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Previous Chapter: ENDLESS Chapter 21: Defeat

Next Chapter: ENDLESS Chapter 23: Disjuncture

All Chapters HERE .

Watch the Trailer: ENDLESS Trailer

CHAPTER 22: VICTORY

Bayard could hear Aldous calling his name. He knew he had to wake up, or Aldous wouldn’t shut up. He could feel a small hand holding his own. He knew he had to come to his senses, or the small hand wouldn’t stop trembling.

He groaned. An acute pain pierced his torso, and he knew something was broken inside him. Bayard opened his eyes and met Aldous’ relieved face. Hedera was crying next to him. Behind her, Licorice looked distressed.

“Can you move?” Aldous asked, helping him sit up straight.

Bayard shook his head, “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ll be any help in a fight.”

“That’s fine, I’ve always been a better warrior than you.” Aldous tried to smile, but Bayard could tell he was afraid. They had no way out. A wounded man, a scared soldier and two little girls wouldn’t be able to stand up to Talos.

As if summoned by their apprehension, Talos emerged from behind the trees, “There you are, young men.” He bowed his head, “I respect your courage, but I do not take pleasure in violence. If you don’t resist, I will grant you a painless end.”

“Keep your hoods on.” Aldous commanded Hedera and Licorice in a low whisper. Then he stood between Talos and his friends. Aldous was grateful for the general’s overconfidence; a man in no danger was a man willing to keep up appearances. “Girls, run away. I’ll hold him off.” The redhead said in a purposely loud voice.

“Do not insult me. There is no honor in harming children.”

Good. I can focus on surviving if he won’t immediately target them. Even if he lost, the twins would have enough time to blend into the forest and get away. But Bayard… No, clear your mind. Breathe, watch, don’t freeze. He had already seen Talos send Bayard flying with a single hit. He couldn’t afford to get close just yet.

His arm swift as a cornered snake, Aldous threw one of his knives at Talos’ neck. Armor didn’t leave much exposed, but the human’s aim had always been deadly in its precision. The blade cut through the air, settled on the path to the general’s throat, and then it plummeted to the ground. The way it fell was unnatural, as if it suddenly weighed too much to keep its course. The knife sank firmly into the dirt when it went down, instead of bouncing up as light steel would.

Aldous never thought a time would come when he would be thankful for Konrad’s incessant, rambling lectures about abstract forces and weird sounding laws. Gravity. The concept echoed through his psyche, the gears of his mind rumbled. That’s a start. But how much can he control? Malia said range is an important parameter in magic, so if I can test how far he can-

“An impressive attempt.” Talos’ voice derailed Aldous’ train of thought. “I underestimated you. I won’t do that again.” The general lunged at Aldous, wielding his battle axe, and all the young man could do was jump to the side to avoid a direct hit.

The impact of landing on the ground was different than usual: it reverberated through Aldous’ bones, and then it seemed to linger on his body as an unsteady tremor. He felt oddly cold. Far, in the distance, he could discern Bayard screaming his name. It was strange for the voice to be so remote… he could swear he was close by. It was stranger still to listen to his partner yelling; Bayard had a talent to calmly talk his way out of even the most heated of rages. Why was he screaming?

Then there were the subtle cries. Licorice and Hedera normally sounded nothing alike, but now… their frightened whimpering was almost a mirrored harmony. Aldous had to take a look, he needed to figure out what was going on with his companions. He craned his neck, but something was blocking his view. Something lying on the ground in front of his face was obstructing his sight. He stared at it almost with resentment; he had no time to waste. The longer he glared at it, his irritation with the bump morphed into a different kind of sentiment.

It can’t be. No, that can’t be it.

But it was. The thing resting on the floor was his arm. It was still holding his knife. The warm liquid soaking his torso made cruel sense now. Aldous’ breathing betrayed him first, ragged gasps constricting his lungs. He couldn’t think anymore. He panted uncontrollably, until finally, he was screaming too. He struggled to stay conscious, but he couldn’t stop his vision from going blurry. The last thing Aldous heard before passing out was Talos talking to him, but he couldn’t make out the words.

