Inhuman - Chapter 7

Grym continued his story despite her pathetic state.

“For some reason, the whore did not fear my mask, or maybe she was just starving. However, she came to me at a cheap price, so I obliged her. Even with my desiccated features across my face and my chest, parts of my body remain useful. I’m even more susceptible to desires of the flesh than before. The warmth of skin, the cool breeze, anything like a sensation can almost overwhelm my brain. The urges of lust and killing tempt me far beyond my time as a human. Morals mean nothing now since the goddess gave me this body. I guess in that way, I’m like the monster you assume in me.”

The ghoul’s chuckle barely reached into her thoughts. Valary kept seeing those small heads laying on the ground after the riders played their game.

“Anyway, this whore suddenly told me her story after I asked about her accent. Another bottle of drink and she told me everything about her child’s death and her ordeal that day. Can you imagine the scene? A pathetic, naked human woman on her knees crying as she stared at a monster. She even begged me to kill her. Claimed she was too much of a coward to do it herself.”

Grym leaned back, his hand shifted on Valary’s shoulder, and the woman jerked at the touch.

“It’s amusing actually. A renowned healer stood by and watched as they beheaded children in front of their mothers. You should be proud your unit upheld the standards of the emperor. I guess death makes us all equal.”

“Your reaction confirmed what I’ve always suspected about your hero comrades. Your friends, bosom buddies, heroes of humanity, saving the great empire from the rabble who dared stand up to your emperor.”

The inhuman leaned close and whispered in her ear.

“Don’t you want to know what I’ve learned about you and the rest of humanity’s saviors?”

Valary refused to answer. Her glazed-over eyes stared ahead as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Alright, I’ll tell you,” Grym announced after a moment.

“Humans love a lie. They swear creatures who react as their nature intends must be monsters. Somehow humanity seems to think it has the right to destroy anything not like them. The fact that beasts must obtain aether by devouring the blood and flesh of humans is lost to the noble savages wearing fancy clothing. The simple truth remains that those monsters in the wild are no match for the ingenuity and ruthless nature of your kind.”

His smirking tone remained.

“You know the truth. Only humans kill for emotions. They call it sport or pleasure. Yet, a human will kill their friends because of mistrust, betrayal, or envy. Given the right circumstances, a human will kill and eat their own in a battle for survival. Still, you have the nerve to call me a monster. I’m inhuman, nothing more than a fiend in your eyes. Yet, your hypocrisy hides something you now know firsthand. Humans truly are the worst monsters in this world.”

His irritating cackle twisted in her heart. Valary wanted to argue, to curse him. Still, she held her tongue. The bones along the side of the road revealed the truth of his words. She held nothing to counter it. The silence between them stayed for a while, only interrupted by the steady pounding of the horse’s hoofs.

“During my planning to find you, I heard a tale that your family raised you in a town near here,” the inhuman let out a tired sigh. “When you and your comrades came this way, did you stop and say hello to your old friends?”

“Why would you ask that?” Valary glanced back.

“No reason in particular,” he smirked. “Just understanding your thoughts during your expeditions across the empire. I researched you and your friends. After a while, I thought I understood you. Since becoming a ghoul, I constantly found humanity filled with terrible hypocrisy in every town. Of course, I saw it before my death. However, like most things in that life, I skipped a deeper reflection to remain content in my shell.”

Grym directed the horse onto another path, cutting through a row of trees. Valary noticed the route took them to her hometown. An unease filled her stomach as she remembered her unit taking the long slog to the remote territory from the principal base outside the capital.

The train filled with five thousand troops stopped in Barab, yet she did not bother to take time to see her mother. She held that privilege as one hero of the empire. Valary told herself her mother would not want the attention. Yet, she understood her cowardice.

Embarrassed by her humble origins, Valary kept the location of her childhood a secret from her friends. Since most Infinites were nobles, she knew they looked down on her humble origins. She saw no reason to have them twist the social knife further.

“Well, that’s expected,” she heard Grym say as they came along a ridge overlooking the valley. “Not much has changed.”

Valary looked down at Barab. She blinked several times and scanned the area to make sure of what she was looking at. Instead of a small, quaint village, the only things still visible were the broken walls and collapsed roofs of a few buildings. The vegetation was already taking over.

“I—I don’t understand why the villagers never returned to this place,” Valary stammered. “The emperor promised to rebuild the areas damaged during the war. Even if this is a remote area, he needs the support of the duke.”

“Didn’t you bother to check on the village after the war ended? Oh, that’s right, you believed the same emperor who promised you something before you became a threat to his power,” Grym mocked her.

The woman shook her head.

“What noble cares about the plight of the people that he rules over?” he continued. “It’s the same thing when someone like you becomes a mindless beast who follows orders while throwing away any moral code they knew.”

“You don’t have to keep reminding me of my past!” She exploded as she nearly lost her balance.

“My heart is bitter enough to kill you instantly if I had my hands. I swear upon my dying breath that torturing me won’t turn me into your puppet. It only makes me want to destroy you along with the others.”

His monotone whisper came to her ear as she let her icy rage envelop her.

