Warrior of Carcia

Chapter 6

The first sight of human suffering came quickly once they'd entered Kant. A man lay stuck by his leg, it disappeared from his knee downwards under a pile of rubble. Despite being the one injured he attempted to comfort his wife who was crying and pulling at him intermittently. "Help. Help us" she called when they came close enough. Isafaldor drew the wagon to a halt. They had to help them, but they also had to get home to where the girls no doubt waited, alone and terrified. Taylan looked at the man with the trapped leg, then back at Ma who'd abandoned her choking sobs for terse silence. She refused to meet his gaze. Freeing the man would take time. He looked at Isafaldor imploringly, communicating his dilemma. "Here – take the reins." Isafaldor said, stepping off as Taylan scrambled forward "I'll help them. You go on to the girls, I'll meet you there." Taylan didn't argue. He pushed the horse forward and hoped they didn't encounter anyone else.

As they neared the district of their house the air became hotter. Heat smacked into them in heavy waves, the streets flaming. The horse grew more and more agitated, fighting against Taylan's control, whining as it tried repeatedly to turn back. Streets became narrower, the flaming buildings on either side getting closer until they became a flaming arc above their heads. Not content with burning buildings on both sides, the twin flames – vicious, living things – had agreed to meet. Lighting the close balconies and washing lines that hung across the streets in a blazing path. They were smothered on both sides and on top by fire. The horse stood stock still. "Come on boy" Taylan pleaded, but it had too high a regard for its own life. No amount of cajoling or prompting on Taylan's part could get it to move. Taylan had no choice, his sisters were on the other side.

He took Ma gently by the shoulder "We go on foot by here". They'd barely got off when the horse darted away, taking the wagon along with it. Traitor Taylan thought darkly. He gripped Ma's hand and walked into the furnace. The flaming arc was a short lived thing. But what lay on the other side was worse – a charred town. Their neighbourhood lay decimated, blackened before them. There was nothing left to burn. "The girls." Ma whispered behind him. Taylan crunched something under his feet. He looked down at a newly broken bone. An animal bone he told himself – not human. "There" Ma said. One house away sat their home, or what was left of it. The roof collapsed completely. "Betha, June" Ma cried "Ava?" she said more quietly. Baby Ava was still too small to even recognise her own name. Taylan lay what he hoped was a steadying hand on Ma's shoulder. "Wait here, see if they turn up. Maybe they escaped when the fire started. I'll go inside and look." Ma nodded. Good Taylan thought. Hopefully the girls were far away from here by now. The house wasn't safe, he wouldn't risk Ma inside if the whole thing was going to collapse on their heads.

He searched through rubble, kicking aside dislodged tiles. A plume of dust swirled up Taylan's nose, triggering a minor coughing fit. He paused. A charred, chequered fabric caught his eye – the remnant of their bed sheet. Taylan tugged it aside and stared in mute horror. After everything that happened today, it was this that brought Taylan to his knees. They gave way and Taylan dropped boneless to the floor. There like some gruesome, nightmarish doll shop lay the remains of his three sisters. Each a smaller version of the other. Black flesh barely hung off visible bones, the bottom half of their bodies completely burned away. Taylan swallowed vomit, the image imprinted into his eyelids. Three skulls lay so close to one another, as if they had been embracing. Taylan picked the smallest one, baby Ava, up in his palms and succumbed to ugly, wheezing sobs. They had been together when they died, probably fast asleep before it started. "Taylan. Tay-." Ma's voice called out for him, no doubt getting impatient. A moment earlier and Taylan would have thought it was the girls returned safe and sound. Taylan rose to his feet, wiping at his face, letting Ava's skull gently roll out of his grasp to join her sisters.

He came up behind Ma and stopped. Staring at what she was staring at. A Shadowlander stood inches away, curved blade drawn to Ma's throat. "Taylan" his pale lips formed experimentally – his tongue heavy and unfamiliar around the word. Fear and horror and grief mixed in a sickening concoction. How had he not recognised the terror in Ma's voice, the urgency? It was all a culmination of nightmares. Pale eyes landed on the triangle glowing on Taylan's forehead, lips curving in a sly smile. The Shadowlander reached out to grab Taylan, but Ma stepped in front. "Don't touch him" she spat, her eyes threatening fire and brimstone. Taylan wanted to defend Ma, but here she was small and round defending him while her strong, muscular son stood frozen in his mother's skirts. The Shadowlander grabbed her instead to push her out of the way and Ma jumped up and bit hard on the Shadowlander's arm, sinking her teeth in. It grunted in pain and its sword arm swung reactively, embedding his curved blade in Ma's neck. There was no warning. Nothing to prepare him for the loss of a parent. A slash of blood hit Taylan's cheek and neck. He watched as time slowed and Ma's head slid gruesomely from her neck to fall lifeless to the ground. Lips parted in their last exhale.

