Tale of a Blackbird

Prologue

The city of Mala was on fire.

Burning bodies fell from the spire like cinders from a flaming chimney, a high tower dominating over the layered districts of the city spat out its inhabitants like shooting stars in the night sky. Screams, smoke, clashing of metal, it all wafted along the air current into the Clerics Palace, where he watched his plan unfurling with a smile. By now the last of the Black family would be cornered in the upper spire, being put to the sword, and soon the other eleven cities would know of their downfall.

Let them be afraid, they will all meet the same fate.

Master, a masked man announced himself. I have bad news.

What is it?

I’m afraid the Black heir wasn’t found among the bodies.

He turned on the masked man. "Then find him, find Maddox. Seal the port. Do not let him escape!"

Outside of the palace the army amassed and were soon to be sent down to slaughter all uprising citizens in the lower districts. In the lower districts the loyal citizens to the Black family had put all local officials to the sword and hung the bodies from the lampposts. Beyond the high walls that enclosed the city of Mala and to the south was a port, where a man and woman hidden in a crate were lifted and stowed away in the hold of a ship bound for the mainland. In the woman’s arms she cradled a bundle of rags that stirred, but the woman rocked the baby until it fell back to sleep. The ship cast off and waves rocked the sleeping child further, who dreamt of screaming shadows, safe in the arms of a woman who was not her mother.

The ship drifted away, leaving behind it a city without an identity. Leaving behind it a tower of death that had once been their home, with halls filled with corpses that had once been their family.

Mala was the past.

Days passed into weeks to months as the man and woman fled into the distant mountains, away from the clutches of their enemies. A house was built and became a home, where the child grew into a curious little girl who never shied away from the hard training placed upon her. Three years passed when the man received a piece of paper which arrived tied to the leg of a raven.

He left and never returned.

Chapter 1: The Unknown

Wake up, my little blackbird, a sing-song voice merrily called from the distance, making the boat rock and landscape fade. Her throat was parched, skin slick with sweat, but even though she realized it was a dream, Birdie struggled to keep hold of it, to make sense of it. But it was gone, like a shadowy room when the curtains are thrown open—which was just what happened. Bella pulled them aside and let the daylight flood in, making Birdie moan and block the light from her eyes with her hands.

Do you have to do that every morning, Bel? It’s my birthday, let me sleep! Birdie pulled the bedcovers back over her head and groaned as her aunt’s footsteps came closer.

And you think the evil in this world cares that it’s your birthday? Evil creatures, demons, it’s her birthday! Please wait until it’s a time more suitable. Get real—or more importantly—get dressed! A hand grabbed the blanket and Birdie kicked at it, but to no avail, as the blanket was ripped off and flung to the ground.

Birdie shielded her eyes by looking between her spread fingers, seeing if the blanket was a lost cause or not, but Bella had her hand on her hips, a sure giveaway. Birdie yawned and stretched, wiped the sleep from her eyes.

Come on, I let you sleep past sunrise. Get dressed and meet me outside. Bella turned and left the room, taking the blanket with her and opening the window for good measure.

Using the wash-basin in the corner, Birdie washed and dressed into her training clothes, tying her tousled hair back into a tight braid. In the main room of the cottage a steaming pot of porridge hung over the fire, which she ladled into a cup along with a spoonful of honey and brought outside with her.

The surrounding woods were alive with activity, birds chirruped from the trees as they swayed, creaking and knocking against each other. Bella stood by one of the workbenches by the woodshed, sharpening her knives. Birdie ate the porridge as they set off along the trail, walking adjacent to the river where a lone beaver was once again making repairs to the dam, and entered the treeline, passing by the archery range and coming to the Knife Tree.

It didn’t look anything like a knife, really, and was only called that due to the fact that it was a dead elm tree that they used for throwing blades at. It was situated just before a steep decline, and Birdie had spent many hours during her life searching those thorny bushes for misaimed weapons.

There were other trees they could have used. Hundreds, in fact. But that would be easy, and if there was one thing that Bella hated more than anything, it was doing things the easy way.

