Animus Read online

  “You know how those in Paderborn operate, Damien. They will not hold to whatever bargain they made with you and you will die at the stake in front of the Council,” Victor stated from behind me.

  Damien remained silent, his dark eyes watching my every move with scrutiny. I stood and pulled his sword out of the ground, sliding it into my own scabbard and keeping mine out and in the open. I wasn’t about to hand it back to him, and I needed Victor to search him to make sure he didn’t have anything else on him. If he had been working with the Halflings at all, he could have a poison capsule on him for the event in which he was captured. We would need to be sure we could get him in front of the Council. I nodded to Apep.

  “Apep, let’s move” I said as I looked from her to Damien. “There isn’t enough room on her for us to ride there so we’ll have to walk.” That to Victor behind me.

  “Yes, General,” Victor quipped.

  “Good God, please stop calling me that,” I chided.

  Apep nudged Damien with her nose and he didn’t move. She then took the hood of his long coat between her teeth and jerked him to his feet, a startled cry escaping him before he could stop it. I removed the pair of metal cuffs from my belt and advanced on Damien. He moved backward until his back met the dragon’s side and he had nowhere else to go. I took his wrist in my hand and closed the cuffs around them, attaching a long chain that ran from them to my belt. He wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Looks like you’re coming with us, then, huh?” My gaze met his again and I saw the guilt in them, but it wasn’t the kind I had expected. Yes, he was guilty of his crime, but he didn’t feel sorry about it in the least. “Apep, I’m going to need you to scout ahead. Make sure we’re not being followed and no one’s coming toward us. Is there anything I should know before I have Victor search you, Damien?”

  Apep flew off into the air, the wind from her flapping wings whipping up ash and raining it down upon us once again.

  “Not a thing, General.” Damien practically spat the last word at me.

  “Good,” I took a couple steps back and Victor moved in to frisk him, “then you won’t mind if we make sure. Victor, if you find anything make sure to hold onto it. Especially if it’s poison so we can tie his involvement with the Halflings to the Royals. They’ve been known to contract them for their soldiers among our ranks. At least they did when Alexander was with us.”

  Victor moved in and frisked every inch of him, managing to find a long blade tucked into a sheath on his back that had the seal of Paderborn on it. Even more proof without him having to speak a word. There was a switchblade tucked into his boots as well as a small pouch in the interior pocket of his coat. Victor handed the pouch to me and I opened it tentatively, making sure that nothing inside would rupture if I wasn’t careful, which some Halfling poison capsules were known to do. A few of their known poison capsules were made to be more fragile than others for ease of use, especially if you needed to die as quickly as possible to avoid torture, and I was right to be careful with these ones.

  When the small pouch lay open in my hand I gave a low whistle, knowing full well what I was holding because I had seen them before. Alexander had them on his person as well before he was burned at the stake and never had a chance to use them.

  “What is it?” Victor asked.

  Apep landed beside me and huffed at the air, bumping my shoulder lightly with her nose.

  The path is clear ahead and behind. She noticed the capsules in my hand then. I’ve seen those on only rare occasions, Apep resounded in my mind.

  The capsules shone shiny and black in the dimmed sunlight from the smoke around us, a thin membrane holding in the fluid of the poison it held within. Victor stepped closer and looked in my hand, emitting the same whistle.

  “Deadly Nightshade capsules. Only the Royals can afford these, and they are made by the Halflings. Well, if your blade wasn’t enough proof, this sure is. You don’t have to say anything, Damien. These speak loud enough.”

  “Oh, you have no idea, Quinn,” Damien hissed at me.

  Apep snorted, a small pillar of flame coming from her nostrils at his tone. I took a couple steps toward him but now he was unabashed, standing his ground like a kid on the school yard. I jabbed my fist into his gut and he curled around the impact, coughing and sputtering with pain.

  “It’s General Ragnarok, soldier,” I grunted through gritted teeth.

  This type of brutality wasn’t called for, but it felt good and it would only happen once as long as he behaved. Well, once by my hand anyway.

  Chapter 2

  The first day of our trek was hot and arduous, the humidity of the forest around us causing sweat to trickle down our backs. It also made it harder to breathe, but we managed. That was until day two when a Southern summer was in full swing, and we could do nothing to cool ourselves except stop at whatever creeks we could find running through the trees to wet a cloth and put it to our necks. The frequent stops would slow down our journey considerably, which I didn’t want to do. A thought made its way into my head that was dark and full of murder. We could always cut Damien loose, killing him before we even made it back to Archer’s State and to the Council. Then Victor and I could ride Apep into the city, which would only take thirty minutes. There was only one downside to this plan. The Council of the Sentinel would want to question Damien about the plans of the Royals of Paderborn, which they could not do if we killed him. This would not make us look good.

  I looked toward Damien who was crouched at the creek the ten feet away the chain would allow, shortening when he got closer and lengthening when he needed space. This was a magic bestowed on this device by the Council when they formed the Sentinel of Hydra, and it was something I was thankful for. That meant I didn’t have to sleep right next to him while he was bound to me. I heard footsteps behind me, knowing it was Victor. Apep was still up in the air while we were stopped. Not like there was much room for her to land where we were regardless. I heard Victor kneel next to me and take some of the cool water into his hands, slurping it into his thirsty gullet. Then he spoke, mirroring my own thoughts with his words.

