Beyond the Edge of Dawn (35 page)

Fear Betrayed

Kavan leapt at his former mentor. The intense stench of anger wafted off Pirneon, sickening him. Kavan failed to understand how the greatest knight in Gaimosian history had so willingly turned to embrace evil. Corso’s words were just words, empty phrases cast out to lure them into darkness. Kavan didn’t believe for a moment that his people had been bred for such foul purpose.

He roared back at his new enemy and slashed downward with the intent of ripping his chest open. The Pirneon-beast recognized the stance, flashbacks of his previous life driving him on, and reacted. He leapt over the committed Gaimosian. Sheer force drove both Fist to the ground. Tym rolled away, slivers of his broken bow still in his grasp.

“No!” he shouted.

Even then, he knew it was too late. The Pirneon-beast punched a great clawed hand into the second Fist’s chest and through the back. Blood and tissue dripped from elongated fingers. Spinal fluids leaked from the wounds. The Fist’s eyes rolled back in a moment of disbelief before he died. Howling perverted delight, the Pirneon-beast raised the corpse and ripped it’s head off. Chewing sounds echoed disgustingly across the area.

Tym clenched his eyes, fighting back tears. He’d seen more than his share of men die, but none so viciously. Worse, he knew his fate would be the same. Paralyzed with fear, he waited for the end. Warm urine ran down his leg.

“Monster! It’s me you want!” Kavan bellowed.

The diversion saved Tym’s life. The Pirneon-beast paused his attack to face his new threat. Recognition flashed. He spit out the broken remains of the Fist’s skull and crouched low to the ground. His mind played a hundred memories. Every strength and weakness Kavan possessed filtered through. His muscles flexed, ready to pounce on his former student.

Pure, unadulterated evil lay within his heart now, so wholeheartedly had he devoted his life to the dark gods and their powers. All of his old allegiances and loyalties were gone. Corso was his master now. The man who had been Pirneon was dead. Murdering Tamblin had been the defining moment. That minor sliver of his conscience still Human had been eager to repay her betrayal by ripping her throat out. He had relished devouring every scrap of her flesh.

Kavan continued his taunting, hoping to give Tym enough time to get to cover. This wasn’t his fight. Pirneon had been a friend, teaching Kavan every style of combat he knew. Master and apprentice. That relationship left them on equal footing.

“You had my loyalties, Pirneon,” he said. “I believed in you, your vision, and the hopes of our people. You betrayed us all. The oracle was right. We all have a role to play in this game.”

The Pirneon-beast snarled. Spittle drooled from his elongated jaw.

“Yours is to die,” Kavan whispered.

Kavan spit, knowing what was left of Pirneon would recognize the challenge. Ancient Gaimosian custom demanded a duel of honor for such foulness. Kavan waited. Each heartbeat was the sound of a mighty drum pounding. A single bead of sweat dripped from his hair, over his forehead, and into his right eye. The salt stung, reminding him of the host of hardships overcome to reach this moment.

“Come on,” he said.

As much as he wanted the beast to attack, he didn’t see any chance of victory.

The Pirneon-beast eased Kavan’s hesitations by charging. Kavan waited until the beast was almost on top of him before dropping to a knee and punching his sword up. The Pirneon-beast jerked aside, preventing fatal damage. Kavan’s sword caught it in the back of its right arm. Dark blood sprayed from the wound, burning the ground. An arrow thrummed over his head, lodging deep in the base of the beast’s neck. Kavan glanced up to see Tym draw and fire again.

“Run!” Kavan shouted.

Both men fled the battleground. Kavan’s last sight of the nexus was of Aphere facing down Corso.

He wished her better success than he was having before forcing her from his mind. Aphere was on her own. He had his own troubles to deal with. Both Fist and knight ran as hard as they could to put distance between them and the werebeast. Kavan felt pangs of regret from not believing Aphere when she’d tried so hard to convince him. That ignorance might well be the end of them all.

