Book of Venoms - 20. Battle of Diamond Dunes

“Mammoth Wasp: As can be surmised from its name, this is by far the largest species of wasps, reaching the size of a crow. Due to their size, their buzzing can be heard from very long distances, giving people - and animals - enough time to find shelter before these flying monstrosities reach them.

Although these wasps are massive in size, their venom is not deadly. However, it should not be taken lightly, as it is able to inflict moderate to severe pain even in larger animals and humans. There is one side effect of this venom, which has not been studied enough - after the initial pain and shock subside, the victim experiences random bursts of speed and is able to move several times faster than the average person.”

--

“How did you come to know Macarius?” Dymia asked as she took another spoonful of the warm vegetable stew the healer cooked for them.

Parthus chuckled, shaking his head at the question. He poured them both some water from a large ceramic jug before sitting down at the kitchen table across from the girl.

“It was years ago, but it feels like yesterday,” the old man said as he began to reminisce. “He appeared at my door one day, asking for my services. Said he’d heard I was the best healer around and that he needed my urgent help. Apparently, his son had injured himself while playing. I remember looking around, expecting to see the boy, but the man came alone. He told me to grab the things I needed and the next thing I knew, I was being sucked in by this magical vortex. My hair nearly turned gray that very moment!”

“Good to see he hasn’t changed one bit,” Dymia pursed her lips, a small smile escaping her. “He is still taking people against their will.”

“You too?” the healer asked, not at all doubting the girl’s words. That sounded exactly like the Macarius he knew.

“Yes, me and a few others.”

“May I ask why?”

“He needed to make an antidote for his son, and I’m a shifter. Assassin Wasp,” the girl explained.

“Quite right, when he needs something, he will do whatever it takes,” Parthus said. “Surprisingly or not, he is far from the most difficult patient I have had to deal with. True, he practically abducted me that first time, but he also brought me back and rewarded me handsomely. Every time after that, I went of my own free will.”

“So what you’re trying to tell me is that he is not dangerous, just eccentric?”

“Oh, no, he is very dangerous,” the healer raised a finger. “A powerful sorcerer like him - how could he not be? But that is only if you cross him. He is eccentric, however, there’s no doubt about that. As far as I’ve seen, he practically lives in his own world, isolated from others, where he can do whatever he wants. That is bound to make anyone… shall we say peculiar?”

Dymia sat quietly and pondered the healer’s words. She was still unsure where she stood with Macarius. She went from fearing him, to not trusting him, to feeling sorry for the man. And now there she was helping him, nursing him back to health. Was she crazy or just gullible for doing that? She wasn’t sure, but her conscience didn’t allow her to leave him just yet.

If Xaviel was indeed responsible for Macarius’ condition, then maybe the boy was the real monster, not the father?

“And what of his son? How well do you know him?” she finally asked.

“Not that well, I’m afraid. I only saw him on the few occasions Macarius brought me over there to give them therapy. He seemed like a curious, intelligent boy, but it was clear even to me that Macarius was overprotective of him. I remember one time, he returned from one of his trips to the north, ill with some kind of fever. He locked Xaviel in his room and placed protective wards all over it, not allowing the little boy to leave, even to eat. Instead, he would magically conjure food into his room. It was only a week later, when he got better, than he finally let the boy out.”

“Do you think Xaviel could’ve really done it?”

“I shudder to even think so. All I can say is that nothing truly surprises me anymore,” Parthus replied, absentmindedly scratching his beard. “I do wonder…”

“What?” the shifter girl asked.

“Just how did the old man survive?”

After the meal and refreshments, the healer went to receive a new patient who had just arrived. Meanwhile, Dymia returned to the back room. She picked up the small dish with the healing salve and went over to the bed where Macarius was still sleeping. Even though the wound on his abdomen seemed all but healed, a large scar still remained. The girl took some of the healing mixture in her fingers and gently applied it to the wounded area, slowly rubbing it in.

“Well, I did as you asked. I found Parthus and he did his thing,” she muttered as she tended to his wound. “Now if you don’t make it…”

“Don’t rejoice just yet,” a familiar voice interrupted her, causing her to freeze. She looked up to see the sorcerer’s eyes slowly opening. He coughed and looked at her, barely raising his head from the pillow. “I shall not go down that easily,” he added weakly and the girl felt a wave of relief wash over her.

