(Steve Stachowicz)
gerrek@hotmail.com
(Matthew Frey)
mafrey@charter.net
Webpage: http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/shores/2307
Swords of Destiny Chronicle IV
Dark Times
By
Eric Thorsen and Stacko
LEGAL STUFF:
** The characters and concepts used here are the property of those people and
companies holding the copyrights to the respective storylines, series, and
movies. The only exceptions are those created by the demented minds of authors
of this story. The use of this material should be seen as the sign of respect
that it is. Besides, suing either of us would be a waste of time since we don't
have any money to begin with.
WARNING: Some scenes in this story are very dark. So be warn of it's violent content.
* * * * *
OAHU, HAWAII AUGUST 1999
Ami was packing her clothes and souvenirs for the flight home the next morning, just like
Kevin and Makoto were, and thinking about the things that had happened recently. They had only
returned from chasing a crazed Scott half way around the world to France two days before. She
was grateful that Scott had been cured of the 'Dark Quickening' he had received from that
psychopath Damian. But that had gotten her thinking about something he had said when they had
been driving to Kevin's castle near Tokyo shortly after they had met again.
He had mentioned a part of his life he called his 'Dark Times'. At the time, she hadn't
thought he was capable of anything really evil, but after her recent experience of what he had done
under the influence of the 'Dark Quickening', she wasn't too sure. He had actually seemed to
enjoy it, and that frightened her. She finally realized she wouldn't get anything done until she
found out about it. So she stopped packing and went looking for him and soon found him sitting
against a tree overlooking the view of the ocean.
"I was expecting you, Ami." Scott said with out looking. "I knew you'd find me."
"How did you know it was me?" Ami asked in surprise.
"I recognized your footsteps on the deck." Scott replied. "That and you're not Immortal."
"Why are you out here?" Ami said, coming closer. "Shouldn't you pack?"
"I'll get to that." Scott said with a sigh. "I was just thinking about recent events."
"It wasn't your fault, you know."
"I know, but it doesn't help when I see the fear in all of your eyes, and know it's my fault."
"We all know you're not responsible for your actions. Methos said it was like a bad acid
trip."
"I can believe that." Scott said with a shiver as Ami sat down next to him. "But how can
I forget that I turned on my friends. I even tried to kill the woman I love and killed one of my best
friends. Could you forget it?"
Ami thought about that for a few minutes as they sat quietly watching the waves. "No."
She replied finally, and then hugged him gently until she felt his tension ease. "But I also remember
that you couldn't bring yourself to kill me in the end. There was something that held you back, so
I don't think the 'Dark Quickening' could remove all of your goodness."
"Thanks Ami, I needed that a lot." Scott said smiling at her. "So what are you doing out
here instead of packing for the flight home?"
"I wanted to ask you about part of your history." Ami said. "When we first met again,
you mentioned a part of your life you called the 'Dark Times'. That's what I want to know about."
"All right." Scott said nodding. "You, most of all, deserve to know about that. But I'm
warning you, it's not a pretty story."
"If I wanted a pretty story, I'd watch a Disney film." Ami replied, chuckling.
"You may wish you had, before it's done." He warned. "It starts shortly after the two
hundredth anniversary of the fall of the Silver Millennium."
# # # # #
EASTERN EUROPE, 204 A.D.
"The village of Tourgard was a quiet place until Briham came here,” Gerrek growled to
Methos. "Since then it's been an uprising after another."
"That's what happens when psychopathic warlords take over a village." Methos said with
a shrug. "The entire standard of living goes down. How about that one? She's a likeable looking
wench."
"Will you stop with the wenches." Gerrek complained. "I already told you I'm not
interested. They're all missing something."
"Looks like she's got all the requisite parts to me." Methos replied, deliberately
misunderstanding him. "I think you're just too picky. Most of the women in the village are
gorgeous."
"That's why only the men leave the houses these days." Gerrek said in disgust. "Someone
ought to do something about this tyrant."
"I hope you aren't planning on getting involved like you did last time." Methos said.
