Akatika's Legacy Read online

  Gabby couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Everything was so wrong; this was not what was supposed to happen. Tony wasn’t moving, hopefully he was only unconscious on the ground. Ivy was retreating into back into their fortress. Lafe, her Lafe, was trying to kill her.

  Lafe drew back his arm, set his body, and jumped. He soared into the air. His fist swung out as hard as he could as he reached his target. The crack of bone was audible upon the impact.

  Akatika was caught completely off guard. She flew backward across the courtyard into the smithy, crashing hard into a mass of rusted chains.

  Gabby quickly picked herself back up off the ground. It was a miracle, Lafe had come back to his senses, she thought. Her eyes darted about for anything she could use as a weapon, where was her sword. A feeling came into her mind. The sword was on the ground at the bottom of the stairwell. Where Lafe had found them. How could she have been so stupid, she left her only weapon behind on her way to meet a foe.

  “We have to help Ivy.” Gabby yelled to Lafe.

  Lafe swung around looking for Ivy. Muscles coiled ready to find his next foe. “Where is she.”

  “They drove her back inside.” Gabby said as she started to run toward the entrance.

  Gabby raced toward the entrance, Lafe a few steps behind. The last two of the dark figures from the wall jumped down and blocked the way in. Lafe overtook Gabby and plowed headlong into one of them.

  “I’ve got this, go find Ivy.” Lafe shouted.

  Gabby didn’t wait, she dodged the last attacker and slammed the door shut behind her. James lay lifeless inside the foyer, black lines stretched across his face. A crash from in the armory room signaled where she would find Ivy. At least one of her friends was still alive.

  Gabby raced toward the sharp sounds of metal on metal. She darted in the door and saw a lithe man with a rusted falchion trade blow after blow with Ivy. His movements were powerful but clumsy, he swung the sword with both hands like an axe.

  Ivy was only able to defend, blocking each swing with a similarly rusted falchion, her attacker was too fast. Step by step she was being backed into a corner. Her heel hit the wall and she took a chance and tried to dodge around the side, around her foe.

  The massive man slammed his shoulder into her as she tried to move around, knocking her head into the wall.

  Gabby ran into the room to try and help, but she seemed so slow.

  Ivy blinked several times trying to clear the lights out of her eyes as a rough hand grabbed her by the ponytail and lifted her back to standing. She looked into her foe’s eyes and saw the dark intent in them.

  All Gabby could see was the back of the man holding Ivy’s ponytail. She watched as the man drew his blade back. She was too far away; her best friend was about to die, and she was too far away to help.

  Gabby’s eyes searched franticly trying to find anything. An old hooked polearm with a broken shaft was at her feet. The weapon was her only hope. She grabbed the wicked hooked polearm from the ground and hurled it with her might.

  The man’s rusted blade cut through the air toward Ivy’s head. The pole arm started its arc through the air and Gabby prayed to Maerryth and anyone else with the power to intervein. “Please be fast enough! Don’t let her die!”

  Time slowed as she watched the scene play out. She saw the man's arm lift higher as he completed his swing. The polearm finally finished its arc and found its target, all too late. Blonde hair fluttered downward in the air like feathers.

  Gabby shrieked and started to run. She was met with surprised eyes as the man turned around on her. She shrieked again as she watched a sword cleave the man’s head off. Revealing Ivy with much shorter hair.

  “What, how are you still alive?” Gabby cried.

  “I slipped when he swung his sword, and I must have gone down at the right time.” Ivy said.

  Gabby ran up and embraced Ivy. Holding her tight, rears rolled down her face as she whispered. “I thought I was losing everyone.”

  “What do you mean everyone?” Ivy said, panic in her voice.

  “Lafe attacked me, but also he saved me. He is outside fighting some other vampires. Tony is outside on the ground. He isn’t moving. He’s hurt bad.” Gabby said.

  “I saw Lafe attack him before these two came after me. This isn’t good Gabby. We’re in trouble.” Ivy said.

  “I have to get my sword. Then I am going out to help Lafe. I’ll try to sort everything out when we’ve finished with the vampires.” Gabby said as she ran out of the room.

  Lafe collapsed on the ground. He was exhausted, unable to stand. His hands were bloody and most likely broken several times over. The two other men had been colleagues from the lumber mill. They had been part of the party that had set out to find what was killing all the animals. They had found her, a beast for sure, but no wolf.

  A shadow blocked the firelight and he tried to make out who it was, but his eyes were battered and swollen. All Lafe was able to see was a slender blurry shadow over the top of him.

  “Are you pleased with yourself.” The shadow lisped.

  “I was really hoping I had killed you.” Lafe wheezed.

  “I must know one thing before you die, how did you break my compulsion?” Akatika asked.

  “I don’t know. I saw Gabby on the ground and what I had done to her. Something shifted inside me.” Lafe said and started to chuckle. “At least when I die this time it’ll be for something.”

