Chapter 5: Needless

I watched as the small man in red untied the scrolls and flattened them out on the floor next to me. As he began reciting the scrolls in a language I did not understand, placed his hands upon my wound. His hands began to emanate a dim yellow light. I could feel intense heat coursing through my shoulder down to my arm then back up to the left side of my face. I howled in pain as the infected gash tried to repair itself. My Vampiric body had been working overtime trying to heal itself of the foreign disease that was beginning to take over. I was glad that I had fed on Ternay Darck before I left Matadonia. The Shaman continued his work feverously for going on four hours and the wound had still yet to heal itself. Sweat poured from the healer’s forehead, but he never quit trying. He continued on no matter how futile the situation appeared. It was nearly dawn when the man who called himself The Shaman collapsed over my chest in exhaustion. “I have done all that I can do.” He said. “Yes. Yes, I have done all there is to do for you.” The healer rolled off onto the floor and sat up on his knees. He gathered up his scrolls and rolled them back up. He found the three red ribbons and tied the scrolls back up. He stood up and turned toward the old wooden chests and stored the scrolls once more. Then the Shaman turned and looked at Cirania and I and said, “Yes, it is good that I found you. Good Ears I have on my head.” He walked over toward a straw filled cot in the corner of the room. The Shaman lay down and closed his eyes. “Stay here for about two weeks methinks.” He turned his head toward us, “Your wound will take a long time to heal. Yes. Yes, a very long time.” He closed his eyes and drifted off to visit his dreams.

As the sunset I stood at the back of the room looking toward the door. I was waiting for my ally the moon to defeat our worst enemy, the sun. My wife, Cirania was still sleeping on the floor next to the south wall of the room. I watched her sleeping. Her breathing had slowed as her body regenerated itself. I envied her. I envied how when she would wake up she would drink a cup of tea and have some breakfast. Those were just a few things that I missed about being alive. I turned my head and looked at the festering wound on my left shoulder. It had closed up a small bit. It still resembled a hole in the earth covered with bloodmoss. The moon had finally claimed victory over its rival so I walked out of my temporary quarters and into the street. The town of Firecove was bustling with an abundance of different races, Humans, Elves, Dark Elves, and Vampires alike. They all lived together in perfect harmony. I turned to the left and made my way to the center of town to watch everyone go about their lives. As I reached my destination I sat down on a bench on the side of the road. I remained in that spot for about fifteen minutes before I seen the one thing that made my blood boil. A family of Orcs was making their way out of a local watering hole and heading to an abode here in town. These people let those filthy animals mingle here? What kind of people would do something like that? I need to take care of this myself. All Orcs deserve to be punished.

I stood up from the bench and ducked into the shadows. I followed the family of filthy Orcs to the north side of town and to a dwelling. Once inside, I opened up my senses to feel anyone approaching. No one was coming. Good. I pulled Sableleaf and stalked to an open window to the animal’s home. I peeked in and left my senses wide open. I could tell that there was one male and three females in the house. I waited until they had all assembled in one room. Once they had gathered, I jumped into the house through the window. I extinguished the candles that were illuminating the room with my forefinger and thumb. I snuck down the hallway, eliminating the light as I went. With Sableleaf in hand I made it to the end of the long hallway. I peered around the corner and seen a large room ornately decorated with hand made weapons, large jewels and hand woven rugs. The four Orcs were sitting in front of a roaring fire speaking in basic language. They talked about organizing their chores for the next day. Who was going to tend to the milking of the cows, and who was going to harvest the crop so they could take it to the Everstar Celebration next month. I listened for about five minutes. For undomesticated creatures, they seemed highly intelligent. That doesn’t matter. They all need to die, and it is my job to eliminate them.

