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From: [e-mail] (Kip J Mussatt)
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Subject: STORY: When Gods Cry - part 2 - please critique
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Date: 4 Oct 1995 10:16:40 -0400
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Chapter 10 -- Canyon of Terrors



There are places in the world where mortal men fear to tread. Places where things hap-
pen for unknown reasons; things that no one speaks of.

The road was narrow and rocky. Most would have stayed on the road in fear of what
would strike out if they stray. A lone figure dressed in an almost all black hooded robe was
probingthe ground with a stick. Many eyes watched her, but she knew this. She knew
where every eye was and what it was. This sense was a necessity picked up along the way.
A sorceress made many enemies and it was best if you knew where most of them were.
The many creatures watching her didn't realize this was not just another misfortunate trav-
eler. This was their bane.

A large rock was flung down from the canyon wall. It may or maynot have hit its tar-
get, time will never know. When it was the height of six long swords above its target, it
shattered into tiny fragments of rock that scattered about. None of them hit the cloaked fig-
ure. The large, brown, ape-like creature that threw the stone stood up and yelled some-
thing. It was stopped short when a streak of lightning shot from the sky and killed it. It fell
down the canyon wall into a heap of red and brown fur. A fury of other ape-like creatures,
similar to the first, began throwing large rocks down at their prey.

With a fiery blue flash, Dija dissappeared from the ground below. With another flash
she appeared high on the rock wall, above some of the creatures. A smile crossed her face,
as Dija held out her hand. Her palm exposed and facing the vile, but pathetic, creatures.
Her muscles twitched as the power ran through her arm. Black and blue energy bolts
flashed at the creatures. Several bolts hit each creature. The creatures screamed in pain as
their souls were burned out and torn apart. The hunters had become the prey. A few more
bolts here and there and all the creatures but one were dead. Two dozen creatures littered
the canyon walls. The survivor was hiding behind a large boulder on the far side of the
canyon wall.

"Taal-kjaa" Dija whispered and the boulder moved and crushed the last creature. A
flash of light and she was down on the road again. Dija was slightly exhausted from the
encounter. It would have been easier to send another energy bolt at the last creature, but
Dija was showing off, if to no one else, to herself. It was good to practice in true situations
once in a while. It was even better to know you were going to win. The dark queen contin-
ued her journey to the place she had seen in the vision.

By mid afternoon she was there. It was hard to tell what time of day it was. Gray dis-
mal clouds always seem to cover this part of the land. It stormed frequently. Thunder and
lightning lasting for days at a time. Gales that could rip a house apart would tear through
the land during a mild storm and upturn boulders, trees, the very land itself would never
look the same. Only small plants survived the terrible wrath of nature here. Nothing that
took several years usually lasted. There were a few scattered trees here and there. Most of
them were haunted and crept around from time to time. Those kind always knew when a
big storm was approaching and moved to secure areas.

The canyon of the banshee; the maiden with the song of death.

Dija had seen it in her head and now saw it with her eyes. The land had since devoured
the bodies of the soldiers whos lives the banshee had claimed. Now came the laborous task
of raising the bodies and recapturing the lost souls of the men.

The bodies would be relatively easy. Finding and capturing the souls...she would have
to fight the banshee for.

Dija began making preparations for the placement of the bodies, or what was left of
them, into a magical ring that would protect them while she collected all the bodies and
found the souls to mate them with. She labored several hours creating the proper setting
for her shield. Incantation after incantation she spoke, runes of power pouring from her
finger tips. The heavy smoke that formed the runes held fast in the air despite the ever
increasing wind.

Small twisters blew dust through the canyon. The sky grew darker and darker. Flickers
of lightning flashed here and there in the heavens. The very ground of the canyon began to
shake. Small rocks fell from the cliff walls. Dija spoke more words of power and the
ground broke. A small crevise formed into a ring. Deep red fire shot out of the crack and
formed an enclosed hemisphere. Dija spoke another word and a hole formed in the shell
wide enough for her to walk through. Dija stepped into the hot furnace that she had created
and inspected it. After several moments, a wryly smile formed on her face. She turned and
left sealing the hole as she went.

Outside, she began chanting some more arcane phrases. Thick blue smoke rose from
the ground in places...the places where her treasure lay. Her eyes turned to flames. She
reached out her had and motioned each corpse up from within the ground. One by one she
moved them to within the fiery shell she had formed for their protection. It was well into
the night when she moved the last one in. Most of them still had some armor and weapons.
The warriors had died in their tracks. Dija let out a sigh. That had been hard work. How-
ever, the hardest part was still to come.

