Chapter 226: A Dangerous Proposal

 

  With a wince, the warlord Marek Helene bent his aching legs and sat down on the snow. He inhaled in a cold-biting breath of air, mixed in with the scents of blood and smoke. The battlefield was riddled with bodies, soldiers of Hollow Shade and the Cairn Tribe lay dead across the bloodied snow in a horrific show of death.

  There were only a few survivors of his battalion. They sat on the snow, shivering. Many cried quietly and mourned the fall of their loved ones. How many more battalions would he lose before this war ended? How many more lives of his people would he sacrifice?

  Marek stared at the broken spear that lay at his feet. The wooden shaft had shattered in the middle of battle, like the other half-dozen spears before. He sorely missed the enchanted steel spear that was his father’s and the previous Cairn Tribe leaders’. But the enchanted weapon had been lost, it had fallen off a cliff at Widow’s Crag, along with that cursed blue goblin.

  Now that Marek thought about it, everything had gone downhill after that night. He had lost not only his most prized weapon, but the love of his life, Nokti. She had left him and had suddenly given her loyalty and love to another, Crow… that damn bastard.

  As if that hadn’t been enough, Crow had failed to reach a meeting with the Adder Tribe that night. And now the armies of Hollow Shade had begun to roam the hills of Dusk Valley with a size and fury that had not been seen in decades.

  Crow and Nokti had suddenly left on an unknown trip a few weeks back. Where they went or why? No one knew. All Marek knew was that his spy and scout’s networks had suffered greatly after Crow’s disappearance. The Cairn had already encountered Hollow Shade’s armies several times.

  Fortunately, his people had only faced off against small scouting battalions from the enemy. But if the Cairn ever found themselves against an entire legion of well-armored soldiers led by skilled generals and powerful mages, well… Marek hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

  He needed the Unildyr. They were still too young, but the void creatures were growing at a rapid pace. The young Unildyr already reached the height of a full-grown man while sitting on their haunches. Their glassy black eyes and the way they stared at everyone as if eyeing prey was unsettling. Their pale grey, almost-translucent skin did little to hide the powerful white muscles underneath.

  Every time Marek watched the Unildyr feed on a person, he was reminded of how dangerous these monsters really were. Their long black talons ripped through steel-plate armor, muscle, and bone as if ripping a sheet of paper. But it was the look in an Unildyr’s eye when they fed that truly gave Marek pause. The way an inner light shined in those dark unfeeling eyes; in those moments Marek wondered if awakening these monsters had been the right choice.

  “Lord Marek,” Dawn called out.

  Marek didn’t bother to answer, but he heard her footsteps crunch the snow as she neared. Like her twin, the mysterious hybrid arch-mage rarely deemed to speak. When either twin did, it was often short and grim. And more often than not, Dawn’s words came with an insult.

  Dawn stopped next to him and looked over his ragged appearance. “You look tired, young lord.”

  And there it is. He sighed, “I’m fine.”

  Dawn clicked her tongue, “The war is taking its toll on you and your people.”

  “We’ll manage. We always have,” he said curtly.

  “Is that so?” Dawn dug her hand under the snow, touched the grass underneath, and channeled green mana into the ground. A large vine sprouted five paces long and two paces wide. Dawn sat down on the make-shift bench and patted the area of vine next to her. “Come on, it may not be a soft bed, but it beats the cold wet snow.”

  Marek hung his head in defeat and sighed. He begrudgingly stood up from the snow and sat down on the vine, next to her. “...Thank you,” he muttered.

  “You’re welcome, young lord,” Dawn smirked. “I only wish I had my brother’s gift in the Orange; I’d conjure up a dozen fires and melt all this snow away.”

  Marek held out his arm, an orb of fire flickered to life in front of them. He lowered his hand, yet the flame spell continued to hover in the air, thawing their cold bodies.

  Dawn smiled and held out her hands for warmth, “Well, it seems we both might be able to help each other.”

  “What is it you want?” he asked. “I know it’s not the company.”

  “Are you sure about that? My brother is on a mission to try and improve our relations with the Adder Tribe. Perhaps I am bored and just want a conversation.”

  “Says the woman who rarely speaks a word. If there is one thing I know about Vaughn and you is that you both never speak unless it’s necessary. So, what do you want?”

  “Persistent and straight to the point, good. The Cairn people need a man of focus.” Dawn gestured at the corpses strewn across the battlefield, “But, how do you plan to save your people from all of this?”

  “We won didn’t we?” he shrugged uncomfortably.

  “That wasn’t what I asked.”

  Marek looked at her. Dawn’s dark violet eyes stared at him intently. He fidgeted underneath her stare and finally broke his gaze away. “...I awoke the Unildyr for a reason, didn’t I? When grown they will be our ultimate weapon and protection against Hollow Shade and its forces.”

