Chapter XV - A Sinister Proposal

Air felt different in those parts. Much more alive. Trees didn’t wither as much as they did back in Leehaeel, other birds besides vultures roamed the sky and the moon was marvelous. A towering disc dominating the sky, close enough for Gakeh to fully absorb its brilliant white, which glowed brighter than ever. Strange changes, yet welcomed ones. Even if Leehaeel had been their home since their inception, Gakeh couldn’t shake the feeling that other places in Galaria deserved to be seen and experienced. Not solely for feeding the Anger as Kalah would have them do, but to find out what they had to offer. Humans had been roaming Galaria for far longer than they had; which gave them many advantages in comparison to the markins. The lands were their domain, the wildlife theirs to tame, the plants theirs to consume. Of course, that was before the markins rose. Before that night.

For a long time now, Gakeh often thought about what happened back in Leehaeel. When he simply snapped his eyes open and he awoke, knowing not how he ended up there or why. And alongside him, his brethren came to life as well. When Markos told him about inhabiting a body which didn’t belong to him, Gakeh allowed himself to be taken back to that time and he once again felt like a stranger in his own shell. A shell which was someone else’s and he seized it. A great mystery that none of the markins seemed to want to discover; mainly thanks to Kalah and his idiotic way of viewing their upbringing as their ‘rightful place as the dominant species’, troubling not to actually understand how such a thing even occurred in the first place. Asking Kalah to think beyond feasting, was like teaching the mountains to develop legs and march. An answer had to lay somewhere. Gakeh just had to find it.

They rode atop their balmaks, surrounded by a tall forest, with bizarre shapes; some of the trees were circular, something Gakeh’d never seen anywhere near Leehaeel Peak. Rows of colorful flowers dangled in the gentle breeze, different sizes carrying bizarre characteristics. Noticing a normal flower with two leaves and then noticing another one jutting sideways with a huge leaf on top added to the strangeness of the place in which they presently were. Spectacular show of vegetation. His eyes capturing so many bright colors, others than the deep black everpresent back in Leehaeel, nudged him into wishing to discover more. And thanks to Kalah, now he was able to.

The commander sat inside a carriage, his decaying excuse for a body being carried by a pair of exhausted balmaks. Weirdly enough, since they left he barely muttered a word. That was mainly due to his inability to breathe anymore. Gakeh stood to the right of the wide carriage, carefully leading his balmak so he wouldn't end up hitting a tree. He spun sluggishly to see if he had anything to say, trying his best to appear useful to the commander’s wishes, but he was met by the same boring pair of vicious eyes, fixated downwards. Gakeh snorted in his mind at the sad image before him, an image that still to this day ruled over the markin race. Gesturing for the balmak to advance, he came alongside Dagham, a reasonable distance from the commander. Dagham acknowledged his arrival with a respectful nod, just as he always has been doing lately. The more time Gakeh spent with him, the more the markin was swayed to his side, acting – dare he say it – as a dog, constantly calling him lord and doing whatever Gakeh needed him to. A key player in bringing to him concerned markins. An invaluable asset to his plan, one that Gakeh knew he ought to make more use of and put up front. Having someone so dedicated to him meant two important things; Gakeh could avoid being noticed by Kalah and this way markins would come to him, instead of him to them. He glanced behind him, eyeing the commander. He looked so pathetic. Gakeh found it hard to believe he could do anything anymore, besides gazing into nothingness and holding on to his treacherous life. The once great commander has now become a husk of his former self.

Gakeh noticed Dagham spinning towards him in the corner of his eye. “Lord Gakeh, what do you think of this place? It’s… strange. I never knew there were so many different trees, flowers and birds.”

He met his face. “True, it’s odd. In comparison to Leehaeel, this place is brimming with life. This change of scenery is fascinating. We ought to discover more of what it has to offer.”

“Yes, yes, indeed. Thanks to you, I feel this need of finding out more about the world around us. I never knew there was so much… life in nature.”

Gakeh nodded. “That’s what living in Leehaeel did to us, Dagham. Galaria is a massive place, bigger I think than what the maps we found tell us. While I am as stunned as you, there had to have been more than what we knew possible. Our commander’s decision has helped us find out more.”

Dagham raised a finger. “Our commander’s idea was made real thanks to your organizing efforts, lord Gakeh. If it weren’t for you, for being there for the brothers and overseeing the preparations, we wouldn’t have made it here.”

