“You alive?”
The soldier directed his question at the motionless body in front of him. As he moved his torch closer, the young man grimaced at what he saw. Against the wall of the dimly lit abandoned alleyway sat the desiccated corpse of a man. After years without use, its skinny arms had contorted and curled in towards the thing’s chest. The gray leather, which was once its skin, hugged desperately around the bones beneath, as if clinging to life itself. The only clothes on the body were a ragged old loincloth and an equally tattered oversized sun hat resting on the corpse’s shriveled legs. With the body slouched over, the soldier saw only a bald scalp in place of a human face.
After receiving no response, the soldier hesitantly reached towards the body. With the sun hat inches from the young man’s grasp, the corpse suddenly snapped its head to meet his gaze. Its comically long nose almost touching the soldier’s. The thing’s eyes were as gray and dry as ash and harbored an all too familiar, empty stare. The encounter only lasted a moment before the soldier screeched as he pulled back his hand, falling onto his back and dropping his torch in the process. With the light of the torch gone, the darkness of night suddenly surrounded the two. The living corpse then began to stretch out its right arm, producing awful sounds of tearing flesh and scraping bone as it did so. The dead man used one last ounce of strength to straighten out his arm, letting out a guttural sigh of anguish in the process. Then, the instant it achieved its goal, the arm dropped, landing directly atop the hat.
“That one’s alive, alright” Said a gruff voice from behind the young man.
The soldier picked himself up from the filth of the alleyway. Dusting off his silver armor in the presence of his superior. He picked up his torch and began to apologize. Clearly filled with embarrassment, Giovane frantically explained how he was sure this one was actually just a corpse.
“Nevermind all that, Giovane.” Interrupted the older man. He continued with a sigh, “This one’s definitely the oldest I’ve seen outside of the vault, but they all get like this eventually.”
The man looked down at the corpse before reassuring his subordinate, “That just means he’s even more harmless than the others.”
The words escaped his mouth with a rehearsed boredom.
“Of course, Captain Avido,” Begged Giovane, “Just let me load this one up so we can call it a night.”
“Alright,” His superior responded, “Tell you what, Giovane. You did such a great job of finding him, I’ll give you a hand loading him into the wagon.”
Captain Avido conjured a counterfeit smile through his tired face. He then bent down and yanked the large sun hat from under the dead man’s decrepit arm.
“See? Doesn’t even put up a fight,” He said, inspecting the tattered object, “You’ll want to keep these kinds of things. Old antiques from the Golden Era are worth a killing”
The captain inspected his treasure, considering the gold he might earn from it. He stuffed the hat into his satchel then did as he promised. Giovane grabbed the dead man by the feet with one arm, still holding his unlit torch in the other. The Captain grabbed from under the shoulders, and the two lifted the body with staggering ease. Giovane could not believe how a living person could be so weightless. But of course, knowing from experience how much it would weigh was the only reason Giovane’s superior so generously offered to help carry it.
The body was so stiff that it would not move from its slouched position. They walked carefully through the dark. Stumbling amidst what was clearly once a makeshift home. Ducking under the stained and torn sheets strung up from either side of the alley walls, and watching out for any of the rusted pots and pans scattered about. The bygone man they carried, either unable or unwilling to react, stared at the cloudless sky above. His gaze equally longing as it was empty.
As they exited the cramped and narrow alleyway, they were met by the desolate city of Riparo. Though once a major port town, not so much as a rat could be found there today. In front of the men stood their wagon, waiting for them on the lonely street where they left it. With buildings abandoned and the roads reduced to dust, the only semblances of life were the soldiers, and the two horses attached to their wagon. The new moon allowed darkness to engulf the city, and only the light of the covered wagon’s torches offered reprieve from the black of night.
“Alright,” Said the Captain, dropping his side of the body and letting the dead man’s head crash onto the ground, “Load him up then.” He said, as he moved towards the driver’s seat of the wagon.
“Right away, Sir.” Giovane said with an eager smile.