The first time Birdie had confronted her aunt over the Knife Tree’s location—or more correctly the scratches and stings gained from searching through those bloody bushes—the only answer she’d gotten was ‘It builds character’. Builds bloody calluses, more like.

You first, Bella said, putting her hands on her hips. Birdie took the three throwing knives from her belt and took position. They hit, the second just making the trunk.

Not bad, Bella said sucked her teeth. But you’ve been slacking lately. Try again.

Birdie pulled the blades out of the trunk and re-took her position, but hesitated.

Is something the matter? said Bella.

Birdie twirled the knife in her hand. You’ll never answer.

Questions, is it? Go on, it being your birthday and all.

I was dreaming of Maddox last night, his face was hazy after so long, in shadow. You know the dream I told you about before, when you fled in the boat? Bella nodded and Birdie closed her eyes, trying to bring it up in her mind’s eye. "But there was something else, before that. Something new, someone new."

Birdie peeked and saw Bella had lifted an eyebrow, a rare mark to show that she was intrigued.

"I didn’t see a face, but he was looking at the spire. It was there in my dream, just like in the books, and he was… happy. He was happy about the people being killed, about the people that were jumping out of the spire. He was responsible for their deaths, and he didn’t care."

I wouldn’t worry too much about it, Birdie. If it’s who I think it is, he’s a long way from us now.

You know him?

"I never knew him. But Nefaro was the ring-leader behind that night. He’d organized everything. I guess that must be who you’re seeing."

Birdie didn’t like the thought of the murderer of her family infiltrating her dreams.

They remained throwing knives for an hour before moving on to archery. An hour later they went back to the cottage and Bella dished out Birdie’s favourite, trailhead soup. After she’d devoured three bowls of the spicy soup, Birdie didn’t have to wash up and had a nap beside the fire.

She dreamed of tree-sized bushes that kept chasing her around the house, throwing knives at her.

Upon awaking, the fire was almost out and Birdie put a few logs onto the dying embers. Bella wasn’t anywhere in or outside the cottage. Birdie noticed a package on the workbench outside. Picking it up, she read Bella’s note on the parchment.

Happy sixteenth birthday, little Blackbird.

Birdie untied the ribbon and opened it.

Inside was a beautifully hand-crafted knife, with a hickory handle and polished steel blade. A bird had been carved into the hilt, which had been painted in a midnight black. While Birdie wasn’t one-tenth as good at forging weapons as Bella—and that was being generous—she had been painstakingly put through the basic lessons, and at least could respect the time and effort the woman had put into her gift.

After checking outside for her aunt and finding a note by the woodpile it read ‘patrolling area’. Birdie decided to go fishing. Shouldering her rod, she set off down the path and followed the river until it joined a larger one.

It was unusual for her not to be on patrol with her aunt. Birdie often patrolled the south and eastern boundaries. Not many people ventured this deep into the forest, so far from civilisation, but Birdie knew they were still being hunted.

She felt a small bit guilty about shirking her duties, even if it was her birthday. But with the sun shining down on her face and the river gurgling by, the smell of fresh grass strong in her nose and the anticipation of catching a fish, she wasn’t complaining.

Birdie sat by her favourite spot near the moss-covered boulders, and was about to cast, when something caught her eye. Not fifty paces downriver she found torn clothing, with blood stains covering the fabric, and more blood drops led away from the river and into the trees.

It looked like it was from her aunt’s clothing.

Following the blood trail into the trees, a figure sat slumped against a pile of rocks. Birdie couldn’t see its face, the figure facing away from her; only a bloodied hand that lay limp by its side. Steeling herself, she walked around to get a better look.

It was a man.

He had short cropped hair turned scarlet from the two gashes running down his scalp and forehead. Two familiar throwing knives stuck out from his chest, one of which looked like it had pierced his lung. She picked up a stick and poked him. Feeling braver, Birdie held a hand in front of his mouth. Not breathing, so she checked his pulse. Dead.

