Chapter 1 #2
“It took you forever. Next time, I expect you to be done before nightfall.” The man’s neck gleamed with multiple golden chains that, undoubtedly, served the purpose of asserting his birth right to lead the people.
I sneered. Those attributes meant nothing in the real world. A new hierarchy was only a matter of time, and soon only the ones who could spit fire would rule the land.
“We will not need you for the rest of the week. I expect you to clean up the area outside the walls when you are done with your other duties.” He raised his weak chin, meeting my gaze.
I clenched my teeth. He acted like we were his subordinates, as if he could boss us around.
From the corner of my eye, I could see that the attention of the whole table was focused solely on me. I did not trust myself to respond, and only looked at him, barely holding back the fire that was burning me alive.
The Lord of Hogtain stood for a moment longer before moving away.
“Why do you let him talk to you like that?” Victor hissed.
Ignoring him, I picked up a leg of chicken and took a bite, staring at the retreating figure of the lord of the castle.
“What do you suggest?” Frid snapped.
“I have a couple of ideas,” Victor muttered, pouring himself a glass of wine.
“We’re Shadows. I hope you remember that.” Frid leaned forward, her bright blue eyes glared in the light of the torches.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t forget. Not with you reminding me every ten minutes.” Victor sat back in his chair, breaking apart a piece of chunky, gray bread with his lean fingers.
I closed my eyes, already knowing that we would hear their bickering for the rest of the meal. Frid could not let Victor get away with anything, and the latter enjoyed making her mad.
“Where to next?” Solomon lowered his voice.
I shifted my gaze to him. His broad body was stretched to the extreme.
His large head and thick neck made him look like a giant.
He has been exceptionally tall since we were children.
I could still see the four of us playing as kids.
Frid, being the only girl among us, received an unfair amount of teasing, especially from Victor.
I could still see her running away from him as he carried a frog on a shovel while Sol watched them with his arms crossed on his chest.
“We stay until our orders come.” I sipped my wine, pleasantly surprised it was not diluted with water.
“They’ll just keep throwing us to the crawlers until we get torn to shreds,” Victor said.
“Come on. Just stop it!” Frid bit her lip.
Solomon looked down at his plate.
We all agreed on that. The council will never forget what our clan did.
The civil war that our fathers almost started, the destruction and deaths that we had to pay for by serving the same people who executed our leaders, and destroyed everything the clan worked so hard for.
Since then, our people have lived in exile, stripped of all resources and dignity.
The children of the banished noble families were expected to serve the crown, and fill the ranks of Shadows.
We had to atone for the ancestral debt by risking our lives, completing the jobs no one else wanted.
But that was before the outbreak. The crawlers changed everything. Now, all we dealt with were the undead.
I shifted my gaze back to the Lord of Hogtain.
He sat in the center of the table surrounded by his sons and wives.
After the outbreak, there were many women in need of protection and it became acceptable for rich men to have several wives, as long as they could provide for them.
I took a sip of my wine, watching his kids play together.
The children ranged from about six to about ten years old.
One of his wives held a baby in her arms.
“Where are we sleeping? I hope to have separate rooms this time,” Victor said.
“I would love to wash up.” Frid sniffed her forearm.
“You really should.” Victor snorted.
“Shut up!” Frid threw a wooden spoon at him.
“Hey! That hurts!” He rubbed his hand.
“Get over it!”
“Why can’t you be like other girls?” Victor continued.
“What the hell does that mean?” she hissed.
I tousled my hair, raising my eyes to Solomon.
“I’m off to bed,” I said and he nodded.
It was an early morning hour when I jolted awake in my narrow, lumpy bed.
My hand reached out to grab the knife I was never without.
I sat up, surveying the dark outlines of the furniture.
I remembered going to bed last night and extinguishing the tiny remnant of a candle.
Still in a haze, I walked to the only window.
The inner yard seemed quiet and peaceful.
I listened to the calming night sounds, trying to see beyond the shadows.
Absent-mindedly, I played with the blade of my long hunting knife and the coolness of the steel soothed my nerves.
I was contemplating going back to bed when a faint sound, not more than a mere whisper, made me step closer to the front door.
I froze, listening. At first, I could hear nothing, and nearly dismissed my suspicions.
But a moment later, I could clearly distinguish heavy breathing in the corridor.
Someone was passing through the halls, exhaling with a low, barely recognizable growl.
I swore under my breath, and put on my leather suit, securing the row of knives I wore on my belt. I buttoned my jacket and put on my boots, before swinging the front door open. My eyes adjusted to the dim light of the moon coming in from the wide windows.
“Sol!” I gave a quick sharp knock on his door and heard a light rustling on the other side of the door.
“Ty?”
“Crawlers.” I said and moved to the next door.
