Burning Today Options

[Olen]

Some of you probably remember my last piece, Yesterday's Shadow and that it had a rather unsatisfying ending. I spent the summer rectifying this and now have a sizeable sequel/ completion to it which is itself now finished. It would probably be better to read Yesterday's Shadow before this as it would make more sense, however you should get by without it. If anyone wants I'll put a synopsis here, though Yesterday's Shadow isn't very long so you could just read it here (enough plugs yet?)

Anyway without further ado:

Burning Today

Prologue

Dervas wore boots while he worked. Shoes didn't last long in the decaying mixture of blood, vomit, drink and drugs which floored The Black Guar. The dark man had finally passed out and for the first time Dervas dared look at him. A worn man with a broken soul. Who are you? The Black Guar didn't get passing trade – the mixture of pushers, heavies and racketeers who made up most of his patronage didn't appreciate strangers. In the first hour the man, who now lay face down on the table, had knocked two out cold and broken another's arm. They left him alone after that and he them. Dervas wiped the remains of a line of sugar off the bar and nodded to the bouncer who went to move the man to his room.

Someone knocked at the door. Dervas ignored it. They knocked again, for longer this time. He cursed and went to tell whoever it was where to go. It was late an he didn't need any more trade. He pushed open the door, a curse dancing on his tongue. A sack crashed to the ground, gold clinked within. A Breton in black clothes stood in the doorway.

“What's his tab?” There was no need to ask whose.

“Sixty.”

The Breton showed no surprise, and counted out the gold. “Listen,” his tone offered pain if Dervas didn't, “You keep giving that guy drinks, drugs, whores, whatever he asks for okay? For him happy hour doesn't end, tabs never have to be paid. Push as much as you can into him. Don't worry - I'll be round a couple of nights a week to pay you. That sack,” he kicked disdainfully at the one he'd just dropped, “Contains a thousand drakes, payment enough I'd say. If he asks don't tell him, just give him more drink. Understand?”

Dervas nodded, his mouth was dry.

The man disappeared into the night.

Dervas walked back into the bar. He looked towards the dark man's room. Who are you? he thought again, And what have I gotten into?

[Olen]

I've never read Heart of Darkness so that wasn't an intention though it is quite probably that I was influenced by similar works which may themselves have been influenced by it. And I'm glad people like (if that's the word) Firen, I wanted more ambiguity in my character than is sometimes seen.

This chapter was very hard to get right. It's quite long and I think I have it in the right form now. It's an important one in the story and needed to make its point without being too dark or brutal and thus needed heavy editing. As there is nothing actually graphic in it I think it's ok, however it is dark.


26. Past Decision

The residents of that plantation got a foretaste of the hell we sent them to. Even as I leapt the smithy wall the south was lit by fires. The call of havoc was out and though removed from the violence of the sack I felt it rise within me. The bell was my main target, not that silencing it now would be any actual use, but it was a symbol and any resistance would fall silent with it. A mer burst from his house and almost into me, I ran him through without breaking step. Keel-ha no longer fired on the guardhouse but the damage was done, the survivors were wounded or just confused. Without the leader they had ground to a halt. The oil on the forge caught with a mighty rush of air and suddenly light blazed behind me. A guard rose a hand and pointed. I charged him with an argonian warcry. He shrank from the black silhouette which bore down on him. A fatal mistake. Before his comrades could close on me I wheeled away into the shadows by the side of the manor. Let them follow. The havoc was a rabid fire in me. A madness.

The bell tolled like a panicked heart. I ran for the gantry by the river where it hung. Footsteps behind me. I ran. They gained. I flung myself round the corner at the southern wall, turned and put out my sword. He ran straight into it. The mer had been so fast because he was only half armoured. The blow which had been meant to surprise was fatal. Or at least sufficiently crippling that someone would kill him soon. I ignored his screams and ran on. The bell was directly before me now, a shadow on the glow coming from the south bank. Some guards had congregated there, I counted four, near half the number left in the compound I guessed. Their eyes were fixed south, to what I could not see. I would strike as before: fast and devastating before disappearing. If one or two gave chase - divide and kill.

