“The contrast between the Tenebrisi arcane script and Eld-Siris is obviously remarkable. However, despite Haytion’s insistence to the contrary, it in no way provides any tangible evidence of any ancient contact with Tenebris. Instead, I would suggest that the similarities between the scripts, and indeed between the arcane scripts that have been identified by recent exploratory missions throughout the Twelve Worlds is more a result of the universal consistency of the laws of magic, rather than some fanciful, single divine origin.”
-Archhistorian Aberoth , Debunking the Believers, 315 K.E.
By the time they reemerged into the main hall with the Lowlander’s formed up around them, Vorn’s eyes had grown sharp and somber, his gait sure and strong.
The far end of the hall was engulfed in bloodshed. The rest of the Lowlanders had reconvened with Zera and Ariana, and all of them struggled desperately against the seething swarms of ratmen. Zera wielded a long bloody knife, and even Ariana’s attendants held spears in their awkward hands. But they were not warriors, and the uninjured Lowlanders were few.
Vorn bristled, shifting his his grip on his axe. Thalsi glanced at him.
Vorn nodded and they charged.
Kaberim barked an order and they followed close behind, forming a wedge with Vorn and Thalsi at its tip.
They collided with the swarming mass. Vorn laid waste with his axe and Thalsi with her spear. The Lowlander’s engaged the ratmen a moment later and for a second bloody battle raged. Then the rats wavered, shrieking and fleeing: servants coerced to fight through fear with little resolve of their own.
A cheer rose from the mortals.
“We were starting to worry you two wouldn’t make it,” Zera said between ragged breaths
“I’m sorry,” Vorn answered. “I was… distracted.”
Zera studied him for a moment, frowning. “Well don’t let it happen again,” she said with mock severity. “Good work, Thalsi.”
Thalsi nodded.
“With luck the Skithiar will still be in working order,” Zera continued. “Alright everyone, let’s go home.”
The mortals cheered again.
The company formed into a column with Vorn at the front and Thalsi at the rear. Ariana and Zera went in the middle, with the hale Lowlander’s carrying the wounded.
No ratmen accosted them as they departed the castle, and all was silent and still as they crept through the ruined city. But as they turned onto the promenade leading to the outer-gate, they found Zermayix and Antariasta awaiting them. Through the gate they caught sight of the Skithiar. It looked untouched, but there was no sign of Zera’s crew onboard.
Vorn hesitated, his eyes softening.
“Come back to me, my love,” Antariasta called. “Don’t let them steal you away from me.”
Vorn went to step forward. Thalsi grabbed his shoulder.
Stay strong brother.
Vorn glanced back at her. His eyes were in turmoil.
“But I love her,” he whispered.
Antariasta cackled with delight.
Zera frowned at Vorn, then stepped out in front. “Let us pass and we shall leave in peace,” she called to them.
Zermayix shook his head. “I cannot. If I let you go Tarneb’s retribution against me would be–”
Thalsi grunted, and levelling her spear, surged forward. The Lowlanders cried out and followed.
Vorn stood rooted in place, muttering under his breath and shaking his head.
“Help us, my love,” Antariasta called to Vorn.
A wave of fear passed over Thalsi. Vorn wouldn’t turn on them, would he? She glanced over her shoulder. He looked dazed. Zera was speaking to him in a hushed, hurried voice.
Thalsi looked ahead again. Antariasta and her father were melting into each other. Thalsi faltered for a moment. Their bodies morphed and expanded into a single black serpentine shape, sleek and scaled, and mighty as an ancient tree. Their tail was tipped with a single jagged spine and it had two heads at the end of long coiling necks, one with the face of Antariasta, the other of Zermayix, only huge and elongated with monstrous, fang filled jaws.
Behind, Vorn was lost in a stupor.
The serpent growled, rumbling the ground and spraying them with putrid spittle. Antariasta’s head lashed down at them. the Lowlanders hesitated. Thalsi thrust with her spear, warding the head back.
Zermayix’s head swung around from the side. Thalsi dived. The Lowlander’s scattered. Three were consumed, screaming. Thalsi rolled to her feet, pivoting and thrusting behind Zermayix’s ear. He shuddered, hissing, straining against Thalsi but she held him in place. The Lowlanders surged forward, stabbing at his face.The tail whipped around, skewering two and flinging them into a nearby wall with a sickening crunch.
All that remained of the Lowlander’s were Kaberim and one other.
Antariasta loomed over them, striking down at Thalsi. She tried to rent her spear free but it stuck deep. Abandoning it, she leapt aside. Antariasta’s face stuck where she’d been standing a moment ago, splintering the pavement and throwing Thalsi further in a hail of dust and broken cobbles.
Zermayix lashed out at the Lowlanders. Kaberim fell back and the other was torn apart.
As Antariasta rose to loom over Thalsi. She glanced down the street.
The injured Lowlanders, those that could still stand were shakily advancing. Zera and Ariana were speaking to Vorn in frantic voices. Vorn looked on in horror.
“Stormtamer!” Kaberim cried. “Help us!”
Brother, please.
Antariasta lashed out at her.
Thalsi scowled, knife raised.
Vorn’s axe, wreathed in lightening, crashed into Antariasta’s face with a shockwave of grey thunder.
Antariasta recoiled, shrieking, green blood erupting from her face.
The entire serpent shuddered.
Thalsi threw herself to her feet and leapt for Zermayix’s head, grabbing hold of her spear, and with a grunt, rent it free. At the same moment, Vorn sprinted forward, jumped and pulled his axe free as well.
Zermayix’s head rose with Thalsi clinging to the side. She clambered up, over the top. From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Vorn standing off against Antariasta. Kaberim was helping Zera and Ariana shuffle the wounded past, towards the gate.
Zermayix thrashed about. Thalsi slipped, letting go of her spear to grab hold of a tuft of his grey dreaded hair. He swung Thalsi about coiling and spinning his long neck. But she held fast, muscles burning.
Climbing up the hair like a rope, she worked her way towards the root and with her knife stabbed at his forehead. Then grabbing his brow, stabbed at his purple slitted eye, two, three, four times. Zermayix howled and hissed, before he went limp.
Thalsi let go, dropping to the ground hard on one knee.
The serpent writhed and coiled up. Antariasta shrieked.
Then the serpent split in two, both halves shrinking and melting back into their original forms: Zermayix curled up on the ground dead, and Antariasta prone, bleeding from a gash across her face.
Vorn stood over her, trembling, axe raised, but he didn’t strike. Tears streamed down his face. Antariasta cowered, glaring up at him.
Then Vorn shook his head and lowered his axe. “I can’t,” he grunted.
Thalsi stepped towards her with his knife.
“No,” Vorn said. “ Please. Spare her.”
Zera stepped up beside them. “But she’s–”
“I know…but I still…” Vorn sighed. “We have what we came for and she’s no longer a threat to us.”
Thalsi looked from Antariasta, to Vorn, to Zera.
Zera nodded. Thalsi sheathed her knife.
Antariasta hissed, throwing herself at Thalsi, claws outstretched. Thalsi shot a kick to her gut, then a fist to her wounded face, throwing her back. Antariasta writhed on the ground, gasping for air.
Vorn’s face contorted with anguish. “Come on,” he said in a soft, trembling voice. “Let’s go home.”
Chapter fourteen - release date: 04/09/2024
If you have any feedback regarding the story, either positive or negative, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’m always looking to improve.
Thank you for your time and attention, I truly do appreciate it.
Great chapter, Max. I really loved the mythic descriptions in this one.