Narwish: Curse of the Veil

“Narwish: Curse of the Veil”

By

David L. Riley



      In the on-going war against the Horde, a small group of warriors were attacked by a Prototype weapon. Saving his team Narwish Zhar threw himself against the green energy beam. Now he lay in a coma in a Med Centre, his wife Kristen Zhar by his bed, waiting for a sign of hope and life, unaware that inside his mind, the war for their reality has only just begun.



      He could hear her voice calling out to him. It echoed in the darkness. His eyesight had adjusted to the lack of light and he sensed enemies all around him. He looked down at his hands: he didn’t see a Blaster, he didn’t see his sword – no, he saw something far more frightening...he saw nothing.

      How am I supposed to defend myself barehanded?

    In the ten years of fighting he’d been trained that his weapon was his life. The Horde were impossibly strong and an unarmed human was as good as dead going up against one. But the Horde were never alone. They hunted in packs. Twenty was a good number of them at once. Thousands, however were more common.

        He had to find his way back to Kristen. He heard her voice, she had to be in danger. Narwish would help her, weapon or no weapon.

      “Nar...” he heard her say and she sounded so far away. He finally moved further into the dimly lit cave. His legs weren’t heavy like they had been before he was shot. He moved like he was eighteen again, with painless speed.

      Hang on, Narwish thought. We weren’t in a cave. We were outside in Actor City.

    The haze he thought were his eyes became even thicker as her voice went silent.

          “This is Cam, Nar, can you hear me?”

          Narwish looked around for his friend and doctor and couldn’t find him. He ran out of the cave and saw the underground tunnel. The red veins of Zen Energy pumped with raw power and a sense of panic hit Nar like a bolt of lightning.

          Dr. Cam Navel was not on the mission. What the hell is going on here?

        As the fear spread its wings inside Nar’s gut, the haze became worse. A moment later he could not see anything. Darkness swallowed him. Realizing something weird was going on, he sat down on the dirt, crossed his legs and began to focus his mind in a Warrior’s Peace Chant. His people had been fighters for thousands of years and they believed the ultimate battle took place within. To be the best of the best you had to beat yourself. And to do that you needed to be calm. To fight a living enemy you needed action, bravery and life blood pumping through you. To fight yourself you needed only two things: Calm and courage.

      He breathed in slowly and felt his entire body tingle. And then he felt a shudder go through him and he zoomed out of his body.



      He opened his eyes and saw Kristen sitting beside his bed. Her tear stained face barely managed a smile and Nar sensed apprehension.

      “Well, that was weird,” he said.

        “Nar, oh Nar.” She leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips and then screamed. “Cam, come quickly!”

          The terror in her voice made its way inside Nar.

          “What’s going on?” he asked.

            His friend’s red eyes shone but he did not smile.

            “We haven’t got long,” Cam said quickly. “The Horde appears to have pierced the Veil and have a weapon capable of sending people’s minds there. Only you’re too stubborn to stay. Intel reports they're building a Mind Doomsday Weapon in the Veil---”

          Cam’s words were cut off as Nar felt a pull on his heart, he felt himself fall incredibly fast and a second later he was back in the blue hazy cave.

          Was that a dream?

        He could taste Kristen on his lips and he remembered her tears. He’d never have dreamt her in that state. Then he remembered: The Veil.

          The Veil or the Seventh Dimension was the place the Horde came from, or at least that is what Nar’s people believed. Monsters from beyond their vision; an endless horde of demons from a place no one could go...until now that was.

            Then it all returned to him.

          Sonic, Roach, and Paulie – his team. They were sent on a mission to warehouse seven. Intel had reported the Horde were amassing a new weapon in Actor City. The ten foot Horde Commander, with its red eyes, jet black skin and bald head held a large gloved hand over a button. Narwish...Narwish fell to the ground. He’d pulled his sword from behind his back, dived on the monster and cut it in two. But before it died it had pressed the button. A green energy amassed. He ordered his team to make their escape while he disabled it. He pressed the buttons, the weapon had shutdown. He remembered a sense of relief and then...oh the Maker! The Horde Commander was not dead. He’d shot Nar with a green blast and then all Nar could remember was being here.

            So this is the Veil, the home of my enemy.

          Then he remembered all those he’d lost in the war. Zappo, Kato, Kran, just to name a few of his friends he’d seen cut to pieces by the Horde. With the rage surging through him he saw a Cutknot Blade appear in his hands. He held the silver and green hilt; it felt well balanced and powerful. The red steel glistened as its magick surged through the blade.

              My emotions control my reality.

        He closed his eyes and focused on his rage and the air became thick with a red hue.

            Am I dead?

