Take the Darkness...: Epic Fantasy Series (9 page)

Chapter 17

They’d run through the snow and across the sparse terrain for what would have been almost a solid day had the sun risen and given them any indication of actual time passing. Seraphina was exhausted, but tried to keep pace with the large bounds of the Wolvern which raced ahead, often ‘til it was just a white dot in her vision. They had a plan, and she thought it was a pretty good one, but the creature was less than convinced. Still, it didn’t involve her going head to head with the silver woman, which was all to the good.

She held the guise of the dead. Her pretty human features were distorted into the dead black eyes and feral teeth. It was strange that in this guise she actually felt like it was easier to run on and on, and the cold didn’t touch her as much. It must have been her imagination, just like her fires couldn’t really warm her, but sometimes they felt like they did. Any dead she passed ignored her, even if she was moving in ways they never did; they only ran towards food, not to a destination.

Soon she saw the outline of the Wolvern getting closer and closer, which meant it had stopped. Her pale legs pushed her on harder and harder, she didn’t want to get him angry. Soon, she too was crouched down in the snow next to the fearsome beast, breathing in hard ragged breaths and feeling the sweat on her forehead starting to freeze.

‘
You aren’t as weak as I thought
,’ the Wolvern's words sounded in her mind.

‘Thanks for the compliment,’ she said back between panting breaths. ‘Can you see them?’ She couldn’t see them through the thin snow, but the Wolvern had much keener sight than a mere man or woman, as it often told her.

‘
I can, he’s walking at her side like a dog on a leash. It’s disgusting that he allows himself to be commanded by her
,’ it said in dark tones.

‘You would as well,’ she said.

Its voice in her mind grew feral. ‘
I never would. Her words just cause me pain. I would never follow them, but it hurts dreadfully to deny her. Let’s go now.’

‘Shouldn’t we wait until they camp?’ She asked.

‘
They won’t stop now. They are very close to her people’s stronghold now, and she doesn’t sleep.’

‘Oh, okay then. I’ll get close and wait for your signal, then.’

‘
Good luck, little princess, you’re a brave one for such a tiny fragile thing.’
It said as an endearment, and bounded off into the distance.

She stood and started her slow paced run towards them. She was still torn as to if she actually wanted to help Seth, the bastard, but in her mind she just kept telling herself that she was helping the Wolvern and not him. Also, if she had a chance of escaping this place, it was by getting involved. She’d been sitting alone in her cave for what seemed like years with only her illusions, and developing her powers to keep her company. Now at least she wouldn’t be so fucking bored. She’d probably be actually dead in a matter of hours, but it was more fun than sitting still. Also, this woman’s power intrigued her. Imagine what she herself could do with that power.

Through the soft falling snow, she saw them and hoped to hell the Wolvern would be ready for her by the time she reached them. They moved so quickly, striding along on their tall bloody legs. Both Seth and the woman were a good head taller than her and seemed to lope along easily and tirelessly. Soon she was within an arrow’s distance of them and could see them both clearly for the first time.

He was as she remembered. Tall, strong, Northern features with short hair that was clipped close to his skull, obviously cut back in the land of the living since there were no hair knives here. But he also looked a lot younger than she remembered. He was just a boy, she remembered, not any older than twenty name days. She herself was forty-three name days, though she looked to be in her early twenties, or had last time she’d had a viewing glass. The woman was even more incredible up-close. She did indeed look like a living statue. Her body was perfectly formed, and looked strong and cold like marble. She had silver hair that flowed down her shoulders as if never cut once, and she moved with such animal grace. At her side hung a huge black sword that was near to her only clothing. Other than that, only her breasts were covered, and a small leather swatch hung at the front. Seraphina tried not to stare at her as she walked, but she was a beautiful if strange creature. The look of her fair filled her with jealous, her own looks had been worn away by too many nights sleeping on the ground and no hairbrush.

Then she heard it, a long deep howl of such anger and hatred, she knew it was her Wolvern. It came bounding out of snow, and in front of it being herded like a bloodthirsty flock of cattle was a small horde of the dead. The creatures ran through fear of the Wolvern, but once they saw the silver woman and Seth, their simple minds turned quickly to attack.

The Silver women yelled something to Seth in a version of Northern that Seraphina could barely understand and then they drew their swords. The dead horde was on them in moments, at least ten of them, attacking, clawing, and biting. If the woman was graceful before, now she was like a liquid dream of death. She ran towards them without fear, and swinging her deadly black blade, cut the nearest one down from shoulder to hip. The blade cut deeply into its body and the thing that had once been a man fell back with an animal cry. Seth was clearly the more favoured target and he fought hard against the clawing mass of them. She’d seen him in the room and seen him cut down Dirst, but never had she seen him fight with such brutal ferocity.