  “True love is a lie boy and the only thing you managed to do was slow me down. All the damage you did will heal over time. Even the vampires you killed will come back, you didn’t sever their heads or kill them with magic. You failed, my boy.” Akatika informed him.

  Akatika pulled Lafe behind her by one leg as she made her way across the courtyard to the smithy. She strode under the wooden awning and directly for the chains. She wrapped the rusted chains around his neck and said; “You get to watch as I destroy every person in this region, as you and your kind have done to me time and again.”

  “Get your filthy undead hands off my man!” Gabby shouted.

  Lafe smiled; “She can be a bigger pain than you could possibly imagine. Doesn’t know when to leave well enough alone.”

  “As you wish.” Akatika hissed, as she jerked the chain.

  Lafe’s head jerked violently to the side as a loud pop echoed in the smithy. His head rested at an unnatural angle and he stopped moving. His body slumped to the floor as Akatika released the chain.

  Gabby knew she shouldn’t look, but she couldn’t help herself. The love of her life lay in a heap, body one direction head another. She fell to the ground, sword slipping from her fingers. She couldn’t breathe, she felt as if she was about to cease to exist.

  A fiendish cackling filled the night air and sent shivers down her back. She forgot how to feel sorrow, which had plagued her for the past several weeks. She forgot how to feel pain, heartache, loss, love, joy, and everything else. Except for rage. She felt rage, she let its fire bathe her.

  She felt rage at herself for starting this whole nightmare. Rage burned in her for her inability to protect those she loved. And most poignantly, she felt an inferno of it for the existence of the corruption personified in this monster before her.

  “Pathetic. You sniveling child. Did it hurt you, watching your friends die?” Akatika spat.

  Gabby’s face burned as tears streaked down her cheeks. Her knuckles popped as she gripped a stone her hand found. She did the only thing she could, she let out a primal scream and threw the stone as hard as she could.

  Akatika laughed as the stone flew past her. “Sticks and stones my dear, will never be able to do much harm to me.”

  Gabby’s hand found something that could harm her, however. Her grip tightened on the hilt of her sword. She stood looking Akatika in the eyes and swung.

  Akatika was not caught off guard again. She dodged out of the way of the swing. For the first time, she looked at the weapon. Her eyes widened at the sight of th
e Kelvite weapon.

  “You think you can wield that?” Akatika bellowed.

  Gabby swung again, this time she found flesh. A tiny slash appeared Akatika’s sleeve. The cut was not threatening by any means, but it had a profound effect on the weapon. The tiny smear of blood on the blade began to hiss. The hilt started to feel warm, then she felt something intrude into her mind and the rage was gone.

  Gabby could feel something speaking to her; “I am the dawn of days, the bane of darkness.”

  Akatika saw Gabby hesitate and she pulled another chain free of the wall and lashed out at her. It was a glancing blow, but hard enough to knock the weapon from Gabby’s hand.

  Gabby dove for the sword as Akatika began to strike again. Her hand grasped the hilt and the voice intruded once again. “Invoke my power. Bind me. Say the words.”

  The chain hit next to Gabby’s face and tore into the ground. She rolled way sword in hand having no idea where the voice was coming from.

  “I am the dawn of days, bane of darkness. Bind me. Say the words.” The voice said, again and again, a hundred times in a moment.

  Gabby shouted the only thing she could think of and the voice stopped. “I am the dawn of days, bane of darkness.”

  Light exploded from the sword, burning a swath through the grass. An iridescent mist surrounded Gabby as she stood. The mist began to coalesce along the blade, light dripped from it and forming a burning puddle on the ground. The smell of burnt grass filled the air.

  Akatika whipped the chain out, striking at Gabby’s face.

  Trails of light burnt into Gabby’s eyes as she swung the blade into the path of the chain.

  The chain stalled briefly in the air as it wrapped part way around the sword. Each link that contacted the weapon melted as the blade sheered through the improvised weapon. Gabby smiled as she dodged the part of the chain that flew loose and began to walk toward Akatika. She could see the fear on the creature’s face.

  Akatika swung the chain again trying to halt Gabby’s progression. Light splashed against the wall as Gabby swung the sword. Droplets hissed as the contacted with the wall. More chain links fell free and left Akatika with little more than a foot of chain.

  Gabby swung again. Akatika screamed as her fingers fell free from her hand as she tried in vain to block the insidious weapon. Holes burned into her clothing and blisters formed on her skin as the drops of liquid light hit the cloth.

  “I’ll kill everyone you’ve ever loved for this.” Akatika spat.

  “You can’t if you’re dead! Cut off her head or she’ll regenerate.” Lafe shouted as he wrapped his arms around Akatika. Enough time had passed for his own recovery.

  Gabby spun on her heels, swinging with all her might and relieved Akatika of her head.

  Chapter 24

  The first rays of dawn started to creep over the horizon. Gabby and her band of battered adventurers had retreated to the safety of the fortress. Ivy wouldn’t leave Tony’s side. At first sight, no one would believe Tony was alive. Ivy had found several broken bones and figured there might be more either way, he was in no condition to make the trip back on foot.

