Paul drew close to Jak and Naomi. “I’m going out there.” He whispered, brandishing his own knife.
“Are you crazy!” Jak tried to keep her voice down. “It will kill you.”
“I can do it,” He said, sounding braver then he looked. “I’m stronger now.” He held his brand hand up high.
“Your brand isn’t going to do you any good if it eats you!” Jak couldn’t believe what Paul was thinking.
“I’m going anyway. Everyone go upstairs and lock all the doors. I’ll try to hold it off here.”
Before Jak could protest further, Paul was walking to the front door. Jak quickly motioned everyone up the stairs like Paul said. Naomi took the lead and hurried everyone away. Jak stayed behind to watch what happened to Paul.
He took a deep breath, hand still gripping the knife. Then he opened the door and rushed outside.
A snarling sound greeted his arrival, and a moment later, the demon was upon Paul. He didn’t even have time to scream. The moment he appeared, the demon had him, its clawed hands digging into Paul’s flesh, its jaws closing in on his neck.
Jak screamed. Without thinking, she ran outside, brandishing her own knife. She raised it and plunged it deep into the demon’s back as its attention was focused on Paul. A high-pitched scream echoed through the street, and it rounded on Jak. The knife was still embedded in its back, and Jak lost her grip on it as the demon turned. Then Jak saw other dark shapes answering the scream of their brother. They were closing in. The demon in front of her raised itself on its legs, so it was standing. So like a human in form, but so like an animal in the way it behaved. Its all-too-human eyes kept darting back and forth with the same terrified expression that she had seen on that first demon. The expression would have confused Jak had she not been so terrified herself.
Its hand whipped the air, and knocked Jak several feet away. All the air left her lungs and she felt a sharp pain in her chest as she landed. The blow hurt, badly. She had only a moment to glance at the demon before it lunged. It was about to tear her apart like it had Paul. Jak closed her eyes and waited for the pain.
The demon screamed. Jak opened her eyes to look at it. A spear was protruding out of its chest, directly above the place where Jak lay. Black blood dripped from the tip of the spear, landing on Jak’s face. She grimaced, feeling the warmth of the black blood trickle down one cheek. Then, the demon body slumped to one side.
What had just happened? Spears didn’t just appear out of thin air. And this one looked like her father’s. Perhaps he...she looked ahead, in the direction the spear had come, and saw the last thing she expected to see. Her savior was a young man, probably not much older than she. He had on bright armor strapped together with red leather. There was a strange symbol in the center of the chestplate and intricate designs were etched all over the armor. He had an equally shiny helmet that protected the sides and top of his head, leaving most of the face exposed. It was a beautiful face.
The man, no not a man, he was barely older than she was, strode toward her and reached one arm forward. Jak offered her hand as well, thinking he was going to help her to her feet. But instead, he grabbed the spear, placed one foot on the dead demon, and pulled it loose.
That was when Jak noticed that they were not alone. More demons were approaching from all sides. Lots of them, maybe a dozen?
The newcomer stepped forward to meet them. His spear was raised in a defensive stance. The first demon lunged.
And Jak’s mouth fell open.
The demon fell almost before Jak registered that the man had stabbed it with the spear. A moment later and the spear was free again. The man began weaving in and out of the oncoming demons, taking them down one at a time. Side step, stab, left feint, stab. Howls filled the air as one by one, the demons fell. He made the fighting look easy, he made it look like…art. It took only moments before all of the demons were lying dead at his feet.
She stared at him, mouth hanging open. The young man took a moment to collect himself and then turned to her.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
She nodded, mouth still slightly open. The man offered a hand and she took it, helping her up.
“Don’t worry,” he said, taking her silence for fear. “The Watchers are here.”
The Watchers? That was when Jak first noticed others dressed like this newcomer. From her vantage point on the hill, she could see them running around town, coming from all directions, as if they had surrounded the village. All the remaining demons were falling left and right as the Watchers cut them down. The man who saved Jak’s life grinned triumphantly at his comrades.
She managed to point at the house, “There are children in there, you should keep them safe.”
“I will see to it personally,” he said, and began shaking the demon blood off his spear.
Jak wanted to keep staring at the boy, but another glance at his spear reminded her.
“Father!” she cried. “I need to find my father.”
“No worries miss, we’ll find him.”
But Jak wasn’t listening anymore. She ran as fast as she could, away from the Lord Mayor’s house towards Main Street. She hadn’t seen any sign of her father since he ordered her away and ran in that direction.
When she arrived at Main Street, she looked both ways. She couldn’t see her father anywhere. Others of the Watchers were exterminating the remaining demons, some with Firedancing brands, fire shooting out of their fingers. There were only a few demons left.
She kept running down the street, calling for her father as she went. It wasn’t long before she saw a circle of dead demons, dozens of them. Standing near them was a Watcher, and he was kneeling next to someone lying in the middle of the dead demons. No!
Jak came closer, no longer running, hoping that each step she took would not reveal what she thought it would. But as she drew clearer, the face of the man lying on the ground became visible. It was cut and slashed in half a dozen different places, but it was still recognizable. Rael, her father.
