Valkeryn 2: The Dark Lands (40 page)

Chapter 38

To Live Among Wolves,
You Must First Become the Wolf

Arn pushed the horse hard. Becky hung on tight as it bucked and swerved, her hands digging into his waist. The grip was like his old life hanging on to him – his home, his security, perhaps his future. He took one hand off the rein to touch his face, as it was beginning to hurt again. It didn’t feel right, and even the shape was odd.

What’s happening to me?
he wondered and looked to the horizon. The sun would be up soon, and with it the heat would climb. It also meant any secrets hidden in the darkness would be revealed for all to see… for Becky to see.
Not yet
, he thought, and touched the small stud on his collar causing the CL suit to telescope up and over his head. He worked his jaws; the inside of his mouth felt crowded and sharp.

Arn knew something was badly wrong – was it Grimson’s blood? In the Dark Lands when they became blood brothers, their blood had mixed – had he contracted some sort of weird disease that humans had never encountered? Was it conceivable he could infect his world if he went back?
Impossible.
He shook away the thought. He needed to be home. He spurred the horse.

In another hour, the small mountain rose from the desert floor. As they neared, they could see what Hanson described as his “anthill” – it was covered with bodies, many still, but some still trying to climb to the open top.

But as he had promised, right down its centre there was a cleared strip. Red explosions and the popping of gunfire grew louder – Henson and his team were doing their job.

Arn kicked to the front of the group and reached down into a bloody sack that was hanging from his saddle. He drew out the severed head of Mogahrr and held it high, Medusa-like, as he plowed into the ranks of the Panterran archers positioned at the rear.

‘Your queen is dead, the war is over – the war is over.’ He swung the head left and right. ‘Mogahrr is dead, the war is over.’ He yelled the words as he smashed through their ranks.

Many of the Panterran were panicked at the sight of their dead queen’s head being paraded like a grisly trophy – proof that their support base was gone. They responded exactly as Arn hoped – they fled.

The Lygon were not so easily dissuaded – they charged. Henson and his Deltas picked off many of them using their armor-piercing rounds, but when the Lygon got in too close, Teacher’s small group was on its own.

Like the tip of a wedge, Sorenson and Teacher came to the front, hacking to both sides. Sorenson laughed as he brought his sword down onto the head of a Lygon. Following his defeat of Goranx, their giant general, these lesser warriors were nothing but chaff to him.

A dozen Delta Force soldiers came down the slope to meet them and formed a ring around Becky and Edward. They split into two groups, one attempting to draw the youths back up the slope, fighting the entire way, but quickly being surrounded. The remaining Deltas, Teacher, Arn, and Sorenson fought for their lives, the overwhelming numbers now pressing in on them.

Sorenson backed into Arn. ‘We must hold them until the Far Wolfen arrive.’

The moon was now down, and Arn’s limbs felt like lead. Beside him, Teacher hacked and stabbed, metallic objects changing and reforming to bludgeon and impale Lygon as they charged. Arn could see the Delta leader’s movements slowed by fatigue as well. Another Delta soldier beside them pau
sed for a split second to jam in another magazine and was smashed to the ground by an enormous Lygon club. Arn felt his own frustration rise – we’re so damn close.

‘We’ll never make it – get Becky and Edward through… now.’

The Deltas on the hill looked to Teacher, who nodded. ‘Get them and that diamond back to Harper.’ The Deltas paused and Teacher roared at them. ‘That’s an order.’

The Deltas coalesced around Becky and Edward and drove the Lygon out of their path as they shot, burned, and exploded their way back up the hill. In another few minutes they had disappeared over the lip and Teacher heard Henson’s voice in his ear.

‘Got ‘em in the tunnels, Boss. Our job is done. Time for you to join us.’

‘Let’s go, let’s go.’ Together Teacher, Sorenson and Arn backed slowly to the rim. Teacher knew his final task was to get all his men home, and then get the portal shut – nothing else mattered.

In the distance, horns blared and a dark line on the horizon grew with the approaching Wolfen and Ursa. The Lygon were confused by the sound of another army, and Teacher took the chance to reach out to grab Arn’s arm.

‘Time to go home.’

Arn grimaced behind the face covering, and looked to Sorenson, who brandished his sword, holding the Lygon at bay. The huge beasts seemed to come to a decision, and they split into two groups – the larger force headed down to meet the approaching army, but several dozen in a smaller group began to press their attack on the slope.