Just before I made the leap I heard the thunk of an arrow hitting flesh. One guard toppled. Then I was on the gantry, I hit the first from behind. A massive blow which drove my sword clean through him. The other two turned, a dead comrade on either side. I yanked the sword. It was jammed. The first came at me. I ducked back and pulled my new knife then backed away, hoping for another arrow.

There was no intervention, but like most of the camp he was unprofessional and clearly had spent more time drilling than actually fighting. His sword licked out and I batted it away. Then his shoulder went back for a big strike. I darted forward and cut him. A lightning slash across his face. He screamed and staggered back. The other got round him and ran at me but the bell had stopped, the ringer either fled or dealing with the wounded guard. I screamed havoc again, the word bit my raw throat. Then simply stepped back off the gantry. I judged the drop perfectly and slipped away. A moment later I heard another thunk of arrow meeting flesh. I paused for breath and looked at the south bank. I could see why the guards had been transfixed, a mass of newly freed slaves milled around looking confused. Some had set fires and torn down shacks, a long shed blazed merrily by a threshing pool on the riverside. The light of arson glittered on the turgid water. To my left a group were fording the river, I ran to meet them.

The first slave out of the river went for me before I heard a rough voice shout 'wait' in argonian. Grey-tail emerged from the pool like a dark nightmare, stinking mud clung to his scaled back.

"How's things south of the river?" I asked.

"We won," he was elated, blood drunk, "All the Dres are dead and their buildings burn," he swept a hand expansively, "On this side?"

"The guard is mainly dead, and the rest is in disarray. Their leader's dead."

"You?"

"In part," I paused, "The retainers section burns but is yet to be seen to and I didn't dare try the manor alone."

"Don't bother with the retainers, I sent Tehei and Kieras with some of our more able brethren to sort them out. Hides went to find Keel-ha I think, doubtless they'll be finishing off the guard or retainers from the shadows."

"What about Hassde?"

A laugh came from my right, "It's good to be missed. I'm here human. A fine plan you hatched and no mistake." He shouted something at the slaves who had crossed with them, I think I caught he word fire, or perhaps light. I could guess the rest. "Now lets take a look at this manor." I could hear his grin.

The manor was barricaded, if any guards remained they were within it along with the nobles. The noise of the sack clamoured in the night. Screams and the scent of burning timber, and worse, drifted from the retainers' quarter. We walked round the front and I saw the inferno it had become. The slaves ran wild killing and destroying like spectres. Who could blame them? But their weapons were simple and their former masters were putting up some fight. Half the corpses were argonian, but the weight of the numbers and rage was slowly crushing the opposition. I took a moment to wander at what would likely happen to them. Was this the end of our foray? Had my huge success ruined my chances? The thoughts and sight of the confused slaves' butchery sat ill with my mood so I turned from both to the manor. A tangle of fine furniture and crates blocked the windows, the door was shut and doubtless likewise barricaded.

"Is there another door?" asked Hassde.

"Oddly no, apparently the servants used the main door," I replied, "Looks like getting in could be hard."

"What about to the roof?" asked Grey-tail.

I was about to ask how the hell I would know when I remembered seeing the nobles drinking up there. "Yes... There must be. Reckon its climbable?"

"To us? Not a chance, but maybe Keel-ha or Hides would be able to..." He waved one hand and beckoned with the other, "Copy me, if they see it they should come."

I felt stupid doing it but settled my ego with the promise that if this was a joke I'd rip the old lizard to shreds. A few moments later Hides appeared with Keel-ha in tow.

"We need to get onto the roof," I said.

They pondered for a moment. It was Keel-ha who spoke, "I could climb it, but how would you follow? Unless I opened another door once inside."

"I don't like it," said Hides, "I don't want to get stuck in there. Do we know how many are inside?" She had barked the knuckles of her right hand. A bit of blood dribbled down onto the hilt of her dagger.

"No it's not good," said Keel-ha, "What about the balcony bit round the other side. It's lower..."

"Take a look at the wall there then," I said. I hadn't noticed and, though I had a reasonable excuse, I didn't want to admit it.

