《Smoke and Blood》


 Demon

    This was not war as the princes of old had waged it. This was extermination from above, a waterfall of liquid fire that obliterated commoners and lords alike. Arsien ducked his head as the scalding heat washed over his ranks. Men and weapons flew from the path of the inferno, hurled by the sheer force of the shockwave. He shouted a command, but then the dragon shrieked in turn. The demonic howl burst ears, a painful noise like glass being shredded, and he grabbed his head in agony.


    The Edu warriors charged through the broken formation ahead, charging over the glowing soil even as Aenean men¡¯s bones melted in their bodies. Charred corpses were strewn across the front line, some men screaming as the flame stuck and burned on their bodies and arms. Iron blades flashed, and Arsien met iron with bronze. He was locked in combat with an Edu knight, his foe¡¯s black hair streaming wildly, black eyes wide with fanatical bloodlust. The golden ¦Ã upon the knight¡¯s breastplate gleamed, and Arsien kicked his foe hard. The Edu went down as a swift blow slashed his throat. Arsien panted, brushing a strand of sweat-slicked golden hair from his eyes


    Then Arsien heard the rush of dragon¡¯s wings, the clatter of exposed ribs and twisting vertebrae, and looked up. The dragon was wheeling around for another pass, serrated jaws trailing glowing vapor and dark ash. Arsien watched, calculated, and ran towards the descending beast. His men screamed at him to run, fleeing in the opposite direction, directly into the path of the demon.


    The flames struck the earth nearly a hundred feet behind him, the shockwave throwing him into a confusion of sound and heat and wind.


    Then he struck the earth and all went dark.


    ***


    The first thing Arsien noticed was the smell of smoke. As his eyes struggled open, he heard the harsh sounds of Edu speech, and could dimly make out the shape of a man approaching him. He was helpless to defend himself as the warrior picked him up and slung him over his shoulder. Darkness claimed him once more, but not before he saw the charred remains left on the field. Most had already dissolved in the wind.


    Again his eyes opened. A wet cloth was at his mouth, and he eagerly sucked the water from it. After a moment, he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He was in a low, hide-smelling tent, wrapped in furs, and the smell of incense was strong. A dark shape hung over him. A woman, he realized, dressed in the black and red and gold of an Edu priest.


    He writhed, hastily jumping back from the woman, and felt for his knife. It was absent. The leather sheath for it as well.


    The woman hadn¡¯t moved. Her pale grey eyes fixed on his own, a slight reassurance on her face.


    ¡°Have no fear,¡± she said in heavily accented Aenean. ¡°Your life is not to be food for the God.¡±


    That¡¯s reassuring, Arsien thought. Instead of burning alive, I¡¯ll suffer some other terrible fate. How wonderful.


    He gestured for water, not trusting his voice at present. She nodded, and presented a cup from a small shelf. He poured the water down his throat, washing away the smoke and dust of the battle and the taste of dragonfire.


    The battle. He¡¯d been trusted with the flank, and ordered to keep the Edu forces from breaking through. That ought to have been simple, an ideal first command. Edu were notoriously ill-trained, despite their fanatical courage. It had gone well at first, with the Edu breaking against the massed spears of the finest soldiers Orm Archen could muster. Then they¡¯d retreated like a tide, and the dragon had descended.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    His throat dried again. Dragons were gone. Slain one and all over the passage of eons, their bones remaining as a reminder of darker times. And now the Edu had dragons once more, or at least one. And one was all that was needed, for dragons were unbeatable in open battle. The Battle of Burning Bay proved that, and the Slaughter at Caerlight. He turned to the priestess.


    ¡°What is going to happen next?¡± He asked. The priestess considered.


    ¡°You will be presented to the Prince, to have your fate decided, at his pleasure,¡± she said after a moment. ¡°Come.¡±


    ***


    Arsien was chained at the wrists and ankles, and led through the camp. The sky was clouded, rain threatening on the horizon. Firepits blazed in places, cracked bones littering the embers. He realized that he was being led to a huge tent of black fabric. A coiled dragon, crowned and clawed with gold was emblazoned on the entrance.


