Hex Cycle III — Quinary Scenes
Tome of The Sixth Sun: Lunacy Trilogy Book III
Author’s Note: This segment is part of an ongoing experimental novel wherein each chapter is meant to be read as if it were the first.
Island of Kypruz (3033 CE)
Azozeoh disembarked from La Stralla; one of seven wooden galleys retrofitted with modern armaments, which moored here at the port of Lymazz. Azozeoh was accompanied by six other captains including his friends, Elyoth & Ezrah. After granting shore leave to their respective crews they all mounted horses and rode up an incline toward Castle Kolozz. On the island, this was the preferred mode of travel over short distances for those Barbary Bards.
Ere long, they arrived at the gates of Kolozz and were welcomed by pennant bearers. Banneret Zœyh and her woman-at-arms Zapphoh awaited within the courtyard. Zœyh had been voted in as provisional leader of the Barbary Bards following the abdication of Grand Master Zymonh Maguz when he became possessed by a Druuj entity named Bakbukh. The term they used for someone so possesed was Dregvant. This was the precautionary reason why everyone kept their masks and helmets on; Druuj had a well-known aversion toward such headgear as theirs.
Zœyh saluted her seven subordinates:
“Ave — knights of the secret symbol! What news from the mainland?”
Azozeoh answered:
“Ave — Banneret Zœyh and Zapphoh! I’m afraid that we bring bad tidings to your doorstep. Accompanied by a massive amalgam of Dregvant and Druuj, our former master Zymonh Maguz has rapidly made his way out of Turkmenz—across Mareh Kazpyuh — overrunning Anatolyuh. We have all done hard battle against these entropic forces from Pontz to Lydyuh, and everywhere in between. Our ranks are reduced by at least forty percent. What’s worse is that we’re sure that they’re on their way here even as we speak, since Zymonh Maguz still covets that which you hold in your hands, Milady. He told me as much before we fled Southward via Lykyuh.”
As Azozeoh said, upon Zœyh’s palms rested the colourless pearl, refracting the many colours about it. Thus its name was revealed to be no more than a mere misnomer. In any case, though nobody knew exactly what it was nor how it worked, this fetish had bewitched the Grand Master and converted him into a most formidable foe. Little did the Barbary Bards know that it still contained the greater part of Bakbukh’s evil essence within its prismatic confines. Presently, she thirsted for it with an unbridled ardour that drew Bakbukh ever closer to her precious pearl.
Banneret Zœyh assured Azozeoh:
“I’m counting on precisely that, my dear captain. Yet I’m also sorry to hear of your costly losses. It’s tempting to call back those mercenary troops posted on the shoreline, but they must serve as our primary defence while we bolster this base. Order your units to brace for an imminent invasion. We Bards will stand strong regardless of what nightmares may come!”
Despite or perhaps in spite of her rousing speech, the sky darkened then, wherefore Zapphoh ran up a ramp to ascend a watchtower. From there she shouted at them:
“Purple storm clouds taint the horizon for miles around — streaked with lightning flashes!”
Therefore Azozeoh added:
“Those aren’t ordinary clouds. The Druuj move en masse within them at extraordinary speed. In fact, they’ve arrived a lot sooner than even I anticipated. Nevertheless, the signal is sent, we’ll meet this doom head on!”
That was when whirlpool faced Ezrah interjected by enquiring of feline headed Elyoth in front of their gathering comrades, whom came filing from the barracks and bastions:
“What say you old friend? Shall we show these detestable dregs fear in a handful of dust?”
“Yes indeed good chum! Take thy turbine and demonstrate to them the point of maximum energy and greatest efficiency!”
Truly, Ezrah’s vortex mask appeared to colorize their surroundings as it swirled dynamically. And who better than Ezrah to raise morale? He turned over his Magick hour glass to buy them just a bit of extra time. Seeing and hearing this, their whole comprised corps raised a hearty:
Huzzah!
On a beachhead at Lymazz, the mercs were joined by another detachment led by Legate Lorkh. When Lorkh beheld the approaching brume, filled to brimming with baddies, he spoke to himself in Spanish:
“No duerme nadie por el cielo. Nadie, nadie. No duerme nadie…”
As they entered firing range, the legate relayed orders for heavy artillery to let loose. Their cannonade’s opening shots seemed only to be absorbed into the approaching mass, which loomed over them then quite menacingly. Within it they could now clearly see an undead horseman (who they knew was Brigadier Berlyoz, from an earlier campaign). Soon enough, the Dregvant version of Zymonh Maguz landed nearby, spreading lava wherever he stepped and backed by some particularly nasty Druuj.
Legate Lorkh and the others charged these otherworldly enemies with melee weapons in hand. They fought bravely but ’twas for naught. Although Lorkh’s crocodile helm repelled the Druuj, it was not so effective against any Dregvant hybrids. Brigadier Berlyoz fell upon Legate Lorkh and severed his head with a single deadly stroke!
Hence, the Barbary Bards’ defence of Kypruz was off to a rather ignominious start.
To Be Continued.
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