Chapter I: The Blood Fields

From "Eyes in All Shadows" the main story in the book "Eyes in All Shadows & Other Stories - A Barbarians of the Storm Anthology" by Rob Rimes

Brief Note: I’ve decided to put up the opening chapter of the biggest short story in Eyes in All Shadows & Other Stories - A Barbarians of the Storm Anthology. If you’re interested in checking out the book in paperback form or on Kindle (FREE for Kindle Unlimited subscribers), you can find it here.

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I - The Blood Fields

King Leodonis’ eyes snap open, as he hears what sounds like a beast grunting and tearing away at meat, just outside of his tent. He quickly gets to his feet, still in his crimson armor from the battle that ended not even an hour prior. He grabs his sword and emerges from his tent, rushing around to the side, where he heard the wild animal.

Laying before Leodonis is the remains of one of his men, armor pulled apart, flesh and meat devoured, only bones and half-eaten entrails are left strewn about. His attention is quickly diverted as he hears something scuttling across the quiet field of dirt and grass.

In the darkness, Leodonis sees something small, crawling at a tremendous speed, as it drags a rope behind it. The bizarre creature is too small to have devoured a soldier. However, it’s rushing towards another tent.

Leodonis chases after the quick creature, but it turns and looks at him, with a glare. In that moment, Leodonis feels as if his right knee is hit with a sledgehammer, as it buckles, exploding with immense pain and a loud crunch. Leodonis, grunting from pain, falls to his side, clutching his knee, as the creature disappears into the tent.

Instantly, Leodonis hears the screams of a soldier, as the tiny creature grunts and roars loudly, as if to mock Leodonis. A few dozen yards away, the king desperately tries to get back to his feet.

He takes a shaky step forward, pain shooting upward from his knee and into his hip, which he realizes could be broken, as well. Leodonis yells with each step, gritting his teeth and clutching his sword, as his blood red armor reflects the small dying campfires between the tents.

The light allows the king to see the rope leading to the tent. It’s pulsating and pumping something through it, making him think of a snake swallowing a rat. He then realizes that it’s not a rope, it is made of flesh and meat.

Suddenly, the tube of meat pulls tight and then drags backwards, as if it is being yanked like the leash of a rambunctious guard dog. The small creature, attached to the leash is dragged out of the tent, kicking, and screaming with a demonic wail. It’s pulled through the dirt and grass near Leodonis’ feet and it’s in that moment that he realizes that it’s some sort of demon baby still attached to its umbilical cord.­

King Leodonis, still in great pain, turns to see what is pulling the demon baby but he already knows that it is the witch that most of the men in his order died trying to put down. They succeeded in that with great loss, but Leodonis now understands that even fire cannot kill all witches. Some are just too old or have immense power.

Just as the king turns to face what is most certainly going to be his death, as he is now alone and broken, he sees the witch lift the wailing demon baby to her face as her mouth expands into something wide and frightening, backlit by a strange internal glow within the witch. Sharp, razorlike bone teeth tear the unholy infant into bloody shreds.

King Leodonis takes a deep breath and clutches his sword tightly with both hands, black cape blowing in the sudden gust of wind across the Blood Fields, where many wars have been fought for as far back as history records.

The witch’s hands drop to her sides, long, sharp fingers dripping with blood, as her tall frame stands in silhouette with a small campfire burning behind her.

Her body looks twisted, like a gnarly branch. On top of her head are two thick horns that point upward but curve inward towards the top. One horn is longer than the other. She then tears the umbilical cord apart, a piece still dangling from her.

The king starts to walk towards her, clutching his sword in a defensive stance. Her eyes glow an ominous red and her wicked, bloody smile widens, as the light inside her glows brighter, as if she’s been given new life.

In a whisper that Leodonis can hear, even over the wind and distance, the witch says, “My children are born so that I can live again. It’s my curse. I made the mistake of trusting a fertility demon a long time ago and when I died my mortal death, this is what I became.”

“Why tell me this?”, grunts Leodonis.

