The Undead Hordes of Kan-Gul (8 page)

CHAPTER TWELVE

“I’m afraid,” said Kan-Gul, “that our time grows short. I must therefore ask you to accompany my warriors to a special holding cell. But fear not, I think you will at least enjoy some company for a short time.” He waved a hand, and two of the Chekhal stepped forth from the wings to stand near Ran and Jysal. “Please do not attempt to escape. I assure you that this fortress has been designed specifically to thwart any attempt in that regard.”

Ran smiled. “What are you doing now?”

“I must tend to some business,” said Kan-Gul. “But fear not, we will see each other again very soon. I have a demonstration in mind that may make you reconsider my previous offer.”

“I’m not in a position to agree to your offer,” said Ran. “You’re talking about a grown woman here. She should be able to make her own decisions. If she decides to stay with you, then so be it. But I cannot speak for her.”

“Perhaps not, but you can certainly persuade her to consider my offer. And I would be so very glad if you would. It would make things a whole lot easier than the alternative.”

Ran frowned. A demonstration. The alternative. None of it sounded good. But until he could figure out a plan of attack, there seemed little point in trying to kill Kan-Gul. Twice during their conversation, Ran had noticed the sorcerer himself appeared to shimmer. It was likely his image was nothing more than an illusion as well, with the real necromancer hiding somewhere close by. This first meeting was probably as much about gathering information about Ran and Jysal as it was about trying to intimidate them.

The Chekhal were real enough, however, and Ran felt one of their hands close over his biceps. The grip was like a steel vise, and he almost winced at the pressure exerted on his arm. Fighting these things would prove to be a challenge, no doubt about it. But surely they must have some sort of weakness he could exploit. He would need more time to study them. It was likely he would end up battling them at some point soon.

Jysal allowed herself to be led away without so much as a peep of protest, but then again, she still seemed to be under Kan-Gul’s control. Ran hoped it would wear off as soon as they were out of the throne room.

The Chekhal steered them down twisting, winding passageways. Torches lit the way, fitted into brackets that seemed set unnaturally high into the walls. Who could have reached them? Then Ran realized that Kan-Gul didn’t need to reach them. They were probably magical, and one of his spells would be enough to replenish their light if need be.

They reached a spiral stairway built of huge stone blocks leading downward into darkness. But as they descended, more torches flickered into existence. As they passed, the flames diminished and eventually vanished altogether. That must have been part of Kan-Gul’s plan to thwart escape. He probably thought that without light, most people would stumble about lost. Ran had been memorizing every detail that he could since they’d entered the keep.

They gradually descended into the bowels of the castle. Ran sniffed the air. It was cold down here. And a variety of scents tickled his nostrils. One of them was unmistakable: fresh blood. But whose? He hoped it wasn’t from one of his fellow travelers.

They reached the bottom of the stairway, and the Chekhal led them down a narrow passageway. Smaller torches cast dancing shadows on the walls as they passed what looked like prison cells. Heavy stone doors set with inlaid bars prohibited escape. The Chekhal guiding Jysal reached a cell and placed a key into the lock, turned it, and opened the door. He shoved Jysal inside and then stepped aside.

The pressure on Ran’s arm increased, and he, too, was placed into the cell. He expected it to be cramped, but once inside, he could see that it was larger than he’d originally thought.

It was also occupied.

“Ran!”

Malkyr lay slumped against the far wall, one hand clasped over his injured leg. Beside him sat Kancho, Neviah, and Vargul. Ran grinned in spite of their situation. “It’s good to see you all alive.”

Neviah moved immediately to Jysal’s side. “What happened to her?”

“Kan-Gul placed some sort of spell over her. She never moved, never uttered a word the entire time I spoke with Kan-Gul.”

Kancho got to his feet. “Spoke with Kan-Gul? You saw him?”

Ran nodded. “We just came from his throne room, actually. He’s a necromancer. And he’s fairly adept at illusions as well. He even had me fooled into thinking he’d given me my sword back.”

