Chapter 13 – Battle Prelude

The following is a testimony written by Edith Muller in the year 1649. While the letter was written years after the fact, this recounts the events of September 1637, and the fight that occurred in Awesiaki. It contains revelations shown to Edith through the eyes of what she calls “the spirits”.

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Many asked me over the years about how or why I am what I am ? Why do I do what I do ? Why I collected all these letters and testimonies ? When the spirits never left me alone, I had to do something.

Few people can know what happened there, but the truth must be kept. After all I owe the spirits.

It all started when I was an infant. I’m sure if you read all the letters, you’d know how I was chosen to be a new prophet or shaman by the spirits that dwelled on my lands. They opened my eyes to the truth of the world. They match the lessons taught to me by Mahalia when I was a toddler. Sometimes they reveal to me extra details that I missed or forgotten.

I have had dreams of Arcadia, man and nature living in a perfect paradise. I have had dreams of these warriors – a pair of lovers – leading a bloodsucking army of the undead in world conquest and lead to the defeat of a so-called god. And I remember the Devourer. I remember the promises he made me, how he’d whisper to me, and how the other spirits would tell me not to listen to him, how to fight him, and the truth of his history.

I remember this one night, when I was seven I found myself with my mother hiding in a cavern. We were protected by Mahalia and her family of what she calls Forest People. There are some who’d call them Sasquatch, but from what I’ve seen and learned of them, I still see them as people.

There were plans to overthrow Greeshawn Chase, after he usurped the lands of Awesiaki and became a godless tyrant. I knew of these plans for some time, as the spirits wanted to vessel me; for me to show them the ways of overcoming the Devourer. Among the teachers were what I later learned to be the spirit of the Deathless army – visages of people made from ashes and blood. They’d approach me all the time, there was one in particular, a woman who shared with me stories, not unlike those Jaralath would tell.

The Devourer was showing me different dreams. In them I ruled a palace. I had an armada of every land, taking the world from every other banner. An ocean full of blood; the land and sky filled with ash and smoke. A kingdom built upon by the dead. I could not for the life of me tell if they were visions of the past or future. But I did know the dream the Devourer had for me had me on a throne.

I awoke from such a dream one night to overhear my mother talking with Mahalia. Mahalia was discussing her plans to lay siege on Awesiaki with her adopted family, and had to practically beg her to stay within these caves.

I was caught listening from the corner.

“Little one, you should be sleeping.” Mahalia said softly when she spotted me.

“I was having dreams about him again.” I explain “Where are you going ?”

“We have to put things right little one.” Mahalia answers. Throughout the night, animals have been making the presence known to the Forest People. Bears, deer, wolves, coyotes, moose, every kind of bird, and even the odd rabbit.

“Are they going to fight too ?” I ask her. I may have sounded nave, but one must understand I was seven at the time.

“The creatures are stirring; they know what is to come, and will defend their territory to the last creature. Animals do not have wars in nature, but these are not natural times.” Mahalia explains “And I will be going with them.”

My mother takes my hand and ushers me back to where it was sleeping. Regardless, I still kept my eyes out as I overheard their discussion.

“You don’t that you going is rash ? If you stay’d with us-” My mother has spend the better part of her discussion with Mahalia to talk her out.

“Had your husband been taken, wouldn’t you fight tooth and nail to save him?” Mahalia asks her back. She was placing capsules in a sack she prepared. These capsules where makeshift, and contained oil or gunpowder. This was something she and Jaralath have been preparing in the event they become overwhelmed in a fight.

“My husband is a captive as well. He wouldn’t want me risking my skin to save his.” My mother shakes her head “Had I the strength, I would lay waste to half the world to save him.”

“And yet you don’t have the experience to fight them.” Mahalia nods “With me, Jarlath gave me something over the years that gives me a strength and power you have not. Perhaps that would be enough.” Mahalia starts removing her dress. I avert my eyes, as does my mother, as Mahalia puts on another type of dress; one adorned with rocks and wood-bark throughout the furs and feathers of the dress. With it came a headdress, forming a hardened mask. “Of course, a little armor wouldn’t hurt.”

We heard the calls of the Forest People, echoed by the howls of the other predators. We saw the white and grey furred one, Mahalia’s adoptive father or Big John as Jaralath nicknamed him. He was ushering her to join them.

“I must take my leave,” Mahalia says “If we are to survive, we will find you.” She walks off with her family, with Jaralath’s dog Arf at her side.

I could not let my mother know I was listening in on them, so I huddled back to my makeshift bed and feigned sleep. It has to be the quietest few minutes of my life, but in time I drifted back to my dreams, and felts it’s presence again.

