Part Sixteen

A week passed, and our vacation ended abruptly with a knock on our door one morning.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“Your brother,” Vielyn’s voice came through the door.

With a sigh, I crawled out from under the covers, unlocked the door, and opened it to reveal my brother in full battle attire.

“Come in, Vielyn,” I said, stepping aside.

Zeera sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. Upon seeing Vielyn, she bunched the covers around herself. Ignoring her, Vielyn took a seat at the small round table near the bed. “Mother and Vasiira want to know when you’ll be ready to strike House Dhalmaerth. Mother’s upset about you leaving, but I told her you came here to prepare,” he said.

“Oh, dear brother, don’t you know that in Felynafay, the women make those decisions? I’m just a lowly male; how would I know when Mother and her friend are ready to play with their other friends?” I replied facetiously.

“So, you haven’t prepared anything?” he said, unimpressed.

“Prepare what? I take my men, we break through the gate, we kill everyone inside. I track down Matron Thraeyanna, embed my blade in her throat, and call it a day. Then we report to Mother and Vasiira, and I’m inevitably dragged to Matron Vasiira’s chambers,” I said with an exasperated sigh.

Vielyn chuckled and nodded, but in the mirror, I saw Zeera’s sleepy smile turn into a sad frown. “Get ready; we attack this morning,” Vielyn stated eagerly. He and Durdrin must have handled the preparations themselves, knowing I’d slack off.

I went to the closet, dressed in my usual clothes, and donned my armor. After grabbing my pack, cloak, and hat, I stood in front of the mirror, ensuring I looked perfect before turning to face Zeera. She still looked unhappy. I walked over to the bed, and she kneeled, bringing her eyes level with mine. A tear rolled down her cheek, nearly breaking my heart.

I knew why she was upset—besides worrying about me in the coming battle, she didn’t want me in Matron Vasiira’s bed. I reached for her, and she hugged me tightly. We shared a passionate kiss as if it were the last time, then I stole another quick kiss. “I’ll be back tomorrow morning,” I said softly.

“Don’t go…” she begged.

“I have to,” I replied.

I released her and turned to Vielyn. “Well, I promised Mother I’d topple houses for her. Let’s go keep that promise, brother.”

As Vielyn opened the door, I forced a smile back at Zeera. She was crying, hurt by decisions we were powerless to change.

We made our way to the stone wall and gate where Durdrin and nearly a thousand soldiers were waiting. Durdrin was giving a rousing speech, though I couldn’t hear him from the back. Vielyn and I, along with our Shadow Teams, moved to the front to flank Durdrin.

“You ready, son?” he asked loudly.

I stood proudly and summoned Deathsbite and Nightfall, clanging them together to create sparks. “I was born ready, father! We will destroy House Dhalmaerth. Killing Matron Thraeyanna’s children will bring me more pleasure than anything else today!” I said, dismissing my weapons into puffs of smoke as they reappeared in their sheaths.

Durdrin turned to me. “Masdrin, when we open the gate, hang back. Let the soldiers go through first. You, Vielyn, and your teams will rush the house once they’re through.”

I nodded and looked to Vielyn. “Is that a sound plan, Brother?” I asked.

Durdrin looked offended. “You doubt me?” he asked.

“I don’t, father. But you taught me to look to those with more experience. You put Caelnel, Rylzt, and Brudaer on my team for that reason,” I said, turning to Rylzt, who nodded.

“We let the soldiers fight the soldiers. We have bigger, far more important targets,” Rylzt said firmly.

“Well, father, lead the way!” I said with a smile.

We marched through the streets of Felynafay towards House De’Endar, where Vielyn gathered the soldiers joining us in battle. From there, we marched to House Fret’tar, where Malice and two thousand soldiers joined us. Our force of nearly four thousand soldiers, along with the elites of two houses and the Barra D’aron, marched towards the third house’s gates.

Malice tapped on the gate with two fingers and smirked. “Stand back,” she ordered. We wisely backed up as arrows began to rain down on us.

“Shields up!” Durdrin and Vielyn shouted, and thousands of shields rose above our heads. Malice’s magical barrier glowed as arrows bounced harmlessly off it.

“Officers, are you wearing your cufflinks?” I asked.