Kancho grumbled. “I wish I had my sword back. I’d make short work of him and his band of thugs.”

“What happened to you guys?” asked Ran. “We were on the beach, and then in the morning you were gone.”

Kancho shook his head. “No one knows. We fell into some sort of sleep. When we awoke, this was where we found ourselves.”

Ran gestured to Malkyr. “How is his injury?”

“Better, actually,” said Kancho. “He’ll probably be able to walk within a day.”

“If we have a day,” said Vargul. “I’ve heard tales of this sorcerer. I know what he does to those he captures.”

Kancho waved him off. “You’re still alive, Vargul. We don’t know anything about this man yet. It would be foolish to make predictions at this point, don’t you think, Ran?”

Ran sighed and slumped down against the wall. “He seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He wants to take Jysal for his queen.”

“What?” Neviah looked up, horrified. “There is no way I would ever permit that.”

Ran held up his hand. “I told him as much. But he insisted that he would have her one way or another.”

“I’ll die before she stays here with such a monster,” said Neviah. “How can he simply assume that she would ever consent to such a thing?”

“Apparently,” said Ran, “that’s where I come in. He wants me to help convince her to stay here and marry him.”

“Of course, you’ll do no such thing,” said Kancho.

“Obviously,” said Ran.

“There is only one option,” said Vargul. “We need to figure out how to escape. Did you see anything on the way down here, Ran?”

Ran nodded. “Some. Kan-Gul uses a great deal of magic to make this place seem like a labyrinth, but I think there may be a way to get ourselves out of here.”

“The sooner the better,” said Neviah. “His magic is apparently quite strong. I can’t seem to bring Jysal around.”

Ran frowned. “I had hoped that once we were out of the throne room, she would snap out of it.”

Neviah shook her head. “Not yet, at least. Perhaps if she sleeps.”

But they heard a stomping of feet from outside their cell. Ran held up a hand. “It doesn’t sound like any of us are going to get any sleep right now.”

Malkyr struggled to get to his feet. “What’s going on?”

Kancho shushed him. “We don’t know.”

The empty face of a Chekhal warrior appeared at the bars of their cell. “Stand back against the wall.”

They all did as he told them, and then Ran heard the key jangle in the lock. He listened intently as the key turned and the lock opened. Then the door swung out into the corridor. The Chekhal waved them to exit. “You will follow me.”

Ran led them out of the cell, following behind the Chekhal. Being this close to the soulless warrior allowed him to see if there was anything he could exploit to his advantage. Each Chekhal warrior seemed to wear some sort of special leather armor that moved and flexed very easily so they weren’t encumbered by any sort of bulk. Ran supposed that was good, since it would only offer limited protection.

Unless Kan-Gul had bestowed additional properties on the armor. But there was no way of knowing that without getting into a fight with one of them.

They moved past the stairway that led upstairs and down another long passageway. The air here felt warmer, and torches flickered brightly. In this passage, there were no prison cells, but Ran noted the existence of bunks along the wall. Was this where the Chekhal had their barracks? He glanced back at Kancho and pointed at the bunks. Kancho nodded.

The existence of a barracks meant an extra bit of trouble for them during any sort of escape, Ran thought. If there were guards nearby, they would easily be reinforced by any of their brethren sleeping in the barracks just down the hall from where the prisoners were. That sort of close proximity meant that stealth would be absolutely essential if they were going to successfully escape. For Ran, that wasn’t a problem. But his other companions might find it much harder to be quiet and move slowly when all of their instincts screamed at them to run.

Ran shook the thought out of his head. He hoped they’d have time to properly plan things out. For right now, he contented himself with simply noting as much information as he could about the layout of the dungeon.

Ahead of them, Ran could see more torches illuminating the way. But then they turned to the left, and the Chekhal warrior led them into a small room before turning to them and saying, “Stay here.”

Then he walked out and closed another door behind them. Another lock slid into place. This cell was much more cramped than the previous one. Vargul pounded on the door and shouted, but it did no good.