“No,” she said aloud, completely ignoring the Watcher who stood there. “NO!”
Her father had his spear in one hand, his hunting knife in the other, blood dripped from their tips. All of the demons surrounding him bore their marks. But Jak didn’t care. All she saw was the wicked gashes across his chest and neck. Red blood pooled and mixed with the black blood of the demons. He was, quite obviously, dying.
“Dad?” she asked to the open air. “Father!”
“Jak.” He raised a hand to cup her cheek. “I’m so sorry, I couldn’t…”
“You saved us,” was all she could think to say. “You did it.”
“The Watchers?” he gasped and choked out blood.
“You held the demons off until they could get here,” she said, and she felt her tears begin to run freely.
Rael reached out a hand and grasped her arm. He was still choking on his own blood, but through it all, he managed a few more words. “He...fears you,” he said. “Find...Karlo…”
But that was all he could manage. He couldn’t finish the word, but Jak knew what he meant. Find Karlona. Her mother.
She knelt next to him, completely ignoring the pool of black and red blood, and cradled his head in her hand as his body went limp. Everything was numb. She couldn’t think, couldn’t cry. She couldn’t do anything but hold him there. She rocked him back and forth, trying to breathe life back into her father. Perhaps if she had chosen a different brand, she could have saved him. Something useful in combat like Strength or Flamedancing.
Others gathered around her, watching in pity, though most had their own concerns.
“He died well,” a voice spoke to her. It was the Watcher who had been kneeling next to her father when she found him. He stood tall now, with the same armor she saw on all the other Watchers, but with a few distinguishing marks on his shoulders. He was probably a leader. He also had black hair, which was unusual. Jak only knew of herself and…
Jak curse
d herself for the distraction. Her father was dead, and here she was thinking about hair.
The man looked like he was going to say something more, but stopped.
The young Watcher from before had arrived. He saluted the black-haired Watcher, then joined him in looking down at Rael’s corpse. Pity on his face. Jak felt the irrational urge to lash out at them. She didn’t want their pity! But no, her father had taught her better than that. Treat all living beings with respect. Even demons couldn’t help their circumstances.
She would have stayed there, but she heard the Watcher leader say something about cleaning this up. No, they couldn’t take him away! She resisted as hands tore her away from her father. She screamed as multiple arms held her, and more still carried her father away from her. She didn’t look at who held her, didn’t care.
Eventually, her father was gone, placed in a line with the rest of the dead. There were so many of them! The Watchers that held her away finally released her, and she fell to her knees, trying to keep the sobs at bay. That was when she saw her father’s hunting knife and spear, still bloody on the ground.
She took the spear and held it level with her eyes. Black blood stained the length of the blade, and dripped off its sharpened edge. Good. They deserved it. They…
No! She almost heard her father speak to her from beyond. These demons didn’t ask for their fate, even if they killed everyone in the village. Killing them was necessary, but it wasn’t…good.
She stood, wiped the spear on a nearby patch of grass, and held it in front of her. It belonged to her now.
A cold steel glint came to her green eyes. She stood alone in the village square, while soldiers mopped up the remains of the dead, and surviving villagers worked and cried over the destruction. She heard none of it. She only stood resolute, a pillar of pain.
Her father may have treated her harshly from time to time, limiting her freedom, and treating her like someone who couldn’t take care of herself. But he had taught her decency, and now that teaching kicked in. Grabbing a shovel from a nearby Watcher wagon, she walked two blocks to a large patch of field that lay on the edge of the town. She began to dig.
4
She dug until her hands were blistered and raw, while everyone went about their business. She dug one grave for her father, then started on another, and another. Eventually, others saw what she was doing and started to help. Even some of the Watchers saw the efforts and joined in. Jak kept at her task, allowing it to consume her, and it took a moment for her to even realize she was surrounded by people.
Her thoughts turned to her father’s dying words. He fears you. What could her father possibly mean by that? Who feared her, and why would anyone fear her? She was no threat to anyone.
The second part made more sense, but also brought up more questions. Find Karlona. That was the name of Jak’s mother, though she knew little more than that. For all she knew, her mother was dead. All her father would tell her was that Karlona had been lost in the mountains. Surely, if she were still alive she would have returned by now and found a way back to her family. Find Karlona. Did this mean that she was still alive?
“Jak! Relics, you’re alive!” A voice broke Jak out of her thoughts. She turned in the direction of the voice. It was Marek. He was still alive somehow. Jak felt a twinge of relief, but nothing seemed to bolster her spirits right now. His parents were both there with him, doing their best to stay close to their son.
“What happened?” Marek asked as he drew closer and grabbed her free hand. Jak winced as Marek touched the inflamed skin of her hand. He noticed her wince, and with a glance at her hand, quickly let go. His eyes were nothing but concern for her. He was good like that. He noticed things. And right now, he seemed to notice the look on her face.
Marek continued speaking, “Are you okay, Jak? How did you get away?”
Jak tried to look nonchalant. She could do that, right? She didn’t want him to look any more concerned than he did already. “I’m fine. I…I’m glad you’re still alive.”
