Chapter 3: Bastion’s Fall

  A week passed. No word from Murak’s party. This wasn’t all that uncommon; storms or other such obstacles could pop up that slowed the hunting party. They’ll be home soon. Another week passed. Sometimes the parties got delayed this long. It wasn't common, but it happened from time to time. Nothing to be worried about. A month now, no words. A search party has been sent out, but they have found no signs of the hunting party. It doesn’t look like they even made it to the hunting grounds. They are still searching for clues. 3 months now. Ana has started to work in the greenhouse again. She needed to be active again, mostly to keep up with Sev, but also to keep her mind off of Murak. He is strong; he will come back to me. He promised me, and he never breaks his word. 6 months, no sign of life. A year has passed now, and the hunting party is assumed dead. The World’s End is not known to be kind to those caught outside the bastion. Sev said his first word, “Daddy.” Ana refuses to give up hope.

  2 years have passed now, and Sevagoth is walking and even running a bit. He is extremely smart. He never really cried as a baby, but it seems he is even more mature than Ana expected. Ana still waits for Murak’s return. Sevagoth is a huge hit with the women in the greenhouse. Some of it is pity for Ana and Sev losing Murak, but the rest is because Sev just wants to help. He is a sweet boy. 3 years now, still nothing from the hunting ground. Sevagoth has started to read and even write a bit. He can count, and he helps around the greenhouse every day. He never makes a fuss and somehow knows just what to say to comfort Ana. He is the only thing keeping her together. “Daddy is fine, Momma, I can still feel him.” That sentence took Ana by surprise. It’s not that she didn't talk about Murak in front of Sev, it’s just that no 3-year-old should have to comfort his mother, let alone with words like that. What does he mean, he can feel him?

  4 years have gone by, and even Ana is starting to accept that Murak is gone. It’s as if she is coping with the loss for the first time. She has stopped going to the greenhouse as frequently. She has stopped eating. She barely sleeps. She is completely and utterly lost to grief and loss. She is alone again, something she was promised she would never feel again. She has stopped talking with Sevagoth. She still loves him more than anything, but she can’t face him. Sevagoth knows this; he can somehow understand what it means. He takes care of Ana, cooking for and feeding her. He does the chores without being asked, and he has even taken up a shift at the greenhouse in her stead. Whenever he gets asked about his mom, he simply replies, “She is hurting. But it’ll be okay. She’ll see.” No one can understand how Sev is as mature as he is. It’s somewhat startling. It’s been 5 years now. Sevagoth can already read and write both the common tongue and Elvish. He even asked to learn Dwarvish from others in the village. When asked why, he simply says, “I want to be able to ask dad things when he gets back.” Ana has tried to tell him that Murak is dead and never coming home. He simply says, “Dad has never broken his word. He won’t start now. He’ll be home soon, you’ll see.” Sev has started training with some of the hunting team members. He started with just the bow, which he was terrible with. They are starting to teach him swordsmanship as well. An oracle is coming to read what talents he has soon. Ana is concerned that Sevagoth is stunted because of the incident with Murak; she wonders if he is developing too soon in the wrong ways. What should I do? What can I do? He is just a boy, and yet he is caring for me like I’m his child.

  One day in the early part of summer, Sevagoth woke up early. He bathed and dressed himself in his nicest clothes. He matted his hair down and brushed his teeth. It was still only around 6:30 in the morning, the eastern mountains just gaining their halo as the sun started to rise behind them. “Still a few hours out then, I guess.” He said out loud, to no one in particular. I guess it’s a day to celebrate, might as well make something extra special for breakfast. Sevagoth quickly got to work. He had just gone to the greenhouse yesterday and gotten some of the potatoes that had been harvested. Sevagoth chopped and diced the potatoes, putting them all in a pot with some fresh water. He activated the runestone in the stove and oven and placed the pot of potatoes to start boiling. Sevagoth then began mixing the flour, eggs, and yeast to make a bread base. He set the small wooden bowl next to the mouth of the oven to let the heat activate the yeast and help the bread rise. He then went into the cold room at the back of the cottage and grabbed some of the boar he had gotten a few days ago. He set another pan on the stove to warm and put some lard in the pan to melt. He cooked the boar meat, which is surprisingly lean, with the lard to help it stay moist and crisp up without burning. About 10 minutes later, he pulled the bread dough out of the bowl and began kneading it. Fold over and push out. Fold, and push. After the dough was kneaded just enough to stay light, he split it into 2 balls and placed them on the board. He put it in the oven that had been warming all morning. Maybe I’ll mix some of the butter and honey I bought as a surprise yesterday. I’m sure Mom will love it! After pulling the boar meat off the stove, he set it aside on a platter to let the meat rest. He sprinkled a bit of extra salt and pepper on them. Just like Mom likes!