This time it shown me a war spreading across the land like a terrible fire. I couldn’t tell what time or period it was, but nowadays I believe this vision was of the past; I recognized the images of Vikings, Bersekers and other warriors of different cultures and lands. All the creatures that terrorized us – the Gugwe, Genoskwa, Giants, and Dogmen -were warring with humans and animal alike. Among them was the forest people, and among the humans were both the living and the living dead; the latter of the three were merciless in battle, showing the same ferocity as the monsters they fought with. And the world around them suffered for it.

There was more ash and cinder covering the land than there was trees, and leading one of these armies was a man and a woman. I couldn’t see their faces, or hear their voices, but there was a feel to them; I felt a particular draw towards the woman. This couple stood upon an altar, as if they stood there before and were reciting vows. And they were soon engulfed in flames. More accurately they where setting themselves aflame, and bringing the their army with them in a suicidal sacrifice.

When the fires stopped, two remained.

That is when I heard the voice “They will return. The infestation I mean. There’s nothing more unnatural, I’ll tell you this, little one.” I couldn’t see, couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. But I knew who it was that was speaking too me “Abominations, parasites. You call me a monster, a polluter of this world. And yet, the dead walk and leech off of what I rightfully taken, you side with him ? And worse yet, you doubt me. You claim compassion, but give this old spirit some sympathy. I can grant you so much, the same that the boy squandered. With your help, I can take my kingdom back, and you can take your place on my throne.” Again, I was paralyzed from speaking back to this voice. And so it shown me more.

It shown me Jaralath in his youth, as he grew, and as he was turned into a weapon by Greeshawn. I was shown Jaralath through his own eyes and the people around him. There are some things in this world a seven year old should not be exposed too; the images stuck with me for a while. Then I was shown recent days; that farce trial, soldiers being executed in the church, the weak and wounded thrown into cages. One soldier had his head ripped off by Greeshawn; so many times he brought me images of a beast in human hide, hiding the savagery through shiny extravagant clothes. I would see that monster be completely unearthed around the time he ripped his fathers heart out and baked it into a pie.

“False king,” it’s voice said “For years he became too greedy, acted beyond my will. It was by his hand, my brood became weak” I was shown images of how he’d have these creatures breed together – once again, there are some images a seven year old shouldn’t be exposed too. “It is through his ignorance, the undead will take my kingdom from me again.” More images of warriors of old burning themselves and the earth around them, from their ashes, the forest regrew over the decades “Thieves. Rotting, inhuman thieves. They should have stayed in the ground.” The next images, where of Jaralath bound to a tree, each day bleeding into buckets as Greeshawn would try to mutilate him. His blood was about the only thing he’d feed to his captives now. “You can put a stop to it, you can stop the Deathless from taking more from me than I have lost. With your ties to the other spirits, and my guidance, you can succeed where the boy has failed. You can be what the boy should have been.”

The next image shows Greeshawn, and his human followers, sprinkling gunpowder onto the ground, and in barrels all over his mining camp. Barrels filled with oil, tar, more gunpowder in and around the mines themselves. I recognized Mahalia has also gather such weapons from the fallen soldiers, planning to make Greeshawn’s army burn to gain an advantage of her own.

“He is preparing to burn is village and start anew elsewhere. Your friends will fight for his prisoners, but with luck, the explosion will bury them all in his pits, if that is what it will take to defeat his enemies or deny them victory, and from it’s ashes, you and grow a kingdom anew. My beasts will serve you, will kill for you. Humans will fear you, and will wish only to please you should you spare them. You can be feared, strong, powerful. What say you, child ?“

Suddenly I awoken to see my mother shaking me.

“Edith! Edith! God almighty hear my-” She stopped when she heard me groaning “Edith, my child, you’ve been scaring me! Are you alright ?” She asks me, holding me close.

I’ve learned that I was out for eight hours, and spent that time shaking, and speaking in words my mother didn’t know.

I saw the Forest People watching us in fear from behind the caverns. They had to be youngsters, or weak, but they where the ones who were to watch and protect us. For the life of me I couldn’t tell what they were saying, but they were watching from outside the cavern with caution. There was a storm outside, fog, wind, and rain spilling out over the surrounding forests. If it was day I couldn’t tell, but a few of the youngsters walked up to me and my mother, pulling us to our feet and gesturing us to follow them deeper into the cavern.

They tried to pull us, but everything seemed to stop in a still silence, with the only sound being the whispers in the wind, and the trees breaking. My mother was confused but when I heard it, I knew it was the same presence I felt in my dream.

If anyone was trying to speak to me, I couldn’t hear, as I walk to the mouth of the cave, I could also not tell if it was day or night. Somewhere in the darkness, I saw that same shape that was seen around our village, that same shape that would appear and disappear when I was alone and younger. That same shape the spirits warn me of.