Neither thought escape was possible. Their best hope lay in confusing the Pirneon-beast enough to ambush it and, hopefully, slay it. Kavan wished he’d thought about such things on their route into the ruins, but he’d been arrogant.

He listened to Tym’s breathing as they ran. Gessun Thune seemed to grow around them. The ruins cast no shadows in the pale light, which Kavan noticed had gone from pale grey to pale green, though their sheer size dominated the surroundings. Kavan snatched Tym by the shoulder and pulled him into an empty doorway where both men collapsed. Pirneon howled in the distance.

“We can’t beat that,” Tym gasped.

Kavan shook his head. “No.”

Tym looked hard at his companion. “How do you know that thing?”

Fighting to get his breathing back under control, Kavan swallowed before explaining, “He was my mentor. Everything I know I learned from him.”

The Fist cursed. “Corso spoke true.”

“Yes.”

“I knew you people were dangerous. You killed my best friend at the swamp edge.” He paused, jaw twisting thoughtfully, as if deciding whether Kavan was his enemy or not. “Fine, let’s kill him or die trying. I’ve lost the will to run any further.”

They caught heavy footsteps approaching.

“How many arrows do you have?”

Tym checked and was dismayed. His quiver was empty. Not that it mattered much since his bow had been shattered. Picking up the second had been sheer luck. Kavan still had his crossbow, but only two bolts. All of the rest had fallen out during their retreat. Swords and daggers weren’t going to be enough.

Kavan shoved the crossbow and bolts at Tym. “Here, take them.”

“What are you going to do?”

Offering a sarcastic smile, Kavan said, “I’m going to lure him in, and you’re going to shoot him. Get up high and aim for the heart. I’ll keep him busy down here. If he kills me, do what you can to get back to the surface.”

“That’s your plan?”

“I’m all ears if you have a better one,” he replied as he walked away.

Tym cursed again and began to climb. He’d already learned that, once a Gaimosian got it in his head to do something, there was no turning back. The Fist crouched down behind a broken pillar on what used to be the second floor. He carefully selected his field of fire and waited. Werebeasts were difficult to kill in the best situations, and here he was trying to kill the strongest. He suddenly regretted volunteering.

Kavan slipped back into the street. “Pirneon!”

The beast roared in response. Heightened senses told him where Kavan was. He charged through the ruins. His bulk crashed through already broken buildings. Hate spurred him on, hate and the three arrows driven deep in his flesh. Blood splashed down his ruined form. His muscles were hideously gnarled. Pustules and lesions covered his body. The Pirneon-beast rounded the corner and saw Kavan’s diminutive figure waiting. Another challenge. He attacked, all the while hoping Kavan remained still so he could relish in the slaughter.

Kavan held his ground. Pirneon’s arrogance had transcended into his new form. That would work to his disadvantage. He hoped Tym was ready; otherwise, it was going to be a violent death. Kavan broke and ran. The Pirneon-beast followed.

“Come on, you bastard,” he taunted through clenched teeth.

The glow in the caverns grew stronger as if unchallenged powers were being funneled into the nexus. He ignored it, focusing instead on the five hundred pound monster chasing him. That minor distraction was enough that he failed to see the rock. He fell and rolled. Sharp pain lanced through an ankle. The sprain might as well have been an amputation. There was no way he could continue running. Hobbling, he made his way back through the doorway.

“Wait for your shot,” he warned the Fist. “Don’t worry about me.”

Tym swallowed and raised his weapon. Too many images crowded his mind, desperately trying to be noticed before the end. Concentration wasn’t easy. Nerves made him tremble. The weapon wavered. Common sense said to break and flee. The Gaimosians could kill each other. If what Corso said was true, the world might be a better place without them.

Tym wiped his palm across his trousers and tried to swallow. His mouth was parched. He couldn’t stop sweating. Further thought fled when the werebeast crashed through the building’s exterior. Great chunks of the ceiling crashed down.

