The Trials Of Ashbarn ( Book 5) (10 page)

“You’re so eager to be
lieve I have no voice of my own,” he grunted. “Convinced I must have been tricked into blindly following another. Well, I assure you, Priestess, my eyes are wide open. I see the wisdom in Filista’s words. Never again will I be your pet, a dog to send after anyone who dares oppose you. No longer will I be accomplice to your bizarre infatuation with that...that...human. And make no mistake, Priestess: A mere human is all he is. Even the most simpleminded of beings can see that. “

“Oh, Brinkton,” she said softly
, rolling her head away from him. “Your words burn, like hot iron pressed to my heart. I never once tried to deceive you. My every decision, my every choice, was made was for the good of our people. Please, don’t do something we’ll both regret for the rest of our days. Days that are numbered unless we act soon. Please, Brinkton, search your heart. You know I speak the truth. If you’ve ever trusted me before, trust me this once!”

He disappeared from the room
without another word. Shantis had just been able to make out his face before he left. He looked sad. Sadder than she had ever seen the warrior, as if his heart had been ripped from his chest. “Brinkton,” she whispered, even though she was alone. “I loved you. You were never my pet.” 

* * *

Shantis stirred in her sleep. The distant sounds of conversation invaded her dreams, a far-off buzz of chatter. She rubbed her eyes, blinking away the sleep before sitting up. As always, the dark room remained encased in shadow, so dark she briefly questioned if her eyes were even open. The worlds of sleep and consciousness seemed to blend together into a single state of being—a living trance of sorts. Yet she could still hear the voices, clearer now. She crawled over to the wall and carefully pressed her ear against the rough, splintered wood.
What’s going on out there? A gathering
?

* * *

Crytons lingered all about the cleared area. Some lounged about, leaning against the surrounding black stone huts. Others gathered in tight groups of four or five, chattering away uneasily. Most were covered from head to toe with glittery rings and chains, a customary fashion amongst the crytons. The whole village was buzzing with rumors, and the chosen location for this village meeting did nothing to calm those rumors.

There they stood before the High Priestess
’s temple. The pearl-white steps leading up to the black stone structure had been swept and scrubbed as usual. There was nothing out of the ordinary here, except the temple was now...empty.

The crowd continued to grow as more and more families came, mothers holding their children, men with their arms wrappe
d around their wives. Even more came as the morning dragged on, most avoiding looking directly at the temple. Something big was going on here, and everyone could feel it. The High Priestess had disappeared and the temple certainly looked empty, but this was not entirely true...

Filista Umyon walke
d through the temple, eyeing its lavish surroundings: the fine handcrafted chairs and tables assembled with white polished bone; ornate oil paintings of odd rituals and beasts that were long extinct, each one embedded in a frame made of the same polished bone. She ran her hand down a red silk tapestry, bordered in white lace with gold highlights.
You’ve lived too well for too long, old friend
.
I’m afraid it’s time to pass the torch
.

Filista
reached upward in an exaggerated groan-filled stretch, then fell backward into one of the chairs. Leaning back with her fingers locked behind her head, she threw her feet up on the table, one followed heavily by the other.
Yes, too well for too long indeed
. She reached up, running her fingers through her marvelously thick white hair, making the tiny red ribbons bounce around. Her gold and silver bracelets fell down the length of her arm, collecting near her shoulder.   

She
was a confident, calculating woman who left nothing to chance. Everything was falling into place, just as planned.
Most remain confident and sure in times of war and times of peace. It’s in times of uncertainty where their resolve begins to waver
. She grinned, hearing the uneasy chattering outside. The longer they waited, the more anxious they would become.
Just
a little longer, I think
.

She rose from the chair and moved
towards the door, listening. Arguments had begun to break out. Her grin grew even wider, hearing their angry tones.
In times of uncertainty, everyone looks to their leaders for guidance. No one wants to make decisions; they want them to be made for them. The choices I make don’t have to be the right ones; they just need to be swift and concise. That alone breeds confidence. And that is what my people need. That is all they want
.

“I fed the prisoner, just
as you instructed, Filista.”

She didn’t bother to turn around. “Good
, Brinkton. We can’t have her dying of starvation just yet, now can we?”

“Of course not.
Who would want to further complicate all this disorder? As it is, I’m not even sure what you’re going to tell the villagers.”

