COTN House of Genoe Part 8

8. The Unnamed

Malech open the doors and came to faced with the serpents that laid in wait for him. His hands went to the new container on his waist belt which is now vibrating. He ignore that and looked back at the serpents. They are parting ways for the arrival of the two large dark scorpion with their Queen on board.

"You can run but you cannot hide from me." Kiring hissed at Malech from her seat on the dark scorpion. "This is Bertha. That is her twin pair. You caused her brother to die; the one who intervene on the deadly potion."

"Kiring, you are in the wrong House. Here we are the Canaan. You are a Karen."

"Enough talk. Attack him, my pet." The serpents came forth but they stopped on seeing a long streak of fire flame appear them. It is the Gryphon and its flying in the cavern while releasing the flames. It must had come back to look for Malech. Malech took the opportunity to run but where he did not care except to get away. He lashed out with his spell if he sees any threat. Eventually he stumbled and fell on the path. He see coming at him are some serpents then they stopped in their slithering moves.

Malech turned to look behind him and he sees the ones that scared the serpents. They are the unnamed; the misshapen elves who now dwells in the inner caverns. There are not one or two of them but a few dozen of them. They are also armed with weapons of all types including pikes and swords.

"Serpents! We hate them. They caused us these ailments. Kill those bastards." The cavern roared to life as more figures came out of the dark caverns to attack the serpents. They ran towards the serpents and kill those reptiles with no hesitation. Those who held the swords slashed at the, serpents while those who wield the war hammer hammering without stopping. They ignore the bites and pain; they keep on fighting till the poison coursing their body reached their heart or head. That can take a longer time as these unnamed infliction gave them strength and high tolerance of pain.

Three of them confront one of the dark scorpion with two at the fore and one at the rear. They are all armed with swords. The two at the front occupied the scorpion while the one on the rear jumped onto the back of the shell and thrust the sword into it lower spine. The unnamed twist the sword and severed the tail off the scorpion. The scorpion shrieked out while the two unnamed in the front strike hard at pincers. The one on the rear took up the severed tail and used it like a spear as it speared the bigger serpents with it. It withhold the pain as the poison dripped off the severed tail on its body.

Another one ran with a twin sword slashing the serpent as he ran around the place, until he tripped over a serpent tail. He got up to find a serpent jaw with twin fangs poised to strike at him. It was unforeseen in the attack that the unnamed lunged forth with the twin sword in a scissor formation and thrust it into the jaw before ripping it apart on the sides.

Malech who was then still running reached the stairs to go up. He removed some of them who was in his way until he saw the stairs is not the best option. He looked out and shouted out.

"Gryphon, I need you." He heard the roar and he leap off the stairs. His fall was short when he find himself on the back of the Gryphon. They both went down on the sudden weight and then the Gryphon compensate its flight towards the nearest exit out. The Gryphon let off a long streak of flames before they flew through.

Malech turned to look back and he sees more of the serpents going in to the cavern through the entrances.

"Gryphon, we got to go back. We can't leave the Unnamed alone. Take me down to the forest."

Malech got off the Gryphon and looked around him. He found what he is looking for; a particular plant. He went to the plant and pulled up its roots. He then looked back at the Gryphon.

"Find me a Mongoose. I know its difficult ...." The Gryphon have flown off.

Malech took out a piece of the roots and squeezed out the juice. He took out a small vial from his robe. He mixed it with the juice and that was when Gryphon flew back. He has not one but two mongoose. He dropped them on the ground and Malech freeze them from escaping. He went over to the mongoose and placed the juice into their jaw. Then he carried them over to the entrance over the cavern. He placed them down on the ground and called on the spell he remembers. Then he tossed the two mongoose in and then he shout out the last piece of the chant.

The two mongoose fell down on the flooring below. They got up from their fallen position but they are now growing larger to three times its size. Its sees the serpents and it went berserk on them. It grabbed and bite into the serpents with ferocity that its known for.