“That’s what I’m counting on, my dear!”

~~~

The two travelers reached the train station at Frola the next day as the sun reached its peak. To call the stop on the Empire’s main line a town was too generous. Aside from a water tower and the brick station, half a dozen wooden buildings made up the rest of the hamlet. The wide-open landscape held only a few large trees as the grasslands extended to the uplands in the distance. Valary barely recalled traveling through the area by train once before.

Grym steered their horse to the fenced area outside of a shack where several dozen Auroch oxen wandered around the pen. He helped Valary down from the horse, then went to the building where a stable owner waited. She noticed the man greeted him without a change in his expression at seeing Grym’s mask. After the two men spoke for a while, Grym returned.

“We’ll take the train that stops tonight. I’ve sold the horse and saddle. We’ll wait under that tree by the water tower. It’s in the shade and we can fill the water bag.”

“I can’t help with no arms,” she replied sarcastically.

“If you keep complaining, I’ll tie it to your body, and you can carry it on the train along with the other bags,” the inhuman glared at her.

Valary went quiet as Grym unpacked the saddle. She noticed Grym appeared even more distant than usual, but she did not bother to ask the reason. The traveling proved difficult, but her natural immunity, as well as food and rest, brought her back to full vigor. Even the fake legs she used no longer required her careful supervision to operate. Still, the woman hated her lack of arms and hands.

“Put the bag of water over my neck and I’ll carry it,” she suddenly told him.

Grym looked at her, then did as she asked. He pulled his musket from its leather scabbard and threw the leather bag, carrying their supplies, over his shoulder. As they walked across the dusty road, she grew curious.

“I noticed that the guy who bought the horse did not react to your appearance. Have you done business with him before?”

For a moment, he appeared not to hear her question.

“No, I simply put an illusion spell on my mask,” he finally explained. “It’s similar to the way your golem legs work. Another sage, or even some healers like yourself, can still see the reality on the other side of the illusion.”

“That explains why I didn’t notice the change.” She nodded.

“No, you should notice any changes in the aether used by a spell. You failed to notice because of ignorance.”

Her face flushed at the insult.

“I suppose your skills surpass even the best court mage!”

“I know Rulli. I can assure you she would not make that mistake,” he replied with an uncaring shrug as they reached the windmill. “She would definitely recognize a monster behind the mask.”

The slight breeze spun the vines of the windmill a few feet above them, and the rhythmic thump of an iron rod lifting and dropping was the only noise around them. An iron pump spat water into a wooden trough while lifting the rest of the water to the wooden tower next to it.

“I doubt she meets with inhumans regularly.”

Grym glanced over before shaking his head.

“During your time in that labyrinth, I would hope that you noticed your failures. But I’ll tell you so you understand. First, you still carry arrogance, which reminds me you don’t realize your weakness. It led to your betrayal. No doubt brought on by your own trust in people. Second, you never learned that the amount of aether inside you is a formidable weapon. You took your role as a savior. A stupid decision made without reflecting upon the history of human cruelty and folly. Humanity always follows the path of those who stand in power over them. Your emperor certainly understands that.”

He dropped the bag next to the wooden water trough under the tower used by the trains. Grym slid down next to the trough under the shade of the tree.

“Also, you keep thinking about things as good or bad. You forget the numerous shades of gray.”

Valary stood over him for a moment, unable to think of a proper rebuttal. Still, her anger remained.

“I spent months in darkness and pain.” Her voice rose. “Do you think I couldn’t remember every detail that led to my eternal grave? I recounted every shortcoming, and I remember the faces of those who betrayed me. Stuff your guidance back inside your worthless body, you unholy, cursed piece of excrement!”

She remained over him, her body shaking. She waited, but he remained quiet. He didn’t bother to look at her. Instead, his eyes focused on the train station.

With a grumble of disgust, Valary took a few steps, then used the wood slats of the water tank to slide down into a sitting position. After a while, the sound coming from the windmill pumping water bothered her. The woman looked at the mechanism. With each full turn of the blades above, a handle on the pump came down like an ax. The rhythmic sound sent a chill down her spine, and she looked away. Finally, the noise made her speak to Grym.

“You spoke of Peyra who helped you. I remember every time the guards used me for their entertainment. I prayed for the god’s intervention until I could pray no more. Finally, I held no hope since they didn’t listen.”

“Then you finally understand something from those prayers.” He replied quietly.

Valary looked at the sky and shook her head.

“No, I’m still blind to what the gods want of me, but I don’t care now.”

She let out a bitter laugh.

“My friend warned of a plot against the Infinites. Yet I stood at the height of arrogance. That much you’re correct about me. I just didn’t believe the evil bastard would arrest us. I thought we were too valuable. Even after the empire hailed us as heroes, those damn, self-important nobles applauded what happened to my friends. That son of a bitch took away everything with the snap of his fingers. I want to see them drown in their blood so much I can taste it.”

She dropped her head.

“It’s so frustrating! I’m armless, so I can’t even use a musket or a sword to kill them. Even as a so-called hero, I stood behind others.”

Grym remained quiet behind his mask. After a while, his voice reached her.