She turned on him
curiously, those high cheekbones drawing her mouth upward into a bizarre-looking smile. With her hair flared out and eyes wide, she suddenly looked very unstable. Brinkton took a step back. “I’m going to tell them the truth.” Her voice was shrill and piercing as she spoke. “Remember, Brinkton, many were already aware of our poor High Priestess’s ‘erratic’ state of mind. She had our people so worked up that soon they would be afraid of their own shadows. We only did what needed to be done.” She placed a finger underneath his chin, forcing him to look at her directly. “Remember, we were already given silent blessings from those who hold positions within the village. The few who were not in agreement have already stepped down or fled into the forest. You are now on the winning side, Brinkton. Do not forget that.”

The warrior lowered his eyes
while his shoulders slumped. “Yes, Filista,” he said somberly. “I know most are already in agreement. A final announcement will hopefully bring closer the end to this entire ordeal.”

The crowd outside was growing
even more restless. Heated arguments had begun, and even a few fights were breaking out. “You hear that?” she said gleefully. “Those are the sounds of a lost village, desperately in need of leadership and stability. I am the stability they seek. I will be the one to guide our people into the light.”

“Yes, Filista,” he repeated as she moved
back towards the door.

With h
er head raised high, hand on the doorknob, she glanced back over her shoulder. “Brinkton, did I not advise you to address me properly from this day forward?”

His shoulders slumped a bit more. “Yes...High Priestess
.”

She grinned widely, displaying a full set of white teeth, then
threw open the door.

The murmuring quickly became a series of hushed whispers when Filista appeared from the temple.
She took her time, gazing out over the people. There were a few pleading shouts of frustration, fists waving in the air. But in general, most waited for her to speak. They wanted answers and they wanted them now.

Filista s
eemed to enjoy the mild chaos while patiently waiting for the crowd to quiet down. She looked to the guards lined up on either side of the mob of villagers. Each one that made eye contact gave her a slight nod. They had been converted some time ago and had been waiting for this day.
When building a mighty structure, always begin with the foundation and work your way up,
she thought to herself. She had done just that.

To gain
the soldiers’ loyalty, she had been able to appeal to their reason, convincing them that Shantis had been teetering on the brink of madness for some time now. For the few who had shown a bit more resistance, either a bribe or a threat seemed to work wonders. It was a simple play on their inner demons.
Every man has his price. A means to an end...nothing more
.
In the end, their unquestioning loyalty is all that counts
.

Filista threw her hands into the air
with vigor. “My brothers. My sisters. I welcome each and every one of you this day.” The buzz of the crowd began to soften, several crytons elbowing the one next to them in a less-than-subtle gesture to be quiet and listen. “I have asked you all here to celebrate with me, to come together as one and rejoice in your newfound freedom.”

Cheers rose up from the
surrounding guards, but the common villagers mostly looked at each other in confusion. A few villagers clapped nervously, not really understanding what they were clapping for. “What do you mean, newfound freedom? We are already free,” came a call from the crowd. A few supporting voices shouted their agreement. Others demanded to see their High Priestess. Where was she in all of this?

Filista was quick to single the man out.
“Oh, you are already free, you say?” She stared him down, making him feel guilty and uneasy, regardless of the fact he had done nothing wrong. She was indeed a master of manipulation and misdirection.
There is always a tiny spark of doubt. Feed it until it is a roaring flame
. She slowly shook her head at him. “I pity you, my friend. But at the same time, I excuse your blind ignorance. I suppose you don’t know any better.”

“Where is Shantis Sondere?” came a female voice from the crowd. “Why is she not here?”

Filista ignored her and went on, “It is a sad day indeed when I see my people mistake a temporary lack of danger for true freedom. It reminds me of a fish, taken from a lake, then thrown into a barrel of water. It feels plenty safe enough. It can swim around, has no real predators that it’s aware of. And eventually the fish gets pulled out and placed into a frying pan. Up until the very end, was he not free by these lowly standards?”

Again
the soldiers began to cheer, beating their spears against their chests. The soldiers were not caught up in her emotional speech. They were simply following the precise instructions given to them. Filista—a master at mind games. She could make one see smoke, even when there was no fire.

She
went on, a little more passion in her voice now, “That same little creature was too young to remember swimming in a great lake, teeming with life and beauty. Too small to remember what true freedom really was.” Filista could see intrigue forming on the faces in the crowd. She had their attention now. “Is this how all of you feel? Safe and content in our quiet little village, safely hidden away from the rest of the world?” She paused a moment to let the statement sink in. “Because we are exactly where the humans want us! Hidden, and out of the way.”