Malech looked down from above and tears came down his eyes. He had created an abomination that would need to be put down later but for now is giving the Unnamed a fighting chance. It was a chance encounter when he saw Kiring climbed out.

"Master Malech, this has just began. I would be back and you would not be able to escape again." She limped away while Malech did not give chase. He still has to clear the chaos down there. He took to the stairs and ran down as fast as his legs can take him. He stumbled over dead serpents and also there are pools of blood and whatever he has to contend with.

Soon he reached down and just in time see one of his abomination fell to it knees as it succumbed to the injuries. Malech ran to it and soothe down its fur near the eyes.

"I am sorry." The Mongoose looked at Malech and then closed it eyes. "You done your task and I am proud of you."

Malech turned around to see the carnage created by the serpent predator. He saw the second one is also limping towards him and soon it also fall. This time it was not Malech who approached it but the Unnamed ones. There are four of them who went over to the fallen creature and caressed it like a bruised child. The surviving serpents seemed to have withdrawn from the caverns. 

Malech over there and was met by one he assumed is their leader. He is like an elf and yet his frame is out of proportion. His head is larger at the back of the head and his eyes are a set of fish eyes that is as large as the ears lobe on its head. It upper torso is large and wide with equally proportion upper limbs but its lower limbs are short and long.

"I am Nelan. Who are you?" Malech would had been more careful if the Unnamed asking him is not holding a bloodied war hammer.

"Malech, I am a sorcerer." That drew a response unexpected. There was a gathering of twenty Unnamed besides Nelan suddenly drew out their weapons."Oh, hold on. I am not an enemy."

"The sorcerer was our enemy. He imprisoned us here. We were once like the people but we were infected by the serpents blood. Since then we trust no one of magic." Nelan has stepped back and held up his weapon facing Malech. "If we see Artoo, we would had him killed immediately."

The Unnamed was a result of Set on the Houses. He set about poisoning their water but Canaan House was last to know.; then it was too late. One third of the House was inflicted, and there was limited antidote needed by all the Houses. The antidote given to Canaan saved only a fraction of them. The antidote was too late for many of them.

Then the call was made. It was agreed by the Council of all the Houses to exterminate them for they feared they would contaminate the others. It was Artoo of Genoe who suggested that they be exiled while he search the stronger antidote. The inflected were then banished to the deeper caverns to avoid them coming forth.

Artoo visited them on regular basis to test his various potion but he drew on more false hopes than cure. The Unnamed began to resent the sorcerer and then evaded him when he comes. He convince the Council to sent Guardians to hunt them down until the Council decided to stop the cure.

The Council met the Unnamed and told them of their decision. It was a compromise that they would live a separate tribe and unprovoked by the others. It was agreed and by then, the Unnamed had gotten used to their new looks and life. It was a blessing in disguise.

"Nelan, you saw the massacre and yet you did not stopped it. Why? They are your people." Malech questioned the Unnamed.

"They are Canaan but we are the Unnamed. We are no more of Canaan; we just lived close to each other. They guard the entrances to out caverns, and we kill any who tries to come in. So don't question my loyalty. When they were gone, we came out to take what we need. They did come back but he hide back at the caverns. Then we saw the fights among them; between Houses. Its pathetic of them and when we saw their small numbers; we exterminate them. Its the way of the new life we are forced to live on." Nelan stepped on a dying serpent in its head.

"Nelan, the Serpents are back. They coordinated the attacks...." Malech tried to tell him but he was agitated.

"No, Malech. The attack was by Man. Its not a Serpent battle......"

"Then the one that laid for me was by Man. Do you think Man controls the Serpent? Its not the truth. The Serpents controlled the Man with their deceit and influences. I am here to seek alliance and also survivors."

"Its not our war. If the serpents come here, we would attack them, but we would not defend the Houses against the Man or even the Serpents. That war is over for us." Neelan walked away. "Go away, old man."

Malech stood there seeing the Unnamed walked away. They are right, this is not their war. They are the casualties of the last one.