The Undead Hordes of Kan-Gul (5 page)

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was not Malkyr but the warmth of the morning sun that woke Ran finally. He sat up immediately. Malkyr hadn’t roused him for his shift last night. Ran glanced around. Aside from the still slumbering form of Jysal, the beach was deserted. Even the embers of the fire had died down to nothing but cold bits of charred wood. Ran’s hand went immediately to his sword, which he was relieved to see was still by his side. He got to his feet and scanned the sand for any signs that would tell him where the others had gone. He frowned at the sight of the smooth beach, undisturbed except for where the waves of the sea gently licked at its shoreline.

Ran moved to Jysal and paused to gaze at the curves of her body. She was exquisitely beautiful, but Ran shrugged the thought from his mind and squatted next to her. “Jysal. Wake up.”

Her eyelids fluttered open, and it reminded Ran of a butterfly flicking its wings in the lazy summer. She smiled. “I don’t suppose it’s breakfast?”

Ran frowned. “I wish it was. But I’ve got bad news. We’re the only ones here.”

Jysal jerked upright. One glance told her everything she needed to know. “Where did they run off to?”

Ran shook his head. “I have no idea, truly. I only woke up a few moments ago myself. The last thing I can remember is telling Malkyr to wake me up in two hours so I could take my shift on guard duty.”

“That’s all you remember?”

Ran frowned. “I remember seeing the fog last night. Right before we fell asleep.”

Jysal nodded. “I remember that fog, too. It was with us the first night as well.”

“The night we lost Vargul,” said Ran.

“Do you think they’re connected?”

“They have to be,” said Ran. “There’s nothing else that could really explain it. It’s not as though our fellow castaways are going to abandon us. Neviah would lay down her life for you. That’s fairly obvious.”

“She is my protector,” said Jysal. “Her job is to make sure I get to the temple. She takes her role very seriously.”

“She seems like a formidable warrior,” said Ran. No sense in annoying Jysal with useless platitudes. And Ran could see that Neviah would be a handful if it ever came to combat with her. Better, Ran decided, to treat Neviah with the respect she deserved rather than try some of the silly machismo he’d seen during the course of his travels. He sometimes found himself wondering if it wasn’t just insecurity that made men think less of women. As if admitting they were equal would somehow disrupt the essence of who they were as men. To Ran, such sentiment made no sense whatsoever. If your opponent was a good warrior, then the least you could do was respect them for their prowess. Better to give them the respect they’d earned than underestimate them and find yourself on the end of their blade.

But Ran knew that logic was often in short supply when it came to the mind of a fighting man. It was a weakness his elders at the school had often taught him to exploit for his own purposes, whether in combat or in the art of gathering information.

“Where could they have gone?” asked Jysal. She patted the sand next to her. “I mean, Neviah was resting not more than a few feet from where I lay. I would have heard any sort of noise, wouldn’t I?”

Ran knelt and examined the sand again, but, apart from a shallow impression where Neviah might have lain, there was no sign of a struggle. “I think we have to operate on the assumption that they were taken in a way that would not wake us. Or them.”

Jysal shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“I think they were all still asleep when it happened.”

“The mist.”

Ran nodded. “Fog, mist. Whatever it is, I think we can also safely assume it’s not natural. And given the tales Malkyr spun last night, the likely culprit would seem to be that man Kan-Gul.”

Jysal shuddered despite the warmth of the encroaching day. “I don’t what it is, but the thought of him unnerves me.”

“We don’t know what he’s like aside from Malkyr’s description,” said Ran. “But he’s got our friends, hasn’t he? And I don’t much like the idea of him being able to pluck people while they sleep and drag them away as captives. Seems like an unfair fight to me.”

Jysal got to her feet and brushed a few clinging particles of sand from her tunic. Ran tried to keep his eyes from watching her. He didn’t succeed.

“Do you think that this Kan-Gul character sent his minions to the beach and had them carry off Neviah and the others?”

Ran pointed at the sand. “I doubt it. There are no tracks anywhere.”