Giovane affixed his torch to his back. He struggled to reposition the body, tucking it against his side, his arm wrapped around it tightly. With his free hand, he hesitantly slid open the tarp resting over the bonnet of the wagon. Although desperate to not witness what lay inside, the young man would have to risk it. Giovane used both hands to thrust the dead man up and through the tarp and into the cart. Giovane’s impatience betrayed him. As the body flew through the air, it became entangled in the tarp, pulling it down and into the wagon along with the pyrrhic.
Out of the corner of his eye, Giovane saw them. Instantly, and in unison, the several other pyrrhics sitting in the wagon turned to stare through the newly formed gap in their enclosure. Though not nearly as ancient as their newest member, they were all painfully aged; overrun by the ravages of time. Giovane froze as he met their gaze. The previously motionless bodies sat upright. Their eyes full of anger, fear, and a passion Giovane had never known before this day. The pyrrhics’ stares burned holes through the soldier’s eyes as they looked off into the vastness beyond the wagon. Though their stares disturbed him to his core, Giovane could not look away. His trance was so deep that he did not notice when Captain Avido approached.
The older man turned to stare into the wagon, glaring back at the damned souls he had collected that night. His empty eyes mirrored those of his captives. Moving his empty stare down to his subordinate, he said,
“You’ll get used to it. Or maybe you won’t”
Giovane composed himself as his Captain returned to his seat at the front of the wagon.
“Yes, of course, Sir.” Breathed the rattled soldier.
Giovane scrounged for the tarp, and hastily placed it back over the wagon. Although the peering eyes were gone, the young man knew he would never be able to erase them from his memory.
The ride back to the Capital was as long as it was silent. Leaving the unsettling calm of Riparo, the two soldiers bobbed up and down for hours as the wagon traversed the winding dirt roads before them. Journeying through the countryside under guide of starlight, only howling wind coming from the surrounding mountains kept the men company. After what felt like a lifetime of travel, the men had arrived at the Capital’s gates.
Although the vast realm of Premoregnio had no true ruler or central government, a noble family rose to infamy by virtue of their power and influence. The “Royal Family’s” estate, Covo Di Cuori, and the surrounding land had become known far and wide as “The Capital.” A city bustling with people, trade, and the arts. The inhabitants of the city pledged allegiance to this place and in return, the Royal Family ensured protection and prosperity.
Giovane looked up from the wagon and towards the city wall. Inside this towering, solid white fortification, lay Giovane’s home. This wall enclosed Giovane’s entire life. Everything he had ever done. All the people he had ever known, and all the things he had ever seen up until this day, were locked away behind the city gates. The only part of his home Giovane could see from beyond the great white wall was the Royal Family’s chateau. The Covo Di Cuori was the only structure that dared to peer over the city walls. Giovane was almost left breathless at the sight. The young man had seen this castle every day of his life, but never quite like this. Seemingly growing from the city walls were the seven iconic castle watchtowers. Amongst them, stood three of the five turrets, and looming at the center of it all, the King’s Keep. Giovane knew that this was merely a fraction of the castle’s true size, and that what little he could see far surpassed any structure beyond the Royal Family’s influence. There was truly no force in the entire realm that could oppose them.
The soldiers’ wagon followed the city wall until Captain Avido broke the silence.
“Looks like we finally made it,” He announced.
Before them was a formation of wagons, creating a line leading to what appeared to be a monumentally large fire conspicuously blazing just beyond the city wall. As they approached, Giovane realized that what he was seeing was no fire pit, but a collection of torches, creating an illuminated box around a massive pit in the earth. On either side of the pit rested large iron gates, attached via thick chains to a windlass.
Captain Avido steered the wagon into the formation as he explained,
“That right there is the south entrance to the Vault. What was essentially an ancient sewer system, now converted into a holding cell for these putrid pyrrhics.”
“Holding them for what?” Giovane asked.
“For living.” Captain Avido responded plainly. He turned to his subordinate, “Can pyrrhics die, Giovane?”
“No, sir,” Giovane declared knowingly.
“Do pyrrhics decay, Giovane?” The Captain continued.
“I- I’m not sure, si-”
“Right,” Captain Avido interrupted, “At least, no one has seen it happen. Hundreds of new pyrrhics are born every year. And for the most part, all they do is sit around. So why aren't they overrunning the streets?”
