An End of Gods & Dust: ACT VI

“You must guard the webs you weave that make dreams into flesh. Many beings will cherish those webs because they are spun out of magic that lives in the heart.” - Dreams Made Flesh by Anne Bishop

The cave was much too quiet after Selene passed the following morning.

Chatter was kept to a minimum, beside the usual prayers and last rites.

It was a smooth transition, thankfully, for the apostle. She fell asleep and her breathing slowed until it stopped. A small smile lingered on her lips, and her hand rested in Tryfon’s as she left this mortal coil.

It had never been seen before - or even shared - that apostles could die, so it was a much more tense and solemn affair than previous deaths Kokuo had witnessed.

A sheet of blue cloth was laid over her, and the makeshift shrine of Order watched over her through the night, until the morning when she was buried.

Order was an old god, one that had been worshipped alongside Chaos up until several centuries ago when their statues crumbled, their offerings burnt, and the prayers offered up were never returned.

Their worshippers knew then that the god had died.

I suppose if gods can die, so can their apostles, Kokuo thought, his mind still trying to process the loss of Selene as he stared at the god’s effigy.

“We should go out there and find those things,” Tryfon said, crossing his arms to hide the sand caking them. “If they can kill apostles, they are a threat to all of us.”

Kokuo turned. “What?”

Karra let out a curt snort, her eyes narrowing. “You’re insane. The fact that they can kill apostles should be a warning for us all to stay far away.”

“For once, I agree with Karra.” Hallas kept his voice steady, but his eyes were sympathetic to Tryfon’s plight. “They will have to be treated as an obstacle to avoid.”

The flickering fire in the cave gave chaotic shape to Tryfon’s face furrowed in anger. “You’re going to let Selene’s death amount to nothing?”

Karra opened her mouth, but Hallas quickly intercepted her. “It won’t be for nothing. Her death has shown us the deadliness of these creatures. Now we know to avoid them.”

Leto, who had been the most withdrawn since Selene’s passing, finally spoke, his voice rough and weary.

“I…think we should hunt them.”

That got the whole group looking at Leto.

“We are not going to humor your grief by killing ourselves.” Karra stepped toward him, looming over where he sat with a dangerous glint to her eyes. “If you wish to go out there and waste the life she asked you to live, you are welcome to do it.”

“Karra.” Ourania stepped into the cave then, her face covered by a dust-coated shawl. “Be gentle with them. The sand around her grave is still fresh.”

Karra crossed her arms, but said nothing more.

The grey-haired apostle then looked to Tryfon and Leto. “If you both wish to avenge Selene’s death, then do as you will, but know that doing so puts everything we are trying to accomplish at risk, and goes against Selene’s final wishes.”

Tryfon’s anger melted to tortured grief, while Leto’s expression settled into a quiet calm.

“Everything we are trying to accomplish?” Leto repeated. “Like what? Survive? Hang on till the dust consumes our bones and all that humanity has created melds with the black tide? No. Selene wanted me to live, to keep fighting. That’s what I plan to do, which begins by taking out those creatures so we don’t lose anymore people.”

Kokuo’s heart couldn’t help but be stirred by Leto’s words. Even Karra, who usually was the first to cast down reckless ideas, seemed to regard the young man differently.

Tryfon wiped away the moisture gathering around his eyes and nodded. “What the lad said. I can’t just sit here and go on like usual.”

There was a thoughtful pause, and then Karra spoke. “I will go with you. While this is magnitudes of foolishness, I can’t deny that learning more about these creatures would help with our survival, and the more of us go, the better our odds.”

Kokuo stared at Karra. It was hard to believe what she was agreeing to. “But - Karra -”

“If the witch goes, so will I,” Hallas interrupted, his brown eyes sharp as daggers as he exchanged a look with Karra. “You will need an apostle to handle the beasts.”

Karra let out a snort. “I can handle them myself, besides, you being an apostle means nothing to these creatures as has been proven by Selene’s death.”

Hallas’s pointed stare turned into a glare.

“If you and Hallas go,” Ourania chimed in, “then Leto must stay.” She turned to the young man then, holding out a hand to silence him as he tried to speak. “As much as I admire your courage, Leto, I will not let Selene’s dying wish be tossed aside so soon. You must live yet.”

Leto’s mouth shut, and he bowed his head. “I…alright. I will stay.”

Tryfon placed a hand on Leto’s shoulder. “I will avenge her, for us both.”

Karra nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. “So Tryfon, Hallas and I will go. Kokuo, will you come as well?”

Kokuo looked up at Karra, surprised that she would even ask given her protectiveness of him. “Me? Of course I want to go, but I figured you wouldn’t want me to…”

“You are your own man, Kokuo,” Hallas said, gesturing at him. “Karra is not your keeper.”

