Chapter 8: A Vantal's Wrath
Anya rode next to the wagon that held the comatose Xander and Willow. She hadn't seen Spike or Dawn since the ambush. If only she could use her powers, she could free Xander and Willow and escape. But now she was of so little threat that only two rider behind her guarded her. Up ahead she could Dricoi conversing with the Blue Mage. "Hey you," she called. They turned on their saddles. "Yeah, you. The Blue Mage guy with the Harry Potter coat." Dricoi and the Mage rode back to her. "Just what do you think you're doing?" demanded Anya of Dricoi. "You're supposed to obey your superiors, not attack them."
"I am sorry for the deception," apologised Dricoi, "I believed your companion to be a Chaos General. I do not worship the Ghresinac-Tach, Deetai."
"Then you worship Est" – she began. "What are you talking about, 'believed'?"
"You may cease your pretence, Brairto," said the Mage, "I do no believe you worship Deetai."
"My friends," said Anya, "what did you do to them?"
"Your large friend shall sleep until we reach Arth Demm. The small one is unharmed. She will awake in a day or so." At this a glimmer of hope came into Anya's eye, but the Mage said, "I know she is a Dread. She is sealed and powerless in her current form." Anya ground her teeth together. If Willow had woken with her powers, she could easily have gotten them out of this situation."
"You still haven't answered my question," she said. "Just what do you think you're doing?" The Mage spoke,
"As I have said Brairto – may I ask your name?"
"Halfrek," Anya lied. "What's yours?"
"What? My name?" The Mage seemed very surprised by the question. "Yes, that would be refreshing. My name is Cernus. What's yours?"
"I told you, 'Halfrek'," Anya said tartly.
"No," said Cernus smiling, "your real name." For the first time Anya caught a glimpse of his face beneath his hood, and saw that he was a Lister demon; a generally weak and powerless demon. Realising the question she had been asked, she said,
"But – how?" He smiled again, almost mischievously. "Anya," she said unhappily.
"Well, Anya," said the Mage, "as I have said, we are going to Arth Demm."
"Where's that?" It hadn't been on the map they had taken from Sash Fortress.
"Oh, a few hundred miles east over the Seshni Plains, beyond the Scar of Glorificus, across the Sea of Ka'ad, up the Arth River through the Ash Mountains, and there you are." Cernus laughed. "Not the answer you had been hoped for, I would guess? I see from your reactions that you are not too familiar with most of those places."
Realising that they hadn't mentioned Dawn or Spike, Anya asked, "Where are my other friends?"
"Not with us," answered Cernus shaking his head.
"They escaped into the MistWall," said Dricoi, "I have riders patrolling its edge awaiting them. They won't be harmed. If they are found soon, they may be brought to Pritoh before we leave. We shall reach there tomorrow night," he finished.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"They're gone," muttered Spike. "Come on, if we hurry, we can find their trail. We'll just have to hide in the mist every time one of those bloody patrols shows up." Spike and Dawn had hidden within the MistWall, and as before, the Mist gave way for Dawn. Spike was referring to the trail of Willow and the others' captors. "Red had the map," said Spike, "but I remember if we head east a little bit, we'll be heading into the Seshni Plains.
"Spike, what if...?" Dawn left the question unfinished.
"Don't worry, Niblet," he said reassuringly touching her shoulder, "they can take care of themselves." He scanned the area around them. "We're past where the bastards ambushed us. Must have been Estyarth's soldiers. Guess that pillock Dricoi was an inside man for 'em. Can't wait to get my hands on that bastard."
"Spike," said Dawn quickly, "this is the way Buffy went."