“Might the wind have blown them away?”

“Some perhaps, but not all. And it would have needed to be strong wind to do that.” Ran glanced skyward. “I think the answer is probably that Kan-Gul sent something flying this way. They could swoop in and pluck them right off the sand and be gone without making much noise. If the mist somehow subdued us all like a drug, the others wouldn’t be in much shape to battle them off.”

“Their weapons are gone as well,” said Jysal. “Do you think that was intentional?”

“I slept with my hand on my sword,” said Ran. “It’s likely that Kancho did as well. And Neviah would be armed.” He sighed. “But I doubt it matters. Once they wake up from their slumber—assuming this happened during the dark of night—then I’m sure they won’t have their weapons on them by now. Kan-Gul will have made sure of that.”

“We’ve got to get them back,” said Jysal.

Ran smiled. “A minute ago you were telling me that you didn’t want to meet him.”

“Yes, well, whether or not I like the idea, it’s got to be done. I can’t leave Neviah to some awful fate. I’m not even certain of the way to the temple I’m headed to, especially now that we’re so far off course.”

Ran nodded. “We’ll get them back.” He felt certain that the universe in its infinite wisdom would consider the removal of Kan-Gul necessary so as to better promote harmony. At least, he hoped it would.

Jysal was looking at him oddly. “You’re a difficult man to figure out.”

Ran felt the weight of her stare and looked away. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you talk like a warrior, yet you don’t appear to be as forthright as Kancho. He’s a professional warrior even if he thinks he’s hiding it. Whatever agenda he’s got, it seems to be something he won’t likely share with anyone anytime soon.”

“Especially if we don’t find him in time,” said Ran.

“Don’t dodge the question, Ran.”

He smiled. Something about her tone reminded him of Cassandra. He sighed, seeing the image of the princess in his mind. The two of them could no doubt find many adventures to occupy their time. And who knew? Perhaps something else might develop between them in the meantime.

Ran would never escape the reach of his clan, but if he chose to settle elsewhere, he could continue to serve them by sending information from time to time. And if they sent any operatives into the area, he could provide them shelter and security.

“Ran.”

He blinked. “I’m afraid I’m not sure what you mean.”

Jysal frowned. “I see Kancho isn’t the only one keeping secrets on this trip.”

“Secrets keep you alive,” said Ran. “If you’re too exposed, then your enemy will know the means by which your death can be brought about.”

“Spoken like a keen strategist,” said Jysal. “Which, of course, doesn’t even come close to answering my question.”

“Exactly,” said Ran. “And I have a better idea, anyway. Why don’t we concentrate on finding our friends, and then later on you can worry about who I am?”

Jysal seemed about to protest that idea, but then stopped when she looked in Ran’s eyes. “You and Kancho explored yesterday. Are we heading back that way?”

Ran frowned. “It’s a muddy swamp, and then the ground climbs up into a dense forest. Can you handle wading through muck for a while?”

“Of course, I can.”

“Mosquitoes, too,” said Ran. “They’re thick under that canopy. I’m afraid there’s not much I can suggest unless you want to coat your skin with mud.”

“Do you think that would make me look better?” Jysal smiled at him.

“It would be a shame to cover up your beauty,” said Ran. “But if you would be more comfortable that way, I would certainly understand.”

Jysal laughed. “Thank you for the compliment, I think.”

Ran bowed his head. “We can take the path Kancho and I started yesterday. Stay close while we’re in there. We didn’t go too far before the trail went blank and we were forced to turn around and come back.”

“We’re not turning around this time, though, are we?”

Ran glanced at the waves battering the wreck of the
Aqaria
. Their choices were limited. Stay here and wait for the mist tonight, swim out to the
Aqaria
and risk death, or venture into the swamp and forests trying to find their way to Kan-Gul’s lair. Ran thought about the words from one of his teachers. Whenever the options facing you are equally bad, any choice will be the best, provided you are not immobilized by indecision.