~~

The sounds of battle drums echoed through the desert as the Mataki pressed forward, approaching the Citadel of Bone under the light of the moon. Chieftain Kotho, his wife Letha and two generals, Dakon and Atepa, were on the front line, leading the tribe. Ercil and his lover Magana followed close behind, while Jarin, Sawyer and the twins walked in the back, surrounded by four men who watched their every move. There was no chance for Castor or Jarin to shift without being immediately noticed.

“Now what?” Castor whispered, glancing at his three companions. “If we try anything, we’re as good as dead.”

“We just have to be patient and wait for our opportunity,” Cyr said, eyeing the tribe members around him. “Sawyer, see that guy on the left, with the eyepatch? He’s got your wand,” the boy added, leaning over to Sawyer.

“Hey, quiet there! If I see you plotting anything, you get a spear to the gut! Orders from the chieftain,” one of the Mataki men walking behind them warned the boys.

“We know, we’re not dumb,” Jarin replied, glancing at the man with disgust. They were all so quick to obey whatever Kotho asked of them, as if they had no brains of their own. Did none of them question the chieftain’s orders from time to time? It was something that always annoyed the scorpion shifter to no end, making him realize the tribe life was not for him. Now there he was, sucked into another conflict that would only end in more bloodshed. At least this time he was not alone - he actually had friends who were willing to fight for him and protect him. That thought made him feel a little better as he unwillingly marched on.

The mighty Citadel stood far ahead of them, but the Mataki were inching closer toward it, driven by desire to conquer. As they approached it, the tribe’s chanting and battlecries became louder and louder, almost reaching a frenzy. In front of the pack, Chieftain Kotho relished the battle atmosphere and the feeling of glory that was within his grasp. All he had to do was defeat Macarius.

Finally, the chieftain stopped and turned to his tribe, raising his giant axe in the air. He only used it by day, since at night he preferred to fight in his animal form. He loved letting his primal instincts take over and letting the animal within him come to the surface.

“Mataki! Brothers and sisters! Here we are, one step away from glory! The Citadel falls tonight and nothing can stop us, not when the Gods and our ancestors are with us, guiding our weapons!”

As Kotho yelled the words, the tribe cheered loudly in support, raising their weapons in the air and waving them fiercely. Standing in the back, Castor observed the whole scene in shock, wondering how no one got hurt. He glanced at Jarin and saw him shake his head, unimpressed with his father’s speech.

“Are you ready to fight?!”

The crowd cheered ‘yes’ in unison, spurred by Kotho’s question.

“Are you ready to conquer?!”

Another resounding ‘yes’ erupted as all tribe members yelled out, full of adrenaline.

All of them, that is, except Vaunga. The old shaman observed the chieftain with a sly smile, standing near the back. Old and frail, she was nowhere close to being a warrior. However, if her plan succeeded, she would not need to fight in order to win. As she looked around, her eyes found Ercil’s and she smirked at him, unable to hide the smug satisfaction that she felt at that moment. So close and she would have her revenge...

Furious with the shaman, Ercil waited for Kotho to stop speaking before approaching him, glancing at Vaunga on his way over.

“Father! Do you still trust the shaman? How do we know her ritual will work? We have never faced a foe like this before! We know how to handle enemies who fight with spears and axes, not sorcery! Are you truly willing to risk everyone’s lives here?” Ercil asked, loud enough for everyone to hear. He then looked at Letha, seeking approval. “Mother, you believe me at least?!”

“I do,” Letha replied confidently, disregarding Kotho’s silence.

Hearing murmurs in the crowd and seeing insecurity on the faces of some people, Kotho knew he had to do something. This was not the moment for them to start doubting their goal. They had to strike at once.

“Enough!” the chieftain’s voice boomed out and one by one, everyone went silent. “I know none of you are cowards. Most of you have proven your valor in battle many times. But it is true that today we face a different kind of enemy. That is why we’ll send one of our prisoners out front, to see if the sorcerer’s magic will have any effect on him.”

Suddenly, all eyes were on the four boys in the back, standing stunned and glaring at each other and the menacing eyes of the Mataki people staring them down.

“Jarin,” Kotho announced, looking at the boy he once considered his son. “You have the honor of choosing one of your companions for this task.”

The boy’s face was red with anger. He wanted to scream at his father, tell him that he is a bastard and that he hoped he would get slaughtered, but he knew better than to provoke him any further. He wished he could shift and sting Kotho, killing him with his scorpion venom, but if he made just one wrong move, his friends could end up dead.

Instead, Jarin looked at his three friends, not knowing what to say.

