Inhuman - Chapter 6

“Where is the next stop?” Valary asked.

As she expected, Grym remained quiet. He spoke to her only twice since they left their campsite that morning on his horse.

Since she could not ride the horse without her arms, Valary rode in front of Grym. She recognized they must look like a strange pair of travelers if they came upon others on the narrow trail.

Despite wearing a long black cape, the woman felt his occasional hot breath next to her ear and neck when she turned her head. Valary shuddered at the scent of death he carried. Even the steady hoofbeats failed to relieve the need for human interaction. The silence from him reminded her too much of her eternal grave.

“At least tell me more about why you picked me,” she finally pleaded. “I can’t stand this silence. I’ve had it for too long.”

The woman felt his upper body tense before he sighed.

“You’re necessary because of your circumstances and control of aether. Otherwise, you’d still rot in your grave. We’re traveling to a train stop. From there, we’ll travel through the Jurz Mountains to a place called Wrse. You can think about that for a while and quit bothering me with your questions.”

“Why are we going to Rudia? What’s waiting for us in the frontier?” Valary nearly slid off the saddle when the horse avoided a washed-out section of the trail.

“Pay attention to our mount,” he growled.

After a moment, he answered.

“Your body’s waiting for you there,” he stated, then went quiet.

After another long pause, the woman tried again.

“If I’m helping you, then I need to know what I’m doing,” she reminded him with frustration in her tone. “How do you plan to use a dark spell to transfer my soul? It’s just a myth from the past. I say you should just give me my arms, and we can make an illusion for my appearance. I can’t betray you.”

His dark chuckle sent a chill down her spine.

“You seek to tell me my plan now. That’s quite bold for someone who thinks binding multiple spells together is a myth. It works just fine for me,” he mocked her.

“This inhuman advises that you know nothing. You need to open your eyes to the world around you. I’d say that’s one reason you lost your arms and legs.”

She dropped her head.

That’s not fair!

“I say it’s better to grow my limbs back,” she insisted. “A soul can’t leave the body easily, even if you have such magic.”

After another long silence, Grym replied.

“Oh, you of little faith. At least you show knowledge of what will come when dealing with a soul. Of course, it’s not easy. Split souls casting requires a level of concentration far beyond anything you’ve experienced before. But, then again, nothing as delightful as revenge is easy. Still, you strongly suspect it’s possible. I can tell by your argument. You’ve never asked me what happens to your soul with this so-called dark spell. I guess it’s the reason you were at the top of your misguided instructions in class.”

He shifted in the saddle as they turned down another trail.

“I’m willing to wager I know you better than you think. You were the studious type, always following their rules. You never looked for those forbidden grimoires from before the time of the Council. Not because you weren’t interested, but because those in charge told you the horrible things in those books.”

She opened her mouth to protest, then closed it. It was as if he knew her past. After a few moments, Valary asked.

“How did you know that?”

“It’s not hard to reason out the personality of someone like you,” he replied with a chuckle. “I’ve done my share of research about you and the rest of the Infinites. But to be fair, it took me some time to move past thinking like a mage taught by a priest. Knowledge can benefit you or stagnate you, depending on the context. Still, those archives remain closed because those in power don’t want people to know the truth. There’s no such thing as dark magic. It’s only in how you use it.”

He’s a mage? But how?

Her mind mulled over his words. The insight explained more about his background.

“You were a mage before becoming a ghoul. That’s the only rational understanding of your level of knowledge. But how can you retain your sanity?”

She felt his stare, along with a creeping tension. Finally, he answered.

“It’s not your place to ask. You need to become something more than a cripple.”

“Then teach me! I’m a healer. I can help stop bleeding and even help mend bones. Perhaps the Mystic Grimoire of the High Priestess Olcam could give me back my limbs?”

“No!” he replied immediately. “First, we don’t have time to search for a mythical book. Second, nothing grows back limbs unless you wish to become an abomination. I’ve studied this extensively. Combining the parts of animals with a human body always leads to a creature worse than an inhuman like me. Adding human limbs to another human only creates dead zones inside the limb. Can you figure out what that means?”

She thought about it for a moment.

“I know there are no paths for the aether to leave through the arms and legs. But a person stagnates and their magic weakens when a dead zone appears in those limbs. The healer simply removes the leg or arm as necessary. I’ve seen it on the battlefield.”

