern gate, Garret. She is safe and well.”
“Good,” Garret said, turning away from the battle. “You take over here.”
Without further word, Garret turned and ran back the way he had come. Bounding through the rubble of the collapsed wall, he altered course slightly, aiming for the nearest stairs to the outer wall. Valdadore’s defenders had all but cleared them, making to the streets to fight off the invaders who had made it inside the walls.
Climbing the stairs, he turned and ran across the top of the immense structure, his eyes on the city below. He was disgusted by what he saw. All the streets in the city were lit with torches and candles and lanterns, and from their light he witnessed as Valdadorian soldiers in armor leapt upon civilians and began to feed upon them. Everywhere was chaos, with people being assaulted in the streets, people fleeing from the monsters that smashed down their doors and crept through their windows. It appeared as if the whole of the city had become monsters like Sara. It had to be the work of his brother.
Angered, he thundered on across the stone wall of the city the many miles it spanned, and reaching the corner of the wall he peered over into the darkness, seeking her out. Looking from his end all across the eastern wall to the opposite corner, he could just make her out in the poor light, approaching the opposite corner of the city. Finding the gate unmanned, she must have decided to head to the north gate instead. Deciding to meet his future bride at the gate, Garret began to run along yet another of the city’s defensive walls, and kept his eyes on her retreating form in the darkness.
With every passing moment she grew more defined and he grew nearer. He was gaining on her, but she neared the corner well ahead of him. He would have to make up the distance upon the north wall. Focused on Linaya, oblivious to even the chaos in the streets below, Garret was caught completely unaware when his world was tore apart around him.
* * * * *
Seth watched as the dwarves joined the battle, and although they seemed equal to the task of killing the humans, it appeared they fought only the aggressors, sparing those with their backs turned. It was an honorable way to do battle and Seth envied the dwarves this custom, even though they
were
indeed killing. He turned and watched as Zorbin the dwarf approached Garret, and still watched as Garret raced off, away from the battle. It was odd to see Garret behave in such a way, abandoning his own troops.
Instantly, the giant of a blessed dwarf began to issue orders and blast upon his horn. It was apparent who now was in charge. Seth had a plan.
Leaping into the air, Borrik joining his side, he sped as fast as his wings would take him to the apparent commander of the joined armies of Valdadore and Bouldergate. Landing before the dwarf, Seth bowed courtly.
“Zorbin, it is good to see you returned. I should hope my brother filled you in on our plan?”
“Kill the invaders?” The dwarf winked.
“Just the opposite, if possible,” Seth responded. “See if your men can pen them in, and hold them. Let us see how much will they have to remain in the fight.
“Aye, m’lord,” Zorbin replied and began to series of blasts upon his horn.
It was an odd sight to see, but Seth watched on happily as the dwarves fell into powerful lines on either side of the retreating horde, and from behind the horde was penned in by his rat troops, but the real surprise was one that none expected. From out of the mass of retreating soldiers came a wall of bristling fur and fangs. There sprang ahead of the retreat a wall of growling and snapping wolves, shoring up the only exit Sigrant’s remaining troops had. Within minutes Sigrant’s troops laid down their weapons, formally surrendering to the smaller force that was Valdadore and Bouldergate. Apparently under Sigrant’s rule they had seen enough war.
All that was left was to bring Sigrant to justice and, watching with his vision of the gods, Seth tracked the foreign king and his own wife via their bloated auras of power.
Sara could not believe she had missed him. He had been mere yards away from her and yet had manage to duck her attack and escape. Now she was forced to give chase. It would have been easier, if Sigrant had chosen to run a straight line back home. It would have been easier if he had chosen an open path to tread, instead of running through and jumping over the masses of fleeing troops. Anything would have been easier, honestly.
So instead of simply charging him in an attempt to run him down, Sara was cautious. She wove like he wove among the fleeing troops, slowing to better be able to maneuver. She jumped over the obstacles he jumped, all the while trying to gain some ground. And she did. Until at least he broke free of his fleeing army and raced through the mass of Seth’s troops, darting and weaving a path of death in his wake.