Karra gave Hallas a sharp look but said nothing.

Kokuo didn’t have to think much. He was afraid, of course, but both curiosity and the direct question to him from Karra was enough to override it. “I will come.”

Karra smiled, determination settling in the angle of her shoulders - the brightness of her eyes. “Then it’s settled. Let’s go hunt a monster.”

_____ . . . _____

They set off not long after once the dust storm outside eased into a gentle dark wind. Hallas took the lead, with Tryfon and Kokuo following and Karra in the rear. They stayed close together, knowing that at any time the storm could intensify once more and obscure their sight to complete blackout.

Each of them carried a bone weapon made from Hallas’ gift: Tryfon and Kokuo carried a short sword, and Karra held a spear. It was a handy power, one that Kokuo hoped wouldn’t be snuffed out.

They came upon the dead tree where the first attack had happened. The wind already erased any trace of the fight that took Selene’s life, but the tension from Hallas and Tryfon was enough to tell just how gruesome it had been.

“Keep your backs to the tree, and stay within sight of each other,” Hallas said, shaking out his arm as golden blood dripped down his skin and his own bone blade protruded from his skin. “They move fast, and once they have a hold of you, the others will swarm in.”

As if on cue, a spine-tingling cackle echoed out from the surrounding cliff faces still shrouded by the dark wind. The sound of metal scraping against stone - clinking like chains - followed the sound like the rush of water.

Kokuo looked to Hallas who stiffened, raising his blade to chest-level. “What do you hear, Hallas?” Kokuo called.

“Wolves howling,” Hallas said, his brown eyes alight with his apostle's gift.

“Tryfon?”

Tryfon’s shoulder-length blonde hair barely moved with the wind, his sword arm lowering to his side. “Singing…a woman’s lullaby.”

Kokuo’s gut twisted, looking now at Karra. “Karra?”

But his friend did not reply or even acknowledge him. Instead, her blue eyes were locked on a point beyond them where the sound originated, and the handle of the spear was gripped so tightly in her hands that Kokuo could see her veins bulging. Beads of sweat made clear trails down her dust-caked dark skin.

Kokuo did not insist on a reply as the dust before them thickened, shifting and changing with what now came.

A tall, hunched figure hauled itself out of the dust, as if it was one with it. Its skin was pale, sickly, and tight against its bones. Its ribs, hips and shoulders stuck out horrifically, and protruding from its hunched spine were bony spikes tipped in black soot. Its hands and feet ended in long, talon-like claws - similar to a bird of prey. Around its wrists thick, iron chains hung, dragging along the ground at its sides.

But its face was a thing of nightmares.

Kokuo could barely stand to drag his eyes up to the creatures’. It was a hideous splicing of the head of a raven on the shoulders of a human with multiple, shrewd black eyes and a gaping beak that hung open. Inside its mouth multiple dark tendrils extended, ending in misshapen hands and claws that reached out to Kokuo.

Made of the Gods, or those below? Kokuo was betting on the latter.

“Tryfon, what are you doing?” Hallas shouted, snapping Kokuo out of his thoughts.

Kokuo turned to see Tryfon walking toward the creature, his arms outstretched and his sword discarded in the sand behind him.

“I’m sorry, my friends.” Tryfon’s voice sounded far away, and as he turned to face them Kokuo could see that his normally clear blue eyes had clouded over. “But this was never about revenge. There is no point in anything anymore without Selene.”

“Tryfon!” Kokuo yelled, surging towards the man with his sword raised. “Snap out of it!”

But a body rammed into his, and a pair of familiar arms encircled him, locking down his sword to his side. He thrashed and turned in place to see Karra holding him fast, tears streaking down her cheeks as she stared unflinchingly at Tryfon.

“Stop! Karra -”

Hallas roared, sprinting for Tryfon, but it was already too late.

Kokuo watched as - caged in Karra’s arms - the creature moved gently up behind Tryfon, its clawed hands resting on the man’s shoulders. It twisted its head, allowing the tendrils of hands and claws to extend from its mouth and encircle Tryfon’s head.

One moment, Tryfon’s serene, smiling face was there, and the next, it was gone.

His headless corpse dropped to the ground just as Hallas rammed into the creature’s side, sending it flying back into the thick dust.

Chaos followed.

_____ . . . _____

Let the chaos commence!!

Finally back to this story, and it feels great! I really love adding horror elements to fantasy stories so long as they fit within the world building and serve a purpose other than just scaring readers.

I think the Vulturkin do a good job on both fronts. c:

New here? Check out ACT I below!