As Sawyer finally opened his mouth to say something, Castor interrupted him, giving them all a knowing look. That was more than enough for Jarin to realize what he needed to do.

“Speak! Who do you choose?!” Kotho asked impatiently.

Pretending to be struggling with his decision, Jarin finally pointed at Castor. As the snake shifter stepped forward, Jarin looked at him sadly.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, squeezing Castor’s shoulder before letting him pass.

“That’s alright, I understand,” the other boy replied, looking to be at the verge of tears. Without another word, he walked past the tribe before coming to stand before Kotho and Letha.

“Very well,” Kotho said as he took one look at Castor. “We march on!” he let out a shout, signaling for the tribe to follow.

The Mataki thus started the final leg of their journey, with Castor walking far in front of everyone else. The boy’s heart pounded wildly as he marched on, not daring to look back. The Citadel was growing in front of them and they would reach it any minute now, Xaviel likely waiting for them. He would be ready, Castor thought, knowing the cruel boy was already capable of cold-blooded murder.

As he looked at the ominous building ahead of him, Castor could do nothing but think of his friends and family. He prayed silently to the Gods to keep Cyr, Sawyer and Jarin safe, to let them return home to their families. How he missed his parents and yearned to see them again! If he somehow survived this and returned home, he would make sure to tell them how much he loved them. He would never complain about farm work or fight with Cyr ever again! And maybe he would even ask his parents to let him accompany Sawyer to Alduin. If Esthor and Rulf were indeed teaching children about shifting, he would want to be a part of that! After everything he went through, maybe he’d be able to contribute something. Maybe there are other children who are venomous shifters just like him, afraid to use their animal form so they wouldn’t hurt anyone. He would be able to give them advice and help them.

Thinking about the future made Castor feel hopeful again, if just for a moment, until he returned to reality and realized they had arrived at their destination. Once again, he found himself in front of the fortress he had only recently escaped. Behind him, everyone stopped and went silent, looking at the sorcerer’s fortress in awe.

“Macarius! Surrender and we shall let you live!” Kotho roared at the top of his lungs. “Oppose us - and be destroyed!”

He looked at the Citadel that was his to conquer. His blood burned with desire for battle. Tonight, he would become the greatest Mataki chieftain who ever lived.

The chieftain’s dark eyes were fixed on the grand wooden door of the building, waiting for them to open.

Finally, a creaking noise could be heard and everyone went silent once again, observing the door opening. However, instead of the tall figure of the infamous old sorcerer, a small boy who looked no older than eighteen appeared. As usual, his long, black hair was in dreadlocks, tied together in the back, while his dark purple robe looked almost black in the moonlight.

As soon as he saw the boy, Ercil realized Jarin was telling the truth - Macarius must have been dead and that boy was his son!

“Go back inside, little boy, and fetch your father! Or is he too much of a coward to face us?” the Mataki chieftain spoke mockingly.

With just a hint of a smile on his thin lips, Xaviel stood silently, his gaze falling on the person closest to him - Castor.

“You again,” he finally spoke, giving Castor a smirk, before looking up at Kotho and the people rallied behind him. “I’m afraid my father is absent. I assume you’re the leader of this… pathetic gathering?”

With hatred in his eyes, Kotho let out a low growl, eyeing Xaviel as if he wanted to devour him.

“I am the chieftain of the Mataki!”

“Then I would advise you to take your people and return whence you came, unless you all wish to die,” the boy warned, his lips spreading into the evil smile Castor had grown to fear and hate.

“You were warned, little boy. Now you and your father will die,” Kotho threatened, taking a step forward while the sound of weapons being drawn filled the air.

“Very well. Sentinels, attack!” Xaviel shouted, raising his arm in the air. “Start with this one!” he added, pointing at Castor.

Everyone looked up as the four seemingly ordinary statues sprang to life and rose from their towers. Spreading their wings, the gargoyles focused on Castor, swooping down to grab him. At the last moment, the boy shifted into a snake and burrowed into the sand, slithering back toward where his friends were.

“Illusions won’t save you against us!” Kotho growled as he swung an axe high, ready to knock down a gargoyle. However, the creature evaded it, lifting himself high into the air.

The Citadel grounds quickly turned into a battlefield as the four stone creatures flew over the tribe, looking who to attack first. The screams and warcries echoed in the night as the Mataki swung their sabres and threw their javelins, trying to get a lucky hit on one of the elusive fliers. The less brave ones - including Vaunga - scrambled away from the magical creations, running for their lives. Having almost no knowledge of magic, they believed all of it to be evil, and the hideous faces of gargoyles were certainly doing nothing to convince them otherwise.