Birdie left the corpse and searched the area, finding another trail of blood that led away from the river. She found her aunt’s body crumpled by a dead-fallen tree, its bark all rotted and covered in a sickly black fungus that smelled of puss. Her clothing had been ripped open, revealing her chest, and scratch marks covered her upper torso, neck and arms. Birdie’s hands shook as she reached down to check her aunt’s pulse.

Thank the Gods, you’re alive, cried Birdie, as Bella gave a choking cough, spitting out a mouthful of bloody spit.

Birdie, is that you? Don’t… Don’t touch the man. He… He’s diseased. Don’t touch him, or you’ll get it too. Bella cracked open one bruised eye, registering the panic rising in Birdie’s face. Birdie frantically wiped her hand that’d touched the man on a moss-covered tree.

You touched him? Birdie nodded and Bella let her head drop. Shit-balls.

* * *

On entering her aunt’s room, the stench made Birdie gag. The incense did little to cover the putrid odour that crept over her aunt, like maggots to decay. For days now Bella’s skin had been breaking out with more of the white spots. They ran down her neck and chest, leaking puss onto the stained sheets. Old spots were now surrounded with a dark and peeling rash, veins turned green and swollen, lips a dark, dry grey. For some reason the disease had not stricken Birdie ill, yet. It could only be a matter of time.

Steeling herself, Birdie soaked the cloth in a bucket of water and wet Bella’s forehead, then threw the rag into the bucket and picked up the bowl. Bella, I’ve made soup.

After some time, Bella’s eyes opened. Blackbird? her voice was weak and croaking, like the toads by the river. Eyes dark shadows, sunken and tired.

Yes aunt, I’m here. You need to eat some soup. You’ll feel better, I promise.

There’s no time. You need to leave, before I fall back to sleep. They’re coming, he was only a scout.

"Bella, you’re ill. It’s the fever. It will get better if you please just eat some of this s—"

A high-pitched scream cut off her pleading, it echoed through the woods outside. Bella grabbed Birdie’s hand, nails digging into her flesh. Get to the woods. Don’t look back!

Come with me. We can make it out together.

No, I’d only slow you down. Look for Maddox… in Mala. Don’t trust anyone. Take this... As Bella took off her necklace and handed it to Birdie, she began to cough a black froth that drooled down her chin. Go, she rasped. Run!

I’m not leaving! I’m not!

But Bella pushed her away, still stronger even in her weakened state. Bella stumbled out of bed, forcing Birdie from the room, banging the door shut. Birdie tried to push the door open, but it didn’t budge. She slipped the necklace over her head and ran from the room, deciding to get outside and see what was happening. The walls passed by in a blur, and as she left the cottage another scream echoed through the surrounding dark forest.

It sounded closer.

Her foot tripped on something and she tumbled into the log-pile in front of the woodshed.

Run, Bella screamed from inside the cottage. Don’t look back!

Birdie saw lights deep in the forest. She ran across the open meadow, away from the lights. Another scream pierced the night, making Birdie look back instinctively, and her foot caught on a mound of grass. The ground went tumbling over, grass-blades filling her mouth and blocking out the curses dribbling from her lips.

Silhouettes appeared behind the cottage, moving between the trees, holding torches. Hundreds of popping sounds echoed through the clearing, as if the trees were possessed—as if they had come to life and were slowly moving, creeping closer.

Her legs felt like giving way as she wobbled on, but she made it to the edge of the clearing. Hiding behind a tree, she looked back, seeing the figures move closer to the cottage, seeing the torches they held thrown onto her home and its thatched roof catching light instantly.

Birdie turned away and wiped her eyes, held her hands over her ears, trying to block out the distant screams of her aunt. She took a step forward, leaving everything she had ever cared for and loved behind.

The shadows of the forest hugged her in a dark embrace as she fled into the unknown.

* * *

Birdie awoke from the nightmare drenched, her fingers digging into something hard.

In her nightmare Bella had been lying on her bed covered in flames and men’s faces smiled and jeered at her cries for help. It took Birdie a moment to recall where she was. Another moment to realise it hadn’t been a nightmare at all.