I was seven and foolish, which is why I call out over the storm “Stop hiding! Come out, I want to see you!”

The storm seemed to stop, or at least calm save for the wind, as the shape moved around the trees or knocking them aside. It was almost easy to mistake it for one of the trees. It was uprooting and tossing aside the trees before it walked into a clearing, it’s mere presence causing the young ones to flee. Despite her seeming paralysis, my mother ran up from behind me and wrapped her arms around my waist, holding me close.

I have seen the drawings of the Devourer before; many have said to catch glimpses of it before it before it disappeared; those descriptions didn’t quite gave it justice; looking at it in full was like looking into the night sky, so vast and dark. For the life of me, I couldn’t tell if it was shrouded in the shadows or if it was the shadows. I couldn’t know for sure if it was actually there, had it not been for the others seeing it. That is when we heard it’s voice again.

“What say you, child ?“

My mother spoke before I could “You will not have her you devil, you have taken enou-“

It raised it’s hand as if to strike “I speak not to you, woman!” It says “I will only speak to the child.”

I thought back to what he had told me as I slept “Can you help me save them ?”

“I can give you more than-” It starts before I interrupt it.

“That is not what I asked!” I shout at him, a little bold of me “Can you help me free them ? Can you help us stop Greeshawn ?”

“The fool is to die, he was a disappointment. Beneath his heel, the undead rot and starve. Should they spill out from the ground, they will take from me what I have taken back. And it’s all due to that fool. You’re father rots with them little one, with my hand I can give him freedom you want. For a price of course.”

“What do you want ?” I ask it.

If it were possible, I could have sworn I saw and innocent looking smile form on what was it’s face “This is why I love you, humanity. Anyone else put their faith in me would be called a madman, a monster. But you can be a queen, you can lead your people into a new world, and on the blood of the monster who tormented your people.“

“They told me all about you, how you bring destruction, devour children. How friends would kill eachother for a blessing from you. What is it you really want of me ?” I ask.

“Blood, your blood. You have half of it before me, and the rest should be no small sacrifice. Spill your blood in my name, and I will give you everything. You hear much from the other spirits, but they were the ones who banished and bounded me. They have returned as they have before. Drawn by the blood in the water, like sharks. And because of one, hundreds are spawning beneath us. You put your faith in these usurpers ? Do you know not of what monsters they were in life ? Spill your blood for me, and I will show you what else to do.” It leans down at us “What say you, child ?“

It too me a moment to think before I spoke again.

“If you can help save my father, we will see.” I answer.

It seems to smile again, looking between me and my mother “Well, we aren’t going to get anywhere by standing around and doing nothing. Please, allow me,” it slowly waved it’s hand around, and the fog engulfed us.

My mother kept an iron grip on me, not letting me go, we must have faded in and out from the world, before we found ourselves before a clear night sky. Before my mother could collect her thoughts, she was scolding me over what I have done “You foolish, foolish little girl, do you know what you have done ? What were you thinking ? What were you thinking ?”

For a moment I myself was at a loss for words before I found my voice “I wanted to save papa! I wanted to help Mahalia, and Jaralath! They can’t win this fight without it’s help! I had to mama! I had to!”

We both were at the verge of tears, before we noticed where we were. We found ourselves standing on a hill, bordering Awesiaki. The fog was rolling in and out, over the ground, but the night looked clear and beautiful.

“You know what you must do.” Another voice spoke up. It was a woman’s voice, a Celtic one. My mother couldn’t hear or see her, no one else could see the spirits of the dead as far as I can tell, but I recognized this one immediately for she was the one who visited me the most.

This visage of a woman, made up from blood and ashes; the same one who speaks to me, and the same one who I have seen in those dreams of the past.

She was not alone. My mother could not see them either, but we were surrounded warriors of old, those who were here before us. They were the deathless ones Big John spoke of, and they have come to me before.

“We have to follow them mama, they know what we have to do.”

My mother looked around, but even though she couldn’t see what I have, she knew and nodded “We have had quite the life, have we little one ? Despite everything, I want you to know, that I am proud that you are my daughter.”

“Don’t. You do not say goodbye yet. We can still win this.” I say to her, echoing what the woman said to me. In the cover of darkness and the woods, I followed the spirits, holding my mothers hand. They were leading us to a very familiar clearing. I saw some of them disperse; what I later saw from them was they were approaching Mahalia’s caravan and letting them know where were – through Big John – that we were there with them. This would only prompt Mahalia to pick up her pace.

While she was fearing for us, I couldn’t fear for her. There was a man and a woman leading us to the clearing of the Chase families fields. The spirits could show be that Mahalia was at the villages borders. But our attention was on the tree just off the families property, his house a few dozen yards away.

