Last Life

I HAD TO GIVE THE DUKE his credit — his troops did not panic when they saw the shadow creatures. Quickly getting into formation and equipping their weapons, they got ready for battle. Five men from my old party were there, too. Both barons as well as Chevalier Vidal, Patrick, and his constant hanger-on Jean the redhead — all of them armed with stones and sticks, pressing their backs into the Wild Duke’s spearmen and archers.

Four strykers stepped forward in bone armor and got into a line formation to wait for the five shadow creatures to approach.

Wait... Five? There were seven before. I raised my head and looked around. The alpha and one other pack member were nowhere to be seen. The Duke’s warband was in for a surprise.

The wildling leader himself, with his constant white cat companion, was standing behind the formation shouting loudly.

After one command, the archers raised their bows and crossbows. With another cry, arrows and bolts went flying at the shadow wolves. As expected, the common projectiles did no damage to the creatures. Their magic shields flashed bright and took all the damage.

The human attack served as a signal to the monsters, who dashed forward practically all at once. And a second later, all bets were off.

The four creatures engaged the combat mages, who were standing at the head of the formation, while the fifth somehow managed to evade them and fly straight into the thick of the common people. The heart-rending cries of pain, wailing, and sharp commands all blended together into a discordant roar.

A few moments later, a howl blasted out over the meadow, and I spotted movement behind the people. The alpha and another wolf had joined the fight. Their target was the Duke himself.

I saw the alpha wolf make a long jump and knock the wildling ruler off his feet. Then, the sharp spear-like tip of his tail pierced Jean the redhead’s shoulder straight through.

Chevalier Vidal, who was closest to the creature, tried to hit it with his stick, but also missed. And if not for a stryker sticking his bone knife into the wolf’s side, the chevalier would have fallen to the ground with his head torn off.

The battle felt like it lasted another few minutes before all the spearmen and archers were on the ground shredded into scraps of flesh and guts. Such was clearly the unenviable fate of the Duke’s prisoners.

Two strykers had exhausted their mana and lost their shields and were now writhing on the lakeshore in predeath convulsions — the shadow creatures’ poison made quick work of them.

The wolves also took losses. The four monsters that tangled with the combat mages were first to fall. The fifth wolf, which had broken and devastated the ranks of spearmen and archers, was sluggishly fighting off an armored stryker I knew all too well. It was the very mage that had taken me captive. I believed his name was Derek... Yes, Derek Grant. On first glance, it was clear that the monster had just seconds to live. Grant was moments away from landing the fatal blow.

And other than the fifth wolf, only the alpha was still standing. But based on how easily the Duke fought off its attack, protected from two angles by the lutine and another combat mage, this hunt would be the pack’s last.

Focused on the battle on dry land, at first I overlooked a strange movement on the surface of the lake. Before the ebb, the water had bubbled and foamed in a few places, but now the whole surface was practically boiling, throwing up pieces of brown seaweed, slimy muck, and chunks of dirt. At a certain point, from that ooze emerged a great big toothy head with an appearance that sent an icy chill down my spine. The creature’s two-color energy system pulsated furiously, brimming with crimson and lilac magic. Holding my breath, I pressed my body down against the earth. So, the wolves weren’t the only creatures who stayed behind to hunt.

When the ghastly, hideous mixture of sperm whale, crocodile, and hippo swam slowly up to shore as if sneaking up on the fight, I breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing had spotted me yet.

Derek Grant was closest to the water. He had just finished off the shadow creature. With his boot on the dead wolf’s neck, he pulled his blade from its nape. And at that precise moment, the lake monster decided to attack. In one sudden burst, the giant creature leapt out of the water. Derek Grant was a goner before he could even react. The big-toothed maw gave several loud chomps before the mage’s body was transformed into a blood-soaked lump of skin, bones, and flesh.

I saw a few magic flashes around his body but, clearly, the damage was so high that what little mana remained in his bruts got spent up instantly.

With a sharp jerk of its elongated head, the creature quickly swallowed everything that remained of Derek Grant, and dashed off toward the fighting. Everyone noticed that a new challenger had come on the scene, but they all reacted differently.

The lutine was first to disappear, followed by the wolf alpha, retreating in shame with his tail between his legs and whimpering. He ran around the lake back toward the Shadow.

And that left only the Wild Duke and one remaining stryker against the ghastly overgrown reptile. The mage was clearly intending to follow the lutine and wolf’s example, but a furious cry from the Duke made him stop short.

