Destiny (8 page)

The force of the blow drove the hulking beast reeling backward as one of its eyes burst on impact. Arching backward, Enelya dove out of the way as a razor sharp claw slammed through the space she was couched in a split-second later.

Sliding in-between the creature’s spread legs Enelya slammed her tambos into its groin with all of her strength. As the beast howled out in pain, she struck hammering at the side of one massive knee. Enelya heard the joint shatter as she dodged another wild slash of the creature’s deadly claws. Springing forward, she slashed at the creature’s elbow, shattering the joint with another double-handed blow.

Bellowing in rage the monster’s spun around clubbing at her with its injured arm. Without thought, Enelya somersaulted over the flailing backhand a second before it smashed into Knight-Captain Valandil and another Ironidium Knight rushing back into the battle.

Landing back on her feet in one smooth motion, Enelya went on the offensive. Hammering at the creature in a flurry of blows, she weaved and dodged the lightning fast claw strikes in a deadly dance of death. Again and again, she attacked with blows that would have destroyed any other creature, but as the fight wore on, the reality slowly dawned on her. She was losing.

The monster was like nothing Enelya had faced before. Its injuries were healing quicker than she could inflict damage! Her lungs burned as she sucked in ragged gasps of air fighting to stay one step ahead of the creature’s crushing blows. Twisting around in a spinning attack, she saw several Ironidium Knights staggering back to their feet behind her as she flipped over another sweeping backhand.

Enelya knew her body couldn’t keep this pace up for much longer, but she couldn’t leave Lúthien to this monster either. Somersaulting away from another savage blow, she made a fatal mistake. Reaching the top of her arc, Enelya suddenly realized she’d fallen for a feint. Stopping in midswing the monster swung back in a lightning fast attack, batting her out of the air with a backhanded blow that sent her flying across the room. As the air woofed out of her lungs, everything suddenly flashed white.

For a second, Enelya didn’t know where she was. Struggling to sit up, she grimaced in agony at her ringing head. Why did everything hurt?

“Errrgurga!” Gasping for breath, Enelya felt a vice lock wrap around her throat as she was suddenly yanked into the air. Struggling weakly, she saw the white blotchy face in the shape of King Elerossë staring back at her. As the evil red eyes bore into her soul, Enelya screamed in terror as the creature’s voice rasped out triumphantly.

“I’m going to enjoy flaying the flesh from your bones and-”

“Rrreeeaaa!”

The sudden high pitched animal squeal cut the monster off in midsentence as a large silver streak pounced on top of its corpse-white back. With a savage fury long claws and terrible fangs tore deep furrows into the monster’s thick hide.

Landing hard on the floor, Enelya gasped in pain. Everything hurt. Her body felt broken as she struggled to push herself back to her feet, but she couldn’t even stand up straight. As soon as she tried her body doubled over in agony. Sucking in fresh air Enelya held her broken ribs as the maggot creature crashed around the room fighting to shake off the savage animal ripping at its back.

Enelya knew she had to help her cousin if they were going to any hope to survive, but as soon as the thought crossed her mind, the room began to spin. The next thing she knew the cold stone floor was pressing against her cheek as the howls of fighting began slowly fading away. As everything turned dark, Enelya held onto one thought.

“Argus had come.”

Chapter
Twelve

Location Irlendria / Startüm Ironwolf:

“Aaaiiieee!”

I screamed as my eyes boiled in their sockets from the searing heat as the flesh melted from my face. I screamed until my lungs were turned into two blackened husks in the center of my chest as I was picked up and hurled against the side of the mountain from the force of the explosion. As the flames scorched everything in its path, Ukko’s healing light fought to keep me alive.

The agony felt like an eternity, but in actuality, it only lasted for a matter of a few seconds as the holy power flowing through my veins healed my scorched body. Drawing in a ragged breath as my lungs began functioning once more, I rose to my hands and knees as my eyes grew back in their blackened sockets.

Normally, I would have healed in the blink of an eye, but I was at the end of my energy reserves. With an iron will I ignored the agony coursing through my body, conserving my energy reserves to only focus on healing what was truly necessary to continue functioning.