“The men of your family have always led the Order of the Crimson Masque. An order that was created to defeat the darkness that plagued Austus. More specifically, the witchcraft that flowed through this region so naturally. And now that order dies with you. Unless… it doesn’t.”

“Is this some sort of bargain? I don’t bargain with witches.”

“Then at least humor me and listen before I kill you.”

Leodonis steps forward in defiance, but his knee makes a loud cracking sound, and he falls to his side in the dirt.

The witch, as if speaking through her intense red eyes, “I now realize how to beat the demon that cursed me. Seeing you broken, but so damn brave, it dawned on me that I need to finally die… but with that death, I need you to ensure that my next child is free of my curse.”

Leodonis, sitting in the dirt, wincing, “So you want one of your demon babies to have what… a normal life?”

The witch reaches out towards Leodonis and he can feel the pain in his knee and hip start to fade away. He then feels a comforting warmth over his entire body and his other wounds from his earlier battle with the witch begin to heal.

The king, confused, “Why… why are you healing me?”

The witch takes a step closer, “Because I am a healer. I was a witch that only did good and was once a defender of this kingdom from dark forces. Then my bargain with a demon turned me into this. When I was resurrected through my first child, many in Floresca died so that I could live again. Your bloodline, whom I served, turned the Order of the Crimson Masque against me… an order that was created to hunt down all the witches in the Kingdom of Austus. I fled to Elmborne Forest, which runs alongside this ancient battlefield. I’ve lived there, relatively peacefully for ages. Granted, sometimes I would be discovered, and I’d have to do what was necessary to survive.”

Leodonis, finally getting to his feet, amazed at how great he feels, “I know my kingdom’s and my family’s history. Although, I didn’t know that you were Taenith. And I also didn’t know about the demon babies. As the legend goes, you were a witch that seduced the king and then slaughtered dozens of his subjects once you were allowed a place within the higher society of Floresca. You craved power.”

“It’s funny how legends evolve over time. I loved your ancestor and his wife and meant only to help them fight the demonic presence that was growing in this world. Then, after the miscarriage of my third child, in a moment of weakness, I made a terrible mistake. I just wanted to be a mother and against both my better judgment and my sanity, I put trust into a demon. That is where I failed myself and my king.”

Leodonis, still being cautious with sword in hand, takes a step closer, “So what are you asking me?”

“You are a kind, rational man. I’ve seen how you’ve treated your men. You also don’t take pleasure in torturing the witches you’ve killed, unlike your predecessors. It’s a job you detest but deem necessary. You take witches down, and you kill them quickly, and it's obvious that you don’t enjoy it.”

“It’s a job that must be done.”

“And it’s a job I mean to help you with.”

“Why?”

“To atone for what I did. To give my next child a chance at a normal life. To get revenge on the dark forces that turned me into this. And because I can’t continue to live like this against my own will. To truly be a mother, I must die so that my child can live.”

“So, how do I break this curse?”

“You kill me. Decapitate me like you did earlier. Except wait. Watch for the birth of my next child. Once the baby emerges, you sever the umbilical cord and burn my body, once again. Without the connection to my baby, I cannot regenerate. Burning me will work and my baby will be free, as the curse will die with me.”

“And your ashes won’t give birth to another baby like they did already?”

“No, by severing the baby’s connection from me, you break the cycle.”

“Seems simple enough.”

“There is one other thing you must do.”

“What’s that?”

“My grimoire is within the heart of a large tree inside of Elmborne Forest. With my child, you will find the tree. It will then open and reveal the book to you. Take the book and the child and protect them. When my child is old enough, they will be able to read the book. The book will reveal everything I know about our common enemies. It also contains powerful magic that will be useful. Cosmic magic that reaches beyond this world and its simple understanding of what is possible.”

Leodonis sighs, “My wife has always wanted a child. We’ve failed at creating one, and it’s been a burden on our marriage.”

Taenith steps closer to Leodonis, “Now, you can give her a child.”

“And what if your baby isn’t free of this curse?”

“Then you will know what to do.”