The s
oldiers erupted again, shouting and clanging weapons together. But this time they weren’t alone. Several of the villagers began to get caught up in the artificial energy. Her cautious planning and boundless confidence were beginning to take hold.

A man can be c
ertain he is right. But if he stands alone in his opinion, he will never dare voice it
. “My brothers and sisters!” Filista shrieked. “For centuries, the humans have mocked the spirits of our ancestors. They’ve forced us to hide like wild beasts while they breed like insects, infesting the planet like a black plague. Do you still believe we are free?” Shouts of enraged agreement rose up from the crowd. “They refer to your infant children as ‘the undead.’ If any of us were to set foot in one of the human cities, they would skin us, then put our heads on display for all to see. They view us as animals. Do you still believe we are free?”

Although she seemed to be winning them over, her speech was
now moving into dangerous territory. It was time to lay blame. “And as if hiding from the humans for centuries like frightened rodents was not enough, your High Priestess has asked that you follow one of them. This servant of the darkness. This...Gate Keeper. Well, I say enough! This conjurer of tricks has fooled Shantis Sondere, but we are not so blind as she!”

Fists pumped in the air. Men howled in a
near bloodlust. Filista held her own fist in the air and began to pump in rhythm with the others. “A new chapter begins for our people this day. A new beginning. Our ancestors fought in the Undead War. Many died at the hands of these savage humans, but they died free. They battled for a cause. They fought for the independence we squandered away. Never again will we hide like animals! Never again will we cower before these parasites! They think the Undead War is over and that they can take whatever they want.” She could hardly be heard over the deafening noise now. “The war is over...when we say it is over. Honor our ancestors. Honor our children. And I swear to show our people what glory and freedom really are!”
All it takes is one or two sheep to start moving. The rest will always follow
.

Shantis
rolled onto her back and covered her face with both hands. She felt numb—dead inside. “How did I not see this coming?” she muttered. “I’ve known for so long that Filista’s ambition was far too dangerous to be ignored, but I never dreamed she would go this far. I am such a fool.”

She lay t
here lifelessly, praying that somehow this was all a nightmare, hoping she would wake up any moment. Filista had proved once again that no price was too steep when it came to increasing her power. And this time, the ultimate price would be paid. Not only was she willing to convince the crytons to turn their backs on the Gate Keeper, but had done so while reviving the Undead War.
That soulless monster has no limits
.
Life itself is completely worthless in her eyes
.
I just can’t see how anyone could stoop to
—

The door opened
, bathing the room in light once again. Shantis shielded her eyes from the brightness. She didn’t care who it was or what they wanted. “If you’re here to kill me, then get on with it,” she said. “We are all dead already. It no longer matters which one of us goes first.”

“That’s not
why I’m here.”

A
few articles of clothing slapped against her chest. “So you don’t want to kill me while I’m still undressed. How noble of you, Brinkton.”

“Shut up!
Put those on and don’t ask any questions.”

Her eyes narrowed
suspiciously but she did as she was told. “Are we going somewhere...old friend?” she asked, sneering. “I suppose it’s time to visit the headsman? Good. I assure you my death will be quicker than yours.”

“Shut up.”

“Oh, I see. Now that I’ve lost my stature as High Priestess, it’s off to the gallows to be hung like a common thief.”

“I said shut up!”

She was on her feet in an instant. “Or what, you traitorous dog? You’ll kill me? I’m already dead and so are you! Before the end comes, I swear you’ll be begging for a rope around your neck.”

With impossible speed, Brinkton dashed across the
room, grabbed her by the hair, then turned and slammed her head into the side wall. The impact stung, but could have been much worse. The giant could have easily put her whole body through the wall had he wanted to. He leaned down and spoke softly into her ear, “Every precious second lost brings my mission closer to failure. You’re coming with me if I have to knock you unconscious and drag you.”

Using her hair, h
e yanked her to her feet, then marched her through the doorway. She resisted a little at first, but gave up quickly. As skilled a fighter as she was, there was no way she could match Brinkton’s savage power. In close quarters, trapped within his bear-sized arms, there was little she could do.

When
they stepped outside, two cryton soldiers waited at the entrance. Each gripping a long spear, they looked at the two of them, then to each other with uncertainty. “By orders of Filista, I need to transfer the prisoner,” grumbled Brinkton, trying to answer their questioning looks.