So much devotion in such little time. Fascinating. Gakeh had always known the markin nature yearned for a leader, yearned to have someone to follow and serve, yet he wouldn’t have expected such a powerful, quick transition from one of his own. He couldn’t help himself but think – what would happen if multiple markins had the same change of mind?

“You are kind, Dagham, I appreciate your words. They mean a lot.”

“No need to thank me, lord Gakeh. You deserve to be seen for what you are; the best of us. A markin such as you is a markin who can lead us to greatness.”

Gakeh jerked his hand. “Let’s keep it down, now shall we? Maybe other brothers of ours don’t share your vision and don’t understand what you’re seeing. You’ve noticed what happened with Rihik and how he viewed your suggestion of replacing the commander. Such ideas are dangerous, Dagham and you must understand that.”

“I… apologize, my lord. I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that… there’s this vague feeling of… excitement I feel whenever I imagine you leading us.”

“I see. That is great, Dagham, but don’t forget who we’re serving. Kalah is our leader; we must obey him.”

“But…” he glanced behind them, towards the commander, “he’s barely noticing us anymore. He just sits and stares at the ground. He cannot lead us anymore!”

Gakeh grabbed his shoulder, refocusing his attention. “Markin, I share your concern. I know. Yet, our brothers – just as we – follow him. Discretion is the key to solving this perilous issue we’re facing.”

“You’re right, lord Gakeh. I will make sure to keep quiet.”

Gakeh nodded and patted him on the shoulder before taking it off.

“There’s also an issue I found myself facing the more time I spend with you.”

“What issue?”

“My… Anger. I’ve been thinking about my raging nature and I find it strange as to why we are this way. And why I cannot feel anything else.”

“That is a question I’ve dealt with for a long time now.”

Dagham perked up. “Have you found an answer?”

“No. It’s complicated. Our nature is a mystery – one that unfortunately – none of our brothers want to uncover.”

“But… why? They all feel the Anger, right?”

“Everyone does. Every one of us is intoxicated by it. You just have to pay attention.”

“I… admit I haven’t done that. Nor have I asked another brother how he feels about it.”

“I doubt any of them would have given you an answer, markin. If you have barely begun thinking about this, do you honestly think they do?”

Dagham shrugged. “I… don’t know.”

“I can assure you they don’t. Kalah made sure of that. This should have been an issue to be focused on deeply, to be examined, to be uncovered. But our commander had other focuses for our kind.”

Dagham’s nostrils flared. “I… wish he was no more. I can only imagine how many things we would have discovered about… us, the world around us if someone else had been in control.”

“Perhaps not all hope is lost, markin,” Gakeh said, his face twitching in an effort to block a smile. “The markins need only have someone to guide them. To bring those questions to them and let them do the rest.”

There was no need for Gakeh to be the one to do so, but Dagham… he was perfect for this task. Which was precisely why he made it clear it was his responsibility.

Dagham glanced to the other side, searching for someone. “Maybe I can tell Jharke about this and he can help us find more brot-”

Gakeh gripped him tightly by the shoulder, spinning him. “Who is this Jharke, Dagham and what does he know?”

For a brief moment, Dagham froze. “It’s… it’s alright, lord Gakeh. I know him. We talked about such things and he shares my vision. Our vision.”

He felt his teeth gritting, Anger on the verge of bursting, but he pushed down on it, relaxing, releasing his grip. “I trust you, markin. You know what to do.”

Dagham nodded and left to call the mentioned markin. Certainly, the more aid Gakeh received, the easier things will become. However, Kalah’s foul breath still breathed down his neck, the peril he represents still something he ought to care about. Or did he? On one hand, the more time passed, the faster Gakeh’s plan seemed to evolve, taking shape, markins joining him. On the other hand, the commander not only is volatile, but the markins belong to him. If someone takes note of what Gakeh’s planning… He glanced around the marching company and his eyes fell on Markos, riding his balmak in the far distance, shrouded in the darkness of the forest. His glowing eyes took in the sights and as they shifted and laid on Gakeh, he narrowed them viciously. Truly, he pitied him for his raging nature, similarly to that of Kalah’s. Perhaps that is why he is so enamored by the commander. Markos was someone he ought to keep in mind as his plan progressed. Even if he was more focused on being jealous of Gakeh's status, rather than actually doing something about it, he can still surprise him. But… will he really? Will he really stand up to him and be humiliated again, like he was back in Leehaeel?

His attention was garnered by Dagham approaching, this time with a new markin alongside him.

“Lord Gakeh, this is Jharke.”

Jharke bowed leisurely. “A pleasure, my lord.”