        He was beyond life or death; he walked behind the Veil now. And then a crazy notion occurred to him. He could destroy the Horde’s home. It had been rumoured that the Horde was controlled by one Lord. A Dark God broken by betrayal and the Commanders and Fighters were simply following the Dark God’s orders. If, and this was a massive if, Nar could kill the Lord of the Horde, he’d end the war. Of course he knew he’d never return home. The link between his soul and his body had been severed; and yet it appeared his body still lived.

              Maybe it’s possible...maybe I can find  a way...a way to get back home.

              “Foolish mortal!” a voice boomed and echoed. “You dare to come to my reality.”

              “Wasn’t my choice,” Nar said offhandedly. “But now I’m here I’m gonna kick your backside!”

              “You are stuck here for all eternity,” the deep voiced boomed and then laughed. “And I alone have the power to send you home; but instead you insult me.”

              “If you’re the ruggar who created the Horde, then you are my enemy. I will kill you or die trying,” Nar said.

              “You make me laugh, mortal,” the voice said. “Even now my Horde is preparing to amass the Veil Weapon and I once again will walk the earth of Ark!”

    As the god spoke ‘Ark’ the name of Nar’s home, Nar’s emotions rose. He saw the blue sky, the green grass, and his wife standing in a field with a baby in her arms. They didn’t have any children but Nar sensed this was not a memory but a vision. He’d spent enough time in the Veil for it to affect him. He was seeing the future. Just knowing there was a future gave him the strength to act.

          “You wish to anger me,” Nar said calmly. “So I am weakened.” Nar smiled, feeling a sense of tranquility wash over him. “Master Carmash taught me better than that.”

      Master Carmash had taught Narwish when he was a boy. He had taught him that inaction was the greatest of sins and that rage was weakness, and a peaceful mind was armor.

            Narwish closed his eyes and held the hilt of his blade. In his mind he travelled across the Veil and landed right in front of a man in a black tunic. He wore a hood and he had a faceplate and a helmet. And the helmet was half black and half blood red.

            “You are indeed powerful to locate me like that,” the hooded man said. “I under estimated you. Something I will not do again.”

            Smoke and debris rose from the sand colored enclave and Nar felt himself lifted up with his feet dangling in the air. Then he felt himself slam against a wall, which gave way and he landed near a pool of lava. Nar braced himself,  reaching his hands out for protection and both arms fell into the lava.

            In the Veil reality is yours to shape.

            It was true Narwish felt the pain, and when he rolled over on his back his hands were smoking bones. Narwish closed his eyes and bit down on a scream. A moment later he opened his eyes and his flesh was back.

            “Impressive,” the hooded man said. “To have a mind as strong as yours, you are a rare breed among your kind.”

            “Not as rare as you’d think,” Narwish said.

            “We should not be enemies,” the hooded man said. “I am Lord Slyth, master of all I see.”

          “Yeah,” Nar said. “Except I changed reality. So not really the master of all you see, are you?”

          “Yes,” Lord Slyth said. “I am.”

            Nar looked down and saw a hole where his stomach had been. And in that hole he saw stars, and the abyss of space.

        Nar dropped to his knees.

        “Yes, precisely,” Lord Slyth said. “Drop to your knees for I am your Master.”

        “No!” Narwish screamed.

      “Such anger inside that calm facade,” Lord Slyth said. “You will serve me well.”

      “I’d rather die first,” Nar said. “Creator of the Horde!” Nar felt the air leave his lungs.

      “They serve me,” Lord Slyth said. “I cannot be here forever. I’m so painfully bored.” Slyth lifted his right hand in front of his faceplate and a small fire appeared. “Have you ever had a song stuck in your head and it just won’t go away?”

      Narwish could no longer breathe.

        “Well, I’ve been here for thousands of years, awaiting a Vessel – someone worthy to allow me to return back to the third plane. And that person is you.”

        “No!” Narwish managed.

        Slyth played with the fireball in his hands.

        “You are now the Commander of the Horde,” Slyth said in a deep, resounding voice. “You must obey me.”

          “Yes,” Narwish could not resist Slyth’s will. “My...my...my Master.”

          “Prepare the invasion,” Slyth said. “Commence the invasion on my command.” And with that Slyth released the fireball and threw it at Narwish. Narwish was too far gone to feel the pain. Slyth transformed into a sliver of lightning and entered Narwish’s stomach.



        Kristen sat beside the bed of her husband. He’d been gone for seven days and she’d stayed there by his side most of that time.

          “Hmmm,” Narwish moaned.

          “Nar, you’re back!” Kristen yelled. “Cam, he’s awake again.”

        Looking at Kristen’s long green hair Narwish smiled.



      Lord Slyth was in a bed with a very beautiful woman at his bedside. Slyth saw no point in massacring everyone at this point in time. It would please him to play human for a while.

          “Are you OK, Nar?” the female asked.

          Slyth smiled.

          “I am fine,” Slyth said, as his eyes flashed red for just a moment.



To be continued