Ran glanced around the cell. There was nothing here. Kancho came up next to him. “What do you think?”

Ran shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t think we’re going to be here all that long. It doesn’t look like a holding cell. It’s too . . . temporary.”

“What makes you say that?”

“No toilet, for one thing,” said Ran. “If we were meant to be here for long, they would at least have a hole in the ground.”

“Perhaps they intend to kill us within the next few minutes and there’s no need for a toilet.”

“Good point,” said Ran. “Either way, this isn’t where we’re going to stay.”

Kancho sighed. “I hope you’re right. The bunks along the wall back there didn’t give me much hope about escaping.”

“Perhaps,” said Ran. “But it might also be another tactic that Kan-Gul uses to intimidate his guests. Show them something that sinks their morale when the reality is far less than the illusion.”

“I don’t follow your thinking.”

“Kan-Gul seemed intent on making an impression from the moment his warriors took us inside the castle. But it might just be to make us think he’s more powerful than he might be. His warriors are reanimated from the dead. They have no souls. Does it make sense that they would need a barracks? Why would they even care about such things? They’re dead, after all.”

“Maybe we don’t know all there is to know about the undead. Perhaps they like having a comfortable bed each night after they’re done doing whatever it is they do.”

Ran grinned. “You could be right. If that’s the case then all we need to do is tempt them with downy pillows and we should be able to walk right out of here.”

“Something tells me it’s nothing as simple as that.”

“Agreed,” said Ran. He nodded toward the others in the cell. “How are they all holding up?”

“Fair, given the situation,” said Kancho. “But Vargul seems to be the most unstable. He hasn’t shut up since we got here. Claims that the Chekhal told him they were going to suck his very soul out through his marrow.”

“That must have had quite an effect on him.”

“He’s not a warrior, that one,” said Kancho. “All he knows are the pleasures of the money he hoards. He’s never known the thrill of combat or the idle talk that can infect a spirit during times of stress.”

Ran sighed. “We have a formidable task ahead of us. You, Neviah, and I are the only trained warriors here. There are an awful lot of Chekhal to deal with, and I’m not even sure they can be stopped.”

“If we can get our swords back, I’ll find out just how unstoppable they are. But without our weapons . . .” Kancho’s voice trailed off.

Ran agreed. If they couldn’t locate their missing arms, there was little point in trying to fight. Their only other option would be to simply flee the castle and hope to find a way to get free of the lands that surrounded them. Ran thought about the beasts that had herded them toward the castle. Facing those things without weapons would prove nearly impossible.

But he would tell Kancho about that particular problem later. No sense getting worked up over it before they had to face them. Better to keep him focused on the task at hand: escaping and locating their weapons.

They heard another key in the lock and turned in unison. The door swung open, and Kan-Gul appeared in the doorway. “How is everyone doing? Are you all well? Have you been enjoying my hospitality?”

Vargul launched himself at Kan-Gul, but the sorcerer merely held up a hand and it was as if Vargul had slammed into some sort of wall. He stumbled back, dazed and confused.

Kan-Gul sighed. “There is always one unruly guest at any party. Tragically, the best thing seems to be to get rid of them rather than have to endure their rude and boorish behavior any longer than absolutely necessary.” He stepped back into the passageway and nodded. Two Chekhal warriors came in and dragged the stunned Vargul out of the cell. The door slammed shut behind them.

Ran moved to the door. “What are you going to do with him?”

Kan-Gul’s voice floated back in response. “Have no worries, Ran of Gakur. You will see soon enough.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A few minutes later, the door of the cell reopened. This time, four Chekhal warriors waited for them in the passageway. Filled with uncertainty, Ran stepped out of the cell. He guessed that Vargul had been killed already and that the presence of four Chekhal couldn’t mean good things for them. He reflected briefly on whether or not the decision to come to Kan-Gul’s fortress had been a wise one, but then realized they hadn’t had much choice in the matter—only the illusion of choice. He frowned. Kan-Gul was certainly better at subtly manipulating events than doing it overtly. That would bear remembering if he had any hope of getting out of this place alive.