No candlelight’s were lit in the house, so Greeshawn must have been asleep; in retrospect, it would have been so easy to break in and kill him while he slept, but that wasn’t on my mind at the time.

What I saw bound to the tree was Jaralath. And a few yards away from him, chained to a spike like a dog, was Agelica Chase; both worse of wear, haggard from exposure, starvation. Unknown to either of them, they too were surrounded by hundreds of spirits, all of whom looked to Jaralath.

Jaralath awoke first, looking before us with tired eyes; his shirt was gone, and across his arms and torso was scars. It was if old skin was torn from him, and new skin grew in place, barely holding his body together. He didn’t look surprised to see us there, just disappointed.

“You…you shouldn’t-” He starts, but as soon as he could try to form words, he lost the will to speak.

That is when Angelica woke up, and spoke. She looked both happy, sad and disappointed herself to see us “Edith. Little Edith Muller, what brings you hear ? Of all places ?” She says with a sad smile.

“We’ve come to save you.” My mother answers her “Mahalia is leading an army here. She’s going to free your people; we have to get you two out of-“

Angelica shakes her head “I am afraid I can’t be saved at this point.”

“That’s not true, we can help you.” I say to her. I walk up to Angelica and that’s when I noticed what bounded her wrists to the chains; nails pinned through her wrists, and another stuck through her shoulder. It was a wonder she hasn’t bled out yet.

Unbeknownst to Angelica, among the spirits was a particular woman who had her eyes on Jaralath, turned her attention towards her. The woman crouched down towards Angelica, speaking words that she couldn’t hear “Thank you, for being to him what I couldn’t be. I wish there was another way, I truly do. No mother should have to ask this of another.“

“There is only one way you can get me out of this, but it is him you must save.” She weakly gestures towards the tree Jaralath was bound to. My mother turns her attention to Jaralath, and somehow she just knew.

“I’m sorry Mrs. Chase. I wish there was another way.” My mother says.

At the time I didn’t understand “What does she mean ?” I ask her.

My was observing the nails pinning Jaralath’s hands and feet to the trees branches, and one by one, pulling them with all her strength. Jaralath bites his tongue, only letting out several agonized grunts as he falls to the ground in a heap.

Jaralath barely manages to stand, and he staggers towards Angelica, taking her into his arms . His force sounds haggard and tired, and he was all but reduced to crying in her shoulder “I’m sorry Mrs. Chase. I wish I could have saved you from this life. You did nothing to deserve this.”

Angelica’s smile was a little more sweet

“Jaralath, my boy, all I wanted was to make something special of myself. To help my husband provide for his people, to live the life my sister wanted for me. My husband wished for a legacy of righteousness, to usher a world were all men could live in harmony. These were the dreams of a naive girl, whom all but a few people have given up on. But I would be lying if I said you were not part of those dreams, Jaralath; my husband included you in the colony because you were another part of the world he wished to share in. Out of everything that has gone wrong for us, you are among the few that has gone right.” Angelica says as she leans her head to the side “I have been ready for this day for too long.”

I see Jaralath nod, and whisper in her ear “When you see your husband, and your sister, you give them my regards.”

Jaralath leans back, I briefly see his teeth; they where sharp and a little bigger than I expected, and he bites down into Angelica’s shoulder. I had to avert my eyes, but I could hear him feeding, his breathing sounding more and more like snarls. Angelica was also breathing heavily, bit by bit slowing down into a calm silence.

When he was done, Jaralath laid Angelica down as gently as he could, giving her a kiss on her forehead. He looked a little more strong and held together, and far more energized. Jaralath began to shake as he wept over her, before he unleashed a rather beastly roar; a roar so loud it echoed across Awesiaki several seconds after he stopped.

That is when we heard the howls of the other beasts going across the land. The spirits would show me how the giants were approaching; the Gugwe and the genoskwa alike were on the move towards us, and the gate. That same gate, which was now aflame.

As the smoke filled the sky, the spirits shown me yet another visage; Mahallia leading her troop towards the gates, and from her sack she pulled her capsules, spilling it’s contents all around the gate and surrounding walls, setting fires, and even a couple of small explosions. Beasts and animals on both sides were picking eachother off, and I could see the shapes of the giants, moving through the trees, which were also set aflame. Three were making their way towards us.

Mahalia and her troop, must have made a distraction for us, however temporary, and now they were literally at the gate. And we were to be caught the middle of the siege.

I turn and see the Chase’s house. Standing on the balcony was Greeshawn Chase himself, staring at the carnage in disbelief, before he looked down at us like a predator cornering it’s prey.

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Authors note: There is more to write here, mainly the account on the battle that took place over Awesiaki, but there’s a word limit. The rest of the battle will be up soon.