Chapter 17
“A Will That Is Broken”
The fortress was quiet – quieter than usual despite the soldiers attempting to recover from the siege. They all were far too terrified to speak, and none could find any sleep through the low lava tide while Guardian roamed the halls. As the demi-god cast his shadow across every hall, the mighty Valaah soldiers who submitted to Guardian’s rule cowered and looked away to avoid angering him. Rows of defiant Valaah loyal to Cariphae marched in rows with heavy chains around their necks down the halls with Ensanguined soldiers keeping them tame. Guardian had moved many more Ensanguined into Arithmetia overnight to establish control of the population of Arithmetia’s proud Capitol. His heavy boots echoed through the brick halls and sang with the low rumbles of the lava lake outside.
His fists were clenched as he ambled from room to room in the fortress, looking through whatever belonged directly to Cariphae for clues. He would interrogate Amdusias soon but first, he wanted information so as not to be deceived by the renowned General. He should have known not to trust Entity, and that wretched vampire woman who played so well on his pride and ego. He would not be fooled again but such flattering words.
Cariphae’s office was an area he hadn’t visited in decades. He knew she held very private information there rather than keeping it in the fortress’s library, but he could never access it until now. Upon entering it, he found a plethora of folders, journals, and files lined neatly on the shelves but he had noticed a few had been moved recently from the lack of dust on the spines. He pulled them out and skimmed through but found nothing of interest. It wasn’t until he shuffled through the multiple drawers in her desk that he noticed very worn books and files. He had made himself comfortable in her regal chair and crossed his feet atop the desk while he flipped through a black leather journal he’d pulled from the drawer – reading her deepest thoughts.
March 2nd, 9,302IV
It has been seven years since the war began. People are beginning to call it the “Red War” due to the amount of blood that’s been spilled. It has been far too great for the rain to wash away from the battlefields. Guardian has begun to show a side I thought impossible from a man of his stature. I advised him to evacuate the village of Liwa two nights before our most recent battle but Guardian hadn’t heeded my wishes. The people were caught in the crossfire and nearly died had it not been for a sorcerer who happened to be passing by. It was a predominantly siren-human hybrid village and my ally seemed unphased by the deaths that did occur.
He believed the battle would not reach the village, and his mistake took innocent lives. I do not condone this behavior or this lack of caution. My heart bleeds for those poor people. It is my fault they suffer. I should have been more forceful with Guardian.
Guardian squinted at the entry and flipped a few more pages to read more of what the queen had to say. There was not much that he was unaware of; in fact, most of it seemed to make the demi-god grin sickishly. His eyes dimmed as he read various pages of Cariphae’s woes and the events that had unfolded during the long ten years of war. He admired the emotions the woman felt during the darkest nights as he couldn’t feel them on his own. It was insightful and curious reading, but he could not feel the dismay displayed in the cursive writing. He could only feel pride from the memories of his glorious wrath amid war and the amount of filth he personally vanquished from the land in her beautiful name. The demi-god couldn’t seem to understand how Cariphae did not feel the same nor appreciate the efforts he made to ensure her victory.
August 17th, 9,304IV
The war is coming to an end. Ensanguined forces are thinning enough to where I can attack with my own remaining forces at the feet of the Faemirian mountains. I believe Virgoth will lead his soldiers and I am to do direct battle with him to end this once and for all. This game of chess must come to an end soon. Guardian has advised that he strike Virgoth down personally – as he can very easily do so. He seems oddly eager to do it, but I have forbidden him to fight in this last battle, just as I have with every battle before that. Guardian’s power is far too great, and I strongly believe there is no honor in killing a worthy enemy without giving them a chance to defend themselves. As much as I wish Virgoth’s way of honor had not stained itself onto my heart, I know that it is the only way.
Guardian should continue to protect the innocent during this war as I have tasked him with, but he often strays from that task and my trust is dwindling. The blood on his hands is undeniable but I have little choice but to reinforce our allegiance in these last few days of war. I have no doubt that I can win this war the way it should be won, and I must prove to Virgoth that I am everything he should fear. His life is mine and he will pay for the heart he has broken. I pray Guardian will honor my wishes and allow the natural course of war to play out as it should. Should I fail, I welcome death warmly.
I often wonder if it would be sweeter than victory.