"Great. We can kill two birds with one stone, Niblet."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
They rode east for two hours, once having to conceal themselves in the MistWall to avoid discovery. They had in Spike's estimation rode perilously far from the MistWall in order to locate Dricoi's band's tracks. "We know which way they headed," said Spike, "lets get back to the mist, just in case." Dawn didn't answer. "Dawn?" he asked, when he heard shouting from over his shoulder. He rode up a nearby ridge to see eleven Ankylans riding for their lives from over thirty Chaos Soldiers, and they were rapidly growing closer. He rode back down the ridge; the sound of hoof beats loud in his ears. "Dawn," he said, "we have to get away from here." She was silent. The hoof beats were getting louder, right behind the ridge. "Dawn!" he shouted, still not earning a response. He moved his krus in front of hers, to take the reins, and saw her face was tearstained. He turned as the Ankylans, obviously Seshni, approached, taking Dawn's reins. He heard a thud. Dawn had fallen from her mount, and lay curled up on the rocky ground, almost in the foetal position. He dismounted in a flash, and moved to pick her up when he was struck in the back by an arrow. The Ankylans had now passed, and their pursuers were on the ridge. The Chaos Soldier who had apparently loosed the arrow was struck by another, who shouted something while pointing at Spike. Ignoring the pain, he easily hoisted Dawn in his arms and ran for his krus, bounding onto the saddle and moving within a moment. He rode for the MistWall.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"You idiot, Kryda!" bellowed Rahsoh. "Those are Vantals and you could've killed one of them! If they die, Lord Mart-Jik will have our heads on pikes and our entrails feeding the aeraichs before sunset."
"If I can't shoot them, how am I supposed to stop them?" asked the archer.
"Be creative! They are heading toward the MistWall, and one seems already injured. We will take them if we stop them in time."
"What of the Seshni, sergeant?" asked a soldier.
"Forget them!" he shouted back. "Those Vantals are our priority."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dawn was crying in Spike's arms as he willed his animal to run faster, as their pursuers were gaining ground on them. "Dawn, what's wrong?" he near grunted, pushing for speed. The MistWall was only a few hundred yards away.
"Buffy," whispered Dawn. "That was where she died." Spike hadn't time to react as his animal went down with an arrow in its side. They were propelled forward. Spike clung tightly to Dawn as they were flung through the air, turning and bearing the heavy impact of landing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Good thinking," complimented Rahsoh to Kryda. Both Vantals were down. He thanked Deetai they hadn't reached the Wall, or he may as well have followed them in for all his life would be worth. "I think they're both out," he exclaimed. "Quickly, get the chains and," – he stopped mid- sentence as the larger Vantal stood up, seemingly unfazed. The smaller one lay still on the ground. A cold chill of terror ran down his spine as the black-clad Vantal locked eyes with Rahsoh. As the thing discarded its sabre, he saw its blue and black eyes transform to red and gold as it leapt at him. Rahsoh screamed, but stopped when his own blood fountained from his throat, as everything went black.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Vantal tore through the troops with clinical deadliness as Kryda and the other archers loosed blunt arrows at it; arrows with heavy metal balls that served as a tip. But the creature simply ignored the bone crushing hits, slicing; decapitating with ruthless accuracy. It only seemed to halt in its plan of slaughter when the little Vantal was threatened. Kryda was a veteran of warfare. He had seen more Vantals than most, but none had ever behaved as this did. It displayed no bloodlust, no glorying in the kill; just terrifying efficiency in death. Kryda shot another blunt arrow, striking the Vantal on the shoulder. It continued unaffected, skewering the other sergeant's head on its crests, even as it tore out the throat of another soldier. It was at this point that Kryda knew he was going to die. Leaving surely result in death as much as staying, so why not die a soldier's death? He loosed a real arrow, its metal head taking the Vantal in the heart. It responded by killing another soldier. Kryda noticed that not a single krus was harmed.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
{Fifteen more,} thought Spike lucidly. He had not given into bloodlust this time. Buffy... What Dawn said had sent Spike into a numbed state of detachment. {Thirteen more} he thought emotionlessly, as he was run through with a rapier from behind. He reacted. {Twelve more.}
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Having accepted death, Kryda almost admired the Vantal's parsimonious use of motion in the slaughter of thirty of his comrades. He was grinning as he loosed another arrow. Turning his head to hear the sudden sound of hoof beats over desperate screaming, Kryda saw reinforcements. They were coming over a hill they had passed when chasing the Vantals. Just ten riders. {No,} he thought, {eleven.} Among the riders, atop a vast war-krus, white cloak flapping in the wind, greatsword in hand, sat the monstrous black figure, of which Kryda knew to be the greatest of the Chaos Generals; Lord- General Mart-Jik; Lord of Jikest; Prince of the Claw Lakes and Supreme Commander of the Legions of Deetai. Kryda fired an arrow into the Vantal, taking it in the hip as the reinforcements set upon it. Three were dead, a fourth dying by the time he had another arrow nocked.