  The potatoes were soft, so Sevagoth pulled them off the stove and carefully drained the water out. After adding a small lump of butter and some cream, he started to mash them. The bread was about done now, so he pulled the loaves out before the middle fell. “There we go! Just one more thing.” He used another bowl to add some butter and honey that he had bought from one of the adventurers who passed through. Stirring it just enough to keep the butter from fully liquifying, but enough to get the honey fully mixed in. It was now around 7:30 in the morning, and as if on queue, Ana slowly got out of bed and walked into the kitchen. “Morning, Momma! I made breakfast!” Sevagoth said proudly as he finished slicing the fresh loaf of bread. “Go ahead and dig in!” He said excitedly as he pulled out his mother's chair.

  “What's the special occasion? It's not every day you make something like this.” Ana asked, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

  Sevagoth put his hands on his hips and stuck his chest out proudly. “I’ll tell you while you eat! Don’t let it get cold, especially the boar. I used pepper today just like you like it!” Ana smiled and began to dish up. She knew she shouldn’t complain, but this wasn’t normal 5-year-old behavior. Was it? As the 2 of them ate, Sevagoth made small talk about his shopping spree yesterday, and how he had used the money he had earned from covering a shift at the greenhouse earlier that week.

  “Are you sure you're only 5 years old?” Ana asked Sev as he babbled about his adventures.

  “OOOH, and Mrs. Grenich said that if we are careful, we might even be able to grow some fruits in the greenhouse now!! We won’t have to wait for travelers anymore! Wouldn’t that be awesome!?!?!?” Sev asked as he took another bite of food.

  Ana simply chuckled before correcting him, “How many times do I have to tell you, don’t talk with your mouth full!” She said teasingly.

  “Sorry mom, there is just so much to talk about!” Sev said as he made sure to slow down. A few more minutes passed, and their breakfast feast was coming to an end.

  “While breakfast was absolutely wonderful this morning, you still never told me what the occasion was.” Ana said, curious as to what had Sev so energetic today.

  “Oh, you’re right! Dad comes home today, so I thought we shou—-”

  “SEVAGOTH! I’ve told you a thousand times already, your father is dead! He has been for 5 years. Your positivity helped me through a lot of hard times, but enough is enough. NO MORE, do you understand me?” Ana said coldly, snipping more than she had meant to. Today wasn’t a good day for this. Today was a cold reminder of what she had lost that day. And hearing Sevagoth bring it up in such a lighthearted way cut her deeper than she expected. “I'm sorry, Sev, I shouldn’t have gotten so worked up. Can you plea—”

  “OH MY GODS, IT’S MURAK! MURAK’S TEAM HAS RETURNED, THEY’VE FINALLY RETURNED!” A villager called from the village square. Those words hung in the quiet winter morning air.

  Sevagoth jumped up excitedly, “Come on, Momma, Dad's home!” he yelled as he pulled her to the door. Ana could not believe what she had heard. Murak is home? Am I dreaming? How could this be?

  Ana rushed out the door with Sevagoth in tow, tears streaming down her cheeks. Is he really back? Is he home? She rounded the corner and saw her beloved husband slowly sitting up on the bed of a sled. She sprinted over, crying as she embraced Murak for the first time in 5 long years. Through tears, Ana said, “I thought I lost you! It's been years!”

  Sevagoth ran up next to them and coily asked, “Mom, who is that? Why are you crying?” As if he didn't already know the answer.