The markin’s voice was filled with rage, even when calm. He had unusually spiky hair, and two scars; one running across from his brow to the lower bulky lip, the other tinier, above his nose. He had the same gruff empty face as all his brethren did, a sight which grew more and more tiresome as Gakeh felt increasingly burdened by the weight of his own emptiness.

“A pleasure to meet you as well, markin. Dagham tells me you share our concern in regards to our nature.”

“Indeed, lord Gakeh, I do. I… love blood,” he lifted his arms, using them to emphasize his words, “I love feeding on my Anger until there’s… nothing left of the person I’m smashing against the ground. It’s… too tempting and I barely now see the dangers it brings,” his teeth began to show as rage overcame him.

Dagham patted him on the shoulder, trying to calm him down. “It’s alright, we all know how it feels. Lord Gakeh knows better what to tell you in regards to this. He’d been fighting Anger for longer than any of us have.”

Gakeh nodded in acceptance. “Jharke, I understand your desires. I share them, just like Dagham does. Just like our commander does. But note this; you must resist. The consequences are far too great.”

Jharke nodded and groaned. “I’m… struggling, lord Gakeh. It’s… intoxicating. Just the thought arouses me.”

“Just as it does to every single one of our brothers.”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Do all of us face the same issue?”

“Yes. You were just blinded by it up until this point.”

“But… why? Why… am I like this?”

Gakeh shook his head. “That I do not know, markin. That is something that Dagham wants to find out. Perhaps you could help him, ask around, see how others feel about this. Help them understand that Anger is a curse, not a gift.”

“A… curse?”

“A curse, markin.”

Jharke shook his head. “But… how? It grants us strength.”

“Strength is something you already have, markin, just by simply being that. A markin. Anger adds to that, even if you feel like it’s the main source.”

Dagham scratched his chin. “I never viewed it like this… this is wonderful, lord Gakeh. We’re discovering so much about ourselves already.”

Gakeh raised an arm. “This is nothing new, markin. The real discovery would be understanding why that is. I trust you know what you have to do now.”

Dagham nodded and glanced at Jharke. “We do, lord Gakeh. We’ll see what others think about this. We’ll try our best t-”

“Markin!”

A shout bellowed through the entire markin company, a few balmaks screeching in agony because of it. Gakeh spun and saw Kalah gesturing for him to come to his side. He retreated from the group and joined alongside the commander, his breath reeking of decay.

“Find us… a suitable camp. Search the area,” the commander said, struggling between breathing and speaking, words barely intelligible.

Gakeh bowed his head. “As you command, my lord. May I gather some markins to h-”

“Do whatever you need, markin! Just find us a spot to camp!”

“At once, my lord.”

Striding past the commander’s carriage, he gestured for Dagham and Jharke to follow him deeper into the forest. As Gakeh passed a few markins, Onhik came into sight, asking to join them and he accepted. Diving deeper into the dark woods, the trees became denser, their trunks sturdier and their shapes more varied. Some trees had branches that intertwined with others, creating a maze of leaves and wood from which Gakeh wondered if birds would ever be able to get out. The ground was covered in thick bushes, most of them a shade of green that was too dark to make out properly, but some were blue or red. So much of the ground was covered in them, that Gakeh’s balmak cried out as they made their way through, possibly due to multiple cuts. After all, they looked rather sharp. A very unique characteristic indeed.

“So much… color and weirdness in this place. Those bushes could make a human lose himself in them,” said Dagham, his head spinning as he examined their surroundings.

“Indeed,” said Gakeh. “I never expected to find something like this.”

“Those trees up front look like rings. Those to the right like cones. There’s even… flowers coming out of the branches on some of them. This is incredible,” said Onhik, gesturing around.

“Leehaeel Peak has kept us from some interesting places, there’s no doubt about that. Let’s thank our commander for his generous choice of bringing us here,” said Gakeh, bowing his head to show respect to Kalah.

“And let’s thank you, lord Gakeh, for trying to give the markin race something better!” declared Dagham.

Gakeh felt his face twitching, a smile fighting against his nature and losing like it always did. He nodded and chose to remain silent. His plan was working better than he would have anticipated. All those concerns he had… proved to be in vain.

They stopped close to a smooth cliff overseeing a pathway some reasonable distance below them. Gakeh found it strange that there was a road in such a tight space, suffocated by hills covered in grass on each side, yet he’d seen plenty so far to understand that whatever occurred in those parts of Galaria, was far beyond his comprehension. Were there other species besides humans living over here? Or perhaps some unseen animals that the humans of these parts tamed and used for their benefit? So many wild possibilities.