“
Exactly what orders were you given?” said the taller cryton on the left. “We weren’t told anything about relocating the prisoner.”

Brin
kton sighed, having little choice now. “I am sorry, brothers.”

“Sorry for wh—
” Brinkton’s fist smashed into the man’s face. It might as well have been a blacksmith’s hammer. Bones crunched into dust; teeth and blood sprayed through the air. The man’s entire face caved inward, leaving him virtually unrecognizable.

The second soldier
reacted quickly, bringing up his spear. Brinkton grabbed both ends of the spear, engulfing the soldier’s hands with his own, pinning them in place. The giant drove his forehead straight through the shaft, splintering it in half and crushing the other man’s nose. With his nose destroyed, spraying blood down the front of his chest, the soldier’s eyes rolled back as he crumpled to the ground.

Without wasting a second, Brinkton dashed ten paces to a nearby bush.
Thrusting his large hand into it, breaking several branches in the process, he quickly retrieved her golden longbow covered with red and green jewels. Four razor-sharp blades protruded from the hilt. The jewels flashed, reflecting the light when he flipped it under his arm, then ran back with it. “Take it,” he said, thrusting it sidelong into her chest.

A
t first she just stood there in shock, her grip loose on the weapon. “What are you doing?” she gasped. “You’ll be executed for this! Why are you—”

“You think I don
’t know that?” he grunted, gripping the back of her neck and pulling her face close to his. “You begged me to trust you, High Priestess. Well, I do. I always have. Now I’m begging you to trust me. You must do exactly as I say. Are...you...with me?”

“Y-Y
es,” she said softly, eyes wide and still confused.

“I know you believe all is
lost. But there is still hope, and it all starts with you. Not all are loyal to Filista.” He pointed to the forest. “Rebels have fled to the east. That is where they’ve made camp, therefore that is where you must go.” A commotion was already building in the streets behind them. “You must hurry. Go now!”

She
backed away slowly, looking over his shoulder at the soldiers gathering in the streets. People shouted, pointing to the escaping prisoner. “Come with me. Brinkton, I need you,” she said desperately, still backing away.

He smiled at her. For the first time in a long time, he looked like the friend she had always known. “I’m afraid it is too late for that,” he said sadly.
“I will buy you as much time as I can, but you must survive, lest my sacrifice be for nothing.”

With tears in her eyes, she
nodded, then ran towards the main path at the center of the village. At first Brinkton ran beside her stride for stride. When they reached the cross path, she broke left. Brinkton stopped, then turned right. He stood in the path, villagers and soldiers alike running towards him. He glanced over his shoulder one last time, making sure Shantis had gained a decent lead.
I swore to you many years ago I would serve you to the end. My friend, I’ll honor that promise till my last breath
.

The warrior braced
himself as the first wave approached. One by one, arrows began to zip over his head. They weren’t after him; they were going after the escaping prisoner.
My life for you, High Priestess
. Paying no attention to Brinkton, two spearmen tried to run past him. With blind fury, the giant brought down both his fists, turning both their spears into an explosion of wooden splinters. The sheer force of the blows sent both men face down to the ground.

Now that Brinkton had revealed himself as a traitor, there was no turning back
. Witnessing his betrayal, the next soldier rushed the big man. With a shout, he thrust his spear at Brinkton’s chest, but the giant easily caught the shaft with one hand. He gave it a twist, snapping the spearhead clean off, then sent it flying back like a dagger. It whistled past the startled soldier’s ear before striking its intended target in the eye. The first soldier paused a second, hearing the scream of pain behind him. The pause turned out to be a second too long. A clubbing right, followed by a left, sent him crashing to the ground.

Shantis ran as fast as she could
towards the forest. Her feet smashed hard into the ground with each powerful stride. With arms pumping, lungs burning, she streaked down the street, soaring arrows impaling the ground all around her. She risked a glanced back to see if any were close. There were a few crytons in pursuit, but still several paces back. Turning back, she could now see the edge of the forest just ahead. Once hidden amongst the trees, she would be much harder to track.

N
earing the edge, her eyes caught movement in the brush. Not sure what to make of it, she began to slow down. There came an eruption of breaking branches and scattering leaves. Armed crytons popped up all around the greenery. Dozens of them, most with arrows notched in their bows. Dismayed, Shantis skidded to a halt. She was trapped from both sides. She threw her hands in the air in surrender. It was over; there was nowhere to run.