One of them swooped down and grabbed an unlucky Mataki warrior with its concrete talons, lifting him high up in the air. It tore the man’s body to shreds before dropping him down to the ground, to the shock and horror of others.

“That is not an illusion!” General Dakon shouted as he retreated, trying to avoid getting caught. Before he could get away, another gargoyle snatched him up, eviscerating him on the spot.

With the attention off of them, the boys knew they had no time to lose. Jarin quickly shifted into a scorpion, the ropes tying his hands dropping to the ground. With surprising speed, he moved over to the warrior wearing an eyepatch and stung him in the foot, delivering a deadly dose of venom. The man screamed in pain and dropped to the ground, feeling as if his body was on fire. The pain didn’t last long, and within seconds, he was dead.

Shifting back, Jarin grabbed the man’s sabre, along with Sawyer’s wand that was safely tucked in the man’s belt.

“Traitor!” shouted another Mataki warrior as he came from behind, about to swing his axe at Jarin. Just then, Castor sprung out from the sand in his snake form, biting the man in the arm before he had a chance to react. Almost instantly, the man dropped down, drawing his last breath.

“Gods, forgive me,” Castor whispered as he shifted back and looked at the dead warrior lying in front of him.

“We’ll mourn them later,” Jarin shouted, grabbing the dead man’s axe. “Come on, let’s free the other guys.”

Together, Castor and he made quick work of the ropes that tied Cyr’s and Sawyer’s hands.

“This is yours,” Jarin said, handing the magic wand to Sawyer. The young sorcerer beamed as he grabbed his wand and then rushed to hug his boyfriend. Castor eagerly returned the hug, squeezing him tight.

“No time for that now,” Cyr interrupted them, pulling Castor by the arm. “Let’s flee, we don’t need to risk our lives anymore,” he added, but several Mataki warriors rushed toward them, not letting them leave.

“You asked for it!” Sawyer spoke as he pointed his wand at a Mataki member, firing a green beam at him. The man barely raised his arm when he found himself enveloped by thorny vines that started strangling him.

Suddenly, a piercing wail broke through the air, causing everyone to stop and look in its direction. The Mataki could hardly believe their eyes as they saw a giant winged snake with a scorpion tail taking flight and hovering in the air in front of the Citadel.

“Gods, what is that?!”

“This is demonic!”

Cries came from different directions as people fled from the monstrosity, while still trying to fend off the gargoyles. One of the stone creatures had finally been brought down, one of his wings smashed to pieces, but the other three evaded capture.

Ignoring the battle behind him and focusing on Xaviel, Chieftain Kotho shifted into his animal form. Transformed into a giant black spider, he fearlessly charged toward the flying snake, wanting nothing more than to bring it down and kill it. With the agility of a panther, the spider leaped forward but the snake flew to the side, evading its attacker.

As soon Kotho’s eight legs touched the ground, Xaviel slammed into him with his massive scorpion tail, causing the spider to tumble backwards. The arachnid wasted no time - it got back on its feet and locked eyes with the snake, which rose into the air and hissed at him, revealing its sharp fangs.

Every time Kotho would rush toward the snake or jump at it, the creature would just fly out of reach, staying elusive. The chieftain realized this was going to be a much more difficult battle than he had anticipated. The snake was simply much more mobile than him and he couldn’t catch it that easily. He would have to wait for it to come to him.

Changing his strategy, the chieftain now focused on bringing down one of the gargoyles. He rushed over to Letha, Ercil and Magana, who tried their best to keep one of the stone creatures busy by throwing javelins at him. Kotho then leapt into the air, aiming straight for the gargoyle. Hitting it with his massive body, he brought him down to the ground and landed on top of him, keeping him in place. Ercil immediately rushed over, smashing the creature’s head with a hammer.

“Look out!” Magana suddenly shouted, pulling Ercil toward her just in time to save him from an arrow headed in his direction.

“Thank you, love,’ Ercil panted as he rushed away with Magana. “Who was that?” He looked around but couldn’t tell where the archer who attacked him was. No one in the Mataki tribe used bows, that much he knew, so it had to have been someone else. However, he didn’t have much time to think, as another gargoyle came down on him, trying to grab him.

As his minions kept terrorizing the tribe, Xaviel focused on the chieftain, wanting to dispose of the giant spider. He flew over, trying to stay out of range of the Mataki javelins, and hissed at Kotho, trying to get his attention. It was exactly what the chieftain wanted.