Midnight came too soon. Dija was still tired from her earlier chore. The protective
shell lit up the the entire canyon casting dark and fierce shadows everywhere. Curious
forms lurked in the darkness watching the stranger. Some had seen what she had done ear-
lier that day. Few people possessed the sort of power they had seen that day and none had
possessed so much. Here and there Dija caught a movement in the darkness; a tree. Noth-
ing to be alarmed about. Probably just curious. She smiled and licked her candy apple lips.
Dija liked audiences, it helped her reputation. Soon she would try and caputure the ban-
shee and give the onlookers the show of a life time.

Dija removed some powders from her cloak and traced out a large pentagram on the
ground. At the tips of the pentagram she built small fires. When all the fires where buring
well, she began adding some othe special powders and materials to the fires so that each
one burned blue-green. As she went from fire to fire, she did not trace the outside, but fol-
lowed the line of the powder she had earlier placed on the ground. She walked carefully,
paying close attention to her feet so she wouldn't disturb the trace of the pentagram. When
all the fires had been lit, she stepped to the outside of the pentagram and moved away from
it so she could inspect her work. It looked right. She had only captured a spirit of this mag-
nitude once before. This time, her prey would be more powerful. It had preyed on the life-
force of an army. She survey the sky. A storm not of her making was brewing. That would
help; she wouldn't have to create one herself. Dija moved back toward her trap. She began
chanting more words of power and smoke flowed from her hands. When she spoke, the
smoke wafted from her mouth. The smoke spread out and covered the pentagram. More
words were uttered and the smoke took form. The fires and pentgram were now hidden
from sight by what appeard to be rocks and other nature debris. No man or non-corporeal
being could tell the difference. Dija did the same trick to the fiery shell that held her future
army. Imp would even have a hard time seeing the disguise. Actually, where was Imp? She
had sent him off to fetch some nearby materials. He should have been back by now. He
was probably off frolicking around again. "Have to deal with him when he gets back." she
said aloud but to herself.

Suddenly one of the rocks began to change. Dija looked suprised for just a moment
then realized she hadn't been paying close attention to her surroundings. It was Imp. He
just stood there smiling with that silly grin of his.

"Yes, I know. You got me that time." she answered his mental statement. "Yes, I know,
I should have been paying more attention. Thank you." Imp looked as cute as a bug, well
as cute as a demon-like creature could look. Dija knelt down and kissed him on the cheek.

"You need to hide now. I don't want you getting hurt." Imp understood. He ran and got
the vigin ewe that he had been sent after. He returned a few moments later with the small
animal. Imp was barely visible under the creature, but he just carried it around like it was a
sack of feathers. He put it down on the ground near his mistress. She patted him on the
head and smiled. Imp often dreamed of having a larger more human body. At times he
wanted so much to have his mistress. But alas, he was a small imp, nothing more. He was
here favorite, her number one helper, but that is all she ever thought of him. He was noth-
ing more than a tool to her. Something to be used. Imp went off to torment the sheep
herder he stole the ewe from. That would keep him entertained for a while. Maybe he
could start by setting some of the sheep on fire. "Hmm, not a bad idea." He thought to
himself.

Dija removed a horn from her belt. It was from a funny creature that resembled a
gazelle but had three horns and was hermephroditic. It was believed that the U'-ta, the god
of fate had a horn made from all three horns from this creature. Dija only had one horn,
but hers did the job required. She held the horn to her lips and blew. A loud shrill sound
came from the instrument. Dija looked back at the trap. Everything looked good. She blew
again, but this time she made the horn change pitch half way through the measure. Would
the banshee answer? She had to wait. She readied the dust in her pocket. The wind from
the storm was starting to pick up. Good. The wind will help spread the dust around. With
any luck she would be able to see the angry spirit once her special dust began blowing
around. She waited longer and raised the horn to her lips once more. She drew in a breath
and then stopped. There it was. It was faint, but she heard the cry of the spirit she hunted.
The spirit would not be able to steal her soul so easily, since she was a woman. The wail of
death would not work on her. The wail came again. Dija blew the horn briefly. She could
sense the presence of the spirit. The hair on her neck rose. This one was very powerful.
This might get tricky. Dija threw some dust into the air and it blew around wildly. As she
had hoped, some dust hit the banshee. She part of its outline now. The banshee wailed
again. Dija smiled.