Wheels sounded nearby, rolling down towards them. He glanced to the right as Dagham came beside him and from a curve appeared a carriage pulled by two horses. They stood high above, unable to be seen by whoever rode inside. An older man dressed in farming clothing came in sight, grasping the reins, a look of dread on his face as he glanced to his sides.

“Humans,” said Jharke, tensing.

Gakeh stopped him in his tracks as he advanced towards the edge of the cliff. “Do not engage, markin. Fight back against your Anger.”

“But… the blood… is tempting.”

“No.”

Jharke gritted his teeth and widened his eyes. “Feast! I need… to feast.”

Gakeh gestured for Dagham to hold him in place and calm him down. The carriage rolled by them and down the twisting pathway. Soon after that, more sounds of galloping echoed behind the carriage and before they knew it, soldiers appeared. Soldiers? Human soldiers? Gakeh could not believe what he was seeing. A dozen men, all dressed in full armor, their heads held high in confidence as they escorted the carriage. Their regal armors were a mixture between a brilliant white and red, capes around their shoulders and their faces enclosed in helmets. All sharing the same dominant characteristic; a massive crystal in the front of their faces. What a marvelous scene! These men radiated power. Strength. Control. Raid after raid, men have tried to stop the markins, fighting with all their might, but they were nothing more than fodder, crushed in mere moments or for the lucky ones, in a little longer than that. But these men… their sheathed blades, their royal appearance… these were no ordinary men. They were something else entirely.

“They look so… powerful. No human I’ve seen walked with such power,” said Onhik, kneeling to get a better glimpse at them.

“I need to feast!” snapped Jharke and before they knew it, he escaped Dagham’s grasp, jumping after the soldiers.

Gakeh cursed under his breath and followed behind, the others joining as well. They landed with a strong thump, the ground shaking beneath their weight and the horses before them halted, the soldiers spinning to see what was happening. Noticing them, the soldiers did… nothing. Simply stood and watched. They held themselves with composure, no arm twitching, no hand placed on the hilt of their blades, whereas before men would have already cowered in dread. Who were those soldiers?

Jharke’s rage took control of him and he approached them, unsheathing a massive blade behind his shoulder. He gripped it tight, the nostrils flaring wildly and his teeth grinning, drooling severely. One of the soldiers turned leisurely to another and pointed towards Jharke to which he nodded and dismounted his horse. While Gakeh tried teaching the markin to control himself, the desire of seeing them in action made him wish he didn't do that. To his utter surprise, the soldier marched towards Jharke, exuding confidence, never once losing his footing. He gripped the hilt of a blade placed down his right leg and unsheathed it slowly, its surface glaring in the moonlight. The way the blade looked confirmed Gakeh that these were not merely powerful men, but wealthy as well. The hilt was golden, two different faces on opposing sides and the blade itself had the same white coloring as the armor. Right before approaching, the soldier moved the blade to his right side, slammed it twice in his body and steadied himself, waiting patiently for Jharke to strike. And he did. His massive blade struck downwards but the moment it landed, the soldier was no more. Instead, he was behind him, pointing the blade right at his nape, threatening to plunge it in at any moment.

“Surrender, beast. You have lost,” said the soldier, his domineering voice muffled by the helmet.

Jharke cried out in rage, and turned to strike sideways but the soldier darted out of the blade’s way and was now once again behind him, holding the tip of the blade up his head. Dazing quick in his movement. Gakeh needed only to blink and the soldier overpowered Jharke without any effort. He was left stunned. Men were capable of such feats? Actual men, the ones that they constantly turned into husks time and time again?

“You are making a fool out of yourself,” said the soldier nonchalantly, the blade gripped only by one of his hands as the other laid beside his body.

Jharke gazed at him, his eyes narrowed, the purple veins in them sparkling in the night. He began trembling and breathing heavily, like a crazed animal. Before Gakeh knew it, Jharke let out a deep scream and placed both hands on the hilt of his blade, striking again, this time upwards then downwards again. The size of a markin came at the cost of speed, which Gakeh knew fairly well, but Jharke moved rather fast for a behemoth. In a way, Anger did empower them, but at what cost?