Her surrender didn’t
seem to matter, though. All the crytons released their arrows at once, sending a torrent of projectiles whistling through the air. It all happened so fast she could barely flinch. She even felt the breeze as the perfectly placed arrows whizzed past her shoulders and ears. Hearing screams from behind, she looked back at her pursuers. A few rolled back and forth on the ground, moaning in anguish. Others stared up at the sky, lifeless eyes still wide open, their bodies riddled with wooden shafts.

“Come
, Priestess! You must hurry,” came a frantic call from the woods. While she gazed down at the lifeless bodies, an urgent thought screamed out in her mind.
Brinkton
... She looked up in horror. Off in the distance was the warrior, her most trusted friend, being swarmed by villagers and soldiers alike. Weaponless, he swung wildly while blades and spears gashed away at his flesh. He fell to his knees. The enemies continued to pile on his back, all the while stabbing him over and over again.

Shantis wanted to scream,
wanted to rush in and help her friend. Yet she remained frozen in place, watching the horrifying scene unfold. It felt like a dream. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. She could hear shouts for her to run, but they sounded distant and muted. Brinkton disappeared beneath an ocean of bodies swarming over him like jackals bringing down a zebra. Their arms pumped daggers in and out of his flesh while their blades darkened further with every stab.

It was
all too much to handle, observing the butchery in her trance-like state. Suddenly, the pile of bodies burst upward, sending crytons flying in all directions. In a final surge, Brinkton exploded into an offensive flurry. Covered in his own blood, he swung wildly, missing more often than not, but still disrupting his attackers. There was so much blood on his body, so many lacerations covering him from head to toe.

He roared at the top of his lungs,
bellowing out a single work while he thrashed about. It sounded like “run,” but Shantis couldn’t be sure. Her own screams were cut off when a strong arm wrapped her neck from behind. She kicked and thrashed, trying to get free. Several more hands wrapped around her, pulling her back. “No! I can’t leave him!” she cried out.

“There is nothing you can do for him now
,” someone shouted in her ear. “It was his choice. If you don’t come with us right now, Brinkton’s sacrifice will be for nothing!”

After a struggle, they
finally pulled her back into the trees. Using the substantial brush as cover, the rebels continued to fire their arrows at anyone approaching the forest’s edge. Recognizing their disadvantage, the attackers quickly pulled back. They would have to report back to Filista and tell her the former High Priestess had escaped.

* * *

“One woman?” said Filista, her voice eerily calm. She stood tall, nearly as tall as the man standing before her. “Let me do my best to understand this. A single woman somehow slipped through your fingers,” she paused to take a deep breath, her eyes burning like molten lava, “then managed to elude every soldier in the village, and make her way safely into the forest? Is this report more or less accurate?”

The nervous sol
dier avoided her condemning eyes. His gaze wandered about the familiar room. He had been in the temple many times before, seen the fine art that Shantis held so dear. But now it looked...different somehow. Everything was the same—the furniture, the fine oil paintings. Many a time he had sat here, talking to Shantis about the day’s events. He had always found her to be kind and fair. Now, standing here in this same room, he felt intimidated. “That is—is not entirely correct. There were...other factors involved. She did not act alone, Filista.”

If her eyes were lava before, they were now the sun itself. “Address
me properly,” she whispered. Her voice was so quiet it was barely audible.

The man’s knees
buckled, nearly giving out from under him. His voice was even softer than hers. “Forgive me...High Priestess.” He had to think about that a moment. Of the many times he had spoken to Shantis, had he ever addressed her by title? Was that the difference between the two of them? Shantis was secure in her stature, whereas Filista needed to be fed constant reinforcement. He shook away the traitorous thoughts, fearful she might actually read his mind.

“And who was the traitor who aided
in her escape?” she asked, appearing much calmer now.

The soldier paused, not knowing what to make of this obvious question.
Nearly the entire village had witnessed her escape. Surely someone had already told her? “It-It was Brinkton,” he stuttered uncertainly. “He-He set her free then blocked off pursuit. If not for him, she would never have gotten away.”

“And what beca
me of Brinkton?”

Again, t
he soldier didn’t know what to make of her calm demeanor. Was this a test? The answers to these questions were common knowledge by now. “He’s dead. The other soldiers eventually overpowered him, but the incident was not without high casualties. He killed many of our men before he fell.”