It had been all too real.

Pressed up against a tree, sap streaked across her face and hands. A small grey squirrel on a nearby branch looked at her curiously, before fleeing as she began climbing down. The days gone by since fleeing her home were a series of blurred memories. Hunger was a numb sensation in her gut, overshadowed by fear, senses numbed by shock and cold.

The years spent training with Bella had saved her, her body purely moving through instinct. Those winter nights spent avoiding her aunt’s detection had sharpened her eyes and ears, kept her alert to shadows not belonging to the forest.

Birdie came to the first marker, a birch tree with a broken branch, followed its direction, then hours later a small pile of rocks built like an arrow. The wind occasionally carried sounds through the trees; sounds not of the forest and that had no place in them. Smells of acrid smoke stung at her nose, cries from far off, and once she’d caught the stench of sweat, but had given its owner a wide berth. Her step was light and gaze watchful as a white deer of the north.

Bella had always told her that when you thought you were safe, that was when the enemy would get you.

The words stung at her heart. She remembered the necklace and checked if it was still there, which it was. Birdie tucked it away as she walked into a clearing and approached the ancient willow tree at its centre.

In her younger days she had spent many days out here climbing the old tree. A squat mossy wall ran up and over a hill beyond it. She sat down by the willow tree, taking her boots off and squeezing the damp from her socks. She grunted as she tore fabric from her soggy pant leg to wrap her blistering feet with.

Boots and socks back on, Birdie stood up and took a long look at the tree, running her fingers over where they’d both carved the letter B. She stopped beside it, felt the worn grooves beneath her fingers, felt the pendant’s cold surface pressing against her skin, and with a last lingering glance behind her, she left the tree behind, following the wall up the hill.

The old trail that marked as far as her and Bella had ever gone came to an end far too soon, passing out through a tangle of trees and bush. It crossed a ditch and opened out onto a dirt road. The sign which was supposed to give her directions had been burned, but she needed to go west, or was it east?

Shit-balls.

Focus.

Birdie shivered as Bella’s voice floated through her mind, as if she was still there with her. Checking the sky, Birdie made sure the directions were correct, then placed her foot to the edge of the road, aware that with one more step she would be leaving the safe circle she had spent her entire life in. Her hands shook.

What lay ahead of her? Would she be better off staying at the wrecked cottage, and try to rebuild?

But there was no turning back. Not now.

Not ever.

The path didn’t give way beneath her boot, and the road didn’t open up and swallow her whole. It also had no fresh tracks, which was always a good sign. Routes around their home were scarcely used as the woods were believed to be haunted. A legend created by Bella’s relentless harassing of any traders who used to pass through the area.

But were they just stories? Those things last night had to be spirits, demons even.

Get yourself together, Birdie, she chided. There’s no such thing as spirits or demons, or magic for that matter. It was lies people tell little children to scare them to bed, and you’re not a child, so stop filling you mind with absolute...

Birdie stopped walking. She had smelled something just then, something burning. Smoke from a fire, or somebody cooking in a house, perhaps? Further down the path, she saw a smoke column rising above the trees and decided to leave the path, instead creeping through the trees. Through the gaps, across the clearing, was a smouldering village. Birdie began moving around the clearing, from one tree to the next, being as quiet as possible. There were no signs of life; not even a farm animal called out from the ghostly sight.

At the other side of the village, she crouched in some thick ferns and was about to walk into the clearing to get a closer look, when a hand grabbed her from behind and pulled her back down to the ground. Another hand covered her mouth before she could scream.

Keep quiet or I’ll cut your throat, hissed a voice close to her ear. Birdie looked up at the figure kneeling over her. Two bright blue eyes shone from a woman’s face covered in mud. Her hair was braided and caked in mud also. The woman put her finger against Birdie’s lips before taking her hand away. They might still be around, whispered the woman, standing.

Who? Birdie sat up slowly, rubbing her neck, also noting that the knife was still very close.