So be it
, he thought. “We’ll head through the swamp and the forest. Kan-Gul must make his home somewhere within a short distance of the coast. Something tells me he will need to have supplies brought in from time to time. And any traders will need to pass through the harbor that Malkyr had been aiming for after that storm blew us off course. We’ll go as far as we can before making camp for the night.”

From inside her tunic, Jysal produced a slim dagger. She hefted it in one hand and then slid it through the belt of her tunic. “I’m armed, just to let you know.”

Ran nodded. “Where did you hide that?”

Jysal smiled. “That’s one of my secrets.”

“Fair enough. Let’s go.” Ran led her into the trees at the edge of the beach. They walked a few hundred yards, and then the land sloped down into the mud and grime of the swamp. Behind him, Ran heard Jysal take a breath and mutter something. “Are you all right?”

“This smell,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “What in the world makes such a stink?”

“Decomposition,” said Ran. “With all of this water, the roots and plants tend to decompose and give off swamp stink. You’ll get used to it if you try not to let it bother you.”

“I feel like I can’t take a breath without vomiting,” said Jysal.

“I know the feeling,” said Ran. “Now come on. The sooner we’re through this part, the better.”

They walked another twenty minutes through the knee-and thigh-deep stagnant water. Twice Ran heard the hissing of a snake in the nearby area, but they were not accosted as they plowed on. Each step Ran took seemed to suck at his legs, and given the lack of food they’d had, he was worried about becoming too exhausted to be much good in case they ran into danger.

For her part, Jysal seemed to not complain too often. Ran found himself surprised that she did not protest much as they made their way through the swamps. He heard her slapping her skin from time to time as mosquitoes hounded them both with ravenous appetites. But otherwise, she was as quiet as she could be, a fact Ran appreciated as he tried to sense whether there was danger around them.

The entire locale seemed even more ominous than it had yesterday when Ran had trekked through here with Kancho. Again, the lack of life made him wonder what could have snuffed out the essence of the place so easily. Certainly, he would have expected more than just snakes.

Gradually his feet found firmer footing as the land started to ascend out of the swamp. Ran took a final step out of the water and then collapsed on the grassy bank nearby, trying to draw more air into his lungs. He was soaked with sweat as the sun overhead heated the entire area into a humid sweatbox.

Jysal fell to the ground nearby and wiped a hand across her brow. “I thought that would never end.”

Ran smacked a mosquito and nodded. “The only thing that seemed to be alive in there were these damned bugs. Otherwise, the place was almost completely void of life.”

“Almost?”

Ran shrugged. “I heard some hissing. May have been snakes.”

“Lovely,” said Jysal. “I hate snakes.”

“Well, we didn’t run into any, so we can’t complain. And now we’re out of the swamp. This part, at least, is somewhat easier. We’ll have firm footing from here on out.”

Jysal sighed. “I must look a frightful mess.”

Ran grinned as he stood. “You still look beautiful, have no worries.” He ran a hand along the hilt of his sword and made sure it was still snug against his side. “We can’t stay here too long. I’d like us to be well away from the swamp before we need to make camp for the night.”

“Why? I’m exhausted. Between the heat, the water, and those insects . . .” her voice trailed off.

“I’d rather not be around here to see what might come awake when night falls,” said Ran.

Jysal pulled herself to her feet and stared at him. “And you think being in the forest will be any better?”

“Probably not,” said Ran. “But with firm ground underneath my feet, I can at least be sure that I’ll be balanced if I need to fight.”

They moved off, and Ran found the lack of life unsettling. More than that, it was as if the entire forest had been muted by some unseen force. Ran heard no animals. He heard no bird calls. Every so often, a twig would break in the distance and he would nearly yank his sword from its scabbard.

He stopped and took several deep breaths to calm himself. Gradually, his heart slowed.

Then Jysal shrieked.

Adrenaline flooding his veins, Ran pivoted and drew his sword. Three paces behind him, Jysal looked absolutely terrified.

“What is it?”

She pointed at her thigh. There on her skin, Ran spotted a thick, bloated leech. He took a breath.

“I thought we were under attack there for a moment.”