    It was a poor likeness, but the coiling and snakelike aspect of the demon had been captured perfectly.


    The guards snapped at each other, and then the tent was opened. He stepped through, mindful of an iron sword leveled at his spine. As he entered, he was struck by the lack of luxury. His own tents had been more elaborate than this bare space, the rug softer than the cured hides spread on the dirt. At the end of the tent, a black seat stood in shadows. A trio of braziers mounted on tripods were placed around the tent, the smoke rising to a small gap in the ceiling. The guards quieted as they approached the seat, which Arsien now realized was occupied.


    A soft voice gave what he presumed were orders, and the guards forced Arsien to kneel. Then they stood a step back. The seat shifted, and a boy Arsien¡¯s age strode forward. He was dressed in a dark, elaborately tailored tunic, and an iron band sat upon his dark head. That wasn¡¯t what surprised Arsien though.


    The boy¡¯s eyes were an inhuman gold color, sharp as glass fire, a rich hue that offset his corpse-pale face and raven hair. Strange marks like burns marred the skin around his eyes, but they seemed faded. His jawline and cheekbones were refined, like a delicately cut gemstone, as was the rest of him. The impression Arsien had was of something young and predatory, exotic but dangerous.


    He had a feeling about why this boy was so highly respected.


    He stepped forward, eyes fixed on Arsien¡¯s own mismatched pair. Then he knelt, a hand gently but firmly seizing his chin. Arsien almost moved, but decided against it. He would be skewered in an instant if he tried to run or fight. The Prince laughed briefly, made a remark, and stood. With a gesture, he was dismissed.


    ***


    Arsien sat in a small tent, nursing a bowl of hot stew. The guards outside his quarters were joking, if their laughter was any indication. He knew all the stories about the Edu. Their raids, the fanatical burnings, the violent wars they waged, and more. They didn¡¯t normally take lowly, disgraced sons hostage. Daughters, but not sons. And the idea of a boy of seven-and-ten winters ruling that force was absurd. This army had brokenthe might of Nalor, an entire Isle of the Nine, with comical ease. Boy kings didn¡¯t have that sort of power over their men, the command needed to face and outfox Archon Suleuvus.


    The dragon. Of course, that explained it. This ¡®Prince¡¯ had control over the demon. How was not his issue. Now, he needed to escape and inform the forces at the Fist. But first, he needed to elude his guards.


    Arsien fumbled through the dark of the tent until he found the edge. After finishing his soup, he quietly dug through the loose soil. It felt sandy, another reminder of their proximity to the sea. After an hour or so, he had a hole big enough to crawl through. After peeking out to ascertain the absence of witnesses, he slithered through the hole, ruining his undertunic. It had been a gift from¡­ he quickly buried the memory. That wasn¡¯t of any use here.


    He stood quietly, glancing around the encampment. A blaze roared towards the northern edge, seemingly most of the army gathered around it. He gazed longingly south, towards reinforcements and safety. But he had a feeling that the gathering was important for some reason, some useful reason. Maybe the dragon was there.


    He stepped north.


    After no time at all, with almost nobody to avoid, he slid into the shadow of a tent. His eyes found the Prince, and noted the sheer size of the gathered host, but no dragon was to be seen. Arsien squinted, noticing the lack of marks on the Prince¡¯s face. Perhaps it had been paint.


    Somehow, he doubted it. The marks had been too deep, too dimensioned to be faked. Arsien crept around the edge of the firelight, ears straining for a familiar word. All he could pick out was the dull roar of the Edu warriors. Then he saw the Prince stand, and the priestess spoke in a surprisingly loud voice.


    ¡°Und Kallas Elenxes!¡± The cry went up, ¡°Elenxes!¡± exploding from tens of thousands of throats. At least he now knew his name.


    Elenxes stood, and raised a pale arm for silence. It fell, sudden as a blanket unrolled onto a field.


    ¡°Ekakkens morrag, duranc loken,¡± he said. Then his hand pointed straight towards Arsien¡¯s hiding place.


    ¡°Shit,¡± he said.