  All but Tony watched as the bodies in the courtyard began to smolder when touched by the sunlight. An hour later heaps of ash and clothing mixed with some bone were the only things remaining of the vampire menace.

  Lafe peered out from the safety of the shadows and sighed. “Will this be my fate?” He asked.

  “We’ll find a way to help you, there has to be something we can do.” Gabby said.

  “The Kerolian might know of something. Their university has a large library with just about everything in it.” Ivy suggested.

  “Jenieria is pretty far away, and how could we afford the trip.” Lafe asked.

  “Oh, my wooden brained love, have you forgotten about the mountain of treasure we have here?” Gabby asked.

  “A mountain indeed.” Echoed Siliras’ voice.

  Siliras stood in the back of the hall with a sack slung over his shoulder. His clothing as always was in perfect condition all the way down to his spotless boots. His arrogant smile was conspicuously missing, however.

  Gabby gripped the hilt of her sword and a dull glow started to radiate from the blade.

  “I’m not here to hurt you, my dear, so relax.” Siliras said.

  “What part in this did you play, I noticed you were distinctly absent the whole time we were here.” Gabby asked.

  “Akatika’s compulsion forced me to bring you here. So, I did.” Siliras said.

  “Why didn’t you help in the fight?” Ivy asked. “Surely she would have called you like the others.”

  “I’m sure she did, but I cast my consciousness into another plane after we secured you in the vault. I used the little power I could muster to make contact with a being of power. I need to restore what I had.” Siliras recounted.

  “What is that supposed to mean? Gabby asked.

  “My power is diminished because I am now undead and no longer have much of the essence of life in me. It took all the energy I could summon to achieve the most basic of spells.” Siliras said.

  “Who did you contact?” Ivy asked.

  “That’s not important. I was trying to find my own way to end this dreadful situation we find ourselves in, and I may have found it.”

  “What end did you find?” Lafe asked.

  “One you will not be able to undertake.” Siliras said.

  “Why is that?” Gabby demanded.

  “Because Lafe lacks the aptitude for magic. Even if he did, the strength required for the journey I am undertaking is beyond anything he could achieve for years, especially due to our current state.” Siliras explained.

  “Can’t you take him with you?” Ivy asked.

  “It’s not a physical journey. It’s more of a metaphysical or magical or spiritual journey.” Siliras said. “I spent most of my career looking for immorality. This is a grotesque counterfeit. I should have turned the two of you away when I met you. Still, I do feel for your plight, Lafe will not be able to find a solution for his curse as I have."

  “Enjoy what’s left of your lives, I don’t anticipate seeing you again.” Siliras waved his hand, strain evident on his face, and conjured a cone of pure blackness seconds later. The cone blanketed him as he walked out the door into the courtyard.

  After Siliras’ over dramatic exit the group went to the vault. Tony groaned as they placed in on the ground. Gabby thought it was a good sign he was waking up, even though Ivy said that wasn’t how bodies worked.

  Tony’s eyes widened when he saw Lafe standing above him. He fumbled for the knives at his belt, when Ivy placed a hand over his.

  “Calm down, he’s not going to hurt you.” Ivy said.

  “Ha trud to kull ma.” Tony said. He was nearly unintelligible because of all the swelling.

  “We can’t understand you. Your face is swollen like a star melon.” Gabby said.

  “He. Try. Kill. Me.” Tony forced out.

  Gabby winced; she hoped he was too beaten up to remember what happened.

  “He was under the control of Akatika.” Ivy explained.

  “I really don’t mean you any harm, Tony. I’m really sorry.” Lafe said.

  Tony flashed his one good hand toward Lafe in a rude gesture showing how much he appreciated his apology, then gave him a half grimace half smile.

  “Dud wa wun?” Tony asked.

  “If you mean, did we win, yes we did.” Gabby said.

  “Uh wun ma puhmen.” Tony mumbled.

  “You really need to stop talking.” Ivy said. “There is really no way to know what you just said.”

  Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pouch, the sound of coins giving away the contents as easily as if he announced what was inside.

  “Really, you’re thinking about coin, at a time like this.” Ivy replied.

  Lafe waived Gabby over to the vault so he could talk to her. He had a very concerned look on his face.


  “We need to get out of here. Especially, Tony, he’s not going to last long without help from Gertrude.” Lafe said.

  “He’s not in any condition to go home right now.” Gabby insisted.

  “Go back and get a wagon. I’ll stay with him and protect him if anyone or thing comes here.” Lafe said.

  “Alright, Ivy and I’ll go and get a wagon. You watch over Tony. And get all this treasure packed up in our bags and whatever else you can find.” Gabby said.

  Gabby leaned out of the vault and called to Ivy; “We’re going to get a wagon; Lafe is staying to watch over him while we're gone.”

  Tony groaned and the two girls made their way out of the room. Soon enough they were on their way to Gabby and Lafe’s home to retrieve their wagon.