Authors: Laszlo,Jeremy
“Yes, King Seth. I just finished it.”
“Thank you. I love you and all Drakenhurst’s people as well. I promise to keep it safe.”
“You don’t have to. It will keep you safe. Just don’t break it or it won’t work anymore.”
“You have my word that I will be careful, and cherish it,” Seth said, smiling at the boy who was already turning to run off, his cheeks rosy from embarrassment.
“That was sweet,” Sara said, with a look of the likes that Seth had never seen on her face.
“Yes, it is a kind gesture from the boy.”
“Not him. You.”
Seth didn’t know how to reply, and as such simply stood in an awkward silence for a moment as he pondered Sara’s words. Thinking it better to change the subject, he looked out over the battlefield, not wanting to meet the eyes of his wife.
“I’ll go and wait for them to return. It will likely be several appearances before the assassin makes another attempt. You two should see to the people, make sure they are prepared for another assault.” Without awaiting another reply, Seth tucked the figurine in his hand into the pocket on his breeches and leapt from the wall, winging out over the battlefield.
Chapter Seven
As evening began to cast long shadows upon the vast city of Valdadore, Zorbin was forced to reluctantly admit to himself that the Lycan troops now at his disposal were having a drastic impact on the city already. Reports of unruly children and vandalism had all but stopped coming in, and the added eyes upon the battlements meant that the human defenders could finally get some much needed rest. Thinking that he had been blinded by his own bias, the dwarf shook his head, sending sad ripples down his braided beard. He could not believe that he had judged the Lycans so harshly when they had done nothing to give him such a negative opinion of them.
Walking across the small guard chamber, Zorbin turned his eyes up, off the floor, to Kanth, who stood silently in the corner, bobbing slightly as he breathed. It was not the Lycans’ doing which had brought them to Valdadore. It was not the Lycans’ fault that their numbers were expanding so rapidly. It was not their desire or decision to be bred for an army, yet Zorbin had seen no signs of complaint. The creatures were slaves, more or less, and yet they willingly and happily carried out their master’s orders without a single word to dispute what they were told. Even so, Zorbin had judged them harshly, to the point of hatred, and there would be no forgiving himself for such an indiscretion.
“What do ye think of when ye be standing there, Kanth?” Zorbin asked the beast-man, having not heard a word in hours. The Lycan captain simply followed in silence much of the day as he gave the creature orders. Yet every time orders were given, the Lycan troops carried them out without so much as a spoken word.
“Kanth listen to men. Give men orders.”
“They be talkin’ to ya in yer head? Don’t that be gettin’ confusing?”
“Kanth not hear. Kanth see. Kanth show.”
That was not what Zorbin had expected. It sounded as if Kanth shared the same bond with his underlings that he and Xanth shared. No matter his thoughts about judging them wrongly, Zorbin found it creepy to be having something so intimate in common with the creature. “What they be showin’ ya?”
“Kanth see city. See people. Watch patrol through eyes. Watch city, watching men.”
Zorbin was surprised the Lycan had such a vocabulary. He expected to have more trouble communicating, but he supposed being the king’s favorite had some advantages.
“What have you learned?” Zorbin asked, genuinely interested.
“People afraid of Lycan. Move for Lycan. Go inside homes.”
“You just need to show them that there is no reason to be afraid.”
“Like afraid. Make people act good. No problems.”
Zorbin had to admit that it made sense so long as there were no confrontations; why not use the people’s fear of the unknown to their advantage? Knowing that night was upon them and morning would come all too soon, he decided that the only way to see if the Lycans could maintain peace was to let them try. Turning towards the Lycan and the door, Zorbin looked to the new captain under his command. “I appreciate yer dedication, Kanth. Can ye take it from here?”
“Kanth can. Lycans can, Master Zorbin.”
“Very well, Kanth. The guard is yours. I shall be seeing ye in the morning.”
With nothing more than a nod from the Lycan, Zorbin left the guard captain’s shack below the city wall and turned to head back to the castle. Surprisingly, all seemed to be going splendidly. The city’s defenses were very nearly rebuilt. The streets had all been cleared and were in the process of repair. The various tradesmen’s guilds were no longer at odds now that they had supplies from sixth and seven square. Even the guard was no longer undermanned. Perhaps Zorbin had been wrong all along, and Garret could see far more clearly than he had imagined.