  Ana quickly pulled him into the group hug and said, “Sevagoth, this is your father. He has finally made it home! He’s finally home after 5 long years!!” Ana could barely get the sentence out through the sobs and tears. However, Murak was merely sitting there like a deer in a sun flare.

  He was muttering to himself, “Years? No, it was days! We were only gone for about 5 days! 5 years? What the fuck is going on here? What the fuck happened at the Glade?” His muttering suddenly stopped as he stared blankly down the main street of the village. “No, no no no no no no no no no no no no—” He began to say, panic filling his voice. Ana sobered up immediately. She had never once heard Murak panic like this. Oh gods, what happened to him? As she turned to follow his gaze, her heart stopped. Standing there, maybe a few hundred yards away, were what looked to be about 20 men. Murak immediately pulled Ana and Sevagoth behind him as he screamed in rage, “MONSTERS!!!!” It was at that point that Ana noticed the horrific scars on Murak’s arms, and his distinct lack of 7 fingers. She stood in shock. Not only was Murak afraid, no terrified, but he was also wounded. What happened to you out there? As Murak’s voice rang through the valley, everyone gathered in the square heard it. A sickening, ghastly laughter.

  Murak was flooded with adrenaline once again, forcing himself off the sled. The other two hunters that had returned with him drew their weapons, but were frozen in shock. Murak yelled again, “MONSTERS!! TO ARMS, THERE ARE MONSTERS IN THE VILLAGE!” All of the men gathered quickly drew their weapons, putting themselves between the monsters and the women of the village.”They are weak to fire, but as strong as 3 men! They are faster and stronger than you! Fight smart, don’t let your fear consume you!” As Murak assumed command, he began to shift once again into his lycanthropic form. Something that Ana had only seen once and had hoped to never see again. If he is this desperate, do we truly have a chance to win??

  Ana was overcome with fear, but put herself in front of Sevagoth. She turned to her son and, with a quivering voice, said, “Run to the house. Use the back streets, get into the hatch, and lock it. Don’t make a sound, don’t move a muscle. And whatever you do, don’t come out until me or your dad come for you. Okay? Can you do that for me?” Ana was sobbing as she said this. She had the same feeling in her gut that she had the day Murak left. She knew she would never see her son again.

  Sevagoth merely nodded and said, “At least we got to be a family again, just for a little bit.” He pulled his mother into a long hug. “Don’t worry, I’ll never stop loving you and Dad.”

  Sevagoth quickly kissed his mother one last time before running off to his home. He quickly clambered under his parents' bed and into the small hatch beneath. He crammed himself inside with all of the furs and blankets. He then shut the hatch and locked it with the large metal latch. In the meantime, Ana stepped next to Murak and whispered into his ear, “Thank you for keeping your word to me, no matter the cost. I love you, dear.”

  Murak turned to face her, tears running down his face. “I love you too, An. More than anything. At least I got to be a dad again, just for a moment. I love you.” Murak turned back towards the monsters, their cackling and laughter even louder. They had moved, now only 50 yards out. Murak held back vomit as he laid eyes on them once again. Ana froze in place for a moment, as their horrid visage filled her mind. The other warriors clanged their weapons together and let out a roar, 5 other lycanthropes transforming. Murak steeled his resolve one last time before screaming out, “DIE YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!!!!”

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  The monsters and warriors charged forward to meet each other. The monsters were even faster than Murak had remembered, and they were bigger, too. They now stood at eye level with Murak’s towering frame. The quills were now scattered around their backs rather than just the spine, and the claws were longer and sharper. And then there was their horrid maws, and their eyes that swallowed all light. It was an even greater nightmare than before. With Murak missing almost all of his fingers, he had to resort to biting and kicking. The other lycanthropes tore into the monsters, ripping flesh. The other lycanthropes were bigger and stronger than Murak, as he was often called the runt of the litter. However, the monsters were tearing through the normal warriors faster than they could think. Ana heard Murak’s howl, which was enough to break her out of her trance. She rushed forward and started to throw as many spells as she could, as fast as she could. And then they heard it, the screams of the women. As Ana turned to see what was wrong, she saw another type of monster. They were thinner and shorter than the ones they had charged. The monsters looked more human, but shared the same pale skin as the other monsters. Rather than fingers, the entire digit was one massive knife-like talon. There were maybe 10 of them attacking and tearing through the women. The men were dying in droves, and the lycanthropes had only managed to kill 3 of the monsters.

