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Hejira: Sanguine Wave

By Mantrid Brizon

Episode 49: Falling Down

“What are we going to do now?” Dahvor asks.

Standing around a table in a room within the Sahvorai’s fortress, the leaders of every tribe of ECTO speak. No sooner than the tiger asked his question than does everyone glance toward Gareth and Sarvah.

“We need to finish this, which is exactly what Adelram will want to do.” Gareth says.

“What’s our plan?” Victoria asks.

“We gather every soldier we can, leaving only the bare minimum for city defense; we march after them, confront them and kill them.” Gareth answers.

“... That’s it?” Dahvor raises a brow.

The other chieftain’s look equally dissatisfied with Red Claw’s answer; having done such a splendid job of outthinking his opponent, they assumed he had a clever ruse or complex strategy to use.

“I wish I had a better plan, but if I know how impulsive Adelram is, he’s already on his way here with every soldier he’s got at his disposal. They’ll march in a straight line right back to our front door, so we’d better meet them half-way. It’s going to be a long, bloody, one-on-one battle that decides the fate of our world.”

“Alright then...” Victoria sighs.

“If we don’t have another choice.” Fahrah of the Iron Lion shrugs.

“Good. Let’s get to work.” Sarvah says calmly.

Marching through the forest and toward the Sightless Eye tribe, Adelram moves with his army. Their entire village joins them, as he didn’t want to spare even one soldier to guard it; Padina and his children ride in a cart as they plow their way through the trees and towards their enemy. After a half-day of marching, Faye and her weakened force stumbles upon them, heading in the opposite direction. Visibly surprised by his show of force, Faye is at a loss for words.

“So, you made it... I’m glad you’re alive.” Adelram greets her.

“Thank you, my Lord.”

“Where’s Balian?”

“He fell in battle, my Lord.”

“Hmph... A shame. Well, turn your men around!” He exclaims.

“I’m sorry?” Faye blinks in shock.

“We’re going to meet this threat head-on, as we should have done weeks ago.”

“... What?! Begging your pardon, my Lord, but we should regroup and plan a strategy. Perhaps smaller raids near their outlying villages like Gareth was going to do to us?” She suggests.

“Nonsense! This is a strategy! We’ll meet them in an open field and see who’s stronger.” He insists.

“That’s not a strategy; that’s a massacre, and we already lost nearly half of our army in this war.” Faye scoffs.

“I knew you were too weak for this.” He snickers.

“Weak...? Don’t you want to win?!”

“Of course I do! Why are you being such a baby about this? Think of all of the men you’ll get to slaughter in the heat of combat!”

Faye pauses for a moment, looking around at her battered, tired men and the nervous warriors who have yet to see combat. Normally, she’d be far more eager to jump back into the fray, but she has learned first-hand that her powers cannot save her every time; if she keeps fighting, one day she’ll die. Hundreds, perhaps even a thousand lives have fallen before her, yet Gareth and even Kelly both nearly extinguished hers. She isn’t sure she even wants to keep fighting under these circumstances.

However, something burns within her. An anger unlike anything she’s ever felt before. Adelram called her weak and laughed at her apprehension. Rather than murder him outright, as she had contemplated, she finds herself in awe. Her rage stokes a fire within her soul; she’ll prove that she isn’t weak.

“Let’s kill them all!” Faye exclaims.

“That’s my girl! Lead on, Harbinger!” Adelram shouts, waving a hand.

Immediately turning around, Faye and her troops meld with the fresh and rested warriors of Adelram’s army. Now reinforced with their third army group and every reserve they have, they’re nearly thirteen hundred strong. They have no intention of being led into any ambushes or to assault any cities; they will simply meet their foe in pitched combat. Marching alongside Adelram’s royal cart, Faye glances to Padina. With her two young sons in the cart behind her, the Sahvorai is visibly disheartened. Glancing to the children, she can see the fear in their faces.

“What’s wrong?” Faye asks.

“N-nothing...” Padina murmurs.

“She’s just excited to finally see the end of this war.” Adelram answers for her. “I’d love to see your plans for some of our soon-to-be villages, darling.”

“So would I...” Padina looks pensively at her feet.

Watching her hand-stitched, animal hide boots with her big blue eyes, the wind flutters the long strands of white hair that hangs over and around her face. Madina loses herself in thought as she watches herself plodding along, hand-in-hand with Steve.

“Are you alright?” He softly asks her.

“Hm? Oh, I’m just worried.” She admits.

“I’m scared too. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you when we fight the Silver Teeth.”