Guardian looked at the entry with slight frustration and felt the urge to rip the page from its bind. He flipped through more pages until he saw a few keywords that caught his interest. This entry was not dated, and the ink was heavily smeared. The paper was contorted in some spots that resembled water damage and the ink bled towards the bottom. He concluded that they must’ve been tears that fell in the overwhelming amount of emotion she felt as she wrote the entry. His fingertips touched the tear stains and a deep desire to know what such tears felt like grew like thorns inside his chest. A burning curiosity left him restless as he wondered how an immortal could still feel sorrow and empathy.
October, * …
I cannot recall what today is; only that the leaves of this world have changed into stunning colors and are falling. My sea dream continues to haunt me. Last night, I dreamt of a cliffside with fog on the horizon. It makes my heart race and I fear something, but I cannot understand what. I feel like there is something in the fog that is waiting for me, but I do not know what it is. The rain feels so cold and so real that I wake to shivers. I feel deep inside that I know this cliff and I know this fog. My dream ends with the rain freezing in the air where I can see every droplet. It is surreal and it disturbs me. I have had this dream for years and I wish it would end differently, but it never does. Why am I haunted by the sea? Who or what awaits me there?
The demi-god scowled at the entry and could not control himself when he tore the page from the journal and crushed it in his hand. Carelessly, he tossed it to the fireplace behind him and threw the journal to the floor; he was finished in the office and set his new destination to a place of pure privacy the queen held – her bedroom. He stood from his seat and left the office in a disarray of scattered papers and open journals.
A few moments later, he arrived in the deepest corridor in the fortress’s keep that housed Cariphae and her most trusted advisor’s rooms. He opened the large wooden and metal door and let the hinges creak before taking heavy footsteps inside the rounded room. It was clean and neatly organized with very little to display as if it had not been frequented often. A few paintings of the surface world and a vase full of dried flowers were the only luxurious touch the room had aside from the armor resting beside the vanity. The room smelled of a sweet perfume that Guardian couldn’t help but inhale deeply to savor. He always admired the scent of sweet spices that swept through her hair when he was lucky enough to be close beside her.
The only thing that disgusted him was Virgoth’s cape that hung above her bed with not a single wrinkle tainting its deep red finish. He wondered why she kept it all these years. Perhaps it was a trophy, or a literal reminder what she had done to hang over her head to prevent her from sleeping at night. He couldn’t understand the guilt she felt. It was he who slayed Virgoth in the end, after all. The cape should have been his trophy, but he had a far greater trophy locked away somewhere cold and dark. The small reminder made him smile.
He went deeper into the room and quickly rummaged through her vanity. Charcoal, dark pastes, and lipsticks were common, and several bottles of the perfume he had come to love were lined neatly against the mirror. There was nothing of interest other than her hairbrush which had a few strands of long golden hairs embedded into the bristles. He wandered to a large dresser with six drawers and opened the top door to reveal various linens and intimates that he proceeded to handle gently. He took a lacy black intimate from its folded position and rubbed his thumb over the lace while his mind wandered into a dark yet pleasurable place that forced the demi-god to bring the cloth to his lips. His eyes closed as he embraced the soft cloth and caught himself falling into a trance.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
There was only one woman who forced such carnal desires out of him, and it was Cariphae. Such a fierce yet elegant woman could wear delicate lace and noble armor equally and impressively. It was a rarity in the world that no other woman he had met could accomplish. The demi-god groaned and tightened his hold on the lace when he imagined removing layers off such a prize until she was bare before him, and he hoped she would beg for him the way he begged for her. She had denied him though, and the bitter memory of her dismissal stirred him from his trance and forced a scowl from the man. He tossed the cloth back in its place and closed the drawer before inspecting the others down below. Corsets, braziers, stockings, and belts were all he could find, and they offered only sensual distraction from his mission.
He then turned his attention to the side tables by the bed and opened the drawer to find a weathered, delicate, floral-patterned veil of aged yellow neatly wrapped around an object. His curiosity peaked as the veil seemed so familiar to him and it was so out of place from the rest of her items. White cloth was hard to come by in Arithmetia – if not impossible, and the patterns were of Endle orchids only found on the surface. His head tilted as he picked up the veil and felt the object that it wrapped. It was hard and when he pulled the veil aside, he found that the object was Cariphae’s black crown with a center red jewel that once rested in Virgoth’s heirloom ring. He held the veil in one hand and the crown in the other – exchanging looks between them. His gaze slowly fixated on the veil when a particular memory came to him, and he could now recognize the piece of knitted fabric.