Forcing my battered body to its feet, I sheathed my Katanas as I stepped over the blackened remains of the Scourge piled up around me. Staggering with each step, I made it to the edge of the cliff to where Starfire and Frostbrand lay unmoving on the bare stone as water streamed around them, flowing off the cliff in a small torrent. The thick ice sheet covering the entire plateau had been completely melted away from the fiery blast. Kneeling next to the girls, I could feel the spark of life inside of them as I gently gathered Starfire into my arm. They had simply pushed themselves too far.

Moaning softly, Starfire’s slender arms weakly tightened around my neck as her eyes fluttered painfully open. Her dilated pupils were almost solid back from the effects of the Fring. As soon as her eyes focused on me, I heard her gasp in shock as she saw my pain filled yellow eyes and ruined face.

Stroking her silver matted hair, I gave her a lipless grin.

“Don’t be, you saved us all.”

Suddenly, I saw the mental image of how I looked through her eyes as the tears silently ran down her cheeks. If it didn’t hurt so much, I would have laughed. While some of my skin had regenerated, most of my face was still burnt to a blackened crisp from the intense heat, except for the places where the flesh had been completely seared away to the white bone underneath. I really did look horrendous, more dead than alive. As I watched, I saw the skin was already regenerating from the faint yellow glow surrounding me.

A large tremor beneath our feet broke the connection as I was once again looking through my own eyes. As the entire mountain began to shake, I felt Starfire lay her feverish head against my neck.

Scooping Frostbrand up into my other arm, I froze hearing the warbling howls of Worgs call out nearby.

Turning around at the loud noise, I watched unbelievably as the stone of the archway began cracking with deep fissures running down its length. As another massive tremor shook the entire peak, a massive chunk of the archway suddenly sheared away from the mountain. With a loud roar the crumbling pieces plummeted into the Otso River far below.

Hearing the sounds of claws on the stone behind us, I turned around to see the Worg hunters from earlier spreading out onto the wide plateau. Nervously they stepped over the blacked remains of the Scourge until their large hairy shapes filled the rocky expanse. Standing shoulder to shoulder, the creatures faced us growling ferociously.

Shifting the girls to one arm, I drew a katana facing the Worgs head-on. My energy reserves were near empty. Still, concentrating on the runes engraved within the blade, I pushed a trickle of my precious power into the katana in my hand. At first nothing happened, but slowly a weak blue flame began burning down its length as red hate-filled eyes glared back at me. In the unnatural light around the circle, I watched as the Worgs’ black lips pulled back from their large yellow fangs. Slowly the hunters began stalking forward as their bloodthirsty growls grew even louder.

Suddenly the plateau heaved again as another massive tremor shook the mountain. A wide crack instantly formed beneath my feet as rocks and boulders began raining down around us as a loud rumbling sound filled the air. Yipping pain filled cries came from the Worgs as they scrambled to escape the destruction, but it was too late.

Falling to my knees, I slammed my blade into the solid rock at my feet as blue fire flared into the night around us. The mountain bucked like a wild beast as the rumbling sound grew into a deafening roar. Looking up into the stormy night’s sky, I saw an enormous avalanche plunging down the side of mountain heading directly for us as I bowed my head in prayer.

“Ukko, beskytte oss!” (Ukko, protect us!)

Gathering the very last of my power, I felt Ukko’s touch as I cried out at the top of my lungs. “Suoja!”

The sound was deafening as the falling rocks smashed into the plateau around us. I had pictured the shield in the shape of a wedge when I formed it, but even so, there was no way it could stop something like this. Unbelievably, the earth quaking wave washed over us destroying everything in its path. Boulders and dirt filled the air as a cloud of debris passed over us choking the air. The avalanche felt like it went on forever. As the worst of the rock slide slowly passed, there was another earth splitting crack. Suddenly I felt the ground give away beneath my feet as the entire plateau sheared away from the side of the mountain.