“How unbecoming of me,” Talos apologized, “I’ve wronged you terribly. I shouldn’t have missed. But worry not, I’ll put an end to your suffering.” He walked closer to Aldous and realized the young human was unconscious, “This may be for the best. You won’t have to be in pain anymore, nor endure the fear of death during your last moments.”

Talos lifted his axe. Bayard howled at the general, demanding, cursing, begging him to stop. The pain wouldn’t let him stand up, so he crawled miserably through the dirt.

Hedera and Licorice had been watching in horror. Aldous and Bayard were going to die. They were about to die, right in front of them, and all they could do was weep and cover their faces. Was there any meaning in trying to stop Talos? What were they supposed to do? Run away? Call for Gorken and Malia? There was no point. There was no time. Their legs wouldn’t move. They couldn’t stop shaking. It was difficult to breathe. Their minds were a desperate void. There was nothing they could do. Nothing at all.

Talos swung his axe.

Then, Hedera and Licorice shared one single desire.

I want to save them.

That instant was long for Hedera and Licorice. All at once, they felt knowledge forcing its way into their skulls, and their bodies, and their roots. But were those roots theirs? Memories claimed them… of countless years, of life and death, of fire and wet earth, of powerful winds and dry ground. There was the rustling of leaves, the sound of trees growing and the smell of rotting corpses turning into grass.

And then they weren’t overwhelmed anymore. Everything was natural. Everything was just an endless flow. Everything happened for a reason, and there was no reason at all. Nothing mattered, and every small detail was important. They were nothing, and all, and earth, and leaves, and Hedera and Licorice. Of course. They were Hedera and Licorice, and they wanted to save Bayard and Aldous. For now, that was all that mattered.

Talos felt his axe stop before reaching Aldous’ neck. A thick trunk had sprung out of the ground and it had placed itself between the blade and the young man. The weapon cut deep into the tree, captured by the wooden flesh.

Talos glanced upward, away from his trapped axe. Where the two little girls had been kneeling and crying, two young women arose. Or at least, he thought they were young women at first. Their skin was the color of wood, and their eyes were golden and feral. One had long hair that flowed past her waist, and the other one had short locks framing her face. Both their manes were the color of a forest. Their bodies were covered in vines, leaves and petals; tattered remains of their small white dresses still clung to their figures. They shared the same face, and yet their expressions couldn’t have been more contrasting.

“Hedera.” The one with long hair addressed the other.

“I know. I’ll stop the bleeding. You take care of him.”

Hedera knelt next to Aldous, and at her command the vines covering her arms moved and enveloped Aldous’ bleeding stump. Talos couldn’t see what she did next, because Licorice stood in front of him. He had remained motionless during their exchange. “Pardon my rudeness,” he spoke, “but what are you?”

“I am Licorice.” She replied coldly. She waved her hand slightly, and vines and trunks emerged from the earth beneath Talos, binding him like wooden ropes and shackles, “I remember you said you didn’t take pleasure in violence.”

Licorice’s wicked grin told Talos all he needed to know. He was a seasoned warrior, and he trusted his instincts more than he minded his manners. He attempted to use his magic, targeting the spot where Licorice was standing and intending to pin her down to the ground. She didn’t budge.

“You’re trying to distort nature,” Licorice explained, “and it is my duty to preserve it. Unless your will becomes stronger than mine, your gravity trick won’t work.” She stepped closer to him, and with a tilt of her head, countless vines slithered through the cracks of the general’s armor, cutting and carving his skin from the inside out. “Unfortunately for you, I will enjoy inflicting violence upon you.”

“You shall not scare me, creature.” Talos’ blood pooled below him, dripping down from under his plate. He exerted himself to go on, “The moment I entered the battlefield, I expected at least this much.”

“Then there’s no point in delaying your retribution.” Licorice replied.

An army of wooden tendrils then compressed Talos’ flesh and bones until all that was left of him was bloody meat. Beneath the armor the immortal general had become a puddle of bodily fluids, broken bones and gory muscle.

