Grim Mortbane

Grim Mortbane

by Atticus Rayne

The clouds were starting to gather. Soon it would be as dark as a tomb… Perfect. Three months of planning didn’t seem nearly as long as those few lingering moments. Just a few more seconds… ‘NOW!’ a voice snapped in his mind. In an instant he was across the grove and feeding the bodies of two helpless guards into the ever hungry night.
The air became cold. Every sense pushed even more to the limit, beyond the barrier of adrenaline. This night, he would never forget… no matter how hard he tried.

He came through the window, dropping silently to the floor. Three steps left to the corner, ten steps to the door. A flawless plan…

… Almost.

A light came on, like a hurricane, loud and demanding. He stood, not moving, not breathing. Another light came on down the hall. Another, almost as if they were curious to see the intruder. Before he could react, a voice came from behind him.

“Hello Grim.” It was a voice that held all the cards, flat and emotionless. Grim turned to face the man… or whatever is left of a man after apathy and indulgence take their toll. He stood two heads lower than Grim, money sacks tied to his belt which was hidden behind a drooping stomach.

“I knew you would try to do something foolish, but this?” He laughed. “You have truly surprised me Mortbane.” Grim clenched his fists, his eyes hidden behind his hood. To either side of the short man stood two more guards who seemed to be better trained than the first… things did not look good.

“Deal with this.” The man spat to his guards. The guard to Grim’s right began to mutter a spell while the other crept closer to Grim, sword drawn. In an instant, Grim couldn’t move. The guard’s spell had frozen him to the floor and all Grim could do is watch as the second guard’s sword swung through the air and through his body.

Death’s embrace… this wasn’t part of the plan.

A room, pure but foreign like a mist. Grim could still feel the mortal wound although it was quickly mending. It wasn’t bright… in fact it was as though the only light came from Grim himself which soon dissipated into the familiar darkness.

‘This can’t possibly be the afterlife… can it?’ Grim thought to himself and as if on cue, the five gods entered into Grim’s light, surrounding him. They didn’t speak. They didn’t have to. This place was their’s and their thoughts seemed to flow as they pleased. As grim watched trying to understand. The gods smiled at him, turned, and disappeared into the mist. Just then, a breeze came clearing the mist revealing the stars … and a grove… and a man.

* * * * *

“Welcome back.” The man said, handing Grim his scythe.
“Who are you?” Grim asked, blinking away the cold.
“My name is Atticus.” He smiled. “Atticus Rayne. I am a monk of Dwayna. She told me that you would need my help. It looks as though today just wasn’t your day to die.” Atticus kicked up a sack and slung it over his shoulder. “Follow me, we’re not safe here.”

They silently fled into the overgrowth and away from harm. When they were a safe distance away Grim thought they would stop but Atticus kept them moving as quickly as before. They continued like this for almost two hours and Grim couldn’t help but say something.

“Where are we going?” He asked grabbing Atticus’s shoulder, spinning him so that they faced each other. “Atticus stared at Grim for a moment.

“Tell me something Grim.” His eyes narrowed. “What exactly drove you to that place tonight? Tell me what was more important to you than life.” Grim stepped back. This was the first time that he even thought of reasons… it made him want to start running again.

“I… these wars… all that I have done for this world. All that I have sacrificed so that my people could live in peace… 30 years I gave so that we could live in freedom. And yet there are people out there who would tax an entire village to poverty so that they can get fat and sleep a good life away. This fight I fight is never over, it just keeps changing…”

“And that is why you were at Talon’s estate tonight? You thought you could gain freedom again by killing him?”

“If only for one village…yes.”

“You know Grim, one thing that I have learned from being a monk is that a plan built on revenge is a plan destined to fail.” He laughed. “I guess I don’t have to explain that to you do I?”

“It’s hopeless… isn’t it? No matter how we fight we will always be enslaved somehow.”

Atticus smiled. “Follow me.”

* * * * *

They ran for hours, until the sun was well into the eastern sky. Finally, they came to the edge of a forest and slowed to a halt.

“We’re here.” Atticus said looking up at the trees.

“Great. You brought us to a forest. What in the world are you doing Atticus?”

“Shh! Quiet…” They stood for a few moments listening, then came a cheerful voice, almost like a song.

“ Hello there! Boy Atticus you look like a Rabid Dolyak took you on a trip through the Underworld!”

“Gah….” Atticus shook his head, slightly annoyed. “Hello Diggory.” The voice laughed through the trees.

“Where are they?” Grim asked, looking into the forest.

“Right here you git!” A man dropped from the trees right in front of the two travelers. He straightened and began to circle Grim judgingly “So this is him eh? Looks to me more like a stable hand than…” Atticus interrupted him.

“You’d do yourself a favor if you kept your foolishness to yourself.” Atticus stepped in front of Diggory to stay his circling. “Now if you’d stop treating my friend like fresh carrion, we would like entrance… please.” It was a command, not a request.

“Blah, you know Atty, you can be a real bore when you put your mind to it.” Atticus glared at him.

Through the thickest part of the trees, Diggory pulled back a few branches to reveal a stone path.

‘That’s odd.’ Thought Grim to himself. ‘Who in the world are these people?’

They entered, leaving Diggory behind to keep guard who sneered under his breath as they left.

“Atticus…” Grim spoke wearily. “Where are we?” As they walked Atticus spoke.

“You are not the only person in this world who has given all they have for their people. And you are even further from being the only person that is not satisfied with the way things are now. Diggory, for one, is another. I wouldn’t make him any sort of leader but he is sympathetic to our cause.”

“Our? Who are you talking about?” At that moment the stone path was cut off by a huge oaken door. Atticus rapped on the door with his staff. They heard voices rising from inside.