“You latched onto me so you could turn your frustration into something else. That’s a reasonable thought, but you’re missing something. You’re still afraid.”

She looked at him.

“Afraid of what?

“Death!”

He looked up at the tree above them. She noticed the reflective tone in his voice.

“Although in your case, I suppose that’s expected. Someone with your capabilities focused on healing the nearly dead. Besides, with your aether, you’re nearly immortal. You’ve never really experienced anything close to your ultimate demise. I think that’s why mages carry an underlying fear of so-called dark magic.”

“That’s not true!” Valary protested. “I saw more death than you can imagine.”

“Valary the Infinite is no more. I’ll agree that you saw many dead. You’ve witnessed the slow, agonizing dying of others. But you did not truly experience it. The closest you got was a frightening and lonely existence, but you remained alive,” he turned to look at her.

“Look deep and realize that your past morals got you that tomb. Now you have a future path that takes you into the darkness where I exist. It’s what keeps you in turmoil.”

He lifted his withered, bony figure and pointed at her.

“You are a corpse to the world. Left to rot by humanity. Sure, you worry if might decide to eat you. But you’re smart enough to know I need you. Quit believing that you’re nothing more than my puppet. I’ve given you a path. You have a simple choice. Now, it’s up to you to embrace the future where death stands with you!”

“Of course, I’m in turmoil. I’m a slave and you show me things that a sane person would run from,” she admitted. “But I haven’t forgotten my vow to wade in the blood of my enemies! But I must be the one who kills them on my terms. That is not the fear of death.”

Grym let the words sink in. Finally, he released a sigh.

“I see. Do you consider me a necromancer? You think you’ll be a puppet, with no consciousness. It’s true that the dead come back like that with the correct magic. However, you’re mistaken about my intentions. You have free will to change into something useful for both of us. Your body will change, but your mind is yours. I only need to control your path. To guide you to the right opportunities to inflict maximum damage.”

Grym turned his head back to the sky. She remained quiet as she took in his words. His tone showed her more of his plans. She even found a trace of humanity in him.

“Never forget that your past morality must leave you, Valary. Do not hesitate to kill or betray. You have no friends now. You’re truly alone. I’m the only one who will make your magic strong enough to overcome all obstacles, even another inhuman like me. The road to retribution comes with darkness.”

The woman understood the implications of the path before her. Now, he laid out some things clearly enough to see the toll ahead.

“Like you, betrayal came for me. However, something in my death changed me far more than I expected. Before you go into the blackness, you experience every second of your death. Your mind realizes you are dying while your body lies in your blood. You cannot stop waves of pain that keep rolling in. Unable to move while you experience each heartbeat, all you can do is listen to the voices of your killer. The cold slowly fills your body, starting from the limbs. You know there’s no escape as the blackness descends over your mind. However, I was lucky in a way. I found that my failure gave me a path to avenge myself.”

Grym closed his eyes as if he was in prayer. Valary stared at him as she glimpsed the first real understanding of his past. He described something so unlike what she had read in the books about dark mages. Grym died from betrayal, only to rise again as an undead monster. The goddess must have a use for him. By extension, Valary carried a similar fate.

“Death became a way for me to achieve my retribution,” his words brought her out of her thoughts.

“The goddess gave me a chance. Not out of anything like a stupid human emotion. No, she saw me as a tool for her entertainment. However, this opportunity is the only chance for me. I tell you that will finish what I start. That is why I’ll use you to achieve it.”

Grym smiled when he turned to look at her. The eerie, haunting expression filled his mask, and his eyes remained cold.

“So tell me, do you still follow the teachings of the temple that gave you to Nazalath?”

“Of course not,” she immediately spat out the words. “As I shivered in the darkness, I remembered how the priestess kept warning me about my soul if I failed the holy order of the emperor. Now I want to see them burn in those underground fires.”

“That’s a suitable answer. To the world, Nazalath and his cronies killed you. The very people you wished to save turned against you.

He held out his hand with his palm held up. A blue flame rose from his hand. Her eyes widened at the blue aether. The priestess warned her repeatedly about finding a mage with such a flame.

“Slave, you’ve begun the process of reclamation. You’ve told me about your involvement with butchering and slaughter. I’ve given you your legs to travel. You tell me you have the fury in you to pull the beating hearts from your opponent’s chest. Now, you need to prove your worth!”

Valary hesitated. She glanced at the handle of the windmill pump again. The image suddenly took her back to the time when the axeman cut off her arms and her legs. The woman remembered her screams, the crowd’s laughter, and the pain coming back with stunning clarity. Grym’s words brought her back again.

“You can take this flame to warm you. This flame will enter your heart to take away the doubts on your path,” he explained. “But to take this flame, you must accept the burning hatred inside of you. Once taken, this flame of retribution will spread into the deepest parts of your soul.”

Valary stared at the small flame. It beckoned her. The flame danced each time the windmill arm struck.

“I want that blue flame!” Valary finally whispered.

“Take it and use your true humanity to its fullest,” Grym replied.

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