“I wasn’t worried about that. For some reason, I’m quite calm!” She chirps.

“Oh... Then what’s on your mind?”

“How soon after we win do you want to get married, and how soon after that should we have our first child?” She asks.

“Uh, hm... Whenever you’re comfortable, I suppose.” He shrugs.

“Good! I don’t like waiting. By this time next year, I’d like to be breastfeeding your son or daughter. Oh! Maybe we’ll have twins!” She oozes with delight.

“Lucky babies.” Steve smirks.

Madina giggles and leans into her lover as they march. Ahead of them, Naomi and Travahn also walk hand in hand.

“Are you alright? You’ve been very quiet lately.” Naomi asks.

“I’m just scared. I don’t like the idea.” He replies.

“My talents are very powerful; I have to help or we might not win.”

“I just don’t want you to be hurt in battle. If I had an aura like you, I’d gladly protect you, but I’m just a mediocre archer.” Travahn sighs solemnly.

“You’re already doing more than most, and don’t worry about me. I’ll be near the rear, right beside you.” She coos, stroking his upper arm.

“I’ve already lost my parents. I’m not going to lose you too. Where you go, I go, so remember that when you get excited and run ahead of me; I’ll be two steps behind.” He grins.

Near the front of the group, Sarvah and Gareth walk with the other leaders, including Emma, Rinahra, Fahrah, Dahvor, Victoria and Matthew. Opposite Sarvah and beside Gareth, Kelly walks with his wife, Vahna. The dainty bunny-like Savorai takes long strides to keep up with her tall, heavyset husband and the others in their group. With an arm around his, he escorts her as if they are attending a ball, their son, Zeike, in his arms.

“What do you think people will say about him?” He suddenly asks her.

“What do you mean?” She raises a brow in confusion.

“I mean, when this is all over and he’s an adult. What will people say when they see him? Will they say ‘there goes Kelly’s son’?”

“What about ‘there goes Zeike. How in the world did Kelly get that far with a woman?’.” Gareth interjects.

“That sounds about right.” Kelly chuckles.

“You’re speaking as if you won’t survive.” Vahna whimpers, her arms squeezing him tighter.

“It was just a thought.” Kelly shrugs.

“Well stop with the thinking, because I know what they’re going to say.” Gareth retorts.

“You do, huh?” Kelly snickers.

“Yeah. They’ll say, ‘here’s Zeike, the son of Kelly and a man even greater than his already impressive father’.”

“Thanks, man. That means a lot.” Kelly smiles.

“It does?” Emma appears perplexed.

“Every father wants his son to surpass him. I know that I want my son to be a stronger, wiser and more capable leader than I am.” Dahvor answers.

“Hey, those kinds of compliments are reserved for me.” Sarvah cutely whines.

“Sorry, sweetheart. He needed me to whisper sweet, uplifting nothings.” Gareth jokes.

“When we have a son, do you think people will say that about him?” Sarvah asks with an innocent smile.

“Which son?” Gareth winks.

After nearly a full day of marching, the army of ECTO finds itself exiting the forest and entering a massive, oblong field several miles in diameter. A path has already been trampled by the fleeing Silver Teeth. Every chieftain and experienced warrior immediately knows that this ground will be the place where the fate of their world is decided; their future will be written in blood. The forces of ECTO construct their camps, setting up sentinels and patrols to keep watch while the army rests for the night.

Deep in the forest across from them, the Silver Teeth do the same. The wounded are treated and triaged, with the strongest receiving the most care so that they can join the upcoming battle. All of them know that if their enemies are moving against them, which is a certainty, that tomorrow they’ll see them in that field. The battle-weary wait with trembling hands and haunted dreams, while the inexperienced fantasize about what is to come. Adelram makes love to his wife in the purely visual privacy of their tent as maids watch their sons.

Faye, the only true leader left after Balian’s untimely death, wanders the camp to make sure that everything is going according to plan. With exhaustion catching up to her, she returns to her own camp to rest. As she lay alone, staring at the canted fabric ceiling only a few feet above her, she wonders what will transpire. She is certain to find every talent user that they have fighting against them; Gareth, Sarvah, Kelly and Naomi will be in the battle. What will she do if she sees them? Could she really go through with killing them?

Faye can’t bring herself to feel guilty when the image of burning her own sister alive makes her chuckle. Though she doesn’t truly desire Naomi’s death, she’d certainly end her life if her sister so much as thought about resisting. After taking a moment to relax, Faye pulls a blanket over her feminine form and drifts off to sleep.

“Are you ready?!” Dahvor shouts to his men.