"Neither of us will be welcome in China for another hundred years at least."
"But we helped to eliminate that lunatic, Chang Yi." Gerrek replied. "That must count
for something."
"What would count for something would be you getting over this Martyr's complex you
have going over your fiancée." Methos grumbled. "She's been dead over two hundred years now.
In that time, I haven't seen you even look at a woman in all of it."
"I know, Methos, I just ... I don't know." Gerrek mumbled. "Meriel was very special to
me. I don't know if I can feel that way about another woman."
"I'm not asking you to, Gerrek." Methos said empathically. "All I'm asking is, if a
woman tries to be your friend, don't push her away. It won't hurt to have female friends now and
again."
"All right, I'll try." Gerrek conceded. "But if you start throwing women at my head,
forget it."
"The thought never entered my mind." Methos said, mentally crossing some of his own
ideas off the list. "How about another drink?" Gerrek nodded and they spent the rest of that night
getting roaring drunk.
# # # # #
"That doesn't sound all that dark to me." Ami said as Scott paused for breath.
"That was only part of what lead up to the 'Dark Times'." Scott replied. "Methos and I
stayed in Tourgard for about six more months, and then I got involved with the rebel forces, I'd
guess you'd call them, and Methos left in disgust. Three months later, I was trusted enough that
the leader of our band asked to meet me. That leader turned out to be a woman by the name of Jaina
Valconeris. She had long brown hair, dark brown eyes, and was about your height."
"Why do I get the feeling she has something to do with these dark times?" Ami asked.
"Probably because it is part of the cause." Scott said in a tone that made Ami shiver. "It
happened about three months after I met Jaina. In that time, we had seen a lot of each other, fallen
in love, and were engaged to be married in a month's time. Jaina and the other leaders of the
different rebel bands were planning a major offensive strike against one of Briham's strongholds."
# # # # #
"I don't like it Jaina,” Gerrek said as he cut his mutton with his eating knife. "I don't trust
this Miltos. Something isn't right about his story."
"You worry too much, Gerrek." She laughed. "We finally have a chance to strike at a
worthwhile target. Miltos says he can get us into Dovomirsk without the guards even knowing a
thing."
"That's just it." Gerrek said in concern. "How is Miltos, a complete unknown to us, able
to do something that dangerous to Briham, while not one of our agents have lasted more than a
day without getting captured and killed. I'm telling you Jaina, I don't trust him."
"Well, the attack is tomorrow at dawn, so it's too late to back out now." Jaina replied with
a shrug. "If you want, you can come with me to watch my back."
"I was going to anyway,” Gerrek replied. "I just hope I'm wrong about Miltos."
They continued eating for another five minutes discussing other topics, when there was a
knock at the door. Gerrek moved to answer it, but before he could reach it, the door burst off it's
hinges and four of Briham's guards burst into the room and restrained Gerrek and Jaina.
"What do you want?" Gerrek demanded, struggling futilely.
"To teach the wench a lesson." One of the guards said, leering at Jaina. "Lord Briham
doesn't like it when people plot to kill him."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Jaina shouted, earning herself a slap across the
face.
"Come now Jaina,” An oily sounding voice said from the doorway. "Surely you haven't
forgotten so quickly what you and those other fools discussed at your meeting tonight."
"Miltos!" Gerrek roared. "If you harm one hair on her head, you'll wish you had never
been born."
"You're in no position to threaten anyone, Bontrager." Miltos laughed. "But before we
carry out Lord Briham's death sentence; I think we should do something to serve as an example to
the others. I have it, gentlemen, you may sample Jaina's favors as you wish before she dies."
"You bastard." Gerrek yelled, struggling to get free as the guards dragged Jaina to the
table and started to cut away her clothes.
As Gerrek struggled to break free of his captors, Miltos stepped up to him, smiling
sadistically. He beat Gerrek viciously as his men continued to cut at Jaina's under clothes,
and then forced Gerrek to watch as each of his men raped her repeatedly. From their comments to
each other, he learned the names of each man, and swore to himself that everyone responsible for
this would pay dearly. After several rounds, the guards were satisfied.