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Suddenly it all clicked. Giovane's mind shot back to his childhood, and to the old pyrrhic who used to live on the street corner. Despite his mother’s disapproval, Giovane would run out into the crowded streets after dinner, and deliver table scraps to the old man. Though the pyrrhic never moved from his position, the food would always be gone the next day. Worried that rats might be taking the food, Giovane snuck out of his home one night to defend his offering. Upon his arrival, Giovane saw the old man moving for the first time, slowly gnawing his jaw up and down, with a fist full of bread.
Giovane continued to deliver the man his table scraps every night, and sneaking out to meet him became a weekly tradition. Covered by the dim light of Giovane’s lantern, the two would sit in silence on the dusty ground as the old man ate his food. Weeks passed and Giovane started talking to the man, telling him stories of what he had done that day. On one of those nights, Giovane confessed that he didn’t have many friends. He continued by saying that he felt bad for the old man, because it seemed like he didn’t have many friends either.
This confession was met with a response. The first and only words the pyrrhic would ever speak to Giovane.
“My name used to be Amico”
The man said these words with a weak voice, before continuing the slow gnawing of his jaw. Though the pyrrhic never turned to face him, Giovane could see a single tear stream down the old man's face.
These meetings continued for a few months until one day, the old pyrrhic was gone. Giovane continued to leave out table scraps, but after seeing the pile of food grow and remain untouched, he realized that his friend was gone.
Giovane snapped back to present day,
“So once a year, guards travel the realm to collect old pyrrhics and then bring them to the Vault?” He asked Captain Avido.
“Smart kid.” The Captain betrayed his uncaring persona and showed Geovane a genuine smile, “Right, keep the wagon in line. I’ll meet you at the entrance of the Vault.”
Captain Avido jumped out of the driver's seat and walked off, leaving Giovane alone and in charge of the wagon.
The young soldier sat in silence, holding his place at the end of the line. As time crawled forward, the sky approached dawn at an equally grueling pace, and light from the sun began to seep from the horizon. Sunlight grew as the line shrunk until eventually Giovane was reunited with his Superior. They waited for the wagon in front of them to unload their pyrrhics. One by one, the old creatures stumbled down into the Vault without hesitation. Once it was empty, the other pair of soldiers returned to their wagon and took off for the city gates, leaving Giovane and Captain Avido as the only two soldiers in the area. Finally, it was their turn.
“This is the worst part about being assigned to Riparo for these collecting trips.” The Captain explained, “Because it’s so damn far out, you’ll always be the last team to return. And as the last team, we’ll have to close up shop before being released for the day.”
The Captain sighed before continuing, “Normally I’d leave you to do it on your own, but I’ve got to train you to make sure you do it right. So let’s hurry and get this over with.”
Before Giovane lay the south entrance. The two massive iron gates that would otherwise rest over the pit were wide open, granting access to the abyss below. Ancient stone steps covered in cracks and black sludge accumulated over the years hugged one of the pit’s edges, leading all the way down the 50-foot drop. Captain Avido directed Giovane to steer the wagon so that the tarp concealing the pyrrhics faced the stone steps. Once he had done so, Giovane left the wagon and joined his superior at the entrance of the Vault. Captain Avido entered the back of the wagon and commanded the pyrrhics to exit. The pack of elderly men and women did as he said, standing up front their seats and shuffling off of the old wooden cart, their faces telling tales of tragedy and indifference. Giovane directed them down the stone steps and into their new home. Stumbling down, the pyrrhics mindlessly followed the body in front of them. Avoiding their empty stares, Giovane couldn't help but peer into the dark pit below him, noticing a mound of black and gray collected at the center that almost reached the top. Just as the last body exited the wagon, Giovane heard his superior.
“Alright, kid. Help me with the dead one” called out a tired Captain Avido from inside the wagon.