“Yes, sir!” came the reply from Vielyn, Caelnel, Rylzt, Brudaer, and other officers.

“Durdrin?” I asked.

“No,” he replied.

“Coward,” I muttered.

“Officers form a wedge, on me. Their weapons cannot touch us. We will rush the house once Durdrin gives the order!” I commanded.

The arrows continued to rain down, but Malice channeled her energy into a spell, turning the stone fence to mud and causing the gate to simply fall over. With a wave of her hand, her troops rushed forward to lead the attack.

“CHARGE!” Durdrin and Vielyn ordered the House De’Endar and Barra D’aron soldiers.

The officers, Shadow Nine, and I stood ready. I summoned my blades to my hands, positioning myself as the spearhead that would cut a path to the door.

Vielyn took his place beside me. “Get ready, baby brother,” he said, and I nodded.

“MASDRIN! NOW!” Durdrin shouted as our soldiers began pushing the House Dhalmaerth soldiers back.

I bolted forward with my brother at my side. Our alliance of soldiers split in the center, allowing us through to bite into the enemy’s defensive line. We had to break through and get into the house as fast as possible. Vielyn and I cut down the soldiers blocking our path, driving the wedge of nearly invulnerable officers deep into the enemy line. Right behind us were Shadow Teams Nine, Six, Thirteen, and One. We pushed and fought, shrugging off blow after blow thanks to our magical cufflinks.

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We succeeded in dividing the enemy line, rushing towards the door as soldiers flooded into the opening we made, flanking the House Dhalmaerth soldiers. The heavy door to the house was closed and locked tight. “How do we open it? I don’t want Malice to blast it while we’re so close!” I shouted to Vielyn. Our soldiers were pushing the House Dhalmaerth soldiers away from the door, so Vielyn sheathed his blade and smiled at me, reaching into a black leather pouch on his belt.

He pulled out what looked like a small amount of bread dough with a paper candle in it. “Ever seen one of these?” he asked, and I shook my head. “It’s a breaching charge. You place it on the locks and hinges and it will blow a door apart.” Vielyn pressed the doughy blob against the door, pulled hard on the string in the paper roll, then turned and headed back down the steps, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me with him.

Halfway down the steps, he stopped and turned around, ducking low. “Keep your head down,” he said, drawing his blade once more.

I stayed flat against the stairs, waiting as the battle raged around me. Suddenly, BOOM! An explosion rocked the steps, tearing the door from its frame.

“NOW! RUSH!” Vielyn growled as he climbed to his feet, and I followed. Adrenaline pumping, I charged through the door with reckless abandon, hacking and slashing with Deathsbite and Nightfall at anything close enough and not wearing the correct uniform.

Vielyn fought beside me in a much more controlled manner. He was used to being in the heart of the enemy’s home; I was not. It didn’t matter—I was holding my own and keeping up with my brother, even if it wasn’t as gracefully.

That was until we encountered Naraun Dhalmaerth, Matron Thraeyanna’s oldest son. He was the biggest Drow I had ever seen, with more muscle in his wrist than I had in my bicep. “Ahh shit…” I muttered, noticing his sword glowing with my ability to detect magic. “Vielyn, be careful,” I said quietly into our communicator.

Vielyn stood up straight, facing Naraun with a wicked smile.

“So, you’ve finally grown the balls to challenge me, Vielyn? And you brought your brother along to die with you!” Naraun taunted.

“On the contrary, Naraun. I have permission to kill you from two Matron Mothers and Durdrin. But I am here to give you an opportunity to survive this battle,” Vielyn said, pointing his sword at Naraun. The Shadow Knights following us held back the house guards, preventing interference.

Naraun looked from Vielyn to me, then to our shadow teams and soldiers before returning his gaze to Vielyn. He knew the house would lose this battle and that he’d lose the duel against Vielyn. He had to decide whether to join the Barra D’aron or die with his house. His sword’s tip dipped low, and his shoulders slumped. “I yield,” he said quietly.

Vielyn nodded towards the door. “You know where to go. He’s waiting for you near the gate.”

Naraun, like most Drow, cared more about himself than anything else. He had a good life here, but he knew it was over. His soldiers were dying in the yard, and Vielyn and I, along with our Shadow Team escort, were inside the house. Self-preservation kept our people loyal—they stayed alive and lived well, or they died quickly.