  Dawn nodded slowly, “Except you didn’t awaken the Unildyr. You and Crow did that.”

  Marek gritted his teeth. “What’s the difference? Crow serves me.”

  “Crow seems to know much more about the Unildyr than any of us, including you, young lord. How do you plan to control the Unildyr once they’re fully grown, without Crow interfering?”

  Marek laughed, “The Unildyr hate Crow more than anyone. Any time they spot his black-feather cloak they begin hissing and extending their talons.”

  “Perhaps, but that man knows more about those void monsters than anyone. How long until he figures out a way to make them listen to him? What happens then, when he no longer needs you?”

  “Crow may be an aloof ass, but we have a deal. He will help me conquer Hollow Shade.”

  “And after that? What then, young warlord of Dusk Valley? What happens when Hollow Shade lies in ruins at the feet of the Unildyr? Who will control them then? You? Or him?”

  Marek narrowed his eyes, “You act as if Crow is my enemy?”

  She placed a finger under her chin and cocked her head to the side, “Isn’t he?”

  “What?” he frowned.

  “He took Nokti from you,” she whispered. “The love of your life, in the arms of another, all solely for the sake of spiting you. I wouldn’t call that much of an ally.”

  “Careful with your next words,” Marek snarled.

  She rolled her eyes, “Calm yourself, young lord. If I wanted to harm you, I’d have simply killed you.”

  “Then why the fuck are you even here?” he shot up to his feet.

  She smiled sadly, “To help you… and help me.”

  Marek furrowed his brow, he had never seen such raw emotion on her blue face before. He slowly sat back down, “How exactly?”

  “In theory, it’s simple, really. But in practice? Almost impossible. Almost.” She took a shaky breath and gathered herself up, “I want you to help me kill Crow.”

  Marek looked at her as if she had gone crazy, “What…? Why?”

  “Why the look of shock? I know you despise him.”

  “Yes, but he is still useful to the war effort.”

  “Really? Last I checked Crow and Nokti haven’t been seen in weeks.”

  “Why are you even asking me about this? I thought you were loyal to that bird fucker.”

  Dawn clasped her hands tight in a white-knuckle grip. “...I… I am not like your people. My brother and I did not choose to follow our master. We didn’t have much of a choice at all.”

  “I don’t understand, you both are arch-mages. If anyone has a choice in this fucked up world, it’s you two.”

  “My father had a choice. He made a deal with a monster. My father was a fool,” she said bitterly. “When the time came, he refused to hold up his end of the bargain… My entire village paid the price… We are still paying the price.”

  Marek’s anger died in the pit of his stomach, smothered by shame… and sympathy. He knew what it was like to have a parent trust someone they shouldn’t have and to have your entire village pay the price.

  “I’m sorry, lady Dawn,” he whispered.

  She shrugged and pulled her grey cloak close; the glimpse of the person underneath her cold exterior disappeared. “You say Crow is useful to the war effort, but how useful will you be to him once this war is over? If there is one thing I know about the man behind that mask, it is that he only cares for one other person, and that person is none of us, not you, not me, not my brother, and certainly not Nokti.”

  “Why does that not surprise me?” he said sourly.

  Dawn grabbed his hand, “We can still save the ones we love, Marek.”

  He looked into her violet eyes, beyond the piercing cold stare was a hint of warmth, “...How?”

  “We kill Crow.”

  He pulled his hand back and sighed, “This again? If he’s such a problem, why don’t you kill him yourself? You’re the arch-mage.”

  Dawn laughed ruefully, “Even if my brother and I fought Crow with everything we had, we’d probably put up a good fight, but we’d lose in the end, that much is certain. However, if it was the three of us, we may stand an actual chance of killing Crow.”

  “And how is that?” Marek asked skeptically. “I’m a high-master, others may think I’m powerful, but compared to you? In a battle of arch-mages? I might as well step aside and try no to get hit.”

  “I don’t need you for your magic, not really.”

  “What?” He furrowed his brow. “What does that even mean?”

  “Even if he pretends to be weak, Crow is powerful. His magic is like nothing I have ever seen. However, his greatest strength is his body itself. I don’t know how, but he’s… durable, more than anything I’ve ever witnessed. I know no spell that could ever land a fatal blow on Crow, neither does my brother.”

  “...If what you say is true, which already seems difficult to believe, how would I make any difference?”

  “You can’t, not on your own at least.”

  “Wonderful,” he said wryly.

  “You’re not listening.” Dawn looked out at the horizon, “There exist weapons… from the Age of Titans.”

  “Age of Titans? I’ve never heard of such an age.”

  “No, I wouldn’t think you had. Most haven’t. It is an age lost to time, older than the gods themselves.”