I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. What I am about to do is right, and it is righteous. I leapt into action. Bursting in the room, I let out a war cry that would frighten even the hardest of warriors. With Sableleaf glowing in the dimly lit room I attacked. The male was my first target. I brought down my weapon with a slash. I cut him from shoulder to kidney. The blood stained my sword even further, making it even darker in color. The three female Orcs screamed in terror as I slaughtered their hierarch. Inside of my head I heard, Aerol, No! Don’t do this. You are better than this. I pushed the thoughts out of my head and closed off all of my emotions. I pulled Sableleaf from the fallen filth. Seething, I turned around slowly to the three females. Blood ran down to the tip of my blade and dripped to the floor. The three remaining victims cried for me to stop. They begged me to stop. I loved the way it felt to hold their lives in my hands. So this is what a god feels like? I love it. I looked at the elder female Orc and said, “No! I will not stop. Let your gods know when you get to the other side, that the one who sent you there was Aerol Reign, Orc killer.” With that I beheaded the females with a single swipe of my blade. I stood over the bodies and laughed. “No one can stop the inevitable.” I said. I walked out of the room and extinguished the remaining lights in the home. I exited the way I entered and walked back to my temporary quarters. I arrived to find the Shaman, Cirania with their backs to me. They were talking to someone but I couldn’t quite make out who. The two stepped aside and revealed Thresh and Oases.

I tried to warn you, The Alpha Male said stepping forward toward me, but you didn’t listen. You are starting to take a walk down the wrong path Aerol Reign. I closed the door to the quarters and moved to the west wall. Leaning against it I said, “What I am doing is right. It is what I was born to do.” I ran my hand through my hair and said, “Besides, you’re just a wolf. What do you know?” The conversation continued until near sunrise. Thresh relentlessly pleaded his case that what I was doing was wrong. He was not going to convince me. No matter what he said to me. Finally, frustrated Thresh and Oases stormed out of the house. Cirania had remained motionless and silent throughout the entire war of words. The Shaman had decided he had had enough of listening to me defend senseless killing, so he stomped out of the house. Now it was just Cirania and I. The way I wanted it, the way I liked it. I moved over to her and began to say something sweet to her. She cut me off, stood up and walked over to the door. “I can’t follow you down this path Aerol.” She said. “You’re not the same man I fell in love with. My husband is not a cold blooded killer.” She turned to face me, with tears streaming down her face she said, “You are not the same man.” And she hurried out the door, leaving it open behind her. I walked over and closed the door, the wind whipped up and tried to blow the door open once more. I latched the door and with my back to it slid down to the floor. What I am doing is right, and righteous.

I slept the day away, only vaguely aware of people coming in and out of the quarters. By nightfall however, I was alone once more. I stood up from the bed and put my trench coat on. Then I strapped on Sableleaf and the Mystic Bow of the Druid. I walked over, fully equipped to the door. From behind me a chilling voice said, “Happy hunting my son.” I stopped in my tracks and turned to face the voice. With my hand on the hilt of Sableleaf I said, “How did you get in here?” More confidently I continued, “And what is to stop me from gutting you where you stand?” Hidden deep within the shadows of the unlit room, a man wearing a solid black mage’s robe with the hood up walked toward me with three steps. Quietly the voice responded, “Nothing my son. Nothing is stopping you from killing me.” His voice was high pitched, almost snakelike. “In fact,” he said, “I won’t even stop you, and you see I am no match for someone with your blade skills.” The stranger folded his arms at his chest and remained motionless as I pondered my next move. I adjusted my weight to my right foot and said, “Who are you?” He sucked in a deep breath of air, “I am known by many, many names. But you my son, you may call me Teacher.” I took two deliberate steps toward the man and pulled Sableleaf from its sheath. I looked him right in his face and said, “Let’s make one thing clear. I am not your son, nor you my father. My father was a great man, and I am on a quest to avenge his death.” The man looked down at Sableleaf and said, “I know. Everything you just spoke of, I already know.” His head never turned from my sword as he continued, “I admire your blade. Tell me, where did you find it?” He looked back at me. Even though I couldn’t see his eyes, or his face for that matter I could feel his stare ripping its way to my very essence. I closed off my mind for fear that he was already inside. Searching, prying for every detail of my past that he could get his scrawny hands on. I turned Sableleaf over in my hands and said, “My sire gave it to me. I know not where he found it. But it was a gift from him.” The robed man reached his bony hand toward my sword and brushed his fingers across the hilt and said, “You have found the shell of my sword child. It is called Harbinger.”