It was odd that at such speeds, Sigrant could kill someone without them even knowing they were injured until it was too late. It was sickening that in just seconds he managed to kill nearly two hundred of Seth newest and youngest soldiers. Snatching up a pair of short blades from those Sigrant had felled while she ran, she maneuvered to force his direction. She did her best to press him out of the ranks of troops, which he complied to by striking down a pair of blessed dwarves and a giant wolf before he turned once again and fled the field of battle.
Sara knew this was her opportunity and she did not hesitate to pick up speed. Out across the field her opponent ran, kicking up a trail of dust and dead grass as he pushed his legs to their limit. At first it appeared that he planned to flee the city, but unexpectedly he changed course back towards the battle. Sara was forced to slow and take a wider turn in order to follow.
She didn’t dare let him enter the battlefield again to do more damage and kill more innocents, so instead she sped up, running almost parallel to him in a course to intercept or drive him away from the battle. Her trick worked and he veered off in an attempt to skirt the city. Sara gave chase. Together they eased around the north east corner of the city, Sara hot on his trail, though her turn did take a much wider arc than Sigrant’s. Then it was an all-out run, Sara gaining speed over the miles they ran westward along the northern perimeter of the city. But yet another corner approached, and Sara knew she had to act now or fall behind once again in a turn.
Doing her best to judge their speed and the distance she would need to lead him, she threw the first blade and then the second, hoping at least one would make their mark and slow him enough for her to overtake him. So fast the blades flew through the air, she was amazed when the first struck his shoulder, folding him over slightly as he reached the corner of the city. The second blade soared past his now lowered ear, glancing off his shoulder, changing its trajectory to find its target coming around the corner from the opposite direction.
There was nothing for Sara to do at her speed but leap. As Sigrant plowed into the unexpected white warhorse, his body tore clear through its ribcage and side, taking the rider’s right leg with him. The blade that had grazed his shoulder cleaved into two the head of the beauty that Sara recognized just as her features were destroyed. Sara knew in that instant that nothing would ever be the same in Valdadore, but she knew too that she still had a duty to uphold.
Clearing the mangled horse and rider, she was surprised to find that the impact had slowed Sigrant enough that she bore down directly upon him. From above she twisted her body and landed on the invading king, just as the deep booming howl exploded from somewhere behind and above her. She recognized the anguished voice of Garret as she drove Sigrant to the ground.
Riding the invading king down to the earth, she thrust her hand between his ribs, listening to the crack as he screamed sickeningly. Grasping his beating heart in her small hand, she wrenched her arm upwards and tore it out, ripping through each of his ribs and shoulder before extracting her arm near his neck. With one hand she wrenched back his head, thrusting the heart in his mouth with the other, before clamping his mouth closed by grasping his chin and yanking upwards. His head tore free of his body with ease, his scream ceasing with a gurgle as his eyes stared on into eternity, the glow in them fading quickly.
Garret still screamed in rage from atop the wall, but Sara knew that there was nothing she could do to save Linaya. The woman was dead before she hit the ground. There was nothing left to save.
* * * * *
Seth watched Sara chasing the enemy around the battlefield and then the city, and tracked their progress. He watched as another aura familiar to him collided with those he tracked. Then he watched it dissipate. Linaya was dead. Sara was involved. Garret was there too. Seth hoped beyond hope that Linaya had not fallen to Sara.
Taking to the air once more, he climbed more quickly than ever before, motioning for Borrik to stay. Flapping furiously, he turned and flew the direction of his wife, and witnessed as Sigrant was brought to an end through his god vision. The war was over. The enemy king destroyed. His army in custody. Even so, there was little to rejoice at.
* * * * *
Garret watched Linaya slowing as she neared the corner of the city, her mount maneuvering into the turn. One second she was there, atop her mount. The next her mount was destroyed as if it had exploded, and as it fell a broken and destroyed Linaya crumpled to the ground, a portion of her head bouncing away from her body twice before coming to rest. At first there was no sign as to what had caused the damage. There was only gut wrenching loss.
Linaya was all that Garret had left. All that he looked forward to. She was all that he had that was not tainted by evil. She was the one light in a world filled with darkness and now she had been snuffed out. Garret roared at the top of his lungs, anguished. Then he saw them.