Sheathing my blade, I wrapped my arms protectively around the two unconscious girls pressed against my chest as we plummeted with the last of the rockslide down the mountain together. Closing my eyes, I prayed. Our fate was now in Ukko’s hands.

Chapter
Thirteen

Location Irlendria / Norek Manitou:

Standing at the base of Mount Airy the Chief of the Thunder Tribe, Norek Manitou, eyed the path leading to the top of the mountain with a heavy heart. Like a fool he had ignored Luonnotar’s call for too long, but after five days of hard travel, he was finally here.

On the same night Nessa had delivered the message of Tolnik’s death, the first spirit messenger was already waiting for him inside his wigwam in the form of a Great Horned Owl. Norek knew well the call of the Great Spirit when he saw it, but in his grief, he’d ignored the summons. Even though he refused to meet the messenger’s eyes, Norek could feel the weight of the creature’s gaze on his soul as its great yellow orbs bore into him. Remembering the soul crushing desolation, Norek heavily sighed as he began climbing the trail up the mountain.

No parent should have to outlive the life of their child.

For seven days Norek had mourned his son’s death. During that time, he’d neither slept nor ate as the grief consumed him. In the midst of his anguish he’d even cursed Luonnotar for not protecting his son. On the seventh night, when Norek thought he could take no more, the screeching cry of the Great Horned Owl’s warning shattered the night as it suddenly flew through the hide covered door.

Lifting his tear stained face, Norek had screamed in rage as he rolled to his hooves. Whipping away the hide door, he lunged after the ethereal creature only to immediately stop in stunned silence. Standing before him was a group of warriors from the Raven Tribe. Held between them on a hidebound stretcher was the bleeding body of his son, Tolnik. From the light of the full moon, Norek could see his son still breathed. Or so he had thought.

For a time Norek’s thoughts were silent as he climbed, but mercilessly his self-loathing continued to flail at his soul. Since time immemorial, Centaurs from all of the Tribes had been called here to speak with the Great Spirit. Called both Sky-Father and Earth-Mother by the People, Luonnotar was the essence of nature in all of its forms. All life was interconnected and dependent upon one another in the great circle. Where there was life, there was death. Each form of existence gave meaning to the next for they were inseparably a part of one another. When Norek had denied this simple truth, he had put the entire Thunder Tribe in danger.

It took all of the strength of Norek’s upper body to pull his lower half up enough to hook one of his forelegs on the edge of the ridge. Still, it wasn’t until he got the second foreleg up that he managed to pull himself the rest of the way up onto the weather-beaten plateau at the very top of Mount Airy.

Standing up straight, Norek took in the breathtaking view. To the north and west, the plains disappeared into the horizon marking the lands of his people. To the south, the vast mountain range of the Fangs rose into the sky creating a natural barrier to the lush farmlands of the Imperium far away. Even from this distance, the impregnable walls of the Citadel could be seen on its lone vigil guarding the solo pass through the mountains, while the Great Forest towered at the edge of the plains to the east. Home to the Elves, his people’s longtime allies, and the place where Tolnik had lost his life.

As the wind whipped Norek’s long gray-streaked hair about his shoulders, a tear ran down his rugged face. What the Raven Tribe brought to him that night was not his son. Even though he knew that now, it still took everything he had to fully accept that soul crushing truth.

Initially, Norek had falsely accused his own daughter of lying about Tolnik’s death. Accused her of conniving to steal away Tolnik’s birthright for her very own. Ignoring Nessa’s wails of anguish, he had welcomed the creature that wore his son’s skin into their encampment with open arms. That is until he’d seen the truth for himself.

Remembering the harsh words of hate coming from his son’s lips, Norek hung his head in shame. Against all tradition, Tolnik had demanded the right of combat for leadership of the Tribe.

Hanging his head in despair, the pain in Norek’s chest refused to go away. Such a foreign thought, but that’s when he knew the creature standing before him was not his son. The People of the Tribes simply didn’t think in those kinds of terms. When the creature that wore Tolnik’s skin realized the seriousness of its mistake, the challenge had been immediately withdrawn, but the damage could not be undone.