Taylan screamed in fury, his vision tilting as he slammed into the Shadowlander – this evil monster bent on the demise of everything Taylan loved. He'd taken the creature by surprise, its eyes widened before the Shadowlander lost its grip on its sword and they toppled hard onto the floor. Taylan punched him in the nose hard, revelling at the crunch of cartilage, almost smiling at the joy of destruction. The Shadowlander rolled quickly, utilising his heavier weight to jump to his feet. Taylan did the same. Wiping blood from his nose the Shadowlander stared at Taylan, then the mark on his forehead warily. He held up his hand in a gesture unknown to Taylan "peace" it said. Taylan snarled in reply "You killed my mother, there will be no peace between us – only death". The events of the day accumulated in Taylan's mind and he let it, liquid anger shot through his veins. Taylan lunged forward, punching to the right. The Shadowlander dodged left, predictably, straight into Taylan's left hand undercut. He did grin then, savagely, as his fist met the soft liver, or possibly a kidney.

All traces of finesse and skill forgotten Taylan aimed an upward punch at the stomach. But this time the Shadowlander was ready for him. It caught his arm, mid blow, and twisted hard. Taylan gasped in agony and his eyes began to water. He had to break free. Unseeing, caught in battle-lust, Taylan aimed his heel at the Shadowlander's knee cap – pushing his heel into the flesh relentlessly hard. To his satisfaction, the Shadowlander grunted in pain, dancing away with a slight limp, releasing Taylan's arm. Taylan swung around, furious still, filled with hatred for this creature who had murdered Ma. He darted forward unthinking, punching left and right desperately, Isafaldor would be shamed by his lack of control over his movements. The Shadowlander grunted as he took the blows, but at the same time his foot hooked around Taylan's knee. Taylan gasped in surprise and self-disappointment. He knew he would fall. In his anger he had over-balanced. Walked straight into the trap. The Shadowlander knew it too, he smiled as he sent Taylan flying towards the floor.

The Shadowlander looked down at him and laughed. Taylan deserved it. Isafaldor had taught him better. The first lesson - that there are no feelings in fighting rang clearly now in his head. The heel of the Shadowlander's booted foot came to Taylan's throat and pushed down, choking him slowly. Taylan clawed at the ankle helplessly. It was too late. It seemed as if the Gods wanted him dead today – one way or another. Taylan thought of Ma's lifeless body and stopped struggling, relaxing into his fate, he would join his family in the long sleep. Suddenly the pressure at his throat let up. Taylan took long, gasping breaths as his windpipe was freed. He stared up at the Shadowlander, a long blade stuck through its chest spreading a pool of blood outwards. Slowly the blade dragged out and the Shadowlander slumped to the floor. Taylan blinked in disbelief.

"He's dead. Right through the heart." Isafaldor's grainy voice said from above him. "But we should probably leave Kant, it is nought but a dangerous ruin now." He looked around him as if waiting to be proved right before stretching out a hand for Taylan, Taylan ignored it, crawling towards Ma. "She's dead too" Isafaldor's voice was not unsympathetic. Taylan cradled the decapitated head in his palm and placed a soft kiss to Ma's cooling forehead, trying to ignore the stomach-rolling sight where the neck abruptly ended. He rose slowly, his hands bloody. "Perhaps the girls made it out safely." Isafaldor's words, meant to be comforting instead wounded sharply. He stared at Isafaldor empty-eyed "they're gone". He had the fleeting pleasure of watching Isafaldor's eyes widen unwittingly in surprise before commanding his features to their usual stoicism.

Taylan tried to adopt a similar expression, but feared he was failing miserably. Compensating for his lack of emotional restraint he kept his head down as Isafaldor handed him a series of weapons. All of which Taylan had proved himself particularly proficient in during the sparring sessions of his childhood. Isafaldor must have detoured briefly to his own home to retrieve these. Perhaps if he had not, if he had arrived sooner... The thoughts came unbidden as Taylan equipped himself with throwing knives, a small battle-axe and the double-sword he preferred. It was useless to think this way. The past was a written book. Taylan wrestled himself into a degree of control, he looked up and nodded grimly at Isafaldor. Isafaldor nodded simply back and they set off amongst the wrecked streets of Taylan's hometown.