"Why have you come here?" the maiden screamed.

"I have come in search of an army." Dija replied cooly.

"There are no armies here, you lie!"

"No, I am in search of an army. The army you destroyed several years ago in this very
place." The banshee was silent for a moment.

"I remember, but you have come in vain. The earth has claimed there bodies and I
have claimed their souls just as I shall claim yours!" The banshee advanced on Dija and
the sorceress began backin up towards a ring of rocks.

"Please, please don't." Dija pretended cowardice.

The banshee laughed. Dija kept backing up. She was inside the ring now. Dija stopped
to let the banshee advance more into the ring. The banshee was near the center of the trap
now. Dija took a few more steps back. It was time to spring the trap. Dija smiled her
cherry smile. The spirit caught on but it was too late.

"Tschoe - yakg" Dija's voice echoe and the rock illusion shattered and the blue-green
flames shot forth once more. The powder that formed the pentagram glowed yellow. It
almost seem to burn. An acrid smell filled the air. The banshee tried to escape, but caught
in the confines of the trap, it began its wailing.

"Shut up!" Dija snapped, now in control of the situation.

"What have you done?! Free me now!!" The entrapped voice screamed.

"I came in search of an army. I will leave with one." Dija paced around the outside of
the trap. "I have recovered their bodies from the earth. I need there souls. An undead army
is almost as bad as no army. I need there souls to give them back there lives. You can help
me do that."

"What if I refuse?" the banshee said. It had quit screaming.

"Then I won't release you. It is as simple as that."

"You think that is going to make me relinquish the souls you want." The banshee
laughed.

"Well, I could damn you to the abyss forever. You would be stuck there with no souls
to eat. Hmm, not were I would want to spend enternity."

"You jest!. The only way to do that is if you know my true name." the prisoner scoffed.
Dija raised an eyebrow. "That's impossible, you couldn't...."

"Look around." Dija motioned. "I have trapped you and over there. Tschoe - yakg,"
Dija said, but more softly this time and the fiery shell burst into view in the night. A star-
tled creature in the darkness jumped. Dija smiled. "Over there, I have the bodies of the
men of BlackWulf Command you killed some ten years ago. It's your choice. Give me
there souls and I will let you go, don't and I will send you to the abyss."

While the banshee silently thought, Dija leaned against a nearby boulder and pre-
tended to pick at her nails. She pretended not to pay attention while the banshee tested the
trap. Actually, Dija was keeping careful watch on her subject. Finally the banshee gave up.

"Alright," it growled. I will give you back the souls in return for my freedom."

"That's better." Dija said walking over near it, but staying outside the trap.

The banshee released the souls and Dija helped guide them into their old bodies in the
fire shield. They would stay their until she was done dealing with the weakend banshee.

"Now to deal with you." Dija smiled at the creature. "I cannot have you running
around stealing the souls of my new army again and you won't be careless enough to fall
into my trap again."

"We had a deal!" it screamed.

"I'm altering it."

Dija went to each fire around the pentagram and added a different powder. The flames
turned white. The helpless banshee screamed in terror as Dija began her incantation. A
few short moments later and the banshee was gone. Dija turned her attention to her future
army. She was tired, but she had to work fast. The souls still had to be rebound to the bod-
ies and the bodies still had to be given life. Dawn broke and the storm began to clear.
Damn! She needed the power from the storm to help her. She might lose some bodies if
she didn't act. She broke fromher work of rebirthing her army to tamper with the weather.
A small light storm, perhaps a shower might work. That might stir up some wind and with
any luck, some lightning too.

The storm underway, Dija returned her attention to her prize. She noticed several
creeper trees had moved to the edge of the clearing she was in. They weren't there yester-
day. She giggled. The morning was half over when she completed her work. She spoke the
final word of power and the army began to stir.



Chapter 11 -- An Army Reborn



At first, there was utter confusion, but some of these men had seen things most people
didn't believe so the shock of being alive again was not too overwhelming. Most of the
men ignored the sorceress not realizing she was their new demigoddess. A man, larger
than the rest approached Dija. His insight was leading him to believe she knew more than
they did about what had just happened.