  Suddenly, Ana realized it was getting dark. It’s only 9 in the morning, why is it so dark all of a sudden? Her thoughts were interrupted by the howl of one of the lycanthropes. As she looked back at the main attack, she watched Bailior, the village chief, get swarmed by the monsters. He kept ripping and tearing, but eventually Bailior was killed. 4 of them pounced on his corpse while the other monsters continued the slaughter. Murak managed to pin one of them with his feet and used his maw to rip the head off. He then tore into it, severing the torso from the legs. Ana began throwing spikes of flames into the monsters, as well as fireballs when possible. She was able to heal several of the soldiers, but they ended up just dying anyway. This is a losing battle. We are just seeing how many of them we can take down with us. More of the smaller monsters had appeared and were tearing through the homes for survivors. Many of the runestones were accidentally activated, lighting the homes’ timber frames on fire. Screams of pain and fear filled the cold, dark air. Stone walls crumbled as their frames were turned to ashes. Thatch roofs were engulfed in flames, lighting up the valley despite how dark it had become. And then Ana heard it, a harrowing voice. “Hello again, dear Sarah.”

  Ana stood, petrified. As she slowly turned, she saw those same platinum blonde locks and elven ears that she had seen all those years ago. “Y-you.” She said, voice quivering.

  “Me? Oh, don’t sound so disappointed, my love, who else would it be?” The thin frame stepped out of an alleyway and into the square, turned battlefield.

  “Who are you, what do you want?” Ana asked. The man simply laughed and said

  “My my, where are my manners? I never introduced myself properly. My name is Adanon, and I am your husband, dear Sarah.” The man said as he began to approach her. Ana tried to do the same trick she had used all those years ago, but Adanon quickly countered the channeling. “Tsk tsk tsk. All these years, and you haven’t learned any new tricks? I’m disappointed in you, my de——” Before he could finish that thought, a crazed beast filled with hatred and bloodlust tackled Adanon and slammed him through the stone wall into the burning home behind. “AH, you BASTARD!” Adanon yelled as Murak began ripping and tearing at his flesh. Adanon quickly burst into dust, forming again a few feet away.

  “STAY AWAY FROM AN, YOU MONSTER!” Murak yelled as he charged once again.

  Adanon screamed in anger, “ME THE MONSTER? TRY AGAIN YOU MUTT!” Lycanthropes and vampires had a long history of war. Vampires could not control lycanthropes, and so the lycanthropes were hunted and killed to remove them as a threat. As such, lycanthropes had gone into hiding in small villages such as Whitemane to avoid attention. Adanon threw a burst of fire into the face of Murak, who simply ignored the pain as he slammed into Adanon once again. Murak held the vampire in the flames that were swallowing the house, eliciting screams of pain and terror from Adanon. Few things could kill a vampire outright. Sunlight and fire were two among that short list. This wasn’t Murak’s first vampire hunt, but if it was to be his last, he was sure as hell going to win it. Adanon screamed out, “Dammit, beast, get in here and save me!” Ana heard a horrific howl, twisted and mutilated.

  From the pile of corpses that had formed in the main square, Bailior stood up once again. Ana at first rejoiced, Bailior could help us win the fight! That joy was cut short when Bailior charged into the home and dug his claws deep into the stomach of Murak. Murak was forced to release his hold on Adanon, who quickly got out of the fire while screaming in pain. Bailior lifted and threw Murak through the next house over, before screeching and chasing after him. Ana screamed, “MURAK!” and chased after them. She got into the house and tried to heal her husband, ignoring the lumber husk of Bailior.

  “Kill him, you damn mutt, but leave the bitch. She is MINE!” Adanon yelled.

  Murak began coughing up blood, his regeneration and Ana’s healing trying to mend the hole in his gut. Bailior came crashing through the wall, grabbing Murak by the leg and slamming him into the adjacent wall of the home. Their home. Murak quickly realized where they were; he had built the home himself after all. And that meant it was here. Ana threw a massive spike of fire directly into Bailior’s chest, sending him back outside the home.