 Dreamer

    Arsien was escorted to the dias, the iron grip of a guard on his shoulder. The guard was the same one who¡¯d carried him off the field, an older knight with greyed white hair and cold blue eyes. Arsien flushed with embarrassment as the soldiers chuckled and laughed at his predicament, face burning as the army¡¯s eyes bored through him. Why had he been so stupid? Why hadn¡¯t he just fled? He felt like a fool.


    Maybe his father had been right about him.


    He was made to kneel before the Prince, and Elenxes¡¯s words were translated by the priestess.


    ¡°It is the pleasure of the Prince to have you wait upon him,¡± she said. ¡°If that is not to your liking, then you may dance the blade dance with his Champion.¡± Arsien had a good idea of what the champion was. He decided the shame of waiting on Elenxes wasn¡¯t so bad.


    A servant brought a platter of smoking meat, the smell making Arsien¡¯s mouth water, and set it on a low table. He reached for a skewer, but there was none. He looked at the priestess, and she gestured with her fingers.


    Arsien¡¯s ears burned. He was expected to hand-feed an Edu? Revulsion bubbled in his throat. Elenxes raised a thin, black eyebrow. His choice was clear. Arsien settled next to Elenxes, and reached for the platter. He plucked a cube of blackened meat and offered it to Elenxes. He took it with a delicate bite, baring white teeth.


    Arsien looked at the soot-streaked, dark-haired army, still clad in iron armor. They drank ale and ate meat, grinning and celebrating their victory. He wondered again where the dragon was hiding.


    ***


    After the bonfire had burned low, he expected to be led to his small tent. Much to his surprise, he was delivered to the enormous tent Elenxes resided in. The priestess, who he''d learned was named Mercia, accompanied him.


    ¡°It is the pleasure of the Prince to have you quarter with him,¡± she said. ¡°You will find it harder to evade him than Ryam and Mayr. They are not glad to hear that you escaped.¡±


    Arsien shuddered slightly. Mercia noticed.


    ¡°No fear, they would not hurt you. The Prince would never allow it.¡±


    ¡°Who is the Prince, truly?¡± Arsien asked. She was silent for a moment.


    ¡°He is our dragon.¡± His eyes widened. What exactly did she mean by that?


    The tent opened, and Elenxes appeared. He shot Arsien a smile, and waved him in. Mercia nodded encouragingly, and Arsien entered.


    It was still sparse, but two cots had been brought in and placed on opposite ends of the tent. Elenxes was eating a pomegranate, grinning at Arsien. He found the Edu disturbing. Arsien headed to his cot, and almost instantly fell asleep.


    ***


    That night, Arsien had a dreamless sleep.


    Elenxes did not.


    He saw a blurred face framed with dark hair. A warm hand touched his face, wiping away a tear.


    ¡°Never leave your brothers¡­¡± his mother whispered. ¡°Remember the stars¡­¡±


    Then Elenxes was falling, twisting, reaching for his brother as he caught fire. He stood in the middle of a glowing cavern, molten heat coiling around his limbs and body. He remembered this cave. Elenxes turned, and suddenly saw a field of coals that squished like sand beneath his toes. A soft, grey snow built up, drowning him as he ran.


    Rain fell, black, cold rain. It struck him like thousands of whips, and then he was in a forest. The sound of hounds pursued him, arrows flying. One struck his back, and as he leaned against a tree he lost a finger to another arrow. He was crying, running, flesh torn by jagged branches and feet slashed by stones. A trail of blood smoked behind him.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    No.


    He would not die like an animal.


    Fire filled his veins. He turned, glaring at his pursuers with unbridled rage. Let them burn this time. Flames fell from Heaven, and he was reforged, taller than any man. Their leering faces vaporized, and then he was hurtling through a storm until there was white.


    Cool waters washed over his hands and legs. Elenxes was dressed in the garb of slaves, tattered and stiff. He sat in shallow waters, staring at the wheeling stars. He knew the stars were important. They flew and wheeled beneath the branches¡­


    He stood up, looking at the horizon. All the way around, dull red sunrise was beginning. Or was it sunset ending? Did it matter?


    As Elenxes turned, he suddenly saw a wall of black diamond. It stretched into the sky, without limit. He knew it to be so.