Marek nodded. “My parents and I only survived because we hid in our cellar, where we keep the perishables. A demon almost found us before one of those Watchers killed it and saved us. Can you believe it? Watchers, here in Riverbrook. What luck!”
Marek stopped talking as his eyes moved to the shovel Jak was holding, then at the freshly dug graves. There it was. His face whitened just a bit, and he turned back to Jak with renewed concern. “Where’s your dad? Is he helping them clean up?” He looked around, eyes searching for Rael.
“He’s....” Jak stumbled, words failing her. “He fought dozens of demons. He was the only one fighting them, until the Watchers showed up. But by then...”
Marek must have seen the pain in Jak’s eyes, because he took a step forward and took her hand in his again. Gently this time. No pain. Instead his touch was soft and comforting. “Oh Jak, oh I’m so sorry!”
She turned away from him and dropped her shovel, pulling her arm away from his grip. She couldn’t talk to him right now, couldn’t process everything that was happening. So she left Marek standing there and walked towards the center of the village square, where a large crowd had gathered. Some were still crying, others looked stone-faced. That was more like she felt, but inside a tumult of emotions was raging. She wasn’t sure how to sort it all out.
One of the Watchers, the black-haired leader, looked like he was about to speak.
“People of Riverbrook! Please gather.”
Jak listened. She wanted to hear what this man had to say, this man who had witnessed the death of her father. Others gathered closer, maybe thirty people in all. The village supported much more than that, but most of them were probably still hiding elsewhere. Jak was able to make out Naomi and several of the younger children who had barricaded themselves inside the mayor’s house.
“We are filled with sorrow for what has taken place here today,” the Watcher continued, “Riverbrook has suffered a terrifying attack by a herd of demons. We’ve sent people to the surrounding farms, but we are not hopeful that many of them survived. That means that all of you represent the majority of the survivors.”
What? Surely more people made it out.
“My name is Kuldain. The men and women who saved your life today are under my command. And we will keep you safe. Unfortunately, we cannot do this if you remain in Riverbrook. I’m afraid you will have to leave, temporarily.”
Mutters and shouts echoed through the crowd. No one had expected this, not even Jak. People knew of the existence of demons, but no one suspected that they posed this kind of threat. One villager, who seemed to be thinking along the same lines, shouted, “But you killed all of the demons!”
Kuldain nodded, “This was only one small group. More live in the mountains and caves. They are growing bold and hunt in packs. Believe me, it’s only a matter of time before they overrun this area of the kingdom. The only reason we were here to help, is because we’ve been tracking this particular band of demons for two weeks now. They move fast, and we will not always be here to protect you. Your only hope is to migrate to a larger city, one with a standing militia. Once we eradicate the demons, it will be safe for you to return.”
“How did so many demons come out of nowhere!” another villager yelled, “I thought they were rare.”
“We don’t know for certain. I’m convinced that they came out of the mountains, where the Fae live, breading a new species of demon.”
A few concerned murmurs spread through the crowd. Jak remembered hearing something about these “Fae” the Watcher referred to, but they didn’t make demons, only Gifters could do that. At least, that’s what she had been taught. According to folklore, the Fae were a group of people who perverted themselves into a special kind of demon. They lived in the mountains and snatched up passing children. Most assumed they were a myth, told to young children to keep them from straying too far from home. But Jak knew better. Her father had known something about them, and always insisted that they
weren’t demons.
Kuldain kept speaking, “Others of my comrades think there may be a few rogue Gifters who are creating a demon army of their own.”
Yes, that sounded more plausible, given what Jak knew about branding and demons. If a Gifter wanted to, he could create a small army of demons. That thought reminded Jak of Gabriel. She hadn’t seen him since before the attack. Could he be somehow involved in all this? But no, she didn’t think so. The man had been very kind and her father trusted him. She couldn’t see him raising a demon army. But doubt still hung on her mind.
She needed to find the Gifter, if he was still alive. Without thinking, she began to move away from the crowd, while others continued to barrage the Watcher with questions. She had heard all she wanted to hear. She needed to find Gabriel. With her father gone, he was all she had left.
A few moments later she was out of the square and searching up and down the streets, looking for the Gifter. She did her best to avoid other Watchers who were also looking for stragglers. Part of her realized that, if Gabriel was still alive, then the Watchers would probably find him eventually, but she needed to search for him herself. Something drove her to do so.
She started looking near the Lord Mayor’s house, since that was where she saw him last. But she found nothing. She peeked her head inside nearby shops and houses, many of which had broken-down doors or windows. No one was there. At least, no one alive was there.
She froze as a sound met her ears. It sounded like someone was moving inside one of the cottages near the northern edge of the city. She looked and couldn’t see anything in the dimming light. So she drew closer.
“Mr. Gabriel,” she called out as loudly as she dared. “Is that you?”
The sounds of movement stopped for a brief moment, and she knew that whatever made the noise had heard her.
Suddenly, a dark shape hurtled through the open door. There was another demon, still alive!
Jak felt ready this time. In a moment, her father’s spear came to bear. She braced herself as the demon charged toward her.
Out of Shadow: An Epic YA Fantasy Adventure (Roots of Creation Book 1) Page 4