The wildling ruler was a real peach. He could move twice as fast as the lake creature, landing blows on all sides and easily even playfully dodging its attempts. The flashes of the monster’s magic shield dimmed with each attack the stryker landed. A few times, the Duke’s sword gave eerie flashes of light. That must have been what it looked like when he pushed particularly large masses of mana through it. Those blows made it through the lake monster’s defenses, causing it to roar and retreat back into the water.

The surviving stryker, seeing that his master was defeating the creature, clearly took heart. At times, I saw him make rash and impatient lunges. It was apparent that the Duke was not trying to kill the monster, just scare it away, but his underling had seemingly gotten carried away by the heat of battle.

A few times, the Duke even shouted out to his hot-headed subordinate, but he was no longer listening. Sensing the monster’s fear, he closed the gap and made a long lunge, aiming the tip of his blade into the enemy’s neck. And the creature did not forgive him that error. One sharp lunge of its huge body and its big, huge jaws came crashing down on the stryker’s head and right shoulder with a loud chomp. The monster shook its head, and the mage’s body flew out to the middle of the lake, dismembered.

“Zoé, nooooo!” I heard the Duke shout out with a voice saturated with sorrow and pain.

Apparently, the last stryker was a woman and had a very close relationship with the Duke.

Enraged, the wildling leader flung himself at the creature. Now his every strike was laden with large masses of lilac mana. Under the hail of heavy magic blows, the creature shrunk and quickly retreated into the lake.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” the sorrow maddened Duke barked. “I’m not done with you yet!”

At first the monster’s tail went into the water, then the whole back half of it followed. It could have easily made it deep enough to escape, but for some reason was moving slow, just taking the mage’s painful strikes.

When the creature was almost completely submerged, the Duke went in up to his ankles, grunting and swinging his sword.

At first, I thought he managed to wound the monster severely but, when I saw two long heads to its right and left, everything fell into place. The lake monster was luring its rival into the water.

Before I could even think that through, two dark bodies raced at the Duke with blistering speed. They looked very similar to the creature the mage was still attacking with abandon but were a third the size. Must have been its young.

The big momma, taking one last blow from the mage, also dashed forward. A moment later, the Duke was being attacked from three sides, and vanished in the dark burbling ooze. For a little while, the surface of the lake continued to bubble and foam, but in just a few minutes, it all fell silent...

* * *

Around another hour later, I was sitting in my shelter trying to keep a low profile. Because that entire time, the lake-dwelling family composed of two little ones and their gigantic momma were happily slurping down the corpses of the people and shadow creatures that littered the shoreline.

Finally, after devouring several bodies, the momma sated her hunger and set an example for her “tykes,” pulling the remaining corpses into the lake. It took around another hour before the shore was left bare.

“Waste not want not,” I whispered to myself, standing up.

Trying to keep as far from the lake as possible, I went over to the battlefield. All my sense organs were in overdrive. I was expecting the lake monsters to return to the scene of the slaughter, but it hadn’t happened yet. They must have been down on the bottom doing something more important.

When I reached the shore where the battle took place, I looked around and winced despite myself. Between the blood, innards, scraps of clothing, pieces of bone stryker armor, and broken weaponry it was as if the ground had been slathered in fetid brownish jelly.

For a little while, I walked down the shore keeping a respectful distance from the lake. And my searching was rewarded. Using true vision, I was able to pull a stryker’s bone stiletto from the swamp of blood. The dim glow of lilac mana inside after its master’s attacks made it stand out.

Then, I spotted a miraculously intact crossbow, its steel limbs sticking out of the mud. Reaching for it, I also extracted from the ooze a quiver and three bolts. However, upon closer inspection, I had to throw the crossbow away. Without a string, it was worthless. Just extra weight. The bolts though I took along after wiping the filth off them. They would come in handy.

There were probably more goodies lurking in the bloody ooze, but I was not going to stick around there. Very soon, scavengers would catch the scent of blood and rush in from the whole valley. The lake creatures could also pop back out again at any moment. So, my eyes darting all around, I hurried toward the hill I saw the Duke’s two wagons dart off behind after the shadow wolves appeared.

Once atop the hill, I looked down and cursed through my teeth. Damnation! Now I’d have to stomp across the plains on my own two. The Duke’s wagons didn’t make it far. Turned onto their sides, they were lying at the foot of a hill surrounded by the dead bodies of the drivers and horses. Seemingly, the shadow wolf alpha and his pack had attacked the wagons before making an appearance at the lake. So that was what took them so long.

Standing on the top of the hill, I looked around carefully, and decided to walk down. I would have to inspect the wagons in search of anything useful before scavengers or anything more dangerous came around.

