The sound of the battle horn echoed throughout the valley. My opponents threw their cards down on the table and jumped from their seats. Not wanting to look as reluctant as I felt about my first battle, I followed suit and tossed my winning hand on the table. Just my luck.
I pulled my sword from the ground nearby and picked up my shield. New recruits didn’t get the luxury of a sheath.
My eyes darted around the area, frantically searching for my helmet. Like my sword, it was made of metal and would offer some protection, unlike the ragged, used leather vest the benevolent Kurskin had given me.
My helmet was nowhere to be seen, most likely adorning someone else's head. It was foolish of me to let it out of my sight. I rolled my eyes, more mad at myself than the thief, and looked around for my fellow new recruits. Ellis and William were already a hundred paces away, sprinting toward the battlefield, the game of cards long forgotten.
I sighed and turned to run, helmetless. I’d just have to keep my head down, I guessed.
If I failed to reach my spot in the formation in time, I’d be whipped or worse. During my short time in training, I saw a Kurskin kill a man because he couldn’t march in step. If I missed this charge, Commander Kreech was going to gut me in front of the rest of the men. I’d rather not be made an example of today. Or any day, for that matter.
I charged after the only two men whose names I knew, pitching myself forward and down the hill as fast as my muddy boots would allow.
I was one of the last to arrive, but thankfully not the last. Commander Kreech eyed me as I approached, a snarl forming on his ugly green face.
“Fall in line, you useless welp,” he hissed at me. “To the front.”
Kreech was a Kurskin, a race more reptilian than human. They stood upright like humans but tended to be shorter. Their height meant little, as the average Kurskin was both stronger and faster than most humans. Not to mention, each and every one was capable of extraordinary feats.
Growing up, I’d heard tales of magic and wondrous abilities. Witches who could call forth storms. Shamans who could heal the sick. I’ve even heard tales of necromancers who could raise the dead. But I’d never seen any magic myself. Not until I met a Kurskin.
Some claimed the Kurskins were angels, sent to protect us from the Dalari, and that was why they had these powers. That’s what my uncle believed. He told me that the lizards came from the sky, which I guessed was where one would assume an angel would come from.
I believed him until I met one. They bled, just like me, and angels didn’t bleed. Also, they were assholes.
I didn’t say anything to Kreech and fell in line as quickly as possible. Kreech had more important things to worry about than one stupid human. Many of his own kind were joining us for this battle. Just like us, they followed Kreech because he was the strongest, and why shouldn’t the strongest be in charge?
Two days ago, after I arrived at the camp with a handful of my fellow new recruits, I overheard Kreech speaking with some of his scaly underlings. He was boasting about achieving level fifteen. I didn’t know anything about the Kurskin’s military structure or what the rankings meant, but his own kind seemed impressed.
Not understanding their ranks was one of the many things I didn’t know about my Kurskin leaders, but still, what little I knew of them paled in comparison to my ignorance of our true enemy.
The Dalari were taller than most humans, and unlike the scaly Kurskins, their skin was more human-like, smooth with a blue tinge. I’d never seen one up close (I was about to), but I’d been told they moved like dancers, lithe and graceful. People said the Dalari were beautiful. They were also deadly.
Kreech galloped before the formation on his huge, armored stallion. “The battle is upon us,” he shouted, his voice raspy and heavy, the words seemed to vibrate out of his throat. “Let’s send these blue demons back to the depths where they belong.”
The men cheered. So did I, but I wasn’t excited about potentially getting killed.
“This is your chance to turn the tide. Do not let it slip away. Fight for your Kurskin allies, and fight for your King Constance. Be brave. Be mighty. Be brutal.” Kreech’s stallion reared upward, and he held his heavy axe high above his head. “To battle!”
The horse brought its feet down, and Kreech pointed his gigantic axe to the field before us. We charged.
Across the distant field, the enemy began its advance. Like the Kurskins, the vast majority of the Dalari’s fighting force was human, but these humans had chosen to side with the enemy. I didn’t know if they did so willingly or if they had been compelled by the powerful Dalari. I didn’t understand the politics behind this war, but I knew that when the swords came out, it was either them or me.
I felt strangely calm as I marched forward like this was what I was meant to be doing. Perhaps those weeks spent at the training camp were more useful than I had thought. Or perhaps it was because in my heart I was fighting for my king, for the people of Vedra, not for the Kurskins. This war gave me a purpose, something I never knew I lacked when I had been working the farm day after day, year after year. It was a comforting feeling. I hoped the others marching beside me felt the same.