"You chose the wrong woman, Bontrager." Miltos said, still smiling as Jaina struggled to
her feet. "Now, not only is she going to die, but you will as well." He drew a dagger from his
belt and slammed it into Gerrek's abdomen.
"No!" Jaina screamed, running towards him as Miltos jerked the dagger sideways before
pulling it out.
"Miltos, let this serve as your warning,” Gerrek gasped as he felt unconsciousness rushing
to claim him. "As you and your Lord terrorize these people, so shall you die. Everything will be
remembered." One of the guards laughed as Jaina cradled his head, and then the blackness claimed
him.
* * * * *
Gerrek regained consciousness to the sound of the morning birdcalls. He felt a weight
lying across his chest and felt a sticky wetness on his neck. Gently, he shifted the weight off of
him and sat up, cradling Jaina's body in his arms. After Gerrek had fallen unconscious, Miltos
and his men had slit her throat, and then mutilated her body. Tenderly he picked her up and carried
her body to their bedroom and wrapped it in the quilt. Then he carried it out to their favorite place
in the forest and buried her there. Returning to the house, he discarded his ruined clothing,
dressed himself entirely in black, and then set fire to the house after he had removed his belongings.
"From this day forward, Gerrek Bontrager is dead." He swore as he watched his house
burn. "I will not rest until everyman responsible for this tyranny dies the death he fears most, for I
am the bringer of death, Wraak Afmaakr." He smiled darkly and vanished into the forest.
* * * * *
Two months later, several of Briham's patrols vanished into the northern forest,
only to return several days later, all dead. They had all died in different ways, the only similarity
being the expressions of pure horror on their faces and a symbol burned into their foreheads.
Briham sent a punitive expedition into the woods, but only their horses returned, with the same
symbol burned into their coats. After that, Briham's men refused to enter the forest, claiming a
demon had taken up residence there. But this didn't stop the killing, and men started turning up
dead in Tourgard itself, marked by the same symbol. Briham ordered his men to travel in pairs, and
then restricted them to the stronghold then the attacks stopped. But messages appeared on walls
inside the castle itself, in a language no one understood. Several of Briham's men fled the
stronghold, but the more hardened soldiers stayed in the stronghold.
Finally, when the men became too restless to be kept in the stronghold any longer, Briham
finally let them out, but only in groups of three or more. The four who had attacked Gerrek and
Jaina were among the first to leave the stronghold, and one by one, they were clubbed into
unconsciousness and dragged into the cellar of an abandoned inn. They all came back to
consciousness in a separate room. Piotr was the first to awaken.
He found himself hanging upside down above a vat of rancid ale. A man dressed all in
black stood nearby, glaring up at him.
"Are you Piotr Sigeurdsen?" The masked man asked.
"What if I am?" Piotr growled. "If you know what is good for you, you'll release me. I'm
one of Lord Briham's most trusted men."
"Most trusted animals, you mean." The man laughed. "For the rape of the woman Jaina,
you are to be executed, as befits an animal of your kind."
"That wench?" Piotr demanded. "Why do you care? Who are you?"
"Just call me a blast from the past." Wraak said, removing his mask.
"But you're dead!" Piotr yelled in disbelief. "Miltos gutted you!"
"Then call me a vengeful ghost." Wraak replied, and then castrated him and lowered
him slowly into the vat, where he left him till he drowned.
* * * * *
"Quaz." A voice said from the shadows, waking Quaz from his unconsciousness.
"Who is that?" He gasped in fear.
"Are you the man named Quaz?" The voice asked again.
"Of course I am." Quaz shouted. "Why do you want to know?"
"To make sure I have come for the right man." The voice replied.
"Who the hell are you?" Quaz demanded in fear.
"I am death." The voice said, and Wraak stepped out of the darkness. "You are sentenced
to die for the rape of Jaina Valconeris."