  “Why don’t we just kill him? We can get back to Archer’s State faster if we just cut him loose.”

  I shook my head and replied, “We can’t do that, Victor.”

  “Why not? We have all the proof of his treason right here,” he said impatiently as he pat the side of his jacket carefully – not wanting to rupture the capsules within it. “It’ll cut the time of our journey back to Archer’s State by over a day. Come on. We can do it and be on our way to alert the Council.”

  “You don’t think I’ve been thinking the same thing?” I asked, letting the irritation at his insistence into my voice so he could hear it loud and clear. “We just can’t. Don’t you think the Council will have more questions for him? And what if we get there without him and we don’t have any more information than we do now? You don’t believe that’ll look fishy to them? Kind of like we got rid of him so he couldn’t rat us out? We are loyal to the Sentinel of Hydra, but do we want it to look like we have betrayed our own? Because that’s what it will look like. We’ve already had enough traitors.”

  He sighed, and I finally lifted my face to look into his, the frustration at the situation clear and present as I stared at him. The weight of what had happened was taking its toll on him. It was on me as well, but I was trying not to show it because of Damien. I was the tough and invincible General Ragnarok, and I did not fold to pressure. That was the reputation I did not want to risk deflating.

  “He’s slowing us down, Quinn.”

  “I know,” I paused, looking down at the small stream of water and running a finger through it, “but we have to keep him around. You know that, too. We can’t show up without him since we have him. They’ll know he’s not dead because of his Communications Unit. At least we can rest assured that it can only be used to communicate with those at Archer’s State.”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t have agre
ed to meet with General Drayk and his sector. It was a mistake.”

  “If we didn’t we wouldn’t know that the Royals are up to something. They’ve always hated the Sentinel, but I have a feeling they are attempting to get rid of us to open the Realm again and to rule over it and Archer’s Country. I can say that with certainty.”

  In the reflection of the water I could see the luscious pinks and oranges of the setting sun, knowing that we needed to rest if we hoped to have the energy to continue our trek.

  “We need to gather some firewood and stop for the night if we hope to have the energy to continue. Go get the wood and I’ll build the fire and see if I can spot a squirrel or two for us to eat. I don’t know about you but I’m getting tired of our rations of dried meat and crackers,” I ordered, trying my best not to make it sound like one.

  “Absolutely,” Victor said as he stood, turning quickly to gather firewood enough to last us the night.

  Little did he know, he’d be taking first watch while all of us slept. Apep didn’t require a lot of sleep and could go days without getting tired. This particular trait of dragons had served us well in battle, but even she couldn’t see everything, which was why we still took turns keeping an eye out at night. I stood and scanned the trees behind us, the chain at my waist tugging on Damien just slightly, causing him to call out in irritation.

  “Don’t get yourself into trouble and you won’t have to deal with someone tugging you along like a dog,” I said, letting the snideness seep into my tone as I continued to eye the trees around us for movement.

  I wasn’t sure how I would kill anything up there, but I knew one thing. Apep was good for a lot of things and being able to speak to her through telepathy was a massive help.

  Now that we wanted something a little more substantial to tide us over, she could definitely fetch us something that was more than just a few squirrels. Maybe even a deer if we were lucky. The smoke and fire could have driven them away from where we had originally started and deeper into the forest, but I was hopeful.

  Apep, see if you can fetch us a deer and make sure to get one for yourself. You haven’t eaten since we left Archer’s State, I thought, sending my thoughts out there to Apep even though I couldn’t see her.

  It was amazing how telepathy worked with a dragon you had bonded to properly. It didn’t matter where you were, how close or how far, you could always be heard. Even other dimensions couldn’t stop the link.

  Yes, General, she replied.

  I rolled my eyes and cursed under my breath. I only wished people, and my dragon, which had known me my entire life, would stop calling me that. Quinn was good enough for me. Only those like Damien would be forced to call me by my station. They didn’t deserve to utter the name given to me by my mother.

  “General Ragnarok,” Damien’s voice floated on the slight breeze to greet my ears.

  I didn’t look at him and didn’t even want to acknowledge him except for when needed, but his tone of voice was beseeching and pathetic.

  “What the Hell do you want, Damien? And since when is it all right for you to address me when I haven’t spoken to you?”

  “I guess it’s not,” he said in a solemn tone, going silent for a few heartbeats. “Are you truly going to turn me in to the Council?”

  “You bet your ass, I am. What makes you think I’d change my mind?”

  I couldn’t believe he was seriously asking me if I would still turn him over to the Council. I was angry and bitter about the entire thing and all I wanted was to be rid of him and to lead an army to Paderborn to finally be rid of them as well. They were a thorn in the side of Archer’s State, the Council, and the Sentinel. A massive threat to the well-being of the country. Possibly the entire planet. The former United States was the only country affected by the opening of the Long Realm of the Channel in what used to be Chattanooga. Archer’s State was now its name and the birth place of the Sentinel of Hydra. Where I was born and raised.