Instead of hacking and slashing, he simply thrust his double hand broadsword into one dead person’s chest after the other. One bit his shoulder hard, his height saving his neck, and he lashed back with an elbow and smashed its sharp teeth hard; it fell back and he was upon it, stabbing down again and again. Soon he was on the ground with a pack of them biting and clawing him.

She looked to see that the Wolvern was engaged with the woman. It leapt at her throat, lunging to the side to avoid that huge blade, and was on her. It pinned her down with strong paws and lunged at her pale throat with those sharp rows of double teeth. Seraphina swore she saw a smile on the woman’s face as she just whispered, “No” at the Wolvern. It was thrown back with the pain that racked its body. The woman turned to see Seth fighting hard, but seemed to have no concern for him.

‘You better run, dog,’ she said, standing up. ‘This time you’re done for good.’ The Wolvern literally turned its tail and started running through the snow. She chased after it, and soon they were far off in the distance. Seraphina had waited long enough. She ran from her hiding spot to Seth. She drew her own blade and, stabbing down left and right, killed one, two, three of the creatures that were upon Seth. He lay panting and covered with blood. She let the guise of the dead slip from her and took the one he’d recognise. The pretty girl he’d sent to this place. Perfect hair and clothes, not the tatters and matted hair she currently had. He looked up at her as he pushed the last dead creature off of him. She saw the deep wound in his shoulder literally heal itself in front of her.

‘Seraphina?’ He asked with disbelief.

‘Oh, you remember me.’ She said, taking his hand and helping him to his feet. ‘Sorry for all the mess, but we needed a believable distraction.’ As she pulled him up, she saw the scars on his hands and marked them.

‘Distraction from what?’ He said as he stood.

‘From that silver-tongued bitch. Now off you go: go North and he’ll find you.’

‘But I don’t understand, I have to do what she says, but now I don’t feel like that at all.’

Seraphina laughed. ‘You think it’s easy to tell a Wolvern what to do? She’s busy, Seth, and she won’t come looking for you.’

‘Why not?’

As she stood before him, Seraphina changed her guise once more. She let her features become like his and felt the ease of it, because it was from the actual image of him right in front of her. She let her small frame grow tall and even her sword take on the shape of his.

‘She won’t come after you, because you’ll be right here waiting for her.’

What a disgusting plan. That girl had no idea of the shame it felt as it ran like a scared child away from the Silver tongue. Have to run slow enough so she can actually think she has a chance to catch me, have to tuck tail and run like a coward. Horrible, to let her think I’m scared. It felt the pain in its body and pushed against her power. The more it fought, the weaker her hold on his boy.  Feelings of hatred towards her came easily and were met with the pain, it imagined finally sinking his teeth into her pale skin and tasting that sweet flesh, soon, very soon. He’d slowed too much and she was on him again.

‘Stand and fight, dog!’ She yelled, that was too much. The boy would be free now and they were a long distance off, so even her good hearing wouldn’t hear the girl. If he couldn’t, she couldn’t. He turned and faced her. No more games, just the kill.

It shouted back in her mind, trying to crush her with its ringing words. ‘
Get ready to die.’
It howled.

She just smiled back and levelled her black blade at him. ‘Lay down before me, dog, bow your ugly head so I can cut if off.’

It raised its body high and snarled at her with all the hate it could muster. The pain that lanced though its body was staggering, but it was not going to be bowed by pain. Hundreds of years of hunger, cold freezing snows and winds. He took the pain and fought it.

‘
Come and take it!’
It shouted back in her mind, trying to hurt her with its power.

She advanced towards him, and focusing her entire will on him, shouted. ‘I said bow!’

It’d done it, as it felt the entire power of her magic coming down on him, and with that her connection with the boy was completely broken. The pain smashed into its body and he tasted the blood in its mouth. The Wolvern coughed up his own precious black blood into the snow and bowed his head. The moment it did, the pain stopped completely. The relief washed over its body and it recoiled. Not to feel pain was to be weak. It’d rather die than be a slave to this creature.

It raised his head, and with the last of his strength he pushed a dark laugh into her mind. ‘
I’m nobody’s slave, I’m the King of this land, and I will see you dead.’
It stood up tall and proud and felt the power of her on him fully. It was in his bones and insides, crouching, pulling and ripping. ‘
I’ll see you dead!’
It shouted again in her mind, and then with a final spit of blood from his strong mouth, it collapsed to the snow with a howl of pain as its very bones cracked apart, blood dripping from its nose and eyes.