His eyes brightened wildly, and he squeezed the veil in his palm out of anger. He didn’t think it could be possible for the veil to find its way back to its original owner. How could such a piece of history survive two hundred years?
“Captain O’Dweller, that virus… He lives.” Guardian snarled as he forcefully shoved the veil into his pocket and left the bedroom with Cariphae’s crown in hand. A strike of crimson lightning flashed through the bedroom windows and cast a long shadow of Guardian down the hall that was monstrous and malevolent.
It was merely a half hour later when Amdusias was sat in a chair and strapped tightly to it with chains and rope by his own men in a small room with a handful of candles. Guardian watched over the soldiers to ensure that they tied their General down properly and relished in the shame that flooded their eyes. Amdusias did not struggle and only hung his head low in silence while Guardian crossed his arms over his broad chest plate. He motioned his head towards the door with a single barred window – commanding the soldiers to quickly leave and shut the door behind them. When the soldiers had left the General and demi-god alone in silence, Amdusias inhaled deeply through his nostrils and tugged at the knotted rope around his wrists.
The sounds of clattering chains and creaking doors in the distance echoed throughout the empty neighboring rooms and hallways. They were in the newer castle dungeon built shortly after the old dungeon had been closed off and used for storage. The newer dungeon was no longer underground, but in a tower in the far rear of the fortress surrounded by the barracks and training grounds. It hadn’t been used in decades and Amdusias could tell just from the sheer amount of dust, cobwebs, and mold on the wood.
“The shame you have brought to a proud race, Guardian. Forcing my own men to betray their General, it’s deranged.” Amdusias groaned.
“Your race has little to be proud of. Cattle and swine who think they can dine with the divine. You all pretend to be more than what you are.” Guardian half-laughed at his own observation.
“There is no need to pretend when the might and fury was always within us.” Amdusias argued.
“Is that what Cariphae told you? Now that is a dreadful lie, isn’t it?”
“How dare you disgrace her name.”
“You disgrace her entirety with your fly-ridden presence. She deserves more than this hellish place that reeks of sulfur and soot.” Guardian grimaced as he inhaled mid-sentence and looked around.
“This is her home as much as it is ours.”
“Her home is anywhere but the lowest realm of Endle. She belongs at my side.”
“You mean beneath you.” Amdusias snorted. “I was a fool to think so highly of you. I should’ve heeded Agatha sooner. I should’ve seen what Queen Cariphae saw.”
“One of the most intelligent of Arithmetian beings told you to be weary of me and still you did not listen? Heh, you are so easily fooled because you ungulate creatures are meant to be ruled and swayed however way your master intends. You all are beneath even the lowest and most loathsome of beings, nothing more than disgusting sacks of blood and meat for Ensanguined. Truly your existence is pathetic. Hideous and vile…” The demi-god mocked.
“Cariphae thought otherwise. She set us free and showed all of Endle what we are capable of!” Amdusias jerked at his bonds, hoping to break them and pummel the arrogant and racist, white-eyed monster. He let out a guttural growl of hatred and anger, but he could not break the chains.
“Why she adores you Valaah is beyond me. It’s borderline madness on a scale of which I have never seen before. She has lost her mind, but not to fret, I will release her from her insanity, but before I can do that, I must know where she is. So, to the business at hand.” Guardian sighed as he adjusted the gauntlet on his right hand.
“Have you come to kill me then? I have little left to tell you.” Amdusias sighed with little to no life in his voice. Guardian tilted his head at the question as he greatly considered it.
“You are of no use to me dead, General Amdusias.” Guardian shrugged.
“I would rather be dead than assist you in any way, you wicked murderer.” Amdusias growled as he turned his head away from the demi-god.
“That is precisely why I intend to keep you alive for as long as possible. You are merely a horse, ready to be broken and ride anywhere I lead the reigns. Even the strongest will can be broken.” Guardian smiled softly. Amdusias spat at Guardian’s feet before meeting his gaze.
“Damn you!” Amdusias felt insulted and shouted, then slammed a heavy hoof on the floor. Guardian smirked and swung a fist at the Valaah General, hitting him in the cheek hard enough to tilt the chair to the side briefly. Blood splattered from the new wound onto the floor and the dazed Amdusias groaned in pain. He began to slowly pace in a circle around Amdusias, eyeing the finer and worn details of the glorious unicorn-headed Valaah.