He wondered whether other Shinobujin who had been dispatched on
shugyo
had found themselves in similar situations. His elders back at the school had noted that Ran, for all his skill, was inexperienced in the ways of the world. A
shugyo
was usually deemed the best way to see who had the tenacity and ability to survive beyond the protection of the school’s walls.

So far
, thought Ran,
I don’t think they’d be too pleased with my performance.

He followed the lead Chekhal warrior around a bend in the passageway that led them up along a spiral path that eventually deposited them into a balcony overlooking a wide-open, high-walled pit.

Vargul stood in the center of the pit, still looking as dazed and confused as he had been immediately after Kan-Gul had stopped him in the cell.

Kan-Gul stood in the balcony and turned to the travelers as they filed in. “Welcome, my friends, welcome. Please seat yourselves. The festivities are about to begin.”

“Now we’re friends?” whispered Kancho to Ran as they sat down in the stone chairs.

“Doubtful,” said Ran. He looked at Kan-Gul. “What are you going to do with Vargul?”

“It’s not me that has chosen this path,” said Kan-Gul. “It was your friend Vargul who made the decision to attack me. This is merely a delayed form of self-protection, if you will.”

“Let him go,” said Ran. “You don’t need to do this.”

Kan-Gul smiled. “Oh, but I’m afraid I do. You see, I want there to be no mistaking my intention. Or my desires. And I’ve found that it’s often helpful to illustrate my resolve through demonstrations like this.” He winked. “Plus, it’s fun.”

Ran frowned but turned around to face the pit below them. Vargul seemed completely unaware of his surroundings. In fact, he seemed mercifully ignorant of the entire situation.
Perhaps that’s a good thing
, thought Ran. He glanced at Neviah, but the protector wore a grim expression on her face and kept her eyes locked forward. Jysal, still semi-stunned, leaned against Neviah.

“Not to worry,” said Kan-Gul from behind them. “While Vargul is a bit confused right now, the spell will wear off shortly. I wouldn’t want him to go through this not feeling every exquisite bit of agony.”

Ran bit his lip. He felt certain there was no way Kan-Gul could have read his mind, but he would have to be on guard for such a thing anyway. He looked at Vargul and wondered exactly what the sorcerer had in mind for him.

He didn’t have long to wait. From somewhere underneath the balcony, Ran heard the sound of chains being pulled back and a gate being hoisted. And then Vargul screamed.

“Ah, you see? The spell has now worn off, so Vargul can appreciate his immediate future,” said Kan-Gul. “Such as it is.”

“This is cruel,” said Neviah quietly.

“That’s the point,” said Ran. “He wants us to see this and realize we’re totally at his mercy.”

Neviah took a deep breath and then covered Jysal’s eyes with her hand.

Ran looked down into the pit. Vargul was at the far side, scrambling for any sort of purchase he could find on the wall, but the sides of the pit were smooth marble, and they offered nothing that the portly merchant would be able to use to climb out of there. Ran shook his head and hoped this demonstration would be quick.

Underneath the balcony, the ground shook. Behind them, Kan-Gul laughed and clapped his hands. “Now you will all see my favorite thing in the whole wide world.”

Ran leaned forward and caught sight of a giant head directly beneath the balcony. Ran didn’t blame Vargul for screaming. The thing beneath them was huge. And when it stopped a few paces farther on in the middle of the pit and turned to face the balcony, Ran got a better look at Kan-Gul’s pet.

The head of the beast was similar to what he’d killed in the forest. But the four limbs jutting out from its side gave it an almost arachnid appearance, despite the fact that it walked on two heavily muscled legs. Padded leather armor like the type worn by the Chekhal covered its entire body. It carried no weapons that Ran could see, but then again, with something as terrifying as this, it didn’t seem to need any.

“What do you think, Ran?”