Norek knew the truth. He now understood why Nessa had been so distraught. Why she’d continued to mourn over Tolnik’s death even after he’d been returned to the tribe. She’d seen the truth from Wakinyan. That realization was when the true horror of the situation had hit him. If the Raven Tribe had fallen under the control of these creatures, then how many other Tribes have been corrupted?

Focusing once again on the present, Norek looked down at the stone beneath his hooves. The place he stood was called the Council of the Ancestors by his people. This was where the spirit messengers had summoned him. This was where he would meet his fate. Offering a silent prayer to the Sky-Father, Norek went about the preparations necessary for the vision quest as he began humming a chant in the language of the ancients.

Aya Wani Shivaya yo chago. (Oh Thunder Chief focus your mind.)

Aya Wani Shivaya yo chago. (Oh Thunder Chief focus your mind.)

Jai om numah heyaho halne yohna. (Search for the truth and you will find.)

Tu nelyo chonga gohea yo choo yohnale. (The strength to fight the evil you have found.)

Using white kaolin clay paint, Norek first laid out the circle of calling on the weathered stone large enough for him to kneel inside. For the body of the Earth-Mother, he laid a heart stone from the plains at the bottom of the circle. For the Sky-Father, Norek removed the colored feathers from his hair. Gently he gently laid them at the top of the circle as his voice rose in volume.

Aya Wani Shivaya yo chago. (Oh Thunder Chief focus your mind.)

Tu nalga chelne tolna mondo tae. (You will walk across the plains so wide.)

Oya tol tumma tilna helta hoea. (And up a mountain you will climb.)

Tonne Tohanna tu ulnay. (As a chosen you will find.)

Niza talch Wohano Tulnye tae. (The taste of Alttash’s Tears so fine.)

For death, Norek removed several broken hair-pipe bones from the bag at his waist. The pieces were from the necklace Tolnik had worn on the day he died. Carefully Norek arranged the bones on the left side of the circle as his strong voice was picked up by the wind.

Aya Wani Shivaya yo chago. (Oh Thunder Chief focus your mind.)

Moviey Tolchae Lugcha ya. (Speak to the elders of your Tribe.)

Te cholg Wakinya til gal zya. (Or have the Wakinyan take your soul.)

Aya Wani Shivaya yo chago. (Oh Thunder Chief focus your mind.)

Next, Norek took a thick lock of hair from the bag as the chant lowered to a deep, wordless hum. Cautious of the wind, Norek took the hair he’d taken from his daughter on the night he’d left the Thunder Tribe and placed it on the right side of the circle. This, he used to symbolize life.

For the next step, Norek removed the tinnearlian-wood mace from its sheath and the leather utility harness strapped across his chest. Keeping a hold of the bag, he tossed the rest of his gear to the ridge down below. Kneeling inside the circle, he pulled the last three items from the bag, two clay jars of kaolin paint and a small red root, never stopping in his humming chant.

The first color Norek chose was the yellow of the bixa plant. Yellow was for the realm of the Sky-Father and symbolized his reign over death. Slowly covering the left side of his face, Norek marked himself as an honorable warrior, promising his willingness to fight until death.

The second clay jar held a thick black-colored paint. Carefully Norek made the mark of the hand on the right side of his face. Black was the color of the Earth-Mother, symbolizing the realm of life. In this way, Norek showed his readiness for war and his promise of victory.

Lastly, Norek used a sharp stone to slice the palm of his hand open. With his own blood, he transformed the white kaolin into the last color needed. Stirring the mixture with two fingers until it changed into a bright red, he added the last color to his War Mask. The perpendicular lines painted down both cheeks was the call to war.

Finished with his preparations, Norek picked up the small red root, bringing it to his lips. His chant suddenly faltered as fear gripped his heart. Shocked at his lack of faith, Norek felt his whole arm begin to shake as he stared at the Alttash’s Tear in his hand. For the first time in his life, he understood the fear others had for the extremely poisonous root.