  “Older than Lunae and… Solis?” he whispered in reverence the final word, the name of his people’s fallen patron deity.

  Dawn nodded, “Yes, far older than the eldest of the ebon gods. Truth be told, not much is known about the Age of Titans. There is very little left from that time.”

  “Like the weapons you just mentioned?”

  Dawn looked at him grimly, “Like the Unildyr.”

  He swallowed, “What…?”

  “The Unildyr… For something to have survived so long, to have weathered the passage of eons, they must have great power within them.”

  “How do you know so much?”

  Dawn shrugged, “I listen and I learn. I have stood beside Crow for a long time and I have learned snippets of the mysteries he has uncovered. For example, I know of a vault, one of his secret treasure caches. Inside, resides a weapon from the Age of Titans Crow found not too long ago. A weapon, I believe, capable of killing that monster.”

  “...Even if you’re right, why do you need me?”

  “Do you know what orichalcum is?”

  “Of course, it’s one of the rarest and most precious metals in all the ten Null Realms.”

  Dawn nodded, “And one of the most coveted materials for magic.”

  “For magic?” he frowned. “I mean sure, orichalcum is incredibly durable, you could probably make a very nice suit of armor if you ever found enough of the black metal. But, magic? I thought orichalcum couldn’t conduct mana? In terms of enchanting, you could never do anything with it.”

  “You’re quite right. However, it is believed that in the Age of Titans they discovered a way to create magical artifacts from orichalcum. The art of crafting such artifacts may have been lost, but some people have learned the secrets of how to wield orichalcum’s magic.”

  “Like Crow?” Marek asked.

  “And a few others, that I know of at least. From what I understand, orichalcum artifacts are incredibly difficult to use, the larger and more powerful ones especially. They take a toll on the body that few can withstand.”

  “Let me guess, that weapon in Crow’s vault is made of orichalcum?”

  She shrugged, “I’m a vampire-drow hybrid. I could probably wield such a weapon, for a little while, before my body gives out and breaks down.” She gave him a side-glance, “But a dire? Well, maybe that’s another story.”

  Marek nodded slowly, “And I’m the most powerful dire around.”

  Dawn poked his chest with her fore finger, “The dire trait is said to be a remnant, a whisper in the blood of an age long forgotten.”

  His eyes widened, “The Age of Titans…”

  “Perhaps your body can withstand what mine cannot.” Dawn stood up and looked up at him. Even sitting down, he was still taller than her. She smiled, “I hear you are in need of a new weapon, young lord.”

  Marek stared at her, silent and expressionless. He thought of Crow and Nokti, of all that he had lost, and what he could still lose. He nodded solemnly, “That I am.”

  “Well then,” Dawn smirked. “It seems we have a deal.”

~~~

  “Stryg…” Feli’s voice called out in the distance. “Stryg, wake up. Wake up!”

  Stryg screamed and sat up in bed. His body was covered in sweat, but he felt cold. He clenched his fists and tried to calm his breathing. 

  Feli rubbed his back and kissed his shoulder, “It’s okay. It’s over now. You’re okay.”

  “...I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  She pursed her lips wryly and looked at him with an expression of love and pity, “You don’t have to apologize. How bad was it?”

  Stryg closed his eyes, the memory of the dream was clear. He could still see Clypeus on Widow’s Crag. Stryg couldn’t do anything but stand still, frozen. He watched as Clypeus was stabbed over and over, a look of surprise on his face as he looked straight at Stryg.

  “I’m fine, Feli, honest.” Stryg swallowed, his throat felt dry.

  Feli bit her lip, “They’ve been getting worse haven’t they?”

  He glanced out the window, it was still dark outside, though sunrise wasn’t far off. He pulled back the blankets and got up. “I’m pretty thirsty. I’m going to get something to drink.”

  Feli reached out her hand, she hesitated and let him go. “I’m here… if you ever need to talk. You're not alone, Stryg. I’m here and so is Rhian. Your family is here for you.”

  Stryg stopped at the door and looked back at her. “I know,” he smiled weakly and closed the door behind him.

  He walked past the kitchen and made his way to the front door. He grabbed his longsword, Nameless, and slipped on his shoes. 

  Stryg walked out quietly and tiptoed his way down the building’s stairs and made his way to the street below. The few undead sentinels rambling the Scholar District’s roads sensed the gold nameplate in his pocket and ignored him. 

  The gold was a nice upgrade from his silver nameplate, he no longer needed to show each sentinel he passed by the slab of enchanted metal. The gold nameplate had been one of the nicer gifts Elzri gave him when he had officially become his ‘godparent.’

  The undead sentinels didn’t bother Stryg as he made his way to the training courtyards. The sentinels however failed to notice the lamia that followed the goblin silently from the shadows.