The building rocked from a second and third impact before the Pirneon-beast managed to break free. The beast howled fierce enough to make his ears bleed. Wicked eyes scanned the unnatural darkness. Kavan had made it too easy. The fist-sized rock caught Pirneon in the jaw, shattering one of the upper fangs. Kavan pitched another rock, this one catching the beast in the throat. Pirneon reared back, exposing his upper body.

“Now!” Kavan shouted.

Tym whispered a quick prayer and fired. He reloaded and fired again. Both shots took Pirneon in the chest, close to the heart but not enough to kill. The werebeast staggered under the blows. Kavan struck. Stabbing as hard as he could, he found brief resistance followed by the sound of steel ripping through flesh and organs. Hot blood gushed forth, and Kavan slipped. The Pirneon-beast lashed out and caught Kavan in the chest, spiraling him backwards.

Rising to full, terrifying height, the Pirneon-beast was a vision of nightmares. Tym stared in astonishment. Kavan groaned and rolled over to his knees. Bright red blood drooled from his lips. Sharp pain spread across his chest with each breath. He looked up at his enemy, knowing there was only one shot. Waiting until Pirneon was over top of him, Kavan used every last ounce of his strength to reach forth and grab his sword, still buried in Pirneon’s chest. He twisted, ripped. Blade and heart flew from the body as the Pirneon-beast lashed out one final time. The mighty nightmare collapsed in a lifeless heap. Pirneon, Knight Marshal of Gaimos, was dead.

Kavan limped next to the broken body. Tears struggled to win free. He looked down on his former mentor and clove through Pirneon’s neck. The head rolled away.

“I am sorry,” Kavan whispered.

Power Unrestrained

Aphere narrowly avoided being decapitated as the Pirneon-beast launched at them. Her enhanced reflexes were the only difference between life and death. She flattened herself as the massive creature hurtled over. Whatever foul powers had transformed Pirneon had succeeded in making a monstrosity. Already consumed with the deadly combination of jealousy and suspicion, Pirneon’s mind practically welcomed the change. A stifled scream and the iron smell of fresh blood told her one of her companions was dead. The battle joined behind her and quickly moved away.

Alone, Aphere rose and prepared to battle Corso. Her only hope lay in his underestimating her. Aphere was ultimately unprepared to do battle with the powers arrayed before her.

Corso, for his part, waited patiently with his hands lost in the sleeves of his robe. He leered at her. “Pretty thing. You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into, do you?”

“I know enough,” she fired back. Having grown up in a world of harsh men, Aphere was undaunted.

Corso snorted. “I seriously doubt that. The oracle has no power over the world of men and gods. He’s led you to your death, only you’re too blind to see it.”

“This isn’t about the oracle,” she countered. “I won’t let you open the nexus. Your dreams end tonight.”

His laughter echoed over the humming sound. “Obstinate fool. The dawn is already upon us. You lose! Soon, the eclipse begins, and my masters will be set free.”

Aphere clenched her jaw. “You’re wrong, Corso. I’m going to stop you and end this for good.”

“Pirneon thought the same. Look at him now, my willing servant devoted to hunting down his own kind.”

Doubt flickered behind her eyes. He noticed and pressed the advantage. “Do you have any idea how easily he converted to my will? It took but a hint of a whisper, and he was lured in. Of course, the promise of a beautiful girl didn’t hurt. Your Knight Marshal came too willingly to my side.”

She refused to believe, for doing so would shatter the foundations of her strength. Pirneon had been filled with anger, frustration. She wondered what seductions could possibly have changed their greatest champion.

“I see the same doubt gnaws upon you,” Corso cooed. His words were measured with hypnotic cadence. “You don’t have to die here. Join me, and I can give you the treasures of immortality.”

“And become a slave like Pirneon?” she spat. “I’ll take my chances with the underworld.”