“I am,” said Jysal. “Do something.”

Ran sighed and used the tip of his blade to nick the leech neatly in two. Dead, it fell from Jysal’s thigh, and bright red blood stained her skin. She used a swath of her tunic to wrap the wound.

“Thank you.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

After they’d spent five minutes scraping off mud and drying out, Ran insisted they keep moving. The trees that loomed in on the game trail they walked along helped stave off most of the blazing sun overhead, but even without the swamp water nearby, the humidity still plagued them, making their clothes stick to their skin. Ran’s breath felt heavy and congealed every time he breathed. He longed for the crisp, cool air of the mountains of his homeland. Behind him, he could hear Jysal having similar problems. He glanced back a few times, and she managed a weak smile each time he did so, but Ran knew she was struggling to keep up.

For his part, Ran wasn’t too bothered by the strain, although he marveled at how much more taxing the walk was on him when the sun shone rather than under the blanket of gray clouds yesterday. He would have gladly swapped the weather for that of the previous day, but he knew that was impossible. He saw a thick pine tree and slowed to a stop.

Jysal seemed grateful for the break. “I would take all of my clothes off and walk naked if I thought it would help.”

Ran smiled. “As uplifting as that would no doubt be, the mosquitoes would hound you mercilessly.”

Jysal sighed. “I thought we’d leave most of them behind at the swamp, but I guess I was mistaken about that.”

“They can be just as bad under the trees as in the swamp,” said Ran. “There’s really no escaping the buggers except to keep going and hopefully see the landscape change.”

“They were not a nuisance at the beach, though.”

“The salt air keeps them away,” said Ran. “Trust me, I wish we were walking along the shore right now.”

Jysal said nothing for a moment but glanced around. “How much farther did you get yesterday with Kancho?”

Ran pointed a few hundred yards ahead. “That’s where Vargul’s trail went cold. It was as if he was simply lifted off his feet and carried away. Which, bearing in mind what we discussed earlier, now seems all the more likely.”

“What do you think would have the strength to carry away a fully grown man like that?”

Ran’s hand went to his sword without his conscious volition. “I don’t know. But something tells me we’ll find out before too long.”

Jysal smirked. “I don’t know how much of a threat I’ll be with my dagger.”

“Better than nothing,” said Ran. “Just what are you on your way to this temple for, anyway? And why do you need a bodyguard for the journey?”

Jysal shrugged. “I am promised to the temple. Once there, I’ll start my education.”

“In what?”

Jysal continued, ignoring Ran’s question. “Neviah’s job was to make sure I got there intact. The roads are dangerous for a single woman traveling alone.”

“The roads are dangerous for anyone,” said Ran. “But I can see why having Neviah along would make you feel safer.”

“She’s a blessing,” said Jysal. “And I miss her dearly.”

“But you won’t tell me what you’re going to learn at the temple,” said Ran.

Jysal smiled at him. “Didn’t you just tell me how dangerous it is to reveal too many secrets about yourself?”

“Maybe.”

“Well, maybe you’ll get some answers. Eventually.” Jysal looked up at the sky through the trees. “I’d kill for a breeze right now.”

Ran nodded. “It’s still pretty hot even in the shade. But we should keep moving.”

Jysal pushed off of the tree trunk and held her hand out toward the trail. “Lead on and I shall follow. I’m tired but I will keep going until you say it’s time to stop.”

“We won’t be stopping until sunset if we can hold out. I want to put as much distance between us and the beach as possible.”

“Why?”

“Well, for one thing, I want to find our friends. And for another, if we are indeed being hunted, then I want to make it difficult for those who would capture us to find us. If we’re not at the beach, that makes their job that much tougher.”

“Unless Kan-Gul has the ability to see where we are. Then he could simply direct his minions to come here instead of the beach.”

Ran nodded. “True, but I still hope that we can make it tougher on them than it has been.” He turned and started down the game trail once again, picking his way over the twisted and gnarled roots that looped up out of the ground to turn an unwary ankle. But Ran’s steps were sure-footed, garnered from his years of training. He could steal across a roll of wet rice paper without causing any breaks or crinkles in the surface. He could even glide across nightingale floors designed to creak when weight was applied to them.