The huge Chaos General charged the lithe Vantal with his greatsword extended. The scarlet and gold beast flew through the air knocking Mary- Jik's sword away with one clawed hand, slicing at the general's throat with the other. Mart'Jik fell and rolled from his mount, and was quickly up, having being saved by his Skin Armour. He looked up to see the Vantal was already bounding toward him. Suddenly Mart-Jik willed his sword to him. It flew through the air, even as the Vantal did, and shot into his coven grasp as the beast was almost on him. The General levelled the blade, and his own enormous strength combined with the Vantal's own momentum skewered the creature through its chest. Its back exploded in blood even as it struck at Mart-Jik's armoured neck. Six feet of steel was protruding from its back, yet the Vantal refused to even slow in its relentless onslaught.
The Chaos General released his grip from the two-foot long hilt, and grabbed the Vantal's head as it continued to slash at his weakening armour. Gripping with all his might, the eleven-foot tall Mart-Jik felt incredible pain as the Vantal drove its dagger-like claw into his violet eye. With an inhuman wrench, the giant suddenly twisted the beast's head ninety degrees, snapping its neck with an audible crack. Mart-Jik grabbed his sword as the Vantal fell limp. Breathing heavily with exertion, he removed his Skin Armour, and placed his cloven foot on the beast's torso, readying to pull his blade free of his defeated enemy. It opened its eyes. Mart-Jik gasped as it drove its elbow blade directly into his unprotected throat. The Chaos General's hands spasmodically jerked, lifting the mighty weapon and the Vantal from the ground, as the beast continued to inexorably push the blade deeper, gushing blood covering them both. Slowly, with a horrible gurgle, The Lord of Jikest; Prince of the Claw Lakes; Supreme Commander of the Chaos Legions and Greatest of the Chaos Generals, collapsed dead on the dusty trail. The Vantal painfully pulled itself free of the gargantuan sword, and assumed its other face. It took a step, then another. Then dropped to the ground, as a single archer sat atop his mount, chuckling to himself, his sanity lost.
Over a thousand miles away , in the place called Deetai's Eye, a god roared in frenzied rage.
Anya rode next to the wagon that held the comatose Xander and Willow. She hadn't seen Spike or Dawn since the ambush. If only she could use her powers, she could free Xander and Willow and escape. But now she was of so little threat that only two rider behind her guarded her. Up ahead she could Dricoi conversing with the Blue Mage. "Hey you," she called. They turned on their saddles. "Yeah, you. The Blue Mage guy with the Harry Potter coat." Dricoi and the Mage rode back to her. "Just what do you think you're doing?" demanded Anya of Dricoi. "You're supposed to obey your superiors, not attack them."
"I am sorry for the deception," apologised Dricoi, "I believed your companion to be a Chaos General. I do not worship the Ghresinac-Tach, Deetai."
"Then you worship Est" – she began. "What are you talking about, 'believed'?"
"You may cease your pretence, Brairto," said the Mage, "I do no believe you worship Deetai."
"My friends," said Anya, "what did you do to them?"
"Your large friend shall sleep until we reach Arth Demm. The small one is unharmed. She will awake in a day or so." At this a glimmer of hope came into Anya's eye, but the Mage said, "I know she is a Dread. She is sealed and powerless in her current form." Anya ground her teeth together. If Willow had woken with her powers, she could easily have gotten them out of this situation."
"You still haven't answered my question," she said. "Just what do you think you're doing?" The Mage spoke,
"As I have said Brairto – may I ask your name?"
"Halfrek," Anya lied. "What's yours?"
"What? My name?" The Mage seemed very surprised by the question. "Yes, that would be refreshing. My name is Cernus. What's yours?"
"I told you, 'Halfrek'," Anya said tartly.
"No," said Cernus smiling, "your real name." For the first time Anya caught a glimpse of his face beneath his hood, and saw that he was a Lister demon; a generally weak and powerless demon. Realising the question she had been asked, she said,
"But – how?" He smiled again, almost mischievously. "Anya," she said unhappily.
"Well, Anya," said the Mage, "as I have said, we are going to Arth Demm."
"Where's that?" It hadn't been on the map they had taken from Sash Fortress.