“Yes, but how many of your patients lost all their limbs? Did they survive?”

“I have no way of knowing,” she frowned. “Casualties went back home.”

“Well, I can tell you they received a death sentence. The body can’t handle the excess pressure from four limbs missing. With four dead zones, they can’t live beyond a few years. The body’s circulatory pathway turns inward. It’s already happening to you. The aether will continue to rampage inside you with more and more pathways created in an endless loop. Remember, there’s only one place you can control aether.”

Valary went cold at the thought.

“The brain!”

“That’s why you were tops in your class,” he smirked. “Yes, four dead zones on your extremities create something like a cancer of the brain. The aether pathways become so intertwined that the subject either dies of madness or their head explodes. You already know that nothing can fix a dead zone within the human body. That’s despite a thousand years of research by the greatest mages. The emperor probably knew this when they cut off your limbs.”

Valary went silent as she considered his words. Rage immediately filled her when she considered what Nazalath’s orders did to her future. After she calmed down, she considered the options. The idea of combining the strongest features of humans and beasts started long before the empire. Volumes of books warned about the atrocities of a few twisted mages who built monsters. Still, Grym’s comment about studying such work made her even more concerned about his abilities and plans. Plus, something else bothered her.

“How do you plan on moving my soul into a new body? It’s not like someone will volunteer for this.”

The ghoul smirked.

“They don’t need to volunteer. I can make it happen in a few minutes.”

“I don’t like the idea of killing someone for their body,” she replied.

“You’d rather forget about our agreement?”

His icy tone made her hesitate. She remained quiet for a while.

“You need to get over this idea that your morality is superior to your vengeance. How do you think magic progressed over the years? Sacrifices of flesh and blood create opportunities. The bloody nature of mortal humans follows their sadistic yearnings.”

The rhythmic clopping sound of the horse’s hooves was the only sound Valary heard as she thought about it. As much as she wanted to reject the idea, by accepting her slave statue, she only had one option in her life. She must become strong enough to throw away her normal values.

“But, before you get too depressed, I’ve found the solution becomes easier for you to accept. In the golden age, a mage would kill the host immediately before transferring the soul to another being. But there is an alternative enchantment I found recently in an ancient grimoire. Funny thing, it’s used by those who can summon their familiars.”

“An alternative?” she mused aloud.

After a moment, she suddenly glanced back at him.

“Swapping consciousness!” Valary stated. “Are you saying you can make such a spell happen permanently?”

“I’m quite sure,” he nodded. “It appears the priests found a reason to suppress this knowledge. To an ancient people, such a spell was child’s play.”

The woman considered the idea for a moment, and her shoulders sagged.

“Still, I’m not even sure what you really want of me. In the end, I have so many questions. Somehow I must trust you as much as you must trust me, don’t I? Yet, I’m the one you want as your tool.”

His grunt suddenly made Valary feel that the man debated her question during the long silence that followed. She glanced back at his expressionless mask again.

“Fine, I’ll give you more,” he agreed. “First, I must use your current body to build arms. We have to make you presentable. This takes time. I only have one shot at you passing your upcoming inspection.”

“What do you mean, an inspection?” She realized how much she hated that mask.

“Simply this. A woman with the predisposition of a demon holds your new body,” the man explained. “She is naturally suspicious with a keen intellect. You’ll learn to mask my death scent before meeting her. Plus, you’ll carry a special curse that I’ve cooked up just for our meeting. As a healer, you’re the best equipped to do this.”

He leaned close and whispered in her ear.

“But you must not hesitate to do what is necessary. Steel yourself and remember your time with the Musketry Cavaliers and your elite Infinites group. You fought against sorcerers and monsters. If you can’t convince her of your worth, then you’ll become her experiment. I do not jest at this. I know what she’s capable of doing. You’ll wish to return to that grave if you make a mistake.”

His mask gave a fake smile.

“Plus, it would ruin my plans and leave you in an eternity worse than the cave you came from.”

“Your attempts to scare me fall flat. I’ve seen and experienced the worst of humans,” she replied with more confidence than she felt.

“I’m sure you believe that for the moment.” His chuckle drifted into her ear.

Grym fell quiet. His sudden silence bothered her more than she had imagined. The woman felt the menace and hatred in the thing behind her. Somehow, she also sensed his desire for her success. His goals aligned with her thirst for revenge.