She stood above the creature as it lay in the snow. The white around it slowly growing black as its blood poured from it and pooled around its massive pale body.

‘Who’s dead, now?’ She asked with a childish laugh. Going to its body, she gave it a little nudge with her naked foot, making sure. After years and years, it was finally done.

Seth felt it deep inside his body moments before he heard the howl of pain. It was like nothing he’d ever heard before, and it was deep within his mind, as well as ringing though the empty land of the dead. He knew something terrible had happened to the Wolvern. Whatever sacrifice it had made, he knew it had worked. He could feel any connection he had had with the Silver woman broken. He only felt hatred towards her now. She’d taken all of his sense of self and turned him into a mindless weapon. Even his own body wasn’t his anymore, and he could still feel the effects of her blood within him.

His feet sank in the snow as he slowly followed after Seraphina, who now wore his face and the guise of his body like a costume mask. She’d said to go North and the Wolvern would find him, but after that howl of pain, he didn’t think it would be finding anyone. He felt a pang of deep sadness at the thought. If the creature was really dead, he’d be lost. Sure, it was a monster and fearsome, but it was on his side. Since the beginning of this bloody journey, it had been the one powerful force at his side, and now it had literally laid down its life for him. Why? He was nothing compared to the creature. He still thought of it as a god of sorts, and he was just a man.

He had to be careful not to get too close, as if the woman saw him, she’d gain her control over him again. He didn’t know if Seraphina's powers would protect her from them, but she seemed to think they would. She was still embarking on a dangerous ruse. As the Silver woman’s champion, he’d already had to fight countless dead, Moon’s Children, and the woman herself. He doubted Seraphina would be up for the challenge, and the real question was, why?

Why would she help him? Of all the things he’d done in his life so far, sending her here had to be among the worst. She’d clearly been here for years, alone, and maybe she’d developed some kinship with the Wolvern, but was that really the only connection she’d had? She must feel such hatred towards him, yet she’d saved him. Now she was in the fire while he walked free and directionless. He’d follow them as closely as he could and do what he could. If he could redeem himself for sending her here, then that was his mission now.

Chapter 18

The rough looking captain with his silver streaked hair hadn’t even bothered to put her into a cell, but had marched her with the tip of his sword pressing into her back, into a caged wagon at the back of the guardhouse. The young man who had shown her in looked surprised, but said nothing as they shoved her face first onto the dirty wooden floor of the prison carriage. Pushing herself up from the floor, she turned and looked through the bars at him.

‘Go fuck yourself,’ she spat.

He just laughed back at her. ‘You relax, you little redhead bitch, or I’ll smash those fine teeth in or let my men have you to pass the time. Once a pleasure slave, always a pleasure slave.’

‘I’ll fucking pleasure you with my dagger if I get a chance.’ She said back, but sat down on the rough bench.

‘That’s right, be a good girl and just wait here while I go get your friends from the tavern, and tell them what dirty lies you’ve been spreading.’

The Captain walked away, leaving his two guards standing at either side of the cage door. They had taken her bow and dagger from her, but she still had two long steel needles that she used to keep her long hair up and out of her face. They could be enough.

Josette felt such anger at herself. She’d been entrusted to help Seth and Elizebetha and she’d let them down by trusting this man. He’d looked like such a reliable old fighter, and not one of the fine-dressed Guild people at all. Still, he was on his own rung looking to win his way into favour by selling her to the Duke. Once he went to the happy merchant tavern, her life would be getting a lot worse. She didn’t want to think what Goldie or that fuck of a mercenary captain would do to her to keep their plans intact.

Slowly, she reached up and, pulling the long steel needles from her red locks, let her hair fall down. She shook out her hair and then tucked it back into her hood. She looked at the men guarding her cage. Even if she killed them, she’d still be locked in here. She saw that one had a big ring of keys hanging from his black leather belt, but that wouldn’t help her if he was dead on the ground out of her reach. Do what you have to do, kid. She hated this shit, but men were so stupid that it was really her only option.  Her deft fingers undid her thin hooded cloak and took it off so that she sat bare armed, just wearing her leather tunic and tight pants. She unbuttoned the tunic a little at the top so her breasts were showing some cleavage. Men had always liked her body, for all the good it had done her. She liked that it was good at killing.

Turning to the guards who had been watching her as she began to undress, she said in her best sultry voice. ‘So, who’s first?’

The older of the two guards, who was at least twenty years her senior, laughed at her. ‘What, you think we’re going to let you go if you fuck us?’