"Excuse me." He caught her attention. "Can you tell me what has happened? The last
thing most of us remember is hearing a horrific scream and feeling our insides being
ripped out. Well, not our insides of our bodies, but, hmm, well, it is hard to explain. Sort of
like..." he paused.

She smiled, "Sort of like your soul being torn out?" she helped him finish his question.

"Yes, like that."

"You all experienced the wail of the banshee that roams this canyon. It killed everyone
of you."

"What is a banshee? Wait a minute, if it killed us, then why are we here?" A group of
intent listeners now surrounded the two.

"A banshee is a type of spirit that feeds on souls, primarily mens'."

"So why are we here?" another man ask. His companions agreeing with his comment.

"You all are alive because I wished it." She looked the first man in the eye. "Not in the
literal sense, I didn't just `wish you all here'. No, I recaputured your souls from the ban-
shee and gave you re-life." She paused so they could take it in. There was general disbelief
among several of the men.

"Believe me you should." Dija said with an icy voice. "For I have the power of life and
death over you all." There was some commotion at this comment.

"Bull shit!" shouted one man. "Only the gods have such powers and you don't look
like no god to me." His surrounding friends supported their companion with jeers and
shouts.

"Oh, I don't?" Dija said, cocking her head and walking towards the man. The group
gave way and let her pass. The man and his friends grew nervous. Their nervousness yet
unwarranted, they felt unease around this strange woman.

"So, since I am not a god, I couldn't do this." Dija held out her hand and made a
sweeping motion like she was catching a fly with her hand. At that instant a small glow
left the man's body and went to Dija's hand. His body fell limp. She pointed with her other
hand to the limp body. Her fingers outstreached and curled like the talons of a bird of prey.
The body crumpled and turned to ash.

She let the spirit of the man free and it floated away, frightened and confused. The rest
of the men just looked at her. No one said anything. The dead man's companions were
quiet and avoided looking at Dija.

"I am in need of an army." Dija broke the silence.

"So why chose us?" the first man asked.

"You were all together. You know and trust one another. You are all powerful war-
riors." she caressed on man's arm. "You were all Blackwulf's men. He was a fine warrior.
And a fine man." She smiled. "You are Kael, one if his lieutanants, but you served in Axel,
did you not?" Dija moved infront of the first man.

Kael grew uneasy. How did she know who he was? But then again....

"That is correct, I am." he replied.

"Good. This is the deal: I raised you from the dead and as you have seen," she pointed
to the husk of a corpse, "I do hold control of life and death for each of you. As I said ear-
lier, I am in need of an army. I want you all to be my army. You will be well paid and pro-
vided for, but you will do exactly as I instruct. Death is your alternative."

Dija left the group and walked across the hill top not really sure of what their decision
would be. Where was Imp? She looked out across the morning sky. There was smoke in
the distance. Probably a farm house on fire, she thought.

Shortly, Kael approached her. He made sure to make plenty of noise so she would hear
him coming. He didn't know what would happen if he accidentally suprised her. She
turned around as he closed his approach. She could not anticipate their decision. Dija had
never been good at that. That is why she preferred utter control and domination rather than
trust and friendship when dealing with anyone.

"I spoke to the men. We are all in agreement. Whatever you did to use that makes us
here now is better than being dead like we were. If you want an army, you have one."

Dija smiled her cherry-red smile.

"Good. Assemble your men, Kael. I need to know exactly how many strong we are."

"Yes, M`Lady." Kael made a short bow and left. He went back to the gaggle of troops.
Now he was in command. He had always wondered what this would be like. Even when
he served under Axel, he had never made final battle decisions. Now that responsibility
would lie on his shoulders. Kael began barking orders and his troops obeyed like they had
been taught.

Kael seperated the men into two groups; those with weapons and those without. To his
suprise, the latter group was not very big. Good, the thought, She will be pleased. Kael
even grinned when he saw the haggard remains of the pennant they flew on their lance.
That ole' piece of cloth has been through a lot he thought. He grinned again. He had the
men form into rows and colums with the weaponless men in the center columns. More
men died than he had thought. He counted nearly 1000 altogether. He dismissed the men
so they could prepare for the long march ahead of them. Several were in need of tailors,
but that would have to wait. Most of the soldiers relaced their boots and secured their
weapons and armor. When Kael could see that most of the men were ready, he called for
his sergeants to have the men form back up. He didn't have any lieutanants. That is what
he was or had been. Hmm. He decided, he would do promoting as he found need. His ser-
geants had formed the men up into four groups. Each group formed four columns of
twenty or so men deep. This looked impressive from where he stood. He called the men to
attention and turned around to find his liege had been watching him.