"Oh, a few hundred miles east over the Seshni Plains, beyond the Scar of Glorificus, across the Sea of Ka'ad, up the Arth River through the Ash Mountains, and there you are." Cernus laughed. "Not the answer you had been hoped for, I would guess? I see from your reactions that you are not too familiar with most of those places."
Realising that they hadn't mentioned Dawn or Spike, Anya asked, "Where are my other friends?"
"Not with us," answered Cernus shaking his head.
"They escaped into the MistWall," said Dricoi, "I have riders patrolling its edge awaiting them. They won't be harmed. If they are found soon, they may be brought to Pritoh before we leave. We shall reach there tomorrow night," he finished.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"They're gone," muttered Spike. "Come on, if we hurry, we can find their trail. We'll just have to hide in the mist every time one of those bloody patrols shows up." Spike and Dawn had hidden within the MistWall, and as before, the Mist gave way for Dawn. Spike was referring to the trail of Willow and the others' captors. "Red had the map," said Spike, "but I remember if we head east a little bit, we'll be heading into the Seshni Plains.
"Spike, what if...?" Dawn left the question unfinished.
"Don't worry, Niblet," he said reassuringly touching her shoulder, "they can take care of themselves." He scanned the area around them. "We're past where the bastards ambushed us. Must have been Estyarth's soldiers. Guess that pillock Dricoi was an inside man for 'em. Can't wait to get my hands on that bastard."
"Spike," said Dawn quickly, "this is the way Buffy went."
"Great. We can kill two birds with one stone, Niblet."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
They rode east for two hours, once having to conceal themselves in the MistWall to avoid discovery. They had in Spike's estimation rode perilously far from the MistWall in order to locate Dricoi's band's tracks. "We know which way they headed," said Spike, "lets get back to the mist, just in case." Dawn didn't answer. "Dawn?" he asked, when he heard shouting from over his shoulder. He rode up a nearby ridge to see eleven Ankylans riding for their lives from over thirty Chaos Soldiers, and they were rapidly growing closer. He rode back down the ridge; the sound of hoof beats loud in his ears. "Dawn," he said, "we have to get away from here." She was silent. The hoof beats were getting louder, right behind the ridge. "Dawn!" he shouted, still not earning a response. He moved his krus in front of hers, to take the reins, and saw her face was tearstained. He turned as the Ankylans, obviously Seshni, approached, taking Dawn's reins. He heard a thud. Dawn had fallen from her mount, and lay curled up on the rocky ground, almost in the foetal position. He dismounted in a flash, and moved to pick her up when he was struck in the back by an arrow. The Ankylans had now passed, and their pursuers were on the ridge. The Chaos Soldier who had apparently loosed the arrow was struck by another, who shouted something while pointing at Spike. Ignoring the pain, he easily hoisted Dawn in his arms and ran for his krus, bounding onto the saddle and moving within a moment. He rode for the MistWall.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"You idiot, Kryda!" bellowed Rahsoh. "Those are Vantals and you could've killed one of them! If they die, Lord Mart-Jik will have our heads on pikes and our entrails feeding the aeraichs before sunset."
"If I can't shoot them, how am I supposed to stop them?" asked the archer.
"Be creative! They are heading toward the MistWall, and one seems already injured. We will take them if we stop them in time."
"What of the Seshni, sergeant?" asked a soldier.
"Forget them!" he shouted back. "Those Vantals are our priority."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Dawn was crying in Spike's arms as he willed his animal to run faster, as their pursuers were gaining ground on them. "Dawn, what's wrong?" he near grunted, pushing for speed. The MistWall was only a few hundred yards away.