    He walked up to the wall, and saw a shadow within. A mirrored figure that stepped in synch with him. The mirror man¡¯s long, black hair covered his face, but the littleof it Elenxes could see was heavily burned. The man was dressed in beautiful, royal robes of purple, but they were soaked in blood. Elenxes raised a hand to touch the mirror, and so did the other. His reflection''s hand was hideously charred, smoking and falling apart at the edges.


    ¡°Brother?¡± They both whispered, as their hands touched¡­


    And then Elenxes was awake, tears steaming on his face. He shook himself, and was confronted by the face of one of his men.


    ¡°Lord Darion, greetings,¡± Elenxes said, clumsily mimicking the gesture of greeting. The older man nodded in acknowledgment.


    ¡°My Prince, there is an Aenean army approaching from the south. The men need your strength,¡± he said. Elenxes nodded.


    ¡°I will be out shortly,¡± Elenxes replied. Lord Darion bowed, and exited. Elenxes got up, stretching as his bones popped like a shaken fish. Arsien was awake already, he saw. He was sitting on his cot on the other side of the tent, looking at him. Elenxes was struck once again by his green and brown mismatched eyes. It wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d ever seen before. Both were a nice color.


    Elenxes walked out of the tent, striding towards his gathered army. He had to be strong, strong enough to take on any foe. His people needed him.


    He raised his arms, and then there was light.


    ***


    Arsien watched Elenxes vacate the tent. After a moment, he decided to follow and see what was happening. Arsien pushed aside the tent flap, seeing Elenxes striding forward. A wide circle of men was cleared in the army as Elenxes walked through, and Arsien didn¡¯t move further through the entrance. Suddenly, Elenxes flashed searing white, and golden-red flames streaked with black lanced from the sky with a noise like thunder.


    Arsien fell from the shockwave, eyes fixed on the spectacle in front of his face.


    Molten flesh engulfed Elenxes, burning like the sun as bones formed from thin air and heat. A tail and elongated neck emerged from the mess of organs, and then cooled from gold to red, and then to glossy, osseous black. The air rippled around its body.


    Arsien had only seen part of the dragon in the darkness of the night battle. Now, he saw every detail in horrible clarity. Human vertebrae jutted from the spine, a skeletal tail coiling like an oversized cat¡¯s, and layered armor plating with glowing vents at the joints. A pair of colossal wing-arms rose from the front of the dragon¡¯s torso, looking like oversized bat wings armored in a layer of scales. It was sixty feet from nose to tail, every line of its body simply wrong.


    And then he saw the dragon¡¯s face.


    It was a skull, elongated and hornless, with a serrated mouth. The eyes, nostrils and maw smoked with hellish light, grinning like a corpse¡¯s drawn mouth. Arsien was paralyzed as it took off, two powerful legs shoving it into the sky. A trail of smoke fell from its jaws.


    ***


    Elenxes flew, wings beating as he ascended into the clouds. The condensation ran over his body, stripping away the heat that poured from within him. Then he leveled, lowered, and exploded through the clouds, jaws blazing. An army of bronze stretched below him, shining dully in the muted light. A rain of spears and arrows hit his armor, a few piercing and drawing blood.


    He roared, and inhaled. Then he unleashed an inferno upon them, flash-melting their armor and bodies. As he flew low over their ranks, the path of carnage lengthened, flames drenching the earth. Eventually the heat was too much, and he cut the blast. Another dozen hurled spears struck, and Elenxes soared away. Another dive, another blast, and then a spear punched through his eye. Boiling gold blood sprayed, cooling to black as it flew through the air.


    Elenxes hit the ground, roaring and screeching like nothing human. Warriors charged, only to be splashed against the ground as Elenxes¡¯s tail swiped the ground. Another blast of flame obliterated dozens of men, and he charged through an impromptu shield wall with a bellow of rage. Then he shook the spear loose from his eye, and leapt back into the sky. Elenxes¡¯s eye soon healed, and he dove once again.


    When the Edu army arrived, he had singlehandedly slaughtered over a thousand men.