‘Oh no, of course not, but I’ve been in this situation before, and I’d rather you want to give me decent food, water, and not break my jaw. I’ll be a good prisoner if you’re good guards,’ she promised as she opened her legs wide and leant forward on the rough bench.

The young one looked at her with lust in his eyes, but looked to the other man askance. ‘She was a pleasure slave, Smith, what’s it to her? And she’s fucking tiny, so what’s she going to do unarmed?’

‘Okay, okay, but quickly before the Captain comes back,’ the older one said.

He reached out with his key and started to unlock the door of the cage. She knew what would happen now. The older one was actually too smart, and would just lock her in with the other, and she’d be fucked again, quite literally. He’d have the key on the other side, and even if she put her needle to the young one’s throat it would be no use, as this one looked hard enough to let his comrade die.

As soon as the door opened a crack, she leapt off the bench, her metal heeled leather boots slamming into it hard. The heavy cage door swung fast and wide and smashed the older man in the face. He reeled back, clutching his bleeding and broken face as he staggered to the ground. She collapsed out of the doorway with less grace than she would have liked, but landed on top of the stunned younger guard. She quickly brought the steel needles which were in her left hand up into the underside of his soft throat, again and again. His blood sprayed out in spurts as his screams slowly died with him.

She stood and faced the other guard who was back on his feet already. He was a tough bastard. His nose was broken and at least three of his teeth were missing. The blood poured freely from his face but he just drew his sword and pointed it at her, ignoring the pain.

‘Now you’re dead, bitch’ he said through a bloody mouth.

She just smiled at him and, flicking her left hand hand twice, letting the needles fly. It was a nice skill she’d learned from Stellos, her captain in the Cold Death. One hand, two thrown, different targets. One missed his eye and cut below it, but the second sunk deep into his open right eye. The man screamed with pain and collapsed to his knees a second time, dropping his sword.

Josette walked up to the man and kicked his sword away into the dust of the roadway, and was glad they were at the back of the guardhouse and not the front.  Looking at the man’s broken face, she just muttered, ‘feeling any pleasure yet?’ With that she brought the heel of her boot down hard against his windpipe, again and again until he stopped moving.  Looking around the street and making sure no one was coming, she went back into the carriage and retrieved her cloak. She put it on and jumped back down to draw the keys from the dead man’s belt.

Pushing against time, she went back into the guardhouse via the backdoor, and there resting on the Captain’s desk were her bow, quiver, and dagger.

‘I missed you,’ she said, taking her bow and looping it over her shoulders before she did the same with the quiver and tucked the dagger into her belt scabbard. She looked for the letter, but it was gone: the Captain must have taken it. Josette left the room via the backdoor, and fighting the urge to run, just walked back to the carriage. Lying down on the ground, she crawled on her belly into the darkness beneath it and waited.

The wood of the underside of the wagon was smooth and now that she had time she slowly let her heartbeat come back to normal, and the battle rage calmed from her system. She’d never fought like that in her life. The only time she’d felt that much rage was when she had killed her former owner in order to escape. It was the same now as then, as she didn’t care if she died so long as she inflicted as much damage as she could. Dagosh and Stellos had trained her to be a fighter and not a killer, but men like that who just saw her as a hole to fuck filled her with such hate. She thought of the man’s blood dripping from her boot heel and tried to make herself smile. The Northmen had it right: the only good enemy was a dead one.

Soon she heard what she was waiting for. She could have run, but how would that redeem her stupidity? She had to make this blunder worthwhile, and at least she’d unmask the Captain, if the lucky lady helped her get away from this. She heard the crunch of heavy footsteps on the roadway and looked out from under her wagon. She saw three sets of feet and recognised one set of boots as Goldie's, the other huge ones as Flint’s.

‘I think she’s escaped,’ said a voice thick with Northern accent.

‘Fucking hell, but she was in the cage with no weapons,’ he said in disbelief.

‘Well, she’s obviously had help,’ said Goldie. ‘You think that little girl crushed this man’s windpipe?’

‘Why did you even capture her? She’s with us.’Said a voice she knew as Flint’s.

‘I told you, Flint, she’s working for the Duke and wanted to tell him our plans,’ said Goldie as if to a child. ‘You go wait around the front while I talk to the Captain.’ She heard his big long gait crunch away.

‘What the fuck do I do now?’  Yelled the Captain. ‘Your plans all for shit if she warns Elizebetha.’

Josette heard the blade draw and the sound of it going into the Captain mid-word. ‘That all depends on what I’m fucking planning, doesn’t it?’ She heard the man’s body drop to the ground.