Even as a young colt, Norek had never feared the Trial of Luonnotar. Since his earliest memories he’d believed with every fiber of his being that he was a Chosen of Luonnotar, but after failing to kill the creature that had taken over his son’s body, his confidence was shaken. Would Luonnotar still consider him worthy?

In his heart Norek knew that something evil was silently taking over the Tribes. If he wanted to protect his people, then he must know what they faced! He must speak with Luonnotar. As the resolve hardened within his chest, Norek’s hand stop shaking. Standing up straight, he brought the deadly poison to his lips, consuming it with one bite. The needs of his people were too great.

Finished with the preparations, Norek looked to the sky raising his arms out wide to either side of him. Focusing his will he closed the circle. As the energy of the spell rippled closed around him, Norek raised his voice to the sky.

“Oh Great Spirit, I have come to Mount Airy at the behest of your messenger. I ask that you speak with this humble servant of your people.”

Norek could feel the poison of the Alttash’s Tear flowing through his veins. Light headed, he slowly sank to his knees inside the circle of calling looking skyward. With his last breath, he finished the ritual words for the Vision Quest.

“Your people have great need of your ancient wisdom, oh Luonnotar.”

Norek felt his consciousness begin to fade as he laid his head against the weathered rock of the plateau. Around him, the clear blue sky darkened as black clouds began spreading out above the mountain. The sound of his beating heart filled his ears as the heavens split wide open above his head as the spirit world took shape around him.

As the connection to his physical body grew faint, Norek felt his spirit form take shape around him. Slowly he pushed himself up to his hooves. Below him, he saw his physical body still lying atop the stone plateau below. Seeing his spirit form take shape, Norek breathed a sigh of relief. He was still a Chosen!

Hearing the sounds of rolling thunder, Norek looked to the sky once more. As far as the eye could see dark clouds blocked out the sun as the sky began to boil like a caldron. Lightning flashed in rippling waves as the wind began to shriek in its intensity. Norek’s long hair whipped about his head as the black mass began spinning around the mountain. Faster and faster it went until a whirling cyclone formed directly above his head.

As the thick black tentacle descended on top of him, Norek cried out in fear. It wasn’t the impending devastation of the storm that had suddenly turned his blood cold, but the realization that the black seething mass reaching out for him was actually the spirits of the dead. Only in the oldest songs of his people had he ever heard of such a sight!

As the galloping mass of warriors drew near, Norek clearly saw their ghostly faces were painted like his own. Bone breastplates protected their chests and hide armor their withers, while each dead warrior brandished a large two-handed mace high over their head.

The beating of their hooves was the sound of rolling thunder. The shouting of their voices was the blowing wind. Galloping at the head of the formation was the glowing form of the Sky-Father in all of his magnificence. Like a glowing beacon of light cutting through a dark ocean, crackling waves of lightning radiated out from his body throughout the host following behind. As the spirit War Party approached, Norek felt a growing dread forming in his heart.

Although Centaurs preferred to live in harmony with nature and were generally a peaceful people, once angered they were relentless berserkers in battle. Unlike the other races of Irlendria that fought each other in small skirmishes on a regular basis over minor disagreements. When you attacked one Centaur, you went to war with the entire Tribe.

When he was a young buck, such a sight would have made the blood rush in his veins from excitement and anticipation, but now as a grizzled veteran of many battles, Norek knew well the terrible costs that came with war. Seeing the Sky-Father leading the charge could only mean sorrowful times ahead for his people. As the War Party soared into him, Norek’s soul was swept up into the howling vortex. Formless rage tried to wipe out all thought, but somehow he didn’t lose himself to the mindless fury of his people.

In his spirit form, Norek realized he could see everything happening around him at once. The land of his people’s home was like nothing he’d seen before. Instead of a living sea of grass, there was now only blackened hard earth as far as the eye could see. Below his hooves Norek saw an endless stream of his people charging across the plains on their way to war.

To the east, the sky glowed red as the Great Forest’s ancient grove burned in a horrendous blaze. In its fiery depths, his people attacked the Elves in relentless waves. The bodies of his people littered the blackened and burned ground thick as fall leaves, but still they rushed onward in their berserker rage destroying everything in their path.