“Frid, crawlers in the castle!” I called through the door and could hear the sound of something falling to the floor, then a loud swearing.
I did not bother with Victor because he never stayed in his room. He was always sneaking out to meet one girl or another.
Slowly, I walked along the corridor, clenching the hunting knife in my hand. When I stepped onto the poorly lit staircase, I paused, trying to catch any noises from the other levels. After a moment of indecision, I darted upstairs.
Suddenly, a chilling screech shook the walls and I sprinted through the dim corridor.
It only took me a moment before I saw the Lord of Hogtain.
He was swinging his sword, trying to fend off the crawler who avoided his attacks with inhuman speed and agility.
My left hand reached down to a throwing knife on my belt and released it, aiming at the head of the undead.
I missed the brain, and the blade stuck in the crawler's skull without stopping the monster. I grabbed another knife, but before I could finish the motion, the walking corpse had already plunged its teeth into the old man’s flesh.
The next moment, my second knife reached its target and the decaying body hit the floor with a loud thump.
“My kids! Quickly!” Lord of Hogtain shouted, and I sprinted past him into the bedroom.
Two crawlers were trying to reach under the bed, where the children were hiding.
Carefully, I approached the beasts, gripping the handle of my hunting knife.
In one practiced motion, I plunged the blade into the crawler's temple.
The stench of rotten blood hit my nostrils with an all too familiar, nauseating smell.
The second crawler was faster, he ran at me and jumped; extending his pale arms. His milky white eyes focused on my face.
I unsheathed my throwing knife with my left hand and threw it without aiming, but the monster darted to the side at the last second avoiding it.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to slow my breathing.
The crawler lowered its body to the ground, resembling a feral animal.
I took out my last knife and stilled. At the same moment, the undead stretched out its body for a jump, I threw my knife and got the monster right between the eyes.
At last, its body hit the floor and everything went still.
Sighing heavily, I crouched by the bed.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
“Where’s my husband?” the woman’s voice sounded hoarse.
“Fighting. Lock the door behind me,” I commanded and retrieved my two knives before returning to the corridor.
“Are they safe?” The Lord of the castle shouted when I appeared in the doorway.
Another crawler was attacking him and the old man was not up to the task.
“They’re safe,”
I closed the door behind me, and with one precise motion flung my knife at the monster, landing a perfect hit. Everything fell quiet all at once. Without further delays, I reclaimed my blades and secured them to my belt, before returning to the staircase.
Down in the main hall, I found Victor and Sol dealing with more crawlers.
Before I could get closer, a bloody shape emerged from out of nowhere.
It took me two attempts to land a kill shot.
Picking up my weapons, I looked over, watching their fight.
Sol swung his massive ax with incredible power and speed, landing deadly blows.
Victor had his short sword in action, decapitating the crawlers.
When dealing with the monsters, I had an unfair advantage since I could keep my distance, being too close was a constant risk that I did not have to take.
Every little detail mattered and could mean life or death.
“Where’s Frid?” I shouted.
“Isn’t she with you?” Victor looked up.
“No.” I ran back to the stairs, followed by Victor and Sol.
In the corridor one level up, I bumped into Frid, disheveled and covered in blood.
“You have to see this!” She tried to catch her breath.
We followed her to the top of the castle wall, where the Lord of the castle stood on the merlon, watching the dark sea of the undead below.
“What are you doing?” I stopped by the edge.
A sudden burst of wind brought the smoke and the smell of the burnt flesh as I watched the man next to me. This time, I saw something different in him. I did not see a narrow minded and arrogant lord, but a father and husband.
“My time has come,” he said without turning back.
“You can’t do this.” I glanced over the edge to the remains of the fires and the surviving crawlers that still soiled the clearing between the buildings.
“What am I supposed to do? They bit me. They . . .” he whimpered. “I don’t want to be put down like an animal. I want to meet the Great Dragons with dignity.” As he spoke, his voice grew calmer with every word.
I watched him, unable to look away. His body elongated, and his skin shimmered with thousands of golden scales.
His head enlarged. The Lord of Hogtain stilled on top of the wall, watching the crowd of crawlers below.
Then without delay, without so much as a final look back, he stepped into the abyss.
My eyes followed the silhouette of the dragon, his golden scales reflected the moonlight. Frid gasped behind me.
I was not able to sleep that night. The sounds of the struggle, the growls of a wounded dragon being eaten alive would never stop haunting me.
It was unclear how that barbaric tradition originated, but many warriors thought that their sacrifice was much more preferable.
None wished to be a burden on their loved ones, or worse, risk their families’ lives.
I spent the rest of the night pacing the room from wall to wall, unable to switch off my mind. Just before the sunlight reached down to my window, I passed out on top of the mildew-smelling sheets, exhausted as never before.