Arrows began to rain down upon us when we were two hundred meters out. My shield was wooden but strong. No arrow was going to bring me down. Still, a helmet would have been nice.
I spared a glance behind me. A sea of men, five hundred strong, flowed down the valley and into battle. I spotted at least a dozen mounted Kurskins on the flanks. No doubt, there were even more scattered among the footmen. They treated humans as inferiors, but at least they fought alongside us, even if it wasn’t always on the front line.
The arrow volleys had done little to weaken our advance thus far, just as our archers’ attempts had failed to halt the opposing side.
The enemy was closing in fast now, and my previous sense of calm began to recede, replaced by the fear that had been hiding underneath all along. It wasn’t a bad thing. Fear shouldn’t be ignored; it should be embraced. I wanted to live, and the only way to do that was to be better and to fight harder than my opponents. Fear would give me the motivation I needed.
They were twenty yards away now, and I could feel them approaching. My teeth were chattering, and I was puffing for air after running for so long. It would have been more sensible to walk the first few hundred yards, even with the hail of arrows. Those without a shield would probably disagree, though.
Metal clashed, and screams rang out as the two sides collided. I brought my shield up and slammed into the enemy before me. Someone behind me reached over with a spear, jabbing forward multiple times into the mass of enemies. When they pulled it back, the tip was red with blood. As I was taught, I pushed forward again with the vanguard, and the spearmen followed behind with precise thrusts.
We did this thrice more. On the next shield push, we would bare our swords and go on the offensive.
I put my shoulder into my shield and pushed forward with all my strength, then took a step back and raised my sword. Without hesitating, I followed through with an overhanded swing. My shit sword failed to cut through his chainmail, but he still let out a cry of pain.
I wrenched my sword back and followed through with a thrust. My sword tip pierced his chainmail and the flesh underneath. I slipped it out of his gut as he crumpled to the ground.
He was quickly replaced by more enemy soldiers. I brought my shield back up, blocking two attacks. I was forced to take a few steps back and collided with one of my fellow soldiers. The onslaught continued, and my guard began to weaken.
A boom rocked the battlefield, and I saw enemy soldiers tumble through the air. The explosion distracted my opponents and gave me the opening I needed. I rammed my shield into one of my attackers, knocking them off their feet. I tried to do the same with the other, but he was already swinging his sword. I brought my shield around just in time to deflect. I went for a stab, but he blocked the attack with his own shield.
There was another explosion, closer this time. Some of the enemy soldiers tried to flee from the danger, causing more chaos in their line and opening a gap for my army to maneuver. I saw a flash of green in my peripherals and realized what was about to happen. Kreech was coming. I smiled.
“I’d run if I were you,” I said to the enemy soldier before me. We were both on the defense, making cautious attacks to test for an opening.
He snarled at me. “I’m no coward. Not like you Kurskin lap dogs.”
I shrugged and pointed down our line. The idiot actually turned to look. I would have stabbed him in the neck for it, but there was no need. Kreech was there on his mount, ax already in motion. My poor enemy’s head sailed through the air.
Kreech pulled back on the reins and looked down at me. “You’re welcome.” He actually smiled at me.
“I had that handled,” I said, unable to help myself as I smiled back at the horrible lizard.
He did the lizard-person equivalent of a ‘harumph’ and galloped back into the battle. I probably should have got on my knees and thanked him, but I really did have the situation handled.
As he charged deeper into the enemy’s midst on his armored stallion, he tossed something bright and round. It erupted in a wave of concussive force. A few unfortunate souls were thrown from the blast, flying helplessly in the air while their fellow soldiers scattered in fear.
I wanted one of those.
The battle raged on, but our side was winning. We continued to advance as the enemy was slowly pushed back.
The momentum was with us until I saw the man to my left pull his sword out of the belly of the enemy. The next moment, he drove it into one of his fellow soldiers. And then another.
He didn’t see me as I approached from the flank and cut him down before he could do more damage. It was then I noticed the chaos growing around me. It wasn’t just him. More of our own soldiers had turned against us.
I’d heard rumors, but I didn’t actually believe them until now. One of the Dalari was near, and it was invading the minds of my peers.