“That was completely unnecessary.” Hedera reprimanded Licorice.

“I disagree.” Licorice retorted as she approached her sister, “It is of utmost importance to keep a healthy mental state. I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I didn’t kill that man.” After a pause, she added, “You must be glad it wasn’t Bayard who got mangled.”

Hedera stabbed Licorice with her gaze, outraged in atypical silence.

“… I apologize.” Licorice was ashamed.

“I stopped Aldous’ bleeding and I inspected Bayard.” Hedera left the affront behind, “We need to get them to Kadem as soon as possible. I’m worried about Gorken and Malia as well. I can smell blood that isn’t theirs, but I can’t hear a thing from their location.” She got upright and kept talking, “Our powers are still unstable. The voices of the forest are still too loud for me… You have to go get the silver witch. We can’t carry Aldous and Bayard in their delicate state, and we don’t know what the condition of the other two is.”

“Then you go.” Licorice objected, reluctant to leave them all behind.

“You know you’re faster than me. And your link with the forest seems to be stronger than mine right now. Maybe your ferocity isn’t such a bad thing… Either way, I’ll return to my child form as to let you use all of our power. There’s no time to argue. Go!”

Licorice sighed, “I understand. You better keep them all safe until my return.”

“Licorice, I just said I’ll be in my child form.”

“Be quiet. I must go.” And with that, Licorice disappeared into the woods. She was almost a leaf, dashing ethereally through the foliage.

Having returned to her small self, Hedera held her knees. She peeked at Aldous and Bayard, both of them frail, unconscious and broken. I have to believe they will be alright. Don’t lose your nerve now, Hedera.

After sitting in silence for several minutes, she resolved to search for Malia and Gorken. She needed to know if they were safe. She didn’t want to leave Bayard and Aldous alone, but there was nothing she could do for them by just sitting there. If something had happened to the princess and their leader, she had to know.

She stood up and walked. There was no point in staying still.

Description

Previous Chapter: ENDLESS Chapter 21: Defeat

Next Chapter: ENDLESS Chapter 23: Disjuncture

All Chapters HERE .

Watch the Trailer: ENDLESS Trailer

CHAPTER 22: VICTORY

Bayard could hear Aldous calling his name. He knew he had to wake up, or Aldous wouldn’t shut up. He could feel a small hand holding his own. He knew he had to come to his senses, or the small hand wouldn’t stop trembling.

He groaned. An acute pain pierced his torso, and he knew something was broken inside him. Bayard opened his eyes and met Aldous’ relieved face. Hedera was crying next to him. Behind her, Licorice looked distressed.

“Can you move?” Aldous asked, helping him sit up straight.

Bayard shook his head, “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ll be any help in a fight.”

“That’s fine, I’ve always been a better warrior than you.” Aldous tried to smile, but Bayard could tell he was afraid. They had no way out. A wounded man, a scared soldier and two little girls wouldn’t be able to stand up to Talos.

As if summoned by their apprehension, Talos emerged from behind the trees, “There you are, young men.” He bowed his head, “I respect your courage, but I do not take pleasure in violence. If you don’t resist, I will grant you a painless end.”

“Keep your hoods on.” Aldous commanded Hedera and Licorice in a low whisper. Then he stood between Talos and his friends. Aldous was grateful for the general’s overconfidence; a man in no danger was a man willing to keep up appearances. “Girls, run away. I’ll hold him off.” The redhead said in a purposely loud voice.

“Do not insult me. There is no honor in harming children.”

Good. I can focus on surviving if he won’t immediately target them. Even if he lost, the twins would have enough time to blend into the forest and get away. But Bayard… No, clear your mind. Breathe, watch, don’t freeze. He had already seen Talos send Bayard flying with a single hit. He couldn’t afford to get close just yet.