I looked down at my sword and then back at him and said, “No!” I raised my arm level to his face. “This is Sableleaf, and it was my sire’s sword.” The Teacher brushed my arm away and let out a shrill laugh. “Yes, that is what you named it. It is quite silly really.” He glided behind me and reached around to pull the collar on my coat back. “Yes.” He said. “I would know that bite anywhere. I always wondered if Dante would release a spawn into the world.” He let go of my coat and made his way back in front of me. “And so it appears as though he has.” At the mention of my sire’s name my heart dropped from my chest into the pit of my stomach. This thing knows Dante. How? How is that even possible? “All things are possible through me.” The man said. “Anything you want, I can give you. Anything you need, I can produce it.” He extended his right hand, “And anything you wish to kill, I can send you to it.” My thoughts raced a mile a minute. There were so many things I could kill. There are so many filthy Orcs that I want to kill. And this man can show me the way. I don’t believe it. I looked at him with curious eyes, “What’s the catch?” I said. He laughed shrilly again, “Catch? Catch you ask? There is no catch. All I ask is that you let me restore my former sword to all its glory, so that I may see it once more with my own eyes.” I thought through every possible scenario. This has to be a trick. How is he going to spin this so he profits from it? After thinking for what seemed an eternity I looked at the Teacher and said, “If you can show me the way to the Head Chieftain Orc, I will return Sableleaf, my apologies, Harbinger to you.” I could feel him look upon me as he spoke, “No child you misunderstood me. I do not wish it to be back in my possession.” He reached out for my blade. “I just want to restore it as it was when I created it. Then you may have it back.” I raised Sableleaf to him hilt first and relinquished my weapon to the Teacher.

After one quick incantation in an undecipherable language, the cloaked figure handed me my sword back. The Teacher spoke, “There, there, now let’s see how Harbinger responds to you.” I grasped the hand and a half weapon with my right hand. In a dim flash of light the black blade became so dark that it was nearly invisible. In the middle of the hilt now sat a blood red ruby. The hand guard began engraving runes upon itself. When it was complete, the gold hand guards were now as black as the blade. And the runes seemed to glow like the pale moonlight. I could feel Harbinger trying to pry into my mind. Reluctantly, I gave in and let the sword bond with me. A few moments later, the weapon withdrew itself but remained aglow. I looked at the enchanter and said, “Now about what I want.” He turned his back on me toward the fire and said, “All in due time Aerol Reign, all in due time.” Suddenly, the door burst open and in barged Thresh and Oases. Aerol, what in Gaia’s name have you done? The Alpha Male spoke in a harsh tone. I spun around and said, “Only what needed to be done to complete my quest for revenge.” For the first time since I have known him, Thresh spoke. “Zeshua, you sack of wine! What are you doing here?” I was stunned. I had known Thresh for over a year now and he had never spoken to me. The dark robed man turned toward the two wolves and said, “Why Thresh, you little thorn in my side. I am just doing what is necessary for a triumphant return.” Puzzled, I looked at Thresh and then back to the Teacher and said, “Wait. Zeshua? The god of all that is evil?” He nodded his head. “Oh no, what have I done?” I backed up against the wall as Zeshua dissipated in front of my eyes. Thresh made his way over to me as did Oases. The Alpha Female sat down beside me and sniffed my weapon. She then hung her head and looked up with a tear in her eye. “What have you done Aerol?” Thresh said. “You have just guaranteed the god of evil his return to this realm. And there is no one to stop him.” Oases lifted her head to the ceiling, and howled. I looked over to the open door and seen the Shaman and Cirania standing in the opening. I exchanged looks with everyone and, over Oases’ howl I looked down at Harbinger and said, “What I am doing is right, and righteous.”