Teacher ripped at his arm. ‘Arn… now!’

Arn slumped and reached up t
o touch the small button at his neck. The visor retracted into his collar. ‘How can I?’ He turned to look at Teacher.

The Delta leader let go of Arn and staggered back a step. ‘Jesus Christ.’

‘How
can
I now?’ Arn repeated, feeling the odd shape of his features. He could guess how he looked – somewhere in between man and wolf. He now towered over Teacher, easily as tall as Sorenson.

Teacher swallowed, working to keep his face calm. ‘It’s probably because you were in this place so long. Maybe the nearness of the moon has affected you, or some disease. Harper can cure you… come on.’

Teacher grabbed him again. ‘Please… come with us.’

Sorenson backed into him, overhearing. He half turned. ‘Arnoddr Sigarr. Go, friend to Wolfen. I lost one brother, but in you, I had found another. Goodbye Arn. Save yourself… save your world. You have already helped save ours.’

Teacher bent and pulled a grenade launcher from a dead soldier’s hands. He fired several charges into the Lygon on the hill, making orange and black body parts fly into the air. He dropped it and grabbed Arn’s arm.

‘Now.’

‘Give me a minute.’ Arn wrenched his arm free. Teacher hesitated, then nodded and vanished into the dark.

Arn looked around at the broad flat desert, feeling a sinking depression deep in his chest. There was a part of him that needed to be home, but another part that didn’t want to leave. He had been in this strange land, with these wonderful creatures, for only a short time, but he had lived a dozen life times. He had grown close to them, grown to know them, grown to… love them.

‘Goodbye Valkeryn.’ He waved at Sorenson, and took one last long look at this world. He turned and disappeared down into the tunnels.

*

‘Your
sáál
will live forever in this place, Arnoddr.’ Sorenson watched his friend go and then turned back to the remaining Lygon. He threw his head back and roared. In one hand he held his sword high and in the other he had Goranx’s severed ears crushed into his fist.

‘Know who you face this day… the Wolfen of the new kingdom of Valkeryn.’ He leapt into their ranks.

On the desert plains in front of the mountain, the Far Wolfen and Ursa smashed into the rear flanks of the Lygon. In a few minutes all had been pulled from the mountainside to fight for their lives.

Sorenson breathed deeply and watched the last moments of the battle. He narrowed his eyes, as the dawn sun showed up a plume of dust from a rider who sped at them across the desert sand. A small Wolfen in a crimson cloak dismounted even before the horse had stopped, and then sprinted up the mountainside.

Sorenson bowed as he recognized the rider, knowing what she sought. ‘My Princess… my Queen. It is too late… he is gone.’

Eilif batted him aside, and dived into the dark tunnel.

*

General Langstrom stood with his legs planted, the hurricane winds tearing at him as he struggled to stay upright. Dozens of soldiers had taken up positions around the portal, each lashed to a metal spike hammered into the concrete floor. All had weapons trained on the enormous dark wound in their universe.

The sound was deafening, like that of a giant devouring beast that would not be satisfied until it had consumed the world. Langstrom yelled his instructions, not knowing whether they were heard or not, but determined to keep his troops focused and ready. There was little time now – hours only. There was a war going on the other side of the portal, and he was going to make damn sure it didn’t spill into their world and disrupt the work Dr Harper needed to do.

He yelled again. ‘Anything… and I mean, anything, non-human that comes out of that hole, you goddamn send it straight back to hell.’

*

Teacher held an arm up to shield his face from the force of the wind blasting from the dark maw. The Deltas had gone; he was the last soldier. He’d give Arn another few minutes… but he wasn’t the only one holding off making the jump.

He pushed at Becky and Edward. ‘Get the hell through… now.’

Becky clung to the side of the tunnel, resisting Edward dragging at her. Her face was defiant. ‘We came here for Arn. We – are –
not
– leaving – without him.’

Edward grabbed her around the waist and tugged. ‘Come on, Beck, he’ll come, but we gotta go… please.’

She looked down and punched at his arms. ‘No, you go. I’ll stay.’ She knocked one of his hands free and turned, just as several pinkish bodies slammed into Teacher from out of the dark. Becky and Edward were also grabbed with horn-like talons. Edward rolled into a ball and Becky screamed as they dug into her flesh.