They scream and bang their swords and spears against their shields. Standing at attention, they watch and wait. Every other army stands alongside them. Across the field, the Silver Teeth do the very same. Nearly even in number to their foe, all of their talent users will need to be in the front lines in order to win. Begrudgingly, Travahn stands beside Naomi as she stands with Kelly, Sarvah and Gareth. He wanted her to stay near the back, for her own safety, but this won’t happen.

“Alright men! This is what we’ve been waiting for!” Adelram shouts. “Who’s ready to reshape the world itself!!!”

The cheering around and behind the human, who stands in a chariot and is accompanied by Padina, is earsplitting. Turning toward her, he leans in for a kiss. Though his wife shares the moment with him, at this point it’s solely for the good of their army’s morale; she wishes she’d have taken their children, a sack of coins and ran away during their last night at home, to let him die alone.

“They certainly look ready to fight.” Fahrah remarks to her general.

“I hope I don’t have to kill too many of them.” Kelly murmurs.

“I’m not ever going to leave your sight, Sarvah. I promise.” Gareth says to his lover.

“And all you have to do is turn around to find me.” She says with a warm smile.

“Could you be in front of me instead? Pressed tightly against me? I’ll never lose you that way.” He winks.

“Oh, Gare.” She giggles.

Adelram’s chariot rides before his men as he raises a sword.

“ATTACK!!!” He orders.

His men race ahead, but the forces of ECTO stand firm. With a simple hand wave by each of the tribe’s chieftains, they calmly march forward. Adelram’s men race at blistering speed, burning off their energy rapidly, while ECTO soldiers conserve theirs. Archers prepare to fire a series of volleys, while the front-line troops are both spearmen and shield bearers. Closing in on each other, their hearts beat faster and harder. Any moment now they will be thrown into pitched battle and fighting for their very lives.

With barely one hundred meters left before they clash, a thunderclap booms overhead. The ground itself shakes and the soldiers come to a screeching halt as a massive bolt of lightning streaks across the sky. Unlike normal lightning, not only is it not accompanied by a storm, but it doesn’t vanish after the initial flash. It glows like the blast of an atomic bomb, forcing all to turn away from its radiance. The blinding light descends from the sky between the two armies.

“STOP! THIS WAR HAS COME TO AN END!” A sepulchral voice bellows.

The light begins to fade, allowing the shocked armies to stare in awe. Standing between them, the eight-foot-tall, alien-like being known as Sahvath, one of the fallen angels and the creator of their world, has its back to the armies of ECTO. Glaring with its blackened orbs, the powerful deity watches with fiery eyes, staring at Adelram and his Silver Teeth. With its eyelids blinking from the sides, the gray-skinned creature points a disturbingly long finger at Adelram.

“RETURN TO YOUR HOMES!” It orders.

Everyone stands frozen from a combination of shock, terror and awe. They take a moment to even realize that they are still standing there.

“A-are you Sahvath?!” Padina chokes out.

“I am...” It nods, its tendrils swaying continuously as if manipulated by a non-existent breeze. “I have returned to end this travesty.”

“You came!” Gareth can’t help but exclaim.

“Yes. I thought for some time about what you said... You are right; repentance starts here.” Sahvath explains.

“You are no god! Why are you interfering?!” Adelram snarls.

“This war is over. I did not stop the previous, and it was for equally petty reasons. I will not make the same mistake twice.”

“This is our world, not yours! Once this was over, we’d have reformed it and there would be no more bloodshed! You’re only prolonging the inevitable!” Adelram claims.

Empowered by the sight of their king standing against the fallen angel, well over half of his army stands at attention. Looking to him for cues as to what they should do, they prepare to fight as if they had not been halted by the magnificent sight. Faye, however, stands aside. Slowly backing away, she slips through the crowd; Sahvath’s presence and the scene Adelram is making give her plenty of cover to remover herself without being noticed.

“Why can’t you just go away? Leave us to sort out our own problems! We don’t need you!” Adelram growls.

“You remind me of another; a man who was once beloved by my Creator but who too was led astray by a woman. How quickly he fell to wickedness, as you have done. Look at you... Slaughtering the meek and helpless, crushing the spirited beneath your boot and forcing all to obey you or die...” Sahvath explains.

“I’m building a true utopia. In my world, there will be no greed, no war, and no suffering. All will work and have purpose, and all will have enough to live. I will make certain of it.”

“Only because you have stolen their will. None would enjoy living in your world, except for you and those who serve in your army. Do you think that you are a god? I know that you do... But you are just a man.” Sahvath retorts.