On the ground below, where previously no one had been, Sara landed stark naked atop a man covered in gore whom she viciously slaughtered, ripping off his head. Garret did not need the details. He did not want them. All he knew was that Sara had a part to play in Linaya’s murder. He roared again, this time in hatred as Sara rose nimbly as if nothing had happened and spun as if to show off her nude body to him. She disgusted him. What she
was
disgusted him. What she had done made him hate her. He would see her pay for Linaya’s death if he had to strike her down himself. But first he would see to the woman he adored.
Turning, the broken giant of a man strode down the wall in search of the stairs that he knew would lead him down to the ground level.
* * * * *
Sara was torn as to what she should do. She did not want to flee the scene as it could appear to Garret a betrayal. But then again, what betrayal could be greater than killing the woman the king loved? Scooping up the blade that had felled the foreign king, Sara was filled with guilt, but knew there was nothing she could do about it. She still had duties to attend to, and in the big picture she should not wait to do them. She would leave the fallen woman and Garret to be alone with her, and come to him later to give her condolences and apologies.
Decided, Sara sprang into action and raced towards the wall of the city. With a powerful leap she cleared the side and fell again to land lithely upon the cobblestone road beyond. Turning, she raced down the city street, careful to avoid those humans and her kind that inhabited the streets. Just one more task and the battle would be won.
Racing towards the center of the city, she slowed as she neared temple row, and her eyes fell upon the torture implement the old woman was trapped inside.
Dropping Sigrant’s head, she approached the device and kicked the giant steel object, rolling it over. The locks and cranks that were designed to keep the prisoner within were still intact. The old woman was still inside. Sara needed only to kill the woman, and the rest of the infected Valdadorians would be cured of the plague she carried. The only problem was that her original plan would not work.
She had hoped to simply build a fire around the giant metal sarcophagus, but she knew the woman would survive the fire. Her heart had to be destroyed. Nude, and with naught but an invading king’s severed head and a short blade she did not remember collecting, Sara had no idea how to approach dispatching the woman. She dared not open the device, even for a moment. There was no telling how powerful the old woman had become. Sara only received a portion of her power and it could be argued that she was the most powerful person upon Thurr. Granny in the box was undoubtedly much,
much
more powerful.
Without a solution at hand, it was not until the wings flapped from above her that she knew her husband had come to the rescue as usual. Too bad she couldn’t speak to him. Instead she simply stood still, and threw up her arms as he landed, a show of her dismay. He smiled knowingly, and removed his tattered but serviceable cloak and handed it to her to cover her nude body.
With no other means of communication, after donning the cloak Sara pointed to the torture device and drew an “X” over her heart. Seth nodded and placed his hand over the metal above where the heart of the inhabitant would be. The metal below his hand moved and flowed like fluid, creating a hole straight down to the old woman’s chest.
“Now you may do it,” Seth said, though to Sara it really took him an unnaturally long time, like several minutes, to complete the sentence.
Plunging her hand into the device she extracted a bloody heart and dropped it to the ground before she stomped upon it. Instantly the streets of the city quieted. Seth smiled then and Sara watched him come.
Gingerly, and carefully Seth pulled her into his arms. His touch felt so light it reminded Sara of spider webs. Tears streamed down her face, knowing not only that it was over, but also that she had done many a terrible thing. Redemption was beyond her grasp, of that she was certain. The king would never forgive her. Seth could never truly love her in this condition, and they could not even communicate properly. There was only one thing she could do.
Lives and collisions.
Pulling back carefully she placed the handle of the short sword she carried in Seth’s hand and closed his fingers around it. Then moving quickly, as only she could do, she reached out with her free arm and pulled him to her as carefully as possible. She only winced slightly as the blade slid into her abdomen and up into her heart and lung. She clung to Seth, listening to his heart beat unnaturally slow, refusing to let him go against his struggles. There they sobbed, together, until the deed was finished.
* * * * *
Borrik and Zorbin saw to the prisoners. Without orders they knew not what to do with the tens of thousands of soldiers. Being that there was already a structure in place, they made the surrendered troops restore their camp, and there the blessed dwarves and Seth’s rat soldiers created a perimeter to keep them contained. The dire wolves, apparently deciding they were no longer in the debt of the dwarves, turned and sauntered off the field of battle.
Seeing their work done, the two decided to seek out their respective masters and see what orders they might be given. Together the Dwarven warrior and the leader of the wolf men walked back to the city they called home.