Jysal hadn’t had such training however, and it wasn’t long before her foot caught in one of the roots and she went down hard. Ran was by her side instantly, helping her back to her feet. “Are you all right?”

Jysal put some weight on her foot and after a second nodded. “I think so. I didn’t see that root.”

“They’re all over the place. Just try to mind them and we’ll be fine.”

Jysal leaned into him. “Thank you.”

He looked down into her eyes and found himself almost falling into the darkness contained within. Jysal’s smile was bright, and her breath warm on his neck. But then Ran saw the image of Cassandra’s face in his mind and eased back away from Jysal. “We should keep moving.”

If she was upset by Ran’s move, only her eyes widened in surprise, as if Ran had done something so completely unexpected, she didn’t know how to process it. “I think that’s the first time I’ve seen a man turn down an invitation like that,” she said quietly.

“I mean no offense,” said Ran. “But we really need to keep moving.”

Jysal tested her foot again and then nodded. “It feels all right. Let’s go.”

Ran turned back to the trail, grateful she couldn’t see the blood rushing into his face. He took a few deep breaths to get himself back under control. It was tempting—far too tempting—to grab her up in his arms and lie with her right then and there under the trees in this strange place. But who knew what might be lurking nearby? If Kan-Gul was everything Malkyr had tried to make him out to be, it was conceivable he knew where they were, as Jysal had suggested. It was also possible he could send his minions to attack them while they were in the throes of passion.

No, he decided. It was far better to keep to the task at hand. If they got through this land and away from Kan-Gul, then perhaps he would take Jysal up on her invitation. She was far too beautiful to ignore, and Ran felt his pulse quicken at the thought of what they could do to each other.

He checked the ground and saw that the sign that Vargul had left behind as he’d walked this trail was deteriorating even more as the elements sought to erase it. And there, just a few yards ahead, Ran could see where the sign ended abruptly. He stopped for a moment.
He was taken here
, he thought. His hand was on his sword, when he heard Jysal breathe sharply.

“Ran!”

In an instant, he had his sword out, eyes already up and scanning the landscape. “Where?”

“Ahead of us. In the brush.”

Ran heard Jysal pull her dagger out and continued to search the brush ahead of them. The trees formed pockets of shadows that kept things hidden quite well. But as Ran narrowed his eyes and scanned left to right, he caught a glimpse of movement and then zeroed in on the location.

There.

With both of his hands on his sword, he moved farther ahead of Jysal. “Stay where you are,” he said to her quietly.

The eyes watching him were yellow and stood out from the surrounding brush. Ran wondered how Jysal had spotted the creature, but then it moved and Ran no longer cared. He was simply grateful that she had.

The beast lumbered around the side of the tree trunk and then stretched lazily, as if pondering what to kill first. Ran watched its muscles shudder and ripple beneath the taut mottled fur. It looked like an overgrown dog—possibly a wolf—but there was something far more sinister about it. Its eyes roved over Ran, and then its tongue snaked out and licked its muzzle. It sniffed the air and then moved a few steps closer to Ran.

Ran never took his eyes off the beast. He felt certain that doing so would prompt it to attack. And clearly, the beast used its apparent nonchalance to lull prey into thinking it hadn’t seen them when it certainly had. Was this the reason there was so little life in the forest? Had it killed everything? For that matter, had it killed Vargul?

No, Ran decided. If it had, there would have been signs of a struggle. Vargul would not have gone down without battling for his life. There’d be blood spatters on the trees and other indicators that they’d fought a savage duel here. But Vargul’s tracks simply vanished.

This creature hadn’t killed him.

Ran eyed the beast. It must have been close to eight feet long and perhaps five feet high at the shoulder. Ran wished he didn’t have to kill the creature. But he would if it left him no choice.

“What does it want?” Jysal’s voice was a quiet whisper in the woods.

