Soul Fire

Soul Fire - Chapter 7

As promised by Ragilen - the leader of the Asillian patrol - the decimated village stood less than a morning's ride away. The men had no need to moderate their horses, with Asillian mounts being used to far greater demands than this short, hard dash.

Once within the boundary of the simple houses and huts of the settlement, the toll on human life was clear. Bodies lay strewn across the ground like a macabre sacrifice to Kaelin - the Bloodthirsty God of Retribution. The flyblown corpses shocked Dathion to his core. He had never seen a dead person before, only animals being prepared in the palace kitchens. Vacant, staring eyes portrayed the horror of their premature deaths. Bodies were contorted in pain and desperation, frozen in twisted poses. Some had been brought down while they fled, with deep rifts torn in their backs. Blood splattered flesh, drenched clothes, and soaked into the soil, filling the air with a sickly-sweet, metallic stench.

Dathion rubbed his arms to warm his prickling skin. Ellishan and Jerodai retreated. The son of Malithas vomited. At first, Dathion's attention was drawn to the dead by a morbid fascination, his curiosity daring him to gaze upon the abhorrent. Now he averted his eyes, sickened by the prospect of seeing more. The boys did not suffer their discomfort alone. The men stood with lowered heads; pale skinned and silent. Malithas alone provided a steadying presence.

"The time for proper rites and remembrance will come. If the heavens grant sanctuary to souls, you can be certain these men and children will be there pleading for us to avenge them. We must not fail them."

Although Dathion was the official leader of their delegation, in truth that title belonged to Malithas. Even Salidon and the members of the Asillian patrol, veterans though they were, waited for his mentor's command. As for Dathion, the words of Malithas did not sway his dark mood ... but something else did. He started to burn from within, his horror slowly consumed by a gathering rage. Back at the palace he had been angered by the news of five murdered Asillians.

Today he gazed upon the bodies of dozens.

He remembered the night, less than a week ago, when he had exacted a terrible toll on the wooden swords and dummies back in the practice hall. This time his sword would be neither blunt nor made of wood. He felt the gazes of Malithas and Salidon settle on him. If they looked into Dathion's eyes and searched his bared soul, they would find a conflagration. Dathion turned to face his guardians. Salidon smiled, though it didn't touch his eyes, while Malithas gave Dathion a reassuring nod, all the encouragement he needed to continue stoking the furnace that threatened to consume him.

"Come, men. We will waste no further time mourning. The past is forever beyond our reach and time is against us. Others can give the fallen the respect they deserve."

Malithas mounted, with the rest of the group following moments behind.

Claw marks revealed the direction of their quarry; a simple trail for any man to track, but trivial for Salidon. Before long, they spotted dots moving against the horizon. Spurring their horses forward, the dots grew into humanoid shapes, then loping creatures the height of men. Seeing the captured villagers being herded like animals wrenched Dathion's stomach.

Salidon drew close to Malithas. Dathion overheard their words.

"I count a score or more, Malithas."

"Then each of us must match four of them. The boys are yours. Keep them safe."

Malithas waved the Asillians forward; their horses moving from a trot, to a canter, then finally a full gallop.

The hammer of the approaching horses shook the ground, heralding the arrival of the Asillian warriors astride them. The nearest creature turned, snarling an alert, before tilting its head back to howl. The piercing challenge carried effortlessly through the still air.