The Sundered City (Rebirth of the Fallen Book 5), page 1
The
Sundered
City
Rebirth of the Fallen | Book Five
JR Konkol
©2023 by JR Konkol
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine or journal.
The author grants the final approval for this literary material.
First Digital Version
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
ISBN: 978-1-68513-247-7
PUBLISHED BY BLACK ROSE WRITING
www.blackrosewriting.com
Printed in the United States of America
Suggested Retail Price (SRP) $24.95
For Kelly
You can find summaries of the previous books in this series
at my website:
WWW.JRKONKOL.COM
1
Liam
Liam massaged the back of his neck and grimaced. The squealing of the gate made his teeth hurt, and he wasn’t enjoying the freezing drizzle, but his headache bothered him most. He needed healing nearly every morning now. The prospect of it getting worse terrified him.
Three teams of Bumbles were gathered, watching thick chains slowly raise the heavy Western Gate. The remains of Crapland were waiting for them on the other side. Liam knew similar teams of Bumbles congregated at the Eastern Gate.
Forty men and women were preparing to enter Crapland. This was the first mission of its kind. No one ever set foot in Crapland… not since they constructed the walls. There didn’t seem to be any reason to. Every living thing in the region was utterly consumed by Plaguebringer’s sickness. Liam still thought of them as people, but most didn’t.
Left unchecked, the disease withered flesh, reducing it to paste. It didn’t kill its victims. Rather, it changed them. Some lost their arms or legs, while others melted into entirely new creatures. It seemed like flesh wasn’t actually destroyed. It just moved and changed. In rare cases, the flesh of two or more people joined to make something larger.
Before the sickness, Crapland was filled with thousands of people, fighting to provide for their families. Afterwards, it was filled with a menagerie of creatures, ranging from the almost human, to the disgusting and monstrous.
But it wasn’t just their bodies that changed. Their minds changed as well. Liam didn’t understand how, but it was like peoples’ individualities melted away along with their flesh. Despite the variety of shapes and sizes their bodies took, the creatures of Crapland seemed to function in complete harmony with one another.
It’s what terrified Liam most about it. Even outstanding leaders struggled to keep their soldiers disciplined in battle. There was no such struggle with the monsters of Crapland. They never argued with one another. Even the ones without faces moved about with a clear awareness of the rest of them. It was like they shared a single mind.
“Why we gotta go in there, anyway?” grumbled Doe. “Don’t seem to be much point in it.”
“The orders came from the top,” said Liam. That was a half-truth, but his Guest allowed it. Liam’s commander, Paeter, gave him a choice. Liam could have held his troops in reserve, but he barely considered it. He believed his squad was the best the Bumbles could field. To let others go in their stead would be cowardly.
“I heard the Governor was against this stupidity, but the Council overruled him,” said Sinnow.
Sinnow’s knowledge of city politics impressed Liam. Achillion came out strongly against the expedition into Crapland, but several Senators pushed hard for it, forcing the issue. “Yeah, I think you’re right, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. They give the orders. We follow them,” said Liam.
“Do we have targets?” asked Alahn. “What’s the goal of this mission?”
“Some teams have been assigned objectives, but we’re strictly operating as support,” said Liam.
“Pulling other teams out of whatever cesspools they’re drowning in, I take it?” asked Sinnow, casually leaning against his heavy quarterstaff.
Liam nodded. “That’s how I figure it’ll go.”
“Is it too late to take you up on that offer to transfer to another team?” asked Tamily.
“Sorry, but that offer expired yesterday.”
“Archers, attack!” came a shout from the top of the wall. “Target anything approaching the gate.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” muttered Doe.
“Once we’re past the wall, we need to stick together,” said Liam. Troops from the other squads were listening, but Liam kept his gaze anchored on his people. “No matter what happens out there, we’re a team. Six of us are going in, and stars above, six of us are coming out.”
“You want me scouting?” asked Alahn.
Liam shook his head. “We’ll be responding to Flare and Alarm spells. If things are shekked out there, I expect we’ll pick up some stragglers along the way.”
“You mean survivors,” said Alahn flatly.
Liam didn’t want to admit it, but Alahn was right. “It’s almost time. Get in position,” said Liam as he readied his shield. Crouching, he peered beneath the rising gate at the remnants of Crapland.
A thick brown slush coated the shattered cobblestones and dirt streets. Liam suspected it was a mixture of shit, blood, vomit, and other bodily fluids. In the coming days, the cold weather would freeze the disgusting slush, but today, they’d be forced to slog through the slop.
Swirling columns of oily black smoke rose in the distance. Fires were common in the ruins of Crapland, but Liam didn’t know what was being burned. Most of the buildings visible from this vantage point were crumbling. They were little more than ash and rubble. The creatures destroyed them during the skirmishes that took place while the walls were being erected.
Dark, gaping holes peppered the cityscape. Once the walls were built, the monsters of Crapland dug their way into the sewers below. They tried to pass beneath the walls, and in many cases, they were successful. Liam’s team was involved in some of the fighting, and it didn’t end in the sewers. Alahn said a few creatures made it down to Undercity.