Ran kept his eyes on the beast. “I don’t know. It’s not behaving like it wants to attack. But I’m not about to let it know I think that.”

“Can you kill it?”

Ran almost smirked. “Can I? I hope so. Must I? I hope I don’t have to.”

The beast eyed Ran and then let out a single low-pitched growl. Ran’s eyes narrowed even more. The beast compacted its haunches and then edged around them, always pointed right at Ran. He saw its eyes flick over to Jysal only once before coming immediately back to rest on Ran.
It knows I’m the threat
, he thought. The fact he had a nearly three-foot-long razor-sharp blade in his hands had probably clued it in.

Another growl bubbled up from the beast’s throat. Ran felt his heartbeat increase but willed it to slow back down. He couldn’t stave off the effects of his excitement completely, but he’d been taught to use his breathing to calm himself as much as possible prior to combat. That training helped him now. The danger of adrenaline was that it narrowed his awareness and tunneled his vision. By maintaining proper breathing, Ran could keep his wits about him and be ready for anything that tried to surprise him.

When the beast launched itself, there was no warning. If Ran hadn’t kept his breathing going, he would have been caught off guard and hesitated a fraction of a second. In that time, the beast would have clamped its jaws around his neck and finished him with one awful attack aimed at tearing out Ran’s throat.

Instead, as Ran exhaled smoothly, he stepped to the side and brought the single-edged curved blade up in a tight arc that slashed through the beast’s underside, slicing neatly through its belly and into its vital organs. Ran kept moving as he cut and the beast fell heavily to the ground, staining the earth dark with its blood and innards. It uttered one whimper and then lay still.

Ran flicked the blood from his blade using the quick motion that he’d practiced so often it was ingrained and then returned his sword to its scabbard.

Jysal rushed over. “Are you hurt?”

Ran shook his head. “No.”

Jysal looked at the beast and then back at Ran. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone make a cut like that. You were so precise and so effortless at the same time. Where did you learn to handle a sword like that?”

“Just a lot of practice,” said Ran.

But Jysal wasn’t convinced. “I’ve seen men who practice with swords before. And I’ve known warriors with a lifetime of experience who could never make such a precise cut like you just made.” She shook her head. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. But don’t lie and feed me some line about practice. What you did there was far more than just practice.”

Ran glanced overhead. The sun was starting its arc toward the horizon. “We should keep moving.” He pointed at the dead beast. “We’ll lose daylight sooner than we think, and I don’t want to imagine the woods filled with those things.”

“That’s all we’d need,” said Jysal. “Is it likely there’ll be others in the forest?”

“Probably,” said Ran with a sigh. He was concentrating on his breathing, willing his stomach to combat the effects of the adrenaline as well. “Come on.”

He led them farther down the game trail, past the point where Vargul had disappeared. This was now new territory. He stopped every few feet to check his direction of travel, but the game trail seemed to be the only available route to take. Unlike other forests he’d been in, this one only had the one game trail and not a whole bunch crisscrossing each other. Ran wondered if that meant there were fewer animals that lived here. Perhaps Kan-Gul had scared them all off.

Or perhaps there was a more evil reason for the game trail’s existence. If someone got lost in these woods, they’d be tempted to do exactly what Ran and Jysal were doing now: stick to the only likely path through the forest in the hopes of finding civilization.

And that would make them far easier to ambush.

We’re being led exactly where he wants us to be led
, Ran thought.
Well, if that’s his game, we’re not going to play it
. He turned and waved Jysal up to him.

“What’s the matter?”

Ran explained the situation and then pointed through the trees. “I think we’re going to take a different direction now.”

“Are you sure that’s such a good idea?”

Ran nodded. “Absolutely.”

Jysal’s eyes widened again. “I think they might disagree with you.”

Ran’s hand went for his sword, but Jysal stopped him. “No.”

As Ran turned, he saw what she had seen behind them and on either side of the game trail: more beasts exactly like the one Ran had just killed. And they didn’t look nearly as nonchalant as the first one had.