Who do you think? the woman jabbed her knife at the village. Lie down. If I hear you moving… The woman held up the knife, so Birdie nodded, lying down amongst the thick ferns. The woman disappeared from view, her faint footsteps quickly fading.

Minutes passed. Come on, Birdie whispered. Drops of light rain fell, increasing to fat beads, dripping into her eyes, sticking her tangled hair to her scalp all the more. More silence, her heartbeat the only companion in the world. It drummed in her ears as the moments stretched out.

The sound of a breaking twig came from behind her. Birdie froze as she felt something tug on her foot and a man’s voice growled something unrecognisable. Birdie could only give a pathetic squeak as she felt a hand grab her leg and was dragged out of the ferns.

A man built like a bear had three scars running down over one discoloured eye, yellow teeth revealed as he frowned down at her. The man spoke again in a language she didn’t understand. He looked around and smiled as he settled his gaze back on her. He pulled out a jagged, badly forged knife from inside his fur coat and whispered something.

Birdie tried to push herself away from him, snatching at the ferns and grass for something sharp or heavy to use as a weapon, cursing herself for leaving her knife behind in the cottage. He snatched up a short coil of rope from his belt, pulled loose the knot, and tried to grab her leg again. She kicked it away, but the man growled and lurched at her, punching her into the ribs, folding her up like a blanket. He’d the rope slipped over her ankle and tightened in a heartbeat, and she was still trying to suck in air as he pulled her along the forest floor, sliding over rocks, sharp thorns which scratched at her arms and neck.

No, get off! Birdie croaked, searching for something to use as a weapon, but all her fingers found were grassy clumps and edges of embedded rocks that wouldn’t give way. She managed to slip her arms around the end of a fallen log. He tugged on the rope, making her leg burn with the tension. As she blinked up at him, Birdie couldn’t help the fear that rose in her. It bubbled up and clawed its way out of her throat in a whimper.

The man smiled wider.

She kicked her legs at him as he closed the distance between them. Get the fuck away from me! she screamed, aiming a kick at his groin, but he blocked it with his leg, returning a kick into her gut, making her gag and curl up once more.

The man laughed as he pulled away her arms, putting the knife’s tip against her cheek. The world spun then as he pounced on top of her, forcing the air from her lungs like a bellows. He backhanded her into the face with his free hand. Its sting was unnatural, turning the world above her into a spinning chaos of colour. As he pressed the knife’s point into the hollow of her collarbone, she could feel blood trickling down the side of her neck. He grabbed her by the hair and went to cut the fabric of her tunic, when a voice spoke from behind him. The man glanced back and stood up.

Air felt like icy shards as it rushed back into her lungs. She tried to push herself up, to get away, but her legs were too weak and she just collapsed onto the log. Using it for support, Birdie crawled away from the man and spat out bloody spit and lumps of dirt. Strange voices were speaking in that piggish language, but she didn’t care. All that mattered right now was getting away.

Birdie stopped crawling.

One of the voices was familiar.

Looking back, the woman with the mud on her face smiled, pointing around at the woods, then at Birdie. The man laughed and slid his knife into his belt, rubbing his hands together before glancing back at Birdie and nodding, thumbing his chest. There was an easy expression on his face as he spat into his hand and offered it to the woman. After they released hands, he moved towards Birdie.

Her breath heaved in her chest as they moved closer, the man sliding out his knife once more, lips cracking to reveal rotted teeth. They were both on the same side. She was going to die.

He reached out for her with dirt-caked fingernails, jagged blade getting closer, and then there was a swishing sound. His eyes bulged as the sword sliced through the flesh and bone of his neck, ripping tendons like fishing line, and his head went spinning up into the air, landing with a horrible squelching sound, rolling along the forest floor and coming to a rest beside Birdie.

The eyes were still rolling, lips twitching. Streams of blood spurted out from the gaping wound where his head had been, turning everything in its immediate vicinity red, which included Birdie. His decapitated body stabbed at empty air, but thankfully with limp arms which widely missed anything and she jumped back.