The gate finished its ascent, and Liam decided it was time to get started. His responsibility ended with his team, but he knew the other fourteen soldiers at the Western Gate were waiting for his order. “Alright, everyone, listen up. My team needs to be in position to assist everyone. Because of that, we’ll be moving east. If you get in trouble, cast a Flare, and we’ll try to get to you. No promises, but we’ll do our best. Here we go!” he shouted before ducking under the gate and stepping into Crapland.
A keening howl echoed across the shattered landscape. A host of creatures turned in unison and shambled towards Liam and the others. Arrows streaked across the sky, staggering several of the creatures, and causing one to erupt in a fountain of putrid brown ichor.
Liam stepped forward and sank into a deep stance. Between the archers on the wall, and the ones scattered amongst the teams, he didn’t think many creatures would reach him. A few of them moved quickly, but most were forced to slither or crawl. Still, it was best to be safe. If anything approached them, he wanted to be the one attacked.
As the arrows tore into the front rank of creatures, a large, flabby thing that resembled an enormous leech, but with human arms and legs, belched a guttural roar and charged. As it ran, flaps in its chest rolled open, and a trio of thick tentacles exploded from its body.
Liam caught two of the three strikes with his shield. The third tentacle slammed into his shoulder. Between his armor and his battlemagic, he absorbed the impact easily, but while Liam was recovering, a similar creature raced forward and unleashed a swarm of tendrils, targeting different Bumbles.
Off to the side, a man screamed. Liam helplessly watched as swarming tendrils yanked the man from the safety of the ranks, depositing him amongst the advancing flesh beasts. A pair of dog-like creatures quickly crawled on top of the screaming soldier, vomiting steaming red and brown liquids onto him.
Liam’s shield jerked just in time to intercept another wave of whipping tentacles. They quickly twisted around the shield and yanked. Liam staggered forward, but maintained his balance. Swinging his magical blade, he cut through several of the tentacles.
Another soldier screamed as tendrils exploded out of a different flesh monster, yanking him from the safety of the ranks. Liam quickly severed the few remaining tentacles holding his shield and rushed to the soldier’s aid. The man wisely dropped to his knees, stopping himself from being thrown, but he was being dragged toward the creatures. He didn’t have much time.
A volley of arrows ripped through the fleshy monster, knocking it back several feet. The impact must have stunned it, because its tendrils went limp, allowing the soldier to quickly free himself from the entanglement.
“This strategy isn’t working. Your troops are terrified. They’re close to breaking ranks. Lead them,” urged Liam’s Guest. “Lead and they will follow!”
Liam summoned his sonic magic, drawing from his well to amplify his voice. “Archers on the wall, target the bac k ranks. Soldiers, follow me!” He waited, watching the first few arrows fly, before charging the mass of fleshy monstrosities. As he moved, he summoned his light magic, bathing the battlefield with scintillating silver light.
Behind him, his fellow soldiers cheered.
Several creatures hissed and retreated, but the larger ones reared up on their hind legs, like angry bears might do. Something to Liam’s left leapt at him, forcing him to pivot behind his shield to receive the charge. A moment later, a thick, greasy tentacle wrapped around his waist, yanking him back.
“A little warning, next time,” chided Sinnow as he slid in next to Liam. He wedged his staff against the tentacle, loosening its grip.
“Tamily, target that one that looks like a bug,” called Doe.
A large beast with a rotund spider-like body of jiggling fat, propelled by a random collection of human arms and legs, staggered back a step under a nearly constant stream of crossbow bolts. Globs of green and yellow ichor splashed to the ground beneath it, causing it to lose its footing and fall.
Liam spun, freeing himself from the loosened tentacle and facing the creature it belonged to. Nearly eight feet tall, the thing was larger than most of the other flesh monsters. Long ropey tentacles hung from where its arms should be. Its face featured several mouths and dozens of insectoid eyes.
“Join us,” the tall creature croaked from each of its mouths. Its voices were guttural and gravelly, with each mouth producing a slightly different pitch. Its breath reeked like rotten meat, and maggots spilled from its face with each word. “Sickness of flesh brings purity of soul. Our flesh, once apart, will soon be made whole!”
The words were familiar, and strangely appealing. Liam knew he heard them before, but he couldn’t quite remember where. For some reason, solving that mystery was important to him. He remembered there being more to the rhyme. Perhaps if he chanted the words himself, the rest of the verse would come to him. United and enlightened. Yes… that’s how it started. Now, what was the next phrase?
“Liam!” shouted Sinnow from somewhere off in the distance.
Why was someone trying to get his attention? Liam needed to concentrate on the rhyme. It was more important.
“Snap out of it!”
Liam’s shield violently jerked, painfully tugging at his shoulder. An instant later, a tremendous force crashed into his shield, staggering him, and forcing him to one knee. For a moment, Liam didn’t understand what happened, but then he saw the gigantic creature towering over him. Its second tentacle swept down, forcing him to drop his sword and brace his shield with both hands. The weight of the impact made his vision momentarily fade.