Realizing the creature had taken his bait, Kotho pretended not to notice it. He waited until the winged snake plunged down toward him, and then swiftly turned and leapt at it, toppling it down to the ground. Without hesitation, the spider sunk its teeth into the snake, injecting it with its deadly venom while the creature struggled to break free.

With one final twitch, the snake slumped against the ground and the spider finally pulled its fangs out of the creature’s flesh. Feeling on top of the world, the chieftain shifted back into his human form, letting out a triumphant roar. He was victorious! Unstoppable!

“Nothing can stop the Ma-”

All of a sudden, Kotho’s eyes went wide as he felt a sting in his leg. The pain was excruciating, as the most powerful venom known to man started coursing through his body. As he turned his head, the last thing he saw was the menacing winged snake flying in the air behind him, the stinger of its scorpion tail buried in his leg.

Unaffected by Kotho’s spider venom, Xaviel delivered his deadly dose before pulling out the stinger, watching the lifeless body of the Mataki leader fall to the ground with a thud.

The chieftain was dead.

Those who were in the front stood stunned by the scene before them, unable to act for a brief moment. However, Letha quickly returned to her senses. Her eyes went from Kotho’s dead body lying on the ground to the monster in the air, flying above the chieftain’s corpse, as if taunting anyone to come closer and be the next victim.

Without hesitation, she rushed forward and threw a javelin at him, its sharp, pointy tip hitting the snake’s body. With a hiss, Xaviel faltered for a moment, almost falling to the ground. He was immune to toxins, but not to physical injury. And this one hurt like hell!

“You bitch!” a scream came from above, as another arrow flew down.

Up on the tower window, Cassandra had been standing hidden in the shadows with a bow in her hands. This time, however, she did not miss.

Without even realizing what hit her, Letha fell to her knees, only then looking down to see her bloody stomach and an arrow sticking out of it. With ragged breaths, she fell on her side.

“NO! Mom!” Ercil yelled as he saw his mother get hit. For the next few moments, he didn’t know what he was doing, as if he couldn’t control his body. Going through the motions, he rushed to Letha’s side, kneeling down and grabbing her arm. Her wide-eyed face was stained with tears as she saw her boy and tried to squeeze his hand with the last morsel of strength inside her. And then, she closed her eyes and let go.

Ercil wept beside his mother, feeling his heart breaking and the hole inside his stomach growing larger by the second. The rest of the Mataki were still trying to fend off the two remaining gargoyles, but he didn’t care about any of that. All he was aware of was Magana’s warm embrace, as she came down to sit beside him, giving him her silent love and support.

In the Citadel, Cassandra rushed down the stairs as fast as she could. Her lover was injured and she had to be there for him. As she came down and opened the front door, Xaviel flew inside and clumsily landed on the ground, still in great pain from the injury. The girl slammed the door behind them and sealed it shut again.

“My love! You’re hurt,” she lamented, rushing to his side. Inspecting the wound on the snake’s body, she saw dark brown blood trickling from it. “We have to stop the bleeding,” Cassandra panicked, worried about losing the boy she loved and being left alone once more. Before Macarius brought her to work for him, she had no one. But now that she had Xaviel, she couldn’t afford to lose him.

The boy shifted back to his human form, covered in sweat and panting with exhaustion. He was high on adrenaline, as he had just won his greatest battle and defeated the Mataki chieftain. For the first time in his life, he felt powerful and in control. It was absolutely exhilarating!

After catching his breath, he stood up from the floor and moved to hug Cassandra, and that was when she noticed - he was not injured anymore.

“But… how?” the girl gave him a puzzled look before throwing herself in his arms, squeezing him tightly around the waist. Her tears stained her cheeks and his robe, as she would not let go.

The boy nuzzled his face to hers, smiling as he remembered just how uneducated she was about some things, such as magic and shifting. She had no idea that injuries in one form did not affect the other whatsoever. As simple as the girl was, Xaviel did not mind it one bit. He knew they were two of a kind and that no one could understand him better than she would - not even his own father.

“I’ll explain everything later,” he said, smiling against her warm face. “Come on now, I don’t think the savages are going to bother us now that their leader is dead,” he added with wicked pleasure in his voice.

Breaking the hug, Xaviel then took Cassandra by the hand and headed up the stairs.

“But we should still tend to your wounds, no?”

“Yes, my love, let us go and do that.”

I hope this was a satisfactory culmination! We are getting close to the end. Thank you once again for reading! ❤️