"Buffy," whispered Dawn. "That was where she died." Spike hadn't time to react as his animal went down with an arrow in its side. They were propelled forward. Spike clung tightly to Dawn as they were flung through the air, turning and bearing the heavy impact of landing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Good thinking," complimented Rahsoh to Kryda. Both Vantals were down. He thanked Deetai they hadn't reached the Wall, or he may as well have followed them in for all his life would be worth. "I think they're both out," he exclaimed. "Quickly, get the chains and," – he stopped mid- sentence as the larger Vantal stood up, seemingly unfazed. The smaller one lay still on the ground. A cold chill of terror ran down his spine as the black-clad Vantal locked eyes with Rahsoh. As the thing discarded its sabre, he saw its blue and black eyes transform to red and gold as it leapt at him. Rahsoh screamed, but stopped when his own blood fountained from his throat, as everything went black.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Vantal tore through the troops with clinical deadliness as Kryda and the other archers loosed blunt arrows at it; arrows with heavy metal balls that served as a tip. But the creature simply ignored the bone crushing hits, slicing; decapitating with ruthless accuracy. It only seemed to halt in its plan of slaughter when the little Vantal was threatened. Kryda was a veteran of warfare. He had seen more Vantals than most, but none had ever behaved as this did. It displayed no bloodlust, no glorying in the kill; just terrifying efficiency in death. Kryda shot another blunt arrow, striking the Vantal on the shoulder. It continued unaffected, skewering the other sergeant's head on its crests, even as it tore out the throat of another soldier. It was at this point that Kryda knew he was going to die. Leaving surely result in death as much as staying, so why not die a soldier's death? He loosed a real arrow, its metal head taking the Vantal in the heart. It responded by killing another soldier. Kryda noticed that not a single krus was harmed.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
{Fifteen more,} thought Spike lucidly. He had not given into bloodlust this time. Buffy... What Dawn said had sent Spike into a numbed state of detachment. {Thirteen more} he thought emotionlessly, as he was run through with a rapier from behind. He reacted. {Twelve more.}
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Having accepted death, Kryda almost admired the Vantal's parsimonious use of motion in the slaughter of thirty of his comrades. He was grinning as he loosed another arrow. Turning his head to hear the sudden sound of hoof beats over desperate screaming, Kryda saw reinforcements. They were coming over a hill they had passed when chasing the Vantals. Just ten riders. {No,} he thought, {eleven.} Among the riders, atop a vast war-krus, white cloak flapping in the wind, greatsword in hand, sat the monstrous black figure, of which Kryda knew to be the greatest of the Chaos Generals; Lord- General Mart-Jik; Lord of Jikest; Prince of the Claw Lakes and Supreme Commander of the Legions of Deetai. Kryda fired an arrow into the Vantal, taking it in the hip as the reinforcements set upon it. Three were dead, a fourth dying by the time he had another arrow nocked.
The huge Chaos General charged the lithe Vantal with his greatsword extended. The scarlet and gold beast flew through the air knocking Mary- Jik's sword away with one clawed hand, slicing at the general's throat with the other. Mart'Jik fell and rolled from his mount, and was quickly up, having being saved by his Skin Armour. He looked up to see the Vantal was already bounding toward him. Suddenly Mart-Jik willed his sword to him. It flew through the air, even as the Vantal did, and shot into his coven grasp as the beast was almost on him. The General levelled the blade, and his own enormous strength combined with the Vantal's own momentum skewered the creature through its chest. Its back exploded in blood even as it struck at Mart-Jik's armoured neck. Six feet of steel was protruding from its back, yet the Vantal refused to even slow in its relentless onslaught.
The Chaos General released his grip from the two-foot long hilt, and grabbed the Vantal's head as it continued to slash at his weakening armour. Gripping with all his might, the eleven-foot tall Mart-Jik felt incredible pain as the Vantal drove its dagger-like claw into his violet eye. With an inhuman wrench, the giant suddenly twisted the beast's head ninety degrees, snapping its neck with an audible crack. Mart-Jik grabbed his sword as the Vantal fell limp. Breathing heavily with exertion, he removed his Skin Armour, and placed his cloven foot on the beast's torso, readying to pull his blade free of his defeated enemy. It opened its eyes. Mart-Jik gasped as it drove its elbow blade directly into his unprotected throat. The Chaos General's hands spasmodically jerked, lifting the mighty weapon and the Vantal from the ground, as the beast continued to inexorably push the blade deeper, gushing blood covering them both. Slowly, with a horrible gurgle, The Lord of Jikest; Prince of the Claw Lakes; Supreme Commander of the Chaos Legions and Greatest of the Chaos Generals, collapsed dead on the dusty trail. The Vantal painfully pulled itself free of the gargantuan sword, and assumed its other face. It took a step, then another. Then dropped to the ground, as a single archer sat atop his mount, chuckling to himself, his sanity lost.
Over a thousand miles away , in the place called Deetai's Eye, a god roared in frenzied rage.