Naraun took a ring of keys from under his leather chest plate and tossed them at Vielyn’s feet. “They’re in the throne room,” he said before running out towards the gate. He’d stand with Durdrin and watch the destruction of his house. We left the keys on the ground; any doors would be barred from the inside anyway.

Back inside, our soldiers began pouring in as my brother, our Shadow Teams, and I made our way towards the throne room. The guards had abandoned their post upon hearing shouts that mighty Vielyn was inside and seeing that Naraun was nowhere to be found. I tried the door—it was locked and barred from the other side.

“Vielyn, got another breaching charge?” I asked. He shook his head. “Nine, get this door open,” I ordered.

Rylzt stepped forward with a large axe. “Stand back, boss,” he said, raising the axe high. I stepped back as Rylzt brought the axe down hard. It embedded deep, but the reinforced door held strong. Rylzt ripped the axe free and raised it high again.

“We don’t have all day, foolish males,” a female voice said from behind us.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Malice preparing another spell. My eyes widened. “Felyna’s Fire!” I shouted—a code phrase in the Barra D’aron that meant to duck and get out of the way. I dove aside, as did Vielyn and Rylzt, just in time for a blast to rip the door from its hinges.

As I climbed to my feet, Malice walked past me, brushing her hand against my cheek. “Relax. Mother told me not to hurt her new toy or his little friends,” she said with a laugh. Vielyn, Rylzt, and I picked ourselves up and followed Malice into the throne room, our teams and scores of soldiers pouring in behind us.

“Naraun!” Matron Thraeyanna shouted, hoping her favorite son would save her.

“He’s dead,” Vielyn said with a sly smirk. “I killed him myself.”

Matron Thraeyanna’s face fell, horror washing over her as she realized this was her final day.

As Malice moved threateningly towards Thraeyanna, I called out, “Malice! I promised Matron Vasiira I’d kill her myself.”

Malice turned to me and smiled. “Then kill her, mother’s pet, and be done with it.” I wasn’t used to being talked to like that, and I’d make sure to deal with it later. For now, I grinned my crooked grin and stalked towards Thraeyanna.

Suddenly, something felt very wrong. An arrow thudded into my chest, piercing my armor and collapsing my right lung. Nightfall fell from my hand. “Masdrin!” Vielyn shouted. Rylzt, still holding the axe, raised it and threw it, embedding it in the hidden archer’s chest. I took another step forward, the pain almost unbearable, but I had to reach Matron Thraeyanna.

Another magical arrow whizzed by, narrowly missing me. I heard Brudaer shout as the arrow struck his thigh.

“SECURE THE DAMN ROOM!” Vielyn shouted. Shadow Thirteen spread out to find and subdue any remaining threats.

One more step brought me within reach of Matron Thraeyanna, who was trying to cast a spell. I reached out and grabbed her by the front of her dress, howling in pain as she reached up and grabbed the arrow still embedded in my chest. I tightened my grip and stabbed forward with Deathsbite, embedding the blade deep into Thraeyanna’s stomach.

The vampiric enchantment detected my wounds and activated, sucking the life from Matron Thraeyanna and transferring it to me to heal my injuries. The arrow shaft fell to the ground while the part embedded in my chest dissolved as my wounds healed.

Moments later, I was fully healed, and Matron Thraeyanna lay dead at my feet. “Kill them all,” I ordered, looking at the remaining nobles cowering in the corner. There were two women, a man, and three children.

The man jumped to his feet, took a couple of steps towards me, and fell to his knees. “Wait! Please!” he begged. I waved the men back and looked at him, nodding to indicate he had my attention.

“You’re Barra D’aron, right?” he asked. I nodded. “Please, kill us if you must… but take the children with you. They’re strong; they’ll be an asset to you, I promise!” he pleaded. Vielyn took a step forward.

“Wait,” I said, walking towards the children and the two women trying to hide them.

I reached down and roughly picked up the older child by his arm. He was a boy of around five years old, sneering at me. “Would you like to hit me?” I asked him.

He shook his head and pointed at Vielyn. “He killed Naraun, my brother. I want to hit him,” he replied.

I shrugged and lifted the child higher.