  It was then that I decided Damien had been quiet for far too long, the only reassurance he hadn’t somehow escaped the cuffs was the tugging of the chain attached to my belt. I let my attention turn to him, taking in the sight of him before me still kneeling beside the small creek with his head bowed. It wasn’t until I realized his shoulders were shaking that I knew he was sobbing. I rolled my eyes, sighed, and took a few hesitant steps toward him. I may have been tough on him but making a grown man cry was difficult. Especially if he was a member of the Sentinel. We were bred strong and born strong, and that was only thoroughly ingrained in us through our service. I hadn’t even cried when my parents passed away years ago in battle, taking down a few sectors of Paderborn, which was a constant conflict that we hadn’t had to deal with since then. Now they were fighting us again and I wasn’t sure how long the Sentinel could hold out. We were a force to be reckoned with, but could we handle the Halflings too? With betrayal at every turn, our numbers seemed to be falling.

  “You didn’t have to give into them. The Royals of Paderborn can be very persuasive when it comes to what they want and will do anything it takes to get it in regard to the Realm. You’ve read the same history books I have. Granted, it’s been over fifty years since the Realm opened and was closed again, but they still feel so strongly about using it to meet their own ends. Even if it means making bum deals and giving out Deadly Nightshade capsules like they’re candy,” I explained.

  He didn’t look at me, and as soon as I had finished speaking, there was a wet thud behind us. Footsteps followed close behind. We both turned to see a dead deer on the ground behind us, Victor’s eyes wide as he stopped in his tracks carrying kindling and firewood. I had to stop myself from snickering at his shocked expression. The wind whipped as Apep came to land near us, swallowing down the deer I had ordered her to catch for herself as well, the legs flailing limply as she did so.

  “What’s the matter, Victor? Squeamish?” I asked as I stood, walking only a few feet from Damien. “You haven’t seen anything yet. I’m going to make you butcher it.” He turned a little green around the gills and I chuckled. “If it helps, I’ll cook the damn thing after I get the fire started and you’re finished.”

  He nodded and leaned down just enough to place the wood and kindling on the ground next to the best spot to build the small fire we would need to cook the deer meat. It was just far enough away from the bank not to get wet, and just far enough away from the trees so we didn’t start a forest fire. That was when I noticed that that spot was more than ten feet away from Damien, which was all the enchanted chain allowed. Victor removed his small blade and moved toward the deer, twirling it in his hand with a flourish that I knew was just for show. I did it out of pure habit, but he was attempting to intimidate Damien, which wasn’t needed. I kept my mouth shut and kicked a rock, sending it skittering into the creek.

  “Damien, I’m going to need you to stay by me so I can build this thing. The cuffs only allow for ten feet.” I didn’t feel any slack from the chain and I thought he hadn’t heard me, but when I turned to face him, he was still standing in the same spot staring at me with hatred. Apparently, my pep talk hadn’t worked. With frustration, I jerked at the chain and he yelped as the cuff bit into his wrist, causing him to stumble in my direction as the chain shortened to a mere five feet. “You might be a prisoner, but you are still my subordinate, soldier. Don’t you forget that. Just because I gave you a pep talk doesn’t mean I won’t treat you like the traitor you are.”

  “You’re not my general, Quinn, and you know it,” he spat at me, letting the words sting in the fresh wound of the betrayal of my own men.

  I jerked the chain again, which brought him closer to me, and kicked out as he stumbled, causing him to trip and fall as my foot made contact with his shin.

  “God damn it,” he yelled as he rose onto his hands and knees beside the pile of timber.

  I placed my foot on the center of his back and applied just enough pressure so he was flattened to the ground.

 
; “Don’t test me, Damien. I may seem like a nice person, but you fail to realize you know nothing about me.” I removed my foot from his back and came to stand in front of him, kneeling so I could look into his angry eyes when he turned his face up from the ground. “You’ve seen me in war. You’ve seen me kill. Don’t become one of those that have fallen to my blade because, if it were to come between you and me, you would be the one to die. You can count on that.”

  His brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he attempted to stare daggers into me, the chain shortening to a mere two feet as I knelt there in front of his still form.

  “You’ll want to listen to her, Damien,” Victor said from his perch next to the deer’s carcass.

  He was butchering it efficiently and even took a slice of the bloody fur between two fingers and pretended like he would throw it at Damien, causing him to flinch away and cringe. Victor chuckled and threw it towards Apep, who had settled in nicely on the ground, watching us with amusement in the restricting space.

  I turned away from his scalding glare and to the timber and kindling before me, rubbing my hands together.

  “Now, Apep, let’s get a fire going.” I arranged the pieces of dried wood and twigs with the kindling underneath and the sticks arranged in a circle so they peaked in the center like a teepee that I had read about in my studies, leaning back a little and inspecting my handy work. I pushed what was left over to the side for later. “What do you think, Apep?”

  She huffed and blew a light stream of flames toward the bottom of the pit, catching the kindling underneath. It spread quickly just like it was supposed to.

  Looks good to me, General.

  I smiled and put my hands out toward the fire, palms facing the flames to warm them even though they weren’t cold.