While I slowly walked down, I was constantly scanning everything around me. Which paid off. When I was nearly at the foot of the hill, I was able to make out three common human energy systems hiding behind one of the wagons. Seemingly, some of the drivers managed to survive after all.

Throwing my backpacks on the ground, I equipped the curved snake fangs and started sneaking around the overturned wagon the three drivers were hiding behind.

I stuck the stryker stiletto into my belt. I didn’t yet know how to use the weapon, but the curved River Terror fangs, which looked like two short blades, I had already tested several times. Most importantly, I could push a lot of energy through them without harming them one bit.

The people hiding behind the wagon must have noticed me long before and were waiting for me to come. The telltale snap of a crossbow string I could never have confused with any other sound. Much less the familiar vocal timbre of the man uttering quiet curses after I easily dodged the bolt.

I was pretty tough to shoot before, but now that my reservoir had grown even bigger and the emerald mana made the energy circulate through my system several times faster, it had gotten even harder.

Crouching down to make it harder to aim at me, I shouted out loudly:

“Gentlemen! Let me say, you really took me by surprise! I’m ashamed to admit it, but I thought the lake monsters had already dragged your remains beneath the waves! Your agility would be the envy even of the most dangerous predators in the Shadow”

“Who are you?! Identify yourself!”

I chuckled.

“Chevalier Vidal, have you really forgotten me so soon?”

A moment later, a shock of fire red hair stuck up from behind the wagon, then a pale freckled face belonging to Chevalier Vidal.

When he saw me, at first he didn’t recognize me but, a second later, his eyes shot up into his forehead. The redhead gave a loud hiccup and hid behind the wagon again. I heard muffled sounds of scrambling, then a few seconds later three heads stuck up from behind the wagon.

“Baron von Brunon! Baron von Holtz!”

I greeted the Astlanders with a bow. I probably looked beyond foolish wearing my leather tunic.

“You’re alive?!” Baron von Holtz shouted in astonishment.

“The Shadow did not swallow you up?!” von Brunon echoed his sentiment.

“But how?!” came Chevalier Vidal.

“Gentlemen, I will be sure to answer all your questions just as soon as we can settle the question of our relationship,” I came.

The chevalier and barons traded glances. I could already see that they were all wounded based on the pulsating black spots in their energy systems. The wounds were not severe, but they wouldn’t make it far without help. If they had to spend one night here, it would be their last. These men would never stand a chance against the monsters that inhabited the area. In fact, one or more had probably already caught the scent of their blood and were rushing this way. And seemingly, they were perfectly aware of that.

After a short exchange of body language, the three heads nodded at each other, then Vidal said:

“How about a temporary alliance? Until we reach Westerly Fort?”

“What’s in it for me?” I asked. “Particularly given you three recently accused me of being a traitor. I mean, I’d have to spend the whole journey taking care of wounded men.”

Their three faces darkened. They didn’t even seem surprised that I knew about their injuries.

Baron von Holtz was first to speak up. The quietest of the three. And seemingly the smartest.

“And yet, for some reason you are still talking to us. After all, you could have simply passed us by without paying us any mind.”

“Not true,” I replied. “You were hiding behind a wagon I wanted to check out. Plus, you shot at me.”

“Don’t you worry, chevalier,” von Holtz came. “That was our last bolt...”

“Oh, I was not worried,” I shrugged. “You could have a hundred bolts for all I care. I’d never let you get off another shot.”

With that, I darted forward and reached the wagon almost instantly. Baron von Holtz’s jaw hung down in surprise when he saw the tip of a snake fang just a few inches from his eye.

“The Shadow changed you,” Vidal whispered with a raspy voice, staring at me wide eyed. Baron von Brunon just gave a muffled shriek.

“You are mistaken, chevalier,” I came, lowering the snake fang and walking slowly around the wagon. “I was always this way, and the Wild Duke knew that. What a pity the ugly bastard made himself into fish food. I really wish I could interrogate him about why the hell he wanted to feed me to a flow. You wouldn’t happen to know that, would you, gentlemen?”

“We haven’t wanted to speak with the Duke for the last month,” Vidal seemingly was starting to come to his senses. But I could still see that he was very tense.

“Why not?” I chuckled, taking another step forward.

“We were busy with more important matters,” he bared his teeth and added wryly: “We were digging ditches and latrines for His Lordship’s brigade.”

He wanted to say more, but I interrupted. A malicious bark came in from somewhere to the right. I raised my head sharply. On the top of the hill, right where I’d been standing just a few minutes before, the huge shadow wolf was now standing. The alpha had apparently decided to return. And by the looks of things, he was tracking me.