Vielyn pushed his face forward, smiling wide at the child. “Give it your best shot,” he said confidently. The child glared at him and wound up his free arm before launching his fist at Vielyn’s face. The punch connected right between his eyes, though my brother didn’t even flinch or blink. Vielyn laughed and nodded at me.

“Kill everyone but the children,” I ordered our soldiers. Shadow Nine followed my orders, and the father died with a smile, knowing his son and two infant daughters would survive.

I shifted the child around so that I was carrying him on my hip. “Come with me; I want to show you something,” I said, turning for the door. Vielyn was right beside me, holding the two infant girls. We were both covered in blood as we made our way out of the house and towards where the gate once stood.

“What are you called?” I asked the child I carried. He glared at me and didn’t answer, so I shrugged. “Okay then, I shall give you a new name. From now on, you are Little Fist,” I said with a crooked grin.

“I am Kovan Dhalmaerth! Secondboy of House Dhalmaerth, third house of Felynafay!” he said angrily.

“You are mistaken,” I argued.

“I am not,” he argued back.

I stopped in my tracks and turned around to show the child the utter destruction that had occurred to the front of his house. “House Fret’tar is the third house of Felynafay. House Dhalmaerth no longer exists,” I said matter-of-factly.

The child blinked a couple of times. “In fact, if this were a normal fight, you’d be dead too,” I told him. He looked up at me with wide eyes. “Good thing this isn’t a normal attack,” I said, carrying him towards the fallen gate.

As we made our way through the yard, I noticed Kovan trying to hide his face as he started sobbing. I ignored it and kept walking until Durdrin and Naraun came into view. “Look,” I said, pointing to the boy’s big brother.

“No,” the child replied.

“You’ll want to see this, I think,” I said as Naraun smiled at the sight of his little brother.

“I don’t care. Just kill me,” the child barked.

“Kovan! Do not speak like that!” Naraun said sternly.

Kovan lifted his head and looked at me with a confused expression. I was still grinning as I winked at him and set him down on his feet.

The boy slowly turned around to see his brother and broke into a sprint. “Naraun!” he said, leaping into his brother’s arms. “He killed Mother! Kill him!” Kovan said, pointing at me.

“Yes, Kovan, our new friends saved you from death. If our new friends had not accompanied House Fret’tar’s army, then we both might very well be dead,” Naraun replied to his little brother.

“Saved me?” Kovan asked.

Naraun nodded. “Yes, and they are even going to give us a new home and a new name.”

“New name?” Kovan asked.

At that point, Durdrin spoke up. “Yes, little Kovan. You are now Kovan of the Barra D’aron! You will grow up strong and proud, and nobody will be able to mess with you ever again. Isn’t that right, Naraun?” he asked.

Naraun nodded with a smile. He was happy to survive and even happier to see his young siblings survive.

Kovan looked to Vielyn and whispered something to his brother. Naraun smiled and fought back a laugh. “You punched him?” he asked. Kovan nodded. Naraun picked up his little brother and hugged him tightly.

“He’s brave. He’ll make a fine warrior one day, just like his big brother,” Vielyn said with a smile, looking down at the two infant girls in his arms. “Have we ever recruited infants before, Durdrin?” Vielyn asked.

Durdrin shook his head. “They will be looked after and protected with us,” he replied.

“Like Zeera was protected?” I asked quietly, referring to the fact that she was abused by a fellow member of the Barra D’aron until I intervened.

Durdrin looked at me and curled his lip into a sneer. “Better than we protected Zeera. We have learned to be more vigilant,” he admitted, glaring at me. His look softened when he realized that my concern was no longer for Zeera but for the two children that Vielyn was now holding. “We will protect them,” he reassured me. I nodded and smiled at him before looking at Naraun and Kovan with a smile.

Vielyn handed the two children over to Durdrin, who would check up on them and monitor their growth, making sure they were safe and treated properly according to our code.

My brother looked at me in my blood-soaked armor and smiled. “You did good today, Masdrin,” he said, his voice brimming with pride.

“Anyone would look good fighting next to mighty Vielyn!” I said, equally proud.

Vielyn puffed his chest out with pride. “Come, brother. Mother is sitting with Matron Vasiira at House Fret’tar. Let’s go tell them of our success,” he said. He too was soaked in blood, but that didn’t bother us. It came with the territory.