Corso’s eyes narrowed angrily. Harsh flames shot from his fingertips. He flung his hands at her, gouts of flames shooting forth. Aphere instinctively raised her arms to protect herself. Corso’s power exploded against an invisible wall a meter from her. The force of the impact was enough to stagger her back a step. Acrid smoke curled up against the invisible wall, shimmering like ripples in a pond. Aphere watched in awe.

Corso snarled. “Impressive, but it won’t avail you. Why can’t you understand? Your entire, pathetic race was bred to achieve their will! Others once thought they could stand against the rising tide. They all either died or became your so-called werebeasts. Pah! Superstitious filth. You should never have been gifted by their truth.”

Corso sent another devastating blast at her. Again, she was driven back. Aphere realized that the sheer strength of Corso’s power was enough to destroy her a thousand times over. Nothing in Kistan’s teachings was remotely capable of deflecting such ferocity. She was dead if she didn’t act fast.

“Too late, you begin to realize,” he soothed. “Kneel, and live. Stand, and die.”

Aphere shook her head with what resolve she had left. “No. You’re going to have to kill me.”

He smiled, savage and filled with malice. “A hero’s fate.”

Corso adjusted his aim, blasting at her feet. The impact lifted her off the ground. He cackled with delight. She was far too easy a target. Her body flew backwards along with a hail of dirt and rock. Killing her was going to be more than easy; it was going to be thoroughly enjoyable. He was almost disappointed. Corso checked his ego. The Gaimosian was an easy target, but he had more important matters to see too. The hour of the eclipse was at hand. He must open the nexus. His masters were eager to resume their reign of destruction upon the peoples of Malweir.

Dust settled over Aphere’s prone body. She felt a hammer pounding deep in her head. Her body ached. Corso was more powerful than she had imagined. Truthfully, Aphere hadn’t a clue what to expect. Any use of her powers thus far had been more accident than intent. She’d helped them survive the lich of the Uelg out of sheer desperation to survive.

Aphere groaned quietly as she rolled over. Rocks and sediment dribbled from her. She was relieved to see Corso’s attention already diverted. She grimaced, pushing up to all fours. Another blast caught her off guard.

“Stay down, bitch,” Corso barked at her. “I’ll return to you later.”

He turned back to the pillar of green light pulsing up from the bowels of the world. Hot enough to melt flesh, Corso was protected by ancient wards. The legs of the closest dead werebeast caught fire. The smell of cooked flesh joined that of the rotting corpses.

Aphere’s vision swam. Through the haze, she managed to distinguish miscellaneous body parts. Corso’s masters had brought back some of their victims from the initial attack on the surface. Stark horror punched her in the stomach. She’d been blown into a feeding area. The ground was permanently stained with blood. Flies and maggots were everywhere. Was this a sign of things to come?

She searched for Corso. The sorcerer had returned to the marble ring. The glow was almost blinding. She could only guess, but the moon must already be eating the sun. A chime sounded throughout the farthest reaches of Malweir. The hour of doom had fallen upon them. Aphere swallowed her disgust and crawled through the filth towards her crossbow.

Corso was oblivious to her now that the ritual had begun. A thousand years of waiting had finally come to a close. Long years of torment among the lesser races had nearly done him in. His will often lagged. More than once, he had considered suicide. His master’s wouldn’t allow it. Each and every time he suffered a moment of doubt, he was punished severely. It took years to recover from the pain of each punishment. Each was a subtle reminder of his task yet to come and the horrors the dark gods would visit upon him should he fail.

He moved forward to the lip of the hole. Green light reflected in his normally hollow eyes. Corso felt the power dancing over his robes. Their electric touch was inviting, reminding him of a greater time. He spread his arms wide to accept their embrace and began to chant. Corso spoke the old tongue, words unheard on Malweir for centuries. The dark disciple spoke the hastening of the end of the world. His voice picked up strength, booming from the artificial walls. A dark circle opened at the base of the pit.
At last. The prison opens
. The dark gods surged towards their long-awaited freedom. Steam poured up from the bowels of the world.