His arm swift as a cornered snake, Aldous threw one of his knives at Talos’ neck. Armor didn’t leave much exposed, but the human’s aim had always been deadly in its precision. The blade cut through the air, settled on the path to the general’s throat, and then it plummeted to the ground. The way it fell was unnatural, as if it suddenly weighed too much to keep its course. The knife sank firmly into the dirt when it went down, instead of bouncing up as light steel would.

Aldous never thought a time would come when he would be thankful for Konrad’s incessant, rambling lectures about abstract forces and weird sounding laws. Gravity. The concept echoed through his psyche, the gears of his mind rumbled. That’s a start. But how much can he control? Malia said range is an important parameter in magic, so if I can test how far he can-

“An impressive attempt.” Talos’ voice derailed Aldous’ train of thought. “I underestimated you. I won’t do that again.” The general lunged at Aldous, wielding his battle axe, and all the young man could do was jump to the side to avoid a direct hit.

The impact of landing on the ground was different than usual: it reverberated through Aldous’ bones, and then it seemed to linger on his body as an unsteady tremor. He felt oddly cold. Far, in the distance, he could discern Bayard screaming his name. It was strange for the voice to be so remote… he could swear he was close by. It was stranger still to listen to his partner yelling; Bayard had a talent to calmly talk his way out of even the most heated of rages. Why was he screaming?

Then there were the subtle cries. Licorice and Hedera normally sounded nothing alike, but now… their frightened whimpering was almost a mirrored harmony. Aldous had to take a look, he needed to figure out what was going on with his companions. He craned his neck, but something was blocking his view. Something lying on the ground in front of his face was obstructing his sight. He stared at it almost with resentment; he had no time to waste. The longer he glared at it, his irritation with the bump morphed into a different kind of sentiment.

It can’t be. No, that can’t be it.

But it was. The thing resting on the floor was his arm. It was still holding his knife. The warm liquid soaking his torso made cruel sense now. Aldous’ breathing betrayed him first, ragged gasps constricting his lungs. He couldn’t think anymore. He panted uncontrollably, until finally, he was screaming too. He struggled to stay conscious, but he couldn’t stop his vision from going blurry. The last thing Aldous heard before passing out was Talos talking to him, but he couldn’t make out the words.

“How unbecoming of me,” Talos apologized, “I’ve wronged you terribly. I shouldn’t have missed. But worry not, I’ll put an end to your suffering.” He walked closer to Aldous and realized the young human was unconscious, “This may be for the best. You won’t have to be in pain anymore, nor endure the fear of death during your last moments.”

Talos lifted his axe. Bayard howled at the general, demanding, cursing, begging him to stop. The pain wouldn’t let him stand up, so he crawled miserably through the dirt.

Hedera and Licorice had been watching in horror. Aldous and Bayard were going to die. They were about to die, right in front of them, and all they could do was weep and cover their faces. Was there any meaning in trying to stop Talos? What were they supposed to do? Run away? Call for Gorken and Malia? There was no point. There was no time. Their legs wouldn’t move. They couldn’t stop shaking. It was difficult to breathe. Their minds were a desperate void. There was nothing they could do. Nothing at all.

Talos swung his axe.

Then, Hedera and Licorice shared one single desire.

I want to save them.

That instant was long for Hedera and Licorice. All at once, they felt knowledge forcing its way into their skulls, and their bodies, and their roots. But were those roots theirs? Memories claimed them… of countless years, of life and death, of fire and wet earth, of powerful winds and dry ground. There was the rustling of leaves, the sound of trees growing and the smell of rotting corpses turning into grass.

And then they weren’t overwhelmed anymore. Everything was natural. Everything was just an endless flow. Everything happened for a reason, and there was no reason at all. Nothing mattered, and every small detail was important. They were nothing, and all, and earth, and leaves, and Hedera and Licorice. Of course. They were Hedera and Licorice, and they wanted to save Bayard and Aldous. For now, that was all that mattered.

Talos felt his axe stop before reaching Aldous’ neck. A thick trunk had sprung out of the ground and it had placed itself between the blade and the young man. The weapon cut deep into the tree, captured by the wooden flesh.