It was lower, and a scented plant grew up to it. In itself this was no use for climbing, but it had been trained over a trellis so they might have well have left us a ladder. I didn't break step as I grabbed it and hauled myself up. At the top was a party just left. Bubbles still danced in the glasses imported wine, a tray of sweetmeats sat on a table by a toppled chair. I took one and looked at the door while the others climbed. It was wide and had the hinges on the outside. It was a simple matter to remove it and, unless it was heavily blocked, which I doubted, we'd be in. Already I could hear hammers and axes of the newly freed slaves at the main door. That would keep the guard occupied. I went over to the hinges and pulled my knife. A simple pin held them together, break the top off and it would thread out the bottom. I pushed the edge of the blade in.

And stopped. I knew what I was letting in by opening this door. Death. Pain. Horror. As far as the owner and any guards were concerned I couldn't care less, they'd made their choice. But what of the others, how would the servants suffer? Or even the owner's woman, yes she was most likely a shallow greedy creature but did she deserve to see herself made a widow in whatever way the argonians chose to? I knew full well what I was about to unleash. But only the gods knew if it was the right thing.

"Firen?" a voice from behind me.

I levered the knife and the top of the pin popped off. I'd made my choice already. Even if I hadn't realised it. And it was necessary that I show no hesitation if I was to influence their plan further south. A sharp pull unhinged the door, it fell forwards pulling the other from the wall and my four companions charged in.

***

We were a storm of black madness scything through the inhabitants. There was no method, no strategy beyond massacre. A couple of guards stood their ground only to be washed away in a red tide. After that they ran. Hides went to pull apart the barricade over the main door while the rest of us went back up the stair in search of more quarry. I went slightly behind, the bloodlust was in me, but not enough for what was happening. Grey-tail lashed out at a fine vase which shattered on the polished floor. To my other side Hassde hacked the head from the corpse of a noblewoman. Blood spattered leaving a darker hue in the wooden boards.

Further along the second floor a servant leapt out in front of us and ran. An arrow flashed from Keel-ha's bow. She collapsed, dead. I looked to him in shock.

"What did you do that for?"

"She was Dres," he looked at me as if I was mad.

"She was a servant, nothing more."

Grey-tail was staring at me now, I could see veiled hostility, "She served them, she was with them. We came here to kill them. All of them." I didn't reply. Ahead was the door to the private quarters. A single blow from Hassde's falchion shattered it.

They cowered in the master bedroom. The lord, his wife and both their children. Two servants huddled with them behind the bed, their hollow eyes stared. But for all their terror they were not as empty as Grey-tail's laugh. It echoed like the harsh knell of a cracked bell. The humour of nihilism. I think it was only then that I realised that whatever horrors my comrades had faced at Dres hands had gone further than forge a hatred. It had broken their souls.

They advanced, I followed. The smell of piss came from the cornered dunmer. I could see how this was going, but to oppose was too much. There was no grey in their world, just two sides. To do anything now would undo everything. I held my piece. Keel-ha put away his bow and pulled a belt knife.

I have no wish to recall the following minutes though I doubt they will ever truly stop haunting me. It doesn't matter if gods, morals or justice were on our side, there is a special place in hell for what happened in that room. I stood and watched, and perhaps that is somehow worse, knowing that, unlike my companions, I could still see right and wrong, but yet did nothing. The blood. The screams. The terrible certainty of it as each, in turn, watched their coming fate in glorious sanguine detail enacted on their loved ones. I stayed back, stockpiling nightmares, until the end.

Keel-ha rose from the penultimate corpse and wiped the blood from his belt-knife. "Firen," he said, "You're yet to join the vengeance."

"It is yours," I answered. The other two stood.

"No," said Grey-tail, "It is yours." The menace was still in his voice.

The nobles wife looked up from the remnants of her husband. Her eyes were tear-stained and shocked. "A clean end would suffice," I said.

Hassde walked up to me, "Like the clean end they give to hundreds of slaves? The clean justice they would extend to us? There are two sides in this fight. Are you for or against us?"

Black and white. A pure hate where neither side knew grey. They looked at me, their eyes windows to stone souls beneath. For or against? Right or wrong? Yes or no? Was it better to lose all I'd gained or to sell the last of my principals, to barter moral right for the desired end? There was no choice really. Perhaps if I'd been asked in Firewatch but now I'd come too far. Always just too far. I would do what had to be done. For Varnan. If this was all the means I had then I would seize them. I stepped forward. The nobles wife cowered away. She stared at me through raw red eyes I could not meet. I pulled my knife and carved myself a place within the group.