* * * * *
Walking within the shadows of the buildings as she progressed down the street, Anna followed a young man who carried a toddler on his shoulders. From time to time she was forced to duck into an alleyway or a side street to avoid being seen by passersby, but thus far she had managed to go unnoticed.
Although her thirst and arousal rose within her, it was not the purpose of this little tryst, and as such she ignored them as best she was able, focusing instead on her plan to glean her husband’s intentions. Looking back over her shoulder, she assured herself that this portion of the street was vacant before picking up her pace. Matching strides with the man to avoid him hearing her approach, Anna closed the gap until she was right on top of her chosen target.
Able to use her strength unrestrained by the need to hide her actions, Anna grasped the man’s neck from behind and jerked him off his feet, flinging both the man and child to the cobblestones with a crunch. Working fast, she silenced the child’s screams, pulling its small soft head from its body before ripping the torso in two and flinging the parts down the alley next to her. The child disposed of, she dragged the man into the darkening alley before biting into his flesh savagely, and tearing away hunks of meat, careful not to get his blood on her clothing.
Stepping on the man’s shoulder, she twisted and pulled, ripping his arm free, first from the socket, and then from his body. Tossing it aside, she tried to control her urges as it hit the ground with a splat. The deed complete, she glanced about quickly, locating a window just down the alley.
Slipping through the open void in the wall, she snatched the linens off the bed in the room and used them to wipe clean her face and hands, licking what the cloth could not absorb. Stuffing the soiled cloth under the bed in the room before slipping back out the same way she had come in, she made her way past the recently deceased, striding back into the street. Picking up her pace, Anna began crying and screaming, hoping to draw attention from a human member of the guard. Towards the outer wall she ran, knowing that if anywhere, members of the guard would be here swapping war stories or talking about women and their conquests.
* * * * *
Hearing the screams of a woman, Zorbin turned down the side street and raced towards the sound. Rounding another corner, the screaming woman came into view in the failing light and Zorbin was surprised to find Lady Anna, so far from the castle, wandering the streets. Behind her, a group of Lycan soldiers raced to intercept as well, and suddenly Zorbin’s guts twisted into knots. Something was horribly wrong here.
“They did it,” Anna cried. “They killed the little baby and her father too.”
“What? Who be killing babes?” Zorbin questioned. Without hesitation, Anna spun and pointed her pale finger through the darkness at the approaching Lycans. With his heart beating in his chest, Xanth must have sensed his distress as their link became active, Zorbin’s mind being flooded with images of homes and streets as the dire wolf raced through the city looking for him.
“What happened?” Zorbin demanded, coming to a stop and grabbing Lady Anna by the elbow.
“They tore them to pieces for nothing and then began chasing me.”
Zorbin knew it. He had been right all along. The creatures were not trustworthy. They were killing innocent people and would have killed Anna too, had they caught her. Ripping his battle hammer from his back, Zorbin prayed to Gorandor, invoking his blessing as he exploded in size. Charging forward, he let loose a battle cry and brought the head of his hammer down upon the first foe, splattering its remains all over the street and walls of the nearest houses.
Twisting to the left, he swung at another Lycan as three leapt upon him, scratching, clawing, and biting. Smashing his target in the ribs, he let loose his axe with one thick hand and began ripping the creatures free from his flesh. Flinging them away as he tore them loose, Zorbin felt another tear into his back as two more raced in from his peripherals. He was going to have to end this skirmish quickly, before they overwhelmed him.
Bringing his hammer to bear once more, he lashed out, smashing another of the creatures between his weapon and the wall of a home as splinters of wood exploded into the air. Arcing back the other direction, he clipped the shoulder of one of the beasts, sending it sprawling across the cobblestones as a familiar growl cut through the air.
Like a hound straight from the depths of hell, the blessed form of Xanth lunged into the fray. Driving a Lycan down onto its back, the giant dire wolf ripped its head free from its body with a vicious shake of his massive maw. Happy for the backup, Zorbin twisted to locate his next foe and swung just as another of the creatures leapt upon his back.