Ran glanced back at Kan-Gul. “It looks like you’ve stuck a few pieces together and created a monster.”

“Indeed. Do you recognize the parts of the beast you killed in the forest before coming to the castle?”

Ran nodded. “Yes, but this is far larger than what I killed.”

“True enough. Size is always an issue for me. I could have probably achieved similar results with something far smaller, but I do like to see the effect that size has on my audience. It’s somehow more gratifying this way.”

Ran couldn’t fault him for that. The sheer enormity of the beast would terrify anyone. Ran was safe on the balcony, but even he felt vulnerable sitting at the edge in the stone chairs.

“Where do you keep it? Down below?”

“It has its own cage, yes,” said Kan-Gul. “I’ve also taken the liberty of adding a few enhancements to it. The extra appendages give it increased dexterity. And it has some of the same features as the Chekhal. Specifically, this creature has no soul. It therefore requires the same type of sustenance.”

The distinct lack of population in the surrounding lands made even more sense to Ran now than it had earlier. Kan-Gul must have taken as many of them as he could prisoner and fed them to his creatures. The ones who hadn’t fled were no doubt dead by now. Ran shook his head. Kan-Gul had to be stopped. If he was allowed to continue living, many others would perish. And Ran couldn’t in good conscience allow that to happen.

He was sure his elders back at the school would agree.

Vargul’s shrieks were now mere whimpers. So far, the creature had remained in the center of the pit, completely still. Kan-Gul no doubt had the thing under his control. Ran frowned. The evil sorcerer was letting the tension and fear build to a proper pitch before releasing the thing on Vargul. Ran sighed. Neviah was right: this was inhumanly cruel.

“So, my friends, are we ready to witness the power of what I’ve created? I can assure you that it is most exhilarating.”

“Not for Vargul, it won’t be,” mumbled Kancho.

“Get on with it,” said Ran. “Vargul doesn’t deserve this.”

Kan-Gul frowned. “But he does deserve it. You see, he attacked me. How would you have me respond?”

“Not like this,” said Ran. “But if this is the way it has to be, then be quick about it.”

“Quick is exactly what this will not be,” said Kan-Gul. “In order to extract the deepest and best part of his essence, Vargul needs to be completely terrified of what is about to devour him. The anticipation of his death heightens the energy my pet can gain from eating his soul. Interesting, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Just get on with it,” said Ran. He glanced down at Malkyr, but so far the captain hadn’t said anything. The expression on his face was grim, but his jaw was set. Ran guessed he wasn’t going to say anything that might land him in the pit to face a similar fate.

Incredibly, down in the pit, Vargul had come away from the wall and was approaching the beast. Ran shook his head. Did Vargul think that because it wasn’t moving that he was somehow safe? Or was he trying to work up a strategy for dealing with it? Without weapons, there seemed little the merchant would be able to do. And even if he was armed, his background wasn’t in fighting. At best, he’d manage to wound the creature before it killed him.

“Your friend surprises me,” said Kan-Gul. “He’s not crying out in fear.”

Ran smirked. Vargul was as good as dead, but at least he’d managed to inflict some level of disappointment on Kan-Gul.

“Well, allow me to remedy that situation,” continued Kan-Gul. He clapped his hands three times, and the beast suddenly let out a tremendous roar. This had the effect of making Vargul scream and once again flee for the nonexistent safety of the wall. Next to Ran, Jysal jumped as well. She wiped her eyes and looked around.

“What’s going on? Where are we?”

Ran groaned. He’d been hoping she might be spared the forthcoming spectacle. Neviah whispered in Jysal’s ear while Vargul’s screams filled the air. Jysal took one look at the beast in the pit and then turned and buried her face in Neviah’s shoulder, weeping.

Kan-Gul started laughing. “Now, that’s more like it. You see? The fear is almost palpable. Can you imagine how much it must drive my pet crazy to have such essence on the air? He’s salivating at the thought of it.”