  “Ana, bring me my blade!” Murak said as he coughed up blood. Ana quickly rummaged through the ruined home to find Murak’s longsword, which was named ‘Wolf’s Blood’. She rushed over and handed it to him, removing the sheath. With his missing fingers, he could not hold onto it enough to move it.

  “DAMN IT, MUTT, STAND UP! WHY DID I EVEN BOTHER REVIVING YOUR WORTHLESS CORPSE IF YOU CAN’T EVEN KILL ONE DOG?!?!” Adanon screamed from outside the home.

  “Quickly, tie the blade to my hand. I can’t hold it without my fingers.” Murak asked, wheezing from pain and blood loss. Ana quickly ripped off part of her gown and began to tie the blade to her husband's hand as quickly as she could. The screams of pain and death from the outside of the house had finally quieted. The only noise was the heavy breathing of Murak and Ana, and the burning of the buildings. The wall to their home crumbled, revealing the massacre that had taken place in the square. There were about 9 of the big monsters left, meaning the 300 warriors and 5 lycanthropes of the village had only managed to kill 11 of them. The smaller monsters had finished slaughtering the women and had joined the other monsters in feasting on the corpses. Some of the corpses started to rise and feast on the others.

  “Necromancy?” Ana whispered in horror. “First Bailior, and now the others too?” Ana tucked herself under Murak’s arm and helped him stand. Bailior’s husk walked into the ruined home, staring down the figures in front of him. Adanon limped in behind Bailior, the burns from the fire having not yet healed.

  “Damn it all, I came here to bring you back to me, Sarah. And yet you still stand beside this feral beast?” Adanon asked, anger obvious in his tone.

  Ana spat as she responded, “I would die in the arms of my husband, rather than spend another second looking at your awful face.”

  “TSK!” Adanon clicked his tongue in anger. “You’d rather die, is that it? Fine. Mutt, kill them both! I’ve wasted enough time on this godforsaken village!” Bailior immediately lunged at the two of them, slashing with both tooth and claw. Ana and Murak worked together to heave the large, silvered blade into Bailior's chest. Bailior screamed in pain as the silver burnt his flesh. Bailior thrashed violently in his death throes, ripping and slicing Ana and Murak in the process. Murak forced himself to do a final gash with ‘Wolf’s Blood’, digging the blade into the lungs and heart of the undead beast.

  Bailior stopped his rampage, falling to his knees. He raised a hand and placed it on Murak’s head. “Thank you, my son. I’m so sorry I couldn’t do mor-” Bailior fell silent as his body collapsed one last time.

  Ana and Murak collapsed to the floor as well, Murak taking his final breaths. “I love you, An. Thank you for my new life. I will be with you forever. I refuse to leave you, even after death. I love y—” Murak’s arm and head hit the wooden floor of their home with a heavy thunk.

  “I love you too, dear. I’ll be with you soon. And I’ll never leave you again. I’m on my way, dearest Murak.” Ana said while sobbing. Her wounds gushed blood with each word, pained breaths becoming fewer and farther between.

  A dejected Adanon approached, words like venom. “If you think I’d let you die peacefully, think again. If I can’t have my beloved Sarah, then no one can.” Adanon stabbed Ana with one of the black quills that had been buried in Bailior, the same quills that those monsters had growing on their backs. As the quill punctured Ana, she yelled in pain. “This quill will turn you into a risen corpse before you die, of that you can be certain. But don’t worry, I’ll let you devour your husband’s corpse, and then set you loose in these very mountains. Quite kind of me, when you think about it. You’ll be able to wander your husband's grave for eternity.” Adanon spat at Murak’s corpse before standing and walking out of the house.

  “YOU MONSTER!!!! I’LL KILL YOU!!! I’LL KILL YOU IF IT’S THE LAST THING I EVER DO!!” Ana screamed these words in a way that even Adanon could not ignore. There was not an ounce of doubt in these words. There was no empty threat. It was a promise, a promise that would be kept no matter the cost. Everything else Ana had said before was a lie compared to that oath she made. Adanon tried to dismiss the threat, but made it a point to quickly leave the village. The monsters and corpses followed after him, slowly wandering into the darkness that enveloped the valley.