Smashing his opponent from the force of the swing alone, Zorbin watched as fur, meat, and gore turned into pink mist in the air as an image of his own back flashed through his mind. Grinning, he felt as the Lycan was torn from his flesh to be ripped into ribbons by his closest friend and brother.
Turning this way and that, Zorbin looked for another foe, but none were to be seen. Xanth had tipped the scales nicely. Patting the wolf on the head, he turned his attention to the shadows nearby. Spying Anna just a short distance away, he closed off the power surging into himself, shrinking back to his normal size with a pop.
“My lady, are you unharmed?”
“I’m fine, good dwarf. Just a bit frightened.”
“As well you should be, my lady… As well you should be. These be dangerous times.”
“I just can’t believe they are so ruthless. They seem totally under control in the training grounds.”
“They be beasts, my lady, and unnatural ones to boot.”
“I suppose you are right. You always have been. You’ve never trusted this plan have you?”
“I trust my king, my lady, but admittedly, I thought he would find another way.”
“Do you think he has another way? Some other plan to bring his brother to justice?”
“He may. By Gorandor I certainly hope so, but if there is another plan in the works, I am afraid the king no longer consults me. Why don’t ye show me the scene of this murder ye saw, so that I can be reporting it accurately.”
“Of course, Lord Zorbin.”
“Then me needs to be seeing the king, to get these creatures off the streets.”
“I’ll join you to tell of what I saw.”
“That would be well, my lady, Garret is consumed by his want for revenge, I am not sure if my word alone would be enough.”
Following Anna’s lead, Zorbin and Xanth walked at her side back the way she had come. After having crossed several intersections, and rounding a corner, Zorbin stood at the end of a darkened alley, looking down upon a pair of ruined bodies just as Sara had stated. Torn limb from limb, the bodies were dumped as if their killers had no regard for human life. Shaking his head, Zorbin nodded to Anna, silently telling her that he had seen enough.
Arriving at the castle complex, Zorbin followed Anna towards the Lycan training grounds. It was a place that made him uncomfortable at the best of times, but now that he had proof of the creatures’ true nature it seemed like a fiery hell. Passing through the gate, he saluted the guard on duty and looked past the man to row upon row of fur-covered bodies.
Immediately the giant, nearly ten-acre facility went eerily silent as thousands of feral eyes turned on him. Realizing that somehow the monsters knew already that he had killed their kin, Zorbin placed his hand on the pommel of his hammer as many of the beasts’ lips drew back in feral snarls, baring their razor-sharp teeth. Even so, they held their ranks, refusing to move.
Watching them with a wary eye, the dwarven knight strode ahead, following in Anna’s wake as the beasts parted for her, only to close in tightly around him, breathing down his neck and raising the hair on his arms. He could feel their desire to lunge upon him as their brethren had done, and smell the stench of rotting flesh on their breath. As the creatures’ handlers began to shout and give commands once more, Zorbin thought that perhaps the tension would ease, but such was not the case. Instead, the beasts ignored their masters, glued to his every movement. This little meeting could not be over soon enough.
“There you two are,” came the booming voice of the king. “What might this be all about?” Garret gestured towards the Lycans who still behaved as if ready to pounce.
“Me good friend,” Zorbin began. “There’s been an incident. A terrible deed. As I’ve warned ya, these monsters cannot be trusted.”
From behind and all around Zorbin the sounds of snarls grew louder, the thirst for his blood even more evident. Several of the Lycans took a step towards him, but the dwarf knew that the king’s presence held them at bay.
“Lady Anna here witnessed the beasts killing two people in the streets. They just tore the bodies to pieces and left them in an alley. I’m tellin’ ye that these things can’t be trusted.”
Zorbin watched Garret’s face as it twisted into deep concentration. The king looked from him to the Lycans and back, before turning his gaze upon the shapely young Anna.
“I can see you are distressed, love. Is this what you saw?”
“Of course not, my darling Garret. I only came with the dwarf for fear that he would kill me as he killed several of your loyal Lycans. But I cannot repeat his lie, even if he threatened me in order to make me do so.”
Zorbin couldn’t believe what he had heard as he was thrown backwards from his feet as a concussive boom filled the training grounds as Garret’s blessing was invoked.