Talos glanced upward, away from his trapped axe. Where the two little girls had been kneeling and crying, two young women arose. Or at least, he thought they were young women at first. Their skin was the color of wood, and their eyes were golden and feral. One had long hair that flowed past her waist, and the other one had short locks framing her face. Both their manes were the color of a forest. Their bodies were covered in vines, leaves and petals; tattered remains of their small white dresses still clung to their figures. They shared the same face, and yet their expressions couldn’t have been more contrasting.

“Hedera.” The one with long hair addressed the other.

“I know. I’ll stop the bleeding. You take care of him.”

Hedera knelt next to Aldous, and at her command the vines covering her arms moved and enveloped Aldous’ bleeding stump. Talos couldn’t see what she did next, because Licorice stood in front of him. He had remained motionless during their exchange. “Pardon my rudeness,” he spoke, “but what are you?”

“I am Licorice.” She replied coldly. She waved her hand slightly, and vines and trunks emerged from the earth beneath Talos, binding him like wooden ropes and shackles, “I remember you said you didn’t take pleasure in violence.”

Licorice’s wicked grin told Talos all he needed to know. He was a seasoned warrior, and he trusted his instincts more than he minded his manners. He attempted to use his magic, targeting the spot where Licorice was standing and intending to pin her down to the ground. She didn’t budge.

“You’re trying to distort nature,” Licorice explained, “and it is my duty to preserve it. Unless your will becomes stronger than mine, your gravity trick won’t work.” She stepped closer to him, and with a tilt of her head, countless vines slithered through the cracks of the general’s armor, cutting and carving his skin from the inside out. “Unfortunately for you, I will enjoy inflicting violence upon you.”

“You shall not scare me, creature.” Talos’ blood pooled below him, dripping down from under his plate. He exerted himself to go on, “The moment I entered the battlefield, I expected at least this much.”

“Then there’s no point in delaying your retribution.” Licorice replied.

An army of wooden tendrils then compressed Talos’ flesh and bones until all that was left of him was bloody meat. Beneath the armor the immortal general had become a puddle of bodily fluids, broken bones and gory muscle.

“That was completely unnecessary.” Hedera reprimanded Licorice.

“I disagree.” Licorice retorted as she approached her sister, “It is of utmost importance to keep a healthy mental state. I wouldn’t have been able to do that if I didn’t kill that man.” After a pause, she added, “You must be glad it wasn’t Bayard who got mangled.”

Hedera stabbed Licorice with her gaze, outraged in atypical silence.

“… I apologize.” Licorice was ashamed.

“I stopped Aldous’ bleeding and I inspected Bayard.” Hedera left the affront behind, “We need to get them to Kadem as soon as possible. I’m worried about Gorken and Malia as well. I can smell blood that isn’t theirs, but I can’t hear a thing from their location.” She got upright and kept talking, “Our powers are still unstable. The voices of the forest are still too loud for me… You have to go get the silver witch. We can’t carry Aldous and Bayard in their delicate state, and we don’t know what the condition of the other two is.”

“Then you go.” Licorice objected, reluctant to leave them all behind.

“You know you’re faster than me. And your link with the forest seems to be stronger than mine right now. Maybe your ferocity isn’t such a bad thing… Either way, I’ll return to my child form as to let you use all of our power. There’s no time to argue. Go!”

Licorice sighed, “I understand. You better keep them all safe until my return.”

“Licorice, I just said I’ll be in my child form.”

“Be quiet. I must go.” And with that, Licorice disappeared into the woods. She was almost a leaf, dashing ethereally through the foliage.

Having returned to her small self, Hedera held her knees. She peeked at Aldous and Bayard, both of them frail, unconscious and broken. I have to believe they will be alright. Don’t lose your nerve now, Hedera.

After sitting in silence for several minutes, she resolved to search for Malia and Gorken. She needed to know if they were safe. She didn’t want to leave Bayard and Aldous alone, but there was nothing she could do for them by just sitting there. If something had happened to the princess and their leader, she had to know.

She stood up and walked. There was no point in staying still.