His Ancient Heart by M. R. Forbes

you find him, my Lord?"
    "No. He has already left this place. He went out this way. You didn't see him?"  
    "No, my Lord."
    "Are you careless, or just stupid?"
    The Mediator's face paled. She was a pretty one, young and slender, with wide hips and a pronounced chest resting beneath her robes. "General?"  
    "He went right past you," he replied, his voice calm while the anger churned inside him. "How did he escape your attention?"
    "P... Perhaps he circled around us?"
    "You didn't assign outriders?"
    "Of... of course we did, my Lord. They saw nothing."
    Spyne's deep eyes shifted across the row. They were a young assembly. Inexperienced. The type that Thornn wouldn't mind losing. "No. They wouldn't. It is understandable that he slipped past you. The Liar has many tricks at his disposal."
    "My apologies, General," the Mediator said.
    Spyne looked at her again. His eyes travelled the length of her body, pausing on her breasts and hips once more. He couldn't remember what Tella looked like. Was she as voluptuous?  
    "My Lord?" the Mediator said. Her nerves were failing under his gaze, and she was looking for some way, any way, to shift his attention. "If I may... what is this place?"
    Spyne closed his eyes for a moment, shaking the shape of her from his thoughts. It wouldn't help. Nothing ever did. Besides, he would be angry if he treated a Mediator in such a way.  
    Even one that had to die.
    The General turned the stone in his hand again, closing his palm and opening it, sending the secret signal to his Historians. Perhaps Thornn had never expected the soldiers would reach Genesia. Perhaps he had guessed they wouldn't dare venture in. More likely, he wasn't concerned with either outcome. He knew what Spyne would do. What he had to do. It was bad enough he would need to replace his Historians when all of this was over.  
    No, not Worm. He'll never speak of what he's seen.
    "General?" the Mediator said again.  
    Spyne caught her eyes in his. He watched her face change, from general fear to abject terror, as she read his intentions in his dark gaze. She raised her hands to begin summoning her Curse, a yellow ring on her finger starting to glow.  
    One swift movement found Spyne's dagger buried in her chest, the magic dying at the same time she fell to the ground. The soldiers around her reacted with the expected fear and panic, struggling to make space to fight, draw their weapons, and prepare themselves.  
    The Historians swept into them like an ocean storm, their own ircidium blades coming free of scabbards just in time to make quick, killing strokes. Seven soldiers fell in the surprise of the ambush.
    Spyne gained his own weapon and lashed out at the closest two soldiers. His blade shattered their inferior weapons behind the force of his strength, passing through the steel and into the chain, through the chain and into their torsos. Deep gashes left them screaming and bleeding out, joining their comrades on the ground, becoming just another corpse in a sea of ancient corpses.  
    Worm dashed from target to target, his knife barely visible as he ducked and swerved, dancing through the soldiers' defenses and finding the weakest parts of their armor. Blood sprayed from deep wounds, landing on the painted man's face. His twisted grin proved he was from Heden itself. Even Spyne didn't find such enjoyment in bloodshed.
    It was over in minutes, the entire retinue of soldiers felled by an opponent that they outnumbered six to one. General Spyne approached the Mediator he had felled, kneeling next to her to retrieve his knife and clean his sword blade. He stared at her dead face, and then returned his attention to her body. He could feel his blood pulsing through him, his heart pounding. He stood and sheathed his weapons.
    "There may be more up on the ridge," Peyn said.  
    "No survivors," Spyne replied. "Worm, go up ahead. If you find any soldiers, kill them."
    Worm responded by taking the slope at a run.
    "I'm glad he's on our