The markin’s moves were futile, for the soldier disappeared out of his way, slashing twice behind his knees, the cuts deep enough to make him cry out in pain rather than in rage. Tumbling to the ground, Jharke reached a hand forward and dug it in the soil, supporting himself. The soldier walked along his side, sheathing his blade as he made for his horse. Suddenly, the soldier slouched forward as if carrying a boulder twice his size. Before being able to grasp his horse’s mane, he mostly stumbled on his feet, the composure he had vanishing in an instant. He was exhausted. Was this the cost for the extreme speed he had?

“You fought well, beast,” said the leading soldier, the one who chose which one of them to fight Jharke. “Consider us impressed by your skill.”

Jharke kept silent, his attention captured by his heavy breathing. Dagham strode past Gakeh to help Jharke to his feet and he followed behind him, not losing sight of the fascinating soldiers.

“Who are you, soldiers?” Gakeh asked.

“None of your concern, beast,” the leading soldier said. “Let this be a reminder that if you ever come across us again, walk the other way.”

Gakeh rubbed his chin, the sharpness of it still surprising him sometimes. “You show great strength. Unlike what men are capable of.”

No answer came. The soldiers gazed back at him, unfazed by his words.

He shook his head. “We need not be rivals.”

The lead soldier snorted. “Tell that to your friend. He seemed intent on fighting us. What does that tell you, beast?”

“My brother did not mean to do that. He simply… responded as any normal being would when encountered with danger. And you soldiers… you look dangerous.”

“So do you, beasts.”

“Precisely my point,” Gakeh said, pacing beyond Jharke. “Together… we can be greater than we currently are. We can share our knowledge, our homes and who knows… perhaps we can build something better. Something that no one has seen before.”

The soldiers exchanged glances. Finally, the lead soldier turned.“No,” he said bluntly.

“Why not? I see no reason as to why we cannot collaborate.”

“The reason is simple; we do not want to nor do we care about your kind.”

“Could you honestly say you don’t care about us after battling us? After seeing what we’re… capable of?”

“What are you capable of, beast? For I have seen nothing that impresses me.”

Gakeh was left too stunned to speak. The presence of the markins before those soldiers was like that of birds or deer or horses. Minuscule. Unimportant. Null. Fascinating! Gakeh lived with this idea that all men were the same; small, tiny, dull and weak. But witnessing these soldiers shook his entire perception down to its core. He had to learn more. Siding with such men could further boost his plans, his ideas, his vision. True, he always intended on bringing humans to their side, but to also have an army of men like this? There was only one thing the markins and these soldiers could achieve — total domination. Humankind may be more than peasants, than simple, meek villages. Maybe there’s other kingdoms – ones whom if they refused to join them willingly, they could simply take by force. Why stop at simply creating a markin kingdom… when you could have an empire?

Gakeh stopped in his tracks and opened his arms wide. “You cannot honestly say that. My brother can cut you in half faster than you can blink.”

“And yet, he did not.”

“That is true. The question is why.”

“Keep questioning, beast.”

Gakeh tensed. “Soldier, can’t you see? Our might joined together can make us into a powerful kingdom. Perhaps even an empire. We should join forces, grow together, make use o-”

“There is no ‘we’, beast. As I stated prior, we do not care about your goals, issues or existence. We have enjoyed our encounter, and you have proven quite strong, but not enough. Therefore, we recommend you stay out of our way for if you do not, the next time we clash it will not be as kind as it was now.”

The leading soldier spun his finger and suddenly they all turned their backs on them, galloping into the night after the carriage. Jharke was helped up to his feet by Dagham and Onhik, while Gakeh watched the men leave. A true pity. Potential for something great to emerge out of such a match – wasted due to their stupidity. Gakeh believed none of their words; he knew they had to have been impressed by seeing them. One doesn’t come across a markin and dismisses him like a piece of junk. No, these men – whoever they were – belonged to a mighty nation already. Galaria had no such warriors, at least none in Leehaeel Peak. He truly thanked Kalah for his decision in his mind. If it weren’t for that idiotic decision, they would have never come across such sights, both in the nature around them and in the men inhabiting said nature.

They climbed back on the cliff they previously sat upon, Gakeh’s sight still fixated on the way the soldiers went. In the distance, the edges of a landform was faintly lighted by the towering moon. It looked like a mountain, yet it couldn’t be; too filled with vegetation to be one. The shape of it resembled an… arm. Obviously, the carriage was headed that way because even if Gakeh could not fully see the road – the hills shrouded it greatly – there was no other pathway in sight. Was the soldiers’ nation that way? If so, Gakeh must not forget this road. Camping nearby could prove a useful tool for remembering. He will prove them just how mighty the markins are. In due time.