Teacher rolled, trying to dislodge the weight on his back. His CL suit stopped the claws from penetrating his flesh, and he struck out with hands turned to metal hammers. However, the shapes wouldn’t hold – the Morph Steel’s effects were wearing off, leaving him battering away with his bare hands.

He managed to beat away several of the disgusting creatures, and get between Becky and Edward, and the colorless creatures. He didn’t want to think about what would happen to the
two youths if they were spirited away into the endless tunnels.

‘They’re still there, they’re still there.’ Becky hung on to Teacher’s legs, trying to use them as a shield. Almost immediately, there was movement all along the tunnel as more of the things crawled out of the darkness.

Teacher half turned. ‘Stay dow—’

He was slammed to the ground, the weight of several of the creatures crushing him to the damp tunnel floor. Once again Becky was caught, hooked by the hair, and dragged. Edward lunged at her, but another of the pale things reached out and caught the red diamond hanging from his neck and ripped it free.

Teacher leapt, his hand out, but the things were bred for the darkness and the claustrophobic tunnels – it was already darting away from him.

‘No.’ He banged the ground almost weeping.
All for nothing
, he thought, as he watched its greasy, pale torso muscle in amongst its kin.

Suddenly, from out of the tunnel depths there came a roar that froze the strange creatures. In an explosion of fury, something huge and black was in amongst them, ripping, smashing and slamming them into walls like they were nothing. It was huge and powerful, and its fury scattered the remaining tunnel dwellers.

Teacher backed up, bumping into Becky and Edward. ‘Get back.’

He could see it now – the remnants of a CL suit hung in tatters from its body. Black hair hung to its shoulders and over a long face with coal dark eyes.

It held out its hand – there was a red diamond on a silver chain hanging from it. Teache
r stared for several seconds, before reaching out to take the precious stone. He looked into its face, barely recognizable anymore.

‘Arn?’

The beast simply raised a hand and pointed to the gateway wavering in the tunnel behind them.

‘Arn? Arn?’ Becky looked both horrified and relieved at his appearance.

Arn studied her for a moment and then turned his head, listening for a few seconds. His huge dark ears swiveled on his head. He turned to face Teacher, leaning forward.

‘More are coming. You must go.’

Teacher looked about to say something, but Arn shook his head. The Delta commander nodded his farewell and then began to back up, the diamond hung about his neck. He hauled himself back on the tether, leaving Edward hanging on to the rope with one hand and Becky with the other.

Becky shook her head. ‘Arn, I’m not leaving without you.’ She tugged on Edward trying to pull away from him.

‘Please, come back with me. My father has money… we can get treatment.’ She turned to scowl at Edward who refused to let go. She spun back. ‘Please,
please
. I only came for you. I… I… love you.’

*

He stood staring at her, his eyes shining silver in the darkness. Indecision wracked his mind and heart. His feet moved without him even being aware of it and he stepped forward, his hand coming up towards hers.

Arn could see clearly in the dark now. He saw his own arm; it was unrecognizable – the suit hanging in tatters, and a slight sheen of dark fur covering the skin. The silver snarling wolf ring given him by Eilif – it seemed a lifetime ago – now fit snugly, and like it belonged.

He took another step.

‘Arn, my Arn.’ He spun.

Eilif sprinted down the tunnel, throwing off weapons, her crimson cloak and anything else that was slowing her down.

Becky lunged and grabbed his hand, tugging with all her strength. She turned to Edward, and screamed.

‘Pull!’

Eilif came fast. If he went, he knew she would follow. He took another step, indecision overwhelming him. In his mind he saw the recurring dream again – the miserable figure being dragged down the sterile corridors to become a laboratory curiosity, a freak – it would all come true if she followed.

The portal shimmered, and Becky’s mouth formed an ‘O’ as she started to become indistinct – Harper was doing his job. Her voice became panicked.

‘Now, please, come home now. Arn… now!’ She turned and started to beat at Edward, but Arn raised his hand in a wave, and his friend acknowledged with a nod, wrenching even harder at Becky.

Becky turned back, her face wet. ‘Come home.’

Arn heard his grandfather’s voice speak softly and calmly in his head:
to live among wolves, you must first become the wolf
.

He spun quickly to catch Eilif as she landed in his arms, and then turned back to shake his head sadly. ‘But I am home.’

Becky was pulled roughly back through the gateway, her scream still echoing as it snapped shut with a thump of
swirling air.