 Acolyte

    Ari was rudely awoken by a loud gong.


    This was normal, of course. The Captain had strict standards when it came to discipline, and if he failed to get dressed he¡¯d get drenched with ice water again. Ari scrambled out of his bed, pulling on the scratchy grey acolyte robes and hastily joined the others in lining up in the stony hallway.


    ¡°All right you detestable vermin!¡± The Captain bellowed. He was a towering, brutish man with virtually no hair on his head, and a complexion like old, worn leather. A fourteen-pointed star was emblazoned on his leather jerkin, the insignia of the Aenean Empire.


    ¡°Today you¡¯ll be demonstrating for the Imperator herself, and I expect a good showing from all of you. We can¡¯t afford failures in our endeavor, and I¡¯m sure you all know what awaits you if you don¡¯t succeed.¡± His dark brown eyes swept over them, briefly focusing on Ari¡¯s own sickly eyes. Then the Captain began to walk down the hall, leading the ten future Foederati to the training pit. A set of heavy bronze doors were opened by twin guards.


    Within, a massive set of stairs dropped nearly a dozen feet into the pit. The Captain stepped onto a balcony overlooking the pit, gesturing for the acolytes to get into position. Just as they did so, another door swung open on the balcony, and a woman accompanied by five heavily armed guards stepped onto the railless balcony. Ari was struck. She was a tall, dark woman, even for an Aenean, dressed in purple robes and face concealed by a veil. Ari was too busy staring at her to realize that the door behind him had opened. He saw a man dragged in chains by two Aenean guards, along with a heavy stone column. They quickly got out of the path of fire. The poor Edu prisoner was shacked to the post, arms held above his head, unable to move out of the way.


    His stomach churned. Ari had only ever practiced on animals before, never a person.


    For our redemption, he thought. To atone.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°One of you, demonstrate for the Lady Imperator Alessandra, Long May She Reign!¡± The Captain shouted in a slightly subdued voice. For a long moment, none of them moved.


    Then Ari stepped forward, raising his hands in the first pose he¡¯d learned.


    Edu blood-magic had largely died out over the centuries, a trait diluted and warped until it became little more than a bloodborn plague upon anyone descended from the ancient Ormlands. A few, however, retained their ancestral power, although it was diluted and toxic. Ari was the most powerful one they¡¯d seen in generations.


    The man twitched, beginning to spasm, foaming at the mouth as he writhed. Blood from his bitten tongue seeped from his lips, along with a red trail from his ears and nose and eyes. Ari maintained the flow of invisible power, his eyes burning as the man¡¯s skin sloughed off in flakes. Tendrils of yellow briefly burst from the bare muscle, and Ari closed his eyes as the silent current finished the painful job.


    Something heavy and wet hit the ground. He ceased the flow, feeling the deepest parts of his body itching and burning from his display. Ari almost threw up, but barely restraining himself. He opened his eyes, looking directly at the Imperator. She was unreadable behind the veil.


    ***


    Alessandra was disturbed at the sight.


    The Edu were horrors, vermin that were eager to devastate the Empire, but this¡­ she was not naive, she knew what the war meant. But the thing that fell out of the chains wasn¡¯t even Edu anymore. It wasn¡¯t even a corpse. It made her feel unclean just looking at it. She turned, gesturing for the Captain in charge of this group to follow her.


    Alessandra had only recently been elected to the Throne, and she already had doubts.


    ¡°Tell me, Captain, about these Foederati.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Your Radiance. They are taken from the slums around Orm Archen or from Edu lands, and can kill innumerable men with a gesture. Unfortunately, their bodies collapse with use of their powers. That demonstration probably took a moon or so off his life,¡± The Captain said.


    ¡°That one was named what?¡±


    ¡°Ari, Your Radiance.¡±


    ¡°Ari. How old is he? Twelve?¡±


    ¡°Thirteen, Your Radiance. He¡¯ll be burned out by twenty if he¡¯s lucky.¡± Twenty. At most. Alessandra felt ill.


    ¡°Thank you, Captain. That will be all.¡± She walked away, Praetorian Guards walking by her sides, trying to forget those haunting, sick yellow eyes.