"Yeah, I raped her." Quaz gloated. "Then I watched when Miltos butchered her, then slit
her lovely throat."
"For that, you die." Wraak growled, and then pulled a cord. Blood splashed down over Quaz,
and he laughed.
"Was that supposed to kill me?" He said, laughing.
"No, it was only bait." Wraak said with a smile. Then he castrated Quaz and left him
alone in the room.
Quaz moaned in pain, and then froze as he heard a sound from one corner. He looked there
and saw several pairs of glowing eye's staring back at him. He screamed as a writhing mass of
rats engulfed him and he was eaten alive.
* * * * *
Igar awoke to find himself tied to a stake in the middle of a pile of firewood.
"Excellent, you're awake." The black clad man in a mask said from the door. "Are you
Igar Verelst? The man who helped Milto Fendross with Jaina Valconeris?"
"Yeah, she was a great lay, and she squealed like a pig when Miltos cut off her breasts."
Igar said with a gloating smile.
"For crimes against the people of Tourgard, and the rape of Jaina Valconeris, you are
sentenced to death." Wraak said grimly, advancing toward him with his sword drawn.
"Who are you to sentence me?" Igar demanded. "I'm one of Briham's men!"
"All the more reason for you to die." Wraak growled, and then castrated him. As Igar's
screams bounced off the walls, Wraak walked to the door.
"Are you just going to leave me here?" Igar gasped hoarsely.
"No." Wraak replied, removing the mask again.
"But you're dead!" Igar screamed.
"Ghosts of revenge are never peaceful." Wraak said, then threw his torch onto the pile of
wood. Igar screamed loudly as he was burned alive.
* * * * *
Sani woke to find himself in a pit. He heard a strange scrapping sound nearby, and felt an
aching emptiness between his legs. He didn't need to look down to realize he'd been castrated. A
rustling sound at the top of the pit caught his attention, and he gasped as a masked man appeared
and started throwing dirt on top of him.
"What are you doing man?" Sani yelled. "Don't you know who I am?"
"Sani Othensian, of Lord Briham's bodyguard, I presume." The man said, surprising Sani.
"For the rape of Jaina Valconeris, and crimes against the people of Tourguard, you are sentenced
to die." He threw more dirt onto Sani. Sani's screams could be heard until his head was buried
under dirt, leaving Sani to die, buried alive.
* * * * *
"The only men who have not returned are Piotr, Quaz, Igar, and Sani, my Lord." The
captain of the guard reported. "There has been no sign of them since last night."
"Have Miltos report to me in my study." Briham ordered, then walked to that room, not
noticing a man following him. When Miltos came to his office, he found Briham lying
unconscious on the floor. He was about to call for the guards, when he was knocked unconscious.
Briham woke to Milto's screams, and when he opened his eyes, he recoiled at what he
saw. Miltos was tied spread eagle on the floor, his manhood gone, leaving a gaping wound in its
place. A cut had been made in his abdomen and his guts were thrown about the floor around him.
"Not a pretty sight, is it, Lord Briham?" A voice said from behind him. "But that is only
what he deserved for what he did."
"Who are you?" Briham demanded, realizing he wouldn't be heard, since they were in his
private pleasure room.
"I am Wraak Afmaakr, Lord Briham." He replied. "One who has come to end your
tyrannical reign."
"Don't I know you?" Briham asked.
"Six months ago, you ordered Miltos to infiltrate your enemies forces and bring you the
names of their leaders." Wraak said grimly. "Once he had done this, you commanded him to
have them killed in the most gruesome way he could imagine. You then assigned him to kill the
woman, Jaina Valconeris, and her consort. You commanded each group of men to return with
trophies."
"If I recall, Miltos returned with the woman's breasts, a lovely addition to my collection."
Briham said. "Still I fail to see what this has to do with you my sinister friend."
"I am no friend of yours Briham." Wraak said, smiling. "I have come to end your life in
your worst nightmare. I was that consort you ordered killed, and now you will pay the price of
that order."