“You still have fight left in you. I would expect nothing less from Cariphae’s hand-chosen General; a unicorn-headed Valaah no less. It’s only mildly impressive.” Guardian spoke slowly as he continued to pace around Amdusias who only flattened his ears out of disgust and aggression.
“Agatha was more formidable than I. Why kill her and keep me alive?” Amdusias spat with venom in his voice.
“I knew she would not reveal to me Cariphae’s location. Altaones are particularly noble and hard to break – mentally that is. I suppose that is why their race faded into history by the hands of Ensanguined. All the wisdom in the world and yet not an ounce of strength to defend themselves.” Guardian shrugged slightly with a quiet chuckle.
“You condemned her race to extinction, she was Cariphae’s only friend and when she discovers that you murdered her, she will tear you apart!” Amdusias raised his voice and pulled against his binds furiously.
“The Altaone was not her only friend. I’m looking at another right in front of me. I believe you are not telling me everything, General.” Guardian placed his hands on the back of the chair and gripped it tightly until the leather around his fingers creaked and stretched.
“I told you what I know. A man with a shadow bow shot Cariphae and he took her. That is all I can give you.” Amdusias gnashed his teeth together as sweat dripped down the side of his jaw. He felt Guardian slap his palm against his cheek hard before gripping his horn tightly.
“’Can’ or ‘will’? There is a difference, General. Choose your words carefully.”
“I cannot give you anything else!”
“Do not lie to me. There was another man in this fortress with a connection to her. What was his name?” He asked impatiently and Amdusias pulled against Guardian’s grip on his horn. Though he already knew the answer, he wanted to pry more information out of the General other than just a name.
“I do not know!” He struggled. Guardian began to bend Amdusias’s horn upwards until the General shrieked from the pain that was growing in his skull. He could feel the bone aching and bending unnaturally which made him squirm violently in the chair.
“Yes, you do. Tell me, or I will see if a unicorn horn can grow back. I’m very curious. Unicorn-headed Valaah are magical, and this horn is very special, is it not? It can, after all, heal great wounds, but when broken, well, they become just like the others. Powerless and pitiful.” Guardian threatened as he jerked his hand upwards and caused a small hairline fracture to split from the base of the horn. Amdusias wailed from the agony and pulled at the binds so fiercely that the rope burned his wrists. The General’s tortured cries echoed down the halls and sent shivers up the soldiers’ spines – unable to aid their leader. Amdusias’s pain was more than just breaking a bone, he could feel magic within him snapping and straining that tore at every nerve in his body from his hooves to his fingers.
“I don’t know!” Amdusias wailed.
“I’m giving you one last chance, General! Who gave her the veil?!” Guardian yanked the horn upwards slightly harder and forced another pained scream out of Amdusias.
“I don’t know! She never mentioned a name, just where she was meeting him!” Amdusias screamed when he felt another deep fracture split across the base of his horn with involuntary tears clouding his vision. Guardian loosened his grip on the horn to relieve pressure as the information pleased him.
“Where was she intending to meet him?”
“I will not say–”
Guardian yanked at the golden horn once more, widening the fracture, and brought forth another scream from Amdusias.
“The surface!” Amdusias panted with his body trembling against the chains.
“The surface? But how is that – … The Serpent’s Tongue Ianuae.” Guardian breathed with a grin. “She told me she had it dismantled after the Red War. I saw it with my own eyes.” He squinted skeptically at the General.
“How does it feel to be lied to then?” Amdusias barked as he jerked his head away from Guardian’s hand.
“The sorcerer took her through the Serpent’s Tongue. No doubt they are on the eastern coast of the Unclaimed Lands. How interesting.” Guardian rubbed his chin before hearing a soft chuckle from the General. His eyes brightened as he looked to see Amdusias smiling before spitting onto the ground to clear his mouth.
“I see now why she denied you her hand in marriage. She knew what you were. She saw what none of us could see through that pompous smile and glistening armor. You paint yourself like one of us and claim to love us all as a true god should, but you’re hollow, Guardian, and your name is a lie. When you find her, and when you think you’ve won whatever sick game you’ve been playing for all these years, I pray she tears open your chest and shows the world the empty chamber where a heart should be.” Amdusias’s smile fell to a look of pity when he met Guardian’s gaze that had intensified with anger.
Guardian snatched Amdusias’s horn once more and pounded his first onto the base – snapping the golden horn from his skull and it was followed by an intense burst of light and an agonized scream that reached every hall of the fortress.
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