Dija walked over to him.

"You're very good."

He blushed.

"I have s few things I want to tell the men. May I?"

"By all means M`Lady." he extended a hand towards the brigade.

Dija did a quick flash with her hands rubbed her neck. A small aid, so the men could
hear her better. Dija's voiced seemed to boom.

"There is a small town a half a days walking distance down the road. There will be
plenty of food, wine, and beds for you all. I don't expect that we will meet any trouble on
the road, so lets keep things orderly. As we find them, we will take horses. A good calvary
is a must."

Kael grinned. He didn't expect this sort of thinking from her. She had thought things
through it seemed.

Dija continued, "Those of you that show promise with horsemanship and as warriors
will be selected to serve with the calvalry unit. We will try and recruit new member into
our small army as we go along. As this happens, I expect each of you to help the new
members fit in. Teach them to march and work like you have been trained."

Again Kael grinned. Dija approached the rows of men. She walked back and forth and
selected six men to step aside. It would look strange her walking alone with just Kael
infront of these men. For show, she should have bodyguards. These specimens looked the
best. They were all very physically fit and moderately good looking, relatively speaking.
She would have to outfit them with special uniforms in time and there would be time. If
she did it right, the only person she would have to deal with would be Kael. He would take
care of military matters for her. Right now she had to get these men to Mert, the small
town that lay down the road. Dija had thought of riding back on the Roc she had sum-
moned to bring her to the canyon, but had decided it would be best to stay with her new
army and keep an eye on them. How she did hate walking.

She spotted Imp bouncing along the road towards them. He seemed to be in a joyful
mood. Kael looked startled for a moment, but soon realized, that she knew the small
winged bag of destruction and mischief. Dija held out her arm like a falconier and Imp
hopped up onto it. She scratched him on the head.

"And just what have you been up to ?" she kissed him. He glowed with delight. He had
missed her while he had been out playing, but it was safer there for him than where she
had been. And now he had a whole army to torment, oh what fun!

"No, you won't." she scolded him. Opps, he thought too soon. Hmm, darn, oh well. He
could always torment them when she was away.



That evening, a brigade of soldiers that had not been seen for many many years,
marched into a village on the edge of a nameless lake. Something was wrong. These sol-
diers were from a time forgotten. Things had changed while they had slept. Most of the
people they once knew had forgotten them, but the flag they flew was legendary.



Chapter 12



The group of friends had found their way to a small town named Lugch. It was an odd sort of
town, but it had one redeeming feature. It had a ship in its port. Axel felt lucky to find such a large
ship in a town of this size. Her luck would have it, the town was currently land locked. The ice
extended several miles across the sea. She would have to wait till spring before she could journey
any farther if she wanted to use this boat. She decided to hold up here for a while and rest. The
group needed a rest, they had been traveling for weeks on end in the cold mountains of Asserija.
The break would do them good. She could look further down the coast for an open port. She knew
where this one was and this ship wasn't going anywhere right away. As they walked around town,
they could see people open their doors and stare at them thru the cracks.

The people in the town had not seen warriors for quite some time. They were not sure if they
should be afraid or not. The strangers carried large weapons and had war dogs. They even had a
slave girl that they used for unspeakable things. There was even a woman among them who
walked and talked like a man. We should leave these strangers alone and not talk to them. Maybe
they will go away.

Axel found the only inn, appropriately named, Hel's Gate Inn, it was an atrocity of an inn. The
roof had a large visible hole in it, the floor was on both upper and lower levels was crooked, and
rats could be seen scurrying in and out of the large holes that lined the walls near the baseboards.
Nevertheless, she bought the group one week's lodging there and gave orders to Trix and Gaul to
find the dogs and horses shelter and leave the sled at the inn, Hel's Gate, and unload the sled and
put the supplies in the extra room she had acquisitioned. Axel went to find the owner of the galley
that was held up at the dock.

After some searching she found him drunk in the one and only tavern that also served as the
town hall. Axel thought to buy him a drink, but then considered he had already had quite enough.
She decided to find him when he wasn't so inebriated that he couldn't sit up.



A week later found Axel