As he entered the wagon, Giovane saw the pyrrhic that he had discovered earlier that night still sitting up. With its hand over its legs, it sat exactly as it was before being thrown into the cart. The two soldiers grabbed the body as they had before, dragging it out of the wagon. Once exposed to the surrounding torches, the pyrrhic became fully illuminated for the first time. Looming over the edge of the vault, just before discarding the pyrrhic, Captain Avido whispered to himself.
“By the Sixth.”
“Quite repulsive isn’t it?” Replied Giovane.
“No… No not that!” The words narrowly escaped Captain Avido’s mouth, “Look at the thing’s left arm.”
When Giovane looked down, he saw a brittle, twisted arm. Almost identical to the one the corpse had so forcefully straightened out when he first found it. However, upon further examination, Giovane’s eyes found a blackened stump at the end of the appendage.
“A grafted hilt.” Mused Captain Avido, “The mark of one of The Sette Guardie.”
A confused Giovane stared blankly at his superior as he continued,
“There’s a bounty out for these sons of bitches! I’m gonna be rich!” The Captain exclaimed as he dropped his end of the pyrrhic’s body. “Quick boy! Load it back into the wagon. I’ve got to take it to the King’s Keep to claim the reward.”
Giovane quickly matched his superior’s excitement.
“How much is the bounty, sir?” The young man asked bashfully, yet growing with eagerness.
“A million dinares for the one of ‘em!” Proclaimed the Captain. For the first time since knowing him, Giovane saw his superior animated with joy.
Giovane felt the situation settle in his mind. A million dinares, split two ways. With that much money, the young man could retire after serving the remainder of his enlistment. He could support his mother through her illness. He could buy a house in the mountains and live out the rest of his life without a care in the world. After 18 years of deprivation and hardship, the thought overjoyed Giovane beyond anything he ever imagined possible. Merely thinking of the possibilities brought a tear to the young man’s eye.
“What are you waiting for, boy?” Snapped Captain Avido, “Go on and load the body back up!”
“Right! Sorry sir,” Giovane replied, wiping the tear from his cheek, “I just can’t believe our luck.”
Giovane turned back to the pyrrhic. He excitedly threw the body up into his arms before a sharp chill caressed the back of his neck.
“Slowly now.” Warned Captain Avido.
Giovane carefully turned his head to see the Captain out of the corner of his eye, holding his sword to the young man.
“What’s going on, Sir?”
“I’m sorry, Giovane, but I’m taking that bounty and I’m leaving the Capital.”
After a moment of quiet consideration, Giovane responded,
“But… I found the pyrrhic.”
Images of his mother flooded Giovane’s mind. His only motivation for becoming a soldier was to escape the impoverished life he was born into. Beyond that, his working was the only hope for his mother to recover. Although it was his only option, a soldier's pay could hardly support one bachelor, let alone his mother and their home.
“No.” Giovane said, whimpering to himself.
“What’s that?”
“I said no!” Giovane said firmly, “Please! I found him. We can share the reward!”
His throat dried, as his voice cracked in fear.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Giovane,” Reasoned Captain Avido. “But I can’t do it anymore. I’m getting out of here!”
Giovane began to panic as his superior desperately shifted more weight onto the sword. The ideal future he had seen play out in his head was fading away as fast as it came. Tears formed in the soldier’s eyes as he stared down into the darkness of the Vault.
After a moment he collected himself,
“You’re going to have a hard time claiming your bounty when it's in the Vault!” Shouted Giovane, desperation infesting his voice.
The bold announcement only incited laughter from the Captain.
“Ha! Oh really? And tell me, how is that rancid old thing going to hide from me?” Retorted an amused Captain Avido.
“Maybe I’ll jump in there with it! Maybe I’ll bury it deep within that maze just to make sure you can never have it!” The young man screamed at his superior, all the while clutching the pyrrhic in his arms.
After a moment of consideration, Captain Avido’s lowered his blade. Giovane sighed a breath of relief before turning around.
“Thank y-”
Captain Avido did not hesitate to take advantage of the inexperienced soldiers' folly. Before Giovane could even realize what had happened, Captain Avido pushed forward and met the young man face to face. Without a second thought, the Captain thrust his sword forward. The force of the impact pushed Giovane off the ledge and into the darkness below.