  A strange peace filled the destroyed village. Fires crackled and burned, and the stillness of the dead seemed to dampen the noise even further. It started to snow, and the only noise left in the village was a sobbing wife, mourning her fate. “I’ll find a way to stop this. I won’t leave you. I’ll die right here in your arms, and we will be together forever. Okay? I’ll find a way.” Ana’s words pierced the night. Her sorrow filled every word. She had just gotten him back, and she had just lost him again. Her one chance to die with Murak had been ruined because Adanon couldn’t take the loss gracefully. And even now, she could feel the quill's poison spreading through her body. Her arms were both too torn up from Bailor's rampage to move, so she couldn’t pull it out. There was nothing she could do. She had to accept her fate and spend the rest of eternity as a wandering husk at the World’s End. How cruel life can be.

  Suddenly, a loud metallic squeal pierced the silence of the night. Footsteps followed, and a young Sevagoth knelt next to his dead father and dying mother. “Don’t worry mom, I won’t let that happen.” Sevagoth reached before his mother could protest and ripped the twisted quill out of her chest, tossing it to the side. Ana began to sob again, for a different reason this time. Gratitude and sorrow, rather than fear.

  “I’m so sorry, Sev, I never should have doubted you. All these years, you were right. I’m sorry I yelled at you earlier. I’m so sorry you have to see me and your father like this. I’m sorry I can’t watch you grow or be there to protect you anymore. I’m so sorry for everything.” Tears poured down Ana’s face as she apologized over and over again to young Sevagoth. Sev simply held his mother's hand as she wept, his silence more comforting than arguing with her in her final moments. After she had calmed a bit, fear took her once more. “I can still feel the poison spreading. I can still feel it!!!” She cried. “I don’t want to leave him. I can’t, I just got him back. Please! Master, if you can hear me, don’t let me lose him again!”Ana cried up at the sky. Sevagoth didn't know who this master was, but he did know one thing. He was here, now. And he could answer her prayer. Sevagoth stood and walked over to his father's hand, still tied to the hilt of his blade that was buried in Bailior's chest. He quickly untied the material, careful to catch his father's arm. He draped the arm over his mother, as if to give her one final hug. Sevagoth pulled with every ounce of strength he had to pull the sword out of Bailior's corpse.

  He carried the blade over to his mother and asked a question no child should ever have to ask. “Are you ready mom? To join dad, I mean.”

  Ana stared into her son’s eyes, seeing nothing but conviction in the question he just asked her. “I can’t ask you to do that, Sev. You shouldn’t even be here. I can’t ask my own son to kill his mother.” She cried.

  “And yet, you aren’t asking me. I’m offering the only thing you’ve wanted every day for the last 5 years. To be with Dad again. So I ask again, are you ready?” Sevagoth didn’t show the slightest waver. His voice steady, his words intended. His eyes were steely.

  “Yes, I’m ready.” Was all Ana could say.

  Sevagoth smiled one last time and kissed his mother's head. “I love you mom. Make sure to tell dad that too, okay?”

  “Okay, I promise. I love you, Sev.” Ana responded through tears and blood.

  Sevagoth heaved the sword up and drove it through her heart after hearing those final few words. Ana coughed a few times and winced as the silvered sword burnt the vampiric and undead flesh of her body. After a brief moment, she fell still, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Sevagoth closed her eyes for the last time, holding her head in his lap. “I love you too, Mom. More than anything. You too, Dad. Thank you for keeping your promise to us.” And so, Sevagoth knelt there holding his mother's head. The last sections of wood had burnt and were being extinguished by the fresh snowfall.

  A new, eerie peace fell over the village. And a new emotion had been lost to Sevagoth. As he knelt there, he didn’t shed a single tear over the death of his parents. It hurt, sure. But there was something more pressing. “I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him.” Sevagoth repeated these words over and over and over again. He had taken up his mother's creed. He would find Adanon, and he would make him suffer. And after Adanon had suffered as Ana and Murak had suffered, Sevagoth would kill him. The words echoed softly into the night sky.

  “I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him. I’ll kill him.”