The sorcerer was right. Even as he said it, the beast’s jaws gaped and spilled strands of saliva on to the floor of the pit. The stench of its breath made Ran wince. He had to bite back on his tongue to keep from retching.

Malkyr wasn’t quite so disciplined. He leaned over the edge of the balcony and vomited into the pit.

“Did I forget to mention the peculiar aroma of my pet’s breath? It’s invigorating, isn’t it? Certainly wakes you up.”

Ran glanced back and saw how much glee was plastered across Kan-Gul’s face.
He’s enjoying this far too much
, he thought. “What are you waiting for? Do it already.”

Kan-Gul glared at him. “Don’t spoil my fun, Ran of Gakur. Otherwise I might not look so favorably upon you.”

Ran turned back around. The longer this went on, the worse it would be for all of them, but most especially Vargul. Ran was comfortable with the idea that he would die one day, most likely in battle. It was a fate he’d resigned himself to and made peace with. Accepting his own mortality had been the first key step toward becoming a member of the Nine Daggers. But people like Vargul, who made their living on trade and commerce, had no inkling of what real pain was like. They didn’t know the bite of steel. And they never imagined they might end up having their soul devoured by some otherworldly beast manufactured by an evil sorcerer.

The beast now turned and fixed its gaze on Vargul for the first time. Vargul screeched and clawed at the wall desperately. Ran saw streaks of blood and realized that Vargul must have broken his nails trying to scratch his way to freedom. But he didn’t seem to even feel the pain, as scared as he was.

“Now watch, my dear guests. Watch and understand the nature of what awaits you all unless you agree to my demands.”

Kan-Gul clapped his hands once more. The beast moved, lumbering across the pit, its limbs all in motion. Vargul pleaded for mercy, but Kan-Gul only continued to laugh. Vargul tried to run to the creature’s left, but it simply changed direction and blocked his path. Vargul ran to the right, and the beast blocked him again.

Vargul backed up until he could go no farther.

The wall stopped him.

And then the creature roared again and plucked the merchant right off of his feet, hoisted him in the air, and used its extra appendages to grab Vargul’s arms and legs at the same time.

Jysal’s sobs grew louder.

Ran took a breath and watched as the creature plucked one of Vargul’s arms off at the shoulder. Blood spurted from the now empty socket. The creature let it spill into its mouth, slurping hungrily as it did so.

Vargul let out a hideous shriek.

The beast plucked off his opposite leg and did the same thing. Vargul’s shriek died to a mere whimper, and then the merchant mercifully either went unconscious or was already dead.

But that didn’t stop the creature from continuing to slurp up the merchant’s blood. Then it crunched into the arm and leg it had ripped off of Vargul’s body. Ran heard the sickening crunch of bones as it chewed and then swallowed. His stomach turned over, but Ran managed to bite back the surge at the back of his throat.

Malkyr vomited again.

“The best part is coming,” said Kan-Gul. “Now watch.”

Ran felt forced to look, like Kan-Gul had somehow taken control of his body. Down in the pit, Vargul’s body lay on the floor minus one arm and one leg. He looked like a rag doll. But the creature still hovered over him, like it was waiting for something to happen.

And then Ran saw it. Vargul’s body jerked. As it did, the creature suddenly opened its jaws and sucked in a huge gulp of air. The air in the pit went incredibly hot, and Ran heard Vargul’s screams again and again and again, despite the fact that his body showed no signs of life.

“Yes, my lovely, feast on his soul. Devour every delicious bit of it. Take it all in and consume him entirely. Yesssss.”

Vargul’s screams echoed over and over again in the pit and in the air all around them. This was what Kan-Gul’s creations did to the people they killed. They ate their souls so they couldn’t journey to the afterlife. Ran shook his head and only stopped when Vargul’s screams finally ended several minutes later.

When Ran opened his eyes, the creature was gone from the pit and only Vargul’s torn-apart corpse remained.

Kan-Gul’s voice was hushed. “You will now be taken back to your cells. I believe you have much to discuss.”