"So you were the man Miltos said he gutted." Briham chuckled. "Thank you for saving
me the trouble of killing him for lying to me, but I'm afraid I can't let you kill me." Briham
dashed over to an alcove and drew his sword from the place where he kept it.
"I underestimated you, Briham." Wraak laughed. "I thought you would try to escape. It
seems that you have some honor left after all. Very well, may the best man win." He lunged at
Briham, who barely managed to parry the blow. The two men circled each other, occasionally
launching assaults but being parried easily.
"I take it you are the one who has been killing my men." Briham said.
"All of whom deserved the death they received." Wraak said simply, then executed a
perfect pattern attack, which ended with him disarming Briham, and holding Briham's own sword
to his throat. "Lord Briham, for crimes against humanity, you are sentenced to die. Do you have
any final words?" Briham just glared at him. "I thought not." He chuckled, then ran Briham
through.
# # # # #
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that." Ami sobbed, hugging Scott. "That must have
hurt so much." Scott nodded in agreement.
"Shortly after that, I changed my name to Garien, since Wraak's job was done. From that
time, until two hundred years later, I sank lower and lower until I became exactly like Briham."
Scott said in a grim tone. "I murdered, plundered, pillaged and raped from one end of Europe to
the other. About a month after I killed Briham, Bannon approached me with an invitation to join
an army of Immortals called the 'Apocalypse Brigade'. I was still full of anger and hatred, so I
took him up on the offer. I can't tell you about some of the stuff we did, it was so awful. And
God help me, I enjoyed it."
"What made you stop?" Ami asked horrified at the amount of pain Scott had experienced.
"On one of our raids, I was searching for the mayor of the town in his house." Scott
began. "I had reached the top floor without finding him, when I heard the door behind me open.
Without even thinking about it, I whirled and stabbed the person behind me. That was when I
came to my senses. It was a beautiful five-year-old girl, with long red hair, dark green eyes and
who looked exactly like my little sister, Cassandra. I tried to save her, but it was too late. She
died there in my arms."
"How awful for you." Ami gasped. "What happened after that?"
"Our last member joined us before that raid, a man by the name of Hawks." Scott
continued. "He noticed that I didn't participate in the rest of that raid and brought it to Bannon's
attention. Out leader, Dayne, asked to speak with me a short time later. He asked me what was
wrong and I told him what had happened and that I no longer had any stomach for that kind of
work. He was very understanding about it and sent me off with his good wishes. I heard twenty
years later, that most of the brigade was wiped out in a clash with the Huns, over a piece of land
Hawks had gotten them a contract to protect. Because I had ridden off in the direction that the
Huns came from; Hawks convinced the others it was my fault."
"How did you ever get over the guilt of what you'd done?" Ami asked finally.
"I never really have,” Scott replied. "But about a year or two after I left, I met a man
traveling the same direction as I was. Another Immortal by the name of Juan Sanchez Villa-Lobos Ramirez.
He helped me to realize that while I had done some terrible things, I could still change. I could try
to make up for the evil I'd done, by helping people who couldn't help themselves."
"What happened to him?" Ami asked as Scott shook his head sadly. "He sounds like
someone I would have liked."
"He was killed protecting his student and the man's wife from one of the more
psychopathic Immortals." Scott said sadly. "The student survived and killed that Immortal later
on. He's related to Duncan MacLeod, actually."
"Really?" Ami said in disbelief, and then gasped as Scott tackled her.
"Thanks for listening Ami, it helped a lot." Scott said, kissing her forcefully. She kissed
him back and they stayed that way for several minutes before Scott jumped to his feet, then helped
her to stand as she wobbled, still a little dazed. "But now we have to get ready for the good-bye
luau at the Cultural Center. So get!" He punctuated his last statement with a smack to her butt,
making her jump, and then run up to the house, giggling.
"Farewell Jaina." Scott said looking out to the ocean. "May you find the joy and peace
you deserve." He ran up to the house to finish packing and getting ready for the Luau.
End
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