But I’m not sure what truly drives him.

Valary shifted her focus to the surrounding scenery. The foliage appeared even more vividly green than she remembered. Even the sky above held a blue hue so refreshing after the countless hours locked in her misery. The woman listened to the sounds of nature that filtered through the steady hoofbeats. She occasionally smiled in fond remembrance of a few wonderful times traveling. A time before she became enamored with the plans of others, an innocent time of youth and ideals. Then she noticed the familiar features of a stark ridge running for miles on.

Barab is on the other side!

She lightly sighed, thinking back to her first time traveling away from her home. Valary recalled the tears in her mother’s eyes when she sent her only child to Dismas. Her ability came to the attention of Marquis Dubart, who sought to grow his influence inside the emperor’s court. Dubart accompanied a young child to the capital and showed her a world filled with luxurious living. Following three years of training, she became an appointed healer to the prestigious Cavaliers. Even as a commoner, Valary instantly carried status as high as a noble. The marquis returned to bring her back to Barab as his wife. When she refused to accept his marriage offer, Dubart tried to rape her. Only the intervention of several nobles stopped the defilement. However, Valary later overheard from maids that those same nobles began taking bets on which man would force their seed into her. Seeing the true nature of the world inside the palace of Nazalath, Valary felt herself blessed when the Musket Cavaliers soon left the capital.

And I thought I was lucky!

Gradually, the woman felt the scenery slowly changing as they came into an open area. The change came to her feelings as well. She noticed the sounds of nature were now silent and weeds and grass filled the desolate fields. The trees on the opposite side of the trail blocked the light breeze, letting the sunlight turn her wool cloak into a stifling towel over her skin.

Just as the horse came to the crest of a hill, Valary noticed the remains of a village ahead. As they came closer to the area, she felt unnerving memories coming back to her. Vines and small trees were already covering most of the burned-out wood huts and stone dwellings. Then, the woman noticed a partial skull and other bones along the trail. More human remains were nearby as well. Sudden panic enveloped her body. She looked around the area again with a certain realization.

“I see this place is familiar,” his icy tone added to her discomfort.

“Maldra! It was here!” The words tumbled out of her mouth.

“You must tell me about your time in this village,” Grym stated in a tone that was coldly interested.

She shook her head and remained silent.

“Reports reached me of the great Musket Calvary’s battle over terrible odds. I’m sure you should be proud of the recognition of Emperor Nazalath, who praised your Cavaliers for their steadfast courage. We’re not far away from Maldra and those mounds over there must be where the rebel army placed their cannon.”

Valary dropped her head, shivering under the heat of her cloak. A battle, he called it.

No, it was slaughter.

A handful of rebel commoners opposed the crushing taxes and confiscation of their lands by the same Marquis Dubart she rejected years before. Valary instantly remembered the events. After all, she had suffered from nightmares ever since.

Grym slapped her head.

“Oh my, look at that fence row. Doesn’t that take you back?”

Valary forced herself to look at the spot, even though she knew what was there at one time. Fortunately for her sanity, the bloody evidence from years before remained safely tucked away by the dense foliage. The woman gazed at the fence line, mostly covered by brush and vines. She held up well until she saw a small skull. The bleached white face peered through the undergrowth at her. She felt the unsettled souls watching her, and she looked away.

“The orders came from Nazalath. Our troops had no choice. One unit lined them up and tied them to the fence…”

Valary shook her head. The pent-up tears threatened to let loose. The screams of women and children came back. Still, amid the carnage occurring outside the tents, she made sure that she never watched what occurred. Instead, the woman cowered by turning away from the scene and focused on healing those men injured and maimed by the brief battle.

Even those who normally did not need her help received it that day. Valary could not confront the massacre occurring only a few hundred paces away.

“I heard about the event from the newspapers, but then I met a survivor from the village during my journey.” Grym’s voice brought her back to the present.

“Of course, the actions of the Empire’s soldiers already broke the woman on that day. They ripped her child from her arms and tied the kid to a fence post. Your Infinite comrades rode along the fence and beheaded each child they lined up as a game. I found a drunken whore working an alley behind a bar in a no-name hamlet because of your work.”

“Don’t!” Valary pleaded.

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