“Did I forget to mention that you are somewhat of a celebrity among our people?” Grim gave him a look that was as confused as it was contorted. The door creaked and slowly opened. Behind was a group of about a hundred or so people who were all cheering and looking at Grim with enormous smiles on their faces. Grim stood their staring back with a goofy smile.

“Welcome Grim, to The League of Echoes.” Atticus smiled at Grim and the crowd cheered even louder.

* * * * *

Grim and Atticus entered the cheering crowd who slapped Grim on the back and patted him on the shoulder.

‘This crowd is going to crush me.’ Grim laughed to himself. He pressed through trying to say things that would fit the moment but they all sounded foolish to him. When he came to the end he peered through the crowd and saw two figures out of the corner of his eye. They fled behind a house as quickly as he turned to see.

‘Something tells me that this won’t all be cheers and brandy.’ Grim thought.

The crowd led him to a huge dining hall that was full of hot food. A group detached and began to play music at the front of the hall. Atticus ran to the top of a table and shouted to the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen! This moment has been prophesied about and anticipated for half a year! Grim Mortbane has been sent to us by Dwayna herself to help lead our people to a freedom that will last forever!” Grim began to shrink back into the crowd. “This young man who can boast of killing Abaddon’s forces! Who destroyed a lich without breaking a sweat! And who belongs to no man but HIMSELF!” The cheers grew louder. The harder Grim tried to back away, the harder the crowd pushed him to the front. “My people! Be free and FEAST!” Just then the music blasted into an up-tempo beat and people ran to their seats laughing and devouring.

Grim’s heart sank as deep as an ocean. ‘What in the world am I doing here…”

There they were again. The two figures. They sat at the back of the room… in the shadows. Grim got up and started walking towards them. They casually rose and exited the hall. Grim sped up to catch them but. As soon as he came out the front door, he realized they were gone again.

“Of course….” He said aloud.

“Of course.” Came a voice to his left. Grim turned quickly and stopped in his tracks.

“Starr? What in the wor…”

“Hello brother.” Grim turned again.

“Gabriel! What are you two doing here?!?”

“I believe we should be asking you that.” They stood together… not happy.

“I… I’m honestly not quite sure…”

“You know this is all rubbish don’t you? You’re not really as amazing as everyone says you are… you aren’t going to save ANYONE.” Starr spewed. Grim was caught off guard by all of this.

“Listen, I didn’t even know any of this was happening! I didn’t ask for all this! I don’t even know what’s going on!”

“Well, let me clarify for you then.” Gabriel came and stood toe to toe with Grim. “This feast rightfully belongs to us. We are the loyal ones. WE are the ones who were there for fath…”

“Grim! Hahaha! Where are you, you silly scrub boy!” Atticus’s voice rang through the camp. “Ah, there you are! You are missing your own celebration!? You must return now lad! They are just wheeling out the dwarven ale! You don’t want to miss that brew. Hahaha!”

“You’re right… I should go.” Grim said eyeing his half-siblings.

Inside, the room was now full of fire jugglers and barrels of ale. Grim was instantly grabbed by someone to share a seat. He was just pushing his encounter to the back of his mind when instantly the music stopped, along with everything else. At the front of the hall, a small door opened that Grim hadn’t noticed before. Grim kept straining to get a glimpse of what was happening but hundreds of other heads were doing the same making it impossible. The door closed and Grim heard a man walk to a platform and then Grim saw.

Argus.

‘Father!’ Grim wanted to yell but thought better of it. Gabriel and Starr reentered at the back and met at their places by their father’s side.

“Where is my son?” Argus said in weathered bass. “Grim. Come to me.” Grim rose and apprehensively approached his father giving mind to his unforeseen foes at his sides.

“Father.” He gaped.

“Hello lion face.” Argus grinned. “Come Grim, there is much to explain.”

* * * * *

It was truly strange to be walking next to a father whom Grim had barely known. But he still felt that sort of belonging when he was with him.

“I bet you have a million questions.” Argus smiled at his son.

“I guess you could say that” Grim said sarcastically. Argus thought for a moment.

“I suppose I should tell you what has happened since we last saw each other.” They had returned to Argus’s home and were sitting at the table with two flagons of ale they had managed to gain from the festivities. “When you left, your brother and sister and I, as well as many others fought alongside the gods to overthrow and defeat Shiro. Peace was restored to Cantha and things were able to settle down… for a while. But soon after, peace was taken for granted and the people wanted… demanded rather, that they have all of the pleasures that should come with peace. Soon, Cantha was run by the rich, and the poor… they just had no hope of a future.” A heavy pain entered Argus eyes as he spoke. “Well, you know me Grim. Never was much of one to let others run my life for me. So I came here, along with Starr and Gabriel. We’ve been recruiting and training as many people as would have it. The gods have shown favor on us. We are almost ready to begin our crusades. As fate has it, Atticus had a little vision a few months back… a vision of you.” Grim didn’t even blink.

“What was it?” He asked, almost too interested.

“He saw, you and I leading an army of warriors through victory upon victory winning the land from our final enemy…. Ourselves.” Argus looked at his son with great pride before he spoke.

“Grim. I know that the same passion runs through your veins as does mine. Your loyalty and prudence have kept you safe… two skills that I wish I had more of… Son, we need you. I need you. By my side helping me to lead the league. We can do this… we can finish this final fight.

… What say you?”

Grim sat for a long while… his whole life… all culminating to this?

This was truly the fight he had been preparing for, his entire life.

“I am with you father.”

Just outside the door they heard Atticus declare to everyone.

“He has joined us!” The cheering was deafening and it would continue the whole night. Argus smiled shrugging off the long wait.

“Let it begin.”