A nearby Kurskin, this one part of the infantry, moved to assist in our battle against our own men. He moved shockingly fast, unnaturally so. Holding a short sword in each hand, he utilized them to great effect, making quick work of the turned soldiers.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
He turned back toward the enemy. I followed his gaze and saw the Dalari soldier. Its eyes were closed, and even from a distance, I could tell it was concentrating.
I looked back to the Kurskin and blinked. Had it just disappeared? No, it was there. It was just blending into its surroundings, like a camouflage. But I could see it moving if I looked closely. It was moving directly toward the Dalari.
The Dalari’s eyes snapped open, and without hesitating, it turned and ran. I laughed. Maybe the Dalari weren’t so tough.
By the time we regained our ground, I was breathing hard, and my brown hair was caked with blood and muck, but the tide of the battle continued to shift in our favor despite the Dalari’s influence. We fought on, letting our momentum carry us forward.
--
In time, our reserves stepped up, and I was allowed to fall back and rest. The battle appeared to be ours, and there were enough fresh men to keep the press strong. The Kurskins may have been mean and brutal bastards, but they understood how to preserve their forces.
Most of those who had fought among the vanguard were lying about camp, trying to rest and tune out the sounds of the battle. Exhausted, I stumbled to a nearby tent, hoping to close my eyes for a moment and calm my nerves.
When I opened the flap of the tent I froze in shock. Inside were two Kurskins I didn’t recognize, one of which was a female. Her scaly skin had an orange tint to it. The other was a green male. He was taller than his female counterpart, but still shorter than me.
They looked at me with surprise. Then they looked at each other and smiled, sharp teeth visible in their wide grins.
“Do not be afraid, soldier. Come forward.” The female’s voice was throaty and intimidating, and weirdly alluring.
I stepped forward and gingerly lowered the flap back down.
“Sorry to interrupt,” I said as formally as possible.
“Do not be sorry,” she said. “We have a task for one such as you. Will you assist?”
That wasn’t an order, that was a request. This could either be really good or really bad. Either way, I wasn’t going to say no to these people. Still, I wanted a little more information. “Can you share more about this task?”
She smiled back, her thin lips curling upwards. “A Dalari was seen fleeing from the battle. We need someone to track this coward down and kill him. Can you kill a Dalari for us?”
Holy shit. No. No way in hell could I do that.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Good.” She reached into her satchel and pulled out a small, stoppered vial. “Take this.”
I took it from her. “What is it?”
“This Dalari is injured. He will be weak but do not underestimate him. Drink that before engaging him in combat.”
“Uh, okay.” This was a bad idea. I couldn’t take down a Dalari, even if he were on his deathbed. “Do you know which way he went?”
“Northwest. You will need to skirt far around enemy lines before turning north. We will provide you with a mount. When you find him, drink the potion and kill him. Do you understand your mission?”
I gave a stupid, earnest nod.
“Good,” she said. “Be on your way then. When you are successful, return and notify your commander. Tell him you acted on Hesta’s behalf. He will see to it that you are properly rewarded.”
This was a bad idea.
--
Night had fallen, and I was still on the hunt. The Dalari were known to be graceful on their feet, which made them difficult to track, but this one was injured and had been neglectful in his flight through the forest.
Hours ago, when the sun had finally set, I happened upon a stained rag next to a small brook. It was sticky with a black substance that could only be Dalari blood. I hadn’t known their blood was black, but it made sense. All the evilest creatures in stories had black blood.
Much time had passed since finding that rag, but the occasional broken branch and disturbed earth told me I was still on the right trail.
While uncommon, it wasn’t unheard of for humans to gain prestige among the Kurskin army. If I succeeded in this mission, I would surely be promoted. Lieutenant Milton Musgrave had a nice ring to it. That’s what I told myself, at least. However, even the highest-ranking humans would never rise above the lowest of the Kurskins. Still, hope for a better station drove me onward.
I walked next to my horse in the dark. I had learned my lesson the hard way around midnight when a low-hanging branch knocked me from my seat on the horse. My ass was still sore from the fall.
Eventually, I came upon a clearing in the trees, beyond which the face of a cliff rose from the ground, blocking any path forward.
I had a choice to make. This Dalari either went left or went right, east or west. West made more sense, as the Dalari’s stronghold was that way, but this one was a deserter, and I doubted the Dalari leadership were the forgiving sort.
The sparse clouds above parted enough for more moonlight to slip through, and I noticed part of the rockface ahead was darker than the rest.
I focused my attention on it, wishing for more of that scant moonlight, but the more I stared, the more detail I could make out. I was looking at the entrance to a cave or crevice, the perfect place to hide if one was injured and needed somewhere to rest.
I prayed I was right about this. If I didn’t catch the wounded Dalari here, I’d have to guess a direction or wait until sunrise to pick up the trail. I didn’t want to wait.
Not wanting to ruin my chance at surprise, I loosely hobbled my horse on to a low hanging branch. If I didn’t live through this, the horse would be able to free itself if it really wanted to.
I pulled out the small potion Hesta had given me. I threw the potion back and fought the urge to gag as the thick mixture slowly drained down my throat.
The effect was almost immediate. My exhaustion vanished, and the world around me became crisper and more detailed, even in the dark. I felt like I could lift a horse or scale the cliff before me in seconds. My body thrummed with newfound strength.
I needed to find a way to get my hands on some more of this stuff.
Breathing deeply, I focused on the task at hand, far more confident than any human should be in my situation. Maybe I could actually do this.
As I crept forward, the entrance to the cave became more visible, and I could see it was more than just a mere recess in the rock face. I didn’t know if it was an effect from the potion, but my intuition was singing to me now. I was sure I was on the right course.
I reached the cave entrance and grasped my sword with both hands. Even under the incredible influence of Hesta’s potion, I still knew there was only one way to pull this off. I needed to take the Dalari by surprise. I prayed the monster was asleep.
Like a wraith, I glided into the cave, sword at the ready. It was darker inside, but it had little impact on my currently enhanced night vision.
The cave tunnel hooked to the left and opened into a larger chamber. I peeked around the corner and saw the Dalari was there, bald, shirtless, and lying on the cave floor. A dark wound blotted his belly. It was motionless, but I could make out the faint rise and fall of its chest. The bastard was sleeping. Maybe my bad luck was finally turning.
There was no reason to wait around for my luck to change, so I planted my feet and darted into the chamber. Just as I was about to lunge forward and plant my sword into its bare chest, the Dalari opened its eyes and lifted a hand. A burst of light emanated from its palm, and my vision went white. I lifted my arm, attempting to shield my eyes.
It shouted something at me, and I couldn’t make sense of it. My ears were ringing for some reason.
The blinding light vanished, but my vision was still ruined from the flash.
“Wait,” the Dalari said, not moving from its position on the cave floor. Its voice was soft and weak. “I beg you.”
Not a chance. He may have been injured, but he was still incredibly dangerous. I couldn’t let this moment slip away. My attempt at surprise was ruined, but perhaps I could still salvage this. I lunged forward again, ready to strike him down for good, but before I could bring my blade down, my muscles locked up, and I froze in place.
My body was no longer in my control. Against my will, I took a step backward.
This was a violation beyond imagining. The stories were true, I had no doubt now. The Dalari were demons, born from hell itself.
Unwilling, I placed the blade of my sword to my throat. I tried to fight against the compulsion, but I was beyond helpless. I’d thought myself strong of will, but I was just a pin poking against a brick wall. There was nothing I could do. I was going to die by my own hand.
I looked down into the Dalari’s deep, purple eyes. His gaze was unrelenting and determined. Hardening my will, I tried one last time to overcome his power. I could not.
Slowly, I pushed the blade into my neck. The cold steel parted my skin, and pain lanced through my body.
I couldn’t even scream as I killed myself. The most I could muster was a single tear. I had lost.
I met my opponent’s eyes one last time. The Dalari smiled at me, white teeth visible under its pale lips. Then the smile vanished, replaced by a deep frown. His eyes grew wide with confusion, and my tense muscles slackened as control returned to my body. Somehow, the monster’s spell had been broken. Ignoring the trickle of blood running down my neck, I raised my sword, and his confusion turned to fear. I stabbed downward with both hands and drove the blade into his chest.
It was harder than I had expected, so I put my weight into it, leaning hard onto the sword as it pushed deeper into the Dalari’s chest. By the end, I was practically lying atop him. Only inches away, I looked into those purple eyes one last time and watched the life disappear from them.
I had done it.
I killed a Dalari.
A sigh of relief escaped me, but that relief vanished as the Dalari’s head began to shudder and shake. There was something wrong with its left eye. It moved slightly and seemed to bulge outward. My face wrinkled in disgust and confusion. It looked like his eye was about to burst out of…
The eye exploded in a sticky mess, and I caught a glimpse of something metallic blasting from it directly toward my face. It happened so fast that even my drug-enhanced brain could barely process the small mass of silver tendrils before they were on me.
I slammed my hands to my face, but it was too late. The shiny hairball had slipped into my nostril. I felt it digging deeper into my nasal cavity. It was going for my brain. I was going to die.
I clawed at my face, trying to rip it out. It was inside my head, crawling behind my eyes. Death would be a mercy at this point.
In a final act of desperation, I lowered my head, preparing to charge the rock wall of the cave. I’d scramble my own brains before this demon had a chance.
But then I felt nothing. The pain had vanished completely, not even an itch between the ears.
“Hello.”
I spun around, looking for the speaker.
“Be at ease.” The voice was feminine. Where was it coming from?
“Show yourself,” I screamed. The pain was gone, but panic consumed me. Something was terribly wrong.
“Ethan, your heart rate is dangerously elevated,” the voice said. “Calm yourself.”
I put my hands to my ears, like a child who didn’t want to listen. “Who are you? Who is Ethan?” I rasped.
“My apologies. Milton, calm yourself.” The voice was refined and proper. It reminded me of how some people in the larger cities spoke, but it wasn’t quite human. More like a human speaking into a tin can.
“Don’t call me Milton,” I always hated my first name but wasn’t quite sure why I even cared at this moment.
“Fine, what do you wish to be called then?”
“Musgrave,” I said, using my last name.
“Okay, Musgrave. Please take a moment to calm yourself.”
As requested, I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. I tried to think about those peaceful days of nothingness back on my uncle’s farm and not about the fact that something had just wriggled its way into my brain.
It took some time, but my composure gradually returned, and my heart no longer felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. I opened my eyes. “I’m okay.”
“Splendid,” she said. “I apologize for any distress I have caused.”
My heart jumped again at her voice, but I kept a handle on my panic.
“You may refer to me as Val,” she said. “It is not my true name, but it will suffice for our interactions.”
“What’s your real name then?” I asked, the sense of impending danger receding.
“It does not matter, and you would not comprehend it if I told you.”
“If it's not your name, why do you call yourself Val?”
“Because I like it.” She sounded offended that I asked.
I took another calming breath. “So, you’re in my head now, right? You were in that Dalari’s head, and now you’re in mine.”
“That is correct.”
“Why?”
“To help save your world, of course.”
“I…I don’t understand,” I said.
“It will be easier, I think, to show you rather than tell you,” Val said. “What I am about to do may be traumatic, but it is necessary. I hope you will forgive me for any further distress this may cause.”
“Wha…” My words were cut off as my mind shattered into pieces. I was no longer in the cave. I was nowhere and everywhere. My body had no substance. I was a thought, spiraling into oblivion. My memories scattered like dust into a cold void. My existence ceased.
Slowly, all my scattered, broken pieces began to recoalesce. I felt warm. Then hot. My mind burned like an inferno, a blazing star until all the heat and the light seemed like it would snuff me out for good.
The next moment, I was on my porch, sitting in my favorite rocking chair. There was a Budweiser in my hand.
Turning my head to the left, I saw my wife, Elena. She looked so beautiful. Her dark hair absorbed the night, but her face shone in the moonlight. We had only been married for six months, but it had been the best six months of my life.
We had just finished a cheesy romance movie she had tricked me into watching before coming to sit on the porch together to admire the stars. We liked doing this, just existing together in the quiet night. Life was perfect with her by my side.
I took a swig from my beer and looked up to the stars. I let out a contented sigh.
As I looked, the starry night sky above turned a bright, electric blue, forcing me to shield my eyes from the sudden blast of light. The sky hummed, and I could feel a pleasant energy radiating downward, like the warmth of the sun in autumn.
In disbelief, my wife and I both stood from our chairs. My beer fell from my hand.
A blue field of pulsating energy covered the sky to the horizon and beyond. It was mesmerizing and terrifying.
There was a flash of soft blue light, and I began to feel weak. I collapsed back into my chair. My wife fell too but missed her seat, landing on the porch, unconscious.
Tiny particles, like dust, floated away from her. It was like she was made of sand, blowing away into the wind.
I closed my eyes to blink, but they remained shut. I wanted to open them and see my wife again, but I couldn’t. I was already gone.