“Next time, don’t listen when it preaches,” advised Liam’s Guest. “Remember how Terrinon responded in the Crumbles? He started chanting the words and tried to join the masses. Had Sinnow not stopped him, he would have become another one of these creatures.”
As Liam fumbled for his sword, Terrinon raced in, driving his spear through the monster’s gut. It roared in pain, showering the area with wriggling maggots. A moment later, it whipped both tentacles in a wide arc. Terrinon deflected one with his shield, but the other crashed into his hip, and the sickening crunch of cracking bones followed. Terrinon collapsed to the ground, screaming.
The exchange gave Liam enough time to recover. Springing back to his feet, he drove his sword up and into where the monster’s heart and lungs should be. Once again, it belched out a stream of maggots, but this time, it staggered back several feet.
Liam pursued, but an arrow whistled past his shoulder, burying itself deep inside the monster’s head. The disgusting thing teetered for a moment before its flesh rapidly liquified. Within seconds, the once enormous monster collapsed into a steaming puddle of rancid brown paste.
To the east, a ball of silvery light flew high into the sky. The teams at the eastern gate must be facing similar resistance. Helping Terrinon was a priority, but Liam needed to get a broader view of what was unfolding. Stepping back from the stinking pool of paste, he took a moment to survey the battlefield.
The archers on the wall were targeting enemies far away from the melee. It looked like the bulk of the Bumbles were fighting a trio of the tentacle spewing leech monsters. Liam noticed four downed soldiers, not counting Terrinon.
It only took a few moments for the enemy to take down a quarter of his forces.
“What the shek?” cried Tamily. “Someone help Terrinon!”
Liam spun around, but it was already too late. The puddle of liquified flesh that was once the enormous demon was dissolving parts of Terrinon’s body. Both of the man’s legs, and part of his guts, were simply gone, likely reduced to brown paste. It only took a moment for the steaming flesh soup to dissolve the rest of him.
His heart pounding in his chest, Liam quickly backed away from the acidic puddle. He should have tried to help Terrinon sooner, but he wasn’t sure it would have made a difference. What could he do against a monster like that? It’s not like he could hurt it with his sword.
“Liam, look,” called Alahn, pointing to where other demons recently died. “They all turn into puddles when they die, but they only stay that way for a few moments.”
Off in the distance, a form was slowly rising from a different brown pool. As the body grew larger, the pool shrank. It was as if the thing was using the fleshy fluid to make a new body for itself.
“We can’t win this battle,” said Liam’s Guest. “Even when we kill them, they rise again, but when they kill one of our men, they add his flesh to their army.”
Liam shivered, and it wasn’t because of the freezing drizzle. His Guest was right. This complete assault was a mistake. All they were doing was adding to Plaguebringer’s forces. “Everyone, fall back!” he shouted with his magically amplified voice. “Rally to me, now!”
“Are we going to respond to that flare?” asked Alahn.
These creatures didn’t seem all that fast. Maybe, if they sprinted along the wall, they could make it to the eastern gate in a few minutes, but what were the odds of finding survivors? If the soldiers at the eastern gate weren’t able to retreat, Liam’s team wouldn’t arrive in time to save them.
“We’re wasting time,” growled Alahn. “We need a decision.”
“I’m sorry,” said Liam, shaking his head. As much as he wanted to help, he didn’t think his forces could get there fast enough. “The eastern gate is too far away. They’re on their own.”
2
Conner
Conner considered the ledgers and sighed. Even with Eliana’s greenhouse producing a nearly endless supply of Bilnub Gum, they were barely keeping up with the plague. Conner thought the rate of infection would decline after they walled Crapland off, but the opposite happened.
Fighting the plague was exhausting, and there was no end in sight. The Academy recently expanded its apprenticeship program, sending additional healers and a group of herbalists to help. While Conner coordinated the healers, that horribly scarred woman, Stitches, directed the herbalists.
Conner heard some of Stitches’ story. The woman was disfigured as punishment for refusing a nobleman, or something like that. She spent much of her life in seclusion, making drugs for one of the smaller street gangs. Raelyn was quite fond of Stitches, which didn’t surprise Conner. Raelyn was also horribly scarred.
“Nae-la, nomae morden fal,” whispered Raelyn.
Conner turned, surprised. She was wearing her illusions, so she looked like Reya, but Conner spent so much time with her these days, he only knew her as Raelyn. He was concentrating on the ledgers, so he didn’t hear her approach.
“Still struggling with the language?” she asked.
“No. I was just lost in thought,” said Conner. Raelyn told him things were bad enough where one might grimace in pain, but not so horrible where weeping or screaming was appropriate. The Demonic language featured countless ways to describe pain and suffering. They considered it high art.
“You’re worried about your brother, aren’t you?” asked Raelyn.
Conner was trying not to think about it. The Bumbles were exploring Crapland today, and Liam was involved. “I guess so. It seems pretty risky.”