The body dropped to its knees. Blood spurted up from the gaping hole once more in a final jet. The woman kicked the body onto the ground, lifted her sword and drove it through the man’s back, piercing the heart and stilling the twitches.

Birdie vomited, getting it all down the front of her clothes and her filthy boots.

The woman pulled her blade free and kicked the man's corpse. Fuckin’ pigs, she growled, and then looked down at Birdie. You OK?

You’re not with them? Birdie wiped her mouth with her sleeve, allowing herself a small shiver.

No, I’m not.

You’re not going to kill me?

Maybe, maybe not. The woman spat onto the man’s corpse. Damn animals, surprised they don’t bleed shit. The woman leaned down and cleaned her sword on the man’s clothes.

W-Who are you?

The woman ignored her. You live ‘round here?

My house was… was burned, like the village. My aunt… she’s… Birdie couldn’t say the words.

The woman nodded. We need to move. You fall behind, I won’t wait. Put these on. The woman tossed her the man’s boots and a cloak from his pack, both of which were too big, but mercifully dry. Birdie didn’t complain about the smell.

The woman nodded once more and wiped her nose. Well, I guess you’d best stick with me then, ‘til we get to an outpost at least. She walked away into the woods, not looking back. Birdie checked that she was out of view, before kneeling down and taking the dead man’s knife. She cleaned it on him, and then spat onto the corpse for good measure, before turning and chasing after the woman.

Chapter 2: Clerics and Schemes

Kassova Kye fingered through the reports on his desk and smoothed back his long, oiled hair with his other hand. He looked back up from the desk, to the man standing on the far side of it. Only the man’s eyes were visible, the rest hidden behind a black mask, its bird-like beak pointing down in a curve almost touching its chin. A thick black cloak hid the man’s many weapons, which had clinked somewhat noisily as he had entered the room.

Kye hated the Masked Lodge, bunch of bloated up bodyguards, the lot of them.

But then, Kassova Kye hated everyone.

You were saying, major…? Kye managed in getting his tone of voice perfect, one-half terminal boredom and the other half icy contempt. The Kye special.

It’s Moore and I said we need more men and powder in the eastern portcullis. You know how explosive the damn stuff is, keeps going off. If we’re attacked without it the fire-pipes on the walls won’t do a thing to save us. We could also use some more grunts for repairs, but His Supreme and the ministry have ignored any of our requests.

Kye stood up, sweeping around the table and moving closer to the officer, giving him a flash of his metal teeth. Say that again, would you?

We need men. We’re undermanned, there’s no way—

The slap echoed off the marble walls, and as the officer stumbled away from being backhanded, he covered his face with a gloved hand. The mask had been pushed askew and revealed heavily scarred flesh beneath.

Kye pointed a finger at the soldier. "You need what His Supreme tells you, and that’s to hold fast and make do with what you have. Come here again begging for resources and I’ll have your body rotting on the eastern ramparts as a reminder to your men. Now get out of my sight!"

The soldier fixed his mask, saluted and moved to exit the room.

Wait! called Kye, clicking his fingers, making Vines—who had been silently standing in the corner for the past few minutes, now put an arm against the door. "I have an idea. Yes, Major Moore, I’m feeling generous today, quite generous. You have one month to use whatever resources you can gather together. Let’s call it a trial run. I’ll give you permission to begin taxing the refugees in the eastern valley. Call it… a Life-Levy, if you will. Any who can’t or won’t pay can join the army or leave, let them fester outside our protection in fear.

Before one month’s time, major, I’ll send someone to inspect your progress. Any and all refugees who are drafted will be given basic training and armed, all supervised and supplied by you and your officers.

Moore nodded and saluted once more. Vines opened the door for the man and slammed it shut behind him, making the torches flutter in their brackets. Once back behind his desk, Kye eyed the pile of papers.

Reports, reports, reports. The twelve rings of the underworld are filled with reports, surely.

Scanning through them, they were mostly supply orders, receipts. Though a thin metal vial had been sent from one of