Aphere swore as figures emerged from the steam, shadows of beings both beautiful and grotesque. She fought back the torments trying to enter her mind, knowing that if she succumbed now, it was finished. Her mind lacked the strength to ward off the powers of the ancient beings. Fingers curled around the handle of her crossbow. Calling on her power, Aphere took aim and depressed the trigger.

The bolt exploded across the protective shields in the middle of Corso’s back. The impact pushed him forward, perilously close to falling into the pit. Aphere suddenly got an idea. She reloaded quickly.

Corso spun on her. “Still alive? No matter. I’m going to burn the soul out of your very corpse.”

He fired twin blasts of condensed energy. Aphere pitched forward, letting the main force hum past to explode in the ruins. A large chunk of rock landed on her right calf. She cried out. Fearing her leg was broken, Aphere took aim and fired again. The second bolt exploded as the first had, again pushing him to the very edge of oblivion. She reloaded as fast as she could. Firing her last bolt, she flung her crossbow away.

“Why won’t you die?” she croaked from a parched throat.

Corso laughed bitterly. “I am death! Come close and see the full fury of the dark gods.”

She gasped as unseen hands lifted her from the ground. Her body moved against her will. Aphere drifted towards the waiting sorcerer, arms and legs dangling uselessly beneath. She decided not to struggle, knowing this would be her only shot at killing Corso. Patience was required. She gazed at her captor and felt incredible terror ice her veins. Corso’s eyes were ablaze with madness. She wondered what nightmares consumed him as the powers of the dark gods filtered into his mind and body.

“All of your nightmares, your pain and suffering. It all belongs to them now,” he raved. “This is the fate of the world. You never stood a chance at stopping me. I was preordained centuries before you were conceived. At long last, this is my hour. Every perversion you ever imagined is about to manifest into reality. Pretty bitch, before this night is done, you will beg me for release.”

Corso laughed.

“Aphere!”

They both snapped their heads at the sudden call. She wanted to smile but knew better. Kavan leaned heavily against Tym, both looking battered and near broken. Corso’s eyes crossed sharply. Their presence could only mean Pirneon was dead. Whatever pleasures he might normally have taken, Corso needed the monster for the final phase of his plan. There had to be fresh sacrifice in order to release his masters. Corso summoned his last reserves of strength to throw Aphere down into the nexus.

He forgot about Kavan and the Fist. No matter what else happened, he must complete his task. Corso shuddered at the thought of what would happen if he failed and moved faster. Aphere’s body was less than twenty meters away. So close. Ten meters. Corso’s pulse quickened. He drew the sacrificial dagger from his robes. The weapon that would finally free his soul from the failure of generations. This was everything he’d been dreaming of. At five meters, his dreams dissolved.

Aphere waited until she was too close for him to react. She raised her arms and directed all of her energy at Corso. The blast shredded his shields, already weakened, and struck him full in the chest. Corso screamed. His hold on her broke, and she fell. The power of her blast shoved him back. His heels slipped over the edge. Realization turned to fear. Aphere continued her assault. Corso realized he was going to die. Aphere pushed harder until she watched him slip over the edge.

He fell screaming into the waiting mouth of the nexus. The dark gods howled wails of panic. Corso’s blood was of no use. All of his dark energies were released when his body struck the nexus. Both exploded. The green glow flickered, losing brightness. The ground trembled. With the nexus destroyed, the world became unstable. One by one, the marble blocks slid into the pit.

Kavan’s eyes went wide with the understanding of what was happening. “Run!”

The wounded warriors hobbled their way back towards the mouth. They slipped past Mabane’s corpse, saddened at not being able to fulfill promises as the ruins collapsed around them. Kavan looked up as the roof began to drop. The three survivors were trapped but continued to run.