“This isn’t over just because you flew in here, and it won’t be over when you leave!” Adelram boasts.

“Do not force my hand... Please.” Sahvath pleads with them, its voice soft and gentle.

“It’s asking! What a pathetic creature!” Adelram laughs. “CHARGE!”

With a loud cry, over one thousand men begin to charge the roughly four-hundred-feet, fully intending to fight the allied tribes with Sahvath standing in between them. Closing its eyes and bowing its head, Sahvath speaks in a language that their translator microbes cannot understand; its words echo like one hundred voices as Sahvath speaks. It’s apparent to Gareth that this is the language of the angels. Throwing its head back and stretching out its arms, a golden light in the shape of a massive boomerang sweeps the ground.

Striking the bodies of the Silver Teeth warriors, their flesh is vaporized, briefly leaving standing skeletons behind before they crumble into piles of ash. The golden wave cuts into Adelram’s army and then his tribe, which waits behind them, annihilating most of them. Adelram’s maids and children, along with over half of the clan are swept away in an instant. Huge piles of powder sit only feet away from the being. Its eyelids slowly open, a tear trickling down its face.

Sahvath kneels before the ashes as a gentle breeze cascades over the horrified warriors, blowing the dust of the bodies and choking the would-be battlefield with a thick cloud of gray smoke. Sahvath appears to pray for the fallen, clutching its hands before its face.

“Forgive your humble servant for the misdeeds of a blackened heart. May you return to the dust, and may your souls travel well and find peace.” It speaks as if it were alone.

Men drop their weapons as they stare at the hazy mist that was once the flesh and bone of their friends and family. With no one left to lead and nothing left to hold them there, men stumble back, turn and run. Others collapse into heaps from the shock, but not one of Adelram’s remaining army tries to march against them. Lowering and stowing their weapons, the armies of the allied tribes breathe a figurative sigh of relief; many cover their faces with clothing to prevent choking on the chalky dust.

Standing to its feet, Sahvath commands a powerful gust of wind to remove the dust, clearing the field and freeing their vision. It scans the horizon, looking at the empty field that once teemed with an army bent on conquest.

“I’m sorry I did not arrive sooner. I decided that it was time to destroy my original failures; they proved to be quite numerous.” Sahvath begins.

“You mean? ... The Fallen and madrogo?” Sarvah sheepishly asks.

“Yes. They are no longer of this world.”

“I’m glad you came through; I just knew you were good!” Madina chirps.

“Thank you.” Gareth says, bowing his head respectfully.

“Yes! Thank you, Sahvath!” Emma exclaims.

She is soon joined by the entirety of the ECTO alliance. So many warriors will return home to their families because of this; their gratitude is immeasurable. Turning to face them, a melancholy Sahvath raises a hand. The crowd falls silent as the being steps forward. Reaching out, it holds out a hand to both Gareth and Sarvah. They each take hold.

“I must thank you for what you have done, but it is not yet over. Faye has fled into an ancient quarry behind me. She will never stop, but it is not my place to remove her.” Sahvath continues.

“What will you do now?” Sarvah asks.

“What I should have done centuries ago; I will appeal to my Creator. I may never return.” Sahvath answers.

“Will that even work? I thought your kind couldn’t be redeemed.” Gareth remarks.

“Perhaps and perhaps not. I do not know for certain; it was something the Deceiver had said to us. I realize now that it could very well be another lie to dishearten and control those of us who followed the Deceiver’s rebellion. You made me realize that it would be better to try to repent and be punished than never repent at all, waiting for the same... I am in your debt, and will be eternally grateful, even as I suffer... Goodbye.”

Before they can answer, the flesh of Sahvath’s hands grows hot. A blinding flash of light beams and lifts into the sky. Gareth can only assume where Sahvath has gone; hopefully it isn’t the last he will ever see of the being. Kelly steps forward, as do Naomi and Travahn.

“Can you tell me where the angel touched you?” Kelly quips.

“Shut up.” Gareth smirks.

“You heard him. We need to stop Faye while we still can.” Naomi says.

“And we will, but you two should stay here.” Gareth turns to her.

“But!”

“No ‘buts’. Let us take care of this.” Sarvah adds.

Naomi crosses her arms before her chest, her tail hanging low as she pouts. It’s not that she wishes to harm her own sister. Quite the contrary. However, as powerful as Faye has become, can three of the four most important people in her life stand a chance against her? All she wants to do is be there to protect them, as they would for her.

“Don’t worry... We’ll be back.” Gareth teases with a familiar sounding and thoroughly exaggerated accent.