The soldier spun in the air as he fell, before finally landing face down and on top of the pyrthic’s body. The soldier's fall was additionally cushioned by the mound of unidentified black and gray mush resting at the center of the pit. Despite this, Giovane felt as though he had fallen off a cliff. His body depleted of adrenaline, as reality began to set in. The young man felt Captain Avido’s sword piercing through his own body. Having landed face first, the sword drove further into his chest, and out through his back.
As he realized his situation, Giovane’s vision began to fade. The image of a home in the mountains, with his mother waiting for him, shot back into his mind. This final thought comforted the young man as he felt himself slip away. His hands and feet grew cold and numb. His chest seething with agonizing pain as each breath became more and more labored, and his body became heavier and heavier. And just as he was about to give into the encroaching darkness, he heard an unfamiliar laugh. A vicious, mocking laugh that could drive any man insane.
“Why did you make me do this?” Howled the Captain from the edge of the Vault’s entrance. A tear began to roll out of his eye.
“You’re going to die for nothing! I’m still getting my reward!” He shouted into the abyss.
Tears began pouring from the man as he burst out in a twisted laughter. He contorted his body as he allowed himself to fall to his knees.
The darkness that infested Giovane’s vision turned blood red with anger. The soldier conjured all of his strength in an attempt to stand himself up, but to no avail. His failure acted as fuel for the flames of Captain Avido’s mockery. As the Captain's laugh grew louder and colder, Giovane’s resolve grew bigger and stronger. The blood red in his eyes burned an ever more brilliant white hot. As if lighting ran through his veins, the soldier felt a power surge through him like he had never felt before. But as quickly as it came, it faded, leaving Giovane to collapse under his own weight.
“I actually liked you too!” Concluded the Captain, “At least you went out fighting.”
As he said his final words to his subordinate, the Captain turned away from him and began making his way towards the stone steps. The moment he did so, he was overcome by an immediate and excruciating pain emanating from his leg. He crumbled to his hands and knees as he looked back to see his own sword plunged into his right thigh. Stupefied, the man looked back down into the Vault to find the ancient pyrrhic on his feet, looming over Giovane’s motionless body.
“The hat.” demanded a weak voice.
“How the hell d-” the Captain was cut off.
“Give me back.” The pyrrhic stopped to catch his breath, now speaking with a much fuller tone, “The hat.”
Captain Avido was taken over by a confusion that grew with the same ferocity as the pain in his leg. He forced himself back up, his eyes glued to the standing corpse in the Vault. In response, the pyrrhic began stumbling down the mound of sludge and towards the stone steps. His confusion now evolved into fear, Captain Avido hastily limped towards the same steps.
Fully intending to fight off the shriveled corpse of a man, with every step, Captain Avido felt himself fading as his blood loss increased. He had no choice. He would have to seal the Vault and hope to claim his bounty at a later date. The Captain leaped towards the windlass, and a race ensued. Realizing the Captain’s plan, the pyrrhic attempted to quicken his pace. But decades of atrophy prevented the pyrrhic’s legs from following his commands as quickly as he ordered them. Captain Avido limped desperately round and around the windlass, putting every ounce of strength he had left into shutting the gates. The pyrrhic wobbled his way down the mound, losing balance with every step. The Captain collapsed right as the pyrrhic, who had now resorted to crawling on all fours, began to ascend up the stone steps. After taking a moment to gather more strength, the Captain realized the gates were only halfway closed. Desperate, the Captain stood up and forcefully removed the sword from the flesh and bone of his leg. Agonizing pain, met with deafening screams, shot through his spine as he did so. Captain Avido then grasped the wheel of the windlass for dear life and pushed as quickly and as forcefully as he could. Just as the pyrrhic approached the final few steps, the hulking iron gates came crashing down. Their weight alone sealing the Vault from the inside. Once the gates had fallen into place, the two men collapsed where they stood.
And giovane lay there, as cold and still as a stone. Under the same moonless sky he followed that night. Only a few yards from his home